CLS-Chapter 483

Chapter 483:

“……May I request an explanation once more?”

Tang Cheon-gun’s face was indescribably strange.

He looked both stunned and shocked. He was flustered while simultaneously amazed.

He had no choice.

‘What kind of nonsense is this?’

The Medicine Hall Master had brought back insane talk. This person, who was one of the most prudent individuals within the Tang Family, no less.

What on earth had happened?

‘No need to think about it.’

Just looking at that smug face of the bastard sitting next to the Medicine Hall Master, he could guess how the situation had unfolded.

He must have sold him some snake oil, snake oil!

“It’s exactly as I’ve told you.”

The Medicine Hall Master sighed and spoke.

“Of course, you must think it’s utterly absurd and ridiculous…….”

“……You know it well.”

“However…….”

The Medicine Hall Master glanced sideways at Wei Yan-ho and gritted his teeth.

“Realistically, it’s also undeniable that this is the method with the highest probability of success.”

“Realistically?”

Reality, he says.

“Have you…… been exposed to too much demonic energy?”

“I am in my right mind.”

“Of course you would be, but…….”

Tang Cheon-gun trailed off.

Someone of the Medicine Hall Master’s caliber wouldn’t lose his mind from exposure to demonic energy. But what he was saying now was too preposterous.

“Is that even possible?”

“I don’t know.”

“You don’t know? Now see here.”

The Medicine Hall Master looked straight at Tang Cheon-gun and spoke.

“Looking back through the history of the martial world and the history of medicine, there is no precedent for this. It’s natural that we can’t know what results it will produce.”

“And yet you would risk such danger?”

“Yes.”

“Why?”

The Medicine Hall Master answered without hesitation.

“Because I cannot just let these young lives die.”

Tang Cheon-gun could only let out a groan.

There was strength in the Medicine Hall Master’s voice.

“Family Head, I am a physician. But before being a physician, I am a member of the Tang Family. Though it pains me to say this, I cannot treat them with my medical skills. But I also cannot just let them die.”

The Medicine Hall Master turned his head to glare at Wei Yan-ho once before continuing.

“Had I not heard of it, it would be one thing. Had I known no method at all, it would be another. But having seen a path with even a possibility, I have no choice but to take it.”

“What if everyone dies as a result? What will you do then?”

“There would be nothing I could do.”

“Are you calling that an answer, man!”

“Then are you telling me to just sit back and watch them all die while twiddling my thumbs?”

When the Medicine Hall Master suddenly raised his voice, Tang Cheon-gun flinched. This was the first time he’d seen him raise his voice like this.

“I cannot do that. Even if it results in killing them all with my own hands, I cannot just sit back and watch. Family Head, please give your permission. I will stake everything on this chance.”

“No, that…….”

Tang Cheon-gun abandoned all dignity and scratched his head vigorously.

‘Damn it, what am I supposed to do?’

This wasn’t a choice he could make easily. Whichever option he chose, it was clear that criticism would pour down on him.

‘Of all the troublesome things to bring me.’

His resentful gaze naturally turned toward Wei Yan-ho. If Wei Yan-ho had come with such an opinion, he could have simply refused outright, saying he couldn’t allow it even if a blade were held to his throat.

But it had to be the Medicine Hall Master.

Though the Medicine Hall Master held a lower position than him, he had greater authority when it came to medical matters. How to treat patients was entirely up to him.

If he ignored the Medicine Hall Master’s request now and all the patients died, the blow to his position would be enormous. Moreover…….

‘It strangely seems to make sense?’

If this opinion hadn’t come from that bastard, he might have been intrigued.

It seemed to make sense, yet it also seemed not to make sense.

That’s what made the choice even harder.

If the Medicine Hall Master was pushing this hard, he had to support him somehow, but why did he have to fall for that bastard’s schemes?

“Are you troubled?”

“Ugh.”

When Wei Yan-ho smiled smugly, Tang Cheon-gun’s face contorted.

‘Bastard who should be drowned in sewage.’

How could every single word from a person be so irritating? That’s a talent too, a talent.

“There’s nothing to be troubled about. If you really can’t decide, just ask the person who would know best.”

“The person who would know best?”

“Yes. The Heavenly Alliance Leader.”

“Ah…….”

Tang Cheon-gun unconsciously let out a groan.

“That sounds like a brilliant method?”

“…….”

There were quite a few ways to turn a person’s insides upside down. But today, Tang Cheon-gun learned a new fact. Nothing drove a person to madness quite like having everyone around him speak with one voice to drag things in a direction he didn’t want.

“Did you say brilliant?”

“Hmm, now that I hear it, it reminds me…… No, rather than being reminded, I was wondering whether I should mention this.”

“Yes.”

“When I took the Explosive Blood Pill, I was severely poisoned.”

“What?”

Tang Cheon-gun’s eyes trembled.

Poisoned?

What poison was he talking about?

“Did the Demonic Cult use poison?”

“It wasn’t the Demonic Cult that used it…… I used it.”

“……What do you mean?”

Heavenly Alliance Leader Cheok Su-gwang shrugged his shoulders.

“Wasn’t that how it was back then? If poison had to be used, poison had to be used. If hidden weapons had to be used, hidden weapons had to be used. It was a time when I wouldn’t hesitate to hide underground and stab a passing Demonic Cult bastard in the crotch with a blade. When poison or whatever was needed, what was there to be picky about? Surely the Tang Family won’t say it was cowardly because I used poison?”

“That’s not what I meant…… Why poison?”

