“Gee whiz. You look like sh*t,” said Lee Seong-Hwi, a mocking smirk plastered all over his face.

“Sure, go ahead and laugh. I know I’m in no shape to defend myself from your mockery,” said the man mocked by Lee Seong-Hwi. However, his glare remained sharp and cold. “However, you mocking me is kind of ironic, don’t you think? I might look like sh*t, but it’s not as bad as your state, I’d say.”

Grit!

Lee Seong-Hwi clenched his teeth. His bloodshot eyes glared at the man before him. “You better watch your mouth, Kim Seok-Il. I can kill you with just a snap of my fingers at any time I want.”

“I'm sure that's the case. However, that's not something to brag about, now is it? Even a three-year-old can kill me in my current state, anyway. No, wait. I guess it makes sense for you to brag about it. It suits your level, after all,” said Kim Seok-Il snarkily as he relaxedly sat in a wheelchair. Despite being unable to use any of his limbs, he still remained a fiery, despicable character.

Lee Seong-Hwi glared murderously at Kim Seok-Il before slowly nodding away. “I see that your sh*tty personality still hasn’t softened yet.”

“That's not going to happen,” Kim Seok-Il tutted. “People become more timid when something scares them to death. They are scared that doing things according to their whims might invite untold disaster. So, they hold themselves back and give up on things they truly want to do. However, me…?”

Kim Seok-Il bared his fangs in a ferocious smirk.

“I have nothing left to lose. In that case, why should I hold myself back?”

Even Lee Seong-Hwi was slightly spooked by Kim Seok-Il’s declaration. He could tell that the wheelchair-bound former boss of the Yeongnam Group wasn’t bluffing here.

A martial artist ending up as a cripple couldn't be compared to a regular person becoming disabled. The sense of loss the martial artist would feel was genuinely indescribable.

Not to forget, Kim Seok-Il used to be at the top of South Korea's martial society. Someone like that became a cripple and fell to the very bottom of society. Lee Seong-Hwi wouldn't have endured it if the same thing had happened to him.

Without a doubt, killing himself would've been more tolerable to Kim Seok-Il than doggedly living on like this and steadily going insane. Yet, he continued to live, sustained by a singular desire for… vengeance!

The undying hatred of Kang Jin-Ho and the desire to get even had managed to keep Kim Seok-Il going until now.

‘Well, my story’s not all that different, now is it?’

Lee Seong-Hwi chuckled hollowly while staring at Kim Seok-Il. That man in the wheelchair was a mirror. A mirror reflecting Lee Seong-Hwi. All the emotions he felt while staring at Kim Seok-Il should be eerily similar to what Kim Seok-Il felt while looking at Lee Seong-Hwi.

“Fine, fine. Let's drop it. How is the preparation going, Kim Seok-Il?”

“Don’t get too full of yourself, Lee Seong-Hwi. A brat like you doesn't have the qualifications to ask that.”

Lee Seong-Hwi slowly nodded. Even in the past, Kim Seok-Il was a cumbersome bastard to deal with. He could still vividly recall the chill he felt when Kim Seok-Il came to see him in the hospital room.

Despite everything that had happened to him, Kim Seok-Il still hadn't lost his sharpness. Actually, it'd be more correct to say he had gotten even sharper than before. Such was his knife-like sharpness that merely looking at him was enough to almost cut Lee Seong-Hwi into ribbons.

Kim Seok-Il continued to speak. “Coaxing those idiots is a cakewalk for me.”

“Oh, really? I’m pretty sure the Japanese aren’t a bunch of pushovers, though?”

“Being strong and being smart aren't mutually inclusive. Besides, manipulating smart people is easier for me. That's because they think they are too smart to be manipulated. Even if they notice the manipulation, they still try to gain the moral victory by telling themselves they have allowed it to happen.”

“Why would they do that?”

“Rather than stewing in the humiliation of knowing you've been played, it's… mentally more forgiving to minimize the significance of your losses. And that's why it's always easier to manipulate proud bastards like them.” Kim Seok-Il cackled quietly.

“Huh. Does that mean you’re done with all the preparations?”

“I still need time,” Kim Seok-Il curtly replied. “The Japanese don’t seem to understand the concept of unity. Trying to unify the voices of the Japanese factions when they seem divided for no rhyme or reason will take some time.”

“Is it? For a man talking a big game, you don’t have much of anything to show, now do you?”

