Chapter 609. Overwhelmed, Again (4)

Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled wryly at the sight of the younger-generation martial artists neatly filing out of the buses.

'Hah, these punks. Shouldn't you think things through first?'

No, wait... Surely these people must've thought about what they were about to do. And then... made up their mind.

The steps of those disembarking were brisk. Unhesitant. They were all eagerly leaving the buses like middle schoolers on a school trip, just like Lee Hyeon-Su alluded to earlier.

The last of the lot lazily shuffled out of the buses to bring up the rear and create sort of a... queue? The disorganized way these people stood at attention seemed to attest to their identities and mental states.

'I wonder... Will I ever get to see the day when they will stand properly in attention?'

Lee Hyeon-Su thought hard about it but still couldn't see that happening. Maybe it might have been possible had Kang Jin-Ho been stricter about such things. However, seeing how Kang Jin-Ho leisurely smoked away while leaning on one foot like a neighborhood uncle... It seemed the day these folks acted like a well-oiled, disciplined army would never come.

“Mister Jin-Ho, everyone seemed to have disembarked now,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.

Kang Jin-Ho briefly nodded. “Mm...”

“Should I do a headcount?”

“Do you have to?”

“...I guess it's not necessary, then.”

Lee Hyeon-Su agreed with Kang Jin-Ho. There was no need to check how many were missing. That would only sow the seeds of distrust among the members, anyway.

'Still... I think everyone exited the bus.'

Lee Hyeon-Su squinted his eyes and inwardly did a quick count. No one seemed to be missing. Even if some were, it couldn't be more than one or two people. He did his best to suppress the urge to see who remained in the buses.

It'd be great if no one remained, and that would've greatly pleased Lee Hyeon-Su. However, he didn't want others to think that he didn't keep his word by trying to satisfy his curiosity.

Unfortunately for him, though, Kang Jin-Ho didn't seem to share his sentiments.

“Everyone's participating, then.”

Lee Hyeon-Su's brows quivered when Kang Jin-Ho nonchalantly spoke up. “Mister Jin-Ho, you mustn't check something like that.”

“I can see how many are here, but you want me to pretend I'm blind?”

“...Kuh-hum.”

A salaryman needed to work under a considerate boss. Lee Hyeon-Su was getting a fresh reminder of this exceedingly plain truth about the world.

“I wouldn't have said anything if someone stayed behind, but everyone's here,” said Kang Jin-Ho. “In that case, not mentioning it would be even weirder.”

“I guess you have a point there,” said Lee Hyeon-Su. When Kang Jin-Ho silently nodded, Lee Hyeon-Su leaned closer to whisper something. “It's time to deploy, so you should say something.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin and pondered his options, then took a step forward. It was literally a step, yet everyone's attention immediately zeroed in on him.

'Holy sh*t... I might really get a heart attack at this rate!'

Lee Hyeon-Su grimaced while clutching at his chest when he briefly thought all the attention of these hundred-odd demonic cultivators had focused on him. Despite knowing they weren't hostile, Lee Hyeon-Su's heart still tried to tumble to the pit of his stomach.

Demonic cultivation was probably not meant to make people's eyes scarier, but that crimson aura swirling around their irises made Lee Hyeon-Su feel like he was dealing with starving predators.

“Well, if you're all ready...” Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged his shoulders. “Let's get some nicotine in us before setting off.”

“Yes, sir!”

The rustling sounds of people pulling out their packets of cigarettes noisily disturbed the air.

Lee Hyeon-Su blinked his eyes in disbelief before reaching out to Kang Jin-Ho. “Uhm, excuse me...?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “Mm?”

“A large group like ours smoking at the same time will create, you know, lots of smoke. And what about the lights from the cigarettes...?”

Kang Jin-Ho grew stupefied by that argument and stared at Lee Hyeon-Su in silence before turning his head to look at the buses. The powerful headlights from the vehicles tried to blind him just then.

Kang Jin-Ho looked back at Lee Hyeon-Su. “...Lights from the cigarettes, huh?”

Lee Hyeon-Su clamped his mouth and didn't say anything.

“I have to say, you have the makings of a stereotypical boomer.”

“I am a boomer, though?”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled nonchalantly. “No need to sweat the details since they probably know about our arrival, anyway.”

“Well, that's true.” Lee Hyeon-Su readily agreed with Kang Jin-Ho.

They had parked the buses here to avoid detection, but Lee Jung-Geol was no fool. He should know that a group of martial artists was coming for him.

For one, he must've noticed something untoward happening to his people by now. Not only that, but...!

'The spy he implanted in our midst must've reported our movements, too.'

It was unrealistic to think there were no spies among Kang Jin-Ho's group. Someone must still be loyal to Lee Jung-Geol and carried out the former Assembly Master's commands. Their identities were unknown, but catching them wouldn't have been all that difficult. However, was there a need for that? When Kang Jin-Ho's side acquired something valuable precisely because of the spy?

