CLS-Chapter 454

Chapter 454:

Both sides had their justifications.

The problem was who could prove their justification more perfectly. In terms of such logic, Tang Yong-min might have the upper hand. The issue was that the fellow before his eyes was someone who couldn’t be convinced through justification alone.

Behind the Tang Family’s shouts for him to leave was that kind of calculation as well.

Having encountered a disaster he absolutely couldn’t handle alone, it meant ‘everyone come quickly to help.’ Whether Wei Yan-ho understood Tang Yong-min’s intention or not, he grumbled with a displeased expression.

“Come on, what’s so difficult about showing me that thing that you’re getting so angry about it?”

“Didn’t you give that to us!”

“I did give it to you, but I didn’t make it myself. I can’t possibly understand it completely.”

“What about your secret manual?”

“I don’t have it with me right now.”

Wei Yan-ho said with a grin.

“It would be heavy to carry around something I’m not even going to look at.”

“Grrrr.“

Tang Yong-min clutched his chest.

‘Why am I getting so heated up?’

Looking at each thing he said individually, none of it was particularly strange, but from the listener’s perspective, his insides were boiling to the point of bursting.

That expression, that voice – there was something about them that made a person irritated.

“What are you planning to use that secret manual for! And didn’t you say you haven’t even learned the Sword Emperor’s Treasure after getting your hands on it?”

“There’s no particular need to learn it.”

“……”

How irritating.

How damn irritating it was.

Tang Yong-min found himself grinding his teeth without realizing it.

Right. For someone like Wei Yan-ho, even the Sword Emperor’s martial arts might not be particularly useful.

Moreover……

‘It’s subtly useless indeed.’

Each sect that had obtained the Sword Emperor’s Treasure had all rushed to interpret the secret manual.

No matter how proven it was to be the Sword Emperor’s martial arts, they couldn’t just learn a newly obtained secret manual without any preparation. They had to confirm whether there were any fatal flaws within it.

But the more they analyzed the secret manual, the more different stories emerged.

Skepticism arose about whether learning these martial arts could truly achieve a dramatic rise in martial prowess.

Since it was proven that these martial arts belonged to the Sword Emperor, they expected there would surely be something more, but they couldn’t be certain of what that something was.

Eventually, after repeated research confirmed that the martial arts themselves posed no danger, the Tang Family allowed those who wished to learn the Sword Emperor’s Treasure.

No matter how much they researched, they couldn’t perfectly interpret martial arts created by the Sword Emperor. In the end, they had no choice but to learn it directly with their bodies to see the effects.

But unfortunately, no particularly remarkable effects had emerged so far.

There were even rumors going around that it was just a waste of time.

“You haven’t learned it?”

“No. Why would I learn someone else’s martial arts? I can barely handle my own.”

“……”

Tang Yong-min’s face hardened.

“Right, of course. Right……”

It felt like he’d been struck by something.

‘Are we perfectly digesting the Tang Family’s martial arts?’

No one could answer yes to that.

He had learned and relearned for a lifetime, yet he still hadn’t seen the end of the Tang Family’s martial arts. Even Dark King Tang Cheon-gun wouldn’t be able to confidently say ‘I have seen the end of the Tang Family’s martial arts.’

Yet to covet others’ martial arts as well.

How could those who couldn’t even digest what they already possessed learn other martial arts?

“You……”

Tang Yong-min started to say something but closed his mouth.

‘At least when it comes to the attitude toward martial arts, this fellow is a hundred times better than me.’

Not coveting what others have and striving to digest what one already possesses.

Even though it was the Sword Emperor’s Treasure.

The Sword Emperor’s Treasure.

Who wouldn’t covet the martial arts of the Sword Emperor, evaluated as the greatest person of all time?

If the Sword Emperor’s martial arts were right before your eyes in the form of a secret manual, who could escape the temptation to learn it?

Even he, who had cultivated for a lifetime, couldn’t do it, and even Shaolin, which teaches to be most wary of material desires in the world, couldn’t accomplish it.

Yet this young man was doing it as if it were nothing.

‘There’s a reason he’s strong.’

Come to think of it, it was natural.

There’s no such thing as strength without reason.

It was as natural as water flowing downward that someone who had naturally reached a mental realm that couldn’t be attained even through repeated cultivation would be strong.

“Not coveting… Hehe.“

At that moment, people came running from here and there. They had heard Tang Yong-min’s shouts and come after him.

“What’s the matter!”

“This fellow has finally!”

“Do you think you can remain safe after disrespecting the Tang Family to this extent?”

Those who came running pressed Wei Yan-ho as if the situation was obvious without even looking.

Just as Wei Yan-ho was about to protest his innocence, Tang Yong-min raised his hand to stop everyone.

“No. There was a misunderstanding.”

“Pardon?”

“I said no.”

When Tang Yong-min waved his hand, those who had come running had no choice but to back down. It would be strange to press the matter when the person involved said it wasn’t the case.

“So, you said you needed a secret manual?”

“That’s right.”

“Come on. I’ll show you. What’s so difficult about it?”

“Huh?“

When Tang Yong-min came out like this, Wei Yan-ho became frightened instead.

“Why are you suddenly acting like this?”

“I just had that thought. Maybe I’ve been misunderstanding you a little.”

“Huh?”

Tang Yong-min smiled slightly.

‘When you think about it, he’s right.’

It was true that Wei Yan-ho had greatly embarrassed the Tang Family, but when you thought about it carefully, Wei Yan-ho hadn’t harbored any malice toward the Tang Family. Rather, a member of the Tang Family with malice toward Wei Yan-ho had tried to assassinate him, and when that was exposed, they were embarrassed.

