Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Novel - Chapter 233 (New)

233: The Indolent One Revealed (3)

In this existence, there are certain principles that never change.

One might point to the way water naturally descends from high ground to low, or how the sun consistently emerges in the east only to vanish in the west.

However, in this specific arena, one of those fundamental laws was being shattered.

‘A human being can actually take flight.’

Gong Mujin watched in sheer bewilderment as Domunwi was launched into the firmament, resembling a distant star.

Yet another law of nature was failing.

Common sense dictates that whatever is propelled upward must eventually come down, but Domunwi seemed to have no intention of returning to earth anytime soon.

‘Ah, there he is.’

A glint sparked against the blue sky as a tiny black speck manifested. That speck rapidly expanded, regaining the proportions of a man.

“Oh!”

Remaining entirely rigid, Domunwi plummeted, landing with pinpoint accuracy on the peak of the mountain situated directly across from them.

♪ Thump! ♪

A massive tremor rippled through the earth under their feet.

‘He’s a dead man.’

‘There is no way he survived that.’

‘Death is the only logical conclusion.’

A collective wave of pity for Domunwi’s demise washed over the spectators. If the universe had even a shred of morality, a person shouldn’t be able to live through such a fall. To survive would be an affront to reality itself.

Chung Yeon reached up and physically shoved his own jaw shut.

His teeth clicked together as his mouth closed, but his sense of logic remained wide open and unsettled.

‘I witnessed it with my own eyes…’

He was unable to process the visual information he had just received.

To put it plainly, Wei Yanho had swatted Domunwi, the renowned Puengyeong-kweon, all the way to a neighboring mountain peak with a solitary strike…

“Hahahaha.”

A dry, cynical laugh bubbled out of Chung Yeon. He had never encountered a situation so absurd. He couldn’t reconcile what he knew to be true with what he had just seen.

“What was that supposed to be?”

“What did I just look at?”

Fortunately, Chung Yeon wasn’t the only one spiraling into confusion. The other prominent figures were also showcasing their distress and dread in various ways.

“Was that truly… Puengyeong-kweon?”

“It is irrelevant whether it was Puengyeong-kweon or not. Could any standard martial artist hurl a body that far? The question isn’t who Puengyeong-kweon used to be, but who this Wei Yanho actually is.”

“He is the offspring of Wei Jeonghan.”

“That isn’t the point, you blockhead!”

“Wait, are you implying something scandalous?”

Chung Yeon observed the bickering with a look of pure exhaustion.

‘He fought impressively.’

Under normal circumstances, he would have reprimanded such a wild display, but he lacked the mental energy. It was Wei Yanho himself who finally addressed the stunned leaders.

“Are we just going to stand here all day?”

“…….”

Chung Yeon shifted his gaze toward the official judge after hearing Wei Yanho’s prompt.

“…Close your mouth and do your job.”

The judge quickly complied with Chung Yeon’s order, using his hand to shut his gaping maw.

“The winner is Wei Yanho!”

Accepting the victory with a casual nod, Wei Yanho began his slow descent from the stage. Gong Mujin could only wag his head at the sight.

‘That lazy scoundrel.’

Starting today, the entire world would learn that a peerless sloth had finally revealed himself.

“Why is everyone looking at me like that?”

Noticing the intensity of Wei Jeonghan’s stare, Wei Yanho asked the question as if he were being unfairly scrutinized for a mistake.

“Ah, it’s nothing.”

Wei Jeonghan spoke with an air of profound unease:

“Did you actually kill the man?”

“He ought to be breathing.”

“…Usually, when a person falls from such a height, they perish—even if they possessed the status of a deity.”

“I showed him mercy.”

“That’s good to hear, but…”

Wei Jeonghan didn’t know the specifics, but if Wei Yanho claimed he showed mercy, the man was likely alive. He knew his son might flee a losing battle, but he was rarely a liar.

“Even so, you brat, you really should have shown some restraint.”

“Now why would I do that?”

Wei Jeonghan clicked his tongue in frustration.

“Why must you display your full might in front of a massive crowd? Were you never taught to conceal at least a third of your true capabilities?”

“A third?”

Wei Yanho adopted a solemn expression and replied:

“If I had utilized a third of my power, he would be a corpse right now.”

“…….”

“Was I supposed to kill him?”

“No, absolutely not.”

That wasn’t the issue at all.

Son, please don’t say things like that out loud.

“That isn’t what I meant. I’m asking if it was necessary to reveal so much right out of the gate. Now, every other competitor is going to make you their primary target, don’t you see?”

Wei Yanho let out a dismissive snort.

“And what exactly are they going to do about it if they’re terrified of me?”

“…….”

True.

In reality, fear wouldn’t even be the right word for it. What counter-strategy exists for a man who can toss a human being to a mountaintop?

‘He’s my son, but…’

This youth clearly lacked any concept of “doing things in moderation.” It was effectively like watching a elite special forces soldier engage a toddler and deciding to deliver a full-force kick to the child’s face immediately.

While Domunwi, the Puengyeong-kweon, was far from a child, the gap between him and Wei Yanho was arguably wider than that between a weapon of war and an infant.

“Still, you should have practiced some self-control.”

“No, that would be wrong.”

“And why is that?”

“My mentor taught me that the most disgusting and cowardly thing a person can do is win an easy fight while pretending they are struggling.”

