CLS-Chapter 222

Chapter 222

Wei Yan-ho, who had come down the stairs, could see his companions seated in a circle occupying what appeared to be the living room area of the lodging.

“Oh?”

As Jin Ye-ran and Wei Yan-ho descended from the stairs, the crowd’s gazes turned toward the two.

Of course, more eyes were fixed on Jin Ye-ran rather than Wei Yan-ho. It was only natural that a peerless beauty without equal under heaven would draw more attention than an ordinary-looking man with bleary eyes.

The crowd’s gazes pierced mercilessly toward Jin Ye-ran’s face.

Jin Ye-ran seemed burdened by the stares directed at her, her face flushing slightly as she covered half her face with her sleeve and stopped in place.

“Hm?”

When the person walking ahead stopped, Wei Yan-ho asked obliviously.

“Aren’t you coming down?”

“…No.”

“Hm?”

Wei Yan-ho, not understanding why Jin Ye-ran had stopped, tilted his head and began walking down ahead of her. Jin Ye-ran quietly followed behind Wei Yan-ho.

Then one of those watching the pair suddenly stood up and began walking toward Wei Yan-ho—or more precisely, toward Jin Ye-ran who was following behind Wei Yan-ho.

“I never knew such a beautiful person existed in this world.”

“…I don’t think I’m particularly handsome though?”

The man looked at Wei Yan-ho with a blank expression.

“No, I wasn’t speaking to you…”

“What?”

When Wei Yan-ho looked at him with an expression that said ‘then why are you doing this in front of me,’ the man waved his hand as if shooing away a fly.

“Please step aside.”

“I’m trying to step aside, but you seem to be the one blocking the path? I need to go down, so it would be nice if you could move aside.”

Realizing that he had been blocking the bottom of the stairs in his eagerness, the man stepped to the side. As Wei Yan-ho walked through the cleared path, Jin Ye-ran followed closely behind him.

“W-wait a moment!”

The man called out urgently, but Jin Ye-ran chased after Wei Yan-ho as if she couldn’t hear him, not even turning her head.

However, Wei Yan-ho disappointingly stopped right there.

“Didn’t you say to come here?”

“Pardon?”

“Didn’t father tell you to come here?”

“Ah…”

Jin Ye-ran looked around, but Wei Jeong-han was nowhere to be seen.

“Where did he go?”

Jin Ye-ran stamped her feet.

This was the first time she had drawn the attention of so many men. Even when seeing patients, she often drew more attention, but that was as a physician.

As a physician, she felt no shame, but as a woman, Jin Ye-ran was not accustomed to men’s gazes.

“He calls us here and then goes somewhere?”

Wei Yan-ho looked around and then began to slowly move his steps.

“Wh-where are you going?”

“Since father isn’t here, I should hurry back and lie down.”

“He told us to come here.”

“I know. I know, but even resting for a moment is beneficial.”

“You’ll get scolded.”

“Hehe, you don’t understand.”

Wei Yan-ho said with a grin.

“My father always scolds me. He’s the type who scolds me first no matter what I do, so rather than suffering trying not to get scolded, it’s wiser to just accept that I’ll be scolded and stay comfortable.”

“…”

Jin Ye-ran’s face flushed slightly.

‘How inconsiderate.’

If he just went up alone here, what was she supposed to do? But she couldn’t follow a strange man to his room with all these people watching.

Though she did occasionally visit Wei Yan-ho’s room, there was a world of difference between going when no one else was watching and going when everyone was staring.

How could a grown unmarried woman do such a thing when others were watching so blatantly? Jin Ye-ran felt Wei Yan-ho was too inconsiderate for not understanding her situation.

But Wei Yan-ho was oblivious, and the man trying to speak to him was even more oblivious.

“I am Ak Seo-hui of the Shandong Ak Family. If it wouldn’t be presumptuous, could you grant me the honor of learning your esteemed name?”

“How, how rude!”

Jin Ye-ran’s face turned red.

“Haha, what harm is there in martial artists revealing their names?”

Of course, women of the martial world tended to be more free-spirited compared to sheltered young ladies from good families. Unlike the daughters of ordinary households who could live secluded in their inner chambers, women of the martial world who frequently traveled and met people did not hesitate to reveal their names.

But Jin Ye-ran could not be called a martial artist.

Though she was traveling with Wei Jeong-han and others due to circumstances, she was a physician, not a martial artist. Not knowing these circumstances, people naturally assumed that a woman staying at the Orthodox Alliance lodging was obviously a martial artist.

Things were getting complicated.

“I don’t wish to continue this conversation. Well then.”

As Jin Ye-ran quickly tried to go upstairs, Ak Seo-hui stretched out his hand to block her path.

“Wh-what is this?”

“Just a moment, miss.”

Ak Seo-hui spoke with a smile.

“I have revealed my sect affiliation. Then I think it would be proper for you to at least reveal where you’re from?”

“Why should I do that?”

“Are you disrespecting the Ak Family now?”

Jin Ye-ran could not understand at all why the conversation was flowing this way.

She hadn’t asked to know, had she? So why should she have to reveal her origins just because he had told her his?

The subtly different etiquette of the martial world was creating misunderstandings.

“Must I do that?”

“No. You don’t necessarily have to. However…”

Ak Seo-hui looked quietly at Jin Ye-ran before speaking.

“Wounded honor must somehow be restored.”

Though it seemed like nothing, if examined closely, it was clearly a threat. Jin Ye-ran looked at Wei Yan-ho with desperate eyes.