“...Lee Seong-Hwi!” Kim Seong-Il murderously glared at the younger man. “Do not agitate me more than you already have. It's already taking a lot out of me to stay sane like this! Keep provoking me, and even I… can't guarantee what I'll do next!”

“Sure, sure.” Lee Seong-Hwi backed away while theatrically putting his hands before him.

“Besides, you still need me, don’t you?”

“Obviously,” Lee Seong-Hwi grunted unhappily. “That's the only reason why you're still breathing, Kim Seok-Il. I might hate Kang Jin-Ho's guts the most, but I'm also open to the idea of putting you at the top of my list.”

Lee Seong-Hwi loudly gritted his teeth.

“You are responsible for making me this way, after all!”

“Fut… hah!”

Kim Seok-Il let out a half-chuckle that sounded like air leaking out of a balloon.

“I made you this way? Kekekeke! That has to be the funniest thing I’ve heard in a while! Listen here, Lee Seong-Hwi. It sounds like you think the demonic art has turned you into this twisted bastard, but that’s a load of bulls*it, okay? Besides, demonic arts aren’t the reason why you are at odds with Kang Jin-Ho. They are the only things allowing you to put up some kind of fight against him.”

Kim Seok-Il smirked like a predator latching onto a juicy prey and began ruthlessly digging in.

“If I hadn’t given you that demonic art secret manual back then, you’d be a cripple with zero cultivation by now, unable to even lay a hand on Kang Jin-Ho. If that’s what you prefer… In that case, allow me to apologize. What do you want from me as my token of apology? My tongue? Hahahaha!”

Kim Seok-Il guffawed loudly to the point of coughing and wheezing for air.

While watching this scene, Lee Seong-Hwi's eyes became even more bloodshot. He hated his disgusting partner-in-crime to the point of wanting to throttle the bastard right now. However, their relationship meant they had to accompany each other out of necessity.

Even though their contempt for each other was real, their relationship dictated that they had no choice but to work together! That was the 'bond' tying Kim Seok-Il and Lee Seong-Hwi together in a nutshell.

‘And we’re going to Hell together, aren’t we?’

Lee Seong-Hwi chuckled dispiritedly, then shook his head before glancing at Kim Seok-Il. “It doesn't really matter now. So, you can produce a favorable result as long as you have time, is that it?”

“You’re asking the obvious. It’s not about whether I can produce a result or not. No, I must produce it, no matter what. Otherwise… There’s no point in me clinging to this goddamn life!”

“I'm not interested in hearing about your resolution, Kim Seok-Il. I'm only interested in reality.”

“Reality, you say?” Kim Seok-Il snorted derisively. “With all the favorable conditions they have put forward, only a fool would reject the Crimson King's faction. Besides, those Jap bastards have been hell-bent on taking over Korea, anyway. They haven't done anything until now because their internal conflict between factions hasn't been sorted out yet. Also… They didn't know how the Crimson King's faction would have reacted to Japan's takeover of Korea.”

Kim Seok-Il stopped talking there to take a breather before casually shrugging his shoulders.

“But now, the Crimson King's faction promised to not only acknowledge Japan's takeover but to support it wholeheartedly, too. In that case, why wouldn't they jump on this chance? Anyone dumb enough to reject the offer is useless to us. We can't use idiots with brains made of udon noodles, now can we!”

Lee Seong-Hwi didn’t say anything, simply nodding away. He also thought this way, but the process of confirming it through Kim Seok-Il was still absolutely necessary. Despite his current wretched state, Kim Seok-Il’s brain was still operating at its full capacity.

As far as dastardly smarts were concerned, Lee Seong-Hwi couldn't get anywhere close to Kim Seok-Il. Even in South Korea, only a handful of people like Lee Hyeon-Su would claim to be as crafty as Kim Seok-Il.

‘At least in this kind of thing, that is!'

Kim Seok-Il possessed a mind that the devil would be envious of in things like tricking people into deadly traps and torturing them afterward.

“We better get this right,” said Lee Seong-Hwi in a calm yet threatening voice. “This is our final chance. We won't get another opportunity like this ever again. If we fail to make it happen… We might as well hold hands and jump into a bloody lake together.”

“Kekeke!” Kim Seok-Il cackled, his body twisting like a man having a seizure. “We will definitely kill Kang Jin-Ho! Whatever it takes! Even if I sell my soul to do it! Even if I have to sacrifice my body to feed stray mutts, Kang Jin-Ho will die! My life exists only for that purpose. That’s why… I’ll make it happen!”

