CLS-Chapter 62

Chapter 62

A hero filled with righteousness beyond compare in the world, and one who proved through the famous Ten-Year Martial Tournament that his sword technique had reached the pinnacle of mastery.

Though his son, Evil Horse Sword Wei San-ho, was renowned as the greatest rising star of the later generation and the foremost hero of his time, before the name of Righteous Hero Sword Wei Jeong-han, he was still like a firefly before the sun.

No matter that Ghost Lady was the daughter of the Hao Clan leader and the head of the Hao Clan’s Kaifeng branch, she was not someone who could face him based on such background alone. At the very least, her father, the Hao Clan leader himself, would need to come for the ranks to match.

“It is an honor that the Righteous Hero Sword has come to visit.”

Ghost Lady bowed her head respectfully.

For now, she had to lower her posture.

Though the Righteous Hero Sword was a hero filled with righteousness, to those who went against righteousness, he was more fearsome than any demon.

“Pleased to meet you.”

“What matter brings you here?”

“Ah, well, I…”

Wei Jeong-han stammered a bit in confusion.

He had come thinking that since this was the Hao Clan, some shifty-looking man would appear and he could grab him by the collar and shout ‘Where did my son go?’, but when a young woman appeared instead, he was at a loss for what to say first.

“The thing is…”

As Wei Jeong-han hesitated, Han Sang-ah, who had been watching him with sharp eyes, pushed him aside.

“Move!”

“Hey!”

Han Sang-ah scolded Wei Jeong-han as if exasperated.

“We’re busy as hell, so why do you keep stuttering? Stuttering!”

“No, Sang-ah. What I meant was…”

“Be quiet!”

“Yes.”

Han Sang-ah turned her head sharply to look at Ghost Lady.

Ghost Lady, who had been watching in bewilderment as the great Righteous Hero Sword Wei Jeong-han was being treated like a neighborhood uncle, flinched and bowed her head slightly when Han Sang-ah’s gaze turned to her.

Her experience and education were not in vain, as she instantly grasped who held the real power here.

“Are you the one in charge, young lady?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“The thing is… we’ve come looking for my son who sent a letter from here.”

Ghost Lady sighed. Fortunately, this was what she had expected.

“Are you referring to Young Master Wei Yeon-ho?”

“That’s right.”

“Young Master Wei Yeon-ho has gone to Sacred Hand Hall. He should have arrived by now.”

“Sacred Hand Hall?”

“It’s a medical institution in Hubei.”

Han Sang-ah frowned.

“Why a medical institution?”

Ghost Lady shook her head.

“We don’t know that much either. All we know is that Young Master Wei Yeon-ho headed to Sacred Hand Hall in Hubei. Before that, he was at Hanrim Grand Academy.”

“Hanrim Grand Academy?”

“It’s a scholarly institution run by Three Excellence Grand Scholar Moon Yu-hwan. He was there until recently.”

“A scholarly institution? You’re saying Yeon-ho went to a scholarly institution?”

Han Sang-ah’s eyes widened in disbelief. The Wei Yeon-ho she knew would die before going to a scholarly institution to study.

“In any case, he was there until recently and has now gone to Sacred Hand Hall.”

Han Sang-ah nodded.

Whatever the situation, if that’s what happened, there was nothing more to ask about.

Then, Wei Jeong-han stepped forward and asked.

“How does the young lady know this?”

“Pardon?”

Wei Jeong-han’s eyes had sunk low.

“My son is naturally so lazy that even if he had some purpose, he’s not the type to maintain separate contact with you, young lady. I’m asking how you know that such a child stayed at Hanrim Grand Academy until recently and has now headed to Sacred Hand Hall.”

Suddenly, Ghost Lady’s spine went cold.

Wei Jeong-han was now asking whether she had perhaps been monitoring Wei Yeon-ho. The answer was simple, but if that answer didn’t please Wei Jeong-han, she couldn’t even imagine what might happen.

Ghost Lady’s mind raced furiously.

She couldn’t get a sense of how to respond. If Wei Jeong-han judged that she had been monitoring him with some purpose, Ghost Lady might not be able to avoid disaster today.