“Hm?”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Jin Ye-ran as if asking what was wrong and shrugged his shoulders.

“…Please do something about this.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

“What am I supposed to do when you two are talking?”

“…”

Does this look like talking to you, you oblivious fool!

What have I gotten myself into with such a person!

Though anger surged up, Jin Ye-ran quietly pressed her chest and calmed her fury. Getting excited here would be the worst mistake. Jin Ye-ran had at least that much situational awareness.

‘I shouldn’t drag Young Master Wei into this unnecessarily.’

Though she had asked for help because she was so flustered, she could well predict that if a man intervened in this situation, it would become a matter of pride.

When men start fighting over pride, things get big.

‘Besides, Young Master Wei is a martial artist.’

The Shandong Ak Family was famous enough that even she had heard of it. Having problems with such a place would certainly not be good for Wei Yan-ho.

She couldn’t let Wei Yan-ho suffer harm because of her.

Having steeled her resolve, Jin Ye-ran spoke with a firm expression.

“I am Jin Ye-ran from the Sacred Hand Hall.”

Though it pained her heart to have to mention the Sacred Hand Hall that she had already left on her own, since she had no proper affiliation to speak of, this was the only way she could respond.

“Jin Ye-ran of the Sacred Hand Hall?”

Ak Seo-hui tilted his head as if he had never heard of it.

No, before that, if it was the Sacred Hand Hall, wouldn’t that be a medical family? Why would someone from a medical family be here? Surely none of the people who came to participate in the martial competition were ill…

“Jin Ye-ran?”

That voice contained surprise.

Though Ak Seo-hui didn’t know, it seemed someone among the group knew who Jin Ye-ran was.

“Then are you saying that miss is the Jin physician known in recent martial circles as the Nameless Saint?”

“Na-Nameless Saint?”

Jin Ye-ran was shocked.

Who on earth had given such a grandiose name?

“N-no, I’m not.”

Jin Ye-ran waved both hands vigorously in denial.

“If you’re Miss Jin Ye-ran, aren’t you the one who gained fame throughout the world for treating patients caught up in the blood incident at Nashan? Are you saying you’re not that person?”

“Ah… I did treat patients, but I’ve never heard such a grandiose name as Nameless Saint.”

The man smiled broadly.

“Originally, when fame begins to spread, only the person themselves doesn’t know. It’s a pleasure to meet you. I am Ho Cheol-san of the Blue Dragon Hall.”

“Ah, yes.”

Jin Ye-ran bowed her head deeply, not understanding what was happening.

“I say, Cheol-san, then this person is the Nameless Saint?”

“It seems so.”

“Ho ho ho, I’ve met good fortune today. To think I’d see the Nameless Saint here.”

Ak Seo-hui burst into loud laughter.

“I’m delighted beyond words to meet such an honored person. How about it? Won’t you join us today? Please give us the experience of broadening our knowledge by meeting such a distinguished person.”

At Ak Seo-hui’s words, Jin Ye-ran could only hesitate, unable to do this or that. Her gaze turned toward Wei Yan-ho, who was yawning as if annoyed.

But Wei Yan-ho was still looking at her with an expression asking why she was acting that way.

‘I give up! I give up! Forget it!’

If someone is lazy, they should at least have some awareness! How can someone be both lazy and oblivious?

Her mind of not wanting to be a bother and her feminine desire for help were clashing.

Ho Cheol-san, perhaps detecting her behavior of constantly turning her gaze away, quietly looked at Wei Yan-ho and spoke.

“Who are you?”

“I’m Wei Yan-ho?”

“…Wei Yan-ho?”

“Yes.”

Ho Cheol-san made a displeased face.

Where on earth did he learn such manners to reveal his identity in that way? Normally, wouldn’t the basic thing be to mention his family as well?

But whether he knew Ho Cheol-san’s feelings or not, Wei Yan-ho confidently met Ho Cheol-san’s gaze as if saying ‘I gave my name, what more do you want?’

“Wei Yan-ho, Wei Yan-ho… By any chance, are you Wei San-ho’s younger brother?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm, I did hear that Wei San-ho had a missing younger brother.”

“I seem to hear that story quite often too. It seems like the whole world knows that I went missing.”

“Hahaha, that’s only natural. Since Wei San-ho is such an outstanding person, naturally investigating his surroundings is basic. Moreover, rumors spread that your father was wandering the world looking for you, so how could it not be so?”

“…Ah, really?”

“He even put up a huge reward.”

Wei Yan-ho scratched his head.

Just a moment ago he had been whining that he probably couldn’t live comfortably for the rest of his life because of his brother and father, but hearing these words right away made Wei Yan-ho’s conscience, which remained as small as an ant’s dropping, stir for the first time in a while.

‘I should be filial.’

Come to think of it, though they did annoy and hit him, they absolutely didn’t do it with bad intentions.

Master was the same way.

‘No, wait a minute?’

Why were those who liked him all obsessed with tormenting him? If you like someone, you should like them as they are!

It was a pitiful situation.

“Anyway, good. So what’s your relationship with this Miss Jin?”

“What?”

“Are you companions?”

Wei Yan-ho answered with a slightly surprised face.

“We have no relationship at all though?”

At that moment, Jin Ye-ran’s face began to harden like ice.

At the same time, the air in the hall also grew cold.

“Huh, what? Why is it suddenly cold?”

Wei Yan-ho made a fuss without knowing anything. There truly was no medicine for obliviousness.