CLS-Chapter 610

Chapter 610:

“The Family Head has not moved.”

Baek Hoe-myeong’s face hardened.

His defeat would have already reached the Family Head’s ears. Since Cheon Ryu-geom had heard the news and moved, it was impossible that the Family Head didn’t know the situation.

But why wasn’t he moving?

‘At the very least, some orders…’

If he wasn’t going to move and do something himself, shouldn’t he at least give Baek Hoe-myeong some guidance?

But why?

“The Family Head is…”

Baek Hoe-myeong, who was about to say something, tightly closed his mouth. After hesitating for a long time, Baek Hoe-myeong opened his mouth with a hardened expression.

“Uncle.”

“Speak.”

“I cannot understand the Family Head’s intentions at all.”

This time it was Cheon Ryu-geom who closed his mouth.

Not understanding the Family Head’s intentions was the same for him as well.

It hadn’t been like this in the past.

In the past, Cheon Ryu-geom had clearly been someone who understood the Family Head. He understood his anguish and deeply felt his pain. And Cheon Ryu-geom was the one who supported the path he was taking.

But not anymore.

‘Elder brother…’

The Family Head had changed at some point. Now he could no longer feel the passion of the past, nor the motivation. At some point, the Family Head who had settled in the garden seemed to be gradually losing his strength.

What on earth had made him like that?

Cheon Ryu-geom let out a deep sigh.

People begin to rot the moment they give up on conversation. Even those trapped in their own stubbornness and prejudices still engage in minimal conversation. But the Family Head was now refusing conversation itself.

They exchange words and discuss thoughts, but he never reveals what’s in the deepest part of his heart. What kind of conversation could there be like that?

“This is war. A war to settle everything up to now and open a new era. Haven’t we been preparing for this war for three hundred years?”

“That’s right.”

“But I cannot understand at all why the Family Head isn’t personally conducting that war. Why on earth… why on earth isn’t the Family Head stepping forward?”

Anger was evident in Baek Hoe-myeong’s voice.

No matter how middle-aged he might be, the Family Head and the Young Family Head were clearly different. Not only the power that the name carried, but also the actual authority was different.

For a matter of this magnitude, it should clearly be the Family Head, not him, who stepped forward.

If not that, then at least he should have passed down the position of Family Head. That way there would be justification for the Family Head not moving.

But the Family Head hadn’t done that.

While keeping the position of Family Head for himself, he had entrusted all the work he should be doing to Baek Hoe-myeong. As a result, a situation had arisen where Baek Hoe-myeong, who only held the position of Young Family Head, was struggling alone.

‘Why on earth?’

The Family Head he remembered wasn’t like this.

He was someone more passionate than anyone else, more motivated than anyone else. Even just thinking about ten years ago, it would have been unimaginable that the Family Head wouldn’t personally step forward in the war he had been preparing for his entire life.

“I am…”

“Young Family Head.”

Cheon Ryu-geom cut off Baek Hoe-myeong’s words.

“Yes, Uncle.”

“I too cannot understand the Family Head’s intentions. There probably isn’t anyone who can know why he is like that.”

“…”

“But that doesn’t mean the Family Head is wrong.”

“Pardon?”

Baek Hoe-myeong looked at Cheon Ryu-geom with puzzled eyes.

“Great causes are originally like that. To the eyes of small people, they seem pathetic and foolish. Isn’t it too natural that a sparrow cannot guess the will of a phoenix?”

“…That’s right.”

“Young Family Head, the Family Head is great.”

Baek Hoe-myeong nodded.

Who could deny that?

If one were to choose the greatest talent since the Sword Emperor appeared in the Ten Thousand Swords Baek Family, naturally the current Family Head should be chosen. No, even including those before him, it would be the same.

If not for Sword Emperor Baek Mu-han, no one would dare challenge the Family Head’s status. Wasn’t he someone who had reached a place where there was nowhere higher to climb, both as the head of the Ten Thousand Swords Baek Family and as a martial artist?

It was impossible for them to carelessly guess the intentions of such a person. That was certain, but…

He couldn’t accept it.

No matter how much he thought about it, the current Family Head was not reasonable. Anyone who looked would inevitably feel something strange.

“Uncle, I am…”

“Young Family Head.”

Once again, Cheon Ryu-geom cut off Baek Hoe-myeong’s words.

“How could I not know what kind of feelings the Young Family Head has?”

“…”

“I understand. Why wouldn’t I know that it’s frustrating and difficult? But isn’t that something the Young Family Head must bear?”

“…That’s right.”

“Don’t try to rely on the Family Head. Even if everyone in the world does so, the Young Family Head alone must not. The Young Family Head is someone who will one day ascend to that Family Head’s position. The Family Head can’t help the Young Family Head for his entire life, can he?”

Baek Hoe-myeong nodded.

“Don’t try to seek help. Try to have the Family Head’s status yourself. This old man is already too late. But the Young Family Head is not too late yet.”

“Rather, it should be those younger brothers.”

“Not even close.”

Cheon Ryu-geom was firm.

“It’s not because you’re the eldest son. Those children cannot even come close to the Young Family Head. They might be superior to the Young Family Head as martial artists. They might become stronger in the future. But those children cannot become the Family Head. The Baek Family is not such an easy place that we would hand over the position of Family Head to children who only know the authority of being the head of the Ten Thousand Swords Baek Family but don’t realize the heavy responsibility!”

Rather, Cheon Ryu-geom was more angry.

“Young Family Head!”

“Yes.”

“Have confidence in yourself. The Young Family Head might think he ascended to the position of Young Family Head through blood relations, but that’s not it. If you hadn’t been qualified, even if the Young Family Head were the eldest son and legitimate heir of the Baek Family, you would never have been able to ascend to the position of Young Family Head. The Young Family Head is someone recognized by the Family Head and me! And the other elders.”

