CLS-Chapter 244

Chapter 244

There were two strange things.

The first was that even though Wei Yan-ho had clearly landed a straight punch to his abdomen, he could still see Wei Yan-ho’s face in his vision. Considering Wei Yan-ho’s martial prowess thus far, this couldn’t help but be strange.

Usually, those who took a hit from Wei Yan-ho would invariably go flying up into the sky.

But he hadn’t flown into the sky, let alone to a corner of the martial stage.

However, compared to the second strange thing, that was nothing.

The second strange thing was more tangible and intuitive.

It was that the straight punch embedded in his abdomen was literally, insanely painful.

“Ughhhhh…”

Of course it hurt. Of course it would hurt. When someone who could punch a person and send them flying to the opposite mountain peak hit you, it would be stranger if it didn’t hurt.

But Wei Yan-ho’s strike was so intense that all such expectations seemed absurdly inadequate. From just one hit, it wasn’t that his waist felt like it might give out—it felt like his waist had simply disappeared.

Even proper groaning wouldn’t come out.

At that moment, Wei Yan-ho smiled broadly.

“Does it hurt?”

There was no way he had the mental capacity to answer. Wei Yan-ho didn’t seem to particularly expect an answer either.

“I was hurting a bit too, you see. That kind of pain… hmm, I think it was the first time since leaving the cave. Though it used to be common before.”

Wei Yan-ho stretched his shoulders.

“So that’s the problem. If it had been the most painful thing in my life or something, I could have just accepted it, but it was just moderately painful enough to remind me of getting beaten up in the past. Thanks to that, my mood got twice as foul.”

What the hell is this guy talking about?

With his mind already in chaos from the pain in his abdomen, listening to these strange words made him feel twice as pained.

“So I can’t help but repay you, can I?”

Wei Yan-ho pulled one arm way back.

“Don’t worry. You don’t need to be good at finding your way. I won’t send you far. Let’s end it here.”

“Ugh?”

He swung his pulled-back arm down in a great arc. Wei Yan-ho’s fist traced a large arc and slammed directly into Dang Jong-ui’s lower jaw.

BOOM!

When a fist hits a jaw, this kind of sound shouldn’t occur.

Everyone would think so, but Wei Yan-ho, with his rebellious attitude of not conforming to others’ standards, caused an explosive sound to erupt from Dang Jong-ui’s jaw.

And the result was all too natural.

Dang Jong-ui’s body shot up into the sky. Following Dang Jong-ui as he flew upward like something fired from a cannon, the spectators’ gazes turned up, and up again.

“…He’s going really high.”

“Considering this is Mount Hua, isn’t he probably the human who’s been to the highest place right now?”

“That’s quite possible.”

Worry is something you do in reality.

When a scene of a human getting hit by another human and flying up like a bird unfolds before your eyes, who would seriously worry with any sense of reality?

And the fact that this vicious fellow might kick people around like balls but wouldn’t kill them was also what made them purely admire the spectacle.

“When is he coming down?”

“Is he even coming down?”

“But today’s a bit strange. Hasn’t that guy always finished everything in one shot until now?”

“He used poison! There must be retribution for such cowardice!”

“Right! Actually, how many times have we suspected the Dang Family of using poison but couldn’t catch their tail because there was no evidence? This time we finally caught their tail properly.”

“…Come to think of it, that’s strange. Why did they so obviously use poison today?”

“They probably tried to use poison subtly because they thought they couldn’t match him in a normal fight, but failed to control the amount. Actually, he’s not really someone you can gauge ‘this much poison should be enough’ against.”

“That makes sense!”

Wei Yan-ho perked up his ears and heard all the conversations going around.

‘Good atmosphere.’

Just beating them up wouldn’t be enough to vent his anger. Although Wei Yan-ho considered himself a magnanimous person with a heart as wide as the sea who would generally understand and forgive others’ wrongs, when it came to an opponent who had targeted his life, the story was different.

Wei Yan-ho lifted his head and quietly waited for Dang Jong-ui.

‘Alright, this angle should do it!’

Wei Yan-ho spotted Dang Jong-ui falling from far away with “Ahhhhh!” sounds.

“There he comes.”

“Looks like he’s been on quite a trip?”

The watching crowd seemed tired of being surprised and were observing the situation with cheerful laughter.

Wei Yan-ho, who had been waiting with his waist slightly twisted, powerfully extended his foot and kicked just before the falling Dang Jong-ui crashed into the ground.

CRASH!

An even louder explosion than the previous one erupted, and Dang Jong-ui’s body flew like a shot arrow.

“E-Evade!”

“No, shouldn’t we catch him?”

“Oh no!”

Those guarding the seats of honor jumped up from their places in shock. But among them, there was one person who absolutely couldn’t avoid it.

‘Damn it!’

Dang Myeong’s face hardened as he watched Dang Jong-ui flying toward him. The momentum with which Dang Jong-ui was flying looked quite serious, but simply ignoring it and dodging would make him worry about Dang Jong-ui’s injuries.

Thinking about how all those Wei Yan-ho had sent flying until now had returned intact without significant injuries despite the momentum they’d flown with, he wanted to squeeze his eyes shut and turn away, but…

‘If he suffers a major injury by any chance, big brother won’t let me live.’

Having confidently brought someone who ended up in this state as the young leader, there was no room for excuses. Realizing that his own fate was also tied to Dang Jong-ui, Dang Myeong spread both arms.

“Ahhhhh! Uncle is here! Jong-ui!”