The embarrassment became unbearably great when even Tang Cheon-gun, who tried to handle the situation, was defeated by Wei Yan-ho, but for Wei Yan-ho, he had simply blocked the attack of someone trying to kill him.

So what sin did Wei Yan-ho have?

Wei Yan-ho’s only fault was the crime of being strong. You couldn’t say a martial artist was wrong for being strong and not dying obediently.

‘I knew this all along.’

Tang Yong-min shook his head.

If you stepped outside the fence of the Tang Family and thought about it, it was clear who had done wrong. Even so, Wei Yan-ho had never particularly expressed dissatisfaction with the Tang Family that was hostile to him.

‘How shameful.’

When he realized he had been unreasonable with a child who hadn’t lived even half his life, Tang Yong-min’s face grew hot.

“Could you please not look at me with that expression? It’s giving me goosebumps.”

When Tang Yong-min looked at him with a gentle smile, Wei Yan-ho hesitantly stepped back. He was more accustomed to eyes full of killing intent; those kinds of eyes were quite uncomfortable.

“I haven’t sorted things out yet either, so let’s discuss this matter later. Follow me. You need to get what you want, don’t you?”

“Hmm, that’s true.”

Wei Yan-ho followed Tang Yong-min with a reluctant expression. Then those who had gathered looked puzzled.

“What’s going on?”

“Well, I have no idea what this is about……”

“Why is the Third Elder taking that fellow with him?”

“I don’t know, I tell you.”

The Tang Family was equally confused by the sudden change.

“Here it is.”

Tang Yong-min held out the Sword Emperor’s Treasure in front of Wei Yan-ho. Wei Yan-ho looked at the Sword Emperor’s Treasure with a subtle gaze.

“Why? Isn’t this what you wanted?”

Wei Yan-ho shook his head.

“No. This should be right.”

“Then why do you look like that?”

“……How should I put this, seeing it again brings back memories.”

“Huh?”

Wei Yan-ho sighed.

‘I should have just sold it.’

No one would kick away a gourd that rolled in on its own. Someone with Wei Yan-ho’s abilities wouldn’t give away something that came into his hands by itself.

It was unavoidable at the time, but as the situation flowed this way, parts that made him regret it were bound to arise.

“I’ll read it for now.”

“Go ahead.”

Wei Yan-ho took the Sword Emperor’s Treasure and began reading slowly.

‘Hmm……’

Watching Wei Yan-ho read the Sword Emperor’s Treasure, Tang Yong-min made a low sound.

‘It’s like he’s being drawn in.’

The sight of Wei Yan-ho reading the secret manual with a serious expression was that of a martial artist he hadn’t seen in a while. He was admiring that concentration without realizing it.

Tang Yong-min quietly got up from his seat.

Wei Yan-ho was so absorbed in the secret manual that he didn’t notice Tang Yong-min getting up. The thought briefly crossed his mind that he could inflict fatal wounds on Wei Yan-ho if he launched a surprise attack like this.

But instead of ambushing Wei Yan-ho, Tang Yong-min walked to the door and called for a servant.

“Prepare tea.”

“Yes, Elder.”

Even when Tang Yong-min sat back down and the servant brought tea, Wei Yan-ho didn’t take his eyes off the secret manual. It was only when the white steam from the warmly heated tea had dissipated that Wei Yan-ho finally closed the last page.

“How is it?”

“Hmm……”

Wei Yan-ho scratched the back of his head.

When Wei Yan-ho seemed to be pondering, Tang Yong-min, misunderstanding his meaning, smiled and said.

“Just tell me. I already guessed why you sought out and read this secret manual. You wanted to confirm whether this secret manual was the cause of the strange disease, right.”

“How did you know?”

“Getting older means your intuition improves. Especially for an old man like me who’s gotten old in an ambiguous position – all that’s left is intuition. If that heavy behind of yours moved, it would have to be something of that magnitude.”

“Hmm, that’s right, but that’s not why I’m doing this.”

“Then?”

“Hmm……”

Just then, the door burst open.

Tang Yong-min frowned and looked up.

“What kind of rudeness is this!”

The ones who opened the door and entered were Wei Jeong-han and Jang-il. Having heard that Tang Yong-min had taken Wei Yan-ho away, they rushed over wondering if some accident had occurred.

The two who had urgently opened the door hesitated when they saw the two people sitting face to face and the tea placed on the table.

“No, that’s not it……”

“Good grief, people really……”

Tang Yong-min clicked his tongue as if he understood why the two had rushed over so urgently.

“Do I look like someone who can’t help but cause trouble?”

“……We’re sorry.”

“Fine. Since you’re already here, sit over there. You probably want to hear the answer too.”

“Yes.”

Wei Jeong-han and Jang-il, feeling guilty, drooped their shoulders and sat where Tang Yong-min pointed.

“Please maintain some dignity!”

“……”

Wei Yan-ho’s words stabbed into Wei Jeong-han’s chest like a dagger. He didn’t want to hear such words from anyone, especially not from Wei Yan-ho. He wanted to burst out in anger immediately, but he was conscious of Tang Yong-min’s attention.

“Ugh, I’ll see you later.”

Tang Yong-min clicked his tongue and turned his head to look at Wei Yan-ho.

“So what was the result? Is this secret manual the cause of this strange disease?”

Wei Jeong-han and Jang-il swallowed their saliva.

A tension that made all the muscles in their bodies taut was pressing down on them.

“Based on what I’ve skimmed through, well……”

Wei Yan-ho looked around at those who were focusing on him and quietly opened his mouth.