Chapter 574. Advancing (4)

Life is pain.

Apparently, Buddha was responsible for that little nugget of truth. So, that assertion should be on the money. However, even if Lord Buddha didn't say it, Yi Myeong-Hwan would still have agreed, anyway. Even if that saying was a joke uttered by some random nobody!

Besides, anyone in his shoes would have to agree with his stance, too!

Yi Myeong-Hwan cautiously asked, "Okay, but... Do I have to?"

"Who else can do it besides you?"

"But, why me?"

"You're our representative. That's why."

"...Since when?"

Certain things in this world needed to be rejected outright. Unfortunately, such rejections might end up as a meaningless waste of breath if no one was willing to listen.

Yi Myeon-Hwan forced back his manly tears of resentment.

'You bunch of livestock-thief lookalikes...!'

For some incomprehensible reason, members of the Martial Assembly were... not kind-looking, so to speak, which was at odds with the commonly accepted stereotypical images of martial artists training in remote mountainsides having this naive but kind demeanor.

If that example was too extreme, then... How about the image of student athletes walking around in tracksuits? That seemed about right for martial artists in training. But, all the Assembly members looked like neighborhood gangsters and loan sharks.

No one knew when this fashion trend began, but it didn't matter anymore. Everyone in the Assembly thought of this look as cool and hip and was intensely proud about being able to carry themselves in this manner.

And Yi Myeong-Hwan was also one of those people, so he shouldn't berate anyone for it!

He never really thought about how weird this fashion-and-grooming trend was until now. However, being surrounded by thugs like this suddenly helped him realize that the South Korean Martial Assembly urgently needed an image makeover.

As for why... It was f*cking terrifying, that's why!

Imagine a bunch of scary-looking uncles spewing a boatload of demonic qi in your way. Even the most hardened sons of b*tches would wet their pants in that situation. Even though Yi Myeong-Hwan was also a demonic qi practitioner like them, how was he supposed to handle over a hundred men and their intense bloodlust by himself?!

Yi Myeong-Hwan desperately tried to escape this predicament by arguing back. "N-no, wait a minute. Why am I everyone's bloody representative? It's not like I'm one of the older guys here, so what gives?"

"Well, that's because Mister Kang Jin-Ho always orders you around."

"Eh?"

"And you pass those orders around to us."

"S-sure, that's right."

"So, that makes you our representative. Who cares about seniority in this place, anyway? I'm older than you, right? Should I run to Mister Kang Jin-Ho and tell him that I have a problem with someone younger ordering me around?"

Yi Myeong-Hwan slowly shook his head. "No, I don't think a person with a brain should do that."

"There you go. And that is why you're our representative."

"Yes, I admit your argument is very persuasive, but let's not do this, okay? How about we elect our representative democratically? Mister Jin-Ho isn't some uptight boomer, so he will understand when we explain what happened to him."

"Sure, why not? Let's do it that way, then. I nominate you for our representative role."

Yi Myeong-Hwan nearly tripped on his feet. "H-hang on a sec! L-let's put this to a vote and..."

The wide-shouldered martial artist debating with Yi Myeong-Hwan scanned the crowd around them and asked, "Who's in favor of this punk being our representative?"

Only in North Korea would a scene like this happen. Every thug-like martial artist in the vicinity raised their hand in perfect unison. If someone unaware saw this spectacle, they would chuckle contentedly at how united and in sync these folks were.

And it made logical sense since humans tended to be super-united when it came to screwing someone over! After inwardly swearing, 'Goddamn it!' Yi Myeong-Hwan massaged his temples while addressing his fellow martial artists. "Okay, so... Fine! I got it. I will act as your representative, okay?! What is it that you want me to do, anyway?"

"Go and find out."

"What?"

"Come on, dude. We had to go through that crap to pass Mister Kang Jin-Ho's test to get here. But idiots who couldn't pass the same bloody test are now allowed to participate in these other training courses? In that case, why did we even bother with passing that crazy test in the first place?"

Now, this was an extremely human-like response.

Humans all desired privilege. To be treated as someone special. And they also wanted to hold a superior job title and live in nicer suburbs than their neighbors. So, this response was exceedingly logical.

The only problem in this case, though, was that openly bringing this up was kind of uncool. Humiliating, even.

Yi Myeong-Hwan grimaced deeply. "Wait, you want me to go and complain about this?"

"Yup, that's it!"

"To whom?"

"Well, it'd be nice if you could directly speak to Mister Kang Jin-Ho, but that dude probably won't really care, so... In that case, you should complain to someone who can be of actual help."

"...And who is that?"

"You already know, don't you?"

Yi Myeong-Hwan finally shed a drop of his manly tears at the sight of his peers all smirking away oh-so-hatefully. And then...

***

Lee Hyeon-Su gruffly replied, "What do you want me to do about it, ah?"

Of course, Yi Myeong-Hwan wasn't naive enough to expect a normal sort of reaction from Lee Hyeon-Su. And no, he especially did not expect a response of, 'I see. In that case, how should I be of assistance?' from Lee Hyeon-Su either. Only an immoral and thoughtless bastard would wish for that.

