CLS-Chapter 117

Chapter 117

“I don’t have an identification plaque. Ah, you have one, right?”

“I don’t.”

“Why don’t you have an identification plaque?”

“It rotted away, so I threw it out.”

“…What kind of talk is that?”

Wei Yan-ho didn’t bother explaining. After spending five years in that damp cave, wooden things would naturally rot away. But there was no need to reveal his past just to explain that.

“You can’t pass through here without an identification plaque…”

“Move aside.”

Wei Yan-ho grabbed Seomun Da-yeon and stepped forward.

“What?”

The official looked at him and flew into a rage.

“Even if you have an identification plaque, I can’t let you pass unless you can prove the identity of someone without one. If you want to enter alone, I’ll let you through.”

“Wait a moment.”

Wei Yan-ho grabbed the official’s sleeve.

“You bastard?”

The official flew into a rage. His intention to drag him to a corner was clearly visible.

“Ahem, if you have something to say, say it quickly. I’m a busy man!”

“Huh?”

“This way!”

The official instead began leading Wei Yan-ho away.

“What?”

The official led Wei Yan-ho to a place out of sight and held out his hand.

“Ten coins.”

“Ten coins?”

“Pay up quickly and pass through! I’m also a busy man.”

“Ah, yes.”

Wei Yan-ho placed what he had taken from his chest onto the official’s outstretched hand.

“Why is this so heavy…”

The official’s mouth fell shut when he saw what was placed on his hand.

Seeing the brilliantly shining golden small sword, the official’s cheeks began trembling.

It couldn’t be.

It wouldn’t be.

No matter what, wasn’t this too extreme a case?

But after confirming the pattern carved on the small sword, the official just laughed.

“Haha, honored sir.”

“I think I’m younger though?”

“Position and rank matter, not when we were born, right?”

“That’s good thinking, but why would someone with such good thinking do this?”

“May I say just one thing?”

“Yes.”

The official smiled broadly and said:

“…Please spare my life.”

“Tsk.”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head as he exited the city gate.

“I feel like this is becoming my specialty.”

Having thoroughly shaken down even the emergency funds hidden in the official’s undergarments, Wei Yan-ho felt half pleased, half uncomfortable.

While it was somewhat inevitable that those suffering from minor posts and meager salaries would accept bribes, he couldn’t just ignore it once it caught his eye.

Normally he should confiscate the property and hand him over to the authorities for punishment, but taking away the money he had was lenient treatment indeed.

“What did you do?”

“There are such things.”

Wei Yan-ho waved his hand dismissively.

“Hmm…”

Seomun Da-yeon quietly watched Wei Yan-ho walking ahead.

‘Where did such a person come from?’

Thinking about it, it was truly strange.

Abnormal martial prowess that didn’t match his age, a temperament so eccentric it was strange he hadn’t become famous until now, and the ability to instantly subdue the grumbling official.

Whether good or bad, it was strange that such a person wasn’t known.

“What did you say the name of the chief was?”

“He uses the characters Wi and Jeong.”

“Hmm, so… Righteous Hero Sword?”

“I mentioned it before?”

Seomun Da-yeon’s pupils shook violently.

Come to think of it, she vaguely remembered hearing such words. But at that time, they were surrounded by demons, and in such a situation, how could Wei Yan-ho’s words have entered her ears?

“Then you’re from the Guangdong Wei Family?”

“Yes.”

“Then with Demon-Slaying Sword Wi San-ho?”

“He’s my older brother.”

“Ah…”

Seomun Da-yeon looked at Wei Yan-ho with newly surprised eyes.

If nothing else, the martial prowess that didn’t match his age now made sense.

If he was Wi San-ho’s younger brother, it was only natural.

Wasn’t Wi San-ho the one who had achieved clear supremacy at Dragon Sleeping Martial Academy, making his peers gasp with his achievements?

Though he was now called the son of the Righteous Hero Sword, it was evaluated that in just ten more years, the Righteous Hero Sword would be called the father of the Demon-Slaying Sword. Considering the position the Righteous Hero Sword held in the martial world, it was an unprecedented evaluation.

“Ah, you’re Master Wi’s younger brother.”

“You know my older brother?”

“We were classmates.”

“Then you’re older sister?”

Seomun Da-yeon waved her hand.

“No. Dragon Sleeping Martial Academy doesn’t admit people by age order, so even classmates are all different ages.”

“Then how old are you, older sister?”

“…”

Even in the martial world, asking a woman’s age and name was rude. But finding no malice in Wei Yan-ho’s eyes, she obediently answered.

“I’ve just reached the age of coming of age.”

“Then you are older sister.”

Veins bulged on Seomun Da-yeon’s forehead.

She had just said she’d reached coming of age, so what was with those eyes looking at her like an old spinster!

Of course, by general standards, it wouldn’t be strange to already have two children at that age, but she was a martial artist.

It was accepted as custom that martial artists usually married a bit later.

“Aren’t you getting married?”

“Why, why why! Why do you care whether I’m getting married?”

“You seem to be of age.”

“I’ll, I’ll handle it myself!”

Seomun Da-yeon’s face flushed red.

Didn’t this man know shame?

“Martial Academy…”

Though Seomun Da-yeon was flustered with embarrassment, Wei Yan-ho had already turned his attention away from her.

Come to think of it, if not for that incident, he too would have entered Dragon Sleeping Martial Academy.

