# 407: The Lazy One Investigates (2)**

«Is this man Tang Jin?»
«That’s right.»
«Hmm…»

Wei Jeonghan couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

Before his eyes lay a man as emaciated as a skeleton. His sunken, lifeless eyes seemed to have lost focus, and his thin wrists looked as if they would break with a mere touch.

*’Is this really Tang Jin, the Ghost Lady?’*

Anyone who lived in the martial world had heard of the Ghost Lady. It was said that whenever her hand hidden in her sleeve moved secretly, a new ghost began to wander the world. And now that very Ghost Lady lay here, prostrate.

*’The situation is more serious than I thought.’*

Now Wei Jeonghan understood why the Poison King, Tang Cheongun, had asked the Righteous Martial Alliance for help, setting aside all pending matters.

This was no ordinary matter.

Someone of Tang Jin’s level was considered an accomplished master recognized throughout the martial world. To see him in such a deplorable state was shocking.

«Please describe the exact symptoms to me.»
«I’ve already told you everything.»
«Tell me one more time.»

Faced with Wei Jeonghan’s firm attitude, Tang Cheongun sighed.

«I’m not hiding anything. This is really all I know. One day, suddenly, the disciples who were training began to have convulsions and attacked everyone around them uncontrollably.»

Wei Jeonghan’s eyes gleamed.

«They lost their reason?»
«That’s right.»

Tang Cheongun frowned as if the topic was unpleasant.

«There must have been many victims.»
«This is the Tang family.»

With those words, Wei Jeonghan understood the situation.

*’Ah, right.’*

This was the Tang family.

The martial arts of the Tang family were not aimed at killing. Their essence lay in inflicting small wounds and letting poison seep into them.

In other words, if the poison was removed, the wounds were not a cause for concern. Fortunately, the Tang family had antidotes in abundance and medical skills that were second to none in the world.

*’But if someone like Tang Jin had an attack outside the Tang family, it would have caused a catastrophe.’*

Wei Jeonghan looked at Tang Jin with gravity.

«How many people are like this?»
«…About twenty.»
«Twenty?»

Wei Jeonghan looked at Tang Cheongun in disbelief.

«Twenty people have fallen into martial madness and you haven’t been able to find the cause?»
«That’s why I called you.»

Wei Jeonghan couldn’t help but sigh deeply.

*’No matter how you look at it, this is strange.’*

For a martial artist, falling into madness was like an inevitable fate. No matter how stable the martial art they practiced, there was always a minimal possibility.

The problem was that now that minimal possibility had occurred simultaneously in several people.

«They said they haven’t learned any new martial arts recently.»

Then the problem must be in the martial arts they had practiced for years. Why were the Tang family’s martial arts, passed down for centuries, suddenly causing this chain of madness?

It was something that made no sense.

Carefully, Wei Jeonghan extended his hand and took Tang Jin’s pulse, frowning.

*’It’s definitely martial madness, but…’*

His body was too weak to clearly feel his meridians, but that faint flow of energy was definitely boiling.

«Hmm…»

After carefully lowering Tang Jin’s wrist, Wei Jeonghan looked at Tang Cheongun.

«Are you sure these symptoms are definitely martial madness?»
«…Why do you ask?»
«I feel something strange.»
«Strange?»
«Yes. More than strange…»

Wei Jeonghan hesitated.

How to describe this feeling? It wasn’t exactly strangeness…

*Deja vu?*

Wei Jeonghan clenched his fists.

They were overlapping.

The scene he had seen before and the appearance of Tang Jin before his eyes.

«If you put it that way, I’ll be honest with you. I’m sure these symptoms are a type of martial madness. But… there’s definitely something different compared to the cases I’ve seen before. If you ask me exactly what’s different, it’s hard to explain, but…»

«Hmm…»

Wei Jeonghan nodded and then looked at Jangil.

«What do you think?»
«It smells rotten.»
«Rotten?»
«Yes. Don’t you feel something artificial about this? In life, there are days when you fall, but not all beggars fall at the same time. If something like this happens, it means someone planned for them to fall.»

Jangil smiled as he spoke.

«Of course, the question remains of who would be bold enough to conspire against the Tang family of Sichuan.»

Wei Jeonghan also nodded in agreement. Then he turned his gaze back to Tang Cheongun.

«For now, we’ve found something suspicious.»
«You found something?»
«Yes. However, it’s not definitive yet…»

The Poison King, Tang Cheongun, looked at him in surprise.

*’They really found something?’*

He didn’t have much expectation from the others, aside from Wei Yanho. And he hadn’t even called Wei Yanho to solve this case. What the others were supposed to do was simply investigate and report to the Master of Divine Abilities.

What he wanted to borrow was the brain of the Master of Divine Abilities.

And now they were saying they had found something?

«What’s suspicious?»

Wei Jeonghan shook his head.

«It’s too delicate a topic to discuss now. I hope you understand.»
«Delicate?»
«Yes. If I’m correct…»

Wei Jeonghan looked at Tang Jin with a somber expression.

«This might not be a problem exclusive to the Tang family of Sichuan.»

The Poison King’s face tightened.

It was self-evident.

***

«… »

In the world, those kinds of things are surprisingly common.

