CH 365

“What was that?!” Kim Seok-Il hurriedly got up, his expression frozen stiff.

His secretaries guarding the doorway rushed inside his office. “C-Chairman!”

“What's going on?! Speak already!”

“I-it's the Martial Assembly, sir! They are invading us!”

“The Assembly?” Kim Seok-Il's complexion grew ashen in an instant. “Is it an attack? How many of them are there?!”

“We, we haven't determined that yet, Chairman!”

“You useless trash!” Kim Seok-Il kicked a table in front of him. The wooden table shattered into a million pieces and flew apart in all directions. “How could you not have known the Assembly was coming here to attack us?! Did I not tell you to keep an eye on them since they were bound to make a move?! It's been only half a day since I received a report of no movement in their camp, so how can this be! The Assembly is invading us?!”

The secretaries shrunk back and shuddered at the aura of Kim Seok-Il roaring like a lion. Their heads faltered, their knowledge of how cruel Chairman Kim Seok-Il could be forcing them to hold their breaths.

“Lee Hyeon-Su! Where is Lee Hyeon-Su?!”

“...He must be on his way here, sir.”

“That stupid son of a b*tch! I thought I told him to keep monitoring the Assembly! Are you telling me he failed to notice anything until enemies were already at our doorstep?!”

No one dared to reply to Kim Seok-Il. Of course, it wasn't as if he wanted an answer in the first place. He was simply venting his anger, that was all.

“Dammit! Every single one of you is incompetent trash!” Kim Seok-Il huffed and panted like a raging bull.

Getting angry was easy, but fixing the situation was a lot harder. Assigning blame should happen later since Kim Seok-Il might not even get the chance to do that if he failed to drive the Martial Assembly away now!

“I will personally command the situation! Summon the chiefs of all affiliated factions! And mobilize the rapid strike force, now!”

“Yes, sir!”

Kim Seok-Il angrily rushed outside his office. However, his expression was distorted weirdly as this uneasy suspicion began filling up his head.

'How did this happen?'

Even if the Martial Assembly was extremely covert with its preparations, and even if Bang Jin-Hun cleverly hid his organization's movements...! This didn't make any sense. The County of Yeongnam was under the Yeongnam Group's influence. Even if the Assembly bastards were covert with their movements, no one discovered them while they traveled through Yeongnam? Something like that could never happen.

'...Lee Hyeon-Su!'

Grit!

Kim Seok-Il gritted his teeth. Lee Hyeon-Su was in charge of managing the intelligence network for the Yeongnam Group. In that case...

The current situation could not happen unless Lee Hyeon-Su deliberately overlooked or hid information related to the Martial Assembly!

The most likely possibility was Lee Hyeon-Su's betrayal.

“I will tear you apart limb to limb!”

Kim Seok-Il had been patient with Lee Hyeon-Su even if the latter tried to bare his fangs. Kim Seok-Il's decision was driven chiefly by his belief that a barking dog, in this case Lee Hyeon-Su, would never bite its owner no matter how much it growled in a threatening manner.

Regardless of how dissatisfied Lee Hyeon-Su was with Kim Seok-Il, he'd never oppose the Chairman of the Yeongnam Group as long as he begrudgingly acknowledged Kim Seok-Il's power and authority. At least, that was what Kim Seok-Il thought, and that was also why he humored Lee Hyeon-Su's rebellious whining until now.

However, the situation would have to change now that Lee Hyeon-Su chose to bare his fangs and bite.

Kim Seok-Il thought about how he'd utterly slaughter Lee Hyeon-Su in the most gruesome way imaginable, only for his steps to come to a stuttering half.

'Hold on...!'

What was that explosion from earlier?

“Could it be...? Don't tell me, did the Assembly bastards use explosives or something?”

Unless they wanted to die together with the Yeongnam Group, the Martial Assembly idiots wouldn't go that far. Still, Kim Seok-Il couldn't win against his doubt while hurriedly rushing outside the building.

***

“...What did that brat say just now?”

How should one go about describing this feeling? The feeling of... absurdity? Or was it flabbergast? Stupefaction?

Kim Jin-Yeong glared sharply at a sword-wielding young man by the destroyed front gate. “What did that little f*cker say?”

“I think it was... Go through me if you can?”

“Oiii. That must be a line from a movie.”

