Chapter 575. Advancing (5)

“External arts, and even Western martial arts, too...?”

Lee Jung-Geol stared out the window, his expression bitter. The view outside his window was dominated by the Assembly's buildings, and the younger-generation martial artists could be seen busy running between them.

'That's called vibrancy, isn't it?'

Lee Jung-Geol acknowledged both Kang Jin-Ho and Bang Jin-Hun. Vibrancy returned to the Martial Assembly after those two men took over. When Lee Jung-Geol looked back now, even he had to admit that this organization had been stuck in one place, continuously stagnating away while he served as its Master.

Objectively owning up to one's mistake was not only difficult but also quite a bitter pill to swallow. However, Lee Jung-Geol didn't avoid facing his reality. As proof...

Not a single younger-generation martial artist wished for Lee Jung-Geol's return to power. Every now and then, a few young martial artists would complain about Bang Jin-Hun or Kang Jin-Ho. But they never wanted to bring those two down. Even those martial artists who didn't like the changes taking place in the organization had already recognized the necessity of change by now.

Even if the direction of the Assembly's change was not to their liking, it was still better than stagnating... At least, that must be what those people were thinking.

'Changing, huh...'

Lee Jung-Geol silently massaged the bridge of his nose. He looked back on himself and had to admit that he had never been a champion of change throughout his life. Of course, that didn't mean changes didn't happen under his watch. But all the changes he presided over as the Assembly Master were about strengthening the organization's forces to destroy the Yeongnam Group. According to his policy, everything could be taken care of by nurturing strong martial artists.

He was deeply confident that the Assembly's system, created through countless trials and errors over the decades, would always prove him right.

“There shouldn't have been problems with it...”

The Assembly's system back then was undoubtedly a good one. So, the problem couldn't be it but the people within it.

The world constantly changed. Even the system that seemed perfect at the time would have to be modified little by little and here and there as time went by. Of course, the process of such modifications would raise various noises and interference. But steadily changing and modifying like that would ensure that one day, the system in place would become even more advanced than ever before.

Unfortunately, Lee Jung-Geol had ignored that. His fatal mistake was to take his foot off the pedal, knowing that his long struggle had created a system with no noise. He didn't know that 'no noise' equaled 'no change'... at least, not until Bang Jin-Hun's appearance.

Even then, the window of opportunity was still open to Lee Jung-Geol. If only he was more willing to accommodate Bang Jin-Hun's demands of reforming the Assembly and responding more actively toward the Yeongnam Group's aggression! Things wouldn't have come this far.

Unfortunately, Lee Jung-Geol didn't listen to Bang Jin-Hun's opinions. Rather than listening, he paid more attention to the younger man's attitude. Lee Jung-Geol saw the opposition from this young director as a direct challenge to his status.

'I was an idiot.'

Lee Jung-Geol quietly tutted away. If only he had been gracious enough to accept others' opinions as advice back then... The Martial Assembly would've looked quite different from how it was now. And Lee Jung-Geol wouldn't have been forced into irrelevance in the shadows like this.

However, he didn't have the same broad-mindedness of now back then. Those charging ahead in the path of constant success would always believe their opinions were the most right ones. Because... Well, they had never tasted failure before. And humans only learned about how wrong their opinions could be through various failures. Lee Jung-Geol never had that opportunity.

And that was why he had to taste this extreme defeat. This heavy failure! Something he had no choice but to acknowledge. Yes, he owned up to it.

If he recounted his life's journey, Lee Jung-Geol could more or less say he had been a successful man, the only blemish being the closing chapters. Those couldn't be described as good by any stretch of the imagination.

Did he regret it? Of course he did. How could he not? However, that didn't mean his insubordination. No, Lee Jung-Geol knew he was wrong, so failure like this was inevitable. Even then...

Lee Jung-Geol silently looked below outside the window.

Even if he didn't want to, Lee Jung-Geol was still dumped out of the Assembly's frontlines. Now that he was basically an outsider looking in, he began spotting several things he hadn't noticed before.

Just like how people spectating a chess match could see a lot more than those actually playing the game, the way Lee Jung-Geol viewed the Martial Assembly changed dramatically after he stepped aside from the weighty position of the Assembly Master for the first time in his adult life.

'This direction is wrong.'

Changes were good. Changes were always necessary. However, all changes had to be positive in nature. In that case, what should he call this Martial Assembly?

