CLS-Chapter 448

Chapter 448:

At Wei Jeong-han’s words, everyone’s attention turned to him.

And most of those gazes held dissatisfaction.

They knew the reason why Wei Jeong-han had to participate in this meeting. They too now understood that the current situation was not limited to the Tang Family. As a representative of the Righteous Martial Alliance, he had more than enough authority to participate in the meeting.

They understood this fact with their heads.

Nevertheless, the moment Wei Jeong-han opened his mouth, they couldn’t shake the impression that he was interfering in family affairs. It was too much to completely set aside their pride as the Sichuan Tang Family.

Though they didn’t like it, everyone tried to suppress their dissatisfaction.

Because the family head had not spoken, and because Tang Yong-min had kept his mouth shut.

“You said you had something to ask?”

While there were indeed problems with the current family head’s position, a family head was still a family head. Especially with an outsider like Wei Jeong-han watching, they couldn’t diminish the family head’s dignity themselves.

“Yes.”

Wei Jeong-han also showed maximum courtesy to the Dark King.

“If there’s something to ask, then you should ask.”

With permission granted, Wei Jeong-han immediately opened his mouth. In times like this, it was better not to delay.

“I ask the honored elders. Do you truly have no suspicions whatsoever?”

Tang Yong-min’s face twisted.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Exactly what I said. Do you truly have no suspicions whatsoever?”

“Now look here, Family Head Wei!”

Tang Yong-min shouted roughly, but Wei Jeong-han did not soften his cold expression.

“Are you saying we’re hiding something right now?”

“That’s not the intention behind my words.”

“Then what…”

“The incident has already occurred.”

Wei Jeong-han cut off Tang Yong-min’s words.

“Clearly and distinctly. It has occurred to a degree that can no longer be denied.”

Wei Jeong-han’s words carried weight.

Even Tang Yong-min had no choice but to listen to Wei Jeong-han’s words for now.

“Yet despite the results being evident, there is no cause. I don’t think you’re hiding anything. If you were hiding something at this point, that wouldn’t be evil—it would be foolish. I don’t believe that the position of elder in the Sichuan Tang Family is a seat that fools can attain. If it were, the Sichuan Tang Family could never have reached its current position.”

“Ahem.“

Tang Yong-min showed signs of discomfort.

“This matter has grown larger than expected. For something of this magnitude, there must be a cause. Everything that was passed over as insignificant, and everything that was thought to be nothing at all!”

Wei Jeong-han looked clearly at each person in the hall.

“Please think once more. Even trivial matters are fine. Whatever it might be, if there’s even the slightest suspicion, we must dig into it again. You all know how serious the situation has become.”

“Before that…”

Tang Cheon-gun spoke firmly.

“Shouldn’t you also reveal what you know here?”

“…”

“Though I called you in, I am the head of the Sichuan Tang Family. I cannot accept providing information only from our side unilaterally.”

“In the midst of all this…”

“It’s precisely because of this situation that I say so. If it weren’t such a time, I might think of it as owing a favor. But now we might lose the future where we can collect that debt.”

It was a reason too chilling to be called mere reasoning.

That’s why it was unavoidable to accept it.

“There’s nothing I know.”

“Then let me change my words. Share even what you suspect. Your side should show sincerity first for this side to respond, shouldn’t it? I have no desire to see a situation where all the talking is done here and your side takes credit for revealing everything.”

The current Tang Cheon-gun was definitely the head of the Tang Family. Though he had called Wei Jeong-han in himself, his will to never allow the Tang Family to suffer losses was palpable.

It was impossible to gain benefits while hiding something in front of such a Tang Cheon-gun.

Wei Jeong-han had no choice but to honestly reveal what he knew.

“I cannot match the Family Head.”

Wei Jeong-han sighed low and opened his mouth.

“I believe the Demonic Cult is involved in the phenomenon currently occurring.”

“Put aside such obvious talk.”

Wei Jeong-han nodded.

“The symptoms of Qi Deviation are identical to those of the Explosive Blood Pill.”

The moment the Explosive Blood Pill was mentioned, the atmosphere changed completely.

As soon as the words came out, some nodded their heads, while others were shocked as if they had never expected it.

“The Explosive Blood Pill…”

Tang Cheon-gun’s reaction was neither. Though it was something he already knew, Tang Cheon-gun muttered as if to draw out the other elders’ reactions more dramatically.

“Explosive Blood Pill, Explosive Blood Pill… So now Family Head Wei, are you saying our Tang Family conspired with the Demonic Cult to obtain the Explosive Blood Pill?”

“Such a thing would be impossible.”

“Which side are you saying is impossible? I’d like you to be clear.”

Wei Jeong-han quietly looked at Tang Cheon-gun.

This was a battle of wills.

For a while, they had been wearing the mask of allies, but the moment he felt the reality of the family crisis, Tang Cheon-gun returned to his true nature as the Dark King.

In that case, there could be no consideration. This side also had much at stake.

“Even if the incredible event of the Tang Family joining hands with the Demonic Cult occurred, I don’t think they would commit the foolish act of experimenting with the Explosive Blood Pill on the family’s descendants.”

“Family Head Wei!”

“This is merely a hypothesis.”

Tang Cheon-gun’s eyes became menacing. There were words that could be said even as hypotheses, and words that could not.

“This is the Tang Family.”

