CH 355

Initially, Yi Myeong-Hwan didn't even believe in this mysterious young man named Kang Jin-Ho. To clarify, it wasn't about whether or not he believed in the existence of such a person. Yi Myeong-Hwan simply thought that rumors had been embellished somewhat or half of all the stories floating around were fantastical nonsense.

'Logically speaking, that is.'

Some brat suddenly popping out of nowhere before forcing two of Korea's bigshots-Lee Jung-Geol and Bang Jin-Hun-to bow to him was as unrealistic as a dragon appearing in the middle of Seoul and loudly roaring at the heavens.

Some people might ask, 'Wouldn't that be possible if Kang Jin-Hi is a returner?' However, if all returners were that strong, the current era's martial world would've already been taken over by them.

The mechanism behind returners traveling to and from the present was still an incomprehensible mystery, but experiencing the past didn't automatically mean they would become peerless under the heavens.

Yi Myeong-Hwan even heard that returners often lacked enthusiasm for life, having already experienced several lives.

'I'm not even remotely surprised.'

Anyone unfortunate enough to go through the Hell Joseon Quest three times in a row would swiftly lose the mindset of doing their best. By then, these poor bastards would learn that 'doing their best' wouldn't affect the outcome all that much.

The sad thing about that was that, even if people might whine about Hell Joseon this and that, South Korea of now was many times a better place to live than all of its historical counterparts.

So, a returner who had to suffer through that hellish past? Even Yi Myeong-Hwan could tell their minds wouldn't be okay after going through that crappy experience.

“Look, there he is.”

“Oh?” Yi Myeong-Hwan craned his neck to get a better look. He could see an unfamiliar man climbing out of Bang Jin-Hun's car.

'What the hell...?'

Yi Myeong-Hwan's eyes narrowed while studying a young man kitted out in a smart business suit.

“Huh. He doesn't look like much?”

“You're right.”

If all the rumors about Kang Jin-Ho were real, then he should've resembled a freak of nature. A monster. However, that young man didn't seem to have any... 'weird' aspects to him. He even looked too slender and frail to be a martial artist, as well!

There were more rough-looking folks in the Martial Assembly that could crush soda cans with nothing but their pectoral muscles than pebbles on the ground. Martial artists were used to seeing people like that, so they got the impression that the young man next to Bang Jin-Hun could not have been from their world.

There could be only two explanations here. Either that young man was not Kang Jin-Ho, or the rumors about him had been greatly exaggerated.

“Well, I guess we'll find out soon enough,” Yi Myeong-Hwan muttered while turning his body away from the window. Bang Jin-Hun and the young man were heading to the building's entrance, so they should arrive soon.

Everyone's attention focused on the doorway of the grand practice hall, their current location.

Even the name of the place was the Training Hall. If it had been outfitted like the Korean National Training Center in Taereung, the Training Hall would've been ranked as one of the best in the country.

Unfortunately, the folks occupying it were all martial artists. If they started training seriously inside this place, the building would be blown away in no time at all! So, despite its name of Training Hall, the Martial Assembly used it more like an auditorium.

Creak!

Sounds of steel chairs scraping against the floor could be heard. Regardless of who was accompanying Bang Jin-Hun, the fact of the matter was that the Assembly Master was coming. Not many people would remain sitting down in that case. Yi Myeong-Hwan also stood at attention.

The door finally opened, and Bang Jin-Hun stepped inside, followed by that handsome youth in a business suit.

The first impression Yi Myeong-Hwan got was... His attention was automatically drawn to that young man. Was it because the young man was handsome? Or he had this unique air about him?

Yi Myeong-Hwan wasn't sure. However, he was certain that the young man had something about him capable of drawing people's attention.

The second thing Yi Myeong-Hwan felt was 'disharmony'. But why would he?

Yi Myeong-Hwan had no reason to feel that way about the young man next to Bang Jin-Hun. After all, that young man seemed relaxed. A man in his natural environment, as it were. Even if Yi Myeong-Hwan wanted to find something fishy about that young man, he couldn't find any.

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If Yi Myeong-Hwan didn't know better, it was like that young man had already frequented the Martial Assembly's...

'...Ah!'

Yi Myeong-Hwan suddenly uncovered the truth of his disharmony. His fists tightly clenched without him realizing it. He thought he had figured it out.

'He's too relaxed!'

Indeed, that young man's relaxed demeanor was the reason for Yi Myeong-Hwan's disharmony!

Imagine Yi Myeong-Hwan was Kang Jin-Ho in the same situation. He had never visited the Martial Assembly before. And the first image greeting him after opening the door was a large group of rough-looking men with abnormally-wide shoulders waiting for his arrival.