“So, that means our destination is now a den of tigers and dragons, isn't it? A proverbial death trap,” said Lee Hyeon-Su while staring at a spot in the distance beyond the lush forest. A faint flicker of light could be seen there. And that was where Lee Jung-Geol should be.

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “Still... Whether it's the Assembly or the Yeongnam Group, why do all these martial arts organizations love setting up camp inside a forest?”

“Korean martial artists always lived in the mountains, you know. Haven't you heard about the tale of the Jiri Mountain Taoist hermit before?”

“The era's changed, though.”

“Even so, staying here has its advantages. Actually, the reason for staying in a mountainside is pretty straightforward, Mister Jin-Ho. Buy the surrounding forest and turn it into your private land, and you can easily shut out the prying eyes of the curious public. For instance, this whole area belongs to Lee Jung-Geol.”

“Mm? That whole forest is his private land?”

“No. This mountain is, Mister Jin-Ho.”

Kang Jin-Ho was left speechless by the scale of the operation. He scanned the mountainside around him, then glanced back at Lee Hyeon-Su. “When you say this mountain...?”

“Everything you can see belongs to Lee Jung-Geol, yes.”

“Everything I can see, huh...?” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled wryly. Only then did he understand the previous claim about Lee Jung-Geol's wealth being extraordinary. 'Well, I gotta hand it to the old man, then.'

What amazed Kang Jin-Ho wasn't the wealth but the guts to splurge on so much money to ensure one's privacy. If it were Kang Jin-Ho, he wouldn't be able to do something like this even if he had the money for it.

Back in Zhongyuan, Kang Jin-Ho was the wealthiest man alive in the land as the undisputed leader of the demon cult. However, he never spent a single dime on himself. Not because he was a frugal man or held an endless love for the common people, no. He simply had no idea where or how to spend the money. That was all. Kang Jin-Ho, as a man from the modern era, didn't feel all that motivated about owning ancient Zhongyuan's luxury goods.

The truth was, though... Even if Kang Jin-Ho had found something he wanted to own back then, he still didn't have the confidence to splurge like Lee Jung-Geol. Buying a whole mountain was going beyond the concept of extravagant spending, after all!

“Since this area is earmarked for future development, the land price must be skyrocketing every single day,” said Lee Hyeon-Su. “However, Lee Jung-Geol isn't going to let this place go anytime soon. I'd imagine selling this land would rake in a mountain of fortune, figuratively speaking.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho slowly scratched his cheek.

Lee Hyeon-Su was simply stating the facts, but Kang Jin-Ho couldn't help but feel like a bandit invading someone's backyard to steal the title deed for the land. And that felt a little weird. Then again, didn't the demon cult's wealth mostly consist of things stolen and pillaged from other sects and clans?

As a former marauding barbarian (?), Kang Jin-Ho suddenly felt like he had come to visit his old workplace after years of retirement!

Kang Jin-Ho heard the sounds of more buses arriving and glanced at them. Since his group was the main attack force, it seemed Lee Hyeon-Su decided to bring a large contingent of helpers.

'Even though they won't be helpful...'

Vator and Wiggins also had helpers accompany them to deal with the aftermath, so Kang Jin-Ho decided to look at these people in the same light.

Lee Hyeon-Su's expression stiffened a little. “Will you... head up right away?”

“Mm,” Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly nodded. He saw no reason to hesitate now.

“Please be careful,” said Lee Hyeon-Su in a solemn voice. “Even a mutt would gain the necessary courage within its territory, Mister Jin-Ho. And that is Lee Jung-Geol's backyard, so... I'm sure you can already tell, but that place is basically a fortress. Breaking through the defenses of that place will not be a cakewalk.”

Kang Jin-Ho casually retorted, “Is that what you realized after I broke through the Yeongnam Group's front gate?”

“...Geez, you sure do have a rotten personality, don't you?” Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled helplessly.

Kang Jin-Ho was implying that he'd not run into problems in this place when his strength allowed him to bulldoze straight through the Yeongnam Group HQ.

'Didn't Mister Jin-Ho speak more directly not too long ago?'

Not only Lee Hyeon-Su, but even Kang Jin-Ho seemed to have changed a lot. Should he say... He has gotten a bit more relaxed now? Lee Hyeon-Su couldn't imagine his past self being this laidback with a looming battle on the horizon.

Lee Hyeon-Su shook his head, then asked a question. “Do you think other places have been resolved without problems?”

Kang Jin-Ho shrugged his shoulders. “It'd be weirder if they ran into trouble, actually.”

“Honestly, I'm a bit... bitter about how things turned out, Mister Jin-Ho.”

“Bitter? How so?”

