Chapter 607:
"It's not as simple a problem as it sounds."
"That may be true, but…"
Wei Yan-ho shrugged his shoulders.
"Since I've tried it once already, wouldn't it be fine?"
"Hmm…"
Wei Jeong-han looked quite displeased.
Certainly, Wei Yan-ho's words had merit.
In two senses.
The reason the Righteous Martial Alliance couldn't face Baek Sword Castle and had to deal with the Demonic Cult instead was because they still hadn't found a solution to the strange disease. However, if they could find a solution to the strange disease, the operational mysteries of the Divine Technique Investigation would deepen further.
And the person most likely to find that solution was also Wei Yan-ho.
"As we discussed before…"
Wei Jeong-han looked quietly at Wei Yan-ho and said.
"Since you certainly experienced what happened at the Tang Family, you might be able to resolve this situation."
"…That's right."
"But that's too slim a probability."
Wei Jeong-han shook his head.
"We can't leisurely observe the situation like that time. Besides, wasn't the cause of the Tang Family's seizures poison?"
"Hmm…"
"But those who had seizures in Hefei had seizures through demonic energy, not poison. So the two types might be different."
"I have some disagreement with that."
The Zhuge Family member interjected.
"Looking at the situation, I think it's impossible for two different strange diseases to appear simultaneously. Just one would turn the martial world upside down, and it would be extremely unnatural."
"Mm, that's true."
"Moreover, since it's been revealed that Baek Sword Castle utilizes the strange disease, this is definitely something artificially created."
"Right."
"That's why it makes even less sense."
"…Why? If it was artificially created, wouldn't making various types be much more advantageous?"
"Because there's no need to complicate it further."
The Zhuge Family member was resolute.
"Its power was already proven in Hefei. Baek Sword Castle must have confirmed the strange disease's power through testing. Having created a perfect weapon with no countermeasures, why would they need to create another strange disease with a similar method?"
Wei Jeong-han had no choice but to nod.
Listening to it, the Zhuge Family member's words were correct. From their perspective, there was no need to cause such trouble.
"Then why the Tang Family?"
"If you think about it, it's simple. The Tang Family must have also suffered from the same strange disease. If we investigate those who learned the Sword Emperor's Treasure at the Tang Family, it would become clear, but in any case, that's what I think."
"Then you're saying someone deliberately triggered their symptoms?"
"That's possible, but…"
The Zhuge Family member shook his head.
"I think that probability isn't high."
"Then?"
"I think we need to think differently. Thinking that someone caused their seizures doesn't add up."
"…Hmm?"
"They can't completely control the seizures. From what we can see, it seems like the internal demonic energy stirs and causes seizures when they sense the energy of specific demonic arts…"
The Zhuge Family member shrugged.
"Actually, 'energy' is an ambiguous term. Even those who learn demonic arts can't perfectly grasp and control the properties of that demonic energy."
Wei Jeong-han tilted his head. It wasn't quite clear to him.
"Think of it this way. If you created a martial art that responds to Mount Hua's Purple Mist Divine Art, could you be certain that martial art wouldn't react to other divine arts?"
"…No, I couldn't."
"Right. Unless you bring all the martial arts in the world and test them one by one, it's impossible to find that out."
There are countless martial arts in the world.
The types of martial arts spread throughout the martial world alone would exceed ten thousand. How could one possibly check all those martial arts one by one?
"But isn't it demonic arts? If we got the Demonic Cult's cooperation, it wouldn't seem impossible?"
"What if there were poisons among the Tang Family's poisons that had similar properties to demonic energy?"
"…"
Wei Jeong-han closed his mouth.
It was a leap.
It was merely simple speculation.
But it was also true that this leap fit best.
"Yes… that could be possible."
"Probably what happened at the Tang Family wasn't part of their calculations. If the Sword Emperor's Treasure had spread throughout the entire martial world, such accidents would naturally occur."
"Mm, that would be so."
"And the Sword Emperor's Treasure spreading throughout the entire martial world probably wasn't their intention either."
"…That would be so too."
Who could have imagined that Wei Yan-ho would do such a crazy thing?
"So they couldn't have prepared for such a situation. If not that, maybe the Tang Family conducted small experiments. Either way, I'm skeptical about two strange diseases spreading simultaneously."
Wei Jeong-han nodded.
If the Zhuge Family member's words were correct, the situation could be said to have improved somewhat.
If it was the same strange disease, treatment might be possible through similar methods.
However, Wei Jeong-han couldn't be purely happy.
That meant Wei Yan-ho would have to take risks again. But who knew what would happen this time?
'I've become quite weak.'
If it had been him in the past, he would never have had such thoughts.
Righteousness presupposes sacrifice.
Not tolerating injustice and upholding righteousness means turning away from one's own interests. Just by closing your eyes once, countless benefits arise. Turning away from those benefits and upholding righteousness is nothing short of a kind of sacrifice.
Telling his children to carry out righteousness was the same as forcing his children to live sacrificial lives.
But now that Wei Yan-ho was trying to truly carry out righteousness, it was none other than Wei Jeong-han who was worried.
'Now I can't argue about righteousness anywhere even if I die.'
