CLS-Chapter 185

Chapter 185

Sima Cheon-se led his party toward his training ground.

Though he was the leader of the Righteous Alliance, he too was a martial artist who had reached the pinnacle. Time to train himself was absolutely necessary to keep his martial skills from dulling. That’s why there was a separate training ground just for the Alliance Leader.

“Mm, a magnificent training ground.”

Gong Wu-jin exclaimed in admiration upon arriving at the training ground.

A wide open space with a floor solidly paved with blue steel stone entered his view. Ordinary people wouldn’t even know such a training ground existed behind the Righteous Alliance.

“Outsiders cannot enter this place. So you need not worry.”

Sima Cheon-se said, thumping his chest.

But Wei Yan-ho’s reaction was nothing but sullen.

“If someone sets their mind to it, they could see everything!”

“Heh heh heh, it might appear that way. But there are few with enough gall to disobey my orders and enter this place.”

“What if there is someone with such gall?”

“They’d get quite a show.”

“Ugh.”

Though he tried his best to find fault and cancel the sparring match, Sima Cheon-se wouldn’t let go of the prey called Wei Yan-ho that he’d gotten hold of after so long.

‘I’m curious, you see.’

From what he’d heard, Wei Yan-ho’s martial power should already be considered to have reached a certain realm. But no matter how he thought about it, that level of martial arts didn’t match his age.

While masters generally complete their martial arts after coming of age, that’s only the case for legendary figures passed down in stories. Moreover, who could say how much exaggeration might be mixed in?

If even half of what Wei Yan-ho had accomplished were true, it would mean a young master unlike any in martial world history had appeared.

If that were the case, the influence Wei Yan-ho would have on the martial world going forward would be tremendous. The martial world reveres the strong, after all. The position of Greatest Under Heaven has no real power and is an illusion, but it’s also a position with influence that no one in the world can ignore.

A single word asserted by someone with no status whatsoever can easily crush the statements of those in the highest positions.

That was the meaning of strength in the martial world.

“…Of all things.”

“Pardon?”

“Ah, nothing.”

Sima Cheon-se smacked his lips.

Wei San-ho beside Wei Yan-ho kept catching his eye. As a martial artist, he was someone who could serve as a model for others, and when wielding influence, he was talent who could bring great harmony to the martial world. But why did the younger brother rather than the older one reach such a realm?

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

When Wei Yan-ho tilted his head, Sima Cheon-se smiled awkwardly.

“It’s nothing.”

“Something felt strange about it?”

“I said it’s nothing.”

“Hmmmm.”

Wei Yan-ho stuck out his lower lip in annoyance.

“Wh-what’s wrong with my eyes?”

“It was just like the look my father gives me.”

“Then isn’t that good?”

“…Do you think it would be good?”

It wouldn’t be.

Sima Cheon-se slightly turned his head to look at Wei Jeong-han.

Wei Jeong-han was looking at him with a face that said he understood everything, nodding his head.

“Ahem, didn’t we come here to spar?”

“Yes. Well, since we’ve come this far, it can’t be helped.”

“Right. Then let’s prepare.”

Sima Cheon-se put distance between himself and Wei Yan-ho.

“Everyone step back.”

Gong Wu-jin moved people back with a somewhat tense expression.

“Step back further.”

Wei Jeong-han looked at Gong Wu-jin with a puzzled expression.

“Even further from here?”

“Yes. You must step back.”

“Hmm…”

A slight shadow crossed Wei Jeong-han’s face.

Others might not know, but Gong Wu-jin, who could fully gauge Wei Jeong-han and Wei San-ho’s abilities, making them retreat this far meant that the shock generated when those two clashed would be greater than Wei Jeong-han’s expectations.

‘To that extent?’

Sima Cheon-se was a martial artist Wei Jeong-han could hardly dare oppose. But he couldn’t possibly imagine that his son Wei Yan-ho would display enough power in fighting Sima Cheon-se to require retreating this far.

How many people would know better than him what level Wei Yan-ho’s abilities were five years ago?

Even if he had undergone complete transformation several times over five years and devoured dragon or lesser dragon inner cores like rice, it would be impossible to possess abilities equal to Sima Cheon-se.

Yet Gong Wu-jin, who had witnessed Wei Yan-ho’s abilities, was now saying that was possible.

‘Just how strong has he become?’

A strange mixture of tension and anticipation welled up in Wei Jeong-han’s chest.

Wei San-ho seemed to feel similarly, looking at Wei Yan-ho with half-excited eyes.

After moving quite far from the training ground, Gong Wu-jin spoke.

“Great Hero Wi and San-ho, please protect the others. Jang-il, you as well.”

“Understood.”

“Yes.”

Han Sang-ah spoke to Wei Jeong-han with anxious eyes.

“Aren’t we just worrying the child needlessly? I don’t understand the Alliance Leader’s actions. No matter how much the child’s abilities have improved, how could he be a match for the Alliance Leader?”

“He’s not someone who doesn’t know proper limits, so he’ll moderate appropriately. Surely he wouldn’t use full power against a junior.”

“Still…”

“Don’t worry. That person is the Fist Saint Sima Cheon-se.”

Having sorted out the situation, Gong Wu-jin looked at the two facing each other with a subtle expression.

‘Moderation…’

If he was thinking such things carelessly, it could really be a disaster.

“Did you perhaps learn the martial arts from the Sword Emperor’s Treasury?”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head.

“No.”

“It seems time was insufficient.”

“Mm, that’s not it…”

Wei Yan-ho scratched his cheek.

