CLS-Chapter 135

Chapter 135

“Young Master Wei!”

Lee Seol-hwa screamed.

Rather than a scream, it would be more accurate to call it a shout mixed with bewilderment.

Wei Yan-ho getting hit?

This was the same Wei Yan-ho who couldn’t be touched by even a thread of his master Plum Blossom Sword Ghost Gong Mu-jin’s clothing, even when Gong Mu-jin desperately unleashed his sword techniques. And yet that same Wei Yan-ho couldn’t dodge the hand of such a young woman and got hit.

This would be impossible even if a martial empress came, let alone a martial phoenix.

But now that impossible thing has happened.

“What the…”

Seomun Da-yeon and Gong Mu-jin were equally flustered.

Everyone who knew who Wei Yan-ho was watched the situation with bulging eyes.

But none of them would be as bewildered as Wei Yan-ho himself.

“Uh, uh…”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head with a dazed expression.

What was happening?

Bewilderment rushed in before anger. His counterattack, which had always responded like a blade in any situation, strangely didn’t activate this time.

How many times in the past had he been beaten even more because he unconsciously counterattacked whenever Baek Mu-han attacked him, ever since this habit first developed?

What should have ended with taking one hit for daring to raise his fist when his master was giving him a lesson would escalate, and he’d end up taking dozens more hits.

Realizing that this would only increase the number of beatings, he had made countless efforts to fix this habit, but it was a habit that simply wouldn’t be corrected.

But now Wei Yan-ho’s hands weren’t moving at all, as if they were tied up somewhere.

‘Is it because she’s a woman?’

That couldn’t be it.

Wei Yan-ho was a philanthropist.

For Wei Yan-ho, who loved everyone equally, there could be no distinction between men and women. Whether male or female, if they touched him, they’d get beaten. Hadn’t he learned deep in his bones from Baek Mu-han the principle that beatings knew no gender or age?

So why weren’t his hands moving?

More importantly!

“Why are you hitting me!”

Wei Yan-ho jumped up from his seat and shouted.

“What, when did this woman ever see me before to hit a person—a person! Does she think I don’t have hands? If I seriously hit back, you’ll die! When did you ever see me hit a person!”

The counterattack not going out was a problem, but a woman he’d never seen before suddenly slapping him was also a problem.

But Jong Mi-ryeo, who received Wei Yan-ho’s criticism, only trembled with an even more hardened expression.

“…When did I ever see you?”

Wei Yan-ho’s body shook with rage.

This was almost killing intent.

Just what grudge did this woman have against him to spew such fury?

He thought carefully, but Wei Yan-ho had never in his life earned this kind of resentment even once.

“No, I—!”

The moment Wei Yan-ho tried to say something, Jong Mi-ryeo charged at Wei Yan-ho without any questions.

Wei Yan-ho gritted his teeth.

He didn’t know what the story was, but Wei Yan-ho wasn’t saintly enough to just laugh it off and accept attacks from a woman who wouldn’t explain and just kept attacking.

No, wasn’t Wei Yan-ho the person furthest from being a saint among everyone here!

“Fine!”

Wei Yan-ho was sick of getting hit and didn’t want to take any more beatings.

Woman or not, he was going to properly show her what was what, and Wei Yan-ho threw a punch at Jong Mi-ryeo who was charging at him.

Whack!

“Kyah!”

But this time too, Wei Yan-ho’s hand didn’t move, and Jong Mi-ryeo’s fist struck Wei Yan-ho’s jaw directly.

Wei Yan-ho spun in the air like a top.

Thud!

Jong Mi-ryeo pounced on Wei Yan-ho who had fallen to the ground, then began wildly striking him with both hands.

“No!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

“Wait… a minute!”

Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!

“Let’s… talk! You bitch!”

But Jong Mi-ryeo struck Wei Yan-ho wildly without any questions. Though her hands had no internal energy, their impact was displaying power no less than internal energy.

Bewilderment bloomed in the eyes of the bystanders watching this scene.

“…She’s beating him spectacularly.”

