Chapter 405: The Lazy One is Bored (5)
It was a somewhat strange sight.
A greeting is not just spoken; it requires at least a minimal gesture. But here, the people did not even turn their eyes while greeting.
And the old man seemed to consider that perfectly normal.
"Continue."
"Yes!"
Even while responding, they did not shift their gaze. As Wi Yeon-ho watched the scene in fascination, the old man glanced at Wi Yeon-ho and opened his mouth.
"Metal will break if you take your eyes off it for just a moment."
"Ah…"
"There's nothing more foolish than failing to do your job because of appearances and ceremonies. It's right not to even greet while working. Yet, despite saying that, these fools refuse to give it up. Such frustrating people."
He felt a belief in his work that allowed no compromise.
"What is this place?"
"It's as you see. It's a place where weapons are made."
"Is the Tang Clan's hidden weapon produced here?"
"Indeed."
Wi Yeon-ho glanced around with a bit of nervousness.
"I don't know much about it, but I've heard that the Tang Clan's armory is highly confidential. Is it okay for me to be here without causing any issues?"
Based on what he had overheard and the situation around him, Wi Yeon-ho was showing quite a bit of development. It's a shame that this instinct only activated when it was useless.
"If I'm bringing you here, who would dare to say anything?"
There was pride in those words.
"If you can see with your own eyes and steal our technology, I would rather commend you for it."
"Ah, I don't have that kind of ability."
"You do seem like it."
Is this an insult?
Just as Wi Yeon-ho was about to protest, the old man spoke.
"Where is Jong-gwan (종간)?"
"Yes! Old man!"
A man called Jong-gwan rushed over to the old man.
Tension was etched on Jong-gwan's face. The old man, who had said he was going to the lodging, had suddenly returned to the armory, raising concerns that something might be wrong.
"Open the Baekno (백로)."
"The Baekno you mentioned?"
"Right."
Jong-gwan's face hardened.
"W-what's the matter?"
"I have a need for it."
"But, Old Man, to open the Baekno, the Clan Head's permission is required."
"Enough with the nonsense. Open it."
"No, I cannot."
As Jong-gwan's eyes began to fill with anger, he bowed his head but did not step back.
"Y-you know, the Baekno is for use only when making the Golden Dragon hidden weapon. Permission from the Clan Head is necessary to open it."
"Is it not the craftsman who uses the furnace? How could a non-craftsman be the one to grant permission!"
"However, that's the rule of the Tang Clan, Old Man…"
Just as the old man was about to get irritated, Wi Yeon-ho calmly spoke up.
"Can't we just get the Clan Head's permission?"
"Hmm?"
The gaze of Jong-gwan turned to Wi Yeon-ho.
'Who is this?'
It dawned on him that there was someone he hadn't seen before in this place.
He had been too distracted by the old man's return to notice how this person ended up here.
"Y-you brought an outsider?"
Jong-gwan's face began to turn pale.
The old man was originally that kind of person.
With such a strong identity as a craftsman, he held a weaker perception of being a member of the Tang Clan. A member of the Tang Clan could never be free from the clan's laws. Yet the old man held a mindset that in pursuit of his craft, he could disregard the clan's laws.
While this fact had caused issues a few times, it had not led to any major disasters. But now, this was going to be a huge incident.
"Old man! What on earth have you done? You brought an outsider into the armory!"
"It's of no consequence since I'm not creating something sensitive."
"That's not what's important. What's important is that an outsider has entered a place where they shouldn't be."
"So what do you intend to do about it?"
"I have to report to the Clan Head."
The gazes of Jong-gwan and the old man entangled in the air.
"No matter how much of an old man you are, violating the clan's laws is no minor offense. I will report this to the Clan Head and hold you accountable."
"Do as you wish."
The old man said it with an expressionless face, as if it didn't concern him.
"However, I don't want to waste time, so open the Baekno and let's go."
"I have already told you no."
The tense standoff between the two continued.
"Ahhhhh."
At that moment, Wi Yeon-ho let out a wide yawn.
"Is it over?"
The gazes of Jong-gwan and the old man turned to Wi Yeon-ho.
"So in the end, if we have the Clan Head's permission, everything is fine, right?"
Jong-gwan nodded in a daze.
Of course, the laws of the clan took precedence, but it was within the Clan Head's authority to make exceptions. Even if Wi Yeon-ho were to dance naked inside, if the Clan Head allowed it, they would have to understand.
"Please go and inform him. I'm here, and I asked to open the Baekno."
"…Who are you?"
"Me? I'm Wi Yeon-ho?"
"Wi Yeon… Wi Yeon-ho?"
Jong-gwan's eyes trembled as if they had met an earthquake.
"What do you mean?"
"..."
Jong-gwan slumped his shoulders and walked into the Longzhao.
"That is…"
As Jong-gwan's lips quivered, he could not bring himself to speak and let out a deep sigh.
Of course, Jong-gwan dashed straight to the Clan Head's residence the moment Wi Yeon-ho finished speaking. He realized that the situation had far exceeded his capacity to resolve.
Upon arriving before the Clan Head, Jong-gwan explained the situation, and the Demon King opened his mouth with a frown.
"Baekno?"
