CLS-Chapter 78

Chapter 78

“It’s my fault for not properly teaching my younger brother. I apologize on behalf of the rudeness that Yan-ho committed.”

Moon Yu-hwan could only smile awkwardly.

“I seem to have misspoken. We were the ones who received help from your younger brother.”

“To see injustice and not immediately help is wrong for a descendant of a martial family, and to expect compensation for doing what should naturally be done is the behavior of scoundrels. Our Guangdong Wei Family may lack much to be called a prestigious family before others, but we believe we have lived without losing the righteousness of proper conduct. He is a child who left home at a young age and lacks proper teaching, so please understand with a broad heart.”

“Hmm…”

Moon Yu-hwan found himself nodding unconsciously.

Every word was without fault, and though he bowed his head, he was utterly dignified.

‘This is strange indeed.’

He was even curious how someone like Wei Yan-ho, with such a free spirit, could emerge from such a family tradition.

“So, you said you’re going to find your younger brother?”

“Yes.”

“Then may this old scholar offer one piece of advice?”

“Pardon?”

Seeing Wei San-ho’s slightly flustered face, Moon Yu-hwan smiled gently.

“Though I haven’t known your younger brother for long, I can say I know him to some degree after experiencing various incidents together. He’s quite a spirited and clever young man.”

“You’re too kind.”

“However…”

As Moon Yu-hwan looked at him with a slightly hardened expression, Wei San-ho felt an inexplicable pressure bearing down on him.

‘He’s a great person.’

He could understand why Jang-il had bowed so deeply. Such a person naturally deserved proper respect.

They say he’s called the Three Excellence Grand Scholar, and that name didn’t seem to be in vain.

“I think there’s one problem.”

“How could there be only one problem?”

Moon Yu-hwan slowly shook his head.

“The problem I’m referring to is not with your younger brother.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Do you know the term ‘great vessel’?”

“…You said ‘great vessel’?”

“A great vessel is called such because it cannot be contained within human standards. Judging by your family’s traditions and your character, you will try to fit your younger brother into a mold. But that would be nothing more than ruining your younger brother. If you try to cram a horse into a house meant for a dog, the horse will be injured, and those doing the cramming will also be hurt. Leave him be and let him roam freely. Then the day will come when you’ll smile watching a horse gallop across the plains.”

Wei San-ho couldn’t readily respond.

It was too unexpected, and it wasn’t something he could easily agree to. Moon Yu-hwan smiled with an understanding expression and spoke.

“I seem to have kept busy people too long. If I don’t end this gathering, I’ll just be detaining you.”

Wei San-ho stood up and bowed his head.

“Thank you for your consideration. I will ponder deeply on the advice you’ve given.”

“It’s something you can forget.”

As the gathering was roughly concluded, Wei San-ho and Jang-il left the Hanrim Grand Academy with Moon Yu-hwan and Moon Eun-ji seeing them off.

“Why do you look so sullen?”

“I don’t.”

Wei San-ho waved his hand dismissively.

Glancing back at Moon Eun-ji and Moon Yu-hwan seeing them off, Wei San-ho made an unreadable expression and quickened his pace.

“Jang-il.”

“Yeah? What?”

“What kind of person is Moon Yu-hwan, the Three Excellence Grand Scholar?”

“Want me to recite his personal details?”

“Just an evaluation.”

Jang-il seemed to organize his thoughts, then spoke.

“His scholarship reaches the heavens, enough to establish a new school of thought, and his character is so humble that despite countless invitations, he doesn’t commit himself anywhere. Even the imperial palace tries to recruit him, but he always declines, saying his scholarship is insufficient. He’s like a sage living in the mortal world.”

“…That’s quite an evaluation.”

Jang-il nodded emphatically as if it were obvious.

“When you examine countless pieces of information, you can guess someone’s character from their life’s actions. That person deserves respect for his character alone.”

“I see.”

Wei San-ho added one more question.

“What did you think of my younger brother?”

“Your brother?”

“Yes.”

Jang-il spewed out curses as if there was nothing to think about.

“Honestly, I only treat him like a human because he’s your brother. If he had no connection to you, I wouldn’t have considered that guy human. He’s endlessly lazy, as wicked as a demon, more cunning than a eunuch, and above all… he’s unlucky.”

“…”

Jang-il, who had stepped back in preparation for Wei San-ho’s incoming punch, cautiously approached and poked his ribs when Wei San-ho showed no particular reaction.

“What’s wrong?”

“…Yes, that would be the proper reaction.”

“Huh?”

“Though he’s my younger brother, if someone else were to see Yan-ho, that reaction would be correct. I must acknowledge what should be acknowledged.”

“Ah, you’re thinking about what that person said earlier?”

“Hmm…”

Wei San-ho recalled the recent conversation.

“I can’t understand it.”

“Hey, I was so shocked I thought I’d die. What? Great vessel? Does that even remotely apply to your brother?”

“…Yes, that’s the reaction of an ordinary person.”

“Huh?”

Wei San-ho didn’t answer and fell deep in thought.

‘Yan-ho’s extraordinariness cannot be recognized by ordinary people.’

