CLS-Chapter 150

Chapter 150

“I!”

Thwack!

“Couldn’t dodge it!”

Thwack!

“What was I supposed to do!”

Thwack!

“Well, I didn’t exactly dodge it!”

Thwack!

“But does that count as dodging?”

Thwack!

Quick Blade Jeong-rip shouted with bloodshot eyes.

“Aaargh! What does that matter! Stop stretching this out just to hit me more and just finish hitting what you need to—”

THWACK!

Jeong-rip, struck squarely on the head, collapsed to the ground with a thud.

“Is he dead?”

“Looks dead.”

“Must be dead, right?”

The onlookers gazed pitifully at Jeong-rip.

They wanted to believe he was still alive, but the sound of that last impact was all too exquisite. It seemed impossible for such a sound to occur without a human skull being completely shattered.

“This fellow, I was trying to be nice about it.”

Wei Yan-ho spat on the ground once more and began striking the fallen Jeong-rip again.

“Drawing a blade on me! Where do you get off!”

Thwack! Thwack!

Unable to bear watching any longer, Gong Mu-jin quietly tried to stop Wei Yan-ho.

“I say…”

“What!”

“Well, he seems to have lost consciousness… Why don’t you stop? It looks a bit excessive to me.”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head as if he couldn’t understand.

“Excessive?”

“…He’s unconscious, isn’t he?”

“Geez, you’re talking nonsense that could cause real trouble. If I’d been just a little weaker, I’d be dead right now. Someone who swung a blade at another person’s neck shouldn’t be acting all wronged over this much.”

Gong Mu-jin nodded with a sour expression.

What a con artist.

As if that gap could be closed by being just “a little” weaker?

Even if you tied up his arms and legs and told him to fight with just his tongue, he’d probably still win. A five-year-old waving chopsticks around claiming they almost died would be less ridiculous than this.

‘Though there is the difference between having killing intent and not having it.’

Frankly speaking, once Jeong-rip had already drawn his blade, he would have nothing to say even if Wei Yan-ho beat him to death.

But still…

‘Why does he look so pitiful?’

Strangely, Gong Mu-jin found Jeong-rip’s situation overlapping with his own.

‘Would I have ended up like that if I had just charged in recklessly at first?’

Only now did Gong Mu-jin truly understand why Mount Hua had emphasized so many times the stuffy formalities required before engaging in combat. If he hadn’t observed those minimal courtesies, he might have been lying cold on some remote mountain by now with his skull caved in. A new wave of terror washed over him.

‘I need to add more formalities.’

Gong Mu-jin resolved to make suggestions immediately upon returning to the main mountain.

“Damn it!”

Wei Yan-ho kicked the fallen Jeong-rip’s rear, sending him flying far away, but his anger still wasn’t satisfied as he snorted.

“No matter how harsh the martial world might be, someone who just draws a blade on another person’s neck should have their arm cut off.”

“…Right.”

“Should I cut it?”

The unconscious Jeong-rip lying over there seemed to flinch for a moment.

Probably not.

“He’s, he’s already been taught a sufficient lesson. Please show mercy, generous as you are.”

“I’m not generous, though?”

“…”

“Tch, I kicked him too far. It’s too bothersome to go all the way over there, so I’ll let it slide.”

Wei Yan-ho stuffed what looked like a club—his rolled-up sword—back into his belt and picked up his book again.

“Wait, let me just finish reading this.”

Was he going to read the secret manual again in this situation?

The Red Cloth was flabbergasted, but didn’t dare make any rash moves.

Whatever kind of person this guy was, however absurd his behavior, the fact remained that he had sent Quick Blade Jeong-rip flying with a single strike.

Quick Blade Jeong-rip was a master even he couldn’t guarantee victory against. How was he supposed to interpret someone who had sent such a master flying with just one blow?

No wonder Gong Mu-jin had been strangely backing down—there was a reason for everything.

‘What should I do?’

Just then, someone came to his rescue.

“Heh heh heh, what an insolent brat—there’s no limit to his arrogance.”

A man slowly walked out from among the onlookers.

