CLS-Chapter 250

Chapter 250

“Hmm? You have a different opinion?”

The man nodded his head.

“While Wei Yan-ho has been showing good performance, there are indeed two variables to consider.”

“Two of them?”

“One is whether he can properly display his abilities when he faces Wei San-ho.”

“Hmm.”

The spectators quietly listened to the man’s words. Certainly, that was something you couldn’t know without experiencing it firsthand.

“Facing others and facing a brother cannot be the same thing. Of course, I’m not saying he would deliberately lose. But fists laden with hesitation are bound to become dull. If Wei San-ho were weak it would be one thing, but isn’t he the one who held the position of the world’s greatest young master until Wei Yan-ho appeared?”

“That makes sense. And what’s the other variable?”

“Baek Geom-yeong.”

The spectators nodded their heads.

Before the name Baek Geom-yeong, no other reason was necessary. If the Orthodox Alliance had Wei San-ho, didn’t Baek Geom Fortress have Baek Geom-yeong?

Recently, Baek Geom-yeong hadn’t shown his face much, so Wei San-ho’s status had risen endlessly, but when Baek Geom-yeong was at the height of his activity, many评ed that Baek Geom-yeong was equal to Wei San-ho or half a step ahead.

“The opponents Wei Yan-ho has faced so far and those he must face going forward are actually more than a grade apart. Whether Wei Yan-ho’s power will work on them is important.”

“Wait a moment.”

At that moment, someone raised an objection.

“But didn’t Wei Yan-ho already face Dang Jong-ui and send Dang Myeong to his grave? If Wei Yan-ho can handle Dang Myeong, can’t he handle a single young master?”

“A Dang Clan master who can’t use poison and hidden weapons is inferior to even a young master. Could Dang Myeong handle Wei San-ho or Baek Geom-yeong in a state where he couldn’t use poison and hidden weapons?”

“Hmm.”

“Wei Yan-ho’s abilities have been somewhat overestimated because of that scene. Of course, Wei Yan-ho is certainly a talent comparable to those two, but there are differing opinions on whether he’s clearly ahead by a wide margin.”

The spectators wore puzzled expressions.

‘That doesn’t seem right…’

Even if Baek Geom-yeong and Wei San-ho had dragon-like abilities, they wouldn’t be able to send a person flying to a mountain peak across the way.

“But the display was of a different caliber…”

“Isn’t there no one among us who could send a person flying like that by hitting them?”

“That’s exactly the problem. Even if Plum Blossom Sword Master came, he couldn’t do that. Then are you saying Wei Yan-ho is stronger than Plum Blossom Sword Master?”

“Uh… hmm.”

Suddenly, words failed them.

“The martial arts learned are different, and the effects of the martial arts are different. So now it will be proven whether Wei Yan-ho is truly such an overwhelmingly powerful expert.”

Anticipation began to appear on the spectators’ faces.

“For now, we’ll have to see the draw results.”

To prevent fraud, the tournament bracket was decided through a draw for every two matches. Since the round of sixteen had all ended today, they would draw for the quarterfinal bracket.

People including Cheong Yeong-ja gathered on the martial arts stage.

After chattering and drawing lots, they seemed to have finished the draw and raised a giant banner with the bracket high up.

“Huh?”

“They’re matched up!”

“Wei Yan-ho and Wei San-ho are matched up!”

The spectators let out cheers.

Among the remaining matchups, the one they most anticipated was undoubtedly Wei Yan-ho and Wei San-ho competing against each other. And that dream matchup had been completed in the quarterfinals, so everyone had reason to be excited.

“Regardless of the result, this is a match you absolutely must see!”

“I definitely have to watch!”

As the day was ending with the spectators’ cheers.

***

“You worked hard.”

“Hmm…”

Eon Hyo received Peng Do-hyeong’s congratulations with a bitter expression.

“Isn’t reaching the round of sixteen alone worthy of praise?”

“That’s true.”

It was something he had never imagined.

Wasn’t Eon Hyo someone for whom passing the preliminaries was the main concern? But the round of sixteen. When he returned home, his father would probably slaughter a cow and throw a feast.

And Eon Hyo knew very well why he could achieve such good results.

‘Their attacks looked like slugs.’

After living while getting beaten up by Wei Yan-ho, attacks from peers his age felt so slow they made him yawn. So he couldn’t lose even if he tried to.

Despite being trained for that short time, Eon Hyo was able to gain a new weapon called confidence.

And from the Orthodox Alliance’s standpoint, it was truly a situation to cheer about.

They had gotten three people into the quarterfinals.

Wei Yan-ho and Wei San-ho, and surprisingly, Peng Do-geuk was also in that position.

‘Is this guy okay?’

Eon Hyo examined Peng Do-hyeong’s complexion. There was no way his elder brother, who had been quite uncomfortable, would be pleased that his younger brother had achieved good results. Perhaps because of that, Peng Do-hyeong’s complexion couldn’t be called good either.

“I’m grateful, but I’m still someone who was eliminated anyway. I could have achieved even better results, so it’s just regrettable.”

“I envy such an elder brother. I couldn’t even participate.”

“I guarantee that if you had participated, you would have easily achieved results at least as good as mine.”

“Thank you for just saying that.”

“I’m not just saying it.”

Eon Hyo spoke firmly.

“Wei Yan-ho’s training method is really ignorant, thoughtless, and reckless, but… its effects are certain. No, rather than certain, it should be called tremendous. If it had been me before meeting Wei Yan-ho, I would have struggled just to pass the preliminaries.”

Eon Hyo glanced sideways to look at Wei Yan-ho.

‘Come to think of it, it’s not incomprehensible.’

