CLS-Chapter 86

Chapter 86 

Wei Yan-ho glanced away from Gwak Do-san’s glaring eyes and looked at Jin So-ah.

“This seems like a very unfair situation?”

“What do you mean?”

“Who do you think is responsible for this?”

“It’s because Young Master is so meddlesome.”

“Is that so?”

Wei Yan-ho scratched his cheek.

“This is why people should only mind their own business. I’ve never seen anyone benefit from interfering in others’ affairs.”

“You’ve learned a good lesson.”

How irritating.

Very irritating.

“Sigh.”

But what could he do? It was Wei Yan-ho’s own doing.

“So you’re saying you want to fight?”

Gwak Do-san waved his hand dismissively.

“I’m not such a violent person.”

“You seem like one though?”

“That’s a big misunderstanding. If I were someone who only knew violence, I couldn’t have built this level of standing in the dangerous underworld of Hubei.”

“Well, I wouldn’t know about that.”

For Wei Yan-ho, who didn’t even know who Gwak Do-san was, these words meant absolutely nothing.

“So there’s a way to resolve this without fighting?”

“There’s always a second option.”

Gwak Do-san said with a sinister smile.

“If you give up your rights to the Sacred Hand Hall and leave behind all the money you currently have, I’ll spare your life.”

“Branch Leader.”

When Joageol tried to say something again, Gwak Do-san raised his hand to stop him.

“The reason that person ordered his elimination is because that bastard became a hindrance. But if he’s not a hindrance, there’s no need to eliminate him. It wouldn’t be profitable.”

“If you say so.”

As Joageol understood and stepped back, Gwak Do-san made his threat.

“What will you do? Will you save your life and return, or will you end your short life here?”

“…Eh.”

Wei Yan-ho slumped into his chair and asked Jin So-ah with a troubled expression.

“What about dinner tonight?”

“Dinner?”

“Yeah. Come to think of it, I never said when I’d return, so if I go back now, there won’t be any food, right?”

“That… that would be the case.”

“Then should I eat before going back?”

Jin So-ah couldn’t understand why this crazy bastard was suddenly acting like this. The fact that his thoughts turned to dinner in this situation was something no ordinary person could do.

“It seems you’re unable to handle the sudden change in circumstances and are escaping from reality… The situation is very bad right now, Wei So-hyeop.”

“I also think the situation is very bad. I want to sleep.”

“You might sleep forever.”

“That doesn’t seem too bad either…”

Wei Yan-ho smacked his lips regretfully.

“But I have to eat.”

If he slept forever, he couldn’t eat anymore, and that part was unacceptable. Besides, he had to see his family at least once.

“Are you bastards trying to mess with me right now!”

Gwak Do-san saw what Wei Yan-ho was doing and shouted while trembling with rage.

“How dare you do other things in front of me, Black Earth Lord Gwak Do-san, the emperor of Hubei’s underworld!”

Gwak Do-san began fuming as if he would breathe fire.

Wei Yan-ho looked at this scene and asked Ha Dae-bung.

“That uncle’s nickname is Black Earth Lord?”

“That’s correct.”

“Wouldn’t Black Pig be more fitting? A black wild boar?”

“He used to be thin in the old days.”

“Then why did he become like that?”

“When someone who couldn’t eat well starts tasting delicacies, they gain weight. When someone who rolled around in the underworld starts sitting at a desk, they become even more like that.”

“He should exercise a bit.”

When Wei Yan-ho looked at Gwak Do-san with pity, Gwak Do-san finally exploded.

“Kraaaah!”

To critique a person right in front of them! These bastards had no basic manners.

“What are you doing! Bring me that bastard’s head right now!”

“Yes!”

At Gwak Do-san’s words, the guards who had been protecting him began rushing toward Wei Yan-ho.

“Branch Leader! You mustn’t…!”

Joageol panicked and tried to stop Gwak Do-san, but the guards rushing at Wei Yan-ho were slightly faster.

“Ugh.”

Wei Yan-ho waved his hand.

“Let’s talk first!”

“Shut up!”

Wei Yan-ho looked at the swords and axes flying toward him with a pained expression.

“Ugh.”

Wei Yan-ho’s hands began reacting automatically. The instincts that Baek Mu-han had drilled into him for five whole years showed thorough evasion and counterattack in any situation.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

In an instant, the guards were flung in all directions at a speed faster than they had approached.

Crash!

Those who flew backward were better off.

Those who shot upward burst through the roof and were flung outside. Bright light streamed through the hole in the ceiling, illuminating the interior.

“…It’s still far from sunset.”

“Are you thinking about food even in this situation?”

“Sleep and food are the most important things for a person.”

“Ugh.”

It was both an understandable and completely incomprehensible statement.

“Isn’t life the most important thing?”

“Would I die?”

Wei Yan-ho calmly turned his head to look at Gwak Do-san.

“Wh-what is this?”

Gwak Do-san kept blinking as if dumbfounded.

“So what did I tell you?”

Joageol scratched at Gwak Do-san irritably.

“Didn’t I say he wasn’t ordinary! He’s a master!”

“Even if he’s a master, there should be limits…”

Who could have imagined that the carefully selected guards used by the Black Earth Lord’s Branch, who had pacified the back alleys of Hubei, would all turn into pulp and be scattered in all directions in an instant?

‘This is beyond estimation.’

Decades of living in the underworld.