Baek Hoe-myeong’s face became resolute.

“I will keep that in mind, Uncle.”

“Yes, that’s sufficient. If there’s something that can’t be done with the Young Family Head’s current strength, I will help. Though I’m inadequate compared to the Family Head, I should still be of some help.”

“What are you saying? If Uncle helps me, there’s nothing that can’t be done!”

“Hearing you say that gives me strength too.”

Cheon Ryu-geom secretly let out a sigh while looking at Baek Hoe-myeong, who had finally regained his spirit.

‘Wei Yan-ho…’

What was making Baek Hoe-myeong suffer now wasn’t the burden of the current situation.

Perhaps Baek Hoe-myeong himself didn’t know, but right now Baek Hoe-myeong’s vision was clouded by his inferiority complex toward Wei Yan-ho.

But Cheon Ryu-geom didn’t want to blame Baek Hoe-myeong.

Wei Yan-ho was too outstanding to criticize feeling inferior when compared to him.

‘Why did Heaven send such a monster into this world?’

He was someone even Cheon Ryu-geom couldn’t handle.

How deep was the despair Cheon Ryu-geom felt the moment he was defeated by Wei Yan-ho? Even Cheon Ryu-geom, who had experienced countless storms in the world and had laid down all his pride in himself, received such a blow that it was difficult to recover.

Then what about the despair that Baek Hoe-myeong, whose fighting spirit was still alive, felt?

It would be at an indescribable level.

“Young Family Head.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

“Wei Yan-ho must be killed.”

“…I think so too.”

Baek Hoe-myeong gritted his teeth.

Wei Yan-ho.

Just hearing those three syllables made his teeth chatter. If not for Wei Yan-ho, by now they would have been planting white swords in the main headquarters of the Righteous Martial Alliance. If he hadn’t repeatedly interfered with their work, by now Gangho would have long since fallen into their hands.

“But there’s one concern.”

“What is it?”

“Dealing with Wei Yan-ho is not an easy matter. If we exhaust our full strength to bring down that bastard, what should we do about the Demonic Cult…?”

“Hmm.”

Cheon Ryu-geom also nodded.

They and the Demonic Cult were merely on the same boat, not one body. They were like people who had boarded a large ship together while being wary of each other. There probably wasn’t a case where the phrase “strange bedfellows” fit so well.

If this war ended with their victory, they would inevitably have to face off against the Demonic Cult. If they suffered massive damage while bringing down Wei Yan-ho, they might not be able to handle that confrontation.

“Even so, it’s something that must be done.”

“But…”

“Have you forgotten? Wei Yan-ho has always blocked our path. Wherever we tried to do something, Wei Yan-ho was always there.”

This was what frustrated Baek Hoe-myeong the most. Wei Yan-ho found and interfered with what they were doing with ghostly accuracy.

Sometimes he thought it was going too far. How could Wei Yan-ho know and come to every place where they were causing trouble? They had tried so hard to hide their information!

“This isn’t something possible through human effort. In the end, we must see Wei Yan-ho as our adversary sent by Heaven.”

“…”

“If we don’t deal with Wei Yan-ho now, we will ultimately be defeated.”

“To that extent?”

“It might be this old man’s senility. But this anxiety won’t go away.”

Cheon Ryu-geom spoke firmly.

“Even if the Young Family Head doesn’t agree, I must go to kill Wei Yan-ho. Though it’s amusing that I’m saying this after asking for orders.”

“How could I not agree? I trust Uncle’s judgment.”

“I’m grateful.”

Cheon Ryu-geom turned his head.

“So where is Wei Yan-ho now?”

“It seems he’s headed to Hefei.”

“Hefei?”

“Yes.”

“He’s chosen an appropriate place for a grave.”

The corners of Cheon Ryu-geom’s mouth curled up.

Wei Yan-ho probably wasn’t thinking at all that someone was targeting him right now. Those who achieve complete victory don’t prepare for the war that follows.

That’s when reversals happen.

Early celebrations have always brought disaster since ancient times.

“Then let’s go kick that bastard’s ass.”

“Yes, Uncle.”

Baek Hoe-myeong quietly followed behind Cheon Ryu-geom as he walked ahead.

Now that even his uncle had come, Wei Yan-ho would never be able to handle the White Sword Castle. This time was truly the opportunity to cut off Wei Yan-ho’s tenacious life.

But…

‘Will it really be so?’

Wei Yan-ho had always exceeded their expectations. According to their calculations, Wei Yan-ho should have died ten more times by now.

‘It’s not enough.’

Perfect strength isn’t enough. There needs to be something more than that. Something that can definitely kill Wei Yan-ho. A powerful net that even a divine dragon stirring the heavens cannot escape!

Baek Hoe-myeong’s eyes narrowed.

‘I think it’s a bit early, but it can’t be helped.’

There was nothing more important to them right now than killing Wei Yan-ho. If that was the case, then Baek Hoe-myeong also had to make a decision.

Perhaps this moment might be the one that determines the direction of this war.

Baek Hoe-myeong clenched his fist.

‘This time is truly the last, Wei Yan-ho. I will definitely cut off that tenacious life of yours.’

Baek Hoe-myeong walked out with resolute steps.

Feeling the momentum from behind, Cheon Ryu-geom unconsciously smiled.

‘That’s how it should be.’

The Ten Thousand Swords Baek Family had been defeated.

But it wouldn’t end with defeat.

They would wash away the defeat with Wei Yan-ho’s head and achieve eternal victory.

“Let’s go.”

“Yes!”

The Ten Thousand Swords began moving again.