Wei Yan-ho had said that training method was how his master taught him. And he had also said that what he was doing now was child’s play compared to what his master had taught him.

Unlike Wei Yan-ho, who had to teach over ten people simultaneously, Wei Yan-ho’s master would have grabbed Wei Yan-ho alone and poured loving beatings on him.

Having done such training for several years, it might be natural that Wei Yan-ho was strong.

‘The amazing one is actually Wei Yan-ho.’

While sharing just over a month’s worth of training with others and feeling a crisis that he might die of internal injuries, Wei Yan-ho’s robustness in not becoming disabled while receiving that level of training with his whole body was simply amazing.

Setting that aside.

‘The atmosphere is quite something.’

It had become a battleground for the four great powers: the Orthodox Alliance, the Heavenly Medical Alliance, the Nine Sects, and Baek Geom Fortress.

Since the Orthodox Alliance had gotten three people into the quarterfinals, it wouldn’t be strange if a festival broke out, but with Wei Yan-ho and Wei San-ho matched up in the quarterfinals, the atmosphere had turned sour.

While other places were all swelling with anticipation, the Orthodox Alliance had the atmosphere of a house in mourning. It was upsetting that talents who could each aim for victory would have one eliminated in the quarterfinals, and it was also awkward that a brotherly fight would unfold.

Especially now, the one with the most uncomfortable expression was undoubtedly Wei Jeong-han.

“Grrrr.”

Wei Jeong-han let out a deep sigh.

‘I had hoped this wouldn’t happen.’

If the two had to compete against each other, he had hoped they would meet in the finals, not now. Then even the defeated side could receive praise for fighting well.

Considering both their abilities and reputation, having someone eliminated in the quarterfinals was too harsh a fate.

‘How do these two end up matched in the quarterfinals?’

It was impossible not to suspect manipulation by the organizers, but the reputations of those who participated in the draw were too high to raise objections. Unless he wanted to make enemies of them all, he had to keep his mouth shut.

“Grrr.”

What troubled Wei Jeong-han most of all was that in his view, the probability of Wei San-ho defeating Wei Yan-ho was slim.

While there might be no finger that doesn’t hurt when you bite all ten fingers, there are bound to be fingers that hurt more when you bite them with equal force.

If possible, Wei Jeong-han still hoped Wei San-ho would show his elder brother’s dignity to Wei Yan-ho, so this match was quite distasteful from his position.

Of course, given Wei Yan-ho’s personality, he wasn’t the type to rebel or covet the family head position just because it was proven he was stronger than Wei San-ho.

‘If you told him to take the family head position, he’d rather run away from home.’

Wei Yan-ho’s personality of living without any sense of responsibility his whole life was being helpful at times like this. But it wasn’t the aftermath that mattered, but the phenomenon itself.

Wei Jeong-han looked at the two with a worried expression.

But unlike Wei Jeong-han and others’ worries, the two were no different from usual.

“Eat slowly.”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t pick it up with your hands.”

“Yeah.”

“Rummaging through food that others are eating together like that is against etiquette.”

“Yeah.”

“Don’t leave spilled food alone, clean it up. Wouldn’t others lose their appetite seeing it?”

“Yeah.”

Wei San-ho was impressive for nagging four times in that brief moment, but Wei Yan-ho was equally impressive for maintaining his attitude of ‘you talk, I eat’ while listening to such nagging.

And Wei San-ho continued his nagging steadfastly without showing even a hint of irritation, knowing that his younger brother wasn’t listening to his words even with the back of his ear.

‘I don’t know if those guys get along well or badly.’

Though completely different from other brothers, if you judged by affection, there probably weren’t brothers like them in the world.

Wei San-ho was a brother-fool who would jump into fire and water for his younger brother’s sake, but Wei Yan-ho was also remarkable for never once thinking of rebelling against his elder brother despite having such power.

‘I didn’t do wrong in raising my children.’

Thinking of other families’ heirs who were intelligent and outstanding but didn’t hesitate to be hostile to each other to become successors, the two who cared for each other without hostility seemed praiseworthy.

Wei Jeong-han cleared his throat and approached the two.

“Does the food suit your taste?”

“Yes.”

Today, Wei Jeong-han had specially procured food from the village.

Ho Cheol-san, who received Wei Jeong-han’s purse, had said “What, again today?” in incomprehensible words, but that wasn’t important.

Seeing them eat well made his heart proud, but on the other hand, worry came first. To think these two would have to fight a fierce battle against each other tomorrow.

“When you live as a martial artist, such things happen frequently. There are times when brothers must cross swords with each other. But you two must look at each other as martial artists before looking at each other as brothers. There must be no hesitation.”

“Yes, Father.”

“No wait, Father doesn’t have brothers. You’re an only child.”

“…”

That damn brat.

Would it kill him to listen obediently like his elder brother? Does speaking give him thorns in his mouth?

“Anyway, I hope you both do your best to bring honor to the Guangdong Wei Family and the Orthodox Alliance.”

“Don’t worry, Father.”

“What’s this about the Wei Family and Orthodox Alliance when I’m fighting?”

“You damn brat!”

Jang-il desperately restrained Wei Jeong-han, who almost drew his sword.

“Please calm down.”

“Grrrr.”

Wei Jeong-han looked at the two with a face full of resentment.

‘I don’t know whether I should worry or not worry.’

Unlike him, both their faces were too peaceful. Wei San-ho was expressionless as usual, and Wei Yan-ho was absorbed in eating food.

‘They were born with nerves of steel.’

Now everything was out of his hands. He could only hope that his sons were mature enough not to have their relationship damaged by such matters.

Thus the night deepened, and finally the fateful day dawned.