Chapter 1063. Responding (3)

“Good morning, sir!”

“It's great to see you again, Assembly Master!”

Kang Jin-Ho was met with an outpouring of greetings while stepping outside the car. He greeted them back with a simple nod.

“Sir! Can’t you, like, get us some buses to shuttle us around? Going up this steep mountain in this hot weather is killing us!”

When one of the Assembly members whined at Kang Jin-Ho, his friend freaked out and smacked the man in the back of the head. “What the hell, dude?! Why are you bothering our Assembly Master with that sh*t!”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned wryly at the duo before shifting his gaze to the distant steel gate.

‘It is rather steep, isn’t it?’

Back when the Martial Assembly’s main buildings were under construction, the planners and builders couldn't choose a spot near the middle of the mountainside. They had to avoid drawing the attention of the outsiders, after all.

But the issue with this arrangement was that the steep incline of the road had not been addressed until now. Even though the initial construction took place decades ago!

At least the people using the road were almost all martial artists. Their greater constitutions prevented a breakout of any major incidents, but...

If the Assembly had been just some company where regular office workers had to commute to every single working day, many serious incidents and injuries would've happened by now!

Such was the steepness of the incline in the road that even the Italian thoroughbred like Kang Jin-Ho’s Zoom-Zoom struggled a little!

“My bad. That’s not my jurisdiction, you see...” Kang Jin-Ho replied apologetically. The Assembly members nodded in acceptance.

None of this was Kang Jin-Ho's fault, to begin with. The Assembly never forbade vehicles from entering its grounds until recently, after all!

During Lee Jung-Geol's reign, transportation services were freely available, and the Assembly members were allowed to purchase their own vehicles, too. But all that freedom was abruptly cut short when Lee Hyeon-Su took over the top job in the administrative department. No, more correctly, that happened only after the new dorms had been constructed!

Once the demon cult members settled into their new lodging, and the brand-new dorms for the Assembly members neared completion, some people began positing that the road needed to be widened in the near future. It was a logical argument since a two-lane road would not be wide enough to handle the traffic created by so many people.

However, that argument fell on the... not deaf, but highly irritated from all the paperwork and budget planning, ears of Lee Hyeon-Su. And his reaction was as visceral as it could get.

“What did you say?! Martial f*cking artists want to scoot around in their fancy cars, so they want the road widened?! What the f*ck! Do you think your lifestyle is sponsored by a welfare state or something?! You motherf*ckers! From today onward, everyone below the ranks of directors and heads of departments will walk from home! If I find any piece of sh*t daring to drive around in their cars, Imma personally tear their legs off with my own two bloody hands! Got that?!”

‘Yup, he's not human, but a devil!’

‘But Chief Lee's still allowed to drive around in his fancy car!’

Understandably, people were not very happy about it, but what could they do?

Of course, Lee Hyeon-Su had a legitimate justification for his decision. Most people commuting to the Martial Assembly HQ were martial artists. And one of the main duties of a martial artist was to train.

This was where the dilemmas of the Assembly members arose.

If they complained about climbing the steep mountain every day, Lee Hyeon-Su would counter with, “Martial artists need to train through difficult physical activities, so you should consider your commute as a part of your exercise routine!”

However, if they said climbing such a mountain wasn't taxing enough, Lee Hyeon-Su would hit them with yet another sure-kill counter of, “If it's not difficult for you, why the hell do you even need to drive around in a damn car!”

Of course, even if the Assembly members could think of a perfectly logical argument, no one was courageous enough to voice their opposition against Lee Hyeon-Su and his declaration reeking of the stench of fresh blood!

And that was why the road leading up to the Assembly HQ was basically empty now. There were more weeds in the parking lot than cars, too!

Since Kang Jin-Ho was one of the main beneficiaries of this new arrangement, he had nothing to say about this topic other than...

“You should discuss this issue directly with Chief Lee.”

“...Yes, sir.”

The Assembly members all pouted unhappily.

‘Sir...! We wouldn’t be talking to you if that was possible!’

‘It’s obvious Chief Lee will latch on to some kinda unreasonable nonsense and torture us if we dare say something to him.’

If these Assembly members were asked who was scarier between Kang Jin-Ho and Lee Hyeon-Su, every single person would point at Kang Jin-Ho.

However, if the same people were asked who was more difficult to talk to between Kang Jin-Ho and Lee Hyeon-Su...

Everyone would unequivocally say it was Lee Hyeon-Su!

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the members. “How is Chief Lee doing?”

“Oh, him... Well, sir...” The Assembly member at the front of the pack smiled brightly. “He’s still the same as*hole, sir.”

“...Oh.”

“We gotta get him hitched or something, sir! Instead of going home for the day, Chief Lee keeps putting us through one wringer and another...! Holy cow! I’d rather have my mom nag me to death instead. We might really lose our minds at this rate, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded silently, his expression cramped. It seemed that... For the sake of the Assembly members’ collective well-being, Kang Jin-Ho should ensure that Lee Hyeon-Su knocked off on time every evening!

