Chapter 1362. Northbound (2)

“

Hnnng

?”

Choi Yeon-Ha scanned her new surroundings as a hint of shock spread on her face.

Even Han Eun-Sol couldn’t hide his shock and hurriedly looked around. “Holy cow! What is up with this place, noona?!”

“Don’t ask me.”

“Did we accidentally stumble inside the Forbidden Palace or something?”

“It’s not

that

impressive, Eun-Sol.”

Choi Yeon-Ha meant that in terms of scale, though.

Stepping through the front gate revealed a massive traditional Chinese building utterly filling their view. The scale of this structure suggested it had to be either a historical landmark or a film set constructed by a wealthy movie studio rather than a place people lived.

As far as the gorgeous classical architecture was concerned, this building probably rivaled the Forbidden Palace. But what shocked Choi Yeon-Ha the most was not the size of the building.

A structure this impressive should have been a well-known tourist attraction by now and reported on by countless TV stations, but no—Choi Yeon-Ha had never heard of this building’s existence until now.

Of course, she knew that China was overflowing with countless historical sites and artifacts, so some random things from the past might not get much media coverage. Even then, a structure this impressive not getting any attention? Not just in China, but even in the rest of the world, such a thing probably had never happened before.

That gentleman’s power must really be something else.

Choi Yeon-Ha could guess the extent of power wielded by her host from how the media was barred from covering an impressive structure like this, which was located not too far from one of the largest metropolises in the world.

Choi Yeon-Ha cautiously asked Cai Kechang. “Your boss, he’s... not really a king, is he?”

“Well, that assertion is not entirely incorrect,” Cai Kechang replied with a casual shrug. “Although not enough to be called an emperor yet, the term ‘king’ still undersells my liege’s authority.”

“Aren’t you embellishing it a little too much?”

“Let me ask you this, then. What qualities do you think are necessary to become a king?”

“I’m... sorry?”

Choi Yeon-Ha faltered after suddenly getting hit with a slightly tough question.

“To be a king, you need to fulfill three conditions. One, you must possess a territory others can’t claim as theirs. Two, you must wield the authority that discourages others from invading you. And finally, you must hold enough power to defeat any invasion attempts.”

Cai Kechang grinned brightly.

“As long as you fulfill those conditions, nothing is stopping you from calling yourself a king. Even in the modern era.”

Choi Yeon-Ha furrowed her brow ever so slightly. “I hope you haven’t said that in public yet.”

“

Mm

? Is there a problem with what I said?”

“No, not technically. But I still think people will call you crazy if you blurt that out in public. You don’t seem like a bad person from what I can tell, so the least I can do is help you avoid getting into tricky situations.”

“...Why, thank you very much.”

A wry grin formed on Cai Kechang’s face just then. He just couldn’t win against this woman.

He genuinely didn’t want to resort to the cliched line of

I’ve never met a woman who treats me this way!

But that was the only thing he could think of right now.

Because he seriously had never run into a woman who dared to speak so casually to him like this. But what really surprised Cai Kechang was something else.

Choi Yeon-Ha wasn’t teasing him because she knew the Demon King had her back. No, this was her actual personality!

In a way, this was rather amazing, wasn’t it?

Plenty of women were worse than Choi Yeon-Ha, personality-wise. However, people like that were supernaturally good at figuring out when it was safe to act out or behave themselves. Most of the time, these people used their current company to decide on that.

Even the world’s worst hussy, superstars with nothing to fear, and scions of top political figures with power to make the flying birds fall... would never dare to act so brazenly in Cai Kechang’s presence.

And this is probably why a man like the Demon King is interested in her.

Maybe the man who got hit in the face with the

‘I’ve never met a woman who treats me this way!’

syndrome was not Cai Kechang, but Kang Jin-Ho!

“I understand how you feel, but it’s all true, Miss Choi. Why don’t we look at your boyfriend as a reference, then? Doesn’t he already enjoy untouchable authority and territory within South Korea?”

Choi Yeon-Ha cocked an eyebrow. “I think you’re deeply mistaken about something, but my boyfriend is such a pushover that even a random passerby tries their luck with him at least once.”

“...??”

Seriously? Cai Kechang grew flustered as he stared at Choi Yeon-Ha’s face.

Even though Cai Kechang’s people had been monitoring Kang Jin-Ho’s movements through CCTV camera feeds, those were footage from public spaces. Obviously, they wouldn’t know what went down in private spaces.

