CLS-Chapter 49

Chapter 49:

“Thank you for your help.”

Peng Daoji cupped his hands toward Gok Bi-hang and the others in greeting.

“Don’t mention it.”

However, Gok Bi-hang’s eyes were subtly unfriendly.

When you thought about it, Wei Yan-ho’s words weren’t wrong at all. If Peng Daoji hadn’t appeared, there would have been no reason for them to risk their lives fighting.

And if Wei Yan-ho hadn’t been an expert beyond what Gok Bi-hang had anticipated, they would have left their bones here today.

“The Peng Family will compensate for all damaged goods. Please send the bill to Hebei. And I’ll send martial artists to the Swift Dragon Express Company to prepare for any possible retaliation from them.”

“Understood.”

Gok Bi-hang didn’t say much.

Because of this incident, they had made enemies of the Green Forest. That was a problem no compensation could solve.

It wasn’t Peng Daoji’s fault, so there was nothing to argue about, but it was natural that pleasant words wouldn’t come out.

“I will definitely repay this debt.”

“Where are you heading?”

At Gok Bi-hang’s blunt question, Peng Daoji seemed to consider for a moment before speaking.

“I’m going to the Martial Alliance.”

“Not to the Peng Family?”

“I was carrying out orders from the Martial Alliance. The Peng Family will handle compensation for the goods, but the Righteous Martial Alliance will handle countermeasures regarding the Green Forest.”

“Well then.”

Gok Bi-hang’s face brightened.

The Soaring Heaven Righteous Martial Alliance.

Called the Martial Alliance or the One Alliance, it was the most powerful force under heaven. A coalition centered around the Nine Sects and One House and the Five Great Families, who boasted the most formidable power in the martial world.

If they protected the Swift Dragon Express Company, even the Green Forest wouldn’t be able to easily touch them.

If handled well, it could even become advantageous.

“Well then.”

Peng Daoji was about to hurry on his way when he turned his head slightly to look up at the cargo wagon.

‘Still, I should at least say goodbye…’

Peng Daoji climbed onto the cargo wagon.

“Thank you for your help. I will definitely repay this debt.”

“How?”

“That’s…”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Peng Daoji with a crooked gaze.

“How are you going to repay it?”

“In some way…”

“So what is this ‘some way’? What are you going to repay me with? Thanks to you, I exerted myself, and now my whole body aches. How are you going to compensate for this damage?”

Peng Daoji couldn’t answer.

It was just polite words, wasn’t it!

Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue.

“Go, go. Let’s try not to see each other again if possible. Traveling with a water ghost, I might get dragged into the water.”

“A-ahem!”

“What? I said go.”

Peng Daoji’s face reddened at Wei Yan-ho’s irritated voice.

“Then take care.”

Peng Daoji left like that.

Gok Bi-hang climbed onto the wagon.

“Isn’t that too cold?”

“What is?”

“Your words to that young man. He didn’t really commit any great wrong. Of course he made a mistake, but he didn’t do it deliberately.”

Wei Yan-ho sighed.

“Uncle.”

“What is it?”

“If I hadn’t been here, you would have died.”

“…That’s probably true.”

“Everyone else would have died too. All because of that one bastard.”

Gok Bi-hang nodded.

It was true.

“But looking at the situation, it seems he has important business. That young man was also performing chivalry when that happened.”

“Chivalry?”

“That’s right.”

Wei Yan-ho snorted.

“So it’s okay for people to die?”

“…”

“Some people might think grand causes and such are important. But if there are people who have to be sacrificed because of that, it’s better not to have that grand cause at all.”

“Hmm…”

“If he really intended to perform chivalry, he should have somehow solved it alone. He shouldn’t cause harm to others.”

“But it’s not a problem one person can solve alone. And if more people could be in danger…”

Wei Yan-ho snorted.

“I don’t want to die getting involved in saving more people.”

Gok Bi-hang looked at Wei Yan-ho with strange eyes.

It seemed like very worldly and selfish words. Ordinary people would usually be ashamed to voice such thoughts.

