CLS-Chapter 114

Chapter 114

“Hmm…”

When Wei Yan-ho looked into the distance and chuckled, Seomun Da-yeon asked.

“What are you looking at?”

“A sly fox.”

“Pardon?”

“There’s such a thing.”

Even if he explained, Seomun Da-yeon wouldn’t understand.

Wei Yan-ho picked up his bundle.

“Hey, you’re not thinking of leaving a weak woman alone in these mountains, are you?”

“…Weak?”

When Wei Yan-ho looked at her with a dumbfounded expression, Seomun Da-yeon’s face turned red.

It was true that it was embarrassing for a martial artist who could beat even a tiger to claim she was weak.

“Weak or not, why should I handle your business?”

“I’m not asking you to do my work, just help me. If you just help me…”

“Forget it.”

Wei Yan-ho waved his hand lightly and began walking forward.

“Wait a moment! Young hero!”

Seomun Da-yeon looked back and forth between Wei Yan-ho walking away and Gwak-hwan collapsed on the ground, then seemed to make up her mind and grabbed Gwak-hwan’s arm, dragging him along as she followed Wei Yan-ho.

“Let’s go together!”

Two shijin after starting to follow Wei Yan-ho.

Seomun Da-yeon couldn’t help but feel a strange sense of unease.

‘What is this about?’

At first, she thought he was being considerate of her. Though he spoke that way, it would have been awkward to leave a woman and a demon alone in these mountains.

He might be gruff with words but soft-hearted inside. After all, he could have just escaped by himself, but he drew his sword to help her.

So she thought… he was going slowly for that reason.

But after following him for more than two shijin, Seomun Da-yeon realized one thing.

“Ex-excuse me, young hero?”

“Yes?”

“Why…”

Seomun Da-yeon couldn’t help but ask.

“Why are you lying down?”

And with a blanket spread out, no less.

“…I’m tired, so I’m taking a rest.”

“Here?”

“Yes.”

Wei Yan-ho looked nonchalant, but Seomun Da-yeon couldn’t understand him at all.

“You’re resting here?”

“Oh, for heaven’s sake!”

Wei Yan-ho started getting irritated.

“What’s the point of talking to someone who’s trying to sleep?”

Of course, that was improper behavior. She could agree with that.

But if the place he was lying down was in the middle of the forest, and the time he was lying down was when the sun was about to rise, wasn’t there enough reason to object?

“If-if we go down just a little more, there’s a village.”

“I can’t make it that far anyway.”

“…Pardon?”

“My ‘a little’ and your ‘a little’ are as different as heaven and earth. So just leave me and go.”

“Go?”

Seomun Da-yeon turned around. Gwak-hwan, whom she had been dragging by the sleeve, was already… how should she put it?

‘Is he even alive?’

One could imagine what state a person would be in after being dragged across the ground for two shijin. Considering that this demon would soon wake up, leaving Wei Yan-ho’s side would be no different from sticking her head into a tiger’s mouth and pulling its uvula.

Snore.

“Geez.”

How long had it been since he put his head down, and he was already snoring?

On the left was Wei Yan-ho fast asleep, on the right was the unconscious demon.

‘What am I supposed to do?’

Unable to do this or that, Seomun Da-yeon began hopping around in place.

But she didn’t have the courage to wake Wei Yan-ho. Just from his reactions so far, she could tell how eccentric this person was. People like this tend to become more vicious than demons if you handle them wrong.

In the end, what she chose was to wait.

Mountain dew fell, the sun rose, and even after a long time passed, Seomun Da-yeon had no choice but to wait obediently while extremely tense.

“Groan…”

And after too much time had passed, the unconscious Gwak-hwan began to stir.

“Kyaaah!”

Terrified, Seomun Da-yeon rushed to the sleeping Wei Yan-ho and shook him.

“Young hero! Young herooo!”

“Damn it!”

Wei Yan-ho bolted upright and glared with his eyes.

“Hey! A person’s trying to get some sleep here!”

“Over there! Over thereee!”

“Huh?”

Wei Yan-ho saw Gwak-hwan getting up, clicked his tongue, and began looking around.

Finding a suitable stone on the ground, Wei Yan-ho threw it straight at Gwak-hwan.

“Gack!”

The stone hit his temple precisely, and Gwak-hwan’s body fell backward.

Thud!

Gwak-hwan collapsed on the ground, convulsed briefly, then went completely limp.

“He’s not dead, is he?”

“What kind of beings are demons that they’d die from getting hit by a stone? There, satisfied? Now stop bothering me and go. Please!”

This wouldn’t do.

“Young hero, let’s do this.”

“Huh?”

“Tell me what you need right now. I’ll do my best to provide everything. So please just help me escort this demon. To Luoyang… no! We don’t even need Luoyang, just to the nearest Orthodox Alliance branch!”

“Not interested.”

“I’m begging you like this.”

“Still not interested.”

“Why, why won’t you? I said I’ll do everything I can for you.”

“Forget it. It’s bothersome.”

“Bothersome?”

Wei Yan-ho frowned and stared at Seomun Da-yeon.

“This woman, really! I said it’s bothersome, so why do you keep doing this! I’m someone who doesn’t need anything, so just go! I’m trying to sleep, so why do you keep doing this?”

“Just to the nearest branch. Please?”

“Oh, really!”

Wei Yan-ho finally lost his temper.

“I’m someone who finds walking so bothersome that I hitched a ride on someone else’s cart and ended up sleeping in the middle of the mountains, so how am I supposed to get to the nearest branch!”