The reason Gwak Do-san had survived until now through countless crises and fierce battles was because he was good at calculations. Especially in the underworld, accurately gauging the gap between oneself and the opponent was more important than anything.

With Wei Yan-ho’s single move, Gwak Do-san finished assessing the situation.

Even if there were ten Gwak Do-sans, they couldn’t handle that young bastard alone.

“D-did you eat some Imoogi Core or something?”

Wei Yan-ho waved his hands dismissively.

“I’ve never eaten anything like that. Though I did eat something similar.”

Wei Yan-ho fell into thought.

If he had eaten the Internal Core of a supreme master, it could be considered a fortune not much different from eating an Imoogi Core…

“I didn’t really gain anything from it though.”

He had gained a fortune, but the problem was that this fortune was specialized in tormenting people. In fact, Baek Mu-han’s Internal Core inside his stomach was a device that would drain his qi and turn him into a corpse if Wei Yan-ho’s achievements were delayed.

“Not all fortunes seem to be good.”

“What are you talking about, you bastard!”

“Eh, explaining would be long… I just won’t explain.”

“You little bastard!”

By nature, he wanted to immediately rip off that young bastard’s head and kick it around, but if Gwak Do-san rushed at that young bastard now, Gwak Do-san would be the one to end up that way.

“It was good that I whined in advance.”

Gwak Do-san sighed and shouted toward the back.

“Distinguished guests, please help us.”

At Gwak Do-san’s cry, there was movement from beyond the curtain.

Step, step.

People wrapped entirely in black robes with black bamboo hats pulled low, carrying swords at their sides, slowly parted the curtain and entered.

“Hm?”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head at the sight.

“Do you know these people?”

“No.”

“Then why are you acting like that?”

“Like what?”

“You seem to recognize them.”

“No, I was just wondering what these people who go around openly advertising ‘I’m a suspicious person’ are thinking.”

“…Now that you mention it.”

Black night clothes and black bamboo hats. It was impressive that they had walked around the main streets in such attire.

“What do you need us to do?”

Gwak Do-san momentarily flared up at the black-robed figure who spoke informally right away, but didn’t show it in his expression. If they were followers of that person, their status and martial arts would be incomparable to Gwak Do-san himself.

“Please deal with that young bastard.”

The black-robed figure’s bamboo hat tilted slightly.

“Understood.”

“Mm.”

Gwak Do-san found himself nodding without realizing it.

Usually in such cases, most people would act arrogantly and ask why they were called to deal with such a nobody. Gwak Do-san had experienced many similar situations and had often acted that way himself.

But these people showed no sign of underestimating their opponent, expressing no complaints and immediately taking their stance.

‘How great must that person be to use such people as subordinates.’

Gwak Do-san felt renewed respect and fear for that person.

“No emotions.”

Shring.

The black-robed figure at the front drew his sword and walked step by step toward Wei Yan-ho.

“Hmm.”

Wei Yan-ho looked at the scene and became slightly serious.

“So-hyeop.”

Even from Jin So-ah’s perspective, these newcomers had a different atmosphere. He called to Wei Yan-ho with worry, but Wei Yan-ho didn’t move and stared intently at the black-robed figures.

“Remember what I said earlier?”

“Yes?”

“I need to correct that.”

“What do you mean?”

“There is something familiar about their atmosphere.”

Wei Yan-ho began scratching his head.

“I feel like I’ve seen them somewhere, but I can’t remember where. I couldn’t have seen them in the last five years, so it must have been before then.”

Wei Yan-ho felt that the approaching person’s stance and footwork were somehow familiar. He couldn’t pinpoint exactly where he had seen it, but he kept feeling like he had definitely seen it somewhere in the past.

“Ugh, my head isn’t working.”

The memory seemed like it would come but didn’t.

In such cases, asking directly was the best method.

“Uncle, where are you from?”

The black-robed figure’s steps faltered.

“…Why do you ask?”

“Haven’t we met somewhere before?”

“No.”

“That’s strange. I feel like I’ve seen you somewhere. Is it because I keep getting involved with people in black clothes lately?”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head, but the black-robed figure didn’t respond and continued walking step by step before raising his sword.

“Ask the King of Hell and he’ll give you an answer.”

“Geez, such harsh words.”

Whoosh!

Instantly, the sword in the black-robed figure’s hand flew toward Wei Yan-ho like lightning.

Crash!

Wei Yan-ho’s chair fell backward and crashed to the floor.

“Wow, that startled me.”

Wei Yan-ho blinked.

He had walked over casually, so Wei Yan-ho thought they would just scuffle around, but the sword that flew in that instant was so fast and deadly that anyone other than Wei Yan-ho would have unknowingly offered their neck.

‘Is this what they call Dark Sword?’

He had heard from his master.

That when you go out into the world, there are sword techniques specialized only in killing opponents by any means necessary.

Usually used by assassins and hired killers, they aimed to slice opponents without warning, he had said.

“And um…”

His master’s words came to Wei Yan-ho’s mind.

“Such people are usually bastards who have killed countless people. Never go easy on them or underestimate them. The best method is to catch and kill them all as soon as you see them. Remember this!”

“Mm…”

Troublesome. Very troublesome.

But since his master had emphasized it to that extent, it would be awkward to deal with them half-heartedly.

Wei Yan-ho rolled backward once and got up.

“Uncle.”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Ha Dae-bung and said.

“Please speak, Young Master.”

“Could you lend me a sword?”

Wei Yan-ho reached out his hand to the side.