But Wei Yan-ho’s face showed no hesitation about saying such things.

“My master said there’s nothing more foolish than risking your life for matters unrelated to you. He said I have to live first for others to exist.”

“Hmm.”

“I have to be happy for others to be happy. So the most important thing is me.”

Gok Bi-hang laughed.

“But young man, even saying that, you still ended up helping him.”

“Otherwise those green-clad bastards would have attacked to kill us.”

“Hm?”

“Since having that guy around meant using my hands one less time, I helped him. If it was a problem that could be solved by just leaving him behind, I would have left him and gone.”

“Is that so?”

“Of course.”

Gok Bi-hang laughed awkwardly.

“That aside… young man, you have more incredible martial arts than I thought!”

“Haha, it’s just ordinary.”

Gok Bi-hang was genuinely amazed.

“No way. Your martial arts were at a level I’ve never seen in my lifetime. It was truly remarkable!”

“Ah, well, it’s not that much.”

Wei Yan-ho acted modest, but his face showed unmistakable contentment.

That was natural, since Wei Yan-ho had rarely received anything called praise from others throughout his life. His parents had tormented him greatly, his older brother had tried to devour him, and his only master had constantly berated him for being stupid.

Thanks to that, Wei Yan-ho was very weak to praise.

“Moreover, your body must not be in good condition.”

“Hm? What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t you have an illness, young man?”

“I don’t. Who said that?”

Gok Bi-hang was taken aback instead.

“No, you said you were going to Seongsu Medical Hall…”

“That’s just because I have business there.”

“Wasn’t it because your body hurt that you slept all day?”

Wei Yan-ho said confidently.

“No. I just sleep a lot.”

Gok Bi-hang’s face contorted instantly.

‘So all of that was really just laziness?’

Having discovered that sleeping for over ten hours a day wasn’t due to illness but laziness, Gok Bi-hang looked at Wei Yan-ho with fresh eyes.

‘He might be a bit lazy, but he’s certainly a capable young man. It would be good to establish connections with the escort company through this opportunity.’

Since it hadn’t been long since he witnessed Wei Yan-ho’s prowess, Gok Bi-hang evaluated Wei Yan-ho favorably. Even if someone was lazy, if they had this much ability, they had the right to be lazy.

But that thought didn’t last very long.

From then on, Gok Bi-hang witnessed Wei Yan-ho’s laziness clearly.

Not knowing and knowing were completely different dimensions. Once the preconception that he might be ill disappeared, Gok Bi-hang could properly see just how lazy Wei Yan-ho was.

After about a day, Gok Bi-hang revised his thoughts.

‘Of course he has ability. But it’s laziness that makes it hard to demonstrate that ability. He might actually lose what he has. If only he wasn’t lazy, he’d be a young man destined for great success…’

And after about three days, Gok Bi-hang looked at Wei Yan-ho like he was looking at a bug.

‘Did they put adhesive on that back! How can someone live attached to the ground all day like that? Even if you’re human, shouldn’t you move around a bit!’

Finally, after staying at the promised inn for two days and watching Wei Yan-ho do nothing but eat and sleep, Gok Bi-hang could firmly organize his thoughts.

‘He’s not human, not human! I’m scared the escort members might see and learn from him! I need to separate him from the escort group as soon as possible!’

So Gok Bi-hang hurried the escort journey.

“Thank you for everything.”

“Nothing to thank me for. It’s work I’m getting paid to do.”

“Anyway, thanks to you, I traveled comfortably.”

“You would have traveled comfortably. That’s how you should travel. I’ve never seen anyone travel as comfortably as you in my life.”

“Then I hope we have a chance to meet again.”

“There’s no way that would happen.”

“Then farewell.”

Gok Bi-hang waved his hand and shouted toward the back of the departing Wei Yan-ho.

“Anyway, thank you! I’ll never forget that you saved our lives!”

“Just words?”

“…”

“I’m joking.”

Wei Yan-ho waved his hand dismissively and walked away with a shuffling gait.

Gok Bi-hang sighed watching Wei Yan-ho like that.