'This place is the same as my past policies.'

Indeed, the current Martial Assembly was dead-set on getting more powerful than before. It didn't even distinguish what should be accepted or shunned. Clearly, it didn't seem to worry about how this pursuit of strength at any cost could create huge problems down the line.

This was a stereotypical mindset of an organization tasting great success. Or, a baseless belief about how it'd achieve a good result despite various associated risks and dangers lurking around the corner!

The current Martial Assembly was charging ahead with such belief. Just like how Lee Jung-Geol used to do things in the past.

A hint of anxiety formed on Lee Jung-Geol's face as he wordlessly tapped on the glass. He knew he needed to stop this. Not simply because he wanted to make a successful comeback, but also to complete the big picture of the Assembly's continued glory for the next thousand years!

“Yes, it's not merely for my selfish desires,” Lee Jung-Geol quietly muttered.

“Is that true, Grandpa?”

Lee Jung-Geol sobered up and turned around to look. “Oh. You're here, Hyeon-Ju.”

That was when he noticed his granddaughter, Lee Hyeon-Ju, staring coldly at him.

“Hmm... You don't seem happy about something, child.”

“Yes, I'm not. Not when my grandfather disappears to who knows where constantly.”

“I also have private matters to deal with, Hyeon-Ju.”

“Really, Grandpa? Are they really private matters like you say?”

Lee Jung-Geol narrowed his eyes slightly. He did expect this. No matter how secretive his actions were, some people were bound to find out about him. Especially when it came to hiding everything from people in his circle of acquaintances, like his own granddaughter. Such a thing should be impossible.

As she was a smart child, Lee Hyeon-Ju must've had a pretty good idea of what her grandfather was trying to do here.

“What will you do if I say it's not a private matter?” Lee Jung-Geol quietly asked his granddaughter.

Lee Hyeon-Ju bit her lower lip ever so slightly. “Grandfather.”

“Yes, I'm here,” said Lee Jung-Geol, a warm smile etched on his face.The initial posting of this chapter occurred via N0v3l.B1(j)n.

“This is wrong, Grandfather.”

“And what would be wrong, child?”

“What you are thinking of doing.”

“I'm not sure what you mean by that. What am I doing, Hyeon-Ju?”

Lee Hyeon-Ju grimaced. “Do you want me to call it a coup d'etat?”

“...”

“Or should it be a rebellion, instead?”

“Listen, Hyeon-Ju...”

“Please don't say that you are merely trying to regain what's originally yours. The Martial Assembly was never yours, Grandfather. It's not like we're living in the age of kings, you know!”

“No, Hyeon-Ju!” Lee Jung-Geol's expression finally broke. “I don't care even if you insult me. But do know this! I'm not doing this with such self-interest at heart. Why should I care about some glory and honor at my age? Do you think I'd be blinded by power and throw the Martial Assembly into chaos?”

“Can you really say that's not your reason? Do you swear it?!” Lee Hyeon-Ju yelled back as the two people's glares collided in the air. “If that is not your intention...! Is there a reason to do things this way? Couldn't you have told them what you think? Mister Jin-Ho is not an unreasonable man, after all! And Assembly Master Bang would have respected your opinion, too, Grandfather!”

“You don't know anything, child,” Lee Jung-Geol curtly responded. “You don't know how men think and act. And you especially do not know how martial artists act.”

“...!”

Lee Jung-Geol confidently addressed his granddaughter. “Yes, they would have listened to me. And they would have understood where I was coming from. Even acknowledge the truth behind it, too. Even so, they would not have changed their decision.”

“How can you be so sure!”

“Let's pretend that I did as you say,” said Lee Jung-Geol as his expression hardened. “If I had gone to them and suggested that the Assembly should be strengthened through Korea's traditional martial arts and all foreign elements must be removed, what do you think their response would be?”

Lee Hyeon-Ju couldn't immediately reply.

And Lee Jung-Geol nodded as if he had seen that response coming a mile away. “What you wanted was not me persuading Kang Jin-Ho and his underlings. No, you hoped that I'd be forced into accepting the current reality while talking to them. Isn't that true?”

“Grandfather!” Lee Hyeon-Ju sighed deeply. “The world has changed. And it's no longer possible to hold onto the things from the past.”

“That's where you're wrong.”

