CLS-Chapter 56

Chapter 56

Supreme Heavenly Righteous Alliance.

The Supreme Heavenly Righteous Alliance that leads the righteous path of the martial world. And in the alliance leader’s hall, which could be called the center of the Supreme Heavenly Righteous Alliance, two men were now sitting facing each other.

A man in blue robes with such a gentle impression that one might mistake him for a scholar at first glance. No matter how one looked at him, the man appeared to be no older than his forties. He was a man who seemed entirely out of place in the alliance leader’s hall of the Supreme Heavenly Righteous Alliance, a symbol of martial prowess and power.

However, one’s thoughts would change upon seeing the respectful posture of the Alliance’s military strategist, Divine Strategist Cho Hyeon, sitting across from him.

There was only one person in the world who could draw such a respectful posture from Divine Strategist Cho Hyeon, the undisputed second-in-command of the Righteous Alliance.

Fist Supreme Sima Cheon-se.

This man was none other than Sima Cheon-se, the alliance leader of the Supreme Heavenly Righteous Alliance and the peerless fist master called invincible under heaven with just his two fists.

“What did you say?”

Sima Cheon-se’s eyes twitched.

It might seem strange that Sima Cheon-se, who appeared to be only in his forties, would speak down to the Divine Strategist. However, Sima Cheon-se’s age had already reached one hundred.

His profound internal energy had kept his body young.

“We’ve confirmed that the Peng Family’s child made contact with the Green Forest and the Iron Blood Sect.”

At the Divine Strategist’s answer, Sima Cheon-se closed his eyes slightly. He was organizing his thoughts.

“That child is?”

“A child from the Peng Family named Peng Dao-ji. The Ten Virtuous of Green Forest pursued that child, but by heaven’s fortune, he was able to repel them.”

“Even the Ten Virtuous of Green Forest? If they valued the matter so highly, shouldn’t we assume that the Green Forest has already decided to move together with the Iron Blood Sect?”

“I think the same. If the talks had broken down, they wouldn’t have tried so hard to hide that fact.”

“Iron Blood Sect and Green Forest… This is troubling.”

Sima Cheon-se’s deep sigh seemed to represent his state of mind.

The current martial world was chaos itself.

Twenty years ago, after the rampage of the remaining Ming Cult followers, fortunately there had been no major incidents, allowing each faction to accumulate unprecedented power.

But when something becomes full, it overflows.

The martial world, filled with empowered factions, was now like a powder keg about to explode.

With the eastern Righteous Alliance and the western Heavenly Justice League dividing the world, and various sects boasting of their strength, small disputes led to great bloodshed, and entire sects disappeared from minor conflicts on a daily basis.

The Righteous Alliance was desperately trying to mediate, but they alone had their limits in handling this situation.

Moreover, if the Iron Blood Sect, considered the most belligerent among them, joined hands with the Green Forest, something would definitely happen.

“Are you certain of this?”

“Given the nature of the matter, we’re confirming and re-confirming. However, it’s certain that things are becoming serious enough that we cannot help but prepare.”

“What about the Heavenly Justice League?”

“They’re not moving at all. However…”

“However?”

The Divine Strategist opened his mouth with a dark expression.

“The Iron Blood Sect has maintained friendly relations with the Heavenly Justice League from the past. If this coordination with the Green Forest is happening under the Heavenly Justice League’s protection, the situation could become bigger than we think.”

“Heavenly Justice League, Iron Blood Sect, and even Green Forest…”

Sima Cheon-se had to feel his chest tighten with stuffiness. It was such a massive force that just imagining it made his head throb. If they truly formed an alliance, the Righteous Alliance alone couldn’t handle it.

Sima Cheon-se sighed.

“If we come into conflict with the Heavenly Justice League, how much blood will we have to shed…”

The Divine Strategist closed his mouth, seeing Sima Cheon-se’s worried appearance.

