CLS-Chapter 188

Chapter 188

Gong Mu-jin stared ahead with a dazed expression.

At the same time as a tremendous force that seemed capable of obliterating this entire place erupted, a massive white light blazing enough to cover the entire world rose dazzlingly from the opposite side.

‘Just how far does martial arts go?’

Though he too was someone who had devoted himself to martial arts, the spectacle before his eyes was enough to shatter his martial common sense.

It was astounding that a human being made of mere flesh and blood could display such abilities. Watching this magnificent, almost rapturous scene, Gong Mu-jin gritted his teeth.

‘This is no time for admiration.’

What he was seeing was neither fantasy nor dream. It was a vivid living reality.

And if it was reality, then it was a place he too must someday reach. He couldn’t just stand there entranced as if dreaming while looking at such a place.

He had to burn every single moment into his eyes without missing anything. It was all too clear that this spectacle would become the guiding star for the heights he must climb in the future.

He wanted to say the same thing to Yi Seol-hwa, but right now he didn’t even have the energy to open his mouth. Just the brief moment of dispersing his attention might cause him to miss something, so he could only keep his mouth tightly shut and concentrate.

The white light that Wei Yan-ho emitted penetrated like dye into Sima Cheon-se’s blue aura.

And then…

With a flash that seemed audible, the world ended in blinding brilliance. When the light that had covered the world like a fantasy disappeared as if it were all a lie, Sima Cheon-se with his hands lowered and Wei Yan-ho with his sword lowered faced each other as if nothing had happened.

Silence.

The sound of the blowing wind tickling their ears could be heard.

No one could open their mouths, no one could speak.

The person who broke the silence that felt long and endless like an eon was none other than Sima Cheon-se.

“…What is the name of this sword technique?”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head.

“There isn’t one.”

“You mean the technique has no name?”

“No. It’s not that…”

Wei Yan-ho seemed to ponder before opening his mouth.

“My master said there was no need to learn the techniques he created. He said it was enough to know the flow – there was no need to follow the detailed shape of every branching waterway.”

“…So it’s not that the technique has no name, but that there is no technique.”

“You could say that.”

Sima Cheon-se slowly nodded.

“Remarkable, in many ways.”

Techniques are the framework that defines martial arts.

Ultimately, martial arts develop by fitting one’s body to the framework, and eventually breaking free from that framework. But Wei Yan-ho was freely deploying his sword without fitting himself to that framework.

‘An absurdly solid relationship of trust.’

Whether it was Wei Yan-ho following what could be called an unorthodox method without a trace of doubt, or the master who taught such a potentially directionless method while trusting that his disciple would do well – both showed an almost blind faith in each other.

If someone else had said such things, he would have called it a reckless adventure, but…

“Results prove all processes in reverse.”

Never once had his Heavenly King’s Manifestation been broken so easily.

Strength beyond common sense.

Even without mentioning age, Wei Yan-ho was already a warrior equal to himself.

Sima Cheon-se smiled brightly.

“That boy Jeong-han has gained great fortune. I’ve never once thought your father was an inadequate man, but seeing you and your brother, I can’t help but think your father has sons too good for his station.”

From the corner came Wei Jeong-han’s voice protesting, “What exactly do you mean by that, Alliance Leader? Station?” But Sima Cheon-se let Wei Jeong-han’s words go in one ear and out the other.

“Hmm…”

Receiving sudden praise made him feel ticklish. Wei Yan-ho twisted his body and continued speaking.

“Will you continue?”

“I’d like to, but…”

Sima Cheon-se quietly pressed down his trembling hands.

“I think I won’t be able to stop with a smile, so it would be better to stop here.”

Sima Cheon-se smacked his lips.

Though his body was naturally excited to have met someone who could be a proper opponent after so long, if he were to seriously compete with Wei Yan-ho, one of them would not be able to walk out of here.

Whichever side lost, it would be an unfortunate affair.

‘That young child…’

Though he had confirmed a pillar who would certainly lead the world in the future, Sima Cheon-se’s heart was not bright.

‘When the times send down a hero, they burden him with even greater responsibility.’

Sima Cheon-se, who had to bear responsibility at higher places than anyone and more than anyone, could understand. The responsibility Wei Yan-ho would have to shoulder in the future would be even more immense. But Wei Yan-ho was naturally likely to find such responsibility burdensome.

‘It’s not a burden one can escape just because one doesn’t want to bear it.’

Sima Cheon-se’s gaze turned toward Wei San-ho and Wei Jeong-han.

Still, with those two people there, wouldn’t the burden Wei Yan-ho had to shoulder become a little lighter?

“Why are you looking at me with those eyes?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Sima Cheon-se smiled brightly and approached Wei Yan-ho. Then he patted the head of the puzzled Wei Yan-ho.

“I never thought I’d have reason to envy Wei Jeong-han in my lifetime. I wish I had a son like you too.”

“…You could just take me with you?”

“Ahem, let me think about that.”

At Wei Jeong-han’s words, Sima Cheon-se backed off.

When he’s someone else’s child, Wei Yan-ho is an amusing fellow, but if he were his own child, wouldn’t he be one to turn his insides upside down?

“Now, now, instead of this…”

Sima Cheon-se gripped Wei Yan-ho’s shoulder.

“Let’s go finish our drinks. I’m in a good mood today. Hahahaha!”

“You’re quite the mood-driven type.”

“Of course, naturally.”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head as if he couldn’t do anything about it and walked toward Wei San-ho. Watching this scene, Sima Cheon-se laughed heartily.