He nodded again at the Assembly members. “Okay, then. See you around.”

“Have a good day, sir! Fight the good fight, sir!”

“Yes! Have a good day, sir!”

Kang Jin-Ho could only nod while this weird feeling washed up over him.

‘Why does it feel like I’m inside an army base...?’

Back when his interactions with the Assembly members were kept to a minimum, Kang Jin-Ho never once felt this way. However, now that he was engaging more often with them like this, he couldn’t help but mull on this unpleasant feeling.

If there was a difference here, then... Initially, the Assembly members treated Kang Jin-Ho similarly to how enlisted soldiers would speak to the top commander of the base. But nowadays, they spoke to him like privates chatting to their sergeants.

Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head while heading toward the administrative office.

‘Now that I think about it, isn’t this rather horrifying?’

He couldn't help but notice so many similarities between the Martial Assembly and the military. The brass demanded absolute obedience from the grunts. Meanwhile, the grunts spent most of their day honing their battle skills.

At least the Assembly allowed its grunts to go home at the end of the day. But that was the good part. As for the worst part...

‘...You can never get discharged from here!’

Shudder!

Kang Jin-Ho nastily shuddered. An army where you could never get discharged from? Wasn't that the very definition of fiery depths of hell?!

Shifting the viewpoint just a little helped Kang Jin-Ho see how horrifying the Martial Assembly actually was.

While thinking that he should care more about the members' well-being from now on, Kang Jin-Ho quickly stepped inside the main building.

***

“Good morning, sir!”

“Great to see you again, Assembly Master!”

“Hey. Good to see you, too.” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled and greeted the Assembly's directors while heading to his seat.

The directors were already waiting for him in the conference room.

Judging from how Kang Jin-Ho missed the faces of these people, even though they were apart only for a few days, it seemed he now truly considered the Martial Assembly a part of his family.

Lee Hyeon-Su spoke first. “How was the training program, sir? Was it enjoyable?”

Kang Jin-Ho shook his head. “Well, it helped me confirm something, at least.”

“What is it, sir?”

“I’m not suited to studying.”

Lee Hyeon-Su smiled wryly at Kang Jin-Ho’s reply.

‘Huh. You could get pelted with stones by saying that, sir...’

The top freshman at Jaegyeong University dared to say studying wasn’t his thing? He wouldn’t have an excuse to defend himself even if he got killed by a stone-throwing mob in the middle of the Gwanghwamun plaza![1]

Also, millions of national entrance exam takers around the country would madly pounce on Kang Jin-Ho to choke the living daylights out of him. Of course, that didn't mean they could kill Kang Jin-Ho with that, but still!

Once Kang Jin-Ho settled down on the seat of honor, Lee Hyeon-Su took out a cigarette and offered it. Kang Jin-Ho chuckled slightly while accepting the offered cigarette, then coolly mouthed it.

Click...!

He lit the cigarette up and deeply sucked in the unhealthy smoke. Sitting in this familiar couch and smoking a cigarette freshly reminded him that he was indeed back in the Martial Assembly.

Kang Jin-Ho quietly scanned the faces of everyone in the conference room.

The familiar figures of Lee Hyeon-Su, Wiggins, Vator, Chang Min, Bang Jin-Hun, and Lee Hyeon-Ju were patiently waiting for Kang Jin-Ho to start the proceedings.

“Okay. Let’s start with quick briefings. Did anything happen while I was away?”

Vator was the first to speak. “Imparting the demonic cultivation to the disciples has been a pain-free experience so far. However, this cultivation method is different from the one I mastered. Master, I recommend that you personally take a look at the disciples and adjust the minute details where necessary.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Chang Min next. “Chang Min?”

Chang Min bowed his head. “Yes, my liege!”

“I’ll hand over the revamped demonic cultivation method to you.”

“Ah...!”

“Go through it and gain the full understanding of it as soon as possible. Once you’re done, I will grant you full authority over the teaching of demonic cultivation within the Martial Assembly.”

“I shall obey, my liege!”

Lee Hyeon-Su and Bang Jin-Hun furrowed their brows a little while listening to Kang Jin-Ho.

Full authority? Even though the authority granted to Chang Min only extended to the teaching of demonic cultivation, that idea still ever so slightly touched a nerve.

Strictly speaking, Chang Min didn't submit to the Martial Assembly and willingly went under its wings. No, he was merely following Kang Jin-Ho. That granted him the right to attend the meetings of the directors, but he still wasn't allowed to directly meddle in the Assembly's matters.

But here was Kang Jin-Ho, declaring his intention to shatter that custom and make it irrelevant!

‘Isn’t it too soon?’

Lee Hyeon-Su was somewhat worried but wisely didn't voice his concerns in the open.

He might be concerned, yes, but Kang Jin-Ho delegating his workload to others was the right thing to do. After all, that was one of the biggest chronic issues plaguing the Martial Assembly right now, wasn't it?