"Yes. It's the Baekno, Clan Head! Right now, Wi Yeon-ho is entering the Longzhao and shamelessly requesting that the Baekno be opened."
"Hmm."
"This is something that must not be tolerated. Not only Wi Yeon-ho but also the old man should be punished. It is already unacceptable to bring an outsider inside the clan, and now they are asking to open the Baekno. Does this not mean that the Baekno will be revealed to the outsider? Such a thing has never happened in the history of our clan. You must punish them to uphold the clan's prestige…"
"Open it."
"Yes, of course, you must… Huh?"
"Open it."
"C-Clan Head?"
"What?"
"No, this cannot be. An outsider has entered a forbidden area, and you are saying to open the Baekno without holding them accountable?"
"Hey."
"Yes?"
"Are you the Clan Head?"
"..."
"Just open it, man. Don't make this a big deal."
"...Okay."
"And if you act carelessly and provoke Wi Yeon-ho, I will throw you into the pot, so keep that in mind."
"..."
Jong-gwan looked at Wi Yeon-ho, who was warming himself by the cauldron in a corner, with a deeply frustrated expression.
'What is he doing?'
He was well aware that this person had defeated the Clan Head and brutally attacked the children at the entrance. Anyone with eyes and ears would know this fact inside the Tang Clan by now.
But no matter how much so, this was still the Tang Clan. It was impossible for someone to act so freely within the clan's walls. If other clans or sects found out about this, how much they would laugh at the Tang Clan.
Jong-gwan could not allow such a situation to continue.
For the sake of restoring the collapsed prestige of the Tang Clan…
"What did you say?"
Wi Yeon-ho's casual remark startled Jong-gwan.
"…I will open it."
"See? It was going to happen anyway, you just made it harder on yourself."
Wi Yeon-ho clicked his tongue.
Jong-gwan's heart sank along with his spirit.
And the one who was most taken aback by this situation was the old man.
"Did the Clan Head say to open it?"
"Yes."
Seeing the rotten expression on Jong-gwan's face as he answered, it seemed he wasn't joking…
'Is this child that influential?'
The old man looked at Wi Yeon-ho with newfound eyes.
Of course, he could not be unaware of who Wi Yeon-ho was. Even if he had not cared about the outside world and lived solely within the armory, he would have heard the name Wi Yeon-ho, which was shaking the foundations of the clan.
However, to think that the Clan Head himself would issue a command to allow an outsider inside the forbidden area…
It started as the old man's ambition, but he was aware that it was a risky move. Yet, this child was going to shatter that risk.
"…This way."
Jong-gwan trudged forward, his heavy steps echoing amidst the whispers of the craftsmen that only deepened his heartache.
"Tsk."
When the old man clicked his tongue, the gazes of the craftsmen who had been glancing this way fixed on the cauldron.
The old man's artisan spirit inadvertently assisted Jong-gwan.
As Jong-gwan ambled weakly through, he approached a massive door leading down to the underground and helplessly pulled a key from his sleeve, inserting it into the keyhole.
Creak.
With a jarring noise, the key turned, and the mechanism activated, opening the door with a loud squeak.
"Here it is."
Wi Yeon-ho's eyes widened.
"You want me to go in here?"
"Yes. This is the path to the Baekno."
Wi Yeon-ho pointed with a pouty expression at the stairs shrouded in darkness.
"To be honest, saying this might be a bit much but…"
"Yes?"
"This is the Tang Clan, and over there looks like a really dangerous basement. Asking me to follow you in there seems a bit risky. I can easily imagine the door closing behind me as soon as I step inside."
Jong-gwan lost his words.
Fortunately, the old man voiced what he was feeling.
"Who in their right mind would set a trap in a place like this? If enemies had come this far, the Tang Clan would already be doomed. If they were to waste money making traps here, it would be better to build another mechanism outside."
"Uh? Now that you mention it, that's true?"
Wi Yeon-ho was quick to understand.
"Follow me. I'll go in first."
The old man strode forward, as if to dispel Wi Yeon-ho's doubts.
While Wi Yeon-ho still wore a somewhat uneasy expression, he couldn't hang back when the old man was entering like that. He was lazy but not a coward.
"I'm going in, I'm going in."
Wi Yeon-ho straightened his shoulders and strode toward the stairs. But due to his inherent cowardice, he paused at the top of the stairs, retracting his foot and looking around.
"Why? What's wrong?"
Receiving the disdainful gazes from the craftsmen, Wi Yeon-ho puffed out his chest.
"Honestly, one should live cautiously. If you get too cocky, your life can be lost in an instant."
"…I understand, let's go in."
At Jong-gwan's words, Wi Yeon-ho shrugged and descended the stairs.
As soon as Wi Yeon-ho's figure disappeared, Jong-gwan let out a deep sigh.
"What on earth was the Clan Head thinking bringing in such a troublemaker into the clan?"
The sighs kept escaping from Jong-gwan.
'And what's this about the Baekno.'
His face took on a cold light different from before.
'It seems that I should report this separately. The Clan Head must have lost his mind.'
With the face of Clan Head Dang Yong-min flashing in his mind, Jong-gwan turned his body and exited the Longzhao.