Chronicles of the Lazy Sovereign Novel - Chapter 460

**C460: The Lazy One Investigates (5)**

Jegal Yeom watched the man sitting in front of him with a slightly uncomfortable look.

Disheveled and tangled hair.

A grown and unkempt beard.

Between the strands covering his face, his eyes remained closed. But every time they opened, they emanated a gaze that chilled the blood.

It was an impression that, once seen, was never forgotten. However, the most striking thing about this man was not his face or his hair.

It was his hands, peeking out from under the rough sleeves of his clothes.

Anyone who saw him for the first time could not help but notice them.

Full of scars, without a single free space. So marked that you even doubted if someone had inflicted them on purpose. But Jegal Yeom knew the truth: those wounds were not self-inflicted.

They were the result of countless battles, of wounds accumulated again and again. Two-thirds of those scars came from enemies; the rest, from his own clumsy sword.

And that is why he deserved respect.

With a technique so imperfect that he even hurt himself when wielding the sword, this man had survived the war against the terrifying **Demon Cult**.

He had never avoided a fight.

If there were enemies, he killed them. If there were not, he looked for them. He fought, fought, and fought again.

That was how he became stronger.

And the results were amazing.

At the beginning of the war, he was nothing more than an ordinary third-class warrior. But in the end, he had risen among the most powerful in the world. It was then that he went from being known as **”War Sword”** to **”War King”**.

**Cheok Soogwang, the War King.**

The leader of the **Righteous Heavenly Alliance** and one of the Four Supreme Masters of Sichuan.

“We are about to arrive.”

Hearing Jegal Yeom, Cheok Soogwang slowly opened his eyes.

*Hmm.*

Jegal Yeom suppressed a groan at that penetrating gaze. No matter how much he saw it, he never got used to it. It was the gaze of a wolf stalking its prey.

Although many said that, with age, Cheok Soogwang had become more docile, that gaze remained intact.

*It doesn’t suit him.*

Cheok Soogwang was like a wolf. His thing was the wilderness. Seeing him sitting on the throne of the Righteous Heavenly Alliance was like seeing a wolf in a royal palace.

It was a suit that did not fit him.

However, Cheok Soogwang had not taken it off. Defying the predictions of Jegal Yeom, who believed that, sooner or later, he would abandon it.

Cheok Soogwang had demonstrated something:

In times of war or chaos, the important thing is not strength.

**The survivor is the strong one.**

And what a survivor needs most is not power, but **adaptability**.

“If you go, you will have a lot to do.”

Cheok Soogwang looked at him silently before speaking:

“Are you saying that *I* have a lot to do?”

“Yes, Master.”

“Me?”

A mocking smile appeared on his lips.

“What can a brute like me, who can’t even read well, know?”

“Knowledge and wisdom are not the same. The Alliance needs your wisdom now.”

“Do you really believe that?”

His attitude had always been like that.

When he was first offered the position of leader, he complained: *”What can an ignorant man like me do in that place?”*. He only accepted after Jegal Yeom explained that the important thing was not what he did, but who occupied the position.

No one would have imagined that Cheok Soogwang would remain in power for so long.

*And he’s still the same.*

He was a man of contradictions.

Although it seemed like he was complaining, in his mind he would already be calculating how to consolidate his authority.

After all, the thirst for power is something that few can avoid.

“I firmly believe it.”

“You are good at flattering. I like it.”

Cheok Soogwang gave a subtle smile.

*This hurts.*

For Jegal Yeom, conversing with him was exhausting. It was like talking to someone who had dozens of snakes in their belly.

Most of the strong were like that.

Although they seemed simple, inside they were twisted. But Cheok Soogwang was different: his exterior and his interior did not match at all.

“By the way… it must be worrying.”

“Worrying?”

“That the **Tang Family**, one of the pillars of the Alliance, has suffered so much. Their influence will diminish. Why did this have to happen in Sichuan?”

Although his words sounded worried, his tone was almost mocking.

Jegal Yeom pursed his lips.

Cheok Soogwang was a vagabond.

Like many from humble backgrounds, he had suffered under the great clans and sects. The difference was that, while others endured those humiliations until death, he rose above them with his own strength.

“It is my concern, but also yours, Master.”

“What will change if I worry?”

“It is *your* Righteous Heavenly Alliance.”

