CLS-Chapter 617

Chapter 617:

What scares you the most?

The night? Or maybe a tiger? Perhaps ghosts?

No, no.

The scariest thing in the world is people. People are the most frightening.

You know why, don’t you?

That’s right. No matter how scary a tiger might be, it doesn’t kill people without reason. Whether it’s hungry or someone invaded its territory… We can’t know for certain, but there’s some reasonable cause behind it.

Ghosts? Something without even a physical form…

Well, maybe they do exist.

Baek Mu-han could be considered a ghost in some ways. According to Wei Yan-ho’s words, that is.

Anyway!

But people don’t have such things.

There’s no reason when people attack people. No, there are too many reasons.

Starting from simply ‘I felt bad’ to ‘I don’t like how they look,’ ‘they’re too handsome,’ ‘they’re unlucky’… If you really think about it, there are countless reasons.

So humans are the most dangerous. This is just too obvious.

But people usually don’t think about such things while living. Do you know why?

What? Because there are too many people around?

Did you even attend a village school? Your state of thinking doesn’t seem very good.

Ahem, right. I didn’t mean to ignore you, so don’t get angry.

Anyway, it’s not like that. The reason people can live facing other people is very simple. It’s because of the belief that communication will work.

Huh? You don’t understand what I mean?

So you really didn’t attend village school…

No, why are you getting angry? Being ignorant isn’t a crime. Look at Wei Yan-ho. The kid couldn’t even finish the Thousand Character Classic but became a hero who saved the world.

Goodness, dealing with people.

Anyway, since you don’t understand, I’ll explain it to you.

Imagine you meet someone for the first time. You speak to that person, but instead of talking back, they just quietly stare at you.

You’d feel bad, wouldn’t you? Uncomfortable, right?

Why? Because they’re ignoring you?

No, that’s not it.

It’s because communication doesn’t work. People communicate with each other through words. If the other person won’t try to talk with you, people inevitably feel anxious.

Because you can’t control the other person through conversation.

A person you can’t communicate with becomes scarier than any beast.

So think about it.

Imagine peak martial masters who can’t communicate, who have lost their reason, all with bloodshot eyes, running toward you like mad.

I’ve actually experienced quite a lot, haven’t I?

I’ve experienced those terrifying Demonic Cult bastards chasing me with their swords drawn. That was truly a hellish experience.

Even now, I can confidently say about that experience alone: no one under Heaven has probably had an experience like mine.

But this was different.

It wasn’t just simply ‘dangerous’ or ‘I might die’… that kind of problem. When they all started running toward us at once, it was somehow…

Hmm…

I slightly pissed… No, no. That’s not it!

Anyway, it was really…

Huh? Did I wet myself?

…Let’s move on.

***

“Hiiiiiiiiiek!”

Beggars rarely have reason for their feet to sweat.

First, beggars rarely get to wear proper shoes, and second, they’re people with nothing urgent in the world. Other beggars might be different, but at least Jang-il was like that.

Jang-il was literally running until a dog’s feet… no, until a beggar’s feet were sweating.

“Kaaaaaaaack!”

“Kiiiiiiiii!”

Eerie sounds came from behind.

“Uaaaah! Stop making those weird sounds!”

It gave him goosebumps. His knees went weak.

Jang-il was realizing for the first time that a situation where humans chase humans could be this terrifying.

If you could still call those people human, that is.

Jang-il glanced back.

“…Hiieek!”

This was no joke.

The sight of Shaolin and Wudang disciples in their monk robes and Taoist robes, foaming at the mouth as they ran, was creating an eeriness that couldn’t be felt anywhere else in the world.

Even Buddha or the Primordial Heavenly Venerate would turn away upon seeing that sight.

“D-do something about this!”

“You beggar bastard!”

Wei Yan-ho glared at Jang-il with fierce eyes even while running.

“This is all because of who!”

“Did only I do wrong? Only me?”

“Then who else did wrong besides you, you bastard!”

“No…”

He had nothing to say.

“I was trying to do well!”

“Damn it!”

Wei Yan-ho spat fire from his mouth.

“If you think you’re causing trouble wherever you go, don’t do anything! It’s not like others told you to do something! Don’t try to do well! Just don’t do anything! Anything!”

“No, you’re…”

Huh? That’s right, isn’t it?

Come to think of it, Wei Yan-ho never tried to step forward and do anything himself.

Isn’t this true consistency between words and actions?

“I-it’s already happened, so what are we going to do about it? What are we going to do about that?”

“Grrrr!”

Wei Yan-ho looked back.

‘This won’t work.’

Running away wasn’t a problem.

Actually, to tell the truth, Wei Yan-ho’s group had now become experts at escaping. No matter who chased them, they would never get caught. If they had to, they could run to the ends of the earth.

But those people were different.

“Keu-euk! Keu-eu-euk!”

‘If it’s hard, then don’t chase us!’

They were panting as if they might collapse at any moment. No matter how much of a martial artist you are, after not eating or drinking anything for several days while having your life force drained like that, it wouldn’t be strange if they fell over and died right now. And such people were using all their strength to chase them like this?

‘They’ll all die at this rate!’

Wei Yan-ho wasn’t the one who created that plague. Of course, since Wei Yan-ho was the one who spread the Sword Emperor’s Manual, he couldn’t say he had no moral responsibility, but he didn’t feel any sense of duty that he should risk his life to save them.