“Well... Even though they are our allies, Sir Vator and Mister Wiggins are outsiders. And the opponents they should be fighting now are all South Korean martial artists. No matter how much I think about it, I just don't see them putting up any meaningful resistance, you see...”

“Why is that bitter to you?”

“It just feels that way to me.”

Saying what was on his mind out loud was a little shameful for Lee Hyeon-Su. The past him working for Kim Seok-Il did his absolute best to bring down the Martial Assembly. He cooked up all sorts of schemes and spared no expense in expanding and strengthening the Yeongnam Group.

Was the situation back then as intense as now? Lee Hyeon-Su thought things might have been more intense back in those days. He didn't have a powerful figure backing him like now, after all.

'Yup, I was just another frog in a well.'

He risked his life trying to win the hegemony of the land called South Korea. However, realizing that Korea was nothing but a moderately large well had drained all energy and motivation from Lee Hyeon-Su.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly. “Still, shouldn't you be happy about finally joining a much larger pond than your old one?”

“Yes, I am.”

Indeed, Lee Hyeon-Su had received the ticket to swim in a much larger pond, as Kang Jin-Ho put it.

Once today's events wrap up favorably, the Martial Assembly... No, Kang Jin-Ho would completely take over South Korea's martial society. Up until now, he was the ruler of Korea in name only. However, that situation should change tonight, and he'd secure the total authority to command this country's martial society.

Once all of those things were said and done...?

'Then, it'll be overseas next...'

Kang Jin-Ho had already declared that South Korea wasn't enough to satisfy him. He clarified his belief of attacking first if the enemy was planning to attack him in the future. So, everything taking place tonight was just another process of cleaning the house and firming up the foundation to prepare for the eventual warfare against foreign forces.

'To think that the elimination of Lee Jung-Geol would merely be another step in our plan...'

This moment freshly reminded Lee Hyeon-Su of how rapidly South Korea's martial society had transformed in less than half a year since Kang Jin-Ho's appearance. And tonight, they should start harvesting the fruits of their labor.

“What's your plan, Mister Jin-Ho?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head at Lee Hyeon-Su's question. “What do you mean?”

“How will you enter that fortress?” The debut release of this chapter happened at N0v3l_B1n.

Kang Jin-Ho brightly smiled. Despite the brightness of that expression, Lee Hyeon-Su still felt a chill run down his spine. While still smiling, Kang Jin-Ho nodded contemplatively. “Although they are not a finished article, there shouldn't be a problem tonight, at least.”

“I'm sorry?”

Kang Jin-Ho turned his attention over to the demonic cultivators. “Are you done smoking, then?”

“Yes, sir!”

Lee Hyeon-Su watched the younger generation of martial artists, now full-fledged demonic cultivators, stub their cigarettes out. Then, they stood at attention once more.

Kang Jin-Ho pointed at the faint flickering of light in the distance. “Can you see that?”

“Yes, sir. We can.”

“That is our target.”

The calm before the storm had descended on this place. These men didn't need any other explanations. Since that was their target, they only needed to charge straight at it. After all, that was the whole reason why they came here tonight, now wasn't it!

“It won't be easy, but... Anyone not resisting? Spare them,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“What if they resist, sir?”

“Do whatever you want.”

Low, ominous-sounding cackles leaked out from the crowd just then. That sounded like the leashes on the predators' necks coming undone.

Lee Hyeon-Su nervously gulped back his saliva.

'Just how much stronger have these guys become?'

He had no way of estimating that. For one, these cultivators were stronger than Lee Hyeon-Su. And he lacked the ability to guess the abilities of people stronger than him.

So, he needed to watch and observe. To see how much stronger these people have become! Knowing the truth was necessary for creating the perfect plan for whatever they decide to do in the future. This was why Lee Hyeon-Su insisted on tagging along tonight.

Kang Jin-Ho looked up at the moon. “It shouldn't take long to finish. But...”

He seemed ready to issue the order to attack, but Kang Jin-Ho suddenly pulled out his phone instead. Then, he dialed a number stored on it.

-This is a surprise. What can I do for you?

Maybe because the surroundings were so eerily quiet? Everyone could clearly hear the voice coming out of Kang Jin-Ho's phone.

“We're about to raid your place.”

-...What did you say?

“No need to play games here. We're at the foot of the mountain, anyway. We'll be raiding your place now, so listen closely,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Lee Hyeon-Su's complexion paled instantly. “That... Isn't that... Lee Jung-Geol?!”

What the freaking hell?! Where's your common sense, man! You're about to raid your enemy's stronghold, so why are you letting them know ahead of time?! Why!

Even as Lee Hyeon-Su freaked out, his hearing still vividly caught Kang Jin-Ho's words. “I'm going to unleash my hounds now. And these hounds don't care who they kill. So, you better tell those who still wish to live to escape now. Or else...”

The uncaring hounds all bared their fangs and smirked eerily.