CLS-Chapter 624

Chapter 624:

The mind of the Sacred Hand Hall Master following Divine Strategist was a bit more complicated than expected.

‘Wei Yan-ho…’

He had heard the name countless times, but had never seen Wei Yan-ho in person.

‘What kind of person is he?’

Only then did the Sacred Hand Hall Master realize a rather curious fact.

He’s not talked about.

Wei Yan-ho, that is.

‘That’s strange.’

Of course, the achievements Wei Yan-ho had accomplished were still spreading throughout the world even now.

The achievements themselves were so remarkable, and with Divine Strategist fanning the flames from the side, they were spreading like sails catching a favorable wind.

But Wei Yan-ho himself wasn’t part of those stories.

What this meant was that while everyone could accept the stories and pace at which Wei Yan-ho’s accomplishments and how remarkable they were spread, no one was curious about what kind of person Wei Yan-ho was, and no one spoke about it.

Wasn’t that strange?

‘Even I know nothing about him at all.’

Even the Sacred Hand Hall Master, who was treating those Wei Yan-ho had rescued, knew little about what kind of person Wei Yan-ho was.

That was understandable, since no one had told him such stories.

From that perspective, Wei Yan-ho could be called a truly mysterious figure. Stories about him were circulating throughout the realm, but there were extremely few who could say they had actually met him or knew him well.

And even that small number rarely brought up stories about Wei Yan-ho to others. Even though knowing Wei Yan-ho in the current martial world could be sufficient grounds for pride.

“Strategist.”

“Mm?”

“It may be strange for me to say this now, but what kind of person is Wei Yan-ho?”

“……”

Divine Strategist looked at the Sacred Hand Hall Master with slightly dazed eyes.

“You’re asking that now?”

“I do think it’s a bit strange, but truthfully, there aren’t many people who know what kind of person Wei Yan-ho is. He’s someone who has no interactions with others…”

“It’s not that he has no interactions…”

“Then?”

“No. You’ll understand when we get there.”

Divine Strategist shook his head vigorously. Then he began walking ahead with even faster steps.

‘But is this really okay?’

They were currently at war. While the fierce battles had cooled down somewhat, giving them some breathing room, the fact that they were still in the middle of a war hadn’t changed.

And the busiest person during this war was undoubtedly Divine Strategist. Now that Quan Ji had lost his life at their hands and the Alliance Leader’s position was vacant, he had to take on the roles of both strategist and Alliance Leader simultaneously.

He couldn’t understand why such an incredibly busy person would go through the trouble of taking him to Wei Yan-ho.

“But is there a particular reason I need to meet him?”

“Well, that’s…”

“Yes.”

“…That fellow has a bit of a problem right now.”

“A problem?”

“It’s not that serious a problem… No. It is a serious problem. I think you need to take a look at him.”

The Sacred Hand Hall Master tilted his head.

A problem… was he saying Wei Yan-ho had a problem?

‘Ah…’

The Sacred Hand Hall Master suddenly understood.

‘He’s been injured.’

It was entirely possible.

Considering the number of people Wei Yan-ho had rescued, and given that they had been subdued without any major battle wounds, it wouldn’t be strange at all if Wei Yan-ho had been injured while rescuing them.

No, thinking about it coldly, successfully accomplishing such a task didn’t make sense. It was naturally an impossible feat.

‘Then why didn’t he come to Sacred Hand Hall…’

The Sacred Hand Hall Master furrowed his brow slightly.

Well, of course.

Everyone in the world was praising his heroic deeds. It wasn’t simply a matter of seeking glory. Now that Quan Ji had presumptuously died, the person serving as the spiritual pillar of the Righteous Martial Alliance wasn’t Divine Strategist, but Wei Yan-ho.

If word got out that such a Wei Yan-ho had suffered critical injuries, morale would plummet drastically. So they would have had to hide that fact.

‘Even so, you should have told me, Strategist.’

Sacred Hand Hall wasn’t called Sacred Hand Hall for nothing. It existed to treat patients. But if they hid such facts from the Sacred Hand Hall Master, what were they planning to do?

“Is the problem serious?”

“…I’m not sure whether to call this serious or not serious, but in any case, you do need to take a look.”

“I understand for now.”

Seeing that Divine Strategist wouldn’t speak properly, it seemed the situation wasn’t very favorable. The Sacred Hand Hall Master looked at Wei Yan-ho’s lodging with slightly tense eyes.

‘That place?’

It was the guest hall where the alliance’s important guests stayed, Dragon Hall.

Only the most important figures as judged by the alliance could stay in Dragon Hall. People like sect leaders of the Nine Great Sects, heads of the Five Great Families, or high officials from the Imperial Palace.

The fact that he was staying there proved how important Wei Yan-ho was to the current Righteous Martial Alliance.

The guards protecting Dragon Hall saw Divine Strategist and bowed respectfully.

“Is he inside?”

“…Pardon?”

“No, never mind. I asked something pointless. He must be inside, naturally.”

Divine Strategist shook his head and entered Dragon Hall. The Sacred Hand Hall Master followed such Divine Strategist without complaint.

“Let me say this in advance…”

Divine Strategist opened his mouth with a groan of “Ugh.”

“Wei Yan-ho is a bit different from what you’re thinking.”

“I understand. If he built up such skills at that age, he must be arrogant.”

“Arrogant?”

Divine Strategist tilted his head.