Although he was forced to come here since his peers relentlessly pressured him, Yi Myeong-Hwan was smart enough to know not to bother someone as busy as Lee Hyeon-Su with a matter like this. Even so...!

"Hey! I asked you what you were expecting from me!" Lee Hyeon-Su yelled in anger.

"Sir, I didn't come here because I wanted to!"

"What the hell? You still haven't told me anything, you dipsh*t!"N0vel_Biin hosted the premiere release of this chapter.

Yi Myeong-Hwan understood why someone would lose their cool like this. And no, he didn't feel sad about being shouted at. But something did make this whole thing so much harder to endure. And it was Lee Hyeon-Su's glare that seemed to scream, 'How should I trample on this insect-like bastard to teach everyone not to mess with me?'

"Then, why are you even here?" Lee Hyeon-Su growled unhappily.

"They told me to, sir," said Yi Myeong-Hwan. However, he couldn't help but notice Lee Hyeon-Su's expression literally distorting hideously. To ensure his continued survival, Yi Myeong-Hwan desperately explained himself. "I know I shouldn't be here to bother you, sir! However, the vocal dissatisfaction of my peers has become too loud for me to ignore. They believe their privilege has been taken from them, so... I determined that if left unattended, this issue might balloon into something serious, sir! So I rushed here as quickly as possible to give you a report!"

"Do I look like a f*cking dummy to you, you dipsh*t?"

"I thought they would beat me up if I didn't come to you, sir."

Lee Hyeon-Su groaned as if he didn't like this situation one bit. "I see. So, what do those bastards want now?"

"I think they just want to know what is going on, sir. I mean... We had to pass that crazy test for this privilege, you know? And we even risk death during training every day, too."

"Well, yeah. I know that."

"And we're all scared about turning into those crazed demonic arts practitioners during this training, sir. But now, we hear about other folks potentially getting stronger without any of those risks, so you surely can understand why we're so unhappy about this development."

"Hmm.." Lee Hyeon-Su grimaced while scratching his cheek. His initial thought was these conceited bastards had gotten too full of themselves. After listening to Yi Myeong-Hwan, though... Their stance sounded reasonable. "There's no need to feel short-changed about this. If I was given all three options to choose from, I'd have unhesitantly picked Mister Jin-Ho's teachings. And it's the same story for you lot, right?"

"Well, that is true..."

"Okay. Let's do it this way," Lee Hyeon-Su suddenly clapped his hands. "Ask any of your training mates if they wish to transfer to another curriculum. I'll give them a chance to switch."

"Sorry?"

"If they are envious, they can always go where the grass looks greener, right?"

"Oh, uh..." Yi Myeong-Hwan faltered slightly, his posture somewhat hesitant. This wasn't the response he was thinking of. And he had a hunch that his peers wouldn't be satisfied by this reply, either.

"The real problem here is you idiots thinking that passing one test will suddenly make your life plain sailing. That you are now a part of the superior species or something. I'm telling you, you martial artists with zero experience in real life just don't get it," Lee Hyeon-Su lashed out with apparent frustration.

"Listen, you dumbass. You'll find plenty of people who passed the bar exam but can't get any decent job because their grades in the training institute were crap. So, you think you've succeeded in life just because you passed one measly test? Don't f*cking make me laugh," Lee Hyeon-Su swore in annoyance.

He then continued, "Go and tell your group. And make sure they get it through their thick skulls. This is a competition. You lot might have taken the lead for now, but I promise you. There will be a rude awakening in store for you idiots if you think you'll all naturally graduate into central figures of the Assembly. We will no doubt see several losers in your group falling behind the others in different curricula despite receiving Mister Jin-Ho's guidance. So, tell them to focus on their training instead of regretting it like chumps later. If we're talking about how far you can go with the same level of effort, Mister Jin-Ho's training offers better rewards."

"...Yes, sir," Yi Myeong-Hwan replied, his voice sounding depressed.

Lee Hyeon-Su cocked an eyebrow at that listless response and sighed.

'What the hell are these idiots thinking...?'

He really wanted to avoid the extra job of pacifying whiny kids at this point in time. After all, Lee Hyeon-Su already had his hands full detecting and analyzing the suspicious movements of the elders and directors. Not only that, but he was also handling tasks Kang Jin-Ho assigned him, plus overseeing the overall operation of the Assembly on top of that... He was even skipping sleep to get everything done on time!

"You chose this path, so take responsibility for it. Well, at least that's how it should've been, but I don't want to sound like an uptight as*hole about this. I admit there were no other options available when you were forced to choose Mister Jin-Ho's training. That's why we'll transfer anyone in your group wishing to take up a different curriculum."

Yi Myeong-Hwan cautiously spoke, "I see. But, uh... Sir, do you mind if I ask you something else?"

"What is it?"

"Will those two be all the new curricula added to the Assembly? I mean, if some people get transferred, only for new curricula to get added later again, this whole thing might start again.."

"For the time being, this is it. The Assembly Master seems to be planning something else, but other than that, there shouldn't be any."