If Wei San-ho hadn’t lived with Wei Yan-ho for years or wasn’t connected by blood, he would have seen Yan-ho as just an irredeemable lazy bum.

But for an outsider who had spent such a short time with him to recognize Wei Yan-ho’s extraordinariness meant that his eye for people had reached a transcendent level.

‘Or it means that unlike the past, Yan-ho has definitely changed.’

Though laziness was evident in Moon Yu-hwan’s description, for Wei Yan-ho, laziness was like a lifelong burden he had to carry. What mattered was how other aspects had changed.

“I’m eager to meet him.”

“Huh?”

“Let’s hurry!”

“Damn it! Even if we leave now, the sun will set soon! Since it’s come to this, let’s take it slow…”

“We won’t die from traveling through the night. We can sleep tomorrow. Let’s go.”

“…That damn bastard.”

Jang-il sighed several times and chased after Wei San-ho who was walking ahead.

‘But it seems like it’ll be interesting.’

He felt that following these two brothers would bring endless interesting events.

***

“You said baduk?”

“Yes.”

“Baduk, you say… baduk…”

Poison Ratio raised his one remaining arm to stroke his roughly grown beard.

“Can baduk be considered gambling?”

“Isn’t competing for money gambling?”

“That’s right.”

“Then baduk is gambling too.”

If Moon Yu-hwan had heard this, he would have foamed at the mouth saying, ‘I misjudged this person!’ But since Moon Yu-hwan wasn’t here, there was nothing that couldn’t be said.

“Baduk…”

Poison Ratio snorted lowly.

“Don’t think I’m saying this because I’m afraid to compete with you in baduk. I’m someone who doesn’t refuse any contest. But baduk takes too long.”

“We can play quickly.”

“No matter how quickly we play, it takes half a shijin. Are you planning to bet everything on one game?”

“Is there a reason we can’t?”

“There is.”

Poison Ratio spoke with a confident tone.

“You need to enjoy it a bit more slowly so you can savor the feeling of losing twenty nyang of gold. If everything is decided in just one game, you can’t enjoy the true taste.”

“True taste?”

“When money slowly drains away like sand, you feel your blood drying up. Only then will you never come near this place again.”

Wei Yan-ho looked at Poison Ratio with a somewhat moved expression.

“Are you worried about me?”

“Huh?”

“You said you’d make sure I never come near this place again.”

“Th-that’s right.”

“Then you are worried about me. It’s better not to frequent gambling dens, isn’t it?”

Poison Ratio became like a mute who had eaten honey.

Of course, it’s best not to gamble at all, and not entering gambling houses is the way of a gentleman.

If he were to speak, that would be correct, but…

“You’re a good person too, mister. Hubei seems to have many good people.”

In that moment, Poison Ratio, who had been a professional gambler for thirty years, bankrupting countless people and taking lives, suddenly became a good person worried about a child’s future.

“People in this neighborhood all have scary faces but kind hearts. My master said that having prejudices based on people’s appearances is very desirable, but I guess my master was wrong.”

“Wait a moment.”

Jin So-ah found something strange in Wei Yan-ho’s words.

“Your master said it’s right to have prejudices based on people’s faces?”

“Yeah.”

“Why? Isn’t it usually the opposite?”

“No, it’s not. Our master said that’s correct.”

“What?”

“Uh, so what did master say…”

Wei Yan-ho organized his thoughts briefly and then began to speak like flowing water.

“If someone with a fierce face has a kind heart, they’ll smile around to avoid threatening others with their appearance, and someone who smiles around can’t have a bad face. So kind people have good faces. Either originally good or they become good from smiling.”

“Uh…”

“And women who are pretty are kind.”

“What the hell…”

Jin So-ah pointed accusingly.

“What is that!”

But the surrounding men’s reactions were a bit different.

“Master was wise indeed.”

“That’s right. Pretty is kind.”

“It’s not just talk – pretty girls are really kind. My wife has an ugly face, so she’s always trying to devour people.”

Even Poison Ratio was nodding.

“That’s right.”

Jin So-ah looked like she was about to cry.

‘This place is weird.’

Since normal people wouldn’t frequent gambling houses in the first place, it was natural for it to be strange.

“Anyway, so as you worried about me, let’s do other gambling. Do you have gambling in mind? Something that ends quickly.”

Of course, Wei Yan-ho didn’t accept Poison Ratio’s opinion and decide not to play baduk.

Wei Yan-ho wasn’t kind enough to give up a contest he could definitely win for such a reason. No matter how renowned a gambler Poison Ratio was, how could he beat Wei Yan-ho, called the Hanrim Chess Saint, at baduk?

Setting all that aside, the reason he gave up baduk was just one.

‘It takes too long.’

His eyes kept closing. Wei Yan-ho, who had exhausted all the words he needed to say and actions he needed to take for the day, no longer wanted to do anything.

A clean and quick round.

That was the gambling Wei Yan-ho wanted now.

“Something that ends quickly… You haven’t learned anything despite my consideration. Very well then.”

Poison Ratio raised his remaining arm and pointed somewhere.

“The gambling I recommend is right over there.”