CLS-Chapter 154

Chapter 154

“How many people have already copied it?”

“About a hundred, I think?”

“A hundred…”

Then including the people currently here, that’s about a hundred and thirty. If a hundred and thirty people paid two nyang each, that’s two hundred and sixty nyang, and if they paid three nyang each, that’s three hundred and ninety nyang.

Three hundred and ninety nyang!

Even Shaolin, which could be called the greatest sect and temple in the Central Plains, probably doesn’t receive three hundred nyang in donations over an entire year. Yet this young man had earned three hundred nyang in just one day, sitting in place.

‘How frightening.’

Even to Gong-ryeong, who had no particular interest in money, this was no trivial sum. If he had sold that secret manual, could he have earned three hundred nyang?

Moreover…

Gong-ryeong’s eyes took in the people standing in line. People desperate because they couldn’t pay.

‘There will be more.’

If he continued copying like this, it seemed he could build a house of gold.

“Young Hero.”

“Yes, Master.”

Wei Yan-ho answered respectfully.

“As I mentioned earlier, I cannot help but worry that this secret manual being spread will bring chaos to the martial world.”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head.

“Chaos?”

“Indeed. What would happen if the Sword Emperor’s Legacy, a secret manual of the ages, were to spread? What if it fell into the hands of evil people?”

Wei Yan-ho answered politely.

“Good people would stop them.”

“…”

Gong-ryeong’s face twisted slightly.

Of course that’s true!

“Would good people readily step forward?”

“Ah, what’s there to worry about? Master Gong-ryeong stepped forward like this too. If such a thing happened, would you just stand by and watch?”

Even if he had truly intended to stand by, no one in this situation could give such an answer.

“Of, of course I would desperately try to stop it. But this is the Sword Emperor’s secret manual. No one knows what will happen when such a thing is released. This situation will surely bring bloodshed.”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand at all.

“It’s not bringing bloodshed – it’s preventing bloodshed.”

“…”

“If we had just left this alone, countless more people would have died by now, right?”

“Hmm…”

Master Gong-ryeong couldn’t argue.

If Wei Yan-ho hadn’t retrieved the secret manual, hundreds would have died in the struggle for it. And if the struggle had continued, it would have taken much longer for masters like Gong-ryeong to encounter the manual.

“Besides, if that’s a concern, shouldn’t we spread the manual even more? Then many people would learn it, reducing the chance of one person running amok.”

“Huh?”

Now that he heard it, that made sense too.

While Master Gong-ryeong stammered in confusion, Wei Yan-ho continued.

“One thing I never understood about situations like this is this: when a good secret manual appears, why don’t people just publish it and share it? I don’t understand why they’re so desperate to monopolize it.”

“Is, is that so?”

Everything he said was correct.

Too correct to argue with.

Frankly, when the owner himself said he would sell it, what more was there to say?

With so many eyes watching, if he tried to forcibly retrieve the secret manual now, rumors would spread that Shaolin had oppressed a child to steal the Sword Emperor’s Legacy.

Gong-ryeong looked at Gong Mu-jin, not knowing what to do.

‘I have no answer either, Master Gong-ryeong.’

Gong Mu-jin looked up at the sky with a helpless expression.

Shaolin’s Gong-ryeong and Mount Hua’s Sword Ghost were struggling helplessly against one child, like puppies desperate to relieve themselves.

‘A troublesome fellow is a troublesome fellow.’

Who was Master Gong-ryeong?

He was one of the elders of that very Shaolin.

In terms of martial world status, there were few who could claim to stand before him as equals.

Normally, if a child of Wei Yan-ho’s age met Gong-ryeong, they would be intimidated by his experience and position before even considering right and wrong.

But Wei Yan-ho spoke so well, like flowing water.

‘To put it nicely, he’s bold.’

To put it badly, he’s fearless.

Though Gong Mu-jin found Wei Yan-ho irritating, he quite liked this aspect. After all, shouldn’t a man have such spirit?

“Even so, not everyone will follow Young Hero’s way of thinking. Won’t there be those who try to take it by force rather than pay money?”

“Huh?”

“What are you saying?”

The answer came not from Wei Yan-ho but from behind Master Gong-ryeong. Those who had been copying looked at Master Gong-ryeong as if he were talking nonsense.

‘These bastards, really…’

Normally, with Master Gong-ryeong’s status, and upon hearing the name Shaolin, people would at least pretend to show respect. But everyone here was looking at Master Gong-ryeong as if he were some beggar monk who had come down from the back mountain asking for donations.

“Well, that might happen.”

Wei Yan-ho smiled brightly.

“Then there’s nothing to be done about it. Originally, such things circulate that way, don’t they? If I lose the item before entering Luoyang, that’s also my fate.”

“You’re going to Luoyang?”

“Yes. I’m going to Luoyang.”

“Luoyang is a major city. Taking treasure into such a major city is like inviting disaster. What exactly do you plan to do in Luoyang?”

Wei Yan-ho sighed as if exasperated.

“What would I do in Luoyang? I have to keep selling it.”

“…Sell it?”

“Where there are many people, there are many buyers.”

Gong-ryeong felt his head spinning.

