"Won't he lose?"
"Still, it's Wei San-ho…"
"What about Wei Yan-ho?"
The clash between Wei San-ho and Wei Yan-ho was quite an interesting spectacle for the Righteous Martial Alliance members as well.
No, perhaps it burned even brighter precisely because it was the Righteous Martial Alliance. Among those gathered at Mount Hua, they were the ones who knew Wei Yan-ho and Wei San-ho best.
To them, Wei San-ho was like an insurmountable massive wall. Some despaired at being born in the same era as Wei San-ho, while others lost sleep trying to defeat Wei San-ho.
Whether they acknowledged Wei San-ho or not, even those who didn't recognize Wei San-ho could never deny the fact that the name Wei San-ho represented the younger generation's prodigies of this era.
But now, the most dangerous challenger in history had appeared before that impregnable fortress-like Wei San-ho. Moreover, the fact that this challenger was Wei San-ho's very own brother was adding to the intrigue.
"What do you think?"
At Ho Cheol-san's words, Jang-il shrugged his shoulders.
"How would I know?"
"Aren't you the one who knows those two best? Look how long you've stuck together, how many incidents you've experienced together."
"Well, that's true, but…"
Jang-il smacked his lips.
'This is a bit ambiguous, you see.'
Looking at just the events revealed so far, it was difficult to favor Wei San-ho over Wei Yan-ho. No matter how great a reputation Wei San-ho had built, Wei Yan-ho had accomplished things that made all of Wei San-ho's achievements look shabby in less than half a year since appearing in the martial world.
Just looking at the Luoyang city gate breakthrough incident and the Twin Demons beheading incident, the demonic leaders Wei San-ho had dealt with until now became nothing more than small fry.
"Generally speaking, it would be natural for Wei Yan-ho to Win, but…"
"But what's the problem?"
"It's what you said."
"Hm?"
"Have you ever seen Wei San-ho go all out even once?"
"…"
Ho Cheol-san couldn't answer.
"Of course, judging by achievements so far, I'd have to say Wei Yan-ho is naturally ahead, but on the other hand, I also think this: Wei San-ho hasn't met a proper measuring stick until now."
"A measuring stick…"
Ho Cheol-san understood what Jang-il was saying.
If Wei Yan-ho hadn't encountered the Blood Temple of Mount Na or the Twin Demons after entering the martial world, would he have received the same evaluation as now?
People recognize the strong as strong because the strong have proven their martial prowess. But Wei San-ho had never once met an opponent worthy of proving his martial prowess.
Being from the Academy, the people he could meet were limited, and while he proved his martial prowess against all those opponents, since they were weaker than those Wei Yan-ho had faced, he couldn't leave as strong an impression as Wei Yan-ho.
Even though Wei San-ho was evaluated as potentially having no one stronger than him throughout all of history at this time.
"What if Wei San-ho had fought the Twin Demons?"
"…Wouldn't it have been difficult?"
"Well, I've never once felt that Wei San-ho was struggling with anything he did. Take this tournament too. It's true that Wei Yan-ho is climbing up by smashing everyone with a single strike, but what about Wei San-ho on the other hand?"
Ho Cheol-san spoke in a tone as if he'd just realized something.
"One-strike victories, all of them."
"Exactly."
Jang-il nodded.
"It's just that it looks less flashy on the surface so it doesn't become a topic, but right now both Wei Yan-ho and Wei San-ho are subduing their opponents in a single second and achieving continuous victories. There's a strong perception that Wei San-ho should naturally do that, while Wei Yan-ho is someone who suddenly popped up when no one expected it, so attention is just focused on one side. Moreover…"
Jang-il scratched his head vigorously.
"Actually, isn't it ridiculous for us at our level to debate who's stronger between Wei Yan-ho and Wei San-ho? What would we know?"
"…That's also true. We'll have to see the results to know."
Even those who could be said to know the two best, excluding family, couldn't easily predict the outcome.
'Still, it seems like Wei Yan-ho Weill beat him down.'
But among them, only three were half-convinced.
Eonhyo,Peng Daoji,Namgung Hye
'Wei San-ho is going to die.'
Unlike the senior disciples who had spent a long time together with Wei San-ho and knew well his remarkable abilities, these three who had directly received "training" at the hands of Wei Yan-ho knew very well just how monstrous the martial prowess Wei Yan-ho possessed was.
Whether Wei San-ho could last even one second in a direct confrontation was questionable, but at least it didn't seem like he would get hit by a stone thrown by Wei San-ho and go flying onto a pavilion roof.
"It seems like everyone is seriously mistaken about something, don't you think?"
"That standard, I mean."
Eon-hyo said helplessly.
"They don't know that they haven't properly faced Wei Yan-ho yet."
They had already seen Wei Yan-ho's standard.
With stones, that is.
Having a martial duel with one's older brother was a nerve-wracking affair. Especially having to seriously spar with one's brother while so many people were watching was an even more burdensome matter.
And the fact that the person he had to face was someone who, in the past, had casually beaten him With a Wooden Sword under the pretense of teaching him, was an even more burdensome matter.
Wei Yan-ho, crushed under that burden… was, as usual today, in the middle of sleeping no different from any other day.
"Mmnya."
Humans usually feel something called burden. Wei Yan-ho was also a human who felt burden. The problem was that while ordinary people, when feeling burden, would experience practical effects like being unable to sleep or becoming anxious, Wei Yan-ho's response to feeling burden ended at 'Ah, this is burdensome.'