To practice heroism meant, in other words, that countless demons had been turned into wandering souls by his sword point. There was no one called a hero who didn’t possess a deadly heart.

“That is…”

“You’d better answer honestly.”

Wei Jeong-han’s intimidating presence pressed down on Ghost Lady. It was difficult to breathe.

Unlike the intimidating presence she had received from Wei Yeon-ho before, she felt a heavy, strong force pressing down on her.

Craaack!

At that moment, a sharp sound rang out as Wei Jeong-han jumped up from his spot.

“Gaaaah!”

Han Sang-ah grabbed Wei Jeong-han’s ear and pulled him backward.

“Sang-ah! It hurts! I said it hurts!”

“You stay back. How many times do I have to tell you not to butt in!”

“No, what I meant was…”

“Be quiet!”

“Yes.”

Wei Jeong-han deflated.

Han Sang-ah looked at Wei Jeong-han with a pitiful expression and clicked her tongue.

“If a grown woman knows the whereabouts of a grown man, it’s obvious what that means. Why are you interrogating her about it?”

“Pardon?”

Ghost Lady found herself asking back without realizing it.

Then Han Sang-ah took Ghost Lady’s hand firmly with a much softer expression.

“So, our Yeon-ho is in Hubei?”

“Ah, yes! That’s correct.”

“I see. Then could you tell us exactly where Sacred Hand Hall in Hubei is? We’re new to the Hubei area, so just hearing ‘Hubei’ makes it hard to find.”

“Yes. That’s not too difficult. But…”

“Is there some problem?”

“We can’t know how long Young Hero Wei Yeon-ho will stay at Sacred Hand Hall. He didn’t stay at Hanrim Grand Academy for very long either.”

Han Sang-ah tilted her head.

What did that matter?

“If you’re unlucky, Young Hero Wei Yeon-ho might leave Sacred Hand Hall while you’re on your way there. Then you’d make a wasted trip to Sacred Hand Hall.”

Wei Jeong-han suddenly stepped forward.

“Then couldn’t we just ask Sacred Hand Hall where he went?”

“If that were possible, it would be fortunate, but if Young Hero Wei should leave Sacred Hand Hall without stating his destination… it won’t be easy to find Young Hero Wei in all of Hubei.”

Wei Jeong-han, having spent time rolling around in the martial world, understood what Ghost Lady’s words implied.

“So, to know exactly where the boy went, we’d need to borrow the Hao Clan’s information network?”

“That’s not what I’m saying. The Guangdong Wei Family would be able to find him eventually. But we could provide modest assistance in reducing that time.”

“In what manner?”

“If one of our information agents accompanies you to check and report Young Master Wei Yeon-ho’s whereabouts as they develop, there would be no chance of losing the trail midway.”

Wei Jeong-han looked at Ghost Lady quietly.

“The price?”

“We don’t seek such things. However, we’d like you to remember that the Hao Clan tried to assist the Guangdong Wei Family.”

Wei Jeong-han smiled.

It meant they wouldn’t take money, but wanted him to think of it as owing them a debt.

Others might not matter, but for someone of Wei Jeong-han’s stature, that small debt could have value equivalent to hundreds of gold coins.

‘Smart and quick to assess situations. And to be so composed before me…’

Though her complexion wasn’t good from nervousness, he quite liked how she hid her trembling legs while securing what she needed.

“What is your name?”

“Mo San-ah. People call me Ghost Lady.”

“Mo… As I understand it, the Hao Clan leader bears such a surname?”

“He is my father.”

Wei Jeong-han nodded.

“It’s not the Hao Clan but you, young lady, who pleases me. I’ll consider myself indebted to you, young lady. Within the bounds of righteousness and propriety, I will repay this debt to you in the future.”

Ghost Lady felt her strength drain at Wei Jeong-han’s response.

The debt was acknowledged, but limited to her affairs, not the Hao Clan’s. Moreover, if it went against righteousness and propriety, he couldn’t grant any request.

She had tried to create a debt, but too many conditions were attached.

‘Still, this much…’

This was none other than Righteous Hero Sword Wei Jeong-han speaking.

