CLS-Chapter 197

Chapter 197

“…So this was the unavoidable matter you mentioned?”

At Wei San-ho’s question, Jang-il quietly nodded.

“I thought that with the status Wei Yan-ho currently holds, he would have no choice but to take the representative position of the Righteous Alliance. It’s the truth—who else besides Wei Yan-ho would dare claim to represent the Righteous Alliance? Even you would get beaten up.”

“…Who’s getting beaten up?”

Jang-il clicked his tongue as he saw the vein bulging on Wei San-ho’s forehead.

“Accept what needs to be accepted. Of course, it’s true that you received an evaluation as an unprecedented Rising Star in the history of the Righteous Alliance, but that was only until Yan-ho appeared. If you’re an unprecedented Rising Star in history, then Yan-ho is an unprecedented prodigy… no, monster in history. Frankly speaking, could you exchange even a single move with the Alliance Leader right now?”

Wei San-ho didn’t answer and coughed awkwardly.

‘Tsk tsk, what remarkable brothers.’

No matter how great brotherly love is, when someone hears that their younger brother surpasses them, they usually show some displeasure. Even if they don’t show it outwardly, they can’t feel entirely good about it inside.

But Wei San-ho coughed awkwardly not to hide displeasure, but to conceal the smile that kept breaking out in front of the adults.

Seeing the smile behind the fist covering his mouth, Jang-il shook his head.

‘Even though he’s his brother, could he really be that happy?’

From what he’d heard, except for childhood, they hadn’t spent much time together, so it was mysterious how they could maintain such affection.

As an orphan who entered the Beggar’s Sect without brothers, this might be something Jang-il could never understand in his lifetime. Of course, if he had brothers, it might be even more incomprehensible.

“A martial arts tournament under heaven, you said?”

“The exact name is…”

“Enough. What does that matter?”

Sa Ma-cheon-se grumbled and cut off Jo-hyeon’s words. Having tried every way to escape but ultimately being caught and dragged here by Jo-hyeon, he was negative about everything.

“The Heavenly Justice League has proposed holding a martial tournament. But those petty fellows want to limit participation to Rising Stars only.”

Gong Mu-jin scratched his cheek.

‘Somehow it feels like we’re seeing each other more often with this group…’

In a way, this was a meeting to discuss the major and minor affairs of the Righteous Alliance. If it was a meeting worthy of the Alliance Leader and strategist’s participation, normally the various faction leaders and branch heads would gather to discuss…

It felt like they’d dragged together everyone who had even the slightest connection to Wei Yan-ho. Wei Yan-ho’s family members, plus Jang-il, and even Mo San-ah who absolutely shouldn’t be in such a meeting.

The fact that the daughter of the Hao Clan leader was sitting in a Righteous Alliance strategy meeting showed just how absurd and strange this situation was.

‘Is this okay? Is it really okay like this?’

Since Jo-hyeon wasn’t saying anything, it was awkward for him to speak up. Soon Jo-hyeon began presiding over what should properly be called a “Wei Yan-ho Strategy Meeting.”

“Rising Stars…”

Wei Jeong-han rubbed his face and spoke.

“What exactly are the criteria for Rising Stars?”

“Third-generation disciples of each sect. Even if they’re not third-generation disciples, if they’re under thirty, they’ll be recognized as Rising Stars—that message came along with it.”

“Hmm…”

As Wei Jeong-han fell into thought, Gong Mu-jin tilted his head and asked.

“By the way, senior, who beat you up? Your face looks swollen…”

“Ahem!”

“Ehehe-hem!”

As Jo-hyeon and Wei Jeong-han coughed simultaneously, Gong Mu-jin clicked his tongue.

‘He got hit again.’

Really, if you have complaints about your child, you should hit the child directly. Why hit the innocent father?

Both Jo-hyeon who hits and Wei Jeong-han who takes the beating were equally incomprehensible.

‘To think such a man is called the Righteous Hero Sword…’

This might sound strange, but among underworld people, the name Righteous Hero Sword is equivalent to Death God or Demon. He might be a hero to those who live righteously, but to those with guilty consciences, the Righteous Hero Sword Wei Jeong-han is like a goblin who shows up one day without warning to beat, threaten, and smash people.

And such Wei Jeong-han is getting beaten by the Alliance strategist because of his child.

Jo-hyeon who hits is problematic, but Wei Jeong-han who takes the beating is also problematic. If Wei Jeong-han set his mind to it, there’s no way he’d be beaten by Jo-hyeon, yet he’s taking these beatings.

‘I did well not to marry.’

They say raising children is the world’s most difficult task—who would have known that someone like the Righteous Hero Sword would produce a troublemaker like Wei Yan-ho?

Considering the father’s temperament…

Gong Mu-jin looked at Wei San-ho and smiled broadly.

‘Right, that kind should come out.’

But heaven is utterly indifferent, and even under Wei Jeong-han, someone like Wei Yan-ho was bound to emerge.

‘There’s no need to marry. I have Seol-hwa.’

Although she’s not my birth child, a lovely disciple like Yi Seol-hwa is a hundred times better than a child like Wei Yan-ho.

The problem is that Yi Seol-hwa…

“Serves him right. Damn it.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“…Nothing at all.”

Gong Mu-jin ground his teeth.

You should manage your own child properly instead of letting one child you can’t control seduce other people’s lovely disciples. Does someone who can’t properly manage one child deserve to be called the Righteous Hero Sword?

“Why do you keep looking at people with those eyes?”

“I said it’s nothing.”

“Your tone is a bit sharp?”

“I said it’s not.”

