Chapter 355
"Be careful on your trip."
Wei Yan-ho waved his hand with a beaming smile.
"..."
Wei Jeong-han and Gong Mu-jin were looking at Wei Yan-ho with faces that couldn't be more displeased, as if they harbored all the dissatisfaction in the world. So were those standing behind him.
"Why are you all on that side?"
Peng Dao-ji answered with an awkward smile.
"I'm sorry, Great Hero. Though they say a crisis has befallen the martial world, with my meager skills I wouldn't be of much help. Rather, I think it would be better to follow the command my father gave me to never leave Wei Yan-ho's side..."
Wei Jeong-han looked at Peng Dao-ji with a sullen face, then turned his head to the side.
"Amitabha."
"...I understand."
Well, Mu-san was expected. After all, the order he received from Shaolin was to escort Wei Yan-ho, so he wouldn't have any other choice. That much was understandable, but...
"Aren't you abandoning your duties?"
Wei Jeong-han looked at Jang-il with eyes full of dissatisfaction.
Then Jang-il shrugged his shoulders.
"They say the King Beggar went to the Righteous Alliance, so what would a small beggar do there? He'd probably just carry the King Beggar's wine jug."
"But shouldn't you still go?"
"A beggar just needs to follow the wind and clouds without breaking his bowl."
"..."
He thought that Jang-il was sticking to the place most likely to break his bowl, but since that's what he wanted to do, there wasn't much to say. It wasn't as if Wei Jeong-han had command authority over them anyway.
"If that's what you want, then it can't be helped."
"Please understand."
Jang-il smiled brightly.
"And wouldn't Great Hero Wei feel a bit more at ease if I followed this guy?"
"Not at all."
"..."
As Jang-il went to crouch in a corner, Wei Jeong-han looked at Wei San-ho and Jin Ye-ran, who were standing blankly behind Wei Yan-ho.
"...You too?"
Wei San-ho smiled awkwardly.
"Well, I should safely escort mother home."
"Your mother agreed to come with me, though?"
"What? No, why?"
"She says she's worried about sending this widower alone... At least Sang-ah still loves me."
Wei Yan-ho raised his hand.
"What?"
"Middle-aged love is beautiful, but hearing it from father's mouth is kind of disgusting."
"You little!"
As Wei Jeong-han raised his hand, Wei Yan-ho hid behind Wei San-ho's back.
"So you're sending Yan-ho home and only mother will follow father?"
"That's right."
Wei Jeong-han smacked his lips.
Though Han Sang-ah seemed reluctant to part with the son she'd only recently reunited with, she also didn't feel comfortable sending her husband off alone.
As for Wei Yan-ho, he was the type who wouldn't come out of his room once he safely reached home, so it could be handled by just sending a message to the Chief Steward. But Wei Jeong-han was someone who needed care.
Having lived knowing only martial arts, if left alone he might become famous throughout the land as the world's most helpless widower. In that sense, it was a reasonable choice.
"I'm certainly relieved that mother will accompany father."
"Me too."
"...That's certainly true."
As Wei San-ho, Wei Yan-ho, and even Jang-il nodded in agreement, Wei Jeong-han felt somewhat dejected.
'So I'm such an untrustworthy person!'
"Anyway, that's what we decided."
"Well, I'll still follow Yan-ho."
"..."
"I should at least see him enter the house."
Wei Jeong-han nodded.
'That's understandable.'
This was Wei Yan-ho who had gone missing on his way to the academy and suffered for five years before returning. That would always remain in one corner of Wei San-ho's heart.
From the perspective of finishing what had started with his own mistake, it didn't seem bad to have Wei San-ho personally take Wei Yan-ho home.
"If that's your intention, then do so."
"Thank you for understanding. I'll take Yan-ho home and head straight to the Righteous Alliance."
"Hmm..."
He wanted to tell him to rest a bit before coming, but the situation had turned so dire that he couldn't say those words. The fact that the Righteous Alliance had requested urgency probably meant the Demonic Cult had made their move.
They needed to borrow even a cat's paws.
And in the midst of all this...
'That annoying brat.'
Looking at Wei Yan-ho carrying his luggage on his back and smiling cheerfully made his stomach turn.
Going home at a time like this! At a time like this!
"You're going to laze around properly once you get home."
"You know, one thing I realized is that even the Imperial Palace can't compare to home. It's been way too long since I've been there."
"..."
Wei Jeong-han found himself gritting his teeth without realizing it.
'That's right. It's not wrong.'
Thinking about it, Wei Yan-ho hadn't been able to rest properly from five years ago until now. Realizing this fact anew made his heart ache.
'I may be a poor father, but I shouldn't be a bad father.'
Wei Jeong-han sighed and nodded.
"Go, you rascal. Go and rest well."
"That's exactly what I'm planning to do."
"Tsk."
Wei Jeong-han shook his head.
But on the other hand, his heart felt lighter.
'I must prevent a world where that child has to fight too.'
If even Wei Yan-ho had to go through the same hardships, then what had he fought for? No matter how strong Wei Yan-ho was said to be, he wasn't yet of an age to fight on the front lines.
Even with pressure from the Authority Pole and the Four Divine Hands, Wei Jeong-han steeled himself with the will to push through on this matter alone and gestured.
"Depart."
"Aren't you leaving?"
"I need to do some maintenance on the carriage. We'll depart soon too. Don't delay by insisting on leaving together."
"Mm, understood. Then I'm off."
Wei Yan-ho waved his hand and turned around. Then he began walking slowly, and the other members of the party bowed their heads and followed behind Wei Yan-ho.
