CLS-Chapter 433

Chapter 433:

“Playing games is fine. Jianghu is that kind of place. Whether you monitor me or interfere with the Tang Family’s affairs, that’s what you people have to do. But there’s one thing you’d better keep in mind.”

Zhuge Wen-in wanted to turn around.

But he couldn’t bring himself to do it.

When he thought about what kind of expression Wei Yan-ho might be looking at him from behind, he couldn’t muster the courage to turn around.

“If it were the usual me, I wouldn’t have cared about such things. I would have said go ahead and monitor if you want to monitor, go ahead and interfere if you want to interfere. But unfortunately, I don’t have that kind of leisure right now. I want to quickly handle this matter and move on to the next one.”

Zhuge Hui was curious about what the next matter Wei Yan-ho was talking about could be. But he didn’t have the courage to ask Wei Yan-ho what it was. When he couldn’t even turn his head, there was no way he’d have the courage to open his mouth.

“So I’m warning you.”

Wei Yan-ho’s voice was neither high nor low. It was just a voice conveying his intentions without any emotional fluctuation. But from Zhuge Wen-in’s perspective receiving it, it sounded completely different.

Just the disappearance of the playfulness that had always been buried in his voice was enough to make Zhuge Wen-in feel a chilling eeriness that made his whole body break out in goosebumps.

While he couldn’t say he knew Wei Yan-ho well, judging what kind of person he was based on their conversations so far wasn’t that difficult. But now Zhuge Wen-in had to erase everything he had judged about Wei Yan-ho.

“Back off when I tell you to back off. This time it ended with words, but next time it won’t end with just words. If you really want it, next time I’ll face you with my sword drawn. I assure you, when I draw my sword, I don’t hesitate. If you investigated me, you should know at least that much. This is the final warning, so keep it in mind.”

Zhuge Wen-in swallowed his saliva.

‘Is this Wei Yan-ho?’

Different.

It was too different from what he had heard.

Zhuge Wen-in had thought there was something beyond martial arts that allowed Wei Yan-ho to build that reputation. He had thought it was because of Wei Yan-ho’s hidden schemes.

A guy who’s definitely not stupid pretending to be stupid and going around, so everyone had no choice but to be fooled.

But now Zhuge Wen-in realized it. What Wei Yan-ho had been hiding wasn’t simply just strategy.

“……I’ll keep it in mind.”

Zhuge Wen-in went outside without even turning around.

When Zhuge Wen-in approached, those who had been watching all turned their bodies and slipped out of the building. With the situation having turned out like this, they couldn’t continue watching Wei Yan-ho from that spot.

The room quickly became empty.

“Tsk, such a trivial thing.”

Wei Yan-ho turned his head to look at the table. Seeing the food that had gone cold, he sighed. It was so warm and nice……

“I’ll bring up a new table right away.”

“No, it’s fine. I can’t waste it either…… I have to eat it.”

“Young Hero, if you ask for a new table, the servants will eat this one. They’ll like it too.”

“Really?”

As if those words were right, the servant girls came inside and took the table away. So-ryeo Gun urgently ran to the table and grabbed a dumpling to put in her mouth.

“Ryeo Gun!”

“Leave her be. If she’s hungry, she should eat.”

Wei Yan-ho waved his hand as if it was nothing. When the servant girls closed the door and went outside, Wei Yan-ho flopped down on the bed.

“Ahh, I used up energy for nothing.”

“You were magnificent.”

“What about?”

“Zhuge Wen-in is not someone easy to deal with. Though he’s young and hasn’t built a great reputation yet, within the Zhuge Family he’s evaluated as a talent who will lead the revival of the Zhuge Family. To handle such a person so easily……”

“That guy’s a talent?”

Wei Yan-ho snorted.

“You must not have seen real talent. You’d have to be at least like my older brother to be called a talent. If not that, then someone like Nok Mok-pung…… no, like Baek Geom-yeong.”

Wu-il looked at Wei Yan-ho as if dumbfounded.

The later-generation experts Wei Yan-ho was mentioning now were those counted as first and second in Jianghu. Though Wei Yan-ho had taken that position now, it didn’t mean their reputations had dimmed.

“Isn’t the comparison standard too high?”

“They’re similar in age, so it would be strange not to compare.”

“That’s true, but……”

“Even comparing just their heads without martial arts, I don’t think those two would lose to that guy. From what I saw today, Baek Geom-yeong seems much better. At least that guy knows his place.”

Wei Yan-ho licked his lips.

‘Well, the foolish appearance I saw today probably isn’t his true nature.’

Though things were resolved easily, the Zhuge Family isn’t the Zhuge Family for nothing.

If they had set their minds to it, Wei Yan-ho would have definitely faced difficulties. But they didn’t particularly try to oppose Wei Yan-ho.

It must be their judgment that if they went into an all-out war unnecessarily, the damage would be great.

‘This is why I hate cunning snakes.’

But what could he do about it.

In the end, the head of the Heavenly Alliance is the Zhuge Family. Without persuading them, cooperation is out of the question. They’re troublesome people, but ones he has to get his hands on somehow.

“Does the Shingi Master know that I’m working this hard?”

A sigh came out naturally.

If it were before, he would never have gone through such trouble, but with his brother captured by the Demonic Cult, he couldn’t waste time. He had to establish a cooperative system centered on the Righteous Alliance as quickly as possible.

Then either attack the Demonic Cult, or prevent the Demonic Cult from attacking.

“In any case, you were magnificent.”

“Well, it’s nothing that magnificent. More importantly, I think I need to go to the Zhuge Family.”

