CLS-Chapter 263

Chapter 263

Wei Yan-ho walked sluggishly.

‘Ah, what a bother.’

It’s funny how people are—when someone becomes absorbed in something, they develop tendencies. A person who lazes about doesn’t reduce their laziness by continuing to be lazy, but rather increases it.

In that sense, the reality that Wei Yan-ho hadn’t been able to laze about to his heart’s content recently had undoubtedly made him this way.

No matter how much the noise from below prevented him from resting properly, for Wei Yan-ho to get out of bed on his own and go downstairs—if Wei Jeong-han saw this, he’d rub his eyes in disbelief, and if Han Sang-ah saw it, she’d be shocked beyond words.

Even Wei Yan-ho himself found it strange.

‘Was I always this meddlesome?’

No matter how many people came looking for him, if he accommodated them all one by one, Wei Yan-ho wouldn’t be Wei Yan-ho. Yet seeing him go downstairs like this, it seemed Wei Yan-ho had truly changed a lot since leaving the cave.

“What’s this?”

Wei Yan-ho’s eyes widened as soon as he descended the stairs.

The large living room below, designed as a reception area, was packed full of people. Seeing people filling every table and chair to capacity, Wei Yan-ho tilted his head.

“So, the people who came to see me are…”

“All of them.”

“What?”

At that moment, the people discovered Wei Yan-ho and burst into cheers.

“Ooh, Young Hero Wei!”

“Young Hero Wei! I’m Taejongu of Jeongju! I came hoping to share a cup of tea!”

“Where does this guy think he’s cutting in line! Young Hero Wei! It’s me! I came first.”

“Move aside! What does coming first matter! What’s important is who Young Hero Wei wants to meet!”

“What? Are you done talking?”

Watching the people begin chattering noisily, Wei Yan-ho picked his ear. Then he turned to Ho Cheol-san and asked.

“What did I do wrong?”

“Huh? There’s nothing like that.”

“Then why are those people treating me like this?”

“Ah, that’s…”

Ho Cheol-san looked at Wei Yan-ho with a subtle expression.

‘Is he really asking because he doesn’t know? Well, he didn’t even know who the Dark King was.’

Ironically, the only person who didn’t properly understand what he had done was Wei Yan-ho himself. Wei Yan-ho had merely given a lesson to some old man who attacked him—that one shouldn’t release poison without others knowing—but how could it end there?

By defeating the Dark King, or rather, literally beating the Dark King to death, Wei Yan-ho’s status had risen to the ranks of the martial world’s supreme masters.

It was such an impactful event that the Huashan martial arts tournament, which had been conducted amid countless topics of discussion, was completely overshadowed.

Though Wei Yan-ho himself seemed unaware of this fact.

Rising in status meant, in other words, that the number of people wanting to build connections with him had increased dramatically.

Just reaching the level of supreme master would have people lining up, eager to exchange even a word with him, but if someone who wasn’t just a master, but someone who had reached the pinnacle of the martial world before even coming of age, then as a connection, they held even greater value.

That’s why so many people had rushed over from the morning, pressuring them about when Wei Yan-ho would come down.

Meanwhile, it was the other participants of the Righteous Alliance who suffered.

If those who had come were moderately famous people, they could have been sent away with the excuse that Wei Yan-ho was resting and to come back later. But looking at the lineup of people currently filling this place, they could have departed immediately to crush the Demon Cult.

Even Taejongu, who was fighting over there about having a conversation with Wei Yan-ho first, was called someone more frightening than the grim reaper in the Jeongju region.

‘For such a person to be brawling just to exchange a word with some young man.’

No matter how many incidents beyond common sense occurred in the martial world, they would be the only ones to witness such a scene.

“Everyone wants to become friends with Young Hero Wei Yan-ho.”

“Why?”

“Uh, that’s…”

Was he asking because he didn’t know?

Connections are power, and power is connections.

One of the biggest reasons why the Jamryong Martial Hall, where Wei Yan-ho’s older brother Wei San-ho belonged, was still maintained despite questions about its effectiveness, was because training at the martial hall and building connections, even if slightly slower than just training within the family, was beneficial in the long run.

Connections sometimes become strength, and sometimes knowledge. That’s why it’s advantageous to build friendships with capable people in advance.

“There’s nothing bad about forming good relationships with good people.”

“But there’s nothing good for me.”

“No, not for Young Hero Wei, but for the other side…”

Ho Cheol-san, who had been speaking, couldn’t help but fall into doubt.

‘Now that I think about it, that’s strange.’

If Wei Yan-ho were a normal person like other martial artists, building connections could somehow be helpful. But wasn’t Wei Yan-ho still Wei Yan-ho?

With such shallow relationships built up, there was no way he could receive help. Someone who wouldn’t move even when watching bandits attack his house because it was bothersome—imagining him taking trouble for others was impossible.

“Ah!”

Only then could Ho Cheol-san understand where this problem originated.

‘These people don’t know.’

Those who should know that Wei Yan-ho is the world’s greatest lazy person all know. But the problem was that only those who really should know actually knew. Wei Yan-ho was one of those people with extremely narrow human relationships, and his existence had only recently become known to people.

Naturally, people who had only now learned of Wei Yan-ho’s existence wouldn’t know the fact that he was lazy.

‘This is not good…’

Ho Cheol-san looked at Wei Yan-ho with anxious eyes.

