CLS-Chapter 94

Chapter 94

“The road is quite nice.”

“……”

“If we have time, shouldn’t we stop somewhere along the way? It’s been a long time since I’ve traveled with such a peaceful mind.”

“……”

“Dear?”

“Say one more word and you might never get to use that mouth again for the rest of your life.”

Wi Jeong-han kept his mouth tightly shut. His wife had been in a terrible mood since earlier. At times like this, the best thing to do was to keep quiet as if dead. If he carelessly opened his mouth, he might end up not even getting fed.

Since Wi Jeong-han had committed so many sins, he couldn’t stand up to Han Sang-ah, but after Wei Yan-ho went missing, he had become like a mouse before a cat.

It was Wi Jeong-han who had persuaded the reluctant Han Sang-ah to put Wei Yan-ho into the academy.

Knowing his own guilt, Wi Jeong-han would shrink like a turtle whenever Han Sang-ah said anything, and now he had reached the point where he couldn’t even make a peep.

‘The world’s Righteous Hero Sword is henpecked…’

Mo San-ah looked at the Righteous Hero Sword and Han Sang-ah with interested eyes.

‘Would this be valuable as information?’

Even if it had value, most people wouldn’t believe it. The Righteous Hero Sword was a hero who practiced righteousness, but to those who pursued the demonic path, he was known as someone more terrifying than the grim reaper.

Wasn’t it the Righteous Hero Sword who left behind the famous words that hesitation was unnecessary in practicing righteousness? The number of demon leaders who had met their end at his hands would easily exceed a hundred.

No matter how demonic they were, they were still people.

The one who had sent over a hundred people to the afterlife under the pretext of practicing righteousness was now cowering at a single word from his wife.

It was an absolutely unbelievable sight.

“Why is the carriage so slow?”

“…Have you already forgotten how many horses have collapsed foaming at the mouth?”

“The horses don’t seem very good. I’m sure I told you to prepare the finest quality ones.”

“Even if they weren’t the legendary Han Blood Horses, I prepared ones that could match the Han Blood Horses.”

Especially if their price matched the Han Blood Horses.

If his patience had been just a little less, he would have grabbed the horse dealer by the collar and shouted, ‘You fraudsters, I’ll kill you all!’

“Everything you do is like that.”

Wi Jeong-han became dejected and cast his eyes down to his feet.

Mo San-ah couldn’t believe that such a pathetic appearance was Wi Jeong-han’s usual demeanor.

‘What exactly is the Guangdong Wi Family?’

The Wei San-ho she had seen was truly someone who suited the term martial artist. Even though he was young now, she had thought that in just ten more years, the Guangdong Wi Family might produce the greatest person under heaven – that was how intense an impression Demon-Slaying Sword Wei San-ho had left.

She had thought Wi Jeong-han, who had raised such a person, would be an even greater martial artist, but when she actually met him, there was no henpecked husband quite like him. Even being henpecked would be fortunate if it stopped at just fearing his wife, but his behavior showed no dignity or authority befitting the head of the Guangdong Wi Family.

‘Moreover…’

When she thought of Wei Yan-ho as well, her head began to ache.

Wasn’t Wei Yan-ho the most incomprehensible person she had encountered since taking charge of the Kaifeng branch?

Usually, renowned families or so-called great houses had at least one eccentric living in them.

But as far as she knew, the Guangdong Wi Family was the only place with three individuals who were too embarrassing to even call eccentrics.

‘Is the feng shui bad?’

Since all three direct descendants were in strange conditions, this could only be interpreted as either having the wrong ancestors or bad feng shui.

“What are you thinking about so intently?”

“Yes? Ah! Yes!”

Mo San-ah snapped to attention and stiffened her body. When she realized that the person talking to her was someone who could control the Righteous Hero Sword, the greatest late-stage expert under heaven, and a mysterious young master with one hand, sweat began to seep from her body.

‘I wouldn’t be this nervous even meeting the Righteous Alliance Leader.’

Riding in a carriage with such a person was torture among tortures.

If she had known martial arts, she would have ridden a horse or used lightness techniques to go to Hubei, but Han Sang-ah was a martial artist – albeit one whose martial level was embarrassing to even claim she had learned martial arts somewhere.

It wasn’t that being weak in martial arts was a flaw for a woman.

“I was just lost in thought for a moment.”

“It’s boring, isn’t it?”

“No, it’s not.”

Mo San-ah waved her hand. Han Sang-ah smiled warmly, seeming to like even that gesture.

How beautiful she was.

She had been sharp from their first meeting, and the more she looked at her, the more her heart was drawn to this young woman. Her background was a bit poor and her age was a bit high, but those were minor flaws.

‘Compared to my child’s flaws, those aren’t even flaws.’

Even a hedgehog finds its own child lovely, but cute is cute, and hopeless is hopeless.

Han Sang-ah might still find Wei Yan-ho adorable, but she was realistic. Her son was like clearance merchandise that needed to be disposed of. The kind of item that you think will sell itself if you leave it alone, but it occupies warehouse space and never disappears.

Whether she sold him at a discount, passed him off through threats, or got rid of him through fraud… he was a son who would never sell without using some method.

‘So somehow…’

Just then, the carriage slowly came to a stop.

“Hmm?”

Mo San-ah’s eyes sharpened. There was no reason for the carriage to stop now. Mo San-ah got up from her seat and opened the small window leading to the driver’s seat.

“What’s wrong?”

“Miss, there are people blocking the path ahead.”

“Who are they?”