“H-hang on a minute. Miss Choi? Are you saying he’s a pushover? With that personality of his?”

“What do you mean by that personality of his?”

“W-well, that’s...

Huh

?”

For the first time in a long while, Cai Kechang was genuinely flustered. He never imagined that one day, he must explain Kang Jin-Ho’s personality to his girlfriend!

Choi Yeon-Ha didn’t wait for an answer and began her explanation first. “Mister Jin-Ho is not as rash or hardcore as you might think. Yes, I admit that his actions can sometimes make you think that. I’ve also seen that side of him, you see? But I’m telling you, he’s usually not like that. Actually, I should say his personality can change on a whim. Usually, though? He can be so naïve and uptight and frustrating that I sometimes wonder how he’s even managed to make it this far.”

Cai Kechang slowly turned his head away. “I’ll... pretend that my ears are not functioning today, miss.”

“But I’m telling you the truth.”

“Please say something more believable, okay?”

The Demon King was what now? Naïve? Uptight? Frustrating?!

Cai Kechang realized maybe he should bring Choi Yeon-Ha to a battlefield where the Demon King was rampaging around so that she could see the truth for herself. He wagered that three minutes should be enough for her to change her opinion of her boyfriend.

“Okay, so. You want us to stay here?” Choi Yeon-Ha asked.

“Yes. We thought this was several times safer than a hotel. Also, quieter and more convenient for your stay.”

“Well, I agree with you on those points, but... It feels like we’re intruding on you somehow? And it’s kinda uncomfortable, too.”

Cai Kechang grinned. “No need to worry, Miss Choi. You’re not intruding on us at all. And your discomfort won’t last for long. Truth be told, we have been wondering what to do with all the numerous unused rooms in this place, you see?”

“...That makes sense, I guess.”

The more Choi Yeon-Ha stared at this impressive

palace

, the more perfect it seemed for a filming location.

She glanced at Cai Kechang and asked, “Any thoughts on renting the place out as a film set?”

“Wow, what an out-of-the-box way of thinking that is. It’s so unconventional that I’ve never thought about it before.”

Let the film crew enter the personal abode of the one-and-only Crimson King to shoot some dumb movies? Charging into the Party Leader’s home and demanding free lunch would be more realistic than that!

Choi Yeon-Ha subtly narrowed her eyes. “Then, how long are we supposed to stay here?”

“Only until the situation has been resolved, miss,” said Cai Kechang.

“And who will resolve this situation?”

“I’m sure you already know.”

Choi Yeon-Ha furrowed her brow. “From what you told us, it sounded like the situation was rather complicated?”

“Yes, it is. However, you’ll still return home regardless of whether he resolves the situation or fails to do so.”

Choi Yeon-Ha bit her lip. She wasn’t dumb enough not to figure out the meaning behind those words.

Although she was still in the dark, Choi Yeon-Ha could tell that these events were somehow related to Kang Jin-Ho. In other words, once he was gone, this situation would automatically resolve itself.

“Excuse me, but do not carelessly run your mouth off like that. My fuse can be surprisingly short, you see?”

When Choi Yeon-Ha shot back, Cai Kechang politely bowed his head. “Forgive me. I crossed the line.”

Choi Yeon-Ha sighed deeply. “No... I should apologize, too. I know it’s wrong to react like this when you’ve helped us so much. It’s just that I can’t seem to calm myself.”

“No, it’s fine, miss. I understand.”

The more anxious a hedgehog was, the sharper its quills would stand; knowing this, Cai Kechang wasn’t going to criticize Choi Yeon-Ha.

“Mister Jin-Ho is okay, isn’t he?”

Cai Kechang shrugged casually. “Well, we haven’t heard any encouraging news so far.”

“Encouraging... news?”

“

Ah

! Forgive me for that slip of my tongue. In all honesty, Mister Kang Jin-Ho dying tonight will greatly benefit us, you see?”

Choi Yeon-Ha yelled, “What?!”

“Unfortunately, the odds of that happening are practically zero.”

“...”

Cai Kechang sighed deeply. What a bunch of idiots those people were!

They should’ve known that one must not carelessly start a war like this. A war against someone like Kang Jin-Ho!

This war had cost them a lot so far. The biggest loss would be their secretive and systematic preparations to battle martial artists on the level of the Three Kings had been laid bare now.

They obviously didn’t make these preparations to fight the Demon King.

Since that was the case, who would have been their original target? Rather obviously, it’d be the Three Kings.

