CLS-Chapter 183

Chapter 183

Wei Jeong-han jumped up from his seat in shock.

“Who, who did you say has come?”

But no answer came.

Instead, the door slowly opened. Behind it stood a man whose body alone filled the space that two people could easily pass through, a mountain-sized fellow grinning broadly.

“Alliance, Alliance Leader!”

“It’s been a while. Have you been well?”

Wei Jeong-han stared at Sima Cheon-se with bewildered eyes.

Why was Sima Cheon-se here?

Who was Sima Cheon-se?

The Supreme Heavenly Righteous Alliance, which could be said to rule the world without exaggeration.

He was the Alliance Leader of the Righteous Alliance that effectively controlled that Supreme Heavenly Righteous Alliance.

Decades ago, he had ascended to the position of Alliance Leader and brought peace to the Central Plains by crushing and smashing countless calamities with his steel-like fists – a truly legendary martial artist, that was Sima Cheon-se.

His position was at the highest possible rank in the martial world, and the martial prowess accumulated in his hands was enough to discuss being the greatest under heaven – that was Sima Cheon-se.

Why would such a Sima Cheon-se suddenly appear at a place like this?

No matter how much personal friendship they had, it would have been proper for Wei Jeong-han to visit him first.

“This is a bit embarrassing.”

At Sima Cheon-se’s words, Wei Jeong-han startled and rushed toward the door.

“I should have come to see you!”

“Hahaha, what does that matter?”

Sima Cheon-se smiled gently and lightly patted Wei Jeong-han’s shoulder.

“Wow…”

Wei Yan-ho gaped at the sight. Sima Cheon-se’s hand seemed larger than Wei Jeong-han’s head.

“No matter how busy with work I am, I’m not thoughtless enough to call someone who’s meeting his child after five years. Originally, I shouldn’t have come to this gathering either, but I’ll be busy starting tomorrow for a while, so I wouldn’t have time unless it was today. Please understand.”

“What outrageous words are those! Please come in.”

“Hehe, yes. Thank you.”

As Sima Cheon-se stepped inside, it felt like the room was completely filled.

“Whoa, you can’t sit in a regular chair.”

At Wei Yan-ho’s words, Sima Cheon-se smiled slightly.

“That’s why I carry one around.”

Instantly, servants from outside brought Sima Cheon-se’s chair and placed it at the head seat. Sima Cheon-se grinned and sat down.

“It seems like an uninvited guest has come during a family’s intimate time.”

“I’ve never joined the Guangdong Wei Family, Alliance Leader.”

At Kong Mu-jin’s words, Sima Cheon-se looked at him with surprised eyes.

“You were here too?”

“Yes.”

“Then it wouldn’t be strange for me to join in as well. Let’s see, the people here…”

Wei Jeong-han introduced each person sitting there one by one. Even if he didn’t know Plum Blossom Sword Ghost Kong Mu-jin, the others weren’t people Sima Cheon-se would know.

The situation repeated where Wei Jeong-han made introductions and those who had frozen stiff greeted Sima Cheon-se.

“I’m Wei Yan-ho.”

Sima Cheon-se’s gaze, which had been leaving kind words for each person, fixed on Wei Yan-ho.

‘Is this the one?’

Sima Cheon-se quietly looked at Wei Yan-ho.

‘He doesn’t resemble his father…’

Compared to Wei Jeong-han and Wei San-ho, who could be called handsome men with strong features, Wei Yan-ho’s face had delicate features. If he had to compare, he seemed to resemble his mother more than his father. In feeling, that is.

“So you’re Wei Yan-ho?”

“Yes.”

Wei Yan-ho bowed his head.

“Hahaha, I’ve heard much about you.”

“Thank you.”

At the part about ‘heard much about you,’ Wei Jeong-han’s face reddened. Because Cho Hyeon had told him point by point about what Wei Yan-ho had done, complaining about how he had raised his child, Wei Jeong-han knew very well what that ‘heard much about you’ meant.

“…I didn’t educate him well…”

At that moment, Han Sang-ah’s eyes sharpened.

Normally she would have shouted, ‘It’s not that you didn’t educate him well, but that you couldn’t educate him because you were out during the time you should have been educating him,’ but she too was a woman who occupied the inner quarters of a martial family. She wasn’t someone who didn’t know what position this mountain-like man before her held in this martial world.

However, the problem was that there was someone who didn’t know such facts.

“But Alliance Leader, why is your build so huge?”

“Huh?”

Wei Jeong-han’s mouth fell open.

‘What, what is that bastard doing?’

Who did he think the person in front of him was?

‘Please keep your mouth shut, Yan-ho!’

In Wei Jeong-han’s eyes, it seemed like there was a bomb attached to Wei Yan-ho’s mouth. A bomb that could explode at any moment.

“Huhu, well? I don’t know why my body is so big either.”

“Were you originally that big?”

“I seem to have had a large frame since birth.”

“I’ve heard that the Huangbo family has large bodies, but seeing you, Alliance Leader, it seems the saying that the Huangbo family is big should disappear.”

“Hahahaha, that’s not quite right. I was originally big-bodied, but I got a bit bigger due to the martial arts I learned. If we’re just talking about natural birth size, the Huangbo family people would be bigger than me.”

“Ah, I see.”

Sima Cheon-se smiled slightly while looking at Wei Yan-ho nodding.

‘An interesting fellow.’

What was unfortunate was that there was no brightness in the person’s eyes. Children of that age group, that is, children transitioning from boy to young man, usually had brightness in their eyes that would cheer up a person just by looking at them, but Wei Yan-ho’s eyes were dull like rotten pollack eyes, to exaggerate a little.

