Chapter 599. Overwhelmed (4)

Rooooar...

The heavy downpour didn't want to stop. However, Zhang Dajing thought that was for the best. All the falling rain had masked the noises to some degree and also washed away the copious amount of blood that should've turned this place into a literal blood bath.

Lee Hyeon-Su's people on standby right outside this high-class 'restaurant' received Zhang Dajing's signal and rushed inside. Some of them assisted the panicking employees out of there while the rest quickly moved to erase all traces of the massacre.

Zhang Dajing quietly muttered while observing this scene. "I wonder, what spurred them on to oppose Mister Kang Jin-Ho? What do you think gave them the confidence, Sir Vator?"

"Fuu..." Vator slowly shook his head. "Listen, Zhang Dajing."

"Yes, sir."

"You need to remember this."

"Sorry?"

"Engrave this massacre in your memories. And do not ever forget this lesson. Humans never act rationally."

"..."

Vator tutted loudly. "Humans often think they are rational creatures, but that is not the case. No, we are very emotional and reckless. Especially in the case of these old men who left the decision-making to someone else... People like them can never make rational decisions."

"Sir, it's... I don't quite understand."

"Simple. They think their own decision-making is worse than someone else's."

"Mm...?" Zhang Dajing furrowed his brow, still looking somewhat confused.

Vator smirked wryly at that. "Zhang Dajing."

"Yes, sir?"

"I know how to fly."

"...Eh?" Zhang Dajing's brows shot up. What on Earth was Vator talking about?

"Let's say I've figured out how to fly like a bird not too long ago. If I tell you that now, will you believe me or think I'm full of it?"

"...I'll have to believe you, sir."

"And why?"

"That's because you're not the type to kid around like that, sir."

"Yes, indeed. Humans are like that."

Zhang Dajing finally thought he got a glimpse of an understanding of what Vator wanted to say.

Obviously, humans couldn't fly in the sky. High cultivation realms allowed a martial artist to jump high up in the air and even give them the power to levitate, but flying around like a bird? That was completely unheard of.

Logically speaking, Zhang Dajing shouldn't have believed Vator when the big man said he could fly in the air. However, Zhang Dajing's own opinions, which had been built on personal experiences, made him believe that Vator was telling the truth.

"...I see. That's how deep these people's trust in Lee Jung-Geol was."

"To them, it wouldn't have mattered whether it was Lee Jung-Geol or not as long as someone made the decisions for them. Yes, they would've been happy as long as that decision maker was deemed more shrewd than them," Vator muttered, then slowly shook his head again. "Never forget, Zhang Dajing. You should be the one making your own decisions. No matter how amazing or powerful another person is, they cannot make your choices for you."

"I'll engrave that teaching in my heart, sir."

"In any case, the situation here seems more or less taken care of..." Vator slowly scratched his chin.

'Even though this little ruckus can't be the end of this situation...'

The former Assembly Master's name was Lee Jung-Geol, wasn't it? Vator dared not underestimate that man.

Even though Lee Jung-Geol was an acting ruler of a tiger-less mountain, if a fox like him lorded over the land for decades... That fox should be classified as a highly intelligent creature almost verging on becoming a mythical existence. And a sly creature like that wouldn't be this unprepared.

Vator raised his head to scan his surroundings. "I'm guessing there's something else going on, but at the very least, we won't find it here. Then, who will win the jackpot this time, I wonder?"

Zhang Dajing didn't catch what Vator said and looked back at the big man. "Sir? Did you say something?"

"No, it's nothing to worry about," Vator muttered, then turned around toward the exit. "We're heading back."

"Understood. To the Martial Assembly, sir?"

"Yes," Vator coolly walked ahead without looking back.

Zhang Dajing hurriedly chased after Vator. "Sir... These people sure have rotten luck, don't they? To think they had to deal with you of all people."

"Is that what you think?"

"You disagree? Ah, that's right. Dying by your hands should be way less agonizing than facing off against Mister Kang Jin-Ho."

"No, Zhang Dajing. Those who ran into me or have to face off against my master will be blessed with a simpler death."

"I don't follow?"

Vator tutted. "The truly luckless souls are those people who must deal with that insidious man."

"...Huh?" Zhang Dajing blinked dazedly and stared at Vator.

