Chapter 395
From the moment they entered the Tang Family Hamlet, Wei Jeong-han could feel the piercing gazes directed at them.
Not just one or two.
Tang Family Hamlet was literally a village.
It was a village where those bearing the Tang surname gathered to live.
"What a peculiar place."
Admiration flowed from Wei Yan-ho's lips.
"That grandmother drawing water over there looks like she could beat a tiger to death, doesn't she? And why is that lady next to her carrying a backpack frame? She looks like she could move boulders with her bare hands."
"Don't speak so openly."
"…It's a strange neighborhood."
Wei Jeong-han smiled bitterly.
'Well, that's understandable.'
Tang Family Hamlet was a place where those who weren't direct descendants of the Tang Family gathered to live. Though they weren't direct descendants and thus didn't receive the protection of the prestigious Sichuan Tang Family, they still believed themselves to be of Tang lineage and were followers of the Tang Family.
The Tang Family didn't abandon them either.
Even if they didn't pass down their secret arts, they had no qualms about teaching martial arts to these people.
Thanks to this, this place had become both where the strongest clans in the world gathered to live, and the most exclusive place in the world. The Tang Family was known as a place that wouldn't even pass down secret arts to their own daughters. That Tang Family was cloaked in the veil of humanity through its branch families.
Recalling this fact, he realized just how much of a dragon's den this place was.
If Wei Jeong-han had come here alone, he would have been crushed by this oppressive atmosphere. Still, the reason he could remain composed now was singular.
"Haaaam."
"..."
Wei Yan-ho yawning lazily. Watching that sight made tension feel rather pointless.
'What's the use of being tense anyway.'
After all, those gazes probably weren't directed at him.
As if he couldn't feel the gazes pouring down on him at all, Wei Yan-ho kept yawning continuously. It wasn't that he couldn't feel it. He simply didn't care.
Well, naturally.
Wei Jeong-han chuckled.
This was the guy who used to treat Wei Jeong-han's murderous glares like lullabies even when his martial arts were insignificant. There was no way that bastard would care about such gazes.
Having decided to half-ignore the pouring gazes, Wei Jeong-han turned his head to look at the large gate of the pavilion.
Great Sichuan Tang Gate Noble Family.
Looking at the signboard written in bold, vigorous calligraphy, he felt the reality of having come to the Tang Family.
'To think I'd visit this place on foot in my lifetime.'
No matter how much they were comrades who fought together against the Demonic Cult, the relationship between the Heavenly Medical Alliance and the Righteous Martial Alliance was strained to the point where it was difficult to classify them as the same orthodox faction. It was concerning enough that a great war might break out between these two someday.
Yet here he was, walking into the Tang Gate with his own feet—one of the two pillars said to support that Heavenly Medical Alliance.
It was something to see in a long life.
Well, no matter how long he'd lived, if he hadn't been moving together with Wei Yan-ho, such a thing would never have happened.
The thought of stepping on Tang Family land, which might be harder to set foot on than even Demonic Cult territory, made him feel like the strings of tension were being pulled taut again.
But...
"Isn't there even a guard here?"
The gate was firmly closed. And there was no one guarding the gate either. Generally, major sects would post guards to guide visitors and prepare against possible intruders.
But there were no guards visible and the gate was closed, so it was rather awkward.
"Fox-Dog."
"Yes, Wei Hero."
"Was it like this when you visited in the past?"
"…Hmm, I'm not sure. I didn't get to enter the Tang Family back then either."
"I see."
Wei Jeong-han looked at the gate again with a troubled expression.
"You're worrying about all sorts of things."
Wei Yan-ho jumped down from the carriage with a thud.
"This is why people who've only experienced the martial world won't do. You can't do the obvious thing obviously."
Where did you live normally for ten years?
There was much to say, but for now Wei Jeong-han watched what Wei Yan-ho was doing. Normally, the words 'Please, you do nothing' would have already popped out, but right now he couldn't do that. There was also the request from the Divine Hand Physician.
Wei Yan-ho approached the gate, shrugged his shoulders, then raised his hand.
Everyone looked at Wei Yan-ho with tense eyes.
However...
"Is anyone there?"
Knock knock knock.
When Wei Yan-ho began knocking on the gate normally, everyone let out sighs. Not sighs of disappointment, but sighs of relief. The kind of relief that went 'At least that guy isn't always strange.'
"Is anyone theeeere?"
Knock knock knock knock.
But even after knocking on the gate, there was no response from inside.
"Hmm."
Wei Yan-ho scratched his cheek.
'This won't do.'
Jang-il saw it.
Wei Yan-ho's cheek visible behind his finger was gradually puffing up. Through what could now be called a fairly long time spent together with Wei Yan-ho, what he'd learned was that Wei Yan-ho's cheek puffing up was a danger signal.
"Are you there or not!"
Thump thump thump thump thump!
Wei Yan-ho's hand began putting more and more force into knocking on the gate.
'This won't do... '
As the gate began shaking violently, Jang-il unconsciously stepped forward. But Wei Jeong-han raised his hand slightly to stop Jang-il.
"If, if he keeps this up..."
"Let's wait and see. It's strange that no one's coming out even though he's going this far. We can't just wait here indefinitely, so let's watch a little longer."
'This is the Tang Family, you crazy man!'
Indignation surged up from his belly, but Jang-il hung his head low. No matter how much he was Fox-Dog, he couldn't oppose Wei Jeong-han.
At that moment, a creaking sound was heard.
"Huh?"