The number of people in the Training Hall was over two hundred. Could Yi Myeong-Hwan remain relaxed, nay, unperturbed, at the sight of two hundred-plus men staring at him? When each of these men could easily scare the bejeesus out of hardened gangsters?

'Nope, I don't think I can.'

An average person would feel like wetting themselves and not even dare to raise their head. But that young man strode right inside as if this was his own front yard and all these rough-looking men were pebbles on the street, to borrow that earlier metaphor.

“Huh. He doesn't look like much, now doesn't he?”

“Kinda look like a little girl, too.”

However, it seemed Yi Myeong-Hwan's peers didn't get the same impression as him.

'Say what? You think he doesn't look like much?'

Yi Myeong-Hwan knew he wouldn't be able to strut inside like that young man had done. If he were in the same shoes, Yi Myeong-Hwan would've been paralyzed stiff. He had no idea whether that young man was as strong as the rumors suggested. However, Yi Myeong-Hwan had to acknowledge Kang Jin-Ho had balls of pure Grade-A steel.

“Mm, I see you're all still here,” said Bang Jin-Hun. He climbed up to the podium and scanned the crowd while grinning affably.

His behavior was noticeably different from his predecessor. When Lee Jung-Geol was still the Assembly Master, he often displayed strong authoritarian tendencies.

If Lee Jung-Geol walked in somewhere, everyone in the room had to stand up in attention. If Lee Jung-Geol decided to speak, everyone else had to shut up and listen.

Although people were dissatisfied with this outdated way of doing things, the discipline in the martial world was stricter than in the world of professional athletes. No one would dare voice such complaints in the open.

After Bang Jin-Hun succeeded in the Assembly Master position, the authoritarian inclinations seemed to have weakened by a great deal. Yi Myeong-Hwan only had to observe the attitudes of his fellow martial artists whenever they looked at Bang Jin-Hun to know this.

Just as Yi Myeong-Hwan began thinking that this was a positive change, Bang Jin-Hun started addressing the crowd while scratching his head. “My bad for making you all wait until now. I thought we'd be here much earlier, but a problem reared its head first, you see? I figured I'd arrive in less than thirty minutes, and that was why I had asked you all to wait for me. This is my fault, and all I can ask you for is your understanding on the matter.”

Obviously, some people in the crowd would still feel dissatisfied, but no one openly expressed their sentiments.

“Anyway. I've asked you to wait for me tonight, because... I wanted to introduce someone to you.” Bang Jin-Hun glanced to his side. “This is Kang Jin-Ho. And you'll be working side by side with him in the future. Mister Kang Jin-Ho?”

“Thank you,” Kang Jin-Ho took a step forward, then bowed slightly. “Hello, I'm Kang Jin-Ho.”

Yi Myeong-Hwan looked at Kang Jin-Ho, unable to hide his flabbergast.

'Wait, is that all you wanna say?'

Shouldn't there be a proper introduction, at least? Or, how about Bang Jin-Hun explaining why it was necessary to bring all these people here for such a brief... 'introduction'?

It seemed everyone else was thinking the same thing as Yi Myeong-Hwan judging from their lack of response.

“Well, as I said before, you will be working with him a lot in the future, so I wanted you all to get acquainted with him. And, uh…” Bang Jin-Hun didn't seem to have anything else to say. He alternated his gaze between Yi Myeong-Hwan and Kang Jin-Ho. “Mm. It's not official yet, but the plan is for Mister Kang Jin-Ho to join us in a directorial capacity. I hope you will listen to his requests from now on.”

“A director, you say? As in, a member of the board of directors?” Yi Myeong-Hwan blurted out a question without even meaning to.

The auditorium was deathly silent, perhaps owing to the sub-zero atmosphere. This meant Yi Myeong-Hwan's voice was clearly heard by everyone.

“Mm? Is there a problem with that arrangement?” Bang Jin-Hun asked back.

Yi Myeong-Hwan panicked slightly and scanned his surroundings. People were all looking at him now. When he noticed the silent 'desire' burning in those gazes, he groaned loudly. It seemed there was no room for him to back out now.

“No, well, it's just that... Assembly Master, I just thought that a total stranger becoming a director was a bit strange, that's all. A director has the authority to order us around, doesn't he?”

“Sure, that's true,” Bang Jin-Hun nodded.

“So, like... Being ordered around by someone we've never met is a bit... Our situation isn't exactly ordinary since rumors of a collision against the Yeongnam Group are doing the rounds right now, so... If I'm being honest, I'm feeling kinda leery about this, Assembly Master.”