“But that's what that brat is spouting, you know? I mean, didn't he say we gotta kill his ass before we can leave?”

“A wackjob with a death wish, eh?” Kim Jin-Yeong stared at Kang Jin-Ho in dismay.

Just where were they right now? Wasn't this place the Yeongnam Group's HQ? Wasn't it South Korea's biggest and strongest martial arts organization?

But now, some random brat decided to waltz in here alone and declare the only way for the Yeongnam Group to survive was to kill him?

Kim Jin-Yeong muttered quietly, “Did that wackjob read too many manhwas or something?”

“Nah, not even manhwa MCs will do something this crazy.”

“You think so, too?”

“Oh? Look, it's Director Yong.”

Kim Jin-Yeong heard his friend, then shifted his attention to the front of his comrades. He narrowed his eyes while observing an older man walking toward the crazy youth.

'That's Director Yong Jae-Seong.'

Yong Jae-Seong was infamous even within the Yeongnam Group as a hot-blooded extremist. He spouted radical ideas which put him at odds with Chairman Kim Seok-Il's famous cautiousness. And Yong Jae-Seong's violent temper matched his ideals to a T, too.

Yong Jae-Seong walked up to Kang Jin-Ho before stopping several meters away. “...Brat, are you responsible for that?”

Kang Jin-Ho faintly smiled when Yong Jae-Seong pointed at the debris of the front gate. “Do you even need to ask?”

“How dare a stinking brat...!” Rage dyed Yong Jae-Seong's expression. “You better not believe you'll walk away unhurt after what you've done!”

Kang Jin-Ho continued to smirk in silence.

“Are you mad, you brat?! Looks like no one taught you what fear is! However, I'm guessing you're not alone?”

That was when 'it' happened.

As if Yong Jae-Seong's words were the signal, the Assembly's martial artists clad in black business suits simultaneously leaped up to the top of the perimeter wall.

“Son of a...!” Yong Jae-Seong loudly gritted his teeth at this spectacle. “You insolent bastards! Who do you think you are, daring to invade this place?!”

Yong Jae-Seong scanned the Assembly's combatants until finding a familiar face among them.

“Lee Jung-Geol! Did you bring these bastards here?!” Yong Jae-Seong loudly roared at Lee Jung-Geol standing on top of the wall.

Lee Jung-Geol shrugged his shoulders. “I'm sure the Yeongnam Group's information network isn't that slow. You probably already know that I'm not the leader anymore. So, don't ask me.”

“Indeed, that is true. So, that means...!” Yong Jae-Seong's glare shifted in the opposite direction. “...It must be you, Bang Jin-Hun!”

Bang Jin-Hun perched on the opposite wall groaned softly. “Well, sure. It's okay to talk to me, but... I don't think now's the time for that.”

“Say what?”

“Don't you have ears, Yong Jae-Seong? Anyways, know this. We ain't gonna be moving an inch from this spot. If you wanna leave, use the front door. We won't stop you. However, you better forget about going through us.”

“I don't have time for silly pranks, Bang Jin-Hun!”

“Uh-whew. I'd also prefer pranks to this if I'm being honest…” Bang Jin-Hun grumbled.

Yong Jae-Seong grew flabbergasted by that response. He shifted his gaze back to Kang Jin-Ho.

“So, let me get this straight…” Yong Jae-Seong muttered while organizing his chaotic thoughts. “You alone will be fighting all of us? And all these warriors will simply spectate and do nothing?”

“That's the idea,” Kang Jin-Ho replied.

“Well, I'll be…” Yong Jae-Seong chuckled hollowly as if he found this situation too absurd to behold.

Just what did this brat think of the Yeongnam Group? If this was any other time, Yong Jae-Seong would've already ripped this insane brat's head off for making a mess of the Yeongnam Group's front yard. But he had to hesitate now. The fact that Bang Jin-Hun and Lee Jung-Geol were going along with this madness stopped Yong Jae-Seong from making a move.

It was as if those two men were loyally following this brat's command...!

“Who do you…”

Before Yong Jae-Seong could ask, Kang Jin-Ho raised his hand, then beckoned at the Yeongnam Group's director. “Come over here.”

Yong Jae-Seong's expression stiffened. “You...!”

“I said, come over here.”