“Ah…”

She wasn’t a stupid person. In an instant, she understood why Wei Yan-ho had been sleeping there, why he had been walking so slowly, and why he had lain down in the middle of the forest. Her mouth fell wide open.

‘Is he even human?’

He must be human, of course he’s human.

But should such a lazy person be allowed to exist in this world?

And how did such a lazy person manage to learn such martial arts?

Perhaps this person’s appearance was a bigger deal than the appearance of the Demonic Cult.

“Then where are you going now?”

“…Wherever my feet take me.”

“You have no destination?”

“No.”

Having finished all her calculations, Seomun Da-yeon began making her proposal.

“Young hero.”

“Yes?”

“If you just go to the nearest branch, I can provide you with a carriage.”

“…A carriage.”

Wei Yan-ho perked up his ears at the word carriage.

Actually, wasn’t it because he hitched a ride on a cart that he ended up in this situation?

If he had a carriage, he wouldn’t have to suffer like this…

“Come to think of it, even if I had a carriage, I can’t take care of horses.”

How could he feed horses when he couldn’t even manage his own meals?

Having already met Baek Mu-han because of two horses, Wei Yan-ho was someone who got chills at the mention of horses.

“Driver provided!”

“A driver?”

This was somewhat appealing.

“And I can provide meals and lodging on your way to your destination.”

“Oh!”

That was definitely an appealing condition.

But this… it sounded like conditions he’d heard somewhere before?

“Do you happen to know Moon Eun-ji?”

“Pardon?”

“No, just wondering if you knew someone.”

If not, why did everyone he met offer similar conditions?

Did he look like someone who would fall for such conditions?

“…Where is the nearest branch?”

Seomun Da-yeon smiled and answered.

“It’s not far.”

***

“He left?”

“Yes.”

“Haha…”

Jang-il laughed awkwardly while glancing sideways.

Goooooo.

“Hiiik!”

Thinking he might get beaten to death here, Jang-il desperately shouted.

“Where! Where did he go! Where!”

Ha Dae-bung observed the beggar and young martial artist who had suddenly barged in looking for Wei Yan-ho.

“Why are you looking for Master Wei?”

“Ah, we’re not suspicious people. I’m Jang-il, a branch head of the Beggar’s Sect.”

“Beggar’s Sect?”

Wasn’t that a gathering of beggars?

Of course, it was true that Supreme Elder Wei Yan-ho lived a life not much different from a beggar, but why would beggars be looking for Wei Yan-ho?

“And this friend is Wei Yan-ho’s older brother.”

“I’m Wei San-ho.”

Wei San-ho glared at Jang-il with burning eyes, then bowed his head.

“Older brother? Did you just say you’re Master Wei Yan-ho’s older brother?”

“Yes. I’m that fellow’s older brother.”

Wei San-ho carefully asked, wondering if Wei Yan-ho had caused some trouble again based on Ha Dae-bung’s reaction.

“Did that fellow perhaps cause any trouble?”

“Trouble? Ju-just wait a moment. I’ll bring the head of the establishment.”

“Pardon?”

Why would they need the head when he said he was Wei Yan-ho’s older brother?

“But…”

Wei San-ho turned his head again to look at Jang-il.

“Hiiik!”

Jang-il flinched and pressed himself against the wall.

“I told you to hurry up, and what did you say? That lazy bum wouldn’t move that fast?”

“…L-look here, San-ho. It was a miscalculation, a miscalculation! Everyone makes such mistakes in life, don’t they?”

“Huu.”

Wei San-ho let out a deep sigh and slowly approached Jang-il.

“You don’t seem to know how muchl time I’ve endured because of one mistake.”

“I-I’m a beggar, so my joints are weak. If I experience painful times, I won’t even be able to walk. And from now on, don’t you need my help to find Yan-ho? Huh?”

“Hmm…”

As Wei San-ho was seriously considering whether to catch this beggar today, something approached them.

“Huh?”

Seeing the large four-horse carriage, Wei San-ho stopped approaching Jang-il and quietly observed the carriage.

‘Hmm…’

It wasn’t strange for a four-horse carriage to come here. After all, Sacred Hand Hall was the most prestigious medical institution in Hubei. It was natural for wealthy people to come for treatment.

The problem was that the driver of the carriage possessed extraordinary martial prowess.

‘Who could be riding in such a carriage?’

You can gauge a master’s status by looking at their subordinates.

Wei San-ho watched the carriage door with slightly tense eyes. He needed to confirm who would get out.

“Oh, it’s Hao Clan.”

“Hao Clan?”

“That gentleman sitting there is the night guest called the right arm of the Hao Clan leader. I heard he had retired from the front lines, but I don’t know when he returned to the martial world.”

“Night guest.”

Indeed, he had thought he was a fairly renowned martial artist, and it seemed he was right.

“Someone riding in a carriage driven by the night guest… Could it be the Hao Clan leader himself? This is quite interesting.”

Just then, the carriage door opened wide and a person slowly stepped out.

Wei San-ho felt his muscles tense up instantly. The aura of the man who hadn’t even fully revealed himself had put him in extreme tension.

‘Who is it?’

At minimum a supreme master. A martial artist of that level or higher.

Before the tense Wei San-ho, a man revealed himself.

A neatly dressed blue robe.

A well-worn sword hanging at his waist.

And hair tied up in a topknot.

A middle-aged man, exuding a natural air of dignity, slowly looked around at Wei San-ho and spoke

“San-ho?”

“Father?”

A strange silence crept between the two.

“What brings you here?”

“…”