Sang-gwan Hong almost applauded without realizing it.

Jong Mi-ryeo’s attacks as she mounted Wei Yan-ho and wildly struck him were that powerful.

“Someone’s going to die.”

“But why is she doing that? Are they mortal enemies?”

If they were mortal enemies, she would have stabbed him with a sword, not beaten him in this half-playful, half-spiteful way.

Gong Mu-jin and Lee Seol-hwa were equally bewildered. But their bewilderment was in a slightly different direction from the Three Dragons and One Phoenix.

“Why is he taking the hits?”

If Wei Yan-ho put his mind to it, Jong Mi-ryeo’s skills wouldn’t be able to touch even a hair. But it was too strange that he wasn’t dodging and was just taking those hits.

Of course, Wei Yan-ho thought it was strange too.

‘Why isn’t my counterattack working?’

It was one thing for his body’s natural counterattack not to activate, but every time he tried to strike Jong Mi-ryeo who had been mounted on him, his body wouldn’t move as if it were paralyzed.

His head was trying to show this impudent brat what was what, but his body was refusing to hit the woman before his eyes.

“Why! Did you! Only show up now! Why!”

Jong Mi-ryeo, who had been wildly beating Wei Yan-ho, spat out incomprehensible words.

“At least tell me the situation! Ah, let me know why I deserve this! Ow ow ow!”

Wei Yan-ho shouted.

“Don’t just hit my face! Don’t keep hitting the same spots you already hit!”

Slap!

Jong Mi-ryeo properly smacked the cheek of Wei Yan-ho who was shouting.

Rage rose in Wei Yan-ho’s eyes.

‘I’ve been patient, but now…’

Now truly angry, Wei Yan-ho looked up to deliver a proper blow.

“Huh?”

But in that moment, the strength left Wei Yan-ho’s hands.

Tears were forming and falling drop by drop from the eyes of the woman mounted on top of him.

“…Do you know how long I searched for you?”

‘Why, why are you crying?’

Did I do something wrong?

It seems like I did something wrong here.

For some reason, the situation was saying that he had done something wrong.

The people around seemed to think so too.

“…I don’t know what it is, but he’s trash.”

“He did something wrong.”

“He touched a woman’s heart.”

Tongue-clicking sounds could be heard from here and there.

Wei Yan-ho shook his head in protest.

“No, that’s not it!”

Wei Yan-ho swore he had never done such a thing.

But even Gong Mu-jin wasn’t on his side.

“If a man has caused trouble, he should take responsibility! I didn’t think you were that kind of person! You’re going too far!”

“No, that’s not it!”

Lee Seol-hwa looked at Wei Yan-ho with eyes as if looking at a bug and spat out one word.

“The worst.”

Wei Yan-ho felt like going crazy.

When would Wei Yan-ho, who had been stuck in a cave, have made such connections with women anywhere!

Just as Wei Yan-ho was about to shout for them not to make people misunderstand and to quickly explain, Jong Mi-ryeo suddenly buried herself in Wei Yan-ho’s chest.

Jong Mi-ryeo, who had completely embraced Wei Yan-ho, stirred and then burst into loud tears.

“Brother! Waaaaah! Uwaaaaaaah!”

“…Huh?”

Wei Yan-ho’s eyes filled with bewilderment.

“Uh, um, so…”

Only after a long time had passed, when Jong Mi-ryeo’s tears had stopped and she had calmed down with hiccups, could Wei Yan-ho finally hear her words after wiping her face and even blowing her nose.

“Su, Su-ryeon?”

“Brother…”

Wei Yan-ho, who had broken into a cold sweat trying to console Jong Mi-ryeo who was about to burst into tears again, patted Wei Su-ryeon’s—not Jong Mi-ryeo’s—back as he continued.

“Su-ryeon, so… you’re saying you’re my younger sister?”

“Brother can’t even recognize his sister’s face?”

“…”

Uh, um, well that’s… um…

Actually, speaking honestly, if a person changes this much in five years, even their mother wouldn’t recognize them. A child who only came up to his waist had grown to his chin in five years—how could he recognize that?