Now that was a display of some nasty obsession. Even Lee Seong-Hwi had to frown in disgust. He wordlessly stared at Kim Seok-Il before nodding slightly. “I hope everything goes as you say.”

Having said his piece, Lee Seong-Hwi turned around to leave the room. He didn’t want to spend another minute in this gloomy, depressing space if he could help it. Besides, it was better for his mental health, and Kim Seok-Il’s, to go their separate ways as soon as their business was done.

Even though they had to work together, being in near vicinity only made them want to torture each other even more.

Lee Seong-Hwi leisurely headed to the exit, but his steps suddenly lurched to a halt.

“…”

He pondered something for a bit, then raised his voice without looking back at Kim Seok-Il. “Hey. I have one more question.”

Kim Seok-Il snickered insidiously. “Since when did you start asking for permissions, Lee Seong-Hwi? You’ve become a rather well-behaved boy, haven’t you? I’ll be generous and give you the right to use the bathroom without getting my permission first.”

“Shut the f*ck up, okay?” Lee Seong-Hwi angrily spun around and glared straight at Kim Seok-Il. “When the Jap bastards invade Korea and kill Kang Jin-Ho… That means the right to rule the South Korean martial society will belong to the Japanese. Isn't it?”

“Hoh-oh? Aren't you a smart cookie? You've graduated from being a three-year-old and become a five-year-old now. If only I had hands, I could've applauded you.”

“...What will happen to the Korean martial society, then?”

“Are you asking me because you don’t know?” Kim Seok-Il smirked derisively. “Or is it too hard to figure it out with your head? In that case, let me spell it out for you. They will all die. Like how our ancestors nearly died out back then. Sure, collaborators would get to survive as slaves, but the ones resisting will end up as fertilizers.”

Kim Seok-Il narrowed his eyes and leaned slightly forward.

“At least there’s a silver lining here, and that is… The Japs won’t be able to openly plunder the country anymore. But that’s about it, I guess? Still, I’m sure you understand what it means for them to take over Korea’s underworld, now don’t you?”

Lee Seong-Hwi didn’t say anything and just stood there in silence.

“So? Are you thinking of acting like a patriot now? Because that’s going too far? You want to stop here?”

“You can relax, I ain’t gonna do that.” Lee Seong-Hwi grunted, then turned around to leave the room.

With that, he got his answers. He could clearly see the path he must walk on now. Even so, Lee Seong-Hwi’s mood didn’t want to improve. As if something viscous and sticky had stuck onto his skin underneath his clothes, this deeply unpleasant feeling didn’t want to leave him alone.

Lee Seong-Hwi thought he could hear Cai Kechang’s sneer even now.

‘God damn it!’

Kim Seok-Il was right. If Lee Seong-Hwi had been the type to hesitate over such things, he wouldn’t have started this adventure in the first place.

Besides, the ball had already started rolling downhill. As long as he was riding on a runaway train with its brakes malfunctioning, Lee Seong-Hwi had no choice but to peel his eyes wide open and stare at where he was headed.

Even so…

Lee Seong-Hwi left the building and raised his head to look around. Tall skyscrapers densely packing the cityscape all emitted brilliant arrays of colors into the night sky. All those bright neon lights vividly stabbed him in the eye.

‘Where did everything go wrong?’

A slimy smirk floated up on Lee Seong-Hwi’s face.

The world might remember him as the worst traitor in history. Indeed, the history books could record him as a worse son of a b*tch than all those bastards who sold the country to the foreign invaders in the past.

Even so, Lee Seong-Hwi wasn’t interested in sympathy. No one could understand this volcanic rage and hatred burning in his heart, after all! As such, they wouldn’t understand his actions, either.

Even then, he…

Pow!

A passerby bumped his shoulder against Lee Seong-Hwi. And that opened a floodgate of insults from the other man. Lee Seong-Hwi glanced at the man hurling indecipherable insults and smiled insidiously.

Crunch!

To stop the man from hurling insults ever again, Lee Seong-Hwi grabbed the passerby’s throat and twisted it. Then he tossed the dead man away like garbage before turning around to walk away.

‘I’ll make sure that none of you can insult me!’

If it was his destiny to be treated like human filth, then… Then, he’d truly become one. That was the path Lee Seong-Hwi had chosen for himself.