“…Is it over?”

At Wei Jeong-han’s question as he approached, Sima Cheon-se nodded.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You went easy on him, didn’t you?”

“Did it look that way?”

Sima Cheon-se spoke with a bitter smile.

“You’re going to have some hardships ahead.”

“I’m already having enough hardships.”

“That’s true too. Then take them and go ahead. I have a little something left to do. I’ll be there soon.”

“Yes.”

Wei Jeong-han looked at Sima Cheon-se once with a somewhat bewildered face, then ran toward Wei Yan-ho. As the group left the training ground under Wei Jeong-han’s direction, Sima Cheon-se’s face gradually hardened.

‘This martial art…’

It seemed like he’d seen it somewhere before.

The radiance that seemed to cover the world.

And hidden within that brilliant light, an extremely practical sword technique.

Sima Cheon-se shook his head.

‘It couldn’t be.’

According to what he’d been told, there was no connection between Wei Yan-ho and his memory. He couldn’t connect the sword technique in that vague memory with the sword technique Wei Yan-ho had just displayed.

Sima Cheon-se forcibly suppressed the suspicion that kept rising in his chest.

‘I must be getting old.’

Thinking that he was having all sorts of unnecessary worries, Sima Cheon-se quietly followed behind the group.

The next day.

“…You said to leave him alone?”

Cho Hyeon looked at Sima Cheon-se with a shocked expression.

“Is there any reason we shouldn’t?”

“But… but…”

Receiving Cho Hyeon’s bewildered gaze, Sima Cheon-se wore a bitter smile.

“Listen, Cho Hyeon.”

“Yes, Alliance Leader.”

“You know well that meeting such talent at that age is not easy. You and I have lived our entire lives in the martial world, but this is the first time we’ve seen such a child, isn’t it?”

“That’s correct.”

“So you’d want to use him. You’d want to make use of him. It would be natural to find some way to utilize him.”

“Yes.”

“But that would be only a common person’s view.”

Cho Hyeon quietly closed his mouth.

He too was someone who had managed the world. There was no way he couldn’t understand Sima Cheon-se’s words.

“An awl in a pocket will eventually poke through. A child with such ability won’t be left alone by the world, not just by us. Perhaps a fate more harsh than we can imagine awaits that child. So for now, leave him be.”

“But…”

“Or…”

Solemnity appeared on Sima Cheon-se’s face.

“Does the Righteous Martial Alliance lack talent to the extent that we need to borrow the hands of such a child?”

“That’s not the case.”

“Right. Then isn’t that settled?”

Cho Hyeon sighed quietly.

There was a gap in how they viewed the world between Sima Cheon-se, who was born a warrior, and Cho Hyeon, who was a strategist. No matter how well they understood each other, there were parts they saw differently at a fundamental level.

‘It would be right to back down here.’

When opinions clashed, follow the Alliance Leader’s opinion as much as possible.

That was Cho Hyeon’s way of life that allowed him to push through his own opinions when it was most certain.

“I will follow the Alliance Leader’s words. However, there is one thing I want to confirm.”

“What is that?”

“About that Wei Yan-ho.”

“Hmm?”

Cho Hyeon opened his mouth with a hardened expression.

“Is he strong enough for the Alliance Leader to say to do nothing and just leave him be? Not simply a promising junior, but worthy of being treated as a single great master?”

Sima Cheon-se slowly stroked his beard.

“Hmm, I’m not sure what to say.”

At Sima Cheon-se’s reaction, Cho Hyeon hardened his face.

“Surely not…”

“Come now, man. I’ve still lived four times longer than that child, so surely I wouldn’t have lost, would I?”

“…I wasn’t doubting that.”

“However.”

“Yes?”

“Right now, I would naturally win. Naturally, I should win. But I have no confidence in subduing that child without harming him.”

…And there’s no guarantee I’d be unharmed either.

Sima Cheon-se swallowed the rest of his words. It was content that didn’t need additional explanation.

“But is that all?”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s strange. There’s no way he could hide his martial arts from me, but I feel like I still haven’t seen that boy’s true nature. I thought there was something in his clenched fist, but when I checked, there was nothing. Yet even though I confirmed it with my eyes, the feeling that there’s something there doesn’t disappear.”

Cho Hyeon hardened his face.

“If that boy really didn’t show everything about himself, he would be quite deep. Deep enough to hide such things from me.”

“He didn’t seem like such a calculating child…”

“Didn’t you also not rate that child very highly before seeing him directly?”

“That’s correct.”

“Perhaps everyone is failing to see that child’s true nature. He does absurd things, but don’t all those absurd things ultimately lead to good results? Perhaps he’s a child with very deep schemes.”

“Hmm…”

Cho Hyeon slowly nodded.

“In any case, leave him alone for now. If that child was truly born for turbulent times, even if we leave him alone, the work he must do will appear on its own. And no matter how much he struggles, he won’t be able to avoid it. What adults should do is lighten that child’s burden. Not add to his burden! Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“…Yes.”

Cho Hyeon wouldn’t get through to Sima Cheon-se with such an expression. As Cho Hyeon calmly nodded, Sima Cheon-se looked out the window with sunken eyes.

‘Whether he’s a dragon or a lesser dragon… the world will judge that child.’

Sima Cheon-se opened his mouth with a confident voice.

“Inspect the corners of the Central Plains again. If my thinking is correct, problems are definitely occurring right now. If we can’t handle them early, endless calamity will befall us.”

“I will follow your command.”

Watching Cho Hyeon bow, Sima Cheon-se nodded heavily.