"What's all this noise about?"
Wei Yan-ho grumbled irritably as he flipped over his blanket.
What a wonderful day this was.
It was time to be free from everything that had been tormenting him. The pressure to win at all costs had concluded with the self-reflection of 'I knew it would turn out this way.'
Now the tournament had only the semifinals and finals remaining, but Wei Yan-ho had nothing left to do. He had properly educated that old man who had picked a fight with him so he could never do such nasty things again, and his father had made Wei Yan-ho's heart swell with pride by watching that scene and saying 'do as you please.'
So today, he just needed to spend time leisurely without worrying about anything else. He didn't have to listen to Wei Su-ryeon's nagging coming to wake him up saying it was almost match time, and he could escape from Wei Jeong-han's nagging going 'Please don't do anything that would disgrace the family.'
But who exactly was disturbing this precious time?
Wei Yan-ho fell into contemplation.
If he had his way, he wanted to burst out the door right now and shout at the noisemakers, 'Those who disturb my rest face only death!'
But!
'Too bothersome.'
Wei Yan-ho rolled himself up in the blanket again and slipped inside. Whatever commotion was happening outside, wouldn't it be enough to just isolate himself from the outside world?
"It's dangerous outside the blanket."
Wei Yan-ho had mastered the secret to living safely in this harsh world from an early age.
But when does the world ever go according to one's thoughts?
Knock knock knock.
Wei Yan-ho furrowed his brow upon hearing the knocking on his door.
'What now?'
There shouldn't be anyone coming to see him today, right?
It was getting close to mealtime, but he had already told them he would skip eating today to rest. But was there really anyone loyal enough to come all the way here to try to make him eat?
What made Wei Yan-ho contemplate further was the sound of the knocking.
If Wei Jeong-han or Wei Su-ryeon had come to find him, they would knock out of courtesy, but they wouldn't be this careful. They would have knocked with the attitude that they'd break down the door if he didn't open it right away, simultaneously announcing their arrival and trying to wake Wei Yan-ho.
Wei San-ho?
Wei San-ho was someone who would knock very quietly on the door, then suddenly open it and walk right in.
So it wasn't family, but if it wasn't family, was there anyone who would come looking for his room?
Wei Yan-ho listened carefully.
'What is it?'
He could sense some hesitation. Wei Yan-ho held his breath.
When in doubt, wasn't it Wei Yan-ho's way to pretend not to be there and hope they would quietly leave?
To rest comfortably even for a single moment longer, he needed to hide his existence…
"Um… Young Master Wei."
Huh?
It was a voice that seemed familiar yet unfamiliar.
It was definitely a voice he had heard before. He had heard it several times recently…
'If I can't remember, it must not be anyone particularly important, right?'
There weren't many people Wei Yan-ho considered important, but even so, when he thought 'I should remember this person,' he usually did remember them. The fact that he couldn't remember meant it must be some nobody.
"I'm Ho Cheol-san."
"…Eh?"
Who was Ho Cheol-san again?
Wei Yan-ho's frown deepened.
'Ah!'
It was definitely that guy who was a peer of his brother and Jang-il.
But why was that fellow coming to see him?
Creeeak.
The door opened cautiously.
Wei Yan-ho had no choice but to fall into contemplation.
Should he respond or not?
The conclusion that once someone had already entered the room, they wouldn't just leave, made Wei Yan-ho's heavy head emerge from under the blanket.
"What do you want?"
When Wei Yan-ho asked with irritation mixed in, Ho Cheol-san flinched.
Wasn't Ho Cheol-san one of the people who knew best how nasty Wei Yan-ho's temper was and how he would suddenly tear people apart?
It hadn't been long since all his peers went flying onto the roofs of various pavilions after getting entangled with Wei Yan-ho for no reason.
"Um… if it's not too much trouble, could you please come down for a moment?"
"It is too much trouble."
"..."
Ho Cheol-san pressed his lips tightly shut.
It would be nice if he thought about such things before speaking, but how could he give such a clear-cut answer as soon as the words finished?
No matter how Wei Yan-ho and he weren't on particularly good terms, he was clearly Wei Yan-ho's elder and a peer of his brother Wei San-ho.
'If I said that, I'd get beaten up.'
This was someone who even beat up the Dark King, so if he brought up seniority with such a person, he'd only hear 'my fist is seniority.'
Ho Cheol-san quickly assessed the situation and laughed, "Hehe."
At least you can't spit in a smiling face, right?
"Are you mocking me?"
"…N-no."
He had momentarily forgotten that this guy was someone who would spit in your face while smiling.
"I-it's not that, you really should come down and take a look."
"So why?"
"There are people who want to meet Young Master Wei Yan-ho."
Wei Yan-ho nodded with an "Ah."
"I'm going to sleep, so tell them to come later."
"..."
If that would work, do you think I would have come up here now? I'm someone who can't sleep at night just from seeing your face. But the fact that I came up here like this, don't you realize how serious the situation is?
There was so much he wanted to say. But Ho Cheol-san could guarantee that there weren't many people left in the martial world who could say everything they wanted to in front of Wei Yan-ho.
"Why else would I have come up here? Don't you really understand?"
"I don't understand."
"…We can't handle it among ourselves. Unfortunately, Great Hero Wei is also away at the moment… so you need to come and sort things out."