Though it had now become a memory, hearing that name again made him newly curious about what kind of place it was.

“There it is.”

But before he could ask, Seomun Da-yeon pointed somewhere.

It was a fairly large estate.

“That’s the Righteous Martial Alliance Xinyang branch.”

“Does an organization like the Righteous Martial Alliance need branches?”

“Of course. The Righteous Martial Alliance is a coordinator. But if everyone just gathered in Luoyang, how could they coordinate quickly? The principle is that when sects have matters, they’re first processed at the branch level.”

“Hmm.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded as if he understood.

Seomun Da-yeon ran up to the branch door with a bright face as if she could finally rest and knocked.

“Is anyone there? Anyone there?”

“Wait a moment.”

“Yes?”

Wei Yan-ho grabbed Seomun Da-yeon and quietly looked inside the branch.

“How many people are in the branch?”

“Well? There should be at least a hundred people.”

“It seems like no one’s inside.”

“…What? That can’t be.”

“Oh wait, no. There’s one person. They’re coming out now.”

“What?”

Seomun Da-yeon wondered what Wei Yan-ho was talking about, but before long, movement was really felt from inside, and with a creaking sound, the gate opened.

“What business brings you here?”

When a middle-aged man appeared outside the gate and asked, Seomun Da-yeon bowed her head slightly and spoke.

“I am Seomun Da-yeon of the Heavenly Orthodox Martial Alliance Flying Swallow Pavilion.”

“Ah, yes.”

The man looked Seomun Da-yeon up and down.

“What is your business?”

Since she didn’t present anything to prove her identity, he didn’t seem to fully believe her.

“I’ve captured a demon.”

“You said a demon?”

“Yes. I captured a demon nearby, but it’s difficult for me alone to escort him to the main alliance, so I came seeking the branch’s help.”

“Hmm, I understand what you’re saying, but…”

The man looked back and forth between Wei Yan-ho, Seomun Da-yeon, and Gwak Hwan slung over Seomun Da-yeon’s shoulder with a troubled expression, then sighed.

“Even if that’s true, it seems difficult to help you right now.”

“What? Why? Isn’t this the Righteous Martial Alliance’s Xinyang branch?”

“It is, but there are no personnel right now.”

“…No personnel?”

As far as she knew, the Xinyang branch was not a small branch by any means. Though it was close to Luoyang, since it was in a position to oversee the surroundings, wasn’t it a place where hundreds of people always resided? For such a place to have no people was truly strange.

“You’re definitely from Flying Swallow Pavilion, right?”

“I lost my identification plaque during fierce battle, so I have no way to prove it. Could I prove it by answering questions about the alliance?”

“Good idea.”

After a few questions and answers, the man nodded.

“It seems correct. Come inside first.”

“Yes.”

“But who is this person?”

“Someone who helped capture the demon.”

The man looked Wei Yan-ho up and down, then turned around again.

“Please come in.”

Entering through the gate, an empty estate came into view. With such a large estate having no signs of human presence, it even felt eerie.

“This way.”

The man led them to the reception hall.

Once seated in the reception hall, the man who brought tea sat across from them and introduced himself.

“I am Gongson Hyeong, in charge of internal affairs at the Heavenly Orthodox Martial Alliance Xinyang branch.”

“Ah, Master Gongson. I’ve heard much about you.”

“Haha, I know well that it’s not a name great enough to be known at the main alliance.”

Only after mutual courtesies was proper conversation conducted.

“But where did everyone go?”

“Hmm, before that…”

Gongson Hyeong suddenly stood up, went somewhere to get thick iron chains, and began tightly binding Gwak Hwan. Only after binding both arms and legs and even putting a gag in his mouth did he return to his seat looking relieved.

“If he’s truly a demon, even this isn’t enough.”

“Yes.”

“Just how did you capture a demon? If he’s a demon, his martial prowess would also be extraordinary.”

“It wasn’t me who caught him, but this person.”

“This person?”

Gongson Hyeong looked Wei Yan-ho over once more, then looked back at Seomun Da-yeon with a doubtful expression.

‘It would be hard to believe.’

If someone said that this person with a sickly chicken-like face who was nodding off caught a demon, no one would believe it.

But since it was the truth, what could be done?

“Ahem, I see.”

Fortunately, Gongson Hyeong passed it off as ‘there must be some unspeakable circumstances.’

“I’ve talked too long. But what exactly happened that the branch is empty?”

“Haven’t you heard?”

“What?”

“The rumor has spread all around the area, but you didn’t hear it on your way here?”

“We came in such a hurry…”

In truth, she had been too embarrassed to keep her ears and eyes open, having no capacity to notice others’ reactions.

“Then it’s understandable you wouldn’t know. Actually, strange rumors are circulating around here now.”

“…What? Strange rumors.”

“It’s quite an absurd rumor, but…”

Gongson Hyeong said with a serious expression.

“Rumors are circulating that a predecessor’s martial manual has been discovered.”

“A predecessor?”

Seomun Da-yeon’s expression hardened.

“So you’re saying that just because one secret manual appeared, all the people at the branch flocked there? People who work at a branch of the Heavenly Orthodox Martial Alliance?”

Anger rose in her face, but Gongson Hyeong answered nonchalantly.

“Of course you can’t understand, but if you knew what secret manual appeared, you couldn’t be so composed.”

“…What is it?”

Gongson Hyeong answered with shining eyes.

“It’s the Sword Emperor’s martial manual.”