Though conditions were attached, his word was worth a thousand gold.

It could be seen as gaining a significant benefit.

“Thank you for the Great Hero’s kindness.”

“I’m the one who received kindness. Very well. So, who will guide us?”

Then, Han Sang-ah clicked her tongue as if exasperated.

“Tsk tsk tsk.“

When Han Sang-ah clicked her tongue, Wei Jeong-han unconsciously shrank back.

“Why now?”

“Don’t you have any sense?”

“What sense now…”

“Sigh, how did I end up connected to such a man.”

Wei Jeong-han became infinitely small without understanding why.

Han Sang-ah paid no attention to Wei Jeong-han and approached Ghost Lady again, taking her hand firmly.

“So, how old are you?”

“Pardon? I’m twenty-six now.”

Han Sang-ah frowned briefly, then spoke with a bright smile again.

“I see. Are both your parents well?”

“Father is in good health, but Mother passed away when I was young.”

“You must have suffered much. It’s fine. In times like these, there’s no reason for such things to be a flaw.”

Ghost Lady sweated profusely with a confused expression.

What on earth was this situation?

“You, what are you doing?”

Wei Jeong-han, also confused, tried to stop Han Sang-ah. But when Han Sang-ah’s eyes sharpened, he stepped back without another word and squeezed his eyes shut.

“I see. You look rather frail, but can you make it to Hubei?”

“Pardon?”

Though Ghost Lady asked back in confusion, Han Sang-ah was unstoppable.

“I’m grateful you offered to guide us, but it’s a long journey for you to handle.”

Ghost Lady, who was about to shout about what nonsense this was, closed her mouth and thought.

The Guangdong Wei Family.

It wasn’t a family widely known to the world, but it was a family rising like the sun based solely on Righteous Hero Sword Wei Jeong-han’s reputation and Evil Horse Sword Wei San-ho’s name.

‘And there’s Wei Yeon-ho.’

Though he had a strange appearance, his martial prowess alone was real. No matter how Wei San-ho was called the greatest master of the later generation, he probably couldn’t match Wei Yeon-ho’s martial arts.

Done well, the Guangdong Wei Family could not only rival the Five Great Families but could be discussed as the greatest family in the world twenty years from now.

There was no way it would be a loss to establish ties with such a family. Having calculated this, Ghost Lady bloomed with a bright smile.

“Don’t worry, Mother. I may look like this, but I’m quite sturdy. I’ll prepare quickly and return, so please wait just a moment.”

Ghost Lady bowed and hurried out of the room.

Wei Jeong-han approached Han Sang-ah, who was watching Ghost Lady with a pleased smile.

“Sang-ah, don’t you think this is a bit excessive? From what I can see, that young lady doesn’t seem to have any particular feelings for Yeon-ho…”

Han Sang-ah looked at Wei Jeong-han with pitying eyes.

“Do you think Yeon-ho will ever be able to marry?”

“…No.”

Wei Jeong-han answered honestly.

For Wei Yeon-ho, whose entire life consisted of lounging around at home, meeting a woman was impossible. They’d have to arrange an engagement by force, but that would be unconscionable. Wouldn’t that be turning some other family’s daughter into a young widow?

“When he wasn’t around, it wasn’t something to worry about, but now that Yeon-ho has returned, we need to start preparing. He’s of age too!”

“But that young lady…”

“If there’s even a little favorable feeling, we can work with it.”

Wei Jeong-han became speechless.

“If she doesn’t dislike him, they’ll grow fond of each other through frequent meetings, and moving together as families will naturally develop affection… There’s plenty of possibility. Being a bit older is a flaw, but she’s smart and pretty, so we have to accept the age difference. Since our boy is lazy and pathetic, he couldn’t handle anyone less clever than her.”

Wei Jeong-han looked at Han Sang-ah with trembling eyes.

Mothers were strong.

And shortly after, Ghost Lady, unaware of anything, returned with her luggage prepared. Seeing the two women smiling brightly at each other, Wei Jeong-han squeezed his eyes shut.

Thinking of Wei Yeon-ho, who would have to handle both of them, his heart felt heavy.

To men, women were always fearsome beings.