“The Zhuge Family?”

A slight uneasiness appeared on Wu-il’s face. Whatever the business was, having to go to the Zhuge Family again was an uncomfortable matter.

“Well, you don’t need to worry much. If I say I sent you, the Zhuge Family won’t be able to do anything unnecessary.”

“But why are you telling me to go to the Zhuge Family?”

“Go and check.”

“Yes?”

Wei Yan-ho said matter-of-factly.

“Check the informants currently there, and see if there’s anyone among them who wants to come out. If they want to continue working there, it can’t be helped, but if someone wants to quit, we should let them quit.”

“Ah!”

“And……”

Wei Yan-ho grinned.

“In exchange for collecting their overdue wages, tell them to split it half-and-half with me.”

“……”

“Why…… I should get paid for my trouble too.”

Wei Yan-ho spoke while avoiding Wu-il’s gaze.

***

“……What is this situation?”

Zhuge Wu quietly bowed his head.

He had already organized in his mind what he needed to say, but there was an order to everything. Being quick with explanations wasn’t always a good thing.

People are emotional animals, so they think rationally only after emotions subside.

“I asked what happened.”

“Family Head.”

Zhuge Wu spoke as slowly as possible.

“Please calm down first.”

“Did I tell you to calm down?”

The head of the Zhuge Family, Zhuge Yeom, looked at Zhuge Wu with cold eyes. Those eyes were so cold that even Zhuge Wu, who had anticipated Zhuge Yeom’s anger, flinched.

“Nothing is achieved through anger. Isn’t that your teaching, Family Head?”

“Hmm……”

Zhuge Yeom stroked his beard as if trying to calm his mind. After stroking his pure white beard that hung down to his chest for quite a while, Zhuge Yeom let out a sigh.

“I’m sorry for getting angry.”

Zhuge Wu nodded as if feeling sorry.

‘As expected of the Family Head.’

Zhuge Wu looked at Zhuge Yeom with reverence. In this situation, calming excitement so quickly and trying to understand the circumstances wasn’t something anyone could do. It was only possible for those who could control their emotions to the extreme.

Zhuge Wu was convinced that Zhuge Yeom had reached such a level, and now Zhuge Yeom was perfectly meeting such expectations from Zhuge Wu.

“The situation is as follows……”

Zhuge Wu began to explain the circumstances.

“Mm.”

Zhuge Yeom’s eyes sank after hearing the entire story.

“So that’s how it turned out.”

Zhuge Wu stood up from his seat and bowed his head deeply toward Zhuge Yeom.

“I apologize for proceeding without consultation. If I must be punished, I will accept punishment.”

“Sit down.”

Zhuge Yeom said firmly.

“A commander doesn’t beg for forgiveness. If you did something wrong, it’s my fault for putting you in that position and being away, not your fault. Don’t worry about it.”

“Thank you, Family Head.”

“However……”

Zhuge Wu looked at Zhuge Yeom with tense eyes. Zhuge Yeom’s deep thoughts had aspects that were difficult for him to follow. Even in this matter, he would surely think of parts that he himself hadn’t considered.

“I understand everything you said. But you thought too fragmentedly.”

“If you would give me guidance, I will engrave it in my bones.”

“Pursuing practical benefits is good. But you lost the justification.”

“Justification, you mean……”

“It’s a mistake strategists often make. Right now, being hostile toward Wei Yan-ho might indeed be a loss. He’s certainly abnormal. Dealing with such a person is several times harder than dealing with someone who’s simply strong.”

“That’s correct.”

“With the clash with the Demonic Cult not far away, it would be problematic even if we brought down Wei Yan-ho. If the situation doesn’t go well, we would bear the infamy of eliminating with our own hands the greatest force to oppose the Demonic Cult.”

“Yes.”

Zhuge Wu nodded. That part was something he had considered as well.

“Without being prepared to bear infamy, what work could one possibly plan, but unnecessary infamy should be avoided.”

“My thoughts were the same.”

“However.”

Zhuge Yeom’s eyes sank.

“Even if we gain practical benefits by doing so, if rumors spread that the Zhuge Family of the world yielded everything because they were afraid of Wei Yan-ho alone, who would trust us in the future?”

Zhuge Wu had to admit that he had missed that part.

“Don’t forget. We are strategists. And we are advisors. The reason others don’t look down on the Zhuge Family and acknowledge us is because they believe our heads surpass their strength in some aspects. But if rumors spread that we couldn’t handle Wei Yan-ho, who’s actually rumored to be stupid regardless of reality, and backed away, how could we bear all that infamy?”

“……My thinking was short-sighted.”

“Hmm.”

Zhuge Yeom took a deep breath with a very displeased expression.

“It wasn’t something you could handle. If there’s a problem, it lies with me for being away at that crucial moment. The important thing isn’t that we made a mistake. We need to think about how to make up for the mistake. Lend me your strength.”

Zhuge Wu bowed deeply.

Certainly, the Family Head was a strategist and gentleman he could never match. If Zhuge Wu had been in Zhuge Yeom’s position, he would have been jumping around in frustration by now.

“Then……”

At that moment, the sound of knocking on the door was heard.

“Who is it?”

“Family Head, it’s Wen-in.”

“Mm? Come in.”

The door opened and Zhuge Wen-in entered with a stiff expression.

“What brings you all the way here when you should be at the Tang Family? I told you not to take your eyes off him, didn’t I?”

“Actually……”

Zhuge Wen-in began to relate the circumstances with an apologetic expression.