CLS-Chapter 637

Chapter 637:

It was a magnificent sight.

Those watching felt as if they were being drawn into the spectacle before their eyes.

And then they had a premonition.

This battle would go down in history.

Whatever the outcome, as long as the martial world existed, the scene they were witnessing now would be spoken of for generations and generations to come.

It was that overwhelming.

A massive army of White Swords, all clad in white robes.

And the warrior of light facing that army alone.

It was a sight too difficult to capture even in a painting.

If they survived this place and lived until the end of the war, witnessing this spectacle with their own two eyes would surely be a source of pride for the rest of their lives.

While everyone stared ahead as if entranced, there was one person who couldn’t sit still.

“M-Military advisor, sir.”

“……Ah!”

Cho Hyeon was startled.

‘What a disgraceful display.’

For a moment, he had forgotten what situation he was in. To lose his focus to what he was seeing while standing in the middle of a battlefield—this was something a military advisor should never do.

Cho Hyeon, who had instantly regained his composure, looked to the side.

Wei Jeong-han spoke with an anxious face.

“Shouldn’t we help him?”

“Hmm.”

Cho Hyeon glanced at Wei Yan-ho. Wei Yan-ho’s figure facing the great army of White Swords alone looked heroic, but it was also true that he appeared precarious.

‘There are things one can do and things one cannot do.’

It was a clear fact that Cho Hyeon’s expectations for Wei Yan-ho were higher than his expectations for anyone else in the world. But that didn’t mean he dreamed that Wei Yan-ho could face all of them alone.

If he were the type of person to harbor such absurd expectations, Cho Hyun would never have been called by the alias Cho Hyeon.

It was absolutely impossible for Wei Yan-ho to face them alone. Baek Geom Seong was by no means a pushover. They were a match for even the Righteous Martial Alliance.

To face such people alone?

It was closer to suicide than recklessness.

Nevertheless, the reason Cho Hyeon couldn’t easily agree with Wei Jeong-han’s words was because of what Wei Yan-ho had said.

“Never step forward. Not until I give the signal.”

“Hmm……”

He already knew why Wei Yan-ho had said such words. It was because of the problem they hadn’t yet resolved.

Gwae-jil.

They could cause Gwae-jil. And even if just ten people among this multitude succumbed to Gwae-jil, the Righteous Martial Alliance would lose its way to cope.

Someone who lost their reason and attacked allies would emerge among this great army.

Subduing them would be nearly impossible. Even if they killed them all, it wouldn’t solve the problem. In the meantime, White Swords would thoroughly devastate the Righteous Martial Alliance.

If they could clash with their full strength as it was, they could face them readily. But they couldn’t decide victory or defeat against them while bearing the burden of Gwae-jil.

Both Wei Yan-ho and Cho Hyeon knew this fact. That’s why the war had begun in such a strange form.

“Let’s watch just a little longer.”

“Yan-ho will die at this rate!”

“My dear fellow!”

Cho Hyeon sighed.

“Don’t you think I’m not anxious too! Don’t you think my heart isn’t trembling as well! I can’t compare to you as his father, but I’m just as anxious right now. But now is the time we must endure!”

“What will come of enduring?”

Wei Jeong-han gritted his teeth.

“If enduring would solve the problem, I’d endure! But nothing changes by dragging out time!”

“It changes.”

“What?”

“I’m saying it changes.”

“……”

Wei Jeong-han closed his mouth.

He couldn’t understand Cho Hyeon’s words. But with battle raging fiercely before his eyes, he couldn’t interrogate every reason behind it.

“Just a little! Just wait a little longer. Neither I nor Yan-ho are without thoughts on this matter. If you wait just a little, the situation will surely change.”

Wei Jeong-han turned his head with wavering eyes.

In his eyes appeared the figure of Wei Yan-ho radiating light.

Il-gi-dang-cheon.

No, even those words would be insufficient. Only the words man-in-ji-jeok could barely express the current Wei Yan-ho.

But……

‘Why does it always turn out this way?’

Wei Yan-ho had shed enough blood.

No one in the world could demand more responsibility from Wei Yan-ho. Even if all of this had originated from Wei Yan-ho’s fault, Wei Yan-ho had accomplished enough merit to wash away that sin and more.

But why must Wei Yan-ho step forward again?

Hyeop-ui?

Wei Jeong-han let out a bitter laugh.

“Become a hero! Don’t become a lazy bum, become a hero! Don’t you have any dreams? A boy born into a martial family—don’t you have even that much ambition? Hey, you fool! At your age, other children are living each day earnestly with dreams of becoming the greatest under heaven! Even if you can’t reach that level, shouldn’t you at least not be shameful? What do you plan to become by being so lazy?”

Those were the words he used to say to Wei Yan-ho.

If Wei Jeong-han could meet his past self, he would smash that thoughtless mouth of his.

Hero?

Greatest under heaven?

What use were such things?

Could he still spout such nonsense while looking at the current Wei Yan-ho?

Wei Jeong-han no longer wished for such things.

Wei Jeong-han who had rejoiced when his son returned as a martial master was no more. What remained was only a powerless father who couldn’t even share the unbearably heavy burden placed on his son’s shoulders.

‘If only he hadn’t become strong.’

Then Wei Yan-ho wouldn’t be here now.

He would be in Gwang-dong, lazing under his covers.

