CH 437

Find the original at "pawread dot com".

Kang Jin-Ho's eyes slowly opened.

'Hmm...'

It seemed he slept for around two hours. Kang Jin-Ho glanced outside the windows and saw the darkness of the dawn still blanketing the world. Even a blind could tell this hour was way too early for morning activities, but Kang Jin-Ho still unhesitantly got up from his bed, anyway.

He got to the floor and sat down in a lotus position. After closing his eyes, Kang Jin-Ho circulated qi within his meridians to briefly cultivate. Feeling satisfied with his condition, Kang Jin-Ho opened his eyes and silently studied his body.

'Not bad.'

He was getting stronger. In fact, the rate of improvement mystified him a little. Even if he was retreading the familiar path, his cultivation should've been either hindered or stopped outright by various factors outside his control.

The first variable was Kang Jin-Ho's current body, which was not the same as the one back in Zhongyuan. It was safe to say this body was completely different from the one Kang Jin-Ho possessed back in the past while reaching the apex of martial arts.

Conditions-wise, Kang Jin-Ho had it better in the modern era compared to his time in Zhongyuan. Back then, he was born with a disability, and his physique was pathetic, to say the least. However, having a better body now didn't necessarily mean everything would be great for him.

Having a different body meant everything else would also be different. The sense of distance needed to be changed. The qi path—his meridians—were also minutely different. Humans were all equal, but everyone was born different in some way.

Initially, the minute differences between his bodies didn't present Kang Jin-Ho with problems. However, as his cultivation deepened, the sense of discrepancy–a certain type of disharmony–got stronger as well. His cultivation method might be the same, but he needed to circulate his qi differently.

The second problem was the modern era itself. Gathering and absorbing natural qi was proving to be cumbersome. Compared to the past, the efficiency of gathering qi was poorer, and Kang Jin-Ho couldn't devote time purely to cultivation either.

Kang Jin-Ho got up and cracked his neck from left to right.

Crack, pop...!

Once he loosened his neck, Kang Jin-Ho proceeded to stretch his arms and legs. Sounds of joints popping and cracking echoed softly in the room, and Kang Jin-Ho smiled in satisfaction.

'Even so, I'm still getting stronger.'

His experience of reaching the zenith once before helped him climb the mountain again despite all these handicaps. Was this comparable to rebuilding a game character from scratch after reaching the max level?

No, Kang Jin-Ho's case was something else. Something much more than that. That game character rebuild comparison might seem apt, but that would be nothing more than decreasing the time needed and enhancing the overall efficiency. However, what Kang Jin-Ho chose to do this time was build everything back to where he'd like it to be from the ground up.

There was no doubt that Kang Jin-Ho had reached the realm of the final boss in the past. And that meant he was a low-leveled mob once upon a time. Naturally, he missed or overlooked certain aspects of cultivation back then.

Cultivation was similar to constructing a skyscraper. Once the building was up, bringing it down part-way to change something and resuming construction was practically impossible. Once the construction was finished, that was it.

He used to think his foundation work back in the starting phase of the construction was pretty water-tight. After reaching the zenith and examining himself, however, Kang Jin-Ho was left disgusted with the shoddiness of his own foundation. This was something every expert had to experience.

However, the current Kang Jin-Ho didn't need to worry about such trial-and-error. He didn't get obsessed about quickly improving his cultivation realm and focused on polishing and strengthening his foundation. As if he was setting up cornerstones of a massive structure that would remain standing even after a thousand years had passed by.

'Will I even get a chance to utilize this, though?'

Sometimes, he couldn't help but wonder if his foundation-building had been too excessive. He was already skeptical about recovering the zenith of cultivation he had reached in the past with the resources of the modern era, yet here he was, laying a firm foundation that could potentially take him even further than his past self. Maybe this... could all be a needless waste of his time and energy.

However, he simply had to do it. Quickly regaining his previous cultivation realm was important, of course. However, going even further than that was just as important, too. Hoping to attain a realm that might be out of his reach could be nothing but a pipe dream, but Kang Jin-Ho had no thoughts of resting on his laurels, so to speak.

While calming down the demonic qi circulating within his meridians, Kang Jin-Ho deeply pondered his current state.

'Am I getting stronger at this pace because of my prior experience?'