"Me?"
"Yes."
"Sort things out?"
"Yes!"
"Me?"
"Ah!"
He seemed to understand why Wei Yan-ho kept asking back.
Perhaps this was the first time anyone had ever asked him to sort something out?
Even family or acquaintances probably wouldn't ask Wei Yan-ho to sort anything out.
Asking someone who would take thirty thousand years just to clean his room to sort things out was a bit strange.
"I-I'm not asking for much. Just please come down and send away those people who are stubbornly sitting there saying they want to meet Young Master Wei."
"…What are you talking about?"
Who was coming to see him and stubbornly sitting there?
Feeling curiosity stirring, Wei Yan-ho shifted his bottom.
'But it's bothersome…'
Curiosity and laziness engaged in a fierce battle, but laziness won an overwhelming victory.
"Can't you just tell them to come up here?"
"…There are many of them."
"The room is spacious though?"
"There are more of them."
Wei Yan-ho's frown deepened further.
"Just who exactly came to make such a fuss?"
***
Watching Wei Jeong-han hurriedly returning to the pavilion where Wei Yan-ho was, Cheong Yeong-ja shook his head.
'What a strange affair indeed.'
The Righteous Hero Sword he remembered wasn't such a fool. No matter how people tend to become soft after having and raising children, Wei Jeong-han's degree was too severe.
Anyone who knew understood that the name Righteous Hero Sword wasn't really given because he properly established righteousness. Wasn't it a nickname given half-mockingly to someone who showed blade-like strictness regardless of friend or foe?
After the nickname was attached, Wei Jeong-han truly lived up to the name Righteous Hero Sword through his activities, which is how the name came to be called with good meaning.
It wasn't much of a secret story, but what was important wasn't that, but that the Wei Jeong-han of the past was someone who demanded blade-like strictness even from his allies.
That such a person raised his child with such permissiveness was an aspect that was difficult to understand.
'Moreover…'
If both children had turned out badly, one could just think that Wei Jeong-han had no talent for education and leave it at that, but to think that way, Wei San-ho had grown up too upright.
Because everyone's attention was too focused on Wei Yan-ho, but Wei San-ho was at a level where…
"No. Wei San-ho isn't someone who should be described as 'at a level.'"
If Wei Yan-ho hadn't existed, Wei San-ho would have been considered one who would lead the martial world of the next generation. Just raising Wei San-ho should make Wei Jeong-han be called an excellent father, but…
"It's incomprehensible."
No matter how many brothers didn't resemble each other, Cheong Yeong-ja couldn't understand how brothers from the same womb could be so different. For someone like him who had never given birth to and raised a child, it might be something he could never understand in his lifetime.
"Sect Leader, are you there?"
"Mm…"
At the voice heard from outside, Cheong Yeong-ja opened his mouth.
"Come in."
Cheong Yeong-ja quietly watched Cheong Heo-ja entering.
"I have completed the task you assigned."
"How was it?"
"They were just nobodies."
"Nobodies?"
"Yes."
Cheong Yeong-ja looked confused.
"Didn't you say there were definitely people approaching Mount Hua?"
"Yes. After capturing and interrogating them, it was revealed that they were subordinates of the Green Forest. They said they had only received orders to move toward Mount Hua and surround the area."
"Green Forest, you say."
Cheong Yeong-ja's contemplation deepened.
Currently, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that all the forces under heaven were gathered here. Not everyone had come, but the attention of all under heaven was focused here, and people from all forces under heaven had come.
In such a place, if one carelessly caused trouble, the destruction of a single sect would be nothing.
But the Green Forest?
"Unless the Green Forest King is suffering from dementia, he wouldn't cause trouble in this place, would he?"
No matter how much the Green Forest spread its infamy throughout the world, that was only infamy. Bandits are like insects – no matter how much you deal with them, after a year passes, new bandits slyly establish themselves again.
If they were scoundrels who killed all innocent civilians, they would naturally be dealt with, but the bandits belonging to the Green Forest knew well that such behavior would shorten their lives, so they didn't go beyond appropriately collecting tolls from people.
That was the Green Forest's position in the martial world.
'But the Green Forest King is sending bandits here?'
For what purpose?
"This doesn't feel good at all."
"I also thought there might be some other plot, so I captured and tortured many of them. But considering their martial arts level, it seems difficult for them to scheme anything with these people."
"Then why is the Green Forest King sending his subordinates here?"
"In my humble opinion, isn't it a kind of show of force?"
"Show of force?"
"Yes. This Mount Hua Gathering is no different from a festival of the entire martial world. But despite having considerable power, the Green Forest wasn't invited to this tournament."
"What, are you saying the Green Forest wants to come here?"
"They probably tried to surround Mount Hua as a protest against that."
"Hmm…"
Cheong Yeong-ja looked out the window with an uncomfortable expression.
'It makes sense, but…'
Thinking about whether the Green Forest King he knew was someone who would engage in such unprofitable business, his doubts weren't resolved.
"Strengthen security and continue the investigation."
"Yes, Sect Leader."
"In two more days, the tournament will be over. There absolutely must not be any problems."
"I will keep that in mind."
Watching Cheong Heo-ja bow his head, Cheong Yeong-ja let out a low sigh.
'I hope nothing happens.'