***

"Hmm...?" the former knight of the Round Table, Wiggins, dug into his ear. "Strange... Why is my ear itching all of a sudden?"

When her father kept scratching his ear instead of paying attention, Elena unhappily rebuked him. "What are you doing, Dad!"

"Well, my ear's itching."

"I don't think now's the right time to care about that, you know!"

"Hmm..." Wiggins frowned in slight dissatisfaction but didn't voice it. It seemed he also understood the severity of this situation. "Well, yes. You're right. This is not a normal situation, after all."

While saying that, a sly smirk floated up on Wiggins' face.

"Having said that... Should I call these people smart or stupid?"

Elena frowned slightly. "...What is it now, Dad?"

"While still using their former headquarters, these people decided to plot treason. Is that an act of sheer stupidity or taking advantage of how dark it is under the lamp?"

"Dad, can you please be more serious about this situation?"

"Mm? But I am serious, child."

Elena held her forehead. The Knight Wiggins she remembered used to be such a level-headed, emotionless and heartless bastard. A terrifyingly keen man who was driven enough to resort to every trick in the book if it was for the Round Table and to achieve his goals... That was Elena's evaluation of her own father. But this...!

'How did he become this way?'

After taking off the mask symbolizing the Round Table, Wiggins seemed to have completely transformed into someone unrecognizable. If she was being less polite, he seemed to be missing several screws in his head!

'No, wait. I'm wrong about this. My dad used to be like this, didn't he?'

Elena suddenly recalled memories from a long time ago, before Wiggins became a knight of the Round Table. Back then, he was a kind, loving father who also happened to possess a mischievous streak. He only changed after taking on the weighty responsibilities of being a knight.

There were times when Elena wished for her father to return to his old self, but now that her wish had come true, how should she describe this situation...?

'Sometimes, maybe it's better if a wish doesn't come true?'

Some things in this world were better left off as memories from the past. If those wonderful, rose-tinted memories were forcibly dragged into the light, some unsavory aspects no one wants to admit to might rear their ugly heads along the way!

Wiggins might have been a wonderful father in the memories of young Elena, but now that she was an adult, her father was...

"Dad, please, please...! Be more dignified, please!"

"Yes, I hear you, okay?" Wiggins replied unhurriedly, but the corners of his lips were still curling up suspiciously.

Elena couldn't help but sigh deeply at this sight. Obviously, she didn't want to scold her own father. Unfortunately, this situation wasn't giving her much choice in the matter!

Elena cautiously scanned all the martial artists surrounding her and her father. These men were clearly raring to go.

"Dad, this is why I suggested we should be more stealthy in approaching this place..."

"What the hell... That fella, Lee Hyeon-Su..." Wiggins scratched his cheek while looking a bit troubled.

He and Elena had traveled to where the Yeongnam Group previously resided. More specifically, where the Yeongnam group's former HQ was, which turned into a disused area after Kang Jin-Ho and the Martial Assembly had destroyed it.

When the Yeongnam Group was absorbed into the Assembly, Lee Hyeon-Su gradually transferred the former members of the group to their new parent organization. And then, he shuttered the Yeongnam Group for good.

Unfortunately, the issue of providing suitable residences for high-ranking officers of the Yeongnam Group could not be resolved overnight, so quite a few of them were still allowed to use the houses attached to the HQ grounds.

Rather bravely, these men decided to form a faction of their own and support Lee Jung-Geol!

"They sure have guts, don't they?" Wiggins smirked slyly again, forcing Elena to helplessly shake her head.

'I just can't take him seriously anymore...'

Only now could Elena understand why Wiggins acted like an unbearable hard-nosed superior whenever they interacted as a knight and a pawn. She never once doubted Wiggins' love for her. He cared deeply about Elena. There was no questioning that. However, when it came to official matters, Wiggins distrusted Elena to the point where she even suspected some kind of mental illness!

In the past, Elena simply couldn't understand why. But now, it felt like she was finally getting her answers.

'It's self-loathing, isn't it?'

Elena couldn't help but notice that the way Wiggins conducted himself now eerily resembled herself. No, wait... She should revise that statement and say that her past behavior resembled that of Wiggins' actions instead!

Watching someone act exactly like her was rousing up this feeling of annoyance from deep within. As that feeling washed over her, Elena's faith in her father rapidly nosedived. No wonder Wiggins did not trust Elena as a pawn back when both of them still worked for the Round Table!