“Hmm, I had never thought of it that way.”

“You should do it now.”

“If necessary, I will.”

Cheok Soogwang brushed the hair off his forehead.

His gaze asked:

*Do you think I will continue in this position?*

He was always confirming. Although he seemed uninterested in power, in reality he desired it more than anyone.

*But he has ability.*

And there was no alternative.

The Righteous Heavenly Alliance was a federation of sects. When groups of similar power unite, a paradox arises: no one wants the leader to come from another sect. If one dominated, the balance would be broken.

That is why they chose Cheok Soogwang.

He had no followers, no family. No one would die for him, nor swear allegiance to him.

He was a leader without his own base, perfect for maintaining balance.

*Although he ended up wielding more power than expected.*

Even so, the sects still preferred him to anyone else.

In terms of ability, **Tang Cheongun** was better. Even Jegal Yeom admitted it. But he also did not want Tang Cheongun to lead the Alliance.

As a member of the Alliance, Jegal Yeom respected him. But as patriarch of the **Jegal Clan**, he could not allow the **Tang Family** to gain more influence.

That contradiction strengthened Cheok Soogwang.

“I don’t know how I will help by going. Actually, I am more interested in *that kid*.”

“That kid?”

“You know.”

“…You mean **Wei Yanho**, right?”

Jegal Yeom’s eyes sparkled.

*I wonder what will happen.*

Wei Yanho had changed many things for the Jegal Family. Above all, he had shown Jegal Yeom that there were other options beyond increasing his influence through the Alliance.

*In the end, the Alliance will never surpass the **Righteous Martial Alliance**.*

It was not a matter of ability, but of structure. Unlike the Righteous Martial Alliance, with its clear hierarchy under the **Supreme Sovereign**, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance was decentralized. Each sect prioritized its interests.

It was the difference between an alliance forged in crisis and one created for convenience.

Before, while the **Nine Sects** fought against the Righteous Martial Alliance, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance could take advantage of the chaos. But now, with Wei Yanho having eliminated the Nine Sects, the gap was insurmountable.

If a war broke out against the Demon Cult, the Righteous Heavenly Alliance would fall apart. No one would sacrifice their sect for another.

And Jegal Yeom had no intention of going down with the ship.

That is why Wei Yanho was so attractive.

*The favor of the strongest in the world is always valuable.*

Being strong and being the **Number One in the World** were different things. When a strong person reached that title, he gained tangible and intangible influence.

Jegal Yeom could use that to multiply the power of the Jegals and the **Wei from Guangdong**. The latter would perhaps grow dozens of times.

“You seem thoughtful.”

“Ah…”

Jegal Yeom lowered his head slightly.

“Excuse my rudeness.”

“It is not rude to think. Unless you are thinking about Wei Yanho.”

Jegal Yeom nodded without hesitation.

There was no need to lie. The usual lies only got in the way when they were really needed.

“Is he an interesting kid?”

“Extremely.”

“If you say so, I believe it. You are known for being critical.”

Jegal Yeom smiled.

“If you ask me if he is good or reliable, my answer would change. But if you ask if he is interesting, I will always say the same thing.”

“How expectant.”

Cheok Soogwang curved his lips.

*A boy of just twenty years old who can face the Supreme Sovereign.*

And also, he had already captured **Tang Cheongun**.

Tang Cheongun was called **Dark King**, and Cheok Soogwang, **War King**. They were of the same level. But Cheok Soogwang never considered him a rival. Without the support of the Tang Family, Tang Cheongun would not have been able to match him.

Even so, the Dark King was the Dark King. He was not someone a child should defeat. But he had captured him…

*How expectant. How expectant.*

The days had become boring, and this was an unexpected source of excitement. And if all went well, perhaps this meeting would change the current stagnation.

With his thoughts weighing on him, the carriage stopped in front of the door of the **Tang Family**.

“We have arrived.”

“Hmm.”

Cheok Soogwang nodded and got off.

“Huuuh…”

Looking at the door, a strange smile appeared on his face.

“How nostalgic.”

“Eh?”

“I miss this. The smell of those days of blood and death. The situation must be worse than I thought.”

Jegal Yeom looked away from the smiling Cheok Soogwang.

*I wonder what will happen when this demon meets Wei Yanho.*