It was a scene overflowing with family love, truly tear-inducing, but unfortunately, Wei Yan-ho wasn’t considerate enough to respect others’ family bonds.

CRASH!

Dang Myeong, who caught Dang Jong-ui with his chest, bounced up like a skipping stone and hit the ground like a stone skipping on water.

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Dang Myeong, who bounced off the ground a full four times, crashed directly into the building behind.

“…”

The crowd quietly watched the scene. For a moment, all of Mount Hua became as quiet as death.

After a brief silence, someone whispered softly.

“Who just went flying?”

“Wasn’t that Dang Myeong?”

“That Sichuan Dang Family one?”

“If his name is Dang, it would be the Dang Family.”

“…That Dang Myeong?”

The crowd began murmuring.

Dang Myeong was a famous master even within the Sichuan Dang Family, and one of the top masters within the Heavenly Alliance. Such a Dang Myeong hadn’t even faced Wei Yan-ho directly, but had been unable to handle the aftermath of catching Dang Jong-ui, whom Wei Yan-ho had deflected, and bounced away like a frog kicked by children.

The implications were significant.

Most of those present had recognized that Wei Yan-ho was probably a powerhouse threatening the existing martial world, but seeing it directly with their own eyes was another story entirely.

Hadn’t they just confirmed that someone of Dang Myeong’s caliber couldn’t handle even the aftermath of Wei Yan-ho’s attack, let alone the attack itself?

“My goodness…”

The eyes of those who understood what this meant began to tremble.

“I knew he was strong, but…”

“What’s so surprising? Wasn’t what you’ve seen with your eyes until now sufficient?”

“Still, I thought it was possible because they were fighting among peers of the same age. Heavens, who would have thought Dang Myeong would be dealt with without even getting to use his hands?”

“You couldn’t send a scarecrow flying like that even if you hit it. Just looking at that makes it obvious, but do you have to taste it to know?”

“Even so.”

People receive shock when they witness scenes where common sense collapses.

“Wei Yan-ho… My older brother is Wei San-ho, but he’s even more than my brother.”

“They said there was a tiger in Guangdong Wei Family, but a dragon emerged too. Is it good breeding?”

“It’s possible because his father is excellent. Actually, wouldn’t Wei Jeong-han make a more excellent father than anyone? Where else would you find someone with such chivalry?”

“Hmm, that’s also true.”

Wei Yan-ho’s ears perked up.

‘Something feels a bit strange?’

It was fine up to praising his brother and himself, but why did it connect to their father? He felt an urge to publicly proclaim to the world just how irresponsible a parent Wei Jeong-han was.

But unfortunately, at that moment, there was someone organizing the situation.

“I declare this match Wei Yan-ho’s victory.”

Even before the referee could make a decision, Cheong Heo-ja was already raising his voice.

Up to here, it was something that didn’t even need to be said.

“And as the sect leader of Mount Hua and the one responsible for this tournament, I will investigate Dang Jong-ui, who is suspected of using poison during the martial contest. If it’s revealed that he used poison, I will impose heavy punishment on Dang Jong-ui and also hold the Dang Family accountable.”

It was a natural decision, if you could call it natural.

But if Dang Myeong had been here with his eyes blazing, it wouldn’t have been words he could say so easily.

“Tsk.“

Hearing Gong Mu-jin’s urgent mental transmission in his ear, Wei Yan-ho frowned.

“I know. Why are you treating me like a child?”

In the distance, he could see Gong Mu-jin clutching his head.

‘As if they’ll really investigate properly.’

No matter how straightforward Mount Hua might be, they wouldn’t want to directly antagonize the Dang Family. The investigation would probably amount to confining Dang Jong-ui in prison during the tournament period, then quietly releasing him when things calmed down after the tournament ended, claiming the investigation revealed nothing.

If Wei Yan-ho had lost it might be different, but having won like this, there probably wouldn’t be anyone wanting to make an issue of that fact, and the Dang Family could save face while Mount Hua could gain practical benefits.

It was because Gong Mu-jin thought Wei Yan-ho’s expression didn’t look good the moment Cheong Heo-ja finished speaking that he sent pleading mental transmissions. But Wei Yan-ho had no intention of pursuing this matter.

‘Mount Hua can impose whatever punishment they want.’

Right now they have to consider other sects’ opinions, so the Dang Family will remain silent, but they’ll start raising their voices to Mount Hua as soon as the tournament ends. If the two actually fight, most will just watch the fire from across the river.

That’s why Wei Yan-ho decided to move himself rather than leave it to them. There would be nothing more troublesome for the Dang Family than rumors spreading that they used poison on the martial stage.

And more than anything…

‘This much won’t resolve my anger.’

Even catching Dang Jong-ui and Dang Myeong like mice would only amount to cutting off tails. Since they tried to kill him, it shouldn’t be the Dang Family’s lackeys but the entire Dang Family that receives the price.

Never forget a grudge even if you forget a favor…

“I shouldn’t keep living like Master.”

This way leads to family ruin.

He understood it intellectually, but seeing himself continuously moving in the way his master lived, he seemed to be an inevitable disciple of Baek Mu-han after all.

“Well, fine.”

If you touch a dog, the owner comes out, so having beaten Dang Jong-ui and Dang Myeong like dogs, now the Dang Family would move. From their position, they’d want to somehow remove the stigma of cowardly using poison on the martial stage.

Then he just needed to wait and watch them come, then deal with them appropriately.

‘This can’t end like this.’

It was Dang Myeong’s mistake not knowing just how vicious a human Wei Yan-ho was.