But now, not just the Crimson King’s faction, but the factions of other Kings must be paying close attention to this situation.

They were staying out of this war only because none of them wanted the dishonor of assisting the foreigner against their countrymen. However, once the situation had been resolved one way or the other... Even a moron could tell that the Three Kings and their factions would make their moves against the government forces behind this war!

Well, we might have to clean out the trash if things go the other way...

If the Demon King pulled back after inflicting some damage and safely returned to Korea, the job of rounding up and eliminating the survivors would fall on the Three Kings and their people. Cai Kechang wasn’t so keen on seeing this happen, though!

“It’s this way, miss.”

The group arrived at an annex. Cai Kechang opened its doors and stepped inside to reveal a surprisingly modern interior which didn’t match the exterior.

“

Wow

!”

Han Eun-Sol’s jaw fell. The luxuriousness of this place put the hotel suite they had been staying at to shame, and then some!

Choi Yeon-Ha cocked an eyebrow and playfully asked, “I guess you guys have a lot of money.”

“Rather than a display of wealth, please consider it as us trying our best. Ordinary people cannot visit this place. Only the honored guest of the Crimson King can stay. As such, it’s only logical that we will strive to prepare the best accommodation possible.”

“In other words, you guys are loaded?”

“...Maybe a little?” Cai Kechang chuckled good-heartedly. “Although I can’t guarantee that this is the world’s safest place, I can confidently declare that it is the safest place in China right now. Please, get as much rest as you need.”

“...Thank you,” said Choi Yeon-Ha.

“Please don’t mention it. We welcome any opportunity to put the Demon King in our debt.”

Cai Kechang bowed and left without waiting for Choi Yeon-Ha’s response. He even quietly closed the door behind him, too.

Choi Yeon-Ha tossed her bag on the nearby sofa before jumping on to the cushions herself.

“

Argh

... I’m soooo tired.”

“Yeah, me too,” said Han Eun-Sol. His state was just as wretched, too.

Looking at his dark circles almost reaching his chin made Choi Yeon-Ha sigh deeply.

“Noona, what are we gonna do now?”

“What do you mean, what? We tough it out, obviously.”

“I mean... Do you think he was being serious about us being in danger if we return to Korea now?”

“How should I know? It’s not like we can trust him fully, right? Still...” Choi Yeon-Ha groaned, then slowly chewed on her lower lip. “He got us the plane tickets home, but came back with a pale face to pick us up again. It’s a bit tricky not to believe him in that case, right?”

“I guess you have a point there.”

Han Eun-Sol’s expression was complicated. How many Koreans out there would choose to believe delinquents from another country over Korea? Not many, that was for sure. But Han Eun-Sol and Choi Yeon-Ha did. Because even they knew how much danger they were in.

“

Argh

...! I don’t know anymore. Imma take a shower for now. You wash up, too. After that, let’s ask for something to eat and get some sleep,” said Choi Yeon-Ha.

“Aren’t you worried, noona?”

“Of course I am. How can I not be? But what will change even if I wreck myself with worry?”

“Well, sure, but...”

“Besides, I’m more worried about something else, you know?”

Han Eun-Sol tilted his head. “Sorry?”

Choi Yeon-Ha didn’t reply and simply gripped her phone tighter.

I swear, I’m not gonna forgive you if...!

If Kang Jin-Ho was in such danger that he couldn’t phone Choi Yeon-Ha once... That was obviously a massive problem. However, what if he could have phoned but didn’t? Now that would be just as bad!

“Just... Just what are you doing, anyway?! Imma yank out his hair and...!”

Before she could finish her complaining...!

Riiiiiiing~!

The phone in her grip noisily went off. Choi Yeon-Ha jumped up in alarm and looked at her phone. She then tapped on the green “answer” icon faster than human eyes could see.

“Why are you only calling me now, you dummyyyyyy?! Wanna die?!”

Choi Yeon-Ha’s heroic roar broke through the walls, figuratively speaking, and echoed throughout the surrounding area.

Han Eun-Sol freaked out and hurriedly looked out the windows. Hopefully, no one would charge in here to see if anything was wrong.

—M-my apologies.

“Save it! Where are you, Mister Jin-Ho?! You better stay right where you are! Because I’m coming to rip all your hair out!”

Han Eun-Sol squeezed his eyes shut. Even Cai Kechang, a man who wielded incredible power and enjoyed inconceivable wealth, was scared of Kang Jin-Ho, yet...

Yet, right in this moment, that great person was getting mercilessly pummeled by his woman.