Even if it weren’t for him, the Sword Emperor’s Manual would have eventually spread. And it wasn’t like he knew and spread it intentionally—Wei Yan-ho didn’t know at the time, so how could he have prevented it?

So he had no intention of taking responsibility.

However!

‘This situation is different!’

Thanks to that stupid beggar bastard’s foolish act, the situation had become like this. This wasn’t much different from them directly killing all those people.

‘This can’t go on!’

They had to stop them somehow. Though the meaning of ‘stop’ was a bit different.

“Let’s stop them!”

“What?”

“Those gentlemen!”

When Wei Yan-ho pointed behind them, intense reactions naturally poured out.

“Hey, you crazy bastard! If you want to die, die alone!”

“Amitabha, suicide is a sin, benefactor. But since the benefactor has committed more than one or two sins, what would change if you added one more? I wish you good luck.”

“My lord, you should think before you speak. Just blurting out whatever comes to mind isn’t speech!”

“Try it. There’s nothing bad about trying, right? Of course, I won’t do it.”

Friendship.

Wei Yan-ho felt true friendship in these words.

These pieces of trash.

“They’re all going to die at this rate!”

Zhuge Mun-in shouted intensely.

“It’s unfortunate that they’re dying, but saying you’ll die together because it’s unfortunate isn’t a good solution!”

You should say something that makes sense!

That was worse than the Demonic Cult.

It really looked like a wave dyed with blood was surging toward them. Stopping that with a human body?

Zhuge Mun-in quietly turned his head.

“Kaaaaaaaack! Aaaaack!”

“Kii-eek! Kii-ii-eek! Keu-ka-ka-ka!”

No, this won’t work.

They no longer looked human. Now there were even some running on all fours.

Even if all those people were cured, if they retained their memories, wouldn’t they die of shame worrying about these disgraceful appearances? Of course, right now Zhuge Mun-in wasn’t in a position to worry about them.

The probability of him being brutally murdered before they died of shame was much higher.

“Still!”

At that moment, Wei Jeong-han shouted.

“We can’t just watch people die! We have to stop them!”

Great, hero.

You say such things, but your legs are honest. You’re running incredibly fast, aren’t you?

“Let’s come up with a method!”

“We’ll die doing that!”

“If it’s for righteousness, shouldn’t a man be able to throw away his life like grass! Is your life precious?”

Of course it’s precious, you fool!

Zhuge Mun-in could now understand why Wei Jeong-han’s infamy was so great in the past. A fool obsessed with justice was scarier than a villain.

“Even if we’re talking about a method…”

How on earth could they stop that?

“I-I have an idea…”

“Hey!”

“Shut up! Beggar!”

“You just stay put! Really just stay put!”

The moment Jang-il opened his mouth, curses and insults flew from all directions. Judging by the killing intent in their voices, even if they survived here, their survival probability wouldn’t increase.

“No, I really have a good idea! Listen!”

“What?”

“So, those gentlemen are chasing us because they see us moving, right?”

“If you’re going to say we should stand still, I’ll pluck out every hair on your head!”

“Of course, Shaolin wouldn’t accept you even if you did that. We don’t want beggars either.”

“What’s the difference between a monk and a beggar!”

“Whether you beg for food or receive it as alms.”

“…Isn’t that the same thing?”

The concept was getting slightly ambiguous.

“Anyway, their attention is focused on this direction right now! So, if we roughly throw someone as a sacrifice, wouldn’t they all swarm toward that direction?”

“…”

“…”

Even while their legs were moving violently, everyone stared blankly at Jang-il.

They said he was crazy, said he was crazy, but they didn’t think he’d really be this crazy.

“N-no, it’s better than everyone dying.”

Jang-il protested as if wronged.

And there was, of course, someone who fully understood his sense of injustice. Jang-il always had a good friend who would seriously consider his words anywhere, anytime.

“That’s pretty good?”

But that wasn’t necessarily good for Jang-il.

When Wei Yan-ho agreed, Jang-il was horrified.

“N-no, I think I thought wrong.”

“Why? It’s good though?”

“Seeing that you think it’s good, it’s definitely wrong! Let’s just pretend it never happened…”

Grab.

At that moment, Wei Yan-ho reached out and grabbed Jang-il’s shoulder. Even while running, Jang-il’s head slowly turned toward Wei Yan-ho.

It’s not that, right?

It’s not like that, right?

No, it’s not, right?

“You had a good thought for once.”

“…N-no!”

“Have you heard this saying?”

“What? What!”

“The one who ties the knot should untie it!”

“N-no. You, what are you doing now… No, what I said wasn’t that!”

At that moment, Wei Yan-ho lifted the struggling Jang-il without any hesitation.

“Hey, you crazy bastard!”

Then he threw the flailing Jang-il backward without a moment’s hesitation.

“Huh…”

“Hii-eek?”

“A-Amitabha?”

The group’s eyes popped out.

He’s really doing that? Really that?

Everyone stared blankly at the scene. A desperate scream burst from Jang-il’s mouth as he flew through the air and fell among those chasing them.

“Wei Yan-hoooooooooo!”

“Keel-keel-keel-keel.”

Jang-il’s agonized cry and Wei Yan-ho’s laughter mixed together, creating the most extraordinary music that would never be heard again in the world.