“However...!” Kang Jin-Ho raised his voice again. It seemed he already knew what Lee Hyeon-Su was worried about. “Your authority will only extend to spotting and fixing the errors in the demonic cultivation method and preventing incorrect teachings.”

“I shall keep that in mind, my liege!”

“Still, the act of teaching itself is an authority in its own right. I hope you carefully consider the positions of everyone involved.”

Chang Min silently bowed his head.

“I know this task won't be much of a help to you, but...” Kang Jin-Ho leaned back against his couch. “The demon cult is receiving one-sided support from the Martial Assembly. If you've received kindness, the right thing to do is reciprocate it in full. So, act with kind intentions.”

“My liege...” Chang Min spoke firmly and heroically. “Some demonic cultivators might have discarded their humanity, yes. However, we are no offspring of lowly beasts, my liege! Obeying your command is as natural as water flowing downward to us. But that doesn't mean we have forgotten that South Korean martial artists have extended a helping hand to us.

“We might not be smart enough to remember their grace for all eternity, but I swear we will never be ungrateful bastards.”

“Good,” Kang Jin-Ho coolly nodded, then glanced at Vator. “Are you satisfied now?”

Vator scowled deeply. “Why does it have to be that old fart, master!”

“...”

It seemed the big man was okay with this arrangement.

Kang Jin-Ho roundly ignored Vator’s dissatisfaction and looked away.

Besides Kang Jin-Ho, Chang Min possessed the next highest degree of demonic cultivation methods in this place. Vator knew that, so he should also know that only Chang Min was qualified enough to take on this important role.

It was just that...

“You cheeky brat with a fat arse!” Chang Min roared angrily. “How dare you question the decision of the one and only demon emperor! I shall rip your oversized hide right off your flesh!”

Vator tutted. “Hah? Old fart, if you try to flay me with those decrepit hands of yours, you will have to clear out your schedule for the next month or so. Wait, you might die of exhaustion before that!”

“No need to worry! You can find plenty of businesses offering skinning services, after all! No one will suspect a thing if I say you’re some mountain boar I’ve hunted today!”

“What?! A boar?! How dare you, old fart!”

“Wanna have a go, you oversized lump of fat!”

Kang Jin-Ho held his head in despair. Were these two men getting close or not...?

“You know, I didn’t want to say anything about you two bickering away, but...” Kang Jin-Ho groaned deeply. “You guys are not little kids anymore, so please. Please! Have some dignity, okay?”

“...”

“...”

Vator and Chang Min sheepishly looked away.

The old adage said that men would devolve into children the older they got. For sure, they could get unnecessarily hung up on dumb pride, too. That might be true, but older folks still tried their best to preserve face while arguing with someone.

These two men were members of the Martial Assembly’s executives. Imagine the executive members of a regular corporation or a company calling each other names like a fat boar and threatening to skin the other party alive.

What a cringe and goosebumps-inducing spectacle that would be!

Worse still, these two were older than most business executives, too. Especially in Chang Min’s case!

“Kuh-hum. I’ll reflect on myself, master.”

“Please forgive this insolent servant, my liege!”

Kang Jin-Ho helplessly shook his head. What could he do, when this was part of the Martial Assembly’s charm? After sighing again, Kang Jin-Ho resumed the meeting. “Wiggins?”

“Yes, my lord.”

The briefing smoothly continued from where it had been interrupted.

“The portal linking the Assembly to the Round Table's HQ has been completed, my lord. The Master of the Round Table is requesting your visit in the near future.”

“Mm? Didn’t he say he wanted me to pop in as soon as possible?”

“It seems the Master is planning to create a bit of a situation first.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded.

Simply crushing dissent wasn't enough to calm the masses. Kang Jin-Ho knew this since he did something similar several times back in his cult leader days.

However, there was a small difference between him and the Master of the Round Table. While Kang Jin-Ho didn't care enough to crush the rebels beforehand, which allowed them to grow their forces and start a rebellion, the Master was deliberately stirring the pot to create trouble at home.

Although, Kang Jin-Ho never got the chance to crush the rebels back then, since Azure Demon mercilessly crushed them first.

“Hmm...”

Kang Jin-Ho wielded incredible power and authority back then. And he was worshiped and showered with respect. Even then, he still couldn't avoid people rebelling against him. So, what about the Master of the Round Table, whose authority and position had seen a drastic reduction recently?

He probably had no choice but to go through with this painful... transition.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Wiggins. “He’s more driven than I thought.”

Wiggins chuckled. “He has always been capable of going this far if he wanted to, my lord. It's just that opportunities have never presented themselves to him until now.”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. “I see. Any other issues I should know about, then?”

“Mm...”

Wiggins’ expression stiffened a little just then.

1. Gwanghwamun is the main and largest gate of Gyeongbok Palace in Seoul, South Korea. It’s located at a three-way intersection at the northern end of Sejongno, a street that runs through downtown Seoul. In other words, it’s one of the busiest places in South Korea. ☜