CLS-Chapter 195

Chapter 195
Though it wasn’t something he could openly discuss with others, Jo-hyeon believed that strategists were very similar to con artists in their profession.

Both strategists and con artists did fundamentally the same thing—they deceived others to gain advantage from their targets.

From the other side’s perspective, an excellent strategist was no different from a tremendous con artist.

If there was a difference, it would be that con artists deceive others for their own benefit, while strategists manipulate others for a greater cause.

Setting that aside, the virtues a strategist should possess were similar to those a con artist needed. They had to know how to make their words appealing above all others, and accurately grasp what their target wanted.

They especially needed to be skilled in sweet talk.

They had to know how to dress up situations to seem beneficial to anyone who heard them, while cleverly gaining advantage in the process.

Jo-hyeon considered himself an excellent con artist. The fact that this assessment wasn’t wrong at all was proven by how much the world’s people recognized Jo-hyeon as an outstanding strategist.

But…

Jo-hyeon was now looking ahead with a somewhat forlorn and bewildered expression.

Who would be the hardest type of person for a con artist to deceive?

Smart people?

No.

Smart people knew they were intelligent, so they never even considered that someone might try to deceive them. This weakness made them easier to fool than stupid people if you targeted that blind spot.

Then meticulous people?

Meticulous people were suspicious by nature, so they wouldn’t easily change their minds unless they saw no flaws in their opponent. Though they were difficult to deceive initially, once you started fooling them, meticulous types were the easiest to string along.

Then who was truly difficult to deceive?

Until just moments ago, Jo-hyeon had thought that people who never let down their guard against others were the hardest to con. Deceiving someone who tried to find fault first, no matter what you said—even if you told the truth—was as difficult as selling umbrellas on a sunny day.

But at this moment, Jo-hyeon’s thinking was changing.

The hardest person in the world to deceive was this damned lazy bum right before his eyes.

“I’m not going, not going.”

Wei Yan-ho was lying on his bed, waving his hand dismissively.

At least stick your head out.

Watching a single arm slip out of the tightly rolled blanket, wave lightly, and disappear back inside, it felt like looking at some kind of bug rather than a person.

Not that Wei Yan-ho was bug-like, but the way he looked reminded one of a grub with tentacles.

“…Won’t you at least listen first?”

“Nothing will change even if I listen, so hearing it out would be a waste for both of us. Sir Strategist is surely a busy person, and watching you waste time makes me feel somehow guilty. I’m not that inconsiderate, you know.”

I see.

It seems the concept of consideration you know and the concept I know are a bit different.

From what I know, when an elder comes to persuade you, lying on your bed wrapped up in blankets while listening is definitely not considerate behavior.

Jo-hyeon drank tea to suppress the anger that kept bubbling up. He felt like praising his own preparedness for bringing a teapot in advance, knowing this would happen.

“…I understand what you mean, but this is important business for me too. Meaning it’s not a waste of time.”

“Is that so?”

Wei Yan-ho slyly poked his head out of the blanket.

Then he put on a slight smile.

“Hmmm.”

What distinguishes a smile from a smirk?

Jo-hyeon was seriously contemplating something he had never once thought about before. Even if the other person showed a smile, if the recipient couldn’t accept it as a pleasant smile, wouldn’t that make it a smirk?

Right now Wei Yan-ho was just smiling brightly without any intention of mockery, but Jo-hyeon couldn’t receive it pleasantly at all.

How could you call it a smile when you could vividly feel the intention of “Since you say it’s so important, why don’t you go ahead and tell me. Though the result won’t change”?

The ability to excite the person across from you just by smiling could be called Wei Yan-ho’s unique talent. It was a definite ability that Jo-hyeon guaranteed and verified.

“I think it’s a waste, but if Sir Strategist thinks that way, then so be it. Well then, please tell me.”

“…”

Jo-hyeon turned his head to look out the window.

What glory and wealth am I trying to enjoy…

Was he supposed to coax and cajole this young greenhorn?

His wife was still nagging him for not properly caring for their son due to being busy with public and private affairs, and now he had to appease a child younger than his grandson—this was tragedy.

“So… this wouldn’t be a bad story for you either.”

“Oh!”

Jo-hyeon clenched his fist tight.

Though it was very sad and heartbreaking that the situation had come to this, the fact remained unchanged that he had to somehow coax Wei Yan-ho into attending the martial arts tournament hosted by the Heavenly Righteousness Alliance. Somehow.

“Think carefully. What do you think is most important in the martial world?”

“Power.”

Look at this utterly wicked person.

How could someone who grew up receiving teachings from a prestigious family give such an answer without even a moment’s hesitation?

If he were an ordinary late-stage disciple, the word “righteousness” should have come out immediately!

Well, fine. It was still within the expected range of answers.

“Power. Of course power is important. But there are things in this world more important than power. What do you think that is?”

“Money?”

