Chapter 359
A bull's horn should be pulled out in one swift motion.
The longer work is postponed, the more reluctant one becomes to do it, and various circumstances and excuses tend to pile up like layers of grime. Once he had decided to do it, there was no reason to delay.
Zhang-il protested roughly, saying he needed time to think, but Wei San-ho cleanly ignored Zhang-il's arguments.
After that, when Wei San-ho arrived at the room where Wei Yan-ho was sleeping, he first let out a sigh. If you were to ask him to name the one thing in the world he found most troublesome, it would undoubtedly be waking up Wei Yan-ho.
Wei San-ho sighed at the thought of having to do this painful task once again and opened the door.
"Huh?"
But the scene inside the door was completely different from what he had expected.
Wei Yan-ho was sitting on the bed, gulping down bowls of medicine one after another, and beside him stood Jin Ye-ran with an indifferent expression, holding several bowls on a tray.
"Kruaaaaa!"
Wei Yan-ho put down a bowl and let out a dragon-like burp.
"Suuuuuuuuur!"
"Good medicine tastes bitter."
"At least put some licorice in it!"
"It reduces the medicinal effect."
"Ugh."
"Here, now this one."
Wei Yan-ho grumbled but still took another medicine bowl that Jin Ye-ran handed him and began gulping it down.
'What kind of situation is this?'
Wei San-ho tilted his head while looking at the scene before his eyes.
"Kaaaaaaaa!"
Wei Yan-ho, who had gulped down another medicine bowl, made all sorts of grimaces. Then he turned his head to look at Wei San-ho.
"You're here?"
"What are you doing?"
"Taking medicine, obviously."
"Is there somewhere that hurts?"
"It's a tonic."
"..."
Wei San-ho was momentarily at a loss for words and looked back and forth between Jin Ye-ran and Wei Yan-ho.
"Well, I'll be."
A martial artist taking tonics.
Well, of course, it's not that martial artists don't take care of their medicine. These are the kind of people who would even kill others to steal and consume elixirs if they're desperate enough for spiritual medicines, so it's not particularly strange, but...
'That's not even an elixir.'
What does it mean for a martial artist who cultivates internal energy to maintain optimal health to be taking tonics?
Whether or not he understood his older brother's feelings, Wei Yan-ho was greedily lapping up the tonic. After developing an appetite for food, it seemed he now had a taste for medicine as well.
'No, thinking about it, even before he used to eat anything that was supposed to be good for the body with his eyes lit up.'
The degree seemed to have gotten a bit more severe, but it wasn't a bad thing. Moreover, wasn't Jin Ye-ran a renowned physician among renowned physicians? There was no way a tonic made by such a woman would be bad for the body.
However...
'What's with ten whole medicine bowls... '
Just eating that much would probably be enough to skip about five meals.
"What is it?"
When Wei Yan-ho, who had finished another medicine bowl, asked nonchalantly, Wei San-ho explained the situation.
"So..."
Wei Yan-ho said with a somewhat dumbfounded expression.
"You want me to teach those kids dancing around in that training ground over there?"
"That's right."
"Me?"
"That's right."
"Brother, you seem a bit confused from traveling around here and there lately... I'm Wei Yan-ho."
"I know."
"Hul..."
When Wei Yan-ho's eyes widened, Wei San-ho continued with a stern expression.
"That's originally what retainers are. When we need them, they lend us their strength, and in return, we must pay them appropriate compensation. And the appropriate compensation we must pay is not providing money or shelter, but sharing what you have. Because that's what they want."
"Who asked them to come? They followed on their own, so why should I have to suffer?"
"Because it's necessary."
Wei Yan-ho pursed his lips.
"Cho Dong-ari."
His lips went back in again.
"If you really don't want to do it, I have no intention of forcing you. But you also need awareness at this point. Power comes with responsibility."
"That's a really strange thing to say. It's not like someone else gave me power, so why should I have to take responsibility for it?"
"I don't want to have a discussion about justification and logic with you, but..."
Wei San-ho gestured toward the window and said.
"Anyway, since you have nothing to do on the way there, wouldn't it be not bad to teach them as a form of entertainment?"
Persuasion and subtle coercion came alternately.
Wei Yan-ho looked at Wei San-ho with contemplative eyes.
"It's bothersome."
"Then let me put it this way."
Wei San-ho's voice became slightly stern.
"Would it not matter to you if those guys died?"
"...Huh?"
"Just as I said. Would it not matter to you if those guys died?"
Wei Yan-ho made a face as if to say what kind of out-of-the-blue statement this was. Wei Yan-ho, who was about to say something, noticed that there was no trace of humor on Wei San-ho's face and pondered.
"It wouldn't feel good..."
"Is that all?"
"Hmm, it would be more than that. It would feel unsettling."
"I suppose so."
Wei San-ho's voice became more serious.
"Turbulent times are coming. You may not know, but those guys have families and sects, so they'll eventually have to fight. But with their current skills, it won't be easy to survive."
"..."
Annoyance appeared on Wei Yan-ho's face.
"It would be nice if it worked out that way. A situation where you can give back what you received to others and settle things cleanly. But the world isn't that rational. In the end, humans are emotional animals."
"Hmm..."
"If you have to make a choice, it's this: If you leave them as they are and they lose their lives in these turbulent times, would you really be able to not regret your choice now?"
Wei Yan-ho, with a dumbfounded expression, moved his lips and then spoke in a slightly lowered voice.
"It sounds like an incredibly unreasonable threat."
"It could be. No, it is. It's an unreasonable threat."