“Yes. And it is also the martial world. Don’t forget. This matter is no longer solely the Tang Family’s affair. If we worry about appearances, there will be things we cannot catch.”

“That’s for our side to decide. It’s not for Family Head Wei to dictate to us. Even if the family perishes while bearing its dignity, that’s entirely the Tang Family’s choice to make!”

“No.”

Wei Jeong-han firmly shook his head.

“If this matter’s aftermath ended with the Tang Family, that would be so. But this is not a problem that ends with the Tang Family. As long as the Central Plains’ safety is at stake, I have no intention of considering the Tang Family’s dignity.”

“Look here, Family Head Wei!”

Without answering, Wei Jeong-han turned his head to look at Tang Cheon-gun.

“Everyone knows you came as an envoy of the Righteous Martial Alliance. However, even if Kwon Geuk himself came, he couldn’t speak that way in the Tang Family.”

“Don’t misunderstand, Family Head Dang.”

“…What did you just say?”

At Wei Jeong-han’s fierce words, the Dark King was taken aback.

“Right now, I am not here as an envoy of the Righteous Martial Alliance. I am here as a righteous member of the martial world. Even if I left the Righteous Martial Alliance, my position would not change at all. If I can prevent this terrible situation from spreading throughout the Central Plains, I would readily bear making an enemy of the Tang Family.”

“Is that Family Head Wei’s answer?”

“No. It’s Wei Jeong-han’s answer.”

Tang Cheon-gun could say nothing.

‘The Righteous Hero Sword.‘

He remembered.

And the elders would remember too.

Though he had become much more moderate over the years, he was the Righteous Hero Sword. The madman who could unhesitatingly cut down even allies to uphold righteousness was precisely the Righteous Hero Sword.

Those who remembered how that title came to be could only frown.

The Righteous Hero Sword of the past was someone who had built his reputation with nothing but fighting spirit alone. That’s why his righteousness could be mocked.

But what about the current Righteous Hero Sword?

Who could mock the current Righteous Hero Sword?

‘The situation has changed too much.‘

The words about casting off the Righteous Martial Alliance’s protection didn’t sound like mere bluster. Tang Cheon-gun bit his lip slightly.

‘That Guangdong country bumpkin has grown considerably.‘

Even the name of the Sichuan Tang Family could not pressure Wei Jeong-han. The Guangdong Wei Family of the past was merely a small family known only in Guangdong, but through the generations of Wei Jeong-han and Wei Yan-ho, their position had risen vertically.

Wei Yan-ho was especially problematic.

Wei Yan-ho’s current position in the martial world was already enormous, but his future position was unpredictably vast. How could they handle someone who was aiming for the position of the world’s greatest master at barely twenty years of age?

This wasn’t simply a matter of reputation. Even he had been unilaterally beaten by Wei Yan-ho. There was no calculation that the entire Tang Family could definitely subdue him.

To ignore and threaten Wei Jeong-han in such a situation?

‘It’s impossible.‘

Tang Cheon-gun ultimately had no choice but to keep his mouth shut.

Wei Jeong-han looked around at everyone with cold eyes.

“I don’t want to sharpen blades with the Tang Family right now. Resolving this matter should be an urgent problem for the Tang Family as well. Please cooperate. We must resolve this.”

“Hmm.“

As Tang Cheon-gun let out a groan, Tang Pyeong, who had been watching the situation, stepped forward.

“Look here, Family Head Wei.”

“Yes, Elder.”

“I understand what you’re saying. But think about it. Right now, our children are the ones suffering. Unless we’ve gone mad, would we hide the cause when we know our children are being harmed?”

“It’s not about hiding it. It’s about missing it.”

“However…”

“Elder, the situation is serious.”

“Of course I know. The situation is…”

“No. It’s more serious than you think. Don’t you really understand?”

“Hm?”

Wei Jeong-han spoke with a stern face.

“Those who had their first seizures were subdued by the Tang Family without much difficulty. But those who had their second seizures were different. Without my son, you wouldn’t have been able to subdue them so easily. Do you know what this means?”

Tang Cheon-gun answered with a stern face.

“Are you saying the symptoms get worse the later the seizures occur?”

“No.”

Wei Jeong-han shook his head.

“Then?”

“Those with stronger martial arts had their seizures later. What this means is…”

Wei Jeong-han looked around. The faces of those who understood the meaning of Wei Jeong-han’s words turned pale.

“It might not be over yet. And those who have seizures next will be stronger than those who had them this time. Even the Tang Family’s elite and the elders cannot be considered free from possibility. If, by any chance, even one in a thousand or one in ten thousand, those present here experience the same symptoms?”

Gulp.

The sound of someone swallowing was heard from somewhere.

The Tang Family had been devastated just by the children’s seizures. But if those incomparably stronger had seizures, how could they stop it?

Unimaginable scenarios began to arise in the elders’ minds.

“If we fail to uncover the cause and time continues to pass like this, the worst imaginable events might occur. Perhaps the Tang Family might have to end its long history.”

A chilling silence flowed.

Those who had accurately grasped the situation thanks to Wei Jeong-han opened their mouths.

“Then what should we do?”

“Please tell us. Even one trivial thing! Even the slightest suspicion! Let’s solve this together.”

It was the moment Wei Jeong-han seized the initiative in the Sichuan Tang Family.