"Mm..." Yi Myeong-Hwan slowly nodded. This meant the time to choose had come. "Excuse me, sir. Uh..."

"What now?"

"There was something I wanted to ask you privately, sir."

Lee Hyeon-Su narrowed his eyes and stared at Yi Myeong-Hwan. When he thought about it, this idiot was actually a brainy idiot, wasn't he? After his interest was piqued, Lee Hyeon-Su stopped typing away on his keyboard and leaned back in his chair. He stared directly at Yi Myeong-Hwan. "Fine. Go ahead."

"Well, uh... Even I can see that our Assembly is going through a seriously rapid change, but is this okay, sir?"

"What do you mean? Do things look risky to you?"

"No, no. It's not that. I was just curious, sir. I know you and the Assembly Master will do a great job steering the organization, but something about this whole thing kinda feels a bit off to me, you see? I hear the new curriculum will be taught by Mister Wiggins, who isn't even Korean, and the subject will be about Western martial arts, too... I guess the younger generation will be glad for this opportunity, but what about the older generation? I thought they might not be happy with this direction."

A subtle smirk floated up on Lee Hyeon-Su's lips. While other idiots were worried about their privileges and authorities being taken away, Yi Myeong-Hwan was trying to look at the bigger picture concerning the Martial Assembly. Lee Hyeon-Su replied while leaning even further back in his seat. "It's true that not everyone is on board with this."

"I thought as much..."

"However, we all knew that teething problems would be unavoidable while reforming the Assembly. The truth is... There are clear limits to Korean martial arts. I honestly do not believe Korea's martial arts do not fall behind other countries'. It's just that there hasn't been an opportunity for true experts to rise up to the surface until now. Even then... I can still see the shortcomings. I'm talking about how all the martial arts found in Korea are roughly the same in concept. As in, they all have the same characteristics."

"Yes, I agree," Yi Myeon-Hwan nodded.

"So, by learning martial arts from other places, I figured it'd be better for those diamonds in the rough. Rather than forcing them to wear clothes that don't fit, maybe we'll have a better chance of finding more suitable attire for them this way. Wouldn't you say?"

"I see. But the opposition..."

"Tell me, Yi Myeong-Hwan. What is stability in your opinion?"

"Sorry?"

Lee Hyeon-Su stared straight at Yi Myeon-Hwan. "If the organization is functioning as it should, and no one is complaining, do you think that's stability?"

"Uh... I'm not sure."

"Consider it from this angle. You're doing a job, but it becomes familiar over time. You feel like you're in the pocket. You think you're doing great, but that's actually not a good thing. At all. Because it means you're not giving this job your 100%. Something you need to dedicate every fiber of your being will obviously be as challenging as f*ck, wouldn't you say?"

"Oh...!"

"It's the same story for an organization, too. An organization that aims for stability will eventually stagnate. Stagnation leads to corruption. So, an organization needs to continuously change. Reform and reinvent itself all the time. If you can't do that with the personnel you already have, then bring in outsiders to help with the process. That is my intention, and also Mister Jin-Ho's desire, too. And yes, the Assembly Master also wishes for it."

Yi Myeon-Hwan hurriedly nodded. This sounded like the correct path to take.

"Mister Jin-Ho is responsible for mapping out this big picture. Common foot soldiers like you or me will never truly see what he can see, even if reincarnate many times over. So, you just focus your attention on what you can do, okay? Our job is to create a place where you can stand tall and proud as you do your best to advance forward. And to ensure you can keep pushing yourself even further," said Lee Hyeon-Su, his expression solemn.

Yi Myeon-Hwan felt emotions well up inside his heart. Lee Hyeon-Su might have sounded composed, but what he said was definitely something to be excited about.

After all the worries in his heart got washed away by Lee Hyeon-Su's confident words, Yi Myeon-Hwan shot up to his feet. "Thank you, Branch Director!"

"Okay, you can leave now."

"By the way, sir... There's one more thing I'd like to ask you about."

"Mm?"

Yi Myeong-Hwan stood in an awkward pose and asked cautiously, "I'm fluent in English, sir. Is it possible for me to transfer to Mister Wiggins' curriculum?"

"What, you? Really" Lee Hyeon-Su cocked his eyebrow in suspicion.

"Yes, sir! I'm really good at it!"

"Nope. No can do."

"...Eh?"

"Others are fine, but you can't transfer. You're gonna stick with Mister Jin-Ho's training."

"...Ehh?"

"You can leave now."

"E-excuse me, why...?"

"I said, leave." Lee Hyeon-Su dismissively waved his hand to shoo the annoying visitor away. Yi Myeon-Hwan's head faltered in dejection, and he slowly shuffled out of Lee Hyeon-Su's office.

Thunk...

After cautiously closing the door behind him, Yi Myeon-Hwan leaned against the door frame and silently wiped away all the sweat of his heart leaking out of his eyes.

'How the hell did I...'

How unfortunate, but it seemed Yi Myeong-Hwan was fated to never escape Kang Jin-Ho's shadow!