Wei Yan-ho was extremely flustered by the current situation.
'So, um…'
Objectively speaking, it wasn't such a bad situation. But subjectively, it certainly couldn't be called a good one either.
The situation was quite simple.
When Wei Yan-ho felt that things around him had been roughly settled, he declared he would return home, and with Han Sang-ah taking his side, it seemed the matter would be resolved cleanly.
But it started raining the next day.
And it was a torrential downpour at that.
'Can't go.'
No matter how nice home was, he couldn't head there in that rain. Even if he took a carriage, if the horse pulling it got rained on all day, it would fall ill.
And Wei Yan-ho had a tendency to avoid going outside on rainy days if he could help it.
Rain. Because of that damned rain, he had sought shelter and ended up in a cave, which led to meeting his master.
It was fortunate he didn't have a seizure just from seeing rain.
So naturally, his departure was delayed, and Wei Yan-ho settled into his room as usual.
'It's only been two more days.'
Those two days weren't particularly long, but they were sufficient time to sort out the situation. Of course, there probably weren't many crazy people in this place who would come looking for Wei Yan-ho after he'd finished all his business, but the problem was that one of those crazy people had indeed found his room.
'Well, bringing food is nice.'
Having food brought to him was extremely appreciated. For Wei Yan-ho, who contemplated 'whether humans truly must eat to live' every time he had to go down to the dining hall at mealtime, he could only place infinite trust in someone who prepared meals and brought them right to his room.
The problem was a bit complex.
Wei Yan-ho, being in his room, couldn't be expected to have his clothes properly arranged, and it all started when his wounds were revealed through his slightly disheveled clothing.
Even Wei Yan-ho couldn't possibly be completely unscathed after facing so many Demonic Cult members simultaneously.
Fortunately, the wounds weren't serious. They weren't bad enough for Wei Yan-ho, who was notorious for his hypochondria, to complain about.
Most were light scratches and shallow cuts.
But the problem was that the person who saw those wounds happened to be a physician, and specifically Jin Ye-ran.
Jin Ye-ran, who had roughly finished treating her patients and brought a meal tray, had a fit the moment she saw Wei Yan-ho's wounds. She grabbed his clothes, tore them off, and began washing his wounds.
Of course, he tried to resist.
While wound treatment was beneficial to receive, how bothersome it was when someone actually tried to do it.
But Wei Yan-ho's feeble resistance was instantly suppressed before Jin Ye-ran's momentum as she radiated killing intent from her eyes.
'That woman is strange too.'
Normally, how should he put it?
Gentle? That's a bit odd, and even if not gentle, Jin Ye-ran, who wasn't particularly talkative and was polite, went crazy whenever she saw patients.
The moment the concept changed from benefactor to patient, the woman who had been the epitome of gentleness instantly transformed into an iron maiden, stripped Wei Yan-ho's clothes, washed his wounds, and wrapped his entire body in bandages.
Of course, well, that wasn't necessarily bad…
'Why are benefactor and patient being combined?'
This was working in an unfavorable direction. Jin Ye-ran, torn between the mindset that she must treat a patient and the feeling that she should treat her benefactor even more diligently, lost her bearings and committed the outrageous act of wrapping Wei Yan-ho's entire body with more than three times the usual amount of bandages.
The result was, well…
"Um…"
When Wei Yan-ho opened his mouth, Jin Ye-ran hurriedly rushed over.
Jin Ye-ran, who had settled down beside him with the argument that it wouldn't be proper as a physician or as a person to leave when her benefactor was injured, sat by the bedside and repeatedly made Wei Yan-ho uncomfortable.
If Wei Yan-ho hadn't had such a calm personality, he would have developed nervous exhaustion.
"Where does it hurt? What's wrong? The bandages aren't too tight, are they?"
"…It's not that, but there is a problem."
"Yes, please tell me, benefactor."
"How am I supposed to go to the privy like this?"
"…"
At those words, Jin Ye-ran looked Wei Yan-ho up and down and blushed.
She had wrapped the bandages too excessively, so bandages covered every part except his face. She had been too hurried while wrapping them to be conscious of it, but wrapped like that, he couldn't do anything.
"I'll unwrap them for you."
"While you're at it, won't you loosen some other parts too? I can barely move a finger like this."
"No. Your wounds might get worse."
As if.
This was Wei Yan-ho, who had survived even Baek Mu-han's merciless beatings. Wei Yan-ho didn't boast that his martial arts were the best in the world, but he was confident that his vitality was absolutely the best in the world.
Why did he think so?
You'd understand after taking just one hit from Baek Mu-han's fist.
After taking one hit from the Stone Fist, the worst martial art ever devised for tormenting humans, you'd realize that 'aching to the bone' wasn't just an expression.
This was Wei Yan-ho, who had survived by enduring that Stone Fist with his entire body.
That merciless beating that an ordinary martial artist couldn't have endured even for a day…
"Are you crying?"
"Ah, no, I was just remembering old times for a moment."
"You must have had sad experiences."
It wasn't sad, it was unfair.
'Damn old man.'
While memories were supposed to become more beautiful with time, the time spent in that cave didn't become beautiful at all—the more he thought about it, the more it only brought anger.
'Master shouldn't have been a ghost…'
If he hadn't been a ghost, he would have grabbed him and thrown him in jail to make him realize how terrible a crime child abuse was!
Thinking of his master who had tormented and tormented him before selfishly ascending… no, disappearing, his stomach churned and rage boiled up.
