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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Poor in Spirit
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The man currently gripping Kang-jun tightly by the collar, ‘Kim Dae-seon,’ was a fairly well-known B-rank Hunter and…
a classic case of the nouveau riche.
He’d received a B-rank right from his first evaluation, and after that, he’d earned an unimaginable amount of money.
He feared nothing.
The money he made as a Hunter was already substantial, but the alternative energy source business he recently spearheaded had also become a massive success.
He had succeeded in proving the potential of a business he’d scraped together his entire fortune for, and just recently, he’d been promised a ‘massive investment.’
With solid funding secured, it was only a matter of time before he’d be sitting on an even bigger pile of cash, provided the planned research succeeded.
“Tsk, you inferior trash…”
He had been leading an incredibly busy life, and after finally managing to carve out some time to spend with his son, he’d gotten himself tangled up in this mess.
“Anyway, it’s because this neighborhood is so shabby that you run into riffraff like this…”
He then clapped his hands together—*clap, clap*—as if dusting them off, and added.
“I’ll let it slide this once, so if you don’t want to make a scene in front of the kid, scram.”
In his own mind, he was showing mercy, not wanting to cause a fuss on a rare day he was spending with his precious son.
But…
Kang-jun didn’t reply. Instead, his gaze shifted to his daughter, who was still crying pitifully, and he simply watched her in silence.
“Seol-i, no more tears.”
“Sniffle…”
“Are you upset?”
Seol-i nodded, sniffling sorrowfully. Kang-jun spoke in a calm, instructive tone.
“It’s alright.”
Then he began to slowly consider how best to explain the situation.
‘Raising a child is truly a difficult task…’
Children were like blank canvases, all too easily colored by the actions and thoughts of adults.
His desire to raise his daughter without wanting for anything remained unchanged, but he had no intention whatsoever of raising her to be ill-mannered.
As a member of the imperial family, he wanted to raise her to be someone who always maintained her dignity and grace, a magnanimous and wise person admired by all.
“First, we are not beggars.”
“Okay…”
“And even if we were.”
Kang-jun added again.
“Poverty is never a reason for ridicule.”
At Kang-jun’s exceedingly rational response, Bong-gu looked quite surprised.
“But dat man called Dada and Seori beggars…”
“That must be because that man is poor in spirit.”
He then stroked Seol-i’s head and added.
“That’s why Daddy doesn’t want you to grow up to be a pathetic adult who mocks the poverty of others.”
“Okay…”
“Become someone who shares food with the hungry and gives a coat to the unclothed.”
Seol-i nodded and held out her pinky finger, her small lips forming a careful reply.
“Mhm, pwomise.”
“Yes, a promise.”
Kang-jun then gave Seol-i’s bottom a light pat and added again in a gentle tone.
“Also, that man will pay dearly for upsetting you, so don’t be disheartened at all.”
Kim Dae-seon scoffed, tilting his head as he shot back.
“Oh, will he now—?”
He then walked up to Kang-jun and poked him in the chest—*poke, poke*—asking tauntingly.
“What, you don’t like being called a beggar in front of your kid?”
*Poke.*
“What are you gonna do about it, huh? Why the glare?”
*Poke.*
“How is a nobody like you going to make me pay?”
Just then, Bong-gu stepped between the two, grabbing Kim Dae-seon’s wrist tightly.
“Sir, the children are watching. Perhaps you should calm down…”
“Who the hell are you?”
“I’m just worried you’re going to get yourself into serious trouble…”
“I asked, who the hell are you!”
He felt that if he didn’t step in and mediate right this second, something terrible was bound to happen.
“If this continues, your son might have to spend the rest of his life missing his father…”
“Are you threatening me?”
“It’s not a threat, it’s a warning out of concern. Just the thought of it is heartbreaking, isn’t it…?”
“I can’t believe these lunatics!”
Kim Dae-seon immediately tried to shake him off, but when he couldn’t, he just kept shouting, “Let go of me!”
Just then.
Kang-jun’s gaze fell upon a door at the side of the kids’ café, which bore a sign that read, ‘Staff Only.’
“I’d like to have a conversation somewhere more private.”
At Kang-jun’s words, pointing to the door, Kim Dae-seon fumed, “A conversation? Fine by me.” He then took the lead, stomping ahead.
“Dada…”
Seol-i tugged on Kang-jun’s sleeve…
“Seori is scared of fighting…”
To that, Kang-jun replied calmly.
“I do not fight.”
“Then?”
“I merely deliver punishment.”
He then stroked Seol-i’s head and said.
“I’m just going to have a little chat with that man. You have fun playing with your uncle.”
After speaking, Kang-jun gave her a smile and began to follow Kim Dae-seon.
“You bastard, you’ll be kicking yourself and regretting this day until you draw your last breath.”
Having said his piece, Kim Dae-seon began to unfasten the expensive luxury watch from his wrist.