“…”

Jo-hyeon was speechless.

“Uh, um, well…”

At this moment, Jo-hyeon’s sadness was that he couldn’t shout “You scoundrel! How can a martial artist give money as the most important answer!”

Having managed finances for decades as a strategist of the Orthodox Martial Alliance, Jo-hyeon couldn’t deny that what Wei Yan-ho had just said was an answer that approached half the truth.

“Ri-right! Money is important! Money is very important! But humans can’t live on money alone, can they?”

“Can’t they?”

“No, they can.”

Even in this situation, Jo-hyeon couldn’t bring himself to lie.

“Of course you can live with money. You can do most things with money. In fact, it would be correct to say there’s almost nothing in the world you can’t do with money.”

“…Did you come here to tell me to stop playing around and earn some money?”

“No!”

Where did things get tangled up?

“Whew! Whew!”

Jo-hyeon took deep breaths.

Talking with this guy made him feel like he was losing himself. It seemed like this happened last time too, but he couldn’t be fooled again this time.

If he continued being led around by this young brat, he’d lose even his epithet of Divine Strategist. Would a Divine Strategist who couldn’t handle one child make any sense?

“Still, humans can’t live on money alone. Money is important, but people need to understand honor.”

“Honor?”

“That’s right. Honor!”

Divine Strategist Jo-hyeon clenched his fist and answered.

“And honor is important, but fame is also important.”

“…That’s a bit strange.”

“What do you mean?”

“I thought someone like Sir Strategist would say something stuffy like how important it is for people to live righteously, rather than honor or fame. Since you’re a Confucian scholar and all.”

Jo-hyeon let out a hollow laugh.

“Confucian scholar… I’ve never thought of myself as a Confucian scholar. I’m someone who pursues practical benefits. While Confucianism can’t be said to be completely removed from practical benefits, I have no interest in following the words of ancient sages.”

“Hmm, you are quite different from the Confucian scholars I know.”

“So to continue what I was saying, do you know how important fame is in living life?”

“I wonder.”

Though he wanted to ask “You started with honor, but where did honor go?”, good Wei Yan-ho didn’t bother to trouble the elder.

It wasn’t just because it was bothersome to open his mouth once more and drag out the conversation.

“For example, think about getting into a dispute somewhere.”

“I’m naturally gentle, so I don’t get into disputes.”

“For example! Didn’t I say ‘for example’!”

“…I was just stating facts, why are you getting so angry? You’re scary.”

“Grrrr.”

What do you mean you don’t get into disputes! Right now I’m about to get into a dispute with you, you damned brat!

Jo-hyeon desperately suppressed his desire to run outside and scream, opening his mouth.

“If you got into a dispute with someone else, you’d have to either suppress them with force, persuade them with words, or settle it with money. Any of those would be troublesome.”

“That’s true.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded as if he didn’t even want to imagine it.

“But what if Alliance Leader got into a dispute with someone?”

“Huh?”

“No troublesome process would be needed. The moment he just says ‘I am Sima Cheonse,’ everything would be resolved smoothly. The side that started the dispute would instead cry ‘Please spare me!’ and offer compensation. Where do you think this difference comes from?”

“…Appearance?”

Jo-hyeon stared at the stupid-faced Wei Yan-ho with a blank, speechless expression.

“That’s actually true though. Looking at that face and that build, you’d have to be crazy to pick a fight. A passing tiger would look like a cat in comparison, so anyone with their wits about them wouldn’t start trouble.”

Suddenly, a wave of tremendous persuasive force was washing over him.

The words were right. No, they really were right. Anyone with their wits about them wouldn’t pick a fight with Sima Cheonse walking down the street.

“I, I gave the wrong example. Let’s use your father. Say your father got into a dispute somewhere. But if your father said ‘I am Wi Jeong-han the Righteous Hero Sword,’ what would happen?”

“…What would happen?”

“Anyone who knew the name Wi Jeong-han the Righteous Hero Sword would try to end that situation without conflict, setting aside right and wrong, wouldn’t they? There’d be nothing good about making an enemy of the Righteous Hero Sword.”

“Wow, is our father’s fame that high?”

“That’s not the important part right now, you blockhead!”

“No, why are you getting angry…”

When Wei Yan-ho frowned as if he couldn’t understand at all, Jo-hyeon realized his mistake. Now wasn’t the time to scold this troublesome fellow, but to appease him.

“Your father’s fame is higher than you think. Didn’t you know?”

Wei Yan-ho frowned.

“But you know.”

“Hmm?”

“You said having high fame is good, but our father who supposedly has this high fame constantly gets scolded by mom, gets beaten, gets kicked out of his room for not earning his keep—what exactly is good about this?”

Jo-hyeon quietly covered his face.

Wi Jeong-han, my friend. Just how have you been living?

Jo-hyeon wiped away tears that flowed unknowingly from his sympathy for his absent junior.

***