“Sorry?”

“What I want isn't to uphold the tradition. I don't wish for something like that. Our old ways, this tradition... I'm sure our ancestors would've mocked us if they knew what kind of tradition I was talking about. They most likely wouldn't even call that tradition.”

Lee Hyeon-Ju silently nodded.

“That is not what I want to protect, child. The Martial Assembly is what I wish to protect. Tell me, do you think our Assembly will continue on at this rate?”

“Why wouldn't it continue on?”

“Changes are a necessity. However, such changes should not be done their way. Because this is the fastest way to create strife and disunity. Right now, two forces called the Assembly and the Yeongnam Group are existing in an uneasy equilibrium, unable to become one. However, what would happen when outsiders force their way into the brain trust at the expense of the people already here? What should all those people do if this is their reward for dedicating their lives to the Assembly?”

Lee Hyeon-Ju was left speechless. Because... She was also one of those people who dedicated her life to the Martial Assembly.

Yes, she admitted to feeling short-changed by what happened. In the past, Lee Hyeon-Ju could be seen as one of the central figures in the Assembly. Her voice might not have carried much weight, but she still worked hard as the representative of the younger generation. However, her presence had practically vanished since Kang Jin-Ho and his cadres seized power.

People who used to respect her and envied her stopped paying much attention. And she felt unhappy about it. Maybe a little sad, too.

Even so, she took it all in her strides. That was because she had already acknowledged that people had been evaluating her not according to her own abilities but due to her grandfather's halo surrounding her.

However, what about everyone else? Would they be able to accept their situation as Lee Hyeon-Ju had done?

Of course not. That would be asking for too much.

After losing something, not many people would be capable of reflecting on themselves. No, practically everyone would seek out external factors and other excuses to pin the blame. Or, they would say strangers had stolen it from them.

How many people from the Martial Assembly and the Yeongnam Group feel that their positions of power had been stolen from them? Kang Jin-Ho's charisma had suppressed their dissatisfaction, for now, but it should be boiling like magma beneath the surface.

“Grandfather. This is the natural flow of things. You know this.”

“No! We all did our best to build the current Martial Assembly. Our absolute everything! But now, a bunch of wet-nosed brats want to create a world only for them without rewarding us? Or even paying proper respects? I cannot accept this. I will not!”

“I see. So, it really was all about the greed of the older generations. Their desire to regain control of the Assembly!”

Lee Jung-Geol's expression crumpled when he heard that.

Lee Hyeon-Ju continued to speak. “Yes, you think you have a valid reason for your actions. And it is true that everything has a reason. But the really important question you should be asking here is whether that reason is correct or not. You said it yourself, Grandfather. You told me that you've tried to plan everything by yourself, that you have failed to engage others in dialogue... You have reverted back to those days. This issue could easily be resolved through dialogue and..”

“Dialogue?” Lee Jung-Geol growled menacingly. “How naive you are, child! There is no such thing as issues that can be solved through dialogue! Especially in our part of the world! Did Kang Jin-Ho take over the Martial Assembly through talking? Did Bang Jin-Hun become the Assembly Master through dialogue!”

“...”

“Those who reached the top through power will never relinquish their positions because they talked to someone. So, if we want to take that position away... We need to resort to power, too!”

“But you know it's not going to work!”

“Hyeon-Ju...” Lee Jung-Geol smiled softly. “It seems you still don't know who I am. You don't know why I am Lee Jung-Geol.”

“...?”

“Soon, everyone will remember. Remember why I'm Lee Jung-Geol! And how I used to rule this Assembly! If they can't remember... Then I'll make them! You just wait and see! And..” Lee Jung-Geol chuckled, then shook his head slowly. “What's the point of telling you all this? In any case... I advise you to stay away from the Assembly for a while. In fact, stay home and lock the doors.”

“Grandfather, no!”

“Drag this child away and confine her!” Lee Jung-Geol roared.

And when he did, the office door shoved open to reveal well-built young men. They quickly strode inside and grabbed Lee Hyeon-Ju's arms.

“Grandfather! It's not too late to turn back! Grandpa!”

Lee Jung-Geol watched as his granddaughter was dragged outside his office. Once she was gone, he turned around and glared outside the window.

“No, it is too late.”

Indeed, it was too late to turn around at this point. Things had been put in motion already, after all!