“Are you really Su-ryeon?”

Grind.

When Wei Su-ryeon ground her teeth, Wei Yan-ho nodded.

That face, that expression was exactly the same as his mother’s.

Wei Yan-ho, who had discovered traces of blood relation, patted Wei Su-ryeon’s shoulder and said.

“But why were you using such a name?”

“Because of big brother.”

“Huh?”

Wei Su-ryeon’s explanation was like this.

By the time she entered the academy, Wei San-ho’s name was already shaking the academy, so if she entered with the name Wei Su-ryeon, she couldn’t avoid the attention of the people. Since that part felt burdensome to Wei Su-ryeon, she had no choice but to hide her family name and enter under a false name.

“…I see.”

“Big brother said so. He said he would often have to leave the martial academy to search for you, and then attention would focus on me. He said if I wanted to concentrate on martial studies, it would be better not to reveal my relationship with big brother.”

That’s reasonable.

Wei Yan-ho nodded.

“What have you been doing all this time! Do you know how much Mom, Dad, and big brother have been searching for you?”

Wei Yan-ho sighed.

“I met a demon.”

“A demon?”

“Even three nights and four days wouldn’t be enough to explain it. So let’s go inside for now.”

“Okay.”

Wei Su-ryeon was so happy to meet her brother who had been missing for five years that she clung to Wei Yan-ho like a leech and wouldn’t let go.

‘Was Mu-bong such a personality?’

The Three Dragons and One Phoenix, who had been traveling with Wei Su-ryeon until just now, looked at Wei Su-ryeon with bewildered expressions.

Mu-bong was someone they hadn’t had much interaction with due to her martial arts fanatic aspects, expressionless face, and cold nature.

Wasn’t Mu-bong completely lacking in the kind of aegyo that girls her age should naturally have?

But seeing that same Mu-bong turn back into a little girl in front of Wei Yan-ho felt endlessly bewildering.

‘And Wei Su-ryeon?’

Not Jong Mi-ryeo but Wei Su-ryeon?

Then she was the sister of that Demon-Slaying Sword Wei San-ho?

‘No wonder…’

Wasn’t Mu-bong the one who showed a realm that didn’t match her young age? Until now there had been questions about her showing such achievements, but hearing she was Wei San-ho’s sister, it felt naturally understandable.

‘Wait.’

Then that Wei Yan-ho was also Wei San-ho’s brother?

He had never heard that Demon-Slaying Sword Wei San-ho had a younger brother.

“Then…”

Sang-gwan Hong, who was about to say something, awkwardly lowered his outstretched hand as he watched Wei Yan-ho ignore him and enter the inn with Wei Su-ryeon at his side.

“Ahem.”

Gong Mu-jin also coughed awkwardly, as it felt strange to have come out for a duel only to witness a sibling reunion.

“Then let’s go inside too.”

“Yes.”

It felt like they had been subtly defeated somehow.

“Brother! Eat this too!”

“Mm.”

“This too!”

“Mm.”

Both the person who was gobbling up whatever was given to him like a baby bird, and the girl who was feeding a man who was just words…

‘Are all the Guangdong Wei family like this?’

Sang-gwan Hong couldn’t help but suffer from fundamental doubts. He didn’t want to have such prejudices, but there was no help for it when he could see it with his own eyes.

“Oh my, look how much weight our brother has lost.”

“Right?”

“He used to be chubby like a pig before.”

“…I went through a lot of hardships.”

“Yes, yes, I can see that. Eat meat, meat. Brother’s favorite meat.”

“Mm.”

Gong Mu-jin, who had been watching the situation, opened his mouth.

“So… Mu-bong is the youngest of the Guangdong Wei family. So they’ve produced both Demon-Slaying Sword Wei San-ho and Mu-bong?”

And that monster-like guy too.

“Does the Guangdong Wei family grow ginseng kings in their front yard? Or do they have a well that springs Sapphire Stone Milk?”

It was a family he couldn’t understand at all.