“You could think that way.”

“…Are you saying he’s not?”

“It’s a bit absurd. Arrogant, arrogant… Right, thinking about it, that would be natural. Looking at it that way, this damn bastard isn’t such a bad bastard either.”

“……”

He’s a damn bastard but not a bad bastard?

What kind of talk was this?

The Sacred Hand Hall Master’s head became complicated. But he couldn’t easily ask again because he could feel that Divine Strategist was even more complicated than that.

And he would find out soon anyway.

He could see a large door at the far end. Since the doors to other places were half-open to indicate no one was in those rooms, Wei Yan-ho must be in that place.

“Are you inside?”

Divine Strategist, having arrived at the door, called out. But no answer came.

Divine Strategist’s forehead veins bulged, and he flung the door open and went inside.

“When someone comes, at least answer, you damn turtle!”

The Sacred Hand Hall Master quickly followed Divine Strategist into the room. Then his eyes widened.

‘What, what is that?’

There was no one in the room.

No, to be precise, there was nothing that looked like a person. All he could see was something round on the bed covered with a blanket.

“……”

What was that? That thing?

The Sacred Hand Hall Master stared at the round blanket with wide eyes. While most people would have rolled their eyes around trying to figure out the situation, Divine Strategist walked to the bed without hesitation as if he already understood everything and grabbed the blanket, pulling it off with a whoosh.

“Get up right now, you damn turtle!”

When the blanket was removed, the identity of the round thing was revealed.

‘A person?’

That’s supposed to be a person?

“Good heavens…”

The Sacred Hand Hall Master’s eyes went round.

‘Can a person become such a sight?’

No…

Well, people could get fat. Eating makes you gain weight, doesn’t it? Among people, there were those who loved food too much and had enough money to make such food, gaining weight endlessly.

But the reason the Sacred Hand Hall Master was surprised now wasn’t simply because the person before him was fat. It wasn’t the feeling that he was fat from weight gain. So what should he call it…

It was like a leather pouch that had been stuffed endlessly with water until it was swollen and ready to burst at any moment. It looked like it would go pop and explode if you pressed it once with your finger.

So how could he not be surprised?

But…

“Wei Yan-ho, you bastard! Get up right now!”

Who did he say?

Wei Yan-ho?

That thing?

That thing was the Radiant Sword Hero Wei Yan-ho?

The one who broke the Demonic Cult’s invasion at Mount Hua, fought the Demon Lord of Confusion to a draw, defeated the Heavenly Current Sword, invaded the Demonic Cult and extinguished their Sacred Fire, repelled the White Sword Castle’s invasion, and then saved all those people—the hero of the age, Radiant Sword Hero Wei Yan-ho?

That person… no, that thing?

The Sacred Hand Hall Master’s mouth fell wide open.

“Wei Yan-ho is a bit different from what you’re thinking.”

He thought he understood what Divine Strategist’s words meant.

‘But… this isn’t just a bit different, Strategist!’

It’s very different, you know? What do you mean seriously different, this?

“Won’t you open your eyes? I’ll tear your eyes apart!”

And Divine Strategist was different too.

‘That person…’

Who was Divine Strategist Jo Hyeon?

He was the hero of the age who blocked that harsh Demonic Cult invasion. Everyone acknowledged Divine Strategist’s abilities, regardless of profit and loss.

It wasn’t just his abilities.

People respected Divine Strategist’s character even more than his abilities. He never got angry easily and was infinitely relaxed—a true gentleman in every sense.

But looking at Divine Strategist’s current appearance, who would think of the word gentleman?

Watching Divine Strategist grab Wei Yan-ho’s face and forcibly make him open his eyes, he wondered if this was really the world the Sacred Hand Hall Master knew.

“Groan… uhhh.“

“Hey! Where do you get off pretending to sleep! Does it make sense for you to sleep when there are people around you! A master is a master for a reason!”

Yes, that’s right.

He’s a master. Wei Yan-ho is a master.

But right now you’re climbing on top of that balloon-like swollen master and massaging his face.

“Hehehehehe.“

The Sacred Hand Hall Master burst into laughter. His head couldn’t accept what kind of situation this was or how things had come to this.

“Argh, a person just wants to get some sleep!”

“Are you a person? A person! A person should have a conscience to be a person, hey!”

“Where else can you find someone with more conscience than me!”

“Now you’ve gone crazy too! Whew, my stomach is bursting, bursting!”

Divine Strategist turned his head sharply.

“What are you doing?”

“…Pardon?”

The Sacred Hand Hall Master flinched at the sudden attack.

“Hurry up and check his pulse.”

“Check his pulse?”

To see what’s wrong…

No, there’s no need to ask.

Whatever’s wrong, something is wrong with that. Looking at that state, it would be better to ask what’s normal about him.

The Sacred Hand Hall Master hesitantly approached Wei Yan-ho. Then he stood there blankly for a while, staring at Wei Yan-ho.

“What are you doing? Hurry up and check his pulse!”

“…But Strategist.”

“Yes?”

“How am I supposed to check his pulse? There’s no wrist.”

“……”

Divine Strategist, looking at Wei Yan-ho’s arm buried in swollen flesh with only fingers wiggling, let out a world-shatteringly deep sigh.

“Not a single thing is working normally! Aaaaaaahhhhh!“

Divine Strategist’s desperate scream echoed throughout the Righteous Martial Alliance.