CLS-Chapter 447

Chapter 447:

“Grrrrrruuuuk!“

It sounded like the howling of a beast.

A voice too rough to have come from human vocal cords.

A threatening voice that made the listener’s soul freeze.

Of course, it couldn’t freeze Wei Yan-ho, who had evaluated Baek Mu-han not as someone whose liver had swollen or whatever, but as someone whose belly should be cut open to confirm whether he even had a liver inside. But still, it couldn’t be helped.

However, even Wei Yan-ho was startled by how bizarrely the madmen reacted.

These people who had been charging forward with indescribable savagery suddenly stopped moving, so naturally he had to be flustered.

Wei Yan-ho could neither advance nor retreat, just watching the scene.

If they had been normal people, he could have predicted their next actions, but these were madmen. Madmen are called madmen because it wouldn’t be strange no matter what they did.

‘This is really frustrating.’

Wei Yan-ho ground his teeth.

The madmen suddenly began contorting their entire bodies.

“Kuuuuuuuh!“

Bizarre sounds and bizarre movements.

It was a sight that seemed to scrape away one’s sanity just by watching.

“Ah, why are they doing that!”

Wei Yan-ho, filled with irritation, shouted.

But he couldn’t get any more annoyed. The scene before his eyes was becoming increasingly serious.

Those whose complexions had turned pitch black were contorting their entire bodies. Bulging blood vessels were grotesquely protruding all over their skin. Foaming at the mouth, they clawed at the air and rolled on the ground.

“That…”

Even the onlookers turned pale.

No one would want to see madmen foaming at the mouth and rolling on the ground.

Puuuuut!

With a sound like a water bag bursting, fountains of blood began spurting from the madmen’s mouths. At the same time, their bodies twisted this way and that.

Screams.

Despite being out of their minds, they seemed unable to bear the pain, and eerie screams echoed. The crowd covered their ears at the ear-splitting screams.

Wei Yan-ho watched the entire scene clearly.

It was reversing.

The energies inside the madmen’s bodies were reversing. Though it looked utterly horrific on the outside, what was happening inside their bodies wasn’t much different from ordinary Qi Deviation.

However, because thick demonic energy was flowing together, the process appeared more intense.

“Kuuk, kuuuuuk…“

Finally, all the madmen collapsed to the ground.

They were only having intermittent convulsions, and all seemed to have lost consciousness.

Shaaaaaaaa.

The gloomy sky, unable to hold back any longer, began pouring down rain.

“Damn it.”

Profanity that rarely came from Wei Yan-ho’s mouth flowed out.

The situation was flowing toward the worst.

Those who witnessed the seizures could no longer maintain the same tranquility as before. The people who had seizures this time were those who had been conversing with them without any problems just this morning.

That meant anyone could become like that. The Tang Family members, realizing that the person next to them, or even themselves, could end up the same way, were consumed by fear.

“The atmosphere is really bad.”

Zhuge Wu clicked his tongue.

The Tang Family, viewed from atop the pavilion, was utterly desolate. Though the sun hadn’t even set yet, it seemed as if all the people had disappeared. Everyone had locked their doors and holed up inside.

‘Though inside wouldn’t be any safer…’

As long as people didn’t completely separate from each other, there was no way to solve the problem of people.

‘But it’s not like I can’t understand it.’

Seizures without cause bring fear.

The terror that my relatives, my friends, and I myself could change at any time.

The fear that someone might target me indiscriminately, and the fear that I might harm those I love with my own hands.

It would be a kind of fear that those who haven’t experienced it couldn’t understand.

Even the Tang Family members, said to be as bold as tigers, couldn’t resist this terror they were experiencing for the first time in their lives.

Zhuge Wu let out a deep sigh.

“It’s terrible.”

Jang-il seemed to feel the same way.

“Ah, it probably would be. This heavy atmosphere…”

“That’s not what I mean.”

Jang-il said firmly.

“Here, we can somehow deal with it. But if this kind of thing happens on a battlefield, how on earth should we handle it?”

“…”

Zhuge Wu couldn’t answer.

‘What an unpleasant topic.’

This was exactly the kind of conversation he, as a strategist, least wanted to have. A discussion about a difficult problem for which he himself couldn’t find an answer. No matter what he said, there was no way an answer would emerge.

Every time this happened, he had to feel helpless.

“We’ll have to find an answer somehow before then.”

“You’re talking so carefree.”

Jang-il said as if he found it pathetic.

“If this is something that happened artificially, those who caused this won’t let such an opportunity slip by. If they know the opponent can’t even respond, they’ll attack immediately.”

Those words were too heavy.

‘Does this mean the Demonic Cult will attack?’

It was unrealistic… no, it lacked a sense of reality. Though it was something they were always on guard against, it seemed like something that wouldn’t happen.

Right now, Zhuge Wu was viscerally realizing that something he had always prepared for but never hoped would happen had approached right to his doorstep.

“No, so…”

Then, Wei Yan-ho quietly opened his mouth.

“Why did you drag me to a place like this? You said we were going to meet that Heavenly Alliance Leader or whatever.”

“The situation has changed.”

“Then we don’t need to meet?”

“That’s not it either.”

“…What do you want me to do?”

Zhuge Wu cleared his throat and continued his explanation.

“A consensus has formed that what’s happening in the Tang Family is a bigger problem than imagined. With such a major incident occurring, naturally the situation has to change.”