"Mmm, at least loosen the bottom part a bit."
"Yes, I'll do that."
Jin Ye-ran reached out and grabbed the bandages wound tightly around Wei Yan-ho's body.
"Your waist…"
"Pardon?"
"You'll need to lift your waist slightly for me to unwrap them."
"…Yes."
Wei Yan-ho, lifting his waist from his lying position, began to seriously contemplate 'why I have to be doing this here.'
Jin Ye-ran carefully began unwrapping the bandages wound around Wei Yan-ho's groin area.
"The position is a bit strange…"
"I was trying not to be conscious of it, but don't bring it up. It's embarrassing!"
"Are you embarrassed even when seeing patients?"
"I'm not embarrassed when seeing patients. I'm a physician, after all."
"Then why are you like this?"
"…That's what I'd like to know."
Jin Ye-ran blushed and turned her head slightly.
"It would be best to hurry. It's fortunate this is inside a room, but if anyone were to see us like this…"
"Yan-ho!"
At that moment, the door burst open.
"…"
"…"
Wei Yan-ho and Jin Ye-ran couldn't even open their mouths, staring at the open door. There stood Wei Jeong-han, Gong Mu-jin, and Yi Seol-hwa, eyes wide as saucers, standing dumbfounded as they looked at them.
"Wait, just a moment."
Slam!
The door closed without any chance for explanation.
"It's not what you thiiiink!"
Wei Yan-ho let out a shriek.
Why was the door closing? The door!
What kind of scene was this that the door had to close!
"Ahem, ahem."
Throat-clearing sounds came from outside the door.
"M-may we enter?"
"Come in quickly!"
Creeeeak.
The door that had burst open at first now opened very carefully, slowly enough to burst the patience of anyone watching, and Wei Jeong-han cautiously poked his head inside.
"M-may we enter?"
"You're acting like you saw something you shouldn't have. Come in."
Wei Jeong-han looked at Jin Ye-ran rather than Wei Yan-ho with a somewhat awkward expression. Seeing Jin Ye-ran with her face red as a beet and her head hanging down, this was, how should he put it…
"…Shall we prepare?"
"For what?"
"Well, actually, you being a martial artist and all, it's not such an early age. It's just that father isn't mentally prepared yet, but I don't think it's bad. First, let me get permission from your mother…"
Wei Yan-ho immediately grabbed a pillow and threw it.
As Wei Jeong-han caught the flying pillow, Wei Yan-ho shouted.
"It's treatment! Treatment!"
"Treatment… treatment is good. I understand it's treatment, but…"
Wasn't the atmosphere suggesting otherwise?
Just as Wei Jeong-han was about to say one more thing, an eerie voice came from beside him.
"I don't think there's any need to give such meaning to a physician treating a patient."
That voice was very small.
At first hearing, it seemed like someone muttering to themselves. But the moment he heard that voice, Wei Jeong-han could no longer say anything.
'There's killing intent in it.'
While Wei Jeong-han had never retreated even before the fierce aura of Demonic Cult members, he couldn't resist the eeriness carried in this small voice.
Yi Seol-hwa, staring silently at Jin Ye-ran with an expressionless face.
"Why are you crying?"
"…I'm not."
"No, you're suddenly shedding tears…"
"Dust got in my eyes."
Wei Jeong-han silently placed his hand on Gong Mu-jin's shoulder.
"Sons and disciples are all the same."
"Ugh."
Wei Jeong-han couldn't help but sympathize with Gong Mu-jin. Even though he was Wei Yan-ho's father, Wei Yan-ho was simply the worst possible husband material.
Wasn't he a person completely lacking in the sense of responsibility and diligence that a family head should have?
How could it not be heartbreaking that his beloved disciple had set her heart on such a Wei Yan-ho?
Wei Jeong-han sincerely offered his condolences to Gong Mu-jin.
'But why is that guy popular?'
This was something he absolutely couldn't understand.
Jin Ye-ran's beauty was, well, tiresome to speak of now. And even aside from that beauty, Jin Ye-ran was a woman who wouldn't lose to anyone anywhere.
With a woman's body, she had learned medical skills praised by the world and possessed the mindset to practice proper humanitarian medicine. Probably anyone who knew Jin Ye-ran couldn't help but covet her as a daughter-in-law.
And what about Yi Seol-hwa?
Wasn't she affiliated with the prestigious Mount Hua and the beloved disciple of Plum Blossom Sword Ghost Gong Mu-jin? That background alone made her no less than Jin Ye-ran. It was only because Jin Ye-ran was so beautiful, but Yi Seol-hwa also possessed beauty that would make everyone on the street turn to look.
'Why do such decent people!'
It was Wei Jeong-han's misfortune that he couldn't rejoice in his son's popularity.
'He's my son, but I really don't understand.'
Though they weren't openly showing it in front of adults, Yi Seol-hwa and Jin Ye-ran's gazes were subtly clashing.
'A love fight over that guy.'
How should he put it?
It felt like watching peerless beauties tearing each other's hair out fighting over a stone rolling on the ground?
Still, being his son, Wei Jeong-han couldn't compare him to anything less than a stone.
"But what brings you all here in such a group?"
"Well, actually…"
When Wei Jeong-han looked back, Gong Mu-jin awkwardly opened his mouth.
"We came because we have a favor to ask."
"A favor?"
At Wei Yan-ho's question, Gong Mu-jin recalled what had happened earlier.