Chapter 538

Chapter 538. The Lazy Man Flees (3)

A burning white flame pierced Wei Yanho’s eyes.

‘That is enchanting people.’

A flame is just a flame. It has no life. But just because it’s not alive doesn’t mean it can’t affect people.

Moonlight isn’t alive, but it affects human emotions.

That flame was no different.

It’s not alive. It has no will. But looking at it, strangely, desire begins to boil within one.

Desire…

Everyone’s reactions were natural.

Everyone who had come this far had risked their lives. Although they acted casually, this was clearly a place of death, and even if they managed to escape, they would be hunted by the Demon Cult as if they were going to hell.

What’s more, they shouldn’t easily escape that pursuit.

It wouldn’t be difficult to quickly take down the main altar and flee. But that would halve the effect. They had to buy time while making the Demon Cult members chase them with hatred. Only in this way could the Central Plains gain a little more time.

That’s why they were moving so calmly. Waiting for them to return.

It was something they couldn’t do without risking their lives.

It was a grand thing.

But, inevitably, two desires coexisted. One was the instinct to survive, and the other…

“They want to become heroes.”

Heroism.

Having risked their lives, it was natural that everyone wanted to play an important role in this war and become heroes. Wei Yanho was no different.

That flame fueled those desires.

Even Jegal Munin, who was as rational as anyone, spoke of desires with logic.

“…It’s a demonic thing.”

Jangil spoke with a stunned expression.

The logic hadn’t changed much. Nor had the idea that they should extinguish that flame. But they could notice the difference between themselves before and now when saying those same words.

“Definitely.”

Jegal Munin’s face showed anger.

For someone who dedicated himself to manipulation, being manipulated by another being must be an unbearable insult.

“We must extinguish it.”

“…Why did we reach the same conclusion?”

Wei Yanho sighed as he said it, but Jegal Munin didn’t even pretend to listen.

“That’s too dangerous, my lord.”

“It’s dangerous, but if we extinguish it, we won’t be able to handle the consequences.”

“It’s worth taking that risk.”

Wei Yanho’s eyes stared fixedly at Jegal Munin.

“If you were a civilian, I would have stuffed a stone in your mouth.”

“…”

“Ending the war is fine. But who will suffer the consequences?”

“It’s something we must assume.”

“That’s said when one is willing to assume it, not when asking another to do it.”

Wei Yanho’s stance was firm.

“It’s okay to think about the big picture. But that’s done by those who can overcome the present. Is someone who doesn’t even know if they can overcome the present going to provoke a greater danger thinking about the future?”

Wei Yanho let out a mocking laugh.

It seemed that they had a broader vision, but Wei Yanho had no intention of doing so. Surviving in the present was already difficult, and thinking about preparing for the future? That was something only those who had resources to spare could afford.

“I object.”

“No, you shouldn’t only think about…”

“I won’t.”

Wei Yanho was categorical.

“I will never take charge of that. Never!”

Wei Yanho’s firmness made it so that no one could easily oppose him. Jangil and Wei Jeonghan, although reluctant, bit their tongues, as they didn’t have time to argue with Wei Yanho, who was spitting sparks from his eyes.

‘Should I put it out secretly?’

But Wei Yanho, as if he had read Wei Jeonghan’s thoughts, moved stealthily to block the path to the Sacred Flame.

Seeing that, Wei Jeonghan, indignant, pointed at him.

“Demon of the Demon Cult! Are you going to fight me to protect the Sacred Flame?”

“It’s because you are plotting something!”

“Calling your own father a schemer!”

“Then conspiracy?”

“Better stick with schemer…”

Wei Jeonghan let out a deep sigh.

If that guy was determined to block him even with force, there wasn’t much to do. Furthermore, Wei Yanho’s logic wasn’t incorrect. This was a problem with no correct answer. Both sides had valid reasons. It was only a matter of priorities.

‘Maybe he’s right now.’

The Central Plains were in an unprecedented crisis. Increasing the danger without any plan wasn’t something they should do. Although it was a shame, the right thing to do was to retreat for now.

“Tch, let’s go!”

“Let’s get out of here at once! Without looking back!”

“I know!”

Although he said it, Wei Jeonghan and the others couldn’t stop looking at the Sacred Flame.

That thing… we shouldn’t leave it like this…

They understood it rationally, but their steps were getting slower. Even Wei Yanho, who should be pressing them to leave, couldn’t help but look back.

“…What are you doing?”

“Well, it’s just that…”

Wei Yanho responded with an expression of discomfort.

“It’s like leaving meat on the table and leaving…”

“…Good analogy.”

Wei Jeonghan felt the same. It was as if they should do something about it, but they couldn’t, and they had to leave.

“Is this the right thing to do?”

“It is, but…”

Wei Yanho let out a deep sigh.

“Probably, if we get out of here, we won’t be able to come back, right?”

“We could come back if we kill all the members of the Demon Cult. To the last one.”

Those who had allowed them to enter once wouldn’t give them a second chance. If the Demon Cult was so stupid, they wouldn’t have reigned as the terror of the Central Plains until now.