In the past, when countless people didn't uphold righteousness and only pursued their own interests, he had criticized and spat on them.
When he heard words about wanting to uphold righteousness but being unable to help the reality, he was seized with disgust.
Wei Jeong-han was that kind of person.
But now Wei Jeong-han felt he could understand those people from back then.
Because there were things to lose.
There might have been people who could throw away their lives without a care. There might have been people who could accept sacrificing themselves for righteousness with a smile.
But if the price of that righteousness was guaranteed by family suffering, who could easily discuss righteousness?
Wei Jeong-han of that time had nothing to lose.
No children, no parents. All he had was just one fiancée, and the fiancée could live a new life. So he could practice righteousness without reservation.
If Wei Jeong-han of that time had been in the same situation as now, would he really have been different from them?
If Wei Yan-ho hadn't been this strong, if he couldn't trust Wei San-ho?
Could he really have thrown away his life like straw, leaving behind only his wife and children?
"It seems you've got a lot in your hands."
"Excuse me?"
Wei Yan-ho looked at Wei Jeong-han with puzzled eyes.
Seeing that expression, Wei Jeong-han chuckled.
"Never mind. Let's go. If you want to go, we should go."
People can become weak. They can waver too.
But just because he had become weak didn't mean he should want his child to become weak as well.
That would be holding back his child's feet.
Wei Jeong-han now realizes that he wasn't a good father. When his child tried to rest, he nagged them to please move, and now that his child was trying to live as he had wanted, he was even worried about that.
'This is the worst.'
Still, should he be grateful that they had grown up so well despite this?
Parents want their children to become excellent people. But when their children actually become too excellent and no longer need their help, they're bound to feel disappointed.
Wei Yan-ho didn't stop at that level.
A child who he would have been satisfied with just doing his part as a person had become too outstanding. Thanks to that, there was currently no one in the martial world who could replace Wei Yan-ho.
He inevitably had to take on dangerous work, inevitably had to risk his life.
Wei Jeong-han bit his lips tightly.
"Then shall we depart now?"
The Zhuge Family member also had a slightly worried expression.
'This is too much.'
It was a forced march.
An incident happened at the Tang Family, and they even went to the Demonic Cult in Xinjiang. There they were chased by the Demonic Cult, returned to the Central Plains and fought with the bishops. After that, without taking proper rest, they came here.
Now they had to move again for another new mission.
Even the Zhuge Family member felt like he had no stamina left, so how much more so for Wei Yan-ho?
"I wasn't supposed to live avoiding laziness…"
"Excuse me?"
Wei Yan-ho let out a deep sigh.
"Maybe I've already used up a lifetime's worth of rest. How is it that I don't have time to rest?"
The Zhuge Family member looked at Wei Yan-ho with a somewhat pitying expression.
Certainly, Wei Yan-ho was now overexerting himself. Since he wasn't originally someone who lived this way, the fatigue he felt would be higher than expected.
"So…"
Wei Yan-ho's eyes lit up.
"Once this war ends, I won't lift a finger. Really, if someone wakes me up to eat, I'll grab them and throw them."
"You still have to eat."
"I won't die."
Wei Yan-ho shook his head vigorously.
"I have to think of it as karma and work like an ox. There's no choice. I have to quickly resolve everything and end this war so I can go find my older brother."
"…"
Wei Jeong-han bit his lips tightly.
Thinking about it, it was too obvious.
The reason Wei Yan-ho, who used to act like he'd die if he didn't slack off, started moving forward himself.
Since Wei San-ho went to the Demonic Cult, Wei Yan-ho seemed to have become a different person.
"Yes, that's right."
"Anyway…"
Wei Yan-ho turned his head to look into the distance.
"I'm causing you trouble."
A little bitterness.
And a little regret.
Those emotions that subtly seeped into his voice pained Wei Jeong-han.
Wei Yan-ho's purpose now was clear. Getting Wei San-ho back. Perhaps compared to that absolute purpose, the safety and crisis of the martial world might be nothing much.
At least to Wei Yan-ho.
"Let's go."
"Yes."
As Wei Yan-ho began to move, Wei Jeong-han quietly followed behind him.
'But…'
Looking at Wei Yan-ho's back as he trudged along, Wei Jeong-han couldn't help but have one worry.
One in a thousand, one in ten thousand.
What if Wei San-ho couldn't return?
What would happen then?
Would Wei Yan-ho, who was enduring all this much to get Wei San-ho back, really be able to hold out even then?
Wei Jeong-han bit his lips firmly.
'It's excessive thinking.'
Wei San-ho will return.
There's no reason he wouldn't return. They're family.
Wei Jeong-han turned his head to look at the blue sky.
In that blue sky, it seemed like a man was looking down at him.
'Mok-u, my friend.'
That face looked extremely melancholy.
Expressionless but full of worry, seeing that face so similar to Wei San-ho's, Wei Jeong-han closed his eyes.
A tangled knot has no way to be untied. Now it must be cut.
'Please protect my son. And your son as well.'
Believing that someday there would come a day when everyone would smile and get along again, Wei Jeong-han moved his reluctant feet.