CLS-Chapter 178

Chapter 178

“Kweeeeeeeeek!”

It sounded just like a pig being slaughtered. Wei Jeong-han, who had taken a punch straight to the face, screamed as he flew backwards and crashed down.

Thud!

Wei San-ho watched the scene and muttered:

“Is this reality…?”

It was a scene that felt too unreal to be reality.

Good heavens, Jo Hyeon, the military strategist of the Orthodox Alliance and one of the Four Divine Hands, had come running out barefoot with his clothes disheveled like a madman and punched his father in the face.

He had slapped his own cheeks a few times, and since it hurt, it didn’t seem to be a dream.

“S-Sir Strategist?”

Wei Jeong-han also seemed unable to believe this situation, slapping his own cheeks a couple of times to confirm.

Wait, he already got punched and screamed – was such confirmation really necessary?

“Wi… Jeong-han!”

“No, Sir Strategist. What on earth is this about?”

“Hehehe, Wei Jeong-haaaaaan!”

Jo Hyeon rushed at Wei Jeong-han and grabbed him by the collar.

“What in the world are you doing!”

No matter how pathetic a husband might be, he was still her spouse. Han Sang-ah’s eyes blazed with fury as she shouted at Jo Hyeon upon seeing her husband being beaten by another man.

But…

“Hey, you damned bastard! They say ‘Cultivate self, regulate family, order state, bring peace to the world‘! What the hell have you been doing running around outside that your household has ended up in such a state!”

Han Sang-ah, who had been about to scream at him to take his hands off her husband immediately, found herself unconsciously nodding at Jo Hyeon’s perfectly valid points.

“That’s actually correct.”

Though she did wonder ‘what’s wrong with our household’s state,’ in any case, wasn’t he criticizing Wei Jeong-han for not paying attention to his family?

“Uh, Mother.”

How can you take that side at a time like this?

Father is getting beaten right now.

“…What are you talking about, Sir Strategist?”

Wei Jeong-han, who had been punched without understanding why, looked up at Jo Hyeon with eyes that showed complete incomprehension.

And rightfully so.

“Do you even know what your son is doing right now at the Dormant Dragon Academy!”

“…Ah!”

He understood immediately.

Yan-ho had done something.

‘He hasn’t changed at all, that kid.’

Even though enough time had passed for mountains and rivers to change halfway, it seemed his beloved son still retained that loveliness.

Such a cute and adorable son that he wanted to bite him.

Hard enough to draw blood.

“F-First, please calm down.”

“Calm down?”

“…There are many eyes watching, Sir Strategist.”

Only then did Jo Hyeon look around. Countless people were staring at Jo Hyeon and Wei Jeong-han with wide eyes.

“Ahem.”

Feeling embarrassed, Jo Hyeon released Wei Jeong-han’s collar and stepped back.

The conversation he and Wei Jeong-han were about to have from now on was not one that others should overhear.

“Let’s go inside first.”

Trying to lower your voice and act dignified now won’t make anyone see you that way, will it?

As Jo Hyeon coughed and went inside, Wei Jeong-han’s group followed behind him.

Naturally, there was no inspection.

“They really do go in without inspection.”

“…”

Wei Jeong-han, feeling his paternal dignity fly away to the heavens, gazed at the distant sky.

Strangely, the sky looked hazy and blurred.

Military Strategist Jo Hyeon adjusted his robes and went to the reception room to meet Wei Jeong-han’s group.

“What kind of group is this…”

He hadn’t noticed earlier, but now that he had regained his senses and looked again, the combination of companions was literally all over the place.

The Guangdong Wei Family combination of Wei Jeong-han, Wei San-ho, and Han Sang-ah was fine. It wouldn’t be strange for a family to travel together. But when Jang-il joined them, the combination became somewhat odd.

Why on earth was the Little Beggar of the Beggar’s Sect traveling with them?

And furthermore…

“Might I ask who the young lady is?”