“If only he were a bit more diligent, he could truly become someone wonderful.”

For Wei Yan-ho, that was something impossible to wish for—a truly dreamlike story.

***

Wei Yan-ho looked at the massive gate before him.

Seongsu Medical Hall.

“Hmm, it’s quite large.”

The gate was wide open, and patients were coming and going through it.

Wei Yan-ho had seen various clinics, but this was the first time he’d seen such a huge medical facility.

“Sigh.”

Wei Yan-ho naturally sighed first.

“What will this place torment me with now?”

Wei Yan-ho never thought that he tormented others.

“It’ll work out somehow.”

Wei Yan-ho entered Seongsu Medical Hall.

After passing through the wide courtyard, there was a reception area where people were waiting in line.

Wei Yan-ho headed to the reception desk.

“Excuse me.”

The sharp-eyed man handling reception raised his hand to stop Wei Yan-ho.

“Wait.”

“No, I’m…”

“Don’t you see the people waiting? Go to the back of that line and wait.”

“No, that’s not what I…”

“This person! I said wait!”

Wei Yan-ho’s jaw dropped.

‘At least let me speak.’

Wei Yan-ho turned around.

Fortunately, whether because there were usually many people waiting in line, or because it would be hard for patients to stand and wait, several long chairs were placed so people could sit.

Wei Yan-ho sat at the very end of a chair.

When one person finished reception and entered the room where the doctor was, people slowly shifted their seats forward.

‘So this is how the line works.’

It was quite a good system.

The only problem was having to move sideways every time someone left.

And for Wei Yan-ho, that was a very big problem.

‘I’m feeling drowsy.’

Wei Yan-ho closed his eyes.

“Excuse me.”

“…Yes?”

“The line has moved that far! Please move forward.”

“Please go ahead.”

“What?”

“I’ll let you go first, so please go ahead.”

“Let me go first? Ah, thank you! Then…”

After one person passed Wei Yan-ho and went forward, the person behind immediately came to Wei Yan-ho.

“If you could move up in line…”

“I’ll let you go first.”

“I don’t…”

“Everyone, please go ahead. I’ll go when I feel like going.”

“Thank you.”

Wei Yan-ho leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

After spending ten days on a swaying cargo wagon, even the hard chair felt like a soft bed.

“Snore.”

Wei Yan-ho fell asleep like that.

“Has this woman gone mad!”

Wei Yan-ho woke up to the loud noise.

“So noisy…”

Wei Yan-ho looked toward where the loud noise was coming from.

A woman holding a child was clinging to the receptionist, pleading.

“Sir! The child can’t breathe! Please!”

“Who doesn’t know? I know, I know. So go and bring money.”

“If I had money right now, why wouldn’t I bring it?”

“If you don’t have money, go. Do you think I’m digging up the ground to do business?”

“The child is in so much pain. I’ll definitely repay the money, so please help just this once!”

The sharp-eyed receptionist clicked his tongue.

“Do you think you’re the only one who tries to skip out on payment like that? Until you bring money, you can’t take even one step inside, so know that.”

“Sir! I’ll definitely repay it. So please…”

“Enough, either go bring money or go somewhere else.”

When pleading didn’t work, the woman ran inside holding her child, tears streaming down her face.

“Hey?”

The receptionist shouted and ran after her, grabbing the woman and throwing her out.

“Aah!”

“This woman really!”

Even as she fell to the ground, the woman desperately held her child tight.

Was it a mother’s heart to keep her child from getting hurt?

“Do you really want to get in trouble? I’ll…”

The receptionist who was scolding the woman suddenly froze with his mouth open, his body trembling.

The receptionist turned around slowly with trembling eyes.

“Yawn.”

There was Wei Yan-ho, yawning long.

‘Did I sense it wrong?’

For a moment, he had clearly felt a chill as if he’d entered an ice cave.

That’s why he had turned around.

Wei Yan-ho shuffled over to the woman.

“Let me see.”

“Yes? Ah, yes!”

Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue.

“The child has turned completely blue.”

Wei Yan-ho gently pressed the child’s chest.