There was no doubt that Kang Jin-Ho's current growth rate was thanks to his experience of reaching the pinnacle back in Zhongyuan. It was obvious that he'd become stronger incomparably faster than others who were starting on the path of martial arts for the first time.

Even so, Kang Jin-Ho couldn't get rid of this leeriness. Even if he had that advantage going for him, he still thought he was overcoming the walls of cultivation far too easily. Until now, he had not been stuck at a bottleneck. Not even once. Despite the massive handicap of his mind and body not being in perfect harmony, Kang Jin-Ho still grew in leaps and bounds without a single stumble.

'Mm... I should take some time out and check.'

If a quick scan of one's physique could accurately detect everything about one's condition, countless experts in Zhongyuan wouldn't have experienced qi deviation or blithely go on about their lives without being aware of their weaknesses.

Kang Jin-Ho wanted to take some time to slowly and meticulously inspect all the bricks and cement forming the foundation of his megastructure to make sure there were no cracks or deviations somewhere.

After putting on his clothes, Kang Jin-Ho left his room, only to...

“Heol...?”

...Only to shudder at the scene waiting for him in the living room. Kang Eun-Yeong was there, sitting on the couch with a chicken drumstick in one hand and a can of beer in the other.

“Eh? Oppa, you're up so early?”

“What are you doing, Eun-Yeong?”

“As you can see, fried chicken and beer combo,” Kang Eun-Yeong smiled cheerfully while lightly waving the can.

Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes. “At this late hour?”

“What can I do? My concert ended late at night, after all.”

“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho nodded. His sister often left home early in the evening only to return from her 'work' in early dawn, so in a way, this time of the day must be like a relaxing evening for Kang Eun-Yeong. “Eun-Yeong...?”

“Yeah?” Kang Eun-Yeong tilted her head.

For some reason, Kang Jin-Ho couldn't help but sigh in lamentation at the sight of chicken grease slathered all around his little sister's mouth. Did her diehard fans know Kang Eun-Yeong was usually like this? Then again, this was an era where some fans found their idols acting informally or being multidimensional charming to behold, so...

“Cough... Eun-Yeong, I think you've gained some weight lately...”

“Hiieeek?!”

Even before Kang Jin-Ho could finish his sentence, Kang Eun-Yeong shot up to her feet and rushed toward the nearest mirror. Kang Jin-Ho snatched up the falling drumstick before it could hit the living room floor, then groaned under his breath.

Kang Eun-Yeong cried out in despair. “My... My tummy!”

“Didn't you say something not too long ago about eating as little as a rabbit to maintain your figure? It's obvious you'll gain weight when you stuff your face with fried chicken and beer.”

“But, but... I got too stressed from work and, and...” Kang Eun-Yeong fell down on her butt, her soul ready to abandon her judging from the pale complexion on her face. “No, this won't do! Someone might post the shots of my paunch on social media at this rate! My fans will have a meltdown, my stages will also fall, and even this country will crumble...!”

“Your paunch, is it...?” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly.

Since he remodeled Kang Eun-Yeong's body, very little should affect her negatively at this point. Kang Jin-Ho's qi constantly eliminated all unnecessary fat in order to maintain the most optimal physique at all times, after all. Even so, seeing how Kang Eun-Yeong's tummy was sticking out like that...

'Just how much did she stuff her face with...?'

Kang Jin-Ho remembered seeing his little sister munching on things whenever he ran into her. That was when he was reminded of the indisputable fact that laws of nature could not be overcome even with the top-tier cultivation realm.

Kang Eun-Yeong's head snapped toward Kang Jin-Ho. “Orabi!”

“...What is it this time?”

“I... Help me lose weight!”

“...”

“Orabi! Please! I also have another concert later tonight, you know!”

“...Well, you can always put on more clothes.”

“What? We're in the middle of summer, you know? Will you take responsibility if your little sister collapses during the concert from overheating and crosses River Styx?!”

“Do your best in covering your tummy, okay?”

“Eiii~, don't be like that, ng? I know you can do it, oppa! Do that miracle massage thing again! Like how you got rid of my fat last time.”

“No. It's too annoying.”

“I'm gonna wake Mom up.”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho flinched fearfully when 'mom' was suddenly brought into this discussion.