After finishing what he had to say, Yi Myeong-Hwan sneakily observed Bang Jin-Hun's response.

If it had been Lee Jung-Geol, he'd have roared at the top of his voice, rebuking Yi Myeong-Hwan for voicing his dissatisfaction when he was merely a rank-and-file member. Bang Jin-Hun's personality and inclinations had not been fully determined yet, so Yi Myeong-Hwan wasn't sure if he had made the correct choice this time.

“Mm, is that so?” Bang Jin-Hun seemed to mull something as if this revelation was troubling him.

'Oh? It's working?'

From that reaction, Yi Myeong-Hwan determined that his opinion hadn't pissed Bang Jin-Hun off. So, he decided to test the waters even more. “I mean... Assembly Master, it's a bit difficult for us to follow the commands of someone we don't recognize as our comrade. Wouldn't you agree?”

Yi Myeong-Hwan glanced behind him, obviously wanting his peers to agree with what he bravely said just now. Other martial artists began chatting with each other, and the Training Hall instantly became a hub of noise.

Bang Jin-Hun groaned as the noisy chatter continued.

'Damn, the situation has gotten a bit uncertain...'

If only Bang Jin-Hun had arrived on time, the negative response from the crowd wouldn't have been this vociferous. That delay in the mountainside was proving to be costly.

Even Bang Jin-Hun wouldn't feel happy about being made to wait for so long only to hear this kind of news. Besides, Yi Myeong-Hwan was fundamentally correct.

The upcoming clash against the Yeongnam Group was not a simple affair. In a battle between martial artists, everyone involved would have to risk their lives. It didn't matter what kind of measures were taken to minimize the casualties, people were still bound to die. And in great numbers, too.

But now, Bang Jin-Hun was telling these warriors to listen to the orders of some unknown brat during the upcoming battle. No wonder people were unwilling to accept it.

The Martial Assembly wasn't the army. The chain of command and the right to order people around were not established through one's rank.

In this institution, everyone belonged to one sect or another. Through the alliance and cooperation pacts of these sects, the martial artists came to agree on who had the authority to give commands. That was the current arrangement, so no one would be happy about some random punk suddenly acting as their superior.

“Hmm…” Bang Jin-Hun was about to say something, only to stop himself. He slightly turned his head and cautiously asked Kang Jin-Ho. “What do you want to do?”

Kang Jin-Ho shrugged his shoulders. “Didn't we come here just to get me acquainted with them?”

“Well, true. Even so…”

“I never had plans to order them around, anyway. And I also wasn't going to ask them to listen to me. Besides, I didn't want to become a director of the Assembly, either. Looks like you said something unnecessary here, Mister Jin-Hun.”

“...Damn. I thought it'd work for sure.” Bang Jin-Hun ruefully smacked his lips.

Kang Jin-Ho might not have a problem with merely getting 'acquainted' with these martial artists, but that wasn't the case for Bang Jin-Hun.

Since Kang Jin-Ho's connection to the Martial Assembly was flimsy at best, Bang Jin-Hun desperately wanted to solidify that link. After all, it looked like Kang Jin-Ho was only sticking around because he and Bang Jin-Hun were acquainted.

'Was I being unreasonable here?'

If Bang Jin-Hun had taken his time and introduced Kang Jin-Ho gradually, things could have worked out without a hitch. However, it seemed he had gotten impatient from the looming deadline against the Yeongnam Group. Since things had ended up this way, maybe he should take a step back and...

Suddenly, someone in the crowd raised a voice.

“By the way, Assembly Master? Isn't the directorial position only available to those who have proven themselves? I think it's not right to let someone unproven join the board of directors.”

Bang Jin-Hun's brows rose up slightly.

'Mm? What was the name of that punk?'

Gong Yeong-Gil got up, then spoke in an even louder voice. “Assembly Master, that guy looks a bit too young to serve as a director, in my opinion. Other directors might feel dissatisfied about this, you know? Shouldn't we verify his skills, at least?”

There he was. In this world, there was always one such individual. An individual who couldn't stop at the right time and carry on until it was too late to go back.

Bang Jin-Hun forcibly suppressed his laughter threatening to burst out of his mouth. “Okay, so... You think Mister Kang Jin-Ho looks weak, and therefore, you can't acknowledge him? Is that it?”

“Yes, Assembly Master. I mean, look at him. Doesn't he look like a weakling to you?”

“Ohh, really?” Bang Jin-Hun smiled meaningfully. “In that case, wanna have a go at him?”