“By the way, you said that child named Peng Dao-ji escaped from the hands of the Ten Virtuous of Green Forest? Not just escaped, but actually defeated them?”

“That’s correct.”

“Remarkable, truly remarkable. How old is that child?”

“He’s just barely past his coming of age.”

“Huh!”

Sima Cheon-se looked at the Divine Strategist with amazed eyes, exclaiming in admiration.

“A tiger is growing in the Peng Family! To face them at such a young age! It seems the next generation will belong to the Peng Family.”

The Divine Strategist shook his head with an embarrassed expression.

“That’s not it—there seems to have been someone who helped him.”

He had spoken with such gravity, but it was deflating news. Sima Cheon-se asked with a sour expression.

“Someone who helped?”

“The one who helped is also not old. No, rather, he’s even younger than Peng Dao-ji.”

“Younger than Peng Dao-ji! My good man, speak clearly!”

The Divine Strategist smiled slightly.

“This isn’t something I can easily tell you. Because when you learn who that child is, Alliance Leader, you’ll be very pleased.”

“Are you trying to watch me die of frustration?”

As Sima Cheon-se beat his chest in apparent frustration, the Divine Strategist continued as if he couldn’t help but speak.

“Peng Dao-ji said that a child named Wei Yan-ho helped him.”

“Wei Yan-ho?”

“Yes. He seems to be the second son of Guangdong Wei Family head Wei Jeong-han. He was missing for five years, but has been showing himself recently.”

“Wei Jeong-han, you say?”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Of course! Who else but the Righteous Hero Sword could raise such a child! Ah, but of course!”

Sima Cheon-se’s face brightened.

If it was the Righteous Hero Sword Wei Jeong-han, he was one of his most cherished juniors. Twenty years ago, during the Ming Cult’s rampage, wasn’t he the one who showed outstanding performance as a member of the Righteous Alliance more than anyone else?

At that time, Wei Jeong-han had been a squad leader in the unit that Sima Cheon-se led, so Sima Cheon-se knew him better than anyone and cherished him more than anyone.

“That fellow—it’s been hard to see his face since five years ago, but in the meantime, he’s been raising his son into a dragon!”

“His eldest son is also the famous Wi San-ho, known as the Demon-Slaying Sword. In ten years, the Guangdong Wei Family might be called the greatest family under heaven.”

“Heh heh heh! That’s truly delightful! And it’s only natural. If he had remained in the Righteous Alliance back then, by now a regional leader position would naturally have been his.”

“That’s right.”

“No matter how chaotic the world may be, with such pillars appearing one by one to lead the world, how can we say there’s no hope? When those children lead the world later, it will be our job to make everything smooth for them.”

“You speak truly.”

“Wei Yan-ho, Wei Yan-ho… Heh heh! Since Righteous Hero Sword raised him, his conduct will naturally be upright, and his chivalrous spirit will be remarkable! Moreover, his martial prowess! A dragon has emerged from the Wei Family! He’ll accomplish great things for the martial world!”

Divine Strategist Cho Hyeon suppressed a laugh.

He couldn’t remember when he had last seen Sima Cheon-se this pleased.

“I wish the Righteous Hero Sword would also return to the Alliance with this opportunity…”

“That will happen. The eldest has already graduated from the military academy, and the second has also matured.”

“It should be so.”

A wistful look formed in Sima Cheon-se’s eyes.

It seemed he was recalling the days when he criticized the martial world not as the leader of the Supreme Heavenly Righteous Alliance, but as a single martial artist.

“Yes, in these chaotic times, that father and sons will be of great help.”

“It’s a blessing for the martial world.”

The two men were thoroughly mistaken about something.

***

Wei Yan-ho, whom the Alliance Leader and military strategist of the Righteous Alliance had called a blessing for the martial world, was currently rolling around on the floor of his room.