"What are we going to do now, Dad?"

"Hmm... Indeed, what should we do?" Wiggins muttered while tugging at his beard. "I initially wanted to keep the noise level down as much as possible, but now that things have turned out this way... It's going to get rather raucous now, wouldn't you say?"

Elena cautiously asked, "Are you going to do

that

?"

"Well, yes. I need to earn my keep."

"Got it. In that case, I'd like to... stay far away, but..." Elena scanned their surroundings before sighing loudly. "Looks like there's no way for me to hide, then. We're completely surrounded, after all."

"In that case, why don't you stay and enjoy the show? Don't you trust your father to at least protect you?"

"Hmm..." Elena frowned as if she was unconvinced but still nodded anyway.

'I can't really trust his personality, but...'

As far as Wiggins' abilities were concerned, Elena had no choice but to trust her father. Regardless of what anyone said, Wiggins used to be a knight of the Round Table, after all!

Wiggins shrugged his shoulders, then took a step forward. "Do you have a representative among you?"

No one among the martial artists responded. Did that mean these people had no intentions to speak to Wiggins?

Soon, though, he got a slightly unexpected response back.

"What is that foreigner even saying?"

"Hey, does anyone here speak English?"

"Why is a foreigner speaking English when he's in Korea? That's kinda annoying."

When unsatisfactory replies came his way, Wiggins cocked an eyebrow in slight unhappiness and turned his head toward his daughter. "Elena, I don't mean to bother you at this time, but it seems we're in desperate need of an interpreter."

"...But, of course."

"To think there's no one among so many people who can speak English in this age of globalization! It seems we must seriously consider holding those language courses my lord mentioned earlier."

Elena tutted back at her father. "Dad, South Korean martial artists avoid studying like a plague."

"Is that so? That's a terrible thing, now isn't it?" Wiggins sighed in lamentation as if he was worried about the Martial Assembly's future. He then turned his focus back to the martial artists in front of him. "Greetings, my name is Wiggins, and I come under Mister Kang Jin-Ho's orders. Is there anyone among you who is willing to speak on the group's behalf as a representative?"

Elena translated what Wiggins said, prompting everyone's gaze to focus on a particular individual. That man leisurely stepped out of the crowd and addressed Wiggins.

"Well, I can't really be called a representative, but..." The old man stepping out smiled a little suspiciously as he studied Wiggins and Elena. "Still, you can talk to me."

"May I know your name, then?"

"Call me... Director Choi. It's not like we need to introduce ourselves to each other, anyway."

"Very well, Director Choi," Wiggins smiled magnanimously. "My lord has dispatched me to address you all in this place. You see, we received information that you've been making certain moves that could be seen as troubling."

"Troubling moves...?" Director Choi chuckled wryly. "What moves are you even talking about?"

"I'm not here to debate things with you. If you wish to prove your innocence, do not resist and follow me back to the Martial Assembly HQ. As you may well know, my lord is a surprisingly reasonable man. If you explain that it's all a misunderstanding, he might even apologize profusely to you."

"Hah... Hahahah!" Director Choi started guffawing in dismay. "What the hell? Is this stinking foreigner making fun of me?"

"Hey, now. It's not nice to discriminate like that based on race. If you really have to, just call me white bro instead, please." [1]

"...Huh? What did he say now?"

Elena finished translating, then held her aching forehead. Just when did her father pick up the slang 'white bro'?! He was mingling with the younger-generation Korean martial artists while teaching his curriculum, and that seemed to have worsened his condition!

Wiggins asked again. "So, you don't have any desire to surrender?"

"You only surrender when you've done something wrong, right?" Director Choi snarkily replied. "We're merely trying to regain our old positions, so how could that be seen as wrong? Wouldn't you agree with me, fellas?"

When Director Choi asked, the martial artists around him agreed in perfect sync. Wiggins observed that scene in silence before a strange smirk suddenly floated up on his lips.

"That's not that surprising, then. This side also prefers fists over words, after all."

Wiggins extended his hand forward, causing the empty space to suddenly waver and distort.

1. Wiggins said '??' here, which literally means white older brother. It's a less derogatory term to call a Caucasian man. Yes, there are other variations, such as white sister and white oppa. ?