“Wh-who is that person?”

“It’s Phantom Hand Lee Ryang!”

“Good heavens! The Phantom Hand is revealing himself!”

The onlookers cried out noisily, but Wei Yan-ho paid no attention and continued reading his secret manual.

“Keh keh keh, little brat.”

“Wait a moment. Let me just finish reading this first.”

“You don’t seem to know who I am…”

THWACK!

With a clean striking sound, the Phantom Hand clutched his head and collapsed to the ground.

Lee Ryang, who had been convulsing while holding his head, began screaming like a beast.

“AAAAAAAHHHHH!”

Gong Mu-jin looked at Wei Yan-ho with bewildered eyes.

“No, this time he hadn’t even attacked yet…”

“He looked like he was going to attack.”

“…”

Gong Mu-jin hated himself for accepting this explanation. You can’t judge people based on their appearance…

Wei Yan-ho looked at Lee Ryang writhing and screaming on the ground, clicked his tongue, then raised his head to scan the onlookers.

“Hm?”

Wei Yan-ho’s head stopped moving.

Corpse Mountain Blood Axe Seok-il, who was standing at the end of that gaze, flinched and looked at Wei Yan-ho.

“…He looks like he’s going to attack?”

“N-no, I’m not!”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Seok-il, his eyebrows twitching.

With his massive build, no shirt, where had he left his upper garments? Wearing only baggy pants, and chains wrapped around his muscular torso…

Add to that his bald head with bulging veins and a giant axe the size of an ordinary person’s torso…

“Excuse me, could you come over here for a moment?”

“No! I’m a good person! I won’t attack!”

“Good person?”

Wei Yan-ho’s brow furrowed.

“You look incredibly menacing.”

“That’s just how I look. I actually get discriminated against a lot because of my appearance.”

“Hmm.”

Wei Yan-ho looked displeased, but since the man was insisting so earnestly, he couldn’t fault someone just for their appearance.

“Anyone who wants to attack, come out now. I’m tired, so I’ll deal with you all at once.”

No one stepped forward.

Instead, they would turn their heads away if they happened to make eye contact with Wei Yan-ho.

‘Am I crazy?’

‘The Phantom Hand is crying like a child!’

‘Look at that expression on Seok-il’s face—that butcher looks like a gentle lamb. I thought he was a dog that had seen a dog meat vendor.’

One common thought arose in all the onlookers’ minds:

If they got caught, they were finished.

Weren’t there already two victims writhing before their eyes?

At least the Phantom Hand had gone down in one hit, but Quick Blade Jeong-rip’s entire body must have been tenderized completely.

Wei Yan-ho gave the onlookers a quick scan, then returned to his spot and opened his secret manual again.

“Here, try this…”

“Hm?”

Lee Seol-hwa quietly approached and offered him some dumplings she had gotten from the inn.

“Ah, thanks. I was just getting hungry.”

“Not at all.”

Watching Lee Seol-hwa smile brightly, Gong Mu-jin couldn’t hold back his flowing tears.

‘Seol-hwa…’

Both the guy who was happily munching dumplings in this situation and his disciple who had thought to bring him food in this situation…

‘People should have some common sense and awareness of situations!’

Seomun Da-yeon and the Two Dragons, One Phoenix—well, the Two Dragons, One Phoenix minus Wei Su-ryeon—seemed to agree with his opinion as they shook their heads at him.

‘So this is what happens when someone powerful causes a ruckus.’

Gong Mu-jin was newly realizing why the sect had repeatedly emphasized that those with power should use that power carefully. Being around Wei Yan-ho was deepening his love for the sect even more.

Gulp.

No one dared to step forward while Wei Yan-ho was reading the secret manual. And no one could leave.

They all knew that with just the people present, they couldn’t seize that secret manual. Corpse Mountain Blood Axe Seok-il, who could be considered among the top masters here, was desperately pressing down what looked like a stolen leather hat on his bald head, trying his best to look harmless, and Cruel Bow, the assassination world’s genius, was also hiding among the trees in silence.

But what courage could they muster to target Wei Yan-ho?