“…What was his reasoning?”

“Because it offers false hope. If that person eventually finds out their opponent was just playing with them, the psychological blow would be devastating. My mentor said if you aren’t going to fight, then don’t; but if you do, you must give it everything you have.”

Wei Jeonghan found himself speechless.

The logic was sound—infuriatingly sound.

But why did it feel like he was being swindled when the boy explained it?

“I suppose I see your point…”

“Exactly. It might sting for him now, but it will be a useful lesson for his future.”

Will it just sting? Wei Jeonghan wondered. He meant that in the most literal, bone-breaking sense possible.

“Wasn’t it a bit excessive?”

“Goodness, Father.”

Wei Yanho waved his hand dismissively.

“I can’t stand the theater of pretending to struggle against someone I can easily beat. It’s exhausting for me, and it’s a waste of time for him. It’s better to be blunt about it.”

“Isn’t the truth just that you’re too lazy to drag it out?”

“…….”

Exactly! This brat!

He found the act of a duel so bothersome that he ended it in a single motion just to save effort!

“Regardless, I’ve completed my tasks for the day, so I’m going to go take a nap.”

Wei Jeonghan nodded, feeling a strange urge to cry.

No one could dispute that Wei Yanho had performed brilliantly today, regardless of his lazy motivations, so there was no ground to stop him.

“At least grab a bite to eat before you sleep.”

“I will.”

Wei Yanho began his trek back toward his quarters as Wei Jeonghan let out a heavy sigh.

‘He’s just dropped a massive bomb.’

It wasn’t just any explosive; it was a cataclysmic revelation. Long after the match had concluded, the next pair of fighters had yet to step forward.

Wei Jeonghan observed the whispering masses. Usually, a spectacular performance invigorates a crowd, but because Wei Yanho’s display was so far beyond the realm of possibility, the audience’s reaction was one of stunned silence.

Wei Jeonghan noted the quietude of the arena, which felt as though it had been drenched in freezing water.

‘Tomorrow is going to be utter pandemonium.’

Once the initial shock wore off, the name of Wei Yanho would be whispered in every corner of the Central Plains.

“…How is that possible?”

Jang Soha stared at the stage with a vacant, hollow expression.

Despite being hailed as the premier rising talent of Mount Hua and the top prospect of his generation, he currently looked quite foolish.

‘Taking down Puengyeong-kweon in a single stroke?’

Even though he was a top-tier disciple and a favorite to win the tournament, Puengyeong-kweon was not someone he could dismiss lightly.

Puengyeong-kweon was a veteran of countless skirmishes who had perfected multiple styles; he was a formidable presence. Even reputable families gave him a wide berth.

And he was defeated in the blink of an eye?

Not just beaten, but physically launched into the atmosphere?

“Does that even make sense?”

He must have been caught off guard.

Surely, he underestimated the boy.

Jang Soha convinced himself that if Puengyeong-kweon hadn’t been careless, this wouldn’t have happened. The problem was, even that thought brought no comfort.

‘If I had been the one he underestimated, could I have ended it in one hit?’

No. It was impossible.

It didn’t matter if there was an underestimation or not. Even against a careless opponent, Jang Soha couldn’t have secured such a swift victory.

Even if Puengyeong-kweon had been fast asleep, it would be impossible to hurl him to a mountaintop. He simply couldn’t comprehend the mechanics of it.

“Is this a dream?”

“I’m afraid not.”

Jang Soha spun around at the sound of a voice coming from behind him.

A familiar figure was perched casually on a thick tree branch.

“Song Hyun?”

“It’s been a while.”

“…A while? Is this really happening?”

“It is no dream. It is the cold, hard truth.”

Jang Soha’s face tightened.

“We aren’t exactly close friends, but since we are acquaintances, I’ll offer you a bit of guidance.”

“Guidance for me?”

Song Hyun gave a slow nod.

“If you want to keep your dignity intact, you should simply withdraw the moment you have to face Wei Yanho.”

“Withdraw?! How can a true martial artist give up without crossing blades?”

“Are you skilled at finding the Path?”

“…….”

“I’m quite poor at finding the Dao, so I wouldn’t be confident in finding my way back here from a mountain peak. You’d be better off resigning and staying in your own warm bed.”

“Stop talking such nonsense!”

“Courage is a fine trait.”

Song Hyun looked down at Jang Soha with a flicker of sympathy.

“But when that courage leads to your public humiliation, you’ll find yourself wishing you had followed my lead.”

“… It sounds like you’ve experienced something like this before. Do you actually know that guy?”

“I don’t know him intimately, but I’ve realized one thing.”

“And what is that?”

“From this day forward, our names are going to be completely absent from any conversation regarding the future masters of the martial world.”

Jang Soha’s features contorted in anger.

“Are you familiar with the metaphor of the toad in the well?”

“…You’re saying we are trapped and can’t see the world?”

“No.”

Song Hyun stated with absolute certainty:

“The issue is that we are merely toads.”

“… What?”

“Toads are incapable of defeating tigers. You and I are the toads, and Wei Yanho is the tiger. Try to look at the situation with a bit of realism.”

Song Hyun stood up and walked away.

‘Am I really just a toad?’

The thought left Jang Soha’s expression twisted and sour.