The woman Jo Hyeon’s gaze fell upon smiled gracefully and answered:

“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Gwi Nang-nang Mo San-ah, and I serve as the branch manager of the Hao Clan’s Kaifeng branch.”

“Mo  clan…”

With the surname Mo and the Hao Clan’s Kaifeng branch, there was nothing more to hear. As Jo Hyeon stared quietly, Wei Jeong-han tilted his head as if asking what was wrong.

‘He brought the Hao Clan Leader’s daughter right into the heart of the Orthodox Alliance.’

That human is useless for anything except chasing demons.

Righteous Hero Sword.

It was the moment when the evaluation of the righteous hero who pursued justice, practiced heroic deeds, and fought the Demonic Cult without sparing his own body was downgraded to that of a useless human.

‘Then that guy must be Eight Shadows.’

Who would have thought the day would come when the so-called shadow of the Hao Clan Leader would enter the Orthodox Alliance’s Military Headquarters.

The Guangdong Wei Family really gets to experience many fascinating things thanks to this.

Even though he knew well that the fundamental mistake lay with himself for letting them in without investigating their identities, Jo Hyeon found himself glaring at Wei Jeong-han for some strange reason.

“And, and the young lady?”

Jo Hyeon’s voice came out slightly trembling.

‘Beautiful.’

He too had traversed the martial world for countless years and seen numerous beautiful women with his own eyes. But the woman before him now was so incredibly beautiful that all the beauty of the women he had seen until now seemed to fade instantly.

There was no need to attach descriptive words like ‘snow-white skin’ or anything else.

“I am called Jin Ye-ran.”

“…Oh, then you are? That Medical Fairy?”

“It’s an excessive title.”

Thanks to treating patients at Nashan, Jin Ye-ran’s title, which had been “Saint,” was now solidifying as “Medical Fairy.” This was due to strong opposition from Nashan patients who felt that the title of Saint could not encompass Jin Ye-ran’s exceptional medical skills.

Though they were the ones who had originally given her the name Saint in the first place.

‘I heard there are many fanatics…’

He had heard that those who received treatment praised the Medical Fairy not just as a doctor but almost as a demigod… Jo Hyeon could see why.

How could one’s eyes not be dazzled when she was that beautiful?

Even Jo Hyeon, who had reached an age where he now defined women as merely creatures different from men, couldn’t take his eyes off her beauty. What more could be said of those who still had passion left in them?

‘Guangdong Wei Family, Hao Clan, Beggar’s Sect, and the Medical Fairy…’

What kind of destructive combination is this?

He couldn’t understand why these strong-personality individuals had gathered together.

‘Are all of the Guangdong Wei Family like this?’

Come to think of it, didn’t Wei Yan-ho also drag around Seomun Da-yeon, Mount Hua, and Shaolin? In the midst of that, he even dragged along the Dormant Dragon Academy kids, so that combination was no less strange than this one.

“Well then…”

Jo Hyeon’s intention to say ‘You must have had a hard journey here’ was thwarted by Han Sang-ah’s outcry.

“Is our Yan-ho here?”

Han Sang-ah, who had been ready to burst out of the reception room and search for Wei Yan-ho at any moment, finally reached the limit of her patience.

She had searched for her son for five whole years, and now that she had come to the place where he was, she was wasting time because of some military strategist or whatever.

“Wei Yan-ho is here.”

Jo Hyeon, somewhat understanding her feelings, didn’t scold Han Sang-ah’s rudeness. Actually, he was afraid that if he said something to Han Sang-ah, the tragedy of Wei Yan-ho coming to the strategist’s office might unfold.

Isn’t it that if you mention Jo Hyeon, you think of tact, and if you mention tact, you think of Jo Hyeon?

From what he could see, Righteous Hero Sword and Wei Yan-ho couldn’t possibly get along well. It would be fortunate if they didn’t growl and fight when they met.

But wasn’t a mother an inviolable territory for a son?

Just imagining Wei Yan-ho foaming at the mouth and charging over made him shudder.

‘I shouldn’t touch her.’