However, the fact that the Sword Emperor’s secret manual was spread out right before their eyes prevented them from leaving.

‘Soon people from the major sects will arrive.’

No matter how powerful Wei Yan-ho was, once the massive factions represented by the Nine Sects or great families arrived, he wouldn’t be able to protect that secret manual as calmly as he was now. And perhaps there might be an opportunity in the confusion.

Though they knew it was almost impossible, the onlookers couldn’t bear to leave their positions. How many battlefields had they crossed to get their hands on that secret manual?

They couldn’t give up now.

Just then, Wei Yan-ho closed the last page and stood up.

“Hmm…”

Wei Yan-ho’s expression was somewhat subtle.

“What’s wrong?”

When Gong Mu-jin looked at him questioningly, Wei Yan-ho seemed to ponder seriously for a moment before speaking.

“No matter how I think about it, I can’t figure out how much would be appropriate.”

“How much? What do you mean by that?”

“I can’t figure out how much money I should charge.”

At Wei Yan-ho’s words, Gong Mu-jin’s body trembled.

“Don’t tell me you’re… thinking of selling that?”

“Yes.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded matter-of-factly.

“Y-you’re going to sell the Sword Emperor’s legacy? The Sword Emperor’s legacy?”

“Yes.”

Wei Yan-ho answered as if it were nothing special.

Gong Mu-jin, completely unable to understand the situation, widened his eyes until they looked ready to pop out and slowly opened his mouth while looking at Wei Yan-ho.

This crazy bastard…

There should be limits to insanity.

He had never heard of someone selling such a secret manual for money. This wasn’t some Six Harmonies Sword Manual that circulated in the market for a silver nyang!

This was the Sword Emperor’s legacy!

But he was going to sell it after just skimming through it once?

“Did you memorize it all by chance?”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Gong Mu-jin as if asking what he was talking about.

“How could I memorize all of that? I’m not some genius.”

Right.

Even a genius couldn’t do that.

“Then why are you selling it?”

“Well, you know…”

Wei Yan-ho answered matter-of-factly.

“It’s better to make some money than not.”

“But that’s…”

Just as Gong Mu-jin was about to say something, Wei Yan-ho turned to the onlookers and spoke.

“One gold nyang.”

The onlookers’ mouths fell open in unison.

One gold nyang?

“Y-you, have you lost your mind?”

Gong Mu-jin rushed at Wei Yan-ho in shock.

“Th-this is a treasure worth a thousand gold! No matter how little you understand about monetary value, one gold nyang is an absurd price!”

“Really? Then let’s make it two nyang.”

“What madman sells such a treasure for two gold nyang!”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Gong Mu-jin as if asking what he was talking about.

“Sell it? Why would I sell this?”

“…Didn’t you just say you were going to sell it?”

Wei Yan-ho grinned.

Then he looked around at the onlookers and spoke.

“Two gold nyang to copy it by hand.”

“…”

Silence.

A silence that seemed ready to swallow the world descended.

“First come, first served.”

And at that moment, the martial artists with bloodshot eyes rushed madly toward Wei Yan-ho.

“Me! Take my money first!”

“AAARGH! Get out of the way! I’ll pay! Take my money!”

“Wh-what if I don’t have money right now! If I sell my wife, will you wait for me?”

“Don’t push! Don’t push, I said! Move aside, you bastard!”

Wei Yan-ho watched the rushing onlookers with a satisfied smile.

This is how you do business.

Hehe.

***

“…”

The Historian couldn’t say a word and stared at Guangqushen in dismay.

“Why? Shocked?”

“Well, that’s…”

It was beyond just being shocked. How should he even express this?

“Well, you don’t need to act so surprised. You knew Wei Yan-ho was that kind of person.”

“I did know that, but…”

When the Historian looked at him with a subtle expression, Guangqushen began laughing smugly.

“What did you say at first? Something about conveying proper history to future generations?”

“That was…”

“Well, it’s still fine for now, still fine.”

Guangqushen waved his hand dismissively.

“This is just the beginning, after all.”