CLS-Chapter 77

Chapter 77

He was certain it had to be bluffing.

Someone who knew nothing about gambling couldn’t come to a gambling house and win all that money. That was common sense.

However, it was also a fact that couldn’t be denied.

‘At that age, he couldn’t have mastered gambling.’

How much gambling could that young brat have done? Moreover, the yin-yang game was an exclusive gambling game of the Golden Flower House. He couldn’t have learned it elsewhere beforehand.

Even if he had somehow obtained information, he couldn’t perfectly imitate the weight and material of the iron balls used in their yin-yang game. In the end, there was no way to cheat.

‘Stay calm.’

He had been getting swept up by that composed boy’s attitude from earlier.

Gambling was gambling precisely because the outcome was uncertain. It was common for seasoned gamblers to crumble before complete novices. What would be the fun in gambling if you could always win?

“So you’re saying there’s no game you know?”

“Ah!”

At that moment, Wei Yan-ho clapped his hands.

“Actually, there is one gambling game I can do among the ones I heard about earlier.”

“What is it?”

Wei Yan-ho smiled slyly.

“Do you know how to play Go?”

***

“Let’s depart.”

Wei San-ho busily gathered his belongings.

“…Can’t we stay just one more day?”

“A beggar slept in a proper bed, and now he’s only gotten lazier.”

“Your family members aren’t in a position to criticize others’ laziness, are they?”

“I have nothing to say to that.”

Someone with Wei Yan-ho as a younger brother couldn’t possibly blame others for laziness.

“It’s not a family trait.”

“I know.”

Wei San-ho’s diligence was famous.

After entering the academy, Wei San-ho was such a diligent martial arts fanatic that there were rumors he devoted all his time except for eating and sleeping to training.

If Jang-il hadn’t seen Wei Yan-ho directly, he would never have believed such a lazy bum could come from the Guangdong Wei family.

Wei San-ho would occasionally say, “My younger brother is a lazybones without equal under heaven,” but Jang-il had thought those words were just the excessively diligent Wei San-ho scolding an ordinary brother.

But to think there really was a world-class lazybones as Wei San-ho’s brother.

‘You never know about people…’

If only Wei San-ho had been diligent, he might have half-believed it. But who was Wei San-ho’s father?

Who could believe that Wi Jeong-han the Righteous Hero Sword’s son was a lazybones?

“Are you really blood brothers?”

“Definitely.”

“Then how are your personalities so different?”

“It’s not just Yan-ho who’s different.”

“Hm?”

“Su-ryeon is also completely different from me in personality. All three of us siblings have different personalities.”

“It sounds like a general story but also strange.”

“That’s enough small talk, so please get up.”

“Ugh.”

Jang-il slowly raised his torso.

Crack crack crack.

“Ah, sleeping in a bed after so long, my back…”

Wei San-ho quietly watched the scene.

“Fine! I’m getting up! I’m getting up!”

What a guy who wouldn’t bleed a drop even if pricked with a needle.

At least Wei Yan-ho had some human aspects…

When with Wei Yan-ho, if he felt irritated, then when with Wei San-ho, his chest naturally felt stuffy and frustrated.

‘I really shouldn’t associate with the Wei family.’

At this point, he was becoming personally curious about what kind of person the Righteous Hero Sword was.

The Righteous Hero Sword with high renown throughout the land was…

“What kind of person is your father?”

“Father?”

Jang-il silently nodded. When you think about it, wasn’t the person who knew the Righteous Hero Sword best right here?

“Father…”

Wei San-ho seemed to think deeply about something before answering.

“He’s a great hero of the world.”

“That’s something everyone knows.”

“A heavenly martial artist.”

“Mm…”

“And a caring father.”

“…”

“He’s difficult to define in words. Sometimes he’s like Mount Tai but utterly unpretentious, seems cold but is a warm person.”

“So he’s a person without flaws? Even if he’s your father, you’re grading too generously.”

“He has a fatal flaw.”

“What’s that?”

Jang-il slyly prodded Wei San-ho.

If Wei San-ho got carried away by the mood and answered, he might get some interesting information.

But Wei San-ho’s answer completely missed his expectations.

“He’s henpecked.”

“What?”

“He’s utterly henpecked. He’d rather welcome the Demon Cult rising again. There’s someone scarier than a Demon Cult leader at home – our mother.”

“Kahahahahaha!”

Jang-il rolled around on the bed holding his stomach.

The Righteous Hero Sword, who was supposedly more terrifying than the messenger of death from hell to demons and evil people, was henpecked? Did this make any sense?

“Really?”

“Yes.”

Wei San-ho immediately nodded.

“Your mother must be a very frightening person.”

“Only to father.”

“Really?”

“To me and Yan-ho, she’s an incredibly warm person.”

“Hmm…”

“So how about getting up now?”

Jang-il slyly sat on the edge of the bed.

“Listen, San-ho.”

“Speak.”

“The sun is already high in the sky, so how about we eat lunch first and then depart…”

“I knew you were usually interested in sparring, but I didn’t know you’d apply for a match this way. Then shall we have a bout before eating?”

“Let’s go right away! What are we dawdling for!”

“Tsk tsk.”

Wei San-ho shook his head and followed Jang-il who was rushing out of the room. Unfortunately, it seemed Wei San-ho wasn’t destined to depart immediately.

“Did you sleep well?”

Wei San-ho bowed his head upon meeting Moon Eun-ji at the door.