Watching their retreating figures, Wei Jeong-han's eyes grew somber.
'I hope a world where those children have to return never comes... '
The Demonic Cult's invasion always demanded total war. The time might come when those children would have to take up swords themselves. Wei Jeong-han hoped such a world would never come again.
And...
'You're watching over them, aren't you?'
He probably hoped for the same thing.
* * *
"Which way do we go from here to reach Guangdong?"
At the first crossroads after leaving, Wei Yan-ho asked Jang-il.
"Why are you asking me the way to your own house?"
"If a beggar doesn't even know the roads, he's completely useless, so I'm giving you the chance to prove your usefulness for the first time in your life!"
"...Wow!"
To be able to abuse someone so colorfully and splendidly – at this point, he wasn't even angry. Rather, he could only admire it.
"This way."
"As if I can trust that."
"Tsk."
Even while saying that, Wei Yan-ho headed in the direction Jang-il pointed.
"Ah, this is frustrating. I can't even have a proper fight like usual."
Jang-il smacked his lips.
His eyes turned to the golden sword Wei Yan-ho wore at his side.
'What kind of thing is that!'
It was a sword made entirely of gold from the handle to the tip of the scabbard. Excluding the blade, everything gleamed yellow – it was a sword that would overflow with dignity even if carried by a neighborhood beggar.
It was the sword that Yi Wang-ya had thrown to Wei Yan-ho before leaving. And the majesty of that sword was revealed at the checkpoint.
The moment the officials at the Imperial Capital's gates who had been demanding identification papers saw Wei Yan-ho's sword, they prostrated themselves on the ground at truly the speed of light. No, that couldn't even be called prostrating. It was more like they hurled themselves to the ground.
The guard captain's "Aaaaah! Please spare us!" after confirming the gleaming golden sword would be an unforgettable line for life.
Only then did he fully grasp the extent of the power the Royal Inspector's position commanded. Of course, the officials had prostrated themselves not because of the Royal Inspector position but because they saw the Emperor's divine artifact, but either way it was the same thing.
Since people were shocked everywhere they went, they had no choice but to wrap it in cloth and wear it.
"By the way, what did you do with that small sword from before?"
"Small sword?"
"You know, the Inspector's Sword. That divine artifact of Yi Wang-ya."
"Ah, that."
Wei Yan-ho said nonchalantly.
"Since I got the big one, I don't need the small one."
"So you returned it?"
"No."
Wei Yan-ho pulled out a golden gleaming small sword from inside his robes.
"I'm going to sell it somewhere appropriate."
"..."
Jang-il, who had been looking around wondering if Wei Yan-ho's liver had fallen out and was rolling on the ground somewhere, sighed deeply.
'Such a guy is the Royal Inspector.'
He could hear the sound of the country going to ruin.
"But why are you following along?"
"I'm going to follow you to the ends of hell wherever you go."
"Are you crazy?"
"Hmph. It's no use trying to shake me off. The King Beggar told me not to lose track of you at all."
"I'm just going home to keep sleeping though?"
"Then that's good for me too. I'll keep sleeping at your house."
"Has this beggar gone mad? Who lets a beggar into their house?"
"Heh heh! I knew you'd react like that, so I already got permission from Great Hero Wei Jeong-han. An order will fly straight to the Chief Steward, so don't even think about kicking me out. That's not your house, it's Great Hero Wei Jeong-han's house."
"What strange talk is that?"
"What do you mean?"
"What does it matter whose house it is when kicking out a beggar? I just need to beat you up."
"..."
This guy was really something else.
"Anyway, since there's no one better than you for guiding the way home, I'll make use of you. Lead the way, beggar."
"..."
With the mindset of a hunting dog chasing prey, Jang-il darted forward.
Thus began Wei Yan-ho's journey to return home. But none of those present could predict that this journey would not end as briefly as expected.
None of them.
* * *
"You're saying he's returning home?"
"Yes."
"To Guangdong?"
"That's right."
"...The timing is rather strange. From what I know, soon?"
"That's right."
Guangqushen nodded.
"That event will happen."
"Yes. War. And I heard that the Radiant Martial Supreme truly made his name in that war."
"Correct."
Guangqushen let out a low sigh.
"It was a path that couldn't continue long anyway. Reaching Guangdong was an impossible task. Perhaps Great Hero Wei Jeong-han also knew this when he sent Wei Yan-ho away. To enjoy what wouldn't be a long final rest."
"Ah..."
"But back then, no one knew."
"What?"
"That something worse than the war that engulfed the martial world would happen to us before that. No one predicted it even as they set out on the road."
"What do you mean by that?"
"They weren't trying to wage war. What they truly aimed for was us. No, to be precise, it was one of us."
The Historian's face hardened.
"Are you saying the Radiant Martial Supreme had that much influence on the Demonic Cult? No matter how much the Radiant Martial Supreme had contact with the Demonic Cult once, it wouldn't be to the extent of directly moving the Demonic Cult."
"The reason was different."
"What?"
Guangqushen looked up at the ceiling with somewhat vacant eyes.
"We didn't know that reason. If we had known, we might have been able to deal with it... But at the time, we didn't know. Not just us, but no one in the martial world could have known. Who would have thought... that such things were happening behind the scenes of the world."
Guangqushen's words were so heavy that the Historian couldn't bring himself to ask what had happened.
"Didn't I tell you that there are histories in the world that aren't recorded?"
"You did."
"Right. Now listen well."
"..."
"I'll tell you. That unrecorded history."