“So what are we going to do? Has it been postponed?”

“No.”

Zhuge Wu said firmly.

“The Heavenly Alliance Leader will come here.”

“…Huh?”

“The Heavenly Alliance Leader is coming.”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head.

“Why?”

“What did you hear? The situation has become serious. The Heavenly Alliance Leader seems to want to come personally to understand what’s going on and how. My father went to escort the Heavenly Alliance Leader.”

“Hmm.”

Wei Yan-ho nodded quietly.

“Seems like they’re not someone who just sits around doing nothing.”

“They’re excessively indifferent to places they’re not interested in, but excessively meddlesome in matters they think they should step into. Their level of interest is divided into extremes depending on the field, which makes it quite troublesome to serve them, but… they’re not a bad person as a leader.”

“I understand. So what’s happening here right now is not ordinary even from the Heavenly Alliance’s perspective, and that’s why the leader is coming personally to investigate?”

“That’s right.”

“Things keep getting bigger…”

Wei Yan-ho scratched his head.

‘When I first came here, I didn’t think things would get this big…’

I thought it would end with just causing a little trouble, but now it feels like the fate of the martial world itself is at stake. And this won’t end with just a feeling.

Didn’t we see today how dangerous those who had seizures were?

If such things happened everywhere while the Demonic Cult was attacking, the martial world would be shattered to pieces without even being able to respond.

“This kind of serious stuff doesn’t suit me.”

Wei Yan-ho kept sighing.

What kind of great dream is wanting to live comfortably that people torment me like this?

Did I ask for gold and silver treasures, or did I say I wanted to advance in the world…

Ah, I’ve already done both of those.

Though Wei Yan-ho had almost everything others dream of their entire lives, instead of being happy, only misfortune kept piling up.

“But what exactly is going on with this?”

“Hmm…”

Zhuge Wu let out a contemplative sound.

“It’s not just one or two people. If this were somewhere else, I might try to understand it somehow. But this is the Tang Family. There’s no place more closed off than the Tang Family, so how on earth did the Demonic Cult manage to cause such a thing?”

“Indeed, the Tang Family is an extremely closed place. There’s no place more difficult than the Tang Family for outsiders to secretly plot something.”

“That’s exactly what I mean.”

Wei Yan-ho had already experienced the Tang Family’s closed nature.

Even he, who came as a guest of the family head, had difficulties moving around the Tang Family. No matter how great the Demonic Cult might be, it wouldn’t have been easy to cause such incidents within this Tang Family.

If such things had been possible before, there would have been no reason the Demonic Cult couldn’t have targeted Central Plains all this time.

Of course, Wei Yan-ho had already experienced and acknowledged the strength of the Demonic Cult, represented by the Heavenly Demon. However, being strong in martial power and being able to cause such incidents were separate matters.

“So what are they doing about it now?”

“For now, they’re having a meeting.”

“A meeting? What conclusion can come from having a meeting?”

“…It’s not a meeting to find a conclusion.”

“Then?”

Zhuge Wu answered bitterly.

“It’s a meeting to find someone to blame.”

“Say something that makes sense.”

Tang Cheon-gun’s face was filled with anger.

This wasn’t the first time Tang Cheon-gun had gotten angry during a meeting. Having experienced various incidents and having been in the position of family head under the name of Dark King for quite a long time, many people had experienced Tang Cheon-gun’s wrath.

However, the anger Tang Cheon-gun was displaying now was a bit different from previous cases.

If Tang Cheon-gun’s usual anger was like a burning active volcano, his current anger was like ice.

Cold and desolate.

That’s why it felt even more eerie.

“The children of our family are collapsing, suffering from unknown phenomena. In the midst of this, what exactly have the elders been doing! How does it make sense that you haven’t even figured out why such phenomena are occurring!”

“Family Head!”

Tang Yong-min shouted as if his anger was exploding.

“How is this only our fault! If it were a private mistake, it could be our responsibility. Yes, I acknowledge it. In this incident, there is also our fault for not properly supervising and managing the children. But the Family Head cannot be free from that responsibility either. If a major incident occurs in the family, you surely know that the primary responsibility lies with the Family Head, don’t you?”

“What did you just say!”

Tang Cheon-gun’s blade-like gaze pierced into Tang Yong-min.

A tense confrontation of gazes.

And a tense atmosphere.

That scene seemed to starkly show what kind of situation the Sichuan Tang Family was in right now.

Wei Jeong-han, who had been quietly watching the scene, opened his mouth.

He didn’t want to get involved in such matters if possible. However, this was no longer just the Sichuan Tang Family’s problem. Perhaps a terrifying storm that would sweep through all of Central Plains was beginning right here.

“This is not the time for you two to blame each other.”

“Do you think you can open your mouth in this place? I allowed you to participate in the meeting out of respect for the Family Head’s dignity, but…”

“Silence!”

Wei Jeong-han roared, shutting Tang Yong-min’s mouth.

“This…”

Tang Yong-min momentarily couldn’t continue speaking.

It wasn’t that he was scared, but that he was flustered. To be more precise, he was so dumbfounded that he was speechless.

“Do you think this is the time to argue about qualifications and such? In this situation?”

At Wei Jeong-han’s growling voice, Tang Yong-min closed his mouth.

“First, there’s something I want to ask.”

Wei Jeong-han, having dominated the situation, quietly opened his mouth.