“I hope the sleeping arrangements weren’t uncomfortable overnight. It was hastily prepared, so I’d be grateful if you could understand with a generous heart even if there were any inconveniences.”

“Thanks to your consideration, I rested comfortably.”

Seeing Wei San-ho bow his head once more, Moon Eun-ji found herself nodding unconsciously.

This is how it should be! This is how people should be!

This is what a person is, this is basic etiquette!

They’re brothers from the same womb, but if the older brother knows this, why doesn’t the younger brother?

“Breakfast is ready.”

“I’m grateful for your consideration, but as we have a long journey ahead, I’d like to depart quickly.”

“I understand your heart in seeking your brother. However, if there’s host etiquette for the host, isn’t there also guest etiquette for the guest? Father is waiting for you both. Rather than declining due to being busy, how about stopping by the arranged meeting once?”

Wei San-ho was impressed by Moon Eun-ji’s crisp attitude.

‘So this is what a noble lady is like.’

Having always lived among rough martial artists, Moon Eun-ji’s courteous yet dignified attitude was very impressive to Wei San-ho.

Of course, if Wei Yan-ho had heard this, he would have frothed at the mouth asking how his eye for people could be so lacking.

‘She could make a good match for Yan-ho…’

That inhuman brother of his needed to meet such a capable lady.

But if there was fate, it would have already been connected.

The moment Wei Yan-ho left this place, the connection was already as good as severed.

“The guest nearly committed another discourtesy on top of impropriety. Would you please allow us to dine with your father? I intend to apologize for the trouble caused last night.”

“Apologies are unnecessary. Father is waiting, so please come this way.”

As Moon Eun-ji walked ahead, Wei San-ho nodded and followed.

“Where did you learn such cloying speech?”

Wei San-ho realized that his brother wasn’t the only one who needed to learn etiquette. This beggar had undoubtedly thrown his manners into the street along with broken pottery shards.

“You’re also someone who will become the leader of a faction. No matter how much the Beggar’s Sect is a gathering of beggars that reveres freedom, you can’t always meet only comfortable people. If you don’t learn minimum courtesy and conversation methods that don’t hurt others’ feelings, you’ll face great hardships someday.”

“Our Beggar King is worse than me.”

“…”

Wei San-ho shut his mouth.

Better to die than suffer.

“Please come in.”

Moon Yu-hwan greeted Wei San-ho and Jang-il with a gentle smile.

Entering the room, Wei San-ho bowed deeply to show respect.

“I don’t know where to place myself with such hospitality for uninvited guests. I came to apologize for the trouble caused last night.”

“Apologies? Such important guests have come, yet please forgive me for not being able to look in on you. I thought it would be better to let you rest comfortably since it was so late at night.”

“Uh, um…”

Without greeting, Jang-il thought deeply about something, then opened his mouth wide.

“Wait a moment. Are you the Director?”

“That’s right. Though lacking, I’m Moon Yu-hwan, serving as director of the Hanrim Grand Academy.”

“Th-Three Excellence Grand Scholar!”

Jang-il bent his waist ninety degrees and greeted loudly.

“I’m the beggar Jang-il! It’s an infinite honor to meet the Three Excellence Grand Scholar!”

Seeing Jang-il’s attitude, Wei San-ho swallowed his surprise.

If that ill-mannered beggar was surprised enough to greet like that, it meant the person before them was no ordinary person.

“Excessive ceremony is improper. If you elevate this inadequate person so much, I’ll be very uncomfortable.”

“If the Three Excellence Grand Scholar of the world calls himself inadequate, shouldn’t a beggar like me jump into the Yellow River and die?”

“Haha, you make amusing jokes. You must be hungry, so let’s eat first.”

“Yes.”

Wei San-ho and Jang-il sat down.

The food arranged on the table, while not fancy, was neat and seemed to show what kind of place the Hanrim Grand Academy was.

Wei San-ho couldn’t freely eat because he was becoming uncomfortable with this situation due to Jang-il’s reaction, but as soon as the food appeared, Jang-il literally began eating like a beggar… no, in a manner befitting a beggar.

“Chomp chomp! Chomp! Nom nom! Ah, this is delicious!”

Unable to watch anymore, Wei San-ho firmly stepped on Jang-il’s foot.

“Ow! Hey, why are you stepping on someone’s foot…”

Seeing Wei San-ho’s eyes that seemed ready to drop ghost fire, Jang-il carefully put down his chopsticks.

“It was really delicious.”

As Jang-il spoke with a face that had completely lost its appetite, Moon Yu-hwan smiled broadly.

“It’s fine to eat more. Please continue.”

“…Beggars do like free meals, but if beggars eat too much free food, they get stomach aches because they’re beggars.”

Moon Yu-hwan nodded as if understanding, then looked at Wei San-ho and opened his mouth.

“I heard you’re the older brother of Young Hero Wei Yan-ho.”

“Yes. I’m the older brother of that worthless fellow. I heard Yan-ho passed through here. As his brother, I apologize for any rudeness my younger brother may have committed.”

“Hehe, rudeness? We’re people who received great kindness from your younger brother.”

“Kindness?”

When Wei San-ho spoke in a tone of not understanding, Moon Yu-hwan slowly explained the events that had occurred here.

Wei San-ho’s face gradually hardened as he listened to Moon Yu-hwan’s explanation.

When the explanation finally ended, Wei San-ho suddenly stood up from his seat and bowed deeply toward Moon Yu-hwan.