“Then it’s a bit regrettable…”

“Right?”

Wei Yanho slightly turned his head.

“Mmm…”

It was too big of a bite to swallow it all at once. So, how about…

“Eating half of it?”

“Half?”

Everyone turned their heads upon hearing that word.

“Extinguishing it completely wouldn’t be good, but what if we extinguished it halfway? If possible, keeping the flame on the verge of extinction will make them waste more time…”

The gazes focused on Jegal Munin.

It was his task to evaluate the validity of any proposed idea.

“I don’t know how to achieve that result, but if it’s possible, we could delay them even more. Besides… no, that’s not important. Anyway, it should be possible.”

Jegal Munin omitted saying, “If we can do that, we will also weaken those who are chasing us.”

“Seriously?”

Wei Yanho’s ears perked up.

‘He asked.’

‘He asked.’

‘He definitely asked.’

Just seeing those raised ears, it was obvious what Wei Yanho was thinking.

“Then, wouldn’t it be okay to try?”

“Of course!”

“I think so!”

“Amitabha, the benefactor finally says something sensible.”

Wei Yanho nodded energetically and turned his body. Then, as if someone was pulling them from behind, everyone ran back in front of the Sacred Flame.

“Extinguishing it halfway would be okay?”

“But, is it possible?”

“We have to see it up close.”

At that moment, Jegal Munin, stroking his chin, spoke.

“But there’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while.”

“Eh?”

“Doesn’t it seem to you that that flame is a bit small?”

“Isn’t it big enough?”

“Yes, but…”

Everyone understood what Jegal Munin meant.

The flame wasn’t small. It was like a bonfire. But the place where it burned was too big. For the proportions to be correct, it should be at least ten times bigger.

“Could it be that they built it like this because it’s important?”

“It also has symbolic meaning. What do you think?”

“It looks pathetic.”

Jangil couldn’t help but nod. Due to the enormous pedestal and the grotesque sculptures that decorated it, the flame itself looked small and miserable. The flame should be much larger for the proportions to be correct.

“Then it used to be bigger before?”

“Probably.”

“Why did it shrink?”

“I don’t know.”

“…Then there’s no need to worry.”

“I’m just mentioning it.”

“Tch.”

Jangil made a sound of disapproval.

That’s why intellectuals were like that.

“So, how do we…”

At that moment, Wei Yanho walked forward and jumped towards the Sacred Flame.

“What?”

“That reckless person!”

Hadn’t they confirmed that the flame enchanted people? And yet he dared to approach it like that?

“After all, it’s just a flame.”

Wei Yanho didn’t give it importance. He had gone through too much to lose his reason for a little stimulation of his desires. No matter how many desires there were in the world, none surpassed hunger and lust.

He had spent five years under Bai Wuxian’s control, with his hunger and lust limited to the extreme. What difference would it make if other desires now arose in him?

It wasn’t that he trusted that he could resist them, but that he knew that, even if he gave in, nothing would change.

‘But it’s annoying.’

It seemed that even Wei Yanho had difficulty resisting the desire to be Lazy. He shook his head and approached the flame.

An evil flame.

Up close, he could see how abnormal it was. The white flame produced a strong sense of strangeness in him. It was as if something that shouldn’t exist in this world appeared before his eyes.

‘What to do?’

He could blow it out, but there was a possibility that it would be completely extinguished. And then there would be no turning back.

Whatever it was, it was a flame, so surely it was burning something. Wouldn’t it be better to find that medium and cut it in half? If he cut it all at once, it might go out, so he should do it little by little, like carving it…

While inspecting the surroundings of the flame, Wei Yanho’s body became as stiff as a rock.

“Yanho?”

Wei Jeonghan noticed the change in Wei Yanho. He had been looking quickly around, but suddenly fixed his gaze on one point and stopped moving.

Wei Jeonghan’s face tensed.

‘Was there a problem?’

It was a real possibility. That flame was an unknown demonic entity. Alarmed, Wei Jeonghan flexed his legs and jumped towards where Wei Yanho was.

“Yanho, you…”

“…”

Wei Jeonghan, who was about to say something, closed his mouth. His gaze naturally followed what Wei Yanho was seeing, and he understood why he had stopped moving.

“W-what is this doing here?”

Wei Jeonghan couldn’t continue either.

He hadn’t seen something incredible or special. Nor something so horrible that it gave him chills.

Just something familiar.

Too familiar. The fact that it was here chilled his blood.

Wei Yanho reached out without saying anything.

And then he pulled out what was embedded right behind the Sacred Flame.

A sword.

A common long sword.

A long sword that anyone could see without flinching. But only two people, Wei Jeonghan and Wei Yanho, understood the grave meaning of this.

“Why?”

The long sword that Wei Yanho was holding was an object too familiar to them.

It was inevitable.

That sword was the beloved weapon of someone they knew well.

Wei Sanho.

Wei Sanho’s sword was there.

“Why…?”

Faced with something so incomprehensible, Wei Jeonghan couldn’t utter a word.