At first, Yong Jae-Seong was flabbergasted and angry. However, when Kang Jin-Ho repeated himself, Yong Jae-Seong involuntarily clamped his mouth shut.

'What... is this?'

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It felt like the surrounding temperature suddenly plummeted. It was as if to prove that the old phrase, 'Blood running cold,' hadn't come out of nowhere!

'I... I'm scared? Me? I, Yong Jae-Seong, am getting scared?!'

Yong Jae-Seong couldn't understand it. Something like that could not happen. He lived on the knife edge since the early days of the Yeongnam Group and survived until now, so how could he be scared of a brat who seemed only half his age?

The unexplainable fear soon morphed into defiance in Yong Jae-Seong's heart. “You stinking brat dares to...!”

Yong Jae-Seong tightly clenched his fists, but then, Kang Jin-Ho's sword began to move lazily to the side.

'What is he doing?'

Kang Jin-Ho slowly extended his sword to his left.

'Is he really insane?'

The distance between Yong Jae-Seong and Kang Jin-Ho must've been over ten meters. Unless Kang Jin-Ho's arm was that long, his sword could never touch Yong Jae-Seong. Or, maybe Kang Jin-Ho was thinking of charging at Yong Jae-Seong while assuming that funny stance?

'Hah, a brat who doesn't even know how to fight!'

Yong Jae-Seong gathered his qi in his hands. Unlike a small-scale skirmish involving only a handful of people, 'momentum' was a crucial factor in achieving victory in group battles. Yong Jae-Seong resolved himself to quickly achieve an outright and overwhelming victory in this opening battle and bring the momentum back to his side.

Unfortunately, Yong Jae-Seong's resolution had to end as just that, a mere resolution.

Paaaaaahng!

Kang Jin-Ho swung his sword from left to right. Pitch-black energy suddenly exploded forth from the tip of the blade.

By the time Yong Jae-Seong realized this, that energy had already touched his throat. Despite seeing it with his naked eyes, he couldn't believe the velocity of that strike.

'That's cheating...!'

That was Yong Jae-Seong's last thought. A headless man couldn't think even if he wanted to, after all.

Tumble...

Yong Jae-Seong's severed head tumbled on the ground like a ball dropped by a little child.

In the blink of an eye, bone-chilling silence descended in the area. Shock and terror instantly enveloped everyone present. No one dared to open their mouths. No one could understand what they had witnessed just now.

Almost no one here could understand how Yong Jae-Seong's head was cut off. This was like a freaky magic trick in their eyes!

Splaaaash!

Blood began gushing out of Yong Jae-Seong's severed neck like a grisly fountain.

Gulp!

Someone loudly swallowed their saliva in nervousness.

“Fuu-woo…” Kang Jin-Ho sighed softly.

All the eyes locked on Yong Jae-Seong's corpse hurriedly shifted to the owner of that sigh. Kang Jin-Ho sensed all the gazes landing on him and quietly muttered, “...Who is next?”

They finally understood something just then. This was no prank. That brat was really thinking of fighting the entirety of the Yeongnam Group by himself! And no, it was not an act of reckless bravado, either!

Kim Jin-Yeong suddenly saw the HQ's giant perimeter walls meant to protect him and his comrades as a cage. They were nothing more than meek sheep blissfully munching on grass inside this gigantic cage!

And now, a hungry wolf had crashed through the cage's wall. Now that it had tasted blood, the wolf was baring its fangs and glaring at its prey!

“If no one's coming... Should I?” Kang Jin-Ho muttered, his voice containing a hint of laughter.

His warning didn't end as mere words. Kang Jin-Ho lightly swung the sword to rid the imaginary blood off it, then leisurely walked toward the Yeongnam Group martial artists.

“It's going to be a long night for you. Since that's the case, I can only advise you to prepare yourselves,” Kang Jin-Ho spoke as his body began to shudder.

'...No, wait!'

Kim Jin-Yeong sucked in a deep breath. He was mistaken about Kang Jin-Ho shuddering. The shuddering 'object' was not Kang Jin-Ho's body, but a cloud of crimson aura gushing out from him instead!

That aura was as red as fresh blood and as dark as the depths of the abyss!

Kang Jin-Ho, now enveloped in the ominous aura capable of scaring the living daylights out of anyone, suddenly charged straight into the midst of the Yeongnam Group martial artists!