So… he was going to set up a stall in Luoyang and sell the Sword Emperor’s secret manual in earnest.

“Would, would that be alright?”

“Is there any reason it wouldn’t be?”

There was no reason it wouldn’t be.

Gong-ryeong felt his words failing him. The problem was that he wasn’t sure if his words were failing because he was losing the logical argument, or because the situation was so absurd.

At that moment, Wei Yan-ho bowed his head deeply.

“I’m grateful that you spoke out of concern for me. But I have no intention of handing this book over to Shaolin, nor do I intend to transfer it to others. I can handle my own affairs well, so I would appreciate it if Master Gong-ryeong would withdraw your concern.”

A perfect conclusion brought a helpless laugh from Master Gong-ryeong’s lips.

“I apologize.”

When Wei Yan-ho hopped back up onto the cart, Gong Mu-jin led the dazed Master Gong-ryeong away from the crowd.

Master Gong-ryeong laughed with the face of someone who had been thoroughly beaten.

“Just what kind of person is that benefactor?”

“I find it difficult to describe him myself.”

“Hmm.”

Master Gong-ryeong wasn’t a fool.

Among those copying here, there were people Gong-ryeong knew. And among them were those who would never quietly pay money and copy so obediently.

When people don’t act as they usually would, it means either they’re about to die, or someone forced them to.

‘The Plum Blossom Sword Ghost alone wouldn’t be enough.’

He considered the possibility that Gong Mu-jin had helped, but it didn’t seem likely that these people would become meek lambs just from Gong Mu-jin and Mount Hua’s name alone.

“May I ask something?”

“Of course, Master.”

Gong-ryeong quietly looked at Gong Mu-jin before speaking.

“If you were to compare that benefactor’s martial prowess to mine, how would it be?”

At this suddenly pointed question, Gong Mu-jin couldn’t easily speak. If Gong-ryeong hadn’t somewhat guessed Wei Yan-ho’s martial prowess, he wouldn’t ask such a thing.

If someone who didn’t know Wei Yan-ho heard this, they would have laughed at comparing a youth barely past his coming of age to Master Gong-ryeong, an elder of Shaolin.

“Hmm…”

When Gong Mu-jin couldn’t answer easily, Gong-ryeong showed interest.

Gong-ryeong’s question was only possible if he placed Wei Yan-ho at least on par with himself. Gong Mu-jin, who couldn’t miss that meaning, was hesitating to answer because telling the truth might be discourteous to Gong-ryeong.

Gong-ryeong looked back at the cart with suspicion and amazement.

‘At that age…’

To have built up such martial prowess at barely the age of majority was generally impossible. And the world had always called those who accomplished such impossible things heroes.

The appearance of a young hero should be cause for celebration.

But…

‘The beginning of chaotic times?’

Gong-ryeong’s heart suddenly grew heavy.

Throughout history, when those who displayed outstanding talent at a young age began to appear, chaotic times soon followed. He couldn’t shake the thought that Wei Yan-ho’s emergence signified this.

“It’s fortunate that he’s said to be a son of the Guangdong Wei Family. Having studied under the great hero Wei Jeong-han, a righteous gentleman and great hero of the world, he shouldn’t have gone astray.”

“Y-yes.”

Gong Mu-jin quietly turned his head away.

‘I’m sorry, Master. That fellow didn’t learn under Great Hero Wei Jeong-han, and he’s already gone astray.’

But Gong Mu-jin thought there was no need to make Gong-ryeong’s already heavy heart even heavier by saying so.

“Will we really be fine without us on the road to Luoyang?”

“I would feel more at ease if Master Gong-ryeong joined us, but since he doesn’t want it, there’s nothing to be done. Come to think of it, I’m also just tagging along with that fellow…”

Seeing Gong Mu-jin bow his head apologetically, Gong-ryeong couldn’t help but smile.

‘They said the Plum Blossom Sword Ghost was extremely eccentric.’

Martial world rumors must be unreliable. Either that, or Gong Mu-jin had learned how others perceived his eccentricity after meeting Wei Yan-ho and corrected his personality.

Either way, it was a good thing.

“Even kings and nobles cannot be forced if they don’t want something. Moreover, with such martial prowess, the journey to Luoyang shouldn’t be too difficult.”

“Yes, Master.”

Gong-ryeong nodded and clasped his hands toward Gong Mu-jin.

“Then we shall withdraw now.”

“Are you leaving already?”

“We came to stop the bloodshed. Since the bloodshed has already been resolved, we should return.”

Gong Mu-jin couldn’t help but admire Gong-ryeong.

No matter how much a great sect claims to maintain martial world order, they cannot be without desire. Something like the Sword Emperor’s Legacy would tempt anyone, yet he was returning immediately upon saying the bloodshed was resolved – wasn’t this proof he had truly come for martial world peace, not out of greed for the secret manual?

Truly worthy of Shaolin.

“I feel uncomfortable seeing you return without even time to catch up.”

Gong-ryeong smiled and restrained Gong Mu-jin, who wanted to see them off.

After firmly pushing Gong Mu-jin, who insisted on seeing them off, back inside, Gong-ryeong glanced around quietly before speaking softly.

“Musan, come here.”