Being someone who was born having lost his sense of fear and had half his belly filled Weith liver instead, Wei Yan-ho couldn't feel even half the emotions other people would naturally experience.
Baek Mu-han explained all these phenomena as 'just being stupid,' but Wei Yan-ho's boldness had something that couldn't be explained by such simple terms alone.
Knock knock.
At the sound of someone knocking on the door, Wei Yan-ho slowly opened his eyes.
'Hnng.'
This was also a problem.
Usually, lazy slobs who slept a lot were supposed to be resistant to external stimuli. Wasn't it a condition of being a slob that one wouldn't wake up easily no matter how much people shook them?
However, Wei Yan-ho had the disadvantage of reacting immediately to even small external stimuli due to his excessively high martial arts level. For a lazy slob to snap his eyes open at the light sound of door knocking – this was truly a pitiful thing.
'Who is it?'
Wei Yan-ho also knew.
The people who came looking for this room fully understood Wei Yan-ho's tendencies, so they wouldn't just go back if he acted stubborn or pretended not to be there. Knocking on the door was just a formality, and they would soon barge in.
Still, the reason he didn't answer was because he could enjoy a peaceful rest for even that brief moment while the other party confirmed there was no response…
BANG!
Seeing the door open roughly, Wei Yan-ho smiled contentedly.
'Family.'
In that rough motion that seemed to declare 'Your privacy and such is not within my consideration,' Wei Yan-ho could feel the warm affection of family.
"Big brotherrrrr!"
There we go.
Sensing someone's presence rushing toward the bed With lively movements, Wei Yan-ho quickly turned his body.
THUMP!
The sound of something heavy landing where he had been just moments before. Wei Yan-ho grimaced and shouted.
"Let me sleep! Let me sleep!"
"How can you sleep on a day like today!"
"What kind of day is it! Why? Did the Demonic Sect attack or something? People need to sleep to live, no matter what day it is!"
"Big brother, that's a bit excessive. Hmm hmm."
No matter what Wei Yan-ho said, it didn't seem to reach Wei Su-ryeon's ears at all.
"Why! Why why! Why are you bothering me again in the morning! Why again!"
Though he was showing his irritation openly, Wei Su-ryeon had been immune to Wei Yan-ho's irritation from long ago. No matter how angry he got or how loudly he shouted, it only raised his blood pressure and made his throat hurt – Wei Su-ryeon never received any shock.
"What are you going to do today?"
"Do what how?"
"You're having a martial duel with big brother today. Are you really going to do it?"
"You think I'd fake it?"
"What if you actually Win?"
Wei Yan-ho chuckled.
"Listen carefully, little one."
"Yeah."
"Brotherly affection is important."
"Yeah."
"But!"
Wei Yan-ho said with blazing eyes.
"A permitted rest of six months without being violated by anyone is probably an opportunity that will never come again in my life."
"...There's really no hope."
Wei Su-ryeon, who had reached a level where she could analyze emotions from Wei Yan-ho's every movement and gesture, could tell that Wei Yan-ho was speaking with complete sincerity without a hint of falsehood.
"Then are you really going to do it properly?"
"Of course."
Wei Yan-ho clenched his fist and stood up.
"You don't know."
"What?"
"How harshly I've been treated by my brother all this time."
"Brother did things that deserved it."
"Ah, well, I'll admit there could be differing opinions on that."
"It's not that there are differing opinions – brother just did things that deserved it."
"Opinions can vary."
"...There's really no hope."
Wei Yan-ho let Wei Su-ryeon's words go in one ear and out the other as he steeled his resolve.
"Today is truly the day of revolution! I hereby declare that I will resist the iron-fisted rule and harsh dictatorship that has continued until now, and seize my life's autonomy!"
"What are you saying?"
Wei Su-ryeon looked at Wei Yan-ho with eyes as if viewing an insect.
Though he was her brother, the thought of whether this human was truly sane occasionally crossed her mind, and even sibling affection couldn't prevent it.
"What if you actually Win? Won't Wei San-ho be shocked?"
"Tsk tsk."
Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue.
"That's why you're still not ready."
"Why?"
"Think about it – if I fight my brother half-heartedly, would he stay quiet with his personality?"
"...He might try to kill you."
"Right."
Wei Yan-ho nodded.
"My brother has a strange obsession with that kind of thing. If I try to face him carelessly, he'll never forgive me for the rest of his life. Even if I wanted to be casual about it, I can't."
"Hmm."
Wei Su-ryeon also nodded.
Now that she heard it, Wei Yan-ho's words were right.
But one side of her heart ached.
'A sincere martial duel between brothers.'
For other martial families, this might be an inevitable process they must go through. But none of the people of the Guangdong Wei Family would have thought such a day would come.
For the reliable eldest son who would lead the family and the family's troublemaker to have a sincere martial duel – and the probability that the result would be Wei Yan-ho's victory was high.
'I don't want to see whoever Weins...'
She wanted to find a solution, but there was no particular solution to be found.
Then, Wei Yan-ho got down from the bed, stood up, and opened his mouth.
"A person, or rather a martial artist, sometimes has to do things they don't want to do."
At the serious tone she hadn't heard in a while, Wei Su-ryeon looked at Wei Yan-ho with slightly dazed eyes.
'When I see him like this, he's cool again.'
"Bring me food."
'Never mind.'
Wei Su-ryeon's face twisted mercilessly.