Gong Mu-jin turned his head away.

“Anyway, so we need to send Rising Stars this time… It’s somewhat embarrassing to say, but our children don’t particularly have an advantage over their Rising Stars. We might just participate and suffer humiliation.”

Wei Jeong-han asked as if he didn’t understand.

“Then couldn’t we just not participate?”

“…Listen here, Jeong-han.”

“Yes?”

“You should either think before speaking, or consider not speaking at all.”

“…”

“If possible, don’t speak. It irritates the listeners.”

As Wei Jeong-han hung his head, Han Sang-ah placed her hand on his shoulder to comfort him.

“What did I tell you? I said you don’t get treated well even outside, didn’t I?”

“…Kicking a dead person again?”

Jo-hyeon shook his head and continued.

“If we don’t participate, we might avoid immediate humiliation, but we can’t prevent the Heavenly Justice League from spreading word that the Righteous Alliance avoided the competition.”

Sa Ma-cheon-se frowned.

“Couldn’t we just ignore such things?”

“That’s not easy. The recent lack of major incidents has a big impact. And the fact that this martial tournament itself precisely hits people’s interests is also significant. If we avoid the competition like this, people under heaven will believe that the martial world’s axis will shift to the Heavenly Justice League in the next generation.”

“Hmm, since it’s your words, I can’t help but believe them…”

Sa Ma-cheon-se looked like he didn’t understand why the story would go that way.

“So the conclusion is… ultimately we must dispatch Rising Stars, and we absolutely must win to ensure the Righteous Alliance’s name isn’t tarnished. If we can gain something greater while winning, that would be good too.”

Jo-hyeon stopped speaking there.

‘There’s a clearer reason, but…’

It wasn’t something he could say in front of the fiery-tempered Sa Ma-cheon-se. Before coming here, the Nine Sects had contacted them saying they would send disciples separately from the Righteous Alliance.

If Sa Ma-cheon-se, who already views the Nine Sects’ loose participation in the Righteous Alliance as quite detestable, heard that, he would explode immediately.

If the Nine Sects achieved better results than the Righteous Alliance, the Alliance’s role as a coalition would become largely meaningless. What meaning would a union inferior to individuals have?

“So the conclusion is… that…”

Wei Jeong-han spoke in a mouse-like voice.

“It seems you’re saying we need to send… Yan-ho…”

Jang-il smiled bitterly.

‘We’ve come full circle.’

Ultimately, this meeting started because of this one statement.

Wei Jeong-han glanced at Sa Ma-cheon-se and Jo-hyeon’s expressions before speaking.

“I’m terribly sorry for causing worry because of my child.”

“Hmph.”

“Tsk.”

Jo-hyeon glared at Wei Jeong-han as if he would devour him.

Wei Jeong-han felt wronged but couldn’t say anything.

Wasn’t this all because he had as his child that unprecedented fellow whose very existence could drag the Alliance Leader and strategist into a conference room?

“Well, isn’t there some method?”

Wei Jeong-han scratched the back of his head.

“Though he’s my child, he’s been out of my hands for a long time…”

“You should speak correctly. When have you ever had him in your hands?”

At Han Sang-ah’s thorny voice, Wei Jeong-han flinched.

“He’s been a child out of my hands from the beginning…”

Seeing Wei Jeong-han immediately correct himself, Jo-hyeon shook his head.

“Haha, don’t shrink back so much. Of course, that fellow Wei Yan-ho has somewhat willful aspects, but honestly, having such a child isn’t easy either. It’s a great blessing, a great blessing.”

“Alliance Leader.”

Tears glistened in Wei Jeong-han’s eyes.

For Wei Jeong-han, who since entering the Righteous Alliance had been cursed at, mistreated, and even beaten for how he raised his child, Sa Ma-cheon-se’s words were an incomparable comfort.

“It is a blessing, but…”

“Yes?”

“Since you have such a blessing, shouldn’t you be the one to solve this matter? Great blessings come with great responsibilities.”

“…Isn’t it great power?”

“You’re speaking like you heard it somewhere. I just thought of it now.”

Wei Jeong-han instantly became like someone who ate honey and lost their voice.

“So there’s no method?”

When Jo-hyeon, thinking the conversation was going in a strange direction, brought the topic back, Wei Jeong-han looked at Wei San-ho with a pleading face. Then Wei San-ho nodded and spoke.

“Alliance Leader, Strategist.”

“Mm?”

“Please excuse us. There’s something the three of us need to discuss alone.”

Jo-hyeon glanced at Wei Jeong-han’s face, and seeing Wei Jeong-han nod without hesitation, dismissed the others. When everyone left the room and only Wei San-ho remained, Jo-hyeon spoke.

“So, is there really a method?”

“There’s a very easy and simple method. If we use this method, no matter how much that Yan-ho fellow throws a tantrum, he won’t be able to hold out without following along.”

“I can’t understand. Isn’t Yan-ho the child who wouldn’t move no matter what you did?”

“That’s true for us. But the person Yan-ho fears most is someone else.”

“Your father said he seemed to fear you most?”

“The direction of fear is different. Yan-ho finds me most troublesome, not fearsome. The person Yan-ho fears most isn’t me, but our mother.”

“Mother?”

Jo-hyeon tilted his head.

No matter how much he feared her, wasn’t Han Sang-ah someone who didn’t want to cause Wei Yan-ho trouble? Just moments ago, she was the one who maintained silence with a sullen face. How could they get such a person to step forward?

“The method is…”

Jo-hyeon’s mouth gradually fell open as he listened to Wei San-ho’s words.