Wei Yan-ho, whose accumulated fatigue from following the escort and mental exhaustion from what he experienced at Hanrim Grand Academy had exploded, had reached a state where the floor was him and he was the floor. Except for mealtimes, he spent all twelve shijin rolling around, to the point where the floor was heating up by itself.

The slightest conscience that had bothered him when he first arrived at Sacred Hand Hall had long since flown away to heaven along with the Galaxy Battlefield incident.

Having resolved his last bit of conscience with the money he received from Galaxy Battlefield, Wei Yan-ho had shed all burdens from his heart and truly become one with the floor.

And thanks to this, those watching him were realizing just how ugly and useless a human being could be.

“Ugh.”

Jin So-ah, who entered the room carrying a meal tray, frowned upon seeing what he thought was human rolling around on the floor.

“Please get up.”

“…”

“Your meal is here.”

Wei Yan-ho’s eyelids, which had been closed tight like eternal rock, slowly revealed their magnificent eyeballs as if heaven and earth were opening.

“Food?”

“…”

“Food!”

Seeing Wei Yan-ho wriggle and crawl toward the meal tray, Jin So-ah unconsciously let out a deep sigh.

Just how ugly could a human being become?

Jin Ye-ran, who had initially carried the meal tray herself, watched Wei Yan-ho’s state for a few days, then left the job of carrying meal trays to Jin So-ah and washed her hands of anything related to Wei Yan-ho.

Jin So-ah also didn’t want to see his only older sister associated with such a wastrel, so he took on the job without question. However, these days Jin So-ah  regretted that choice.

Wei Yan-ho, who had torn off and was eating a roasted duck leg, smiled brightly.

“Delicious! You should eat some too.”

“…I have a question.”

“Speak.”

“Don’t you feel uncomfortable?”

“Huh?”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head.

“Why?”

Jin So-ah could see the eye crust stuck all over his eyes and the white dried saliva at the corners of his mouth.

“Have you washed since arriving here?”

“If you wash too often, you’ll get sick.”

Jin So-ah hadn’t asked thinking Wei Yan-ho would have washed. Anyone could see that Wei Yan-ho’s appearance was not that of someone who had even touched water to his face.

He had merely asked to see if even the slightest bit of conscience remained, but Wei Yan-ho, as expected, did not disappoint his expectations.

And shouldn’t a person with any sense not spout such nonsense about getting sick from washing too often at a medical hall!

If they had any sense, that is!

“Ugh.”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Jin So-ah’s expression and lowered his head to sniff his own clothes.

“Sniff sniff.”

Then he shrugged his shoulders.

“It’s fine.”

‘If that’s fine, then the neighborhood beggars must have caught cleanliness disease.‘

But Jin So-ah couldn’t bring himself to voice his inner thoughts. Even when facing a person who had completely abandoned basic human decency, Jin So-ah was someone who didn’t let go of that last thread of courtesy. This is why family education is important.

Wei Yan-ho examined his body a couple of times, then went back to tearing at the duck leg.

People who had learned ascending martial arts that utilized internal energy always had circulating qi, so dust didn’t stick well and their bodies were kept clean.

But even that had limits.

The energies flowing through the body desperately performed self-purification, but cleaning Wei Yan-ho’s body was beyond their capability. At minimum, he needed to wash once a month or at least change his clothes for the purification to have any effect.

No matter how clean the body was, there was no way to cleanse the clothing he was wearing.

Rather, in the process of expelling the heat energy absorbed from food through his pores, foreign substances were being absorbed into his clothing, making it dirtier day by day.

“I’ll prepare bath water, so you should wash…”

“Why bother with such troublesome things?”

‘If that’s troublesome, you shouldn’t be living.‘

Jin So-ah once again suppressed the words rising from within.

If he said everything he wanted to say, he might become mortal enemies with this person. He couldn’t get into a brawl with a guest who had come to see his father!

But Jin So-ah, who absolutely couldn’t keep his mouth shut, spoke heavily.