“They appear to be bandits…”

“Bandits? Are bandits a problem?”

She was not only the branch leader of the Hao Clan Kaifeng branch, but also the daughter of the Hao Clan leader. The coachman assisting her was also a renowned expert within the Hao Clan.

Even people who didn’t know much about the Hao Clan had heard the name Night Guests, so no further explanation was needed.

For such a person to stop the carriage because of mere bandits?

“They appear to be from the Green Forest.”

“Green Forest!”

Mo San-ah’s face hardened as she opened the carriage door.

If it was the Green Forest, they weren’t people who could be easily dealt with. The Green Forest had as many riffraff as the Beggar’s Sect, but because of that, carelessly provoking them often led to making enemies.

Bandits were nothing to fear, but if the major strongholds of the Green Forest began to act directly, it would become troublesome.

When she got out of the carriage, she saw sharp-featured experts wearing green robes rather than the typical bandits dressed in leather.

‘Green Forest indeed.’

The character “Forest” (林) carved on their chests represented their identity.

“What business do you have?”

The Green Forest members didn’t answer but slowly looked them over and began to gradually surround them.

“Does the Green Forest have no manners?”

When Mo San-ah’s voice came out sharply, their eyes showed interest.

“If you know about us, you’re not ordinary people. What’s your identity?”

“I am Mo San-ah, branch leader of the Hao Clan Kaifeng branch. The Hao Clan and Green Forest have maintained good relations until now, so I don’t think there’s any need to create enmity. I don’t know what this is about, but if you explain the situation, I’ll cooperate.”

The eyes of the man at the front narrowed.

“Hao Clan…”

The man looked at Mo San-ah with clear displeasure before opening his mouth.

“Hao Clan… Indeed, if it’s the Hao Clan, you have the right to say such things. Fine, turn back. If you go down the mountain, we won’t block you any further.”

“We need to pass through this mountain.”

“Impossible.”

The man spoke firmly.

“The Green Forest King has ordered the mountain to be closed. Due to recent unpleasant incidents, this mountain cannot be passed by anyone as an example.”

“……”

Mo San-ah’s face darkened.

Once the Green Forest King’s name was mentioned, no compromise was possible. Those who made their living from what the mountains provided could not be free from the Green Forest King’s name.

At least in the mountains, the Green Forest King, master of the Green Forest Seventy-Two Strongholds, enjoyed a status equal to the emperor.

“Are you saying we have to go down the mountain and take a detour?”

“That’s right. Originally, you should leave behind everything you have, but considering the Hao Clan’s reputation, we’ll let you pass empty-handed. It would be best not to think of demanding anything more.”

“Hmm…”

Mo San-ah’s brow furrowed.

Going down the mountain wouldn’t be too difficult, but taking a detour would require that much more time. Since this was the only road in the area that carriages could travel, it would take even longer.

And if that happened…

“What? Take a detour around the mountain?”

A sharp voice flowed out from inside the carriage.

Mo San-ah sighed.

Han Sang-ah, who had already been complaining about the carriage being slow, would not meekly accept the situation of detouring around the mountain.

“It seems you’ll have to clear the way.”

“Didn’t you understand what we said?”

“Of course I understood. But we have our own circumstances.”

“Circumstances?”

Han Sang-ah didn’t want to make enemies with the Green Forest. The Hao Clan was an organization that lived by obtaining information, so it couldn’t afford to make enemies anywhere.

But the people currently riding in the carriage had no such reason.

“I’ll step aside. So why don’t you discuss this with the parties involved?”

“After we showed consideration for a mere woman… Are you ignoring the Green Forest King’s name?!”

Just as the Green Forest bandits were about to explode, a heavy voice was heard from inside the carriage.

“These bandit bastards sure talk a lot.”

The Green Forest bandits’ gazes focused on the carriage door.

Then a middle-aged man with slightly disheveled clothing slowly walked out.

“Good times indeed. Fooling around with women inside a carriage.”

A misunderstanding had occurred, but Mo San-ah alone could tell that the disheveled clothing wasn’t from such activities but because Han Sang-ah had grabbed Wi Jeong-han by the collar and shaken him thoroughly.

‘Grabbing the Righteous Hero Sword by the collar.’

They say men rule the world, but women rule men… She was truly a model for all women.

“Green Forest King… It’s been a while since I heard that name.”

The Righteous Hero Sword smiled subtly.

“I wonder if that friend’s ribs are still intact? The sword went quite deep that time.”

“You bastard!”

Just as the Green Forest bandit at the front was about to explode, the Green Forest bandit behind him grabbed his shoulder and pressed down.

“What?”

When the Green Forest bandit who couldn’t grasp the situation turned around, the Green Forest bandit who had been looking at Wi Jeong-han with trembling eyes opened his mouth.

“That’s… the Righteous Hero Sword!”

“What?”

All the Green Forest bandits stepped back several paces.

“The Righteous Hero Sword?”

“I’ve heard that the one who left deep sword scars on the Green Forest King’s body was the Righteous Hero Sword.”

“Righteous Hero Sword…”

The impact of the name Righteous Hero Sword was tremendous. The Green Forest bandits who had been intimidating them with the Green Forest King’s name just moments before were now trembling in fear as if they had seen a demon.

“Originally, I’m not the type to just let guys like you go…”

Wi Jeong-han clicked his tongue as if regretful.

“But I’m in a hurry today, so I’ll forgive you this once. So get out of the way.”

It was the moment when the world’s greatest henpecked husband transformed into the world’s greatest demon-slaying exterminator.