Wei Yan-ho was looking around with an annoyed expression, his eyes clearly showing he felt like he had come down for nothing.

“What is there to gain by swarming here like this.”

“Th-those words should be said more quietly.”

“Why? Did I say something wrong?”

“Right words are more dangerous!”

“…Huh? That seems right though?”

When Wei Yan-ho, slightly pushed back in logic, was looking for a counterargument, someone entered.

“Is this the quarters of the Righteous Alliance?”

It was a low voice.

However, that voice spread with powerful resonance, instantly capturing the attention of everyone present. Those who unconsciously turned around realized that the voice from behind them carried profound internal energy, and couldn’t help but tense up.

“It’s, it’s Dao Wan.”

“Dao Wan?”

Everyone looked back with startled eyes.

“I never thought even Dao Wan would come.”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head.

Just how impressive was this person called Dao Wan that everyone here was so surprised?

“Who is he?”

Ho Cheol-san said with a slightly pale face.

“It’s, it’s Dao Wan. The current head of the Hebei Peng Family, Great Master Peng Cho-yeon!”

“Hebei Peng Family?”

Wei Yan-ho clapped his hands as if he understood.

“Oh? Then is he Water Ghost’s father?”

“…What?”

“You know, Water Ghost. Peng Dao-ji?”

“Ah, that’s right. He’s Peng Dao-ji’s father.”

Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue.

“Seeing that he’s called Peng Dao-ji’s father, that person isn’t very successful either. Looking at a son who’s a water ghost, you can tell what kind of person the father is.”

You’re insulting your own father right now.

If Great Hero Wei Jeong-han had heard those words, he would have coughed up blood denying it, saying “That’s not how it is.”

It was fortunate that Wei Jeong-han wasn’t in this place.

Dao Wan Peng Cho-yeon glanced around briefly, then fixed his gaze on Wei Yan-ho.

“So, are you Wei Yan-ho?”

“Yes?”

“I was just passing through this area when the rumors from Huashan were so intriguing that I came all the way here. Are you indeed that Wei Yan-ho?”

“Yes. I am Wei Yan-ho, but why?”

“I see.”

Peng Cho-yeon smiled slightly.

“It’s precious to share a connection with someone who will become a hero. How about it? Can you spare this humble man some time?”

“I’m busy.”

“…”

Peng Cho-yeon’s face twitched at Wei Yan-ho’s answer that came out without a moment’s hesitation.

“…It seems I’ve come to bother someone who has an appointment. If it’s not too rude, may I ask what you need to do?”

“Sleep.”

“…”

Peng Cho-yeon’s face began twitching wildly. It was truly remarkable that he could express such discomfort with his face. And the more Peng Cho-yeon’s face expressed discomfort, the more Ho Cheol-san beside Wei Yan-ho began to writhe.

‘Hey, you crazy bastard! It’s the Peng Family!’

There couldn’t be anyone in the world who could ignore the Hebei Peng Family. And there would be even fewer who could ignore the head of the Hebei Peng Family. Not because they had authority like emperors in Hebei.

‘All the Peng Family guys are half-crazy!’

There’s a saying in the martial world not to associate with anyone surnamed Hwangbo or Peng. The Hebei Peng Family members were that famous for their explosive temperaments.

While the timid Peng Dao-ji and cautious Peng Do-hyeong were treated as odd ones in the Hebei Peng Family, their father Peng Cho-yeon was evaluated as a truly Peng Family-like man.

To put it nicely, he was a spirited person; to put it badly, he had anger management issues.

“Are you saying you can’t talk with me because you need to sleep now?”

“Wow, you understand quickly. I thought you’d be similar since your son is so bad at understanding, but you’re different.”

At this moment, Ho Cheol-san could understand what enlightenment was.

‘Do whatever you want.’

He had been treating the head of the Hebei Peng Family, who should be handled carefully like a bomb, not just poking but setting fire to him and now fanning the flames.

It was already too late to explain the dangers of the Peng Family to Wei Yan-ho.

Peng Cho-yeon’s body trembled.

Peng Cho-yeon, his eyes bloodshot, opened his mouth with a look that seemed ready to tear Wei Yan-ho apart.

“So, so! So, so so, so!”

When Peng Cho-yeon began stammering, everyone started backing away to the opposite side.

‘Isn’t that the start?’

‘The rumors were true.’

While it would be like a natural disaster if he exploded before anyone could notice, the reason Peng Cho-yeon was still treated as human in the martial world was because he sent clearly recognizable signals to his surroundings before exploding.

They had heard it hammered into their ears to run from that place for any reason when they saw the head of the Peng Family start stammering.

“Talk, talk with! Talk with me, me me, me, me!”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Peng Cho-yeon and tilted his head.

“Do you have a disease?”

“GYAAAAAAAAAAH!”

When Peng Cho-yeon began screaming, everyone started jumping out through windows.

“He exploded!”

“Run!”

“Ca-call people!”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head watching people flee in terror.

“Why is everyone acting like that?”

“…”

Ho Cheol-san smiled as if enlightened.

‘I was wrong.’

He should have absolutely prevented bringing this person in front of so many people, but since he was the one who threw sparks into dry straw, who could he blame?

And at that moment, Peng Cho-yeon screamed and charged at Wei Yan-ho.

“You little rat!”