Things that churn your stomach.

For example, seeing your own son rolling around the house after specifically telling him to rest.

*’I was the one who said it, but…’*

Of course, Wei Jeonghan had told Wei Yanho to simply rest. But today he had come to an obvious conclusion:

Humans are not rational creatures.

The pressure of being from the Righteous Martial Alliance and investigating in the Tang family of Sichuan, and the burden of thinking that they might be involved in an unimaginably large incident.

Meanwhile, the gazes like daggers stuck in their backs.

Enduring all that, which made his heart pound, and finally returning to the lodging, only to find that guy…

*Zzzzzzz…*

Wei Yanho’s mouth twitched slightly.

What was going on?

Nothing, he was just snoring.

Seeing Wei Yanho lying in the living room, snoring deeply instead of being in his room, Wei Jeonghan felt the urge to kill him well up inside him.

«Calm down.»
«Huh?»
«Put the sword down first…»

Jangil grabbed his arm discreetly. Wei Jeonghan, without realizing it, released the hilt of his sword and let out a deep sigh.

«Fiuu…»

Well, he wasn’t really that angry.

Just exasperated.

So exasperated that he wanted to throw a bucket of cold water on that carefree face.

«Grrrr…»

Wei Jeonghan thought he could never be a virtuous man. What kind of person didn’t keep his own words?

«Let’s eat something first.»

Jangil smiled as if he fully understood Wei Jeonghan’s feelings.

«…Let’s do that.»

Wei Jeonghan’s eyes became moist.

Look at Jangil.

How mature he is.

*’And it’s not just Jangil.’*

All the other «sons» (?) who had come this time were exceptional talents.

Jangil used to lack a bit of seriousness, but he made up for it with his intelligence and sharpness. Peng Dogeuk had been timid, but recently he had regained his confidence and had become an admirable young man.

And not to mention Musan, under the strict discipline of Shaolin.

In comparison…

*Zzzzzzz…*

«…»

He is my own son!

Even a hedgehog finds its baby cute!

Why couldn’t he be as happy as a hedgehog?

Wei Jeonghan suppressed the chill that was creeping into his chest and spoke calmly.

«Wake up.»

«Mmm…»

«…Yanho.»

Wei Jeonghan rubbed his face.

«Even though you left home for a while, I’ve been watching you grow up for many years. I know better than anyone that you wouldn’t be sleeping in a situation like this.»

At that moment, Wei Yanho half-opened his eyes.

His half-open eyes quickly scanned the place before slowly closing…

«Get up, you damn brat!»

Finally, Wei Jeonghan snapped and threw Wei Yanho.

«Ugh!»

Wei Yanho spun in the air and landed, his eyes wide open.

«Why are you throwing someone who is sleeping?»
«Sleeping? You sleeping?»

Wei Jeonghan spoke with exasperation.

«I’m your father, damn it! I know you’re incredibly lazy, but I also know you’re more perceptive than you seem! You woke up the moment we came in!»
«…You’re a ghost.»
«And then you pretended to sleep in case we asked you to do something! Oh, heaven is cruel! How did I end up having a son like you?»

Wei Yanho laughed.

«Well, the truth is, there aren’t many sons like me.»
«Of course not! There’s no one like you in this world! No one!»

For the first time in a long time, father and son agreed on something, although with slightly different meanings.

«Starting tomorrow, you’re coming with me.»

«Me?»

«Yes!»

«Wait a moment, Father.»

Wei Yanho spoke seriously.

«I understand why you say that, but I don’t think it’s a good decision.»

Wei Jeonghan’s face twitched.

*’Alright, let’s see what his reason is.’*

He must have his own ideas. It’s not right to insist on his opinion without listening to him. After all, Wei Yanho was already an adult. He couldn’t keep dragging him around forever.

«Okay. Why?»
«Do you really not know?»

Wei Yanho smiled broadly.

«I won’t be of any help. If you take me, you’ll only get angry, and when you’re angry, you won’t be able to see the case objectively. In the end, I’ll only get in the way of the investigation. It’s not that I don’t want to go or that I’m too lazy. Not at all!»
«…»
«You have to know your limits. I think it’s better for me to stay here for the sake of the clan, the investigation team, and the Righteous Martial Alliance. Surely you think so too…»

*Zzzzzzz…*

«Father?»

Wei Jeonghan drew his sword and shook his head.

«What did you say?»
«…»
«Come on, say it again, my *dear* son.»
«I think your definition of «dear» is a little strange.»
«As they say, give the ugly one more cake, and the pretty one, more lashes.»

The aura of Wei Jeonghan’s sword began to shine.

«In that sense, it’s true that I have a wonderful son. No matter how much I beat him, he won’t die. He won’t even get hurt.»
«If you stab me with the sword, I’ll die, Father! I’ll die!»
«You won’t die, I assure you! Come here, you damn brat!»

As Wei Jeonghan lunged forward, with the aura of his sword flowing, Wei Yanho began to scream and run away.

«Come here! You’re not coming? Gaaaah!»

Jangil smiled with satisfaction as he watched Wei Jeonghan chase Wei Yanho.

What a lovely relationship between father and son.

Really lovely.