“Because I wanted to kill even one more of them. So I coated my blade with poison, but while fighting here and there, I got cut by my own sword.”

“…….”

Instead of the speechless Tang Cheon-gun, Wei Yan-ho shared his honest impression.

“Alliance Leader Grandfather, you’re more interesting than I thought.”

“Is that so?”

Tang Cheon-gun’s insides turned at Cheok Su-gwang’s kind response.

‘There’s not a normal one among them, not a single normal one!’

“Why would you get cut by your own sword?”

“Tsk tsk.”

Cheok Su-gwang looked at Tang Cheon-gun as if he were pathetic.

“That’s why you’re no good. When you’re just spraying poison from afar or throwing hidden weapons, when would you be in danger? In chaotic battles where breath meets breath and life and death are decided by an inch, all sorts of things happen. That’s what a man’s fight is.”

“……Wasn’t it just because you were weak back then, Alliance Leader? At that time, I was much stronger, so I rarely found myself in danger.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes. That would be the reasonable explanation.”

Cheok Su-gwang curled up the corners of his mouth.

“Then while that weak me climbed all the way up here, what were you doing that you’re still stuck there?”

“Ugh.”

Tang Cheon-gun clutched his chest.

There were too many people here who could drive him to qi deviation.

“So you think that poison and the Explosive Blood Pill are related?”

At the Medicine Hall Master’s question, Cheok Su-gwang shrugged.

“How would an ignorant person like me know that? However, that was the only way I differed from many others at the time, so I think there might be a connection. The attempt itself doesn’t seem bad. It would be good if we could confirm whether any of the Demonic Cult members who were poisoned by your toxins survived even after taking the Explosive Blood Pill. It’s a shame that’s not possible.”

“Hmm…….”

The Medicine Hall Master and Wei Yan-ho nodded simultaneously.

“It seems worth attempting anyway.”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Tang Cheon-gun.

“That’s what he says?”

“…….”

Tang Cheon-gun’s face contorted.

It was a dead end. And at the only exit, hungry wolves were lying in wait for him.

‘Damn it.’

Where had things started going wrong?

‘I must have been crazy to bring that bastard here…….’

He was someone he’d brought along thinking that if he couldn’t die alone, he’d drag others down with him, but why did he keep biting only him?

“Please decide now. Time is precious. I’m not just saying that—time really is precious. It wouldn’t be strange if one or two died any moment now.”

“Mmm…….”

Tang Cheon-gun let out a groan.

But the result was already decided. When everyone was demanding they proceed, he alone couldn’t oppose it. If it were just a family matter, it might be different, but when Wei Yan-ho representing the Righteous Alliance and Cheok Su-gwang representing the Heavenly Alliance spoke with one voice, what backbone did he have to resist?

Moreover, he too had no intention of just watching the family’s children die.

‘I absolutely can’t bear to see that.’

They were young lives. Children like his own sons.

How could his heart not ache watching such people die?

“I’ll give permission. However!”

Tang Cheon-gun looked straight at Wei Yan-ho and spoke.

“Save them. You must. You have to save the children.”

Wei Yan-ho rose from his seat.

Then he clasped his hands together in a formal bow.

“I will do my best.”

Tang Cheon-gun’s deep sigh circled around the room.

“Is it really possible?”

“I don’t know.”

“But you said you’d do your best?”

“I’ll do my best, but I don’t know how it will turn out either.”

“But is it really okay to proceed?”

“Should we go through the whole conversation from the beginning again?”

“No, that’s not it, but…….”

Jang-il couldn’t hide his uneasiness.

‘This could be no joke if things go wrong.’

When things don’t go well, sometimes staying still can be the right answer. In principle, those who try to do something should be praised, but where in the world do things go according to principle?

If Wei Yan-ho attempted this challenge and things went wrong, all the onlookers would rise up and start criticizing Wei Yan-ho.

‘It would be no joke.’

Moreover, this was the Tang Family.

Think about how much ill feeling the Tang Family members had accumulated toward Wei Yan-ho.

‘It’s like carrying a kindling and jumping into fire.’

Jang-il ended up sighing.

‘Usually the problem is not doing anything, but why does it become a problem when he starts doing something?’

It’s a problem either way.

“Will it really be okay?”

“Ah, why?”

Though Wei Yan-ho showed irritation, Jang-il couldn’t respond as he usually would.

“You know this isn’t an ordinary matter, don’t you?”

“You beggar, you beggar.”

Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue.

“If you’re afraid of being cursed at, you can’t do anything.”

“It’s not ordinary cursing, that’s why.”

“Then should we just leave it alone?”

“…….”

“If we just leave it alone, it’ll keep growing. If it were something that would end with just what happens here, I wouldn’t want to get involved either. But that’s not the case.”

“Still…….”

Wei Yan-ho sighed and spoke.

“What can I do? It’s a sin to be so meddlesome. A person should know how to be somewhat shameless, but I don’t have the confidence to make excuses later by saying I had no choice when this matter grows bigger. I can make excuses to everyone else, but I can’t make excuses to myself. And…….”

Wei Yan-ho raised his head to look up at the sky.

“There’s also someone who would stupidly rage about me not being able to solve even that one thing. Sigh, do I have to worry about what will happen when I die and go to the afterlife?”

“What are you talking about?”

“There is such a thing.”

Watching Wei Yan-ho’s back as he walked away with dragging steps, Jang-il tilted his head.

‘A hero…….’

No matter how he looked at it, that retreating figure didn’t look like a hero’s back.

And yet, somehow…….

“Come with me, you bastard.”

Jang-il ran after Wei Yan-ho.