“The martial arts I have now are already hard to digest, so there was no need to learn that as well. It’s also somewhat bothersome.”

“Even though it’s the Sword Emperor’s martial arts?”

“Did you see it?”

“I did.”

“Did you learn it?”

“…I am a fist practitioner.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded. But suspicion arose on one side of his face.

‘Does he think I must learn that?’

Of course, it wasn’t that the level was low or that there were major problems, but in his view, it was martial arts full of holes. But why would he need to learn that?

‘I should look at other secret manuals later.’

He needed to determine whether there were problems with that manual, or if all martial world martial arts were like that.

But later, much later.

Sima Cheon-se rolled up both sleeves and grinned.

“No matter. I hear your level is by no means low. Today I can finally loosen up my body after a long time. I’ve been quite bored lately with nothing requiring my strength.”

“Earlier you said there were countless people pestering you to teach them a move or two.”

“Nonsense.”

Sima Cheon-se clicked his tongue.

“Do you know how difficult it is to fight carefully against kids who look like they’d die from one punch? Those who could properly receive my fists never want a proper match because of face and status. In the end, I have to live doing only instructional sparring against youngsters I can’t help but beat no matter what – how could I not be frustrated?”

“…That sounds like something that would make all the kids you’ve instructed pound the ground if they heard it…”

“They didn’t hear it, so it’s fine.”

Sima Cheon-se grinned and raised his fists.

“But you seem like you could sufficiently receive my fists. I hope even half of half your rumors are true.”

“Mm…”

“And don’t worry. I’ll go easy so you won’t get injured. The purpose of this sparring is to confirm your martial arts level.”

“Mm…”

Wei Yan-ho reached behind his waist and grasped the sword hanging there, removing its cloth covering.

Swish.

Then without a word, he drew the sword and planted the scabbard in the ground.

“Oh?”

Sima Cheon-se thought Wei Yan-ho’s posture holding the sword in one hand while looking at his opponent had quite good bearing, and nodded repeatedly as if extremely pleased.

“Right, are you ready?”

“I’m not sure if I should say this…”

“Hm?”

“There’s something my master said, and I think the current Alliance Leader should hear these words.”

“What’s that?”

At Sima Cheon-se’s question, Wei Yan-ho opened his mouth in a low voice.

“No matter how tiger-like a martial artist may be, the moment they look down on their opponent, they’re already as good as dead. A martial artist must accurately assess their opponent’s capabilities in any situation.”

Sima Cheon-se’s face half-hardened.

“And there’s one more thing.”

“…What?”

“No matter what martial artist exists under heaven, they cannot dare show leisure before my sword. My sword stands alone under heaven, and it is fitting that it receives reverence from all.”

Sima Cheon-se burst into hollow laughter.

“Just who is your mas…”

At that moment.

KWAAAAANG!

The instant Wei Yan-ho’s rear foot kicked off the ground, the floor made of solid blue steel stone crumbled like mud and shot skyward.

And with that recoil, Wei Yan-ho charged at Sima Cheon-se with momentum that could split even Mount Tai.

“Wh-what!”

Seeing Wei Yan-ho closing the distance at terrifying speed, Sima Cheon-se reflexively thrust out his fist.

Gooooooo!

With a wind-splitting sound, a single punch loaded with tremendous internal power flew out to push back the incoming Wei Yan-ho.

But Wei Yan-ho is Wei Yan-ho.

“Haaaap!“

A massive light burst from the sword in Wei Yan-ho’s right hand, instantly splitting Sima Cheon-se’s fist force that came to meet him.

Chwaaaaak!

With a sound like silk being torn, Sima Cheon-se’s ocean-like magnificent fist force split precisely in half.

Sima Cheon-se’s eyes bulged as if they would tear.

And then…

Thud!

Wei Yan-ho’s sword, having swum upstream through the sea of fists like a carp, touched precisely against Sima Cheon-se’s right shoulder. Sima Cheon-se could say nothing and stared blankly at Wei Yan-ho’s sword touching his shoulder.

Anger surged in Sima Cheon-se’s face. His reddened face heated up as if it would burst at any moment. Momentarily, all kinds of emotions welled up in his face.

But soon, dejection began to fill his face.

The last emotion that appeared on Sima Cheon-se’s face as he stared blankly at Wei Yan-ho was resignation.

“…I have lost.”

The arena grew coldly quiet.

***

“…”

Sa-ga couldn’t continue speaking.

“He, he won?”

“Well, there were various reasons for it.”

Guangqushen continued speaking matter-of-factly.

“When two people with equal… no, even if there was an actual difference, it wasn’t that great, when they face each other, if one side greatly looks down on the other, it’s not strange for the match to be decided in one exchange.”

“…That’s right.”

“No matter how careful a person might be, they couldn’t think that a youngster who hasn’t lived even a quarter of their life would have abilities equal to their own. Actually, can you really say the Alliance Leader was careless about this?”

“No.”

Sa-ga shook his head.

Anyone would have been careless.

“That was the problem. In such a situation, whoever had been there would have gotten the same result. The Alliance Leader was remarkable though. Even though he was defeated in one strike by that green young Wei Yan-ho, he readily acknowledged that fact. Seeing that scene, I rather thought, ‘Ah, this person truly is a giant.'”

“That’s certainly true.”

Sa-ga urged Guangqushen, who was looking up at the ceiling with a wistful feeling.

“Did, did it end like that?”

“Hardly.”

Guangqushen chuckled.

“The Alliance Leader isn’t an ordinary person either. It couldn’t end there.”