Jang-il, who had snapped his head around as if it might break, saw Wei Yan-ho stopping his hand.
That guy, he looks pissed off?
"No way!"
Wei Yan-ho's voice grew louder.
"Are you people playing games after calling someone here!"
The situation began spiraling out of control.
"Are you there or noooooot!"
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Indeed, the Sichuan Tang Family.
Though poison and hidden weapons were their specialty, the Tang Family had another forte. Namely, mechanisms and formations. Befitting a family most skilled in architecture in the world, even their gate was incredibly sturdy.
Wei Yan-ho was striking the gate with force, yet the gate was still holding up.
He'd thought the gate was blackish because it was painted black, but looking closely, it wasn't painted—the wood itself was black. It seemed they'd made the gate from that precious Black Catalpa Wood. That's why it could withstand those punches.
But wood was still wood.
When Wei Yan-ho began pounding the gate with an angry face, it swayed back and forth, screaming in distress.
Creeeeak! Creeeeeeak!
The hinges trembled and the gate screamed.
"No people? Are you all dead? Ugh!"
BOOOOM!
At Wei Yan-ho's strike full of irritation, the gate finally couldn't hold up.
The gate tore off and fell backward as dust scattered in all directions.
"...Damn."
Everyone except Wei Jeong-han gaped open-mouthed.
Jang-il, who had been gaping, slowly turned his head backward.
"..."
In his view were the people of Tang Family Hamlet with their mouths hanging open. They too were staring this way blankly with their mouths open, as if they couldn't believe what they were seeing with their eyes.
Why wouldn't they?
The Sichuan Tang Family was renowned as the most vicious and exclusive place in the world. Even the renowned martial artists of the martial world least wanted to make an enemy of the Sichuan Tang Family.
Especially within Sichuan, the Sichuan Tang Family was said to have power greater than the imperial family. They were kings, and they were death gods.
A guy suddenly appeared who visited such a place and smashed down the gate, so how could they not be shocked?
"Still not coming out even after this?"
And that guy didn't seem satisfied with just that much.
"Fine, good. Let's see whether you come out or not."
Wei Yan-ho rolled up his sleeves.
Now we have to stop him, now!
"Wei, Wei Hero."
"...Should I stop him?"
"You have to stop him! What are you hesitating about!"
"Well, the thing is..."
Wei Jeong-han was also wavering.
He was supposed to let him cause trouble, but that trouble seemed to be gradually exceeding the level he'd imagined.
Right, it wasn't supposed to be 'this kind' of trouble at least.
Just as Wei Jeong-han reached out his hand to somehow try to stop Wei Yan-ho, green-clad figures came running this way in haste from the distance.
"You, you crazy bastard!"
The appearing green-clad people grimaced at seeing the destroyed gate.
The person who had been alternately looking at the broken gate and Wei Yan-ho with an ice-cold face opened his mouth in a frigid voice.
"Did you do this?"
"That's right."
"In all my life, I've seen all kinds of crazy bastards. You don't think you can return alive after smashing the Tang Family's gate, do you?"
"You seem to be the crazy one."
"What?"
Wei Yan-ho spoke as if he found it pathetic.
"People should be educated. How can supposed nobles be so poorly educated? What can you do about it?"
"This, this bastard?"
"What's a gate that you threaten someone's life over smashing it a little? That a person's life is more precious than a gate is something even a three-year-old knows. Instead of being stuck in the countryside playing with poison, read some books and learn some scholarship."
Wei Jeong-han slowly lowered the hand he'd raised to applaud.
That such words came from Wei Yan-ho's mouth was quite moving... but thinking about it, those didn't seem like words Wei Yan-ho should be saying. What scholarship from a guy who hadn't even finished the Thousand Character Classic?
"I'm pretty stupid too, but how are you even stupider than me?"
At Wei Yan-ho's words, Jang-il clutched his heart.
"Wow, that's... really harsh cursing."
"He's declaring a fight to the death."
"Amitabha, I need to wash my ears."
Hearing words criticizing his son, Wei Jeong-han nodded greatly.
'That is a bit harsh.'
And at that moment, the Tang Gate disciples put their hands inside their sleeves.
"We'll make you learn what the price is for barging into the Tang Family and picking a fight."
"I didn't barge in though? I came because I was invited?"
"Invited?"
"Yes. Your Fam... Family Head, right? That Black King or something..."
"Are you perhaps referring to Dark King Family Head?"
"Ah, right. I think that was the name. Dark King—that gentleman told me to come, so I came."
The Tang Gate disciples shook their heads.
"The joke ends here. You can give the rest of your words in the Thunder Prison."
"Thunder Prison? You're going to lock me up?"
Wei Yan-ho asked back, but as if there was no value in answering further, the Tang Family people began surrounding Wei Yan-ho.
"Umm..."
Wei Yan-ho scratched his head.
"So this is how the Sichuan Tang Family treats guests. Well, there must have been some mistake. Maybe the message wasn't conveyed properly."
Wei Jeong-han's eyes widened.
'For such common-sense words to come from that bastard's mouth.'
And it was even something that wouldn't worsen the situation. When was the last time such a normal reaction came from Wei Yan-ho's mouth? He almost felt a bit moved.
"Oh, Master said that if the other party misunderstands me, I should just beat them up first. If I make them recognize that 'I'm a strong person who has no need to deceive you,' everyone will understand. Certainly..."
Wei Yan-ho grinned and rolled up his sleeves.
"It seems like the right thing to say."
The surging emotion quickly returned to its place.
Of course.