Perhaps this moment might be when the power hierarchy of the martial world would greatly shake, Jo Hyeon thought as he continued speaking.

“Wei Yan-ho is currently at the Training Ground of the Dormant Dragon Academy. However…”

At that moment, someone abruptly stood up from their seat. Then they bowed their head to Jo Hyeon and walked outside.

“…Huh.”

Jo Hyeon looked at the departing person with incredulous eyes.

It wasn’t Han Sang-ah.

Jo Hyeon had been prepared to understand if Han Sang-ah had burst out. But the one who had stood up from his seat, ignored Jo Hyeon, and walked outside was none other than Wei San-ho.

“I’ll be back shortly.”

Click.

As the sound of the door closing rang out, Jo Hyeon made a groaning sound.

Wei Jeong-han awkwardly scratched the back of his head.

“San-ho, that kid cherishes his younger brother like his own body…”

“They’re really close brothers.”

“…That’s right.”

Jo Hyeon’s face flushed.

If it were someone else, he wouldn’t feel this way. But Wei San-ho was the unparalleled talent produced by the Dormant Dragon Academy and the talent that the Orthodox Alliance expected and hoped for.

Until Wei Yan-ho appeared, Wei San-ho was the one expected to naturally claim the position of the next generation’s number one under heaven. Moreover, unlike Wei Yan-ho, he was polite, had a strong sense of justice, and was taciturn… a man among men.

But Wei San-ho, upon hearing Wei Yan-ho’s name, had ignored Jo Hyeon, who could be called a great elder of the Orthodox Alliance, and walked outside.

‘Is it a characteristic of the Guangdong Wei Family?’

Wei San-ho was going to lead the Guangdong Wei Family, which had virtually claimed the position of the next generation’s greatest family, half by choice and half by necessity. For such a person to be so obsessed with his younger brother was not a good thing.

And probably the cause of all this trouble was…

‘Why is he like that?’

Wei Jeong-han shrank back as he suddenly saw Jo Hyeon’s blade-like gaze boring into him.

But that was only for a moment.

Fidget.

Han Sang-ah’s bottom was wiggling restlessly. Moreover, strangely, Jin Ye-ran also seemed anxious, constantly tapping her thigh with her fingers, unable to sit still.

‘Well.’

Jo Hyeon let out a deep sigh.

This was Jo Hyeon’s fault.

These were people who had come this long distance saying they wanted to meet Wei Yan-ho. He had kept such people trapped in the strategist’s office, so how would they feel?

Especially in Han Sang-ah’s case, she hadn’t seen her child for five years, so it wasn’t strange at all that her mind was completely elsewhere right now.

‘I was foolish.’

It seemed his judgment had become quite clouded because of what had happened a little while ago.

Yes, the fault lay with Wei Yan-ho. What sin did these people have, who had come to meet their relatives after five years but had to be detained here?

Courtesy is something you consider based on the situation.

Rather, Jo Hyeon, who had realized that he himself had been discourteous by not considering the circumstances of those who had come on urgent business, smiled broadly and said:

“It seems I was the one being rude. Go meet Yan-ho first. We’ll talk about the rest afterward.”

“Thank you!”

Han Sang-ah sprang up from her seat and went outside. The remaining members followed Han Sang-ah with bewildered faces. But there was one who couldn’t go.

“…You stay.”

“Pardon?”

Wei Jeong-han stopped in place with a bewildered expression.

“You… grind, let’s have a little chat.”

Just looking at those bloodshot eyes and the teeth grinding together, it wasn’t hard to guess what the content of that conversation would be.

Wei Jeong-han’s complexion turned yellow.

“What, what did I do wrong, Sir Strategist?”

“What did you do wrong?”

Those words seemed to have touched a nerve instead. Rolling up his sleeves, Jo Hyeon approached Wei Jeong-han.

Seeing the fist clenched tight with bulging veins under the rolled-up sleeve, Wei Jeong-han looked out the window with a face that had given up on everything.

‘It’s gloomy.’

It was perfect weather for getting beaten.