“I came because I wanted to see what kind of child you are.”

“Whoa, you didn’t come to see our father?”

“I can see Jeong-han anytime. But you’re not like that.”

“I don’t know what there is to see about me.”

Wei Yan-ho scratched his head.

“Ever since you appeared, the Military Advisor hasn’t stopped mentioning your name. He’s not someone who would do that, but he keeps talking about you, so I couldn’t help but be curious.”

“I’m just a lazy person who likes being under blankets.”

“But you’re also a very strong lazy person.”

Kong Mu-jin nodded.

Lazy people might be common, but a lazy person as strong as Wei Yan-ho wouldn’t appear even if you searched the entire world.

“Does that matter?”

“Of course.”

Sima Cheon-se grinned.

“In the martial world, strength is more important than anything. Even if they say it’s not with their mouths, everyone thinks that way inside.”

“Aw, no way.”

“Haven’t you heard the saying that ‘no way’ kills people?”

“Hmm…”

When Wei Yan-ho made a thoughtful sound, Sima Cheon-se grinned.

“The martial world is like that. All kinds of justifications and great causes decorate the front, but if you peel away those layers, in the end it’s a world where strength is most important.”

“It’s a rough world.”

“But isn’t that natural?”

“Huh?”

“If you don’t like it, you just don’t get involved in the martial world. The world isn’t made up only of the martial world, and the world where people live without using swords is broader, so coming into the martial world and saying ‘strength is not important’ – wouldn’t that be hypocrisy?”

Wei Yan-ho nodded.

It was certainly a reasonable statement.

“It sounds right, but it doesn’t seem like something that should come from the Alliance Leader of the Righteous Alliance’s mouth, does it? Just from the words, it sounds like something a Demonic Cult Leader would say.”

“Hiiiiik!”

Wei Jeong-han covered his mouth with both hands.

That crazy bastard really!

“Kekekekeke!”

But Sima Cheon-se laughed loudly despite Wei Yan-ho’s tremendous rudeness.

“That’s why I don’t show myself at official occasions much. The Military Advisor told me not to open my mouth anywhere. So people think I’m taciturn, you know?”

“Isn’t that just what they say looking at your appearance?”

“Yes, that’s probably part of it too. That’s why I like occasions like this. Occasions where I can speak freely, that kind of occasion.”

Sima Cheon-se stretched out his hand and the wine bottle in front of Wei Jeong-han floated up and flew over.

Thunk!

But that wine bottle didn’t reach Sima Cheon-se’s hand. Wei Yan-ho, who had risen from his seat, stretched out his hand and snatched the bottle.

“My master said that when an elder’s cup is empty, filling it is the duty of a junior. He said letting an elder pour for himself is the most discourteous act.”

“Ho, I don’t know who your master is, but he’s someone who knows the Way of Wine. Yes. Well then, shall I receive a drink from the most famous person these days?”

Wei Yan-ho respectfully held the wine bottle with both hands.

It was an extremely serious posture that couldn’t normally be seen from Wei Yan-ho. It wasn’t out of consideration for Wei Jeong-han and the Wei family’s position. It was courtesy toward one of the few absolute masters he had met since entering the martial world.

Glug glug glug.

The wine Wei Yan-ho poured filled Sima Cheon-se’s cup to the brim. Then Sima Cheon-se took the wine bottle Wei Yan-ho was holding and held out an empty cup.

“Receive a cup.”

“Wait a moment.”

Wei Yan-ho put down the wine cup and spoke.

“Since this is a good occasion, please refrain from pranks. Like putting Internal Energy into the wine to make it heavy, or bursting the wine cup.”

“Do I look like someone who would do such things?”

“Strangely, adults like that sort of thing. It’s hard on the person receiving it. It’s natural for older people to have more Internal Energy, but doing that just to test a young person’s Internal Energy… how should I put it. Hmm…”

“Like an old fart?”

“Wow, you know that expression too?”

“Hehehe.”

Sima Cheon-se liked this young fellow more and more. So much so that he couldn’t understand at all why the Military Advisor kept complaining that he was dying, dying.

The expressions of those sitting around were strange, but wasn’t the atmosphere quite enjoyable?

“Indeed, your words are right. I don’t like such pranks either. So first, receive a cup.”

“Yes!”

When Wei Yan-ho lifted the full wine cup, Sima Cheon-se raised his wine cup and touched it to Wei Yan-ho’s cup.

“It’s not common for me to pour wine, so say thank you and drink.”

“…If you hadn’t said anything, I would have thought that.”

“Mmm, I should be taciturn, taciturn.”

Sima Cheon-se and Wei Yan-ho looked at each other and grinned.

“Come, everyone have a drink.”

“Yes, Alliance Leader.”

At Sima Cheon-se’s suggestion, everyone raised their cups in respect and drank.

“Good.”

Sima Cheon-se, who had cleanly emptied his cup, set it down on the table and spoke.

“So then.”

“…Yes?”

Sima Cheon-se looked at Wei Yan-ho and grinned.

“You’re like this, but I also dislike such pranks. However, hearing so much news, I can’t help but be curious. Did you kill the Twin Demon Earrings?”

“Yes.”

Wei Yan-ho answered calmly.

“You shattered the castle gate in one strike?”

“Yes.”

“Mm, yes. I see.”

Sima Cheon-se, who had been nodding repeatedly, spoke.

“I like certainty. I’m someone who dislikes such half-hearted tests. So let me just speak frankly.”

“Huh?”

Sima Cheon-se grinned wickedly and said.

“Let’s have a match.”