Wei San-ho readily admitted it.
"But it's the truth. Just because you made a rational choice doesn't mean the result will be rational too."
"Ugh."
Wei Yan-ho gritted his teeth. He felt like his insides were turning upside down. This was why he always felt uncomfortable around Wei San-ho.
"You really know how to get under people's skin."
"I've never done such a thing."
"Fine! I got it! But!"
Wei Yan-ho's eyes blazed with fire.
"I won't go easy on them, so tell them to be prepared! I'll really make them into masters."
"That would be good too."
Even while looking at the annoyed Wei Yan-ho, Wei San-ho smiled warmly. Others might think differently, but from Wei San-ho's perspective, Wei Yan-ho was a brother with a very tender heart.
"Absolutely! I'll make it so they absolutely won't die! Absolutely!"
"..."
It seemed like that tender heart was manifesting in a not-so-good direction, but this was an unavoidable part.
Wei San-ho smiled contentedly while watching his younger brother heartily gulp down the tonic in one go.
"Wei San-ho, you crazy bastard!"
Zhang-il felt like he was about to lose his mind.
What the hell had this madman done?
It was fine up to the point where they stayed overnight, packed provisions, and set out. The problem was that at the moment of departure, Wei Yan-ho suddenly spouted nonsense about 'I will make you all strong.'
Of course, it was a good thing.
To those kids who were desperate to become stronger, it must have sounded like a heavenly voice. The problem was that Zhang-il was forcibly included in it.
"Uaaaaaak!"
At the sharp throwing knife that suddenly flew at him, Zhang-il literally panicked and rolled on the ground.
"Aak! Aak!"
Even while he was rolling on the ground, throwing knives kept flying at him.
"Hey, you bastard! This beggar is dying!"
"It's fine for beggars to die."
"That crazy bastard really!"
Zhang-il screamed at the top of his lungs, but Wei Yan-ho showed no sign of stopping. Instead, he was giggling and accelerating his throwing of knives.
"I suggested we just use stones, but brother specially went and prepared throwing knives because he cares for you all. You should be grateful to brother."
"Uaaaaaaaa! Wei San-ho, that crazy bastard really!"
Zhang-il had no choice but to completely revise his perception of the Gwandong Wei Family. He had thought that except for Wei Yan-ho, it was a place where normal people lived—no, people he should actually look up to!
'There's no way that could be true.'
If the younger brother is like that, there's no way the older brother would be sane. He had been wondering why Wei Yan-ho didn't resemble Wei San-ho, but that wasn't the case.
Wei Yan-ho resembled Wei San-ho. Wei San-ho had just been thoroughly hiding himself all this time! Who could have imagined he was hiding such craziness?
Being hit by stones alone would send a person flying far, but throwing knives! If Zhang-il got hit by those knives, he would have to change his profession from beggar to shish kebab.
Of course, he wasn't the only one suffering that fate.
"Jump lightly!"
The long bamboo staff that Wei Yan-ho held mercilessly struck Peng Dao-ji's head.
"Kuuuugh."
Peng Dao-ji, who got hit on the head, clutched his head and rolled around on the ground. Seeing that scene, Mo San-ah started hopping around.
'What kind of state is this?'
Both the Peng Family and Shaolin are places renowned throughout the world for their dignity. The future leaders of those two sects were currently suffering like this.
"But do we really have to do it this way?"
When Peng Dao-ji exploded and shouted, Wei Yan-ho clicked his tongue.
"If you got hit, just quickly continue what you were doing instead of complaining."
"No! That's not what I mean!"
Even while saying that, Peng Dao-ji started hopping around again.
It wasn't just jumping.
It was training to put strength only in the tips of the toes, lighten the body, and jump as high as possible with minimal force. He didn't know why he had to do it, but since Wei Yan-ho ordered it, he was doing it for now, but...
'It looks too disgraceful!'
Everyone they met on the road clicked their tongues without exception. Grown men, not children, were hopping around like frogs, so naturally people would frown.
"Higher!"
"Ugh."
Peng Dao-ji leaped into the air.
"Don't jump by releasing qi, jump by lightening your body, you idiot!"
The bamboo staff flew at him again.
Peng Dao-ji thought that perhaps the reason his body couldn't become lighter might be because of the bumps growing on his head.
"Does this really have any effect?"
"Didn't you entrust the training methods to me?"
"But at least some explanation..."
"Would you understand if I told you?"
"..."
Wei San-ho stepped in for Peng Dao-ji, who had become like a mute who had eaten honey.
"But I suppose I could explain the reason. The same training done while knowing what I'm currently doing versus not knowing will surely make a difference."
Although Wei Yan-ho had a clearly annoyed expression, he didn't ignore Wei San-ho's words.
"Sigh, how bothersome. Listen carefully."
'That guy really listens well to his brother.'
Zhang-il was newly feeling Wei San-ho's authority. Even Wei Jeong-han could barely control Wei Yan-ho, but Wei San-ho was somehow getting Wei Yan-ho to move, whether by coaxing or appeasing him.
What Wei Jeong-han had said in the past, 'What Yan-ho fears most is not me but his brother,' wasn't just empty words.
"You use the Dominating Blade (Paedo), right?"
"Yes. That's right."
"What is the Dominating Blade?"
"Domination means... the power to overcome all things..."
"Don't say useless things, domination is just being strong. Wildly smashing things. Just being powerful."
That's not usually how martial arts are explained, is it?
"Y-yes, that's right."
"So you need to be light."
"Eh?"
Peng Dao-ji's face went blank at the completely incomprehensible statement.