It was heartbreaking. But that would have been better. At least then he wouldn’t be bleeding like this.

‘What use is any of this?’

What comes from becoming a hero……

What comes from saving the world……

What remains?

Only wounds remain. And glory that’s utterly useless.

When has Wei Yan-ho ever desired glory?

Has he ever wanted to become a hero?

Never.

What Wei Yan-ho desired was simply a peaceful bed and tranquility. But the world pushed him out of his bed. And then placed him in front of themselves.

Wei Jeong-han as well.

‘Heroic……’

The world might remember this scene and it might be spoken of forever on someone’s lips, but in Wei Jeong-han’s memory, this scene would remain as nothing but sorrow.

As a terrible memory he never wanted to recall again.

“Yan-ho…… you rascal.”

Wei Jeong-han spoke as if reciting. The figure of Wei Yan-ho radiating light was carved into his eyes with unbearable sadness.

Rays of light poured forth.

It was as if he were looking at a person made of light.

Even without considering his martial prowess, Wei Yan-ho’s current appearance would be sufficient to call him a celestial god.

Light fell like meteors.

Wei Yan-ho’s sword had long since departed from the form of swordsmanship in its outward appearance.

And it also differed in form from the Gwang Geom Ryu that Baek Mu-han had transmitted to him. The seed that Baek Mu-han had planted in Wei Yan-ho had now completed its germination in a form that even Baek Mu-han could not have anticipated.

He had imitated Baek Mu-han’s sword and yearned for that sword, but Wei Yan-ho’s current sword was different from Baek Mu-han’s in every way.

They simply shared deep roots.

But there was nothing wrong with that.

All things connect as one.

Whether swift sword, changing sword, overwhelming sword, or heavy sword—in the end, a sword is a sword. Those who climb different paths ultimately reach the same place.

Wei Yan-ho was the same.

Though his sword differed from Baek Mu-han’s, that wasn’t wrong. What mattered was whether he could ultimately reach the level that Baek Mu-han had attained.

And at least those watching would have to acknowledge that possibility. Wei Yan-ho’s current display was that overwhelming.

Kwaaaaaaaang!

Kwaaaaaaaaaang!

Light flickered.

The sun was in the sky. But there was another sun on the earth as well.

That sun shone brilliantly while violently consuming everything around it.

‘This is what they call swordsmanship?’

Baek Hoe-myeong couldn’t push away the feeling of his entire body freezing.

It was different.

Though Baek Hoe-myeong had already witnessed Wei Yan-ho’s divine prowess with his own eyes once before, the Wei Yan-ho of that time and the current Wei Yan-ho were completely different. That time, he clearly hadn’t used his full strength.

‘How could Heaven put such a thing into the world?’

If Heaven put such a thing into the world and called it human, Heaven must have made a mistake.

Wasn’t this too unfair?

He too had lived doing his best. Though he couldn’t devote himself entirely to training as the Young Sect Leader of Man Geom, he had lived even more earnestly because of that. Forgetting sleep and meals, abandoning everything unrelated to martial arts, living with only Man Geom’s glory and the sword in his heart.

But before Wei Yan-ho, all of that became so shabby.

What was different?

What was different between him and Wei Yan-ho that created such a gap?

“Argh!”

In Baek Hoe-myeong’s eyes, those being consumed by light appeared clearly.

The warriors of White Swords were brave.

They charged toward that absurd festival of light that made even Baek Hoe-myeong freeze in terror. Even while clearly seeing their comrades unable to even attempt a proper attack and falling with a single blow, they didn’t retreat.

The words Baek Gong-ui had spoken were clearly etched in their hearts.

The words that if they retreated, they could never advance again.

Admirable.

Utterly admirable.

But Baek Hoe-myeong couldn’t praise their will. The sacrifice was too great to view it so simply.

‘What is this sacrifice for?’

War.

This was war.

At this moment, Baek Hoe-myeong came to understand just how terrible a thing war was.

These were people who had shared swords with him and discussed the future together. Though there might be differences in status, they were his comrades. Such people were now scattering as handfuls of ash.

How could he praise that!

Should he applaud them for throwing away their lives like grass, saying it was admirable?

“Wei Yan-hooooooo!”

A beast-like howl burst from Baek Hoe-myeong’s mouth.

He had to kill him.

Somehow, he had to kill him here.

But Wei Yan-ho’s condition wasn’t actually very good.

‘It’s draining away steadily.’

His internal energy was emptying out.

This was the greatest weakness of his martial learning. Wei Yan-ho had always faced opponents stronger than himself.

The one who had created the foundation of his swordsmanship was none other than Baek Mu-han.

Thanks to that, Wei Yan-ho had never learned how to fight efficiently with moderate strength.

Baek Mu-han was someone he could barely brush the hem of his clothes against only by drawing out everything to his very limits. Even after he no longer faced Baek Mu-han, this foundation created then hadn’t changed.

It would be possible when facing those with an overwhelming difference. But there was no middle ground. Either pour it all out, or don’t pour it out. Only one of those two existed.

And now was the time to pour it all out.

His internal energy, which he had thought endless, drained away in an instant.

‘Not yet!’

Wei Yan-ho gritted his teeth.

Then he gripped his sword and leaped forward.

“This isn’t enough!”

His body was covered in brilliant light.