“Still, I’ll give you enough compensation that you won’t feel too bitter about living as a cripple, so don’t take it too hard…”
At that, Kang-jun casually asked back.
“Hey, you got a lot of money?”
Kim Dae-seon flashed a sinister grin and replied in a swaggering tone.
“That’s right, you son of a bitch.”
After speaking, he took off his suit jacket, folded it neatly to the side, and continued speaking softly as if to himself.
“I don’t know if a beggar like you has ever heard of 「The Coterie of the Affluent」, but…”
He added with a silly, wide grin.
“I happen to be a ‘Bronze rank’ member there.”
That meant he was a man of wealth with over 15 billion won in liquid cash assets deposited in that bank.
“Bronze doesn’t sound like a very high rank…”
Kim Dae-seon snapped back defensively.
“Maggots like you could work like dogs your whole lives and you wouldn’t even be able to open a savings account, let alone achieve ‘Bronze’ rank…”
Kang-jun cut in.
“I’ve been an Orichalcum rank for quite some time now.”
Momentarily stunned, Kim Dae-seon asked, “What?” but quickly dismissed Kang-jun’s words as a simple bluff and continued speaking.
“And as luck would have it, the potential of the company I run was recognized by some very important people in The Coterie of the Affluent, and I’ve been promised a ‘massive investment,’ you see?”
“An investment?”
“You seem too stupid to even understand. I’m telling you that maggots like you and I live in completely different worlds. How dare a piece of trash I wouldn’t even share a table with…”
After his long-winded speech, he strode forward and continued in a cold tone.
“I was in a good mood for once, so I was going to go easy on you, but you don’t even know your place and have the nerve to be this arrogant?”
Then he added.
“Fine. It’s late, but if you get on your knees and beg right now, I’ll let it go.”
“Hm?”
“But make your kid kneel and apologize with you.”
After a moment of mental calculation, Kang-jun replied.
“For a very long time, I have despised the wealthy who are unworthy of their riches. The sight of such people offends me, so I end up taking everything from them.”
“What?”
“It seems you are exactly that type of person. Perhaps if luck favors you and you achieve something again, you’ll be able to maintain the dignity that comes with it.”
Kang-jun immediately took out his smartphone and started dialing a number.
- O-O great Immortal…
It was Kajan.
“I will be withdrawing all the valuables and assets I have entrusted to the care of 「The Coterie of the Affluent」.”
At those words, Kim Dae-seon muttered, “You… you lunatic.”
Even as he was convinced it was a lie, a corner of his heart felt uneasy.
‘Is that guy really a client of The Coterie of the Affluent?’
Startled, Kajan asked back urgently, his voice trembling.
- O-O Immortal. Why on earth would you say something so sudden and shocking…
If a prime client like Kang-jun were to withdraw all the assets from his accounts at once, the bank’s entire cash flow would undoubtedly be thrown into turmoil.
- P-p-please, would you reconsider just once…
Kang-jun looked at Kim Dae-seon and asked.
“What’s the name of your company that was promised an investment?”
Kim Dae-seon replied in a barely audible voice, “New Energy Corporation…” At that, Kang-jun spoke again in a solemn tone.
“If you do not withdraw the investment you promised to the company called ‘New Energy Corporation,’ I will withdraw everything by the end of the day.”
Kajan replied in an utterly frantic tone.
- W-we will withdraw it immediately!
Kang-jun nodded, satisfied.
“Good. Then we’ll forget this ever happened.”
Kim Dae-seon was staring blankly at Kang-jun, completely dumbfounded.
*Step, step.*
Kang-jun walked right up to him, flashed a grin, and tapped him on the chest.
*Tap.*
It seemed like a completely non-threatening gesture, but it was more than enough to sever the ‘core’ coiled within Kim Dae-seon’s chest.
Having severed the very core that contained his mana, he had now become an ordinary man, unable to wield mana any longer.
Just as Kim Dae-seon’s eyes widened in shock, feeling the mana in his body begin to scatter into nothingness…
“For those who live drunk on petty power and honor, there seems to be no greater punishment than this.”
“Gaaahhh…”
“You deserved to die for daring to speak of my daughter, but I have spared your life for the sake of your son.”
Overcome by the delayed onslaught of pain, Kim Dae-seon began to writhe pathetically on the floor, groaning, “Aaaargh…”
Just as Kang-jun was about to leave the private room, Kajan’s trembling voice came from the smartphone in his hand once more.
- O great Immortal. Actually, I was just about to contact you regarding an urgent matter…
Kang-jun glanced down at Kim Dae-seon rolling on the floor and asked in a perfectly calm tone.
“What is it?”
Kajan answered immediately.
- As you previously instructed, we successfully completed the registration for the ‘American Auction’ where the Elixir will be listed, but…
“But?”
- We have received intelligence that a criminal organization known as the ‘Brotherhood’ is showing signs of interfering with this auction.
Kang-jun asked softly.
“The Brotherhood?”