“Hehehe~, I wonder what Mom will say if she learns about you sneaking out so early in the morning. Maybe you'll get hit with a nuke-level of nagging...?”

“That's cheap.”

Kang Eun-Yeong triumphantly got up and assumed a hero pose. “Not cheap, just smart. Alrighty, then. Before I wake Mom up, help me get rid of my...”

“Mm? What about waking me up?”

Unfortunately, Kang Eun-Yeong's threat crumbled even before it could get going. Baek Hyeon-Jeong walked out of the main bedroom while yawning softly. It seemed her children raising a commotion in the living room had woken her up.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong rubbed her sleepy eyes, then glanced at Kang Jin-Ho. “Don't you kids ever sleep? So early in the dawn, too... Jin-Ho, are you going somewhere?”

Kang Jin-Ho quickly nodded. “Yes, Mother. I have some place I need to be.”

“So early in the morning?”

“Ah, that. It takes a while to get there, Mother. I might get stuck in the morning rush hour if I leave a little later, that's why.”

“Mm? Where are you going, then?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong tilted her head.

Kang Jin-Ho scratched his nose. He needed to explain this 'well', otherwise things might get a bit... “Mm. It's called the Korean Martial Assembly…”

"Eh? The Korean what now?"

“Martial Assembly, Mother.”

“What a sham cult-like name that is. What do they do there?”

Kang Jin-Ho replied while making a cramped expression. “It's actually a training center, Mother. A gym.”

This was the moment of the Korean Martial Assembly boasting a long history and tradition, the dominating faction of this country's underworld, being demoted to nothing more than a sham cult-like local health club. If Bang Jin-Hun was here, he'd be sharing tears of blood by now. Unfortunately, Kang Jin-Ho had zero confidence in adequately describing the prestige of the Korean Martial Assembly to his mother.

“Why are you going to that gym so early in the morning, son?”

“To exercise, Mother.”

“Exercise?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong tilted her head.

“Yes. Staying home and doing nothing for the past few days made me feel a little sluggish, you see. And a few of my 'juniors' who wish to exercise with me are waiting for me there as well.”

“Mm, is that so?” Baek Hyeon-Jeong nodded slowly.

However, Kang Eun-Yeong suddenly butted in. “Mom, he's lying.”

“Ng? Why do you say that?”

“Mom, do you honestly think this uncle knows any so-called juniors?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong narrowed her eyes in suspicion and stared at Kang Jin-Ho.

Kang Jin-Ho felt cold sweat trickle down his spine just then. “O-of course I know a couple of juniors. People I've gotten acquainted with in that gym.”

“Son, you're not planning to do something weird, now are you?”

Maybe because her trust in Kang Jin-Ho had hit rock bottom, an unthinkable question finally left Baek Hyeon-Jeong's mouth.

“No, Mother. I'll be just exercising a little with them. And maybe help them with some chores, too.”

“Mm...” Baek Hyeon-Jeong nodded slowly. “I see. I do agree that exercising is better than slacking off at home.”

“...”

“And Jin-Ho...”

“Yes, Mother?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong's expression became sheepish for some reason. “Your father scolded me yesterday.”

“Sorry?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.

“Your father was surprisingly furious at me, saying I shouldn't be nagging you for a few days of rest when you've been so busy until now.”

“R-really?” Kang Jin-Ho muttered, genuinely flustered for the first time in a while. His father didn't display any signs of anger while they were chatting earlier, though? So, why did he scold Baek Hyeon-Jeong, then? Besides, Kang Jin-Ho didn't complain to his father while hoping for this kind of outcome, anyway...

“Listening to your father made me realize I was wrong. I'm sorry, son. My thoughts were shallow,” Baek Hyeon-Jeong sighed.

“No, Mother. Don't say that,” Kang Jin-Ho quickly replied while shaking his head. It was only natural for a mother to expect great things from her children. Baek Hyeon-Jeong shouldn't apologize to her son for something every mother would do.

“Thank you, son. I know you're still doing well, but I'm... I'm still a little anxious.”

“Anxious? How so?”

Before replying to her son, Baek Hyeon-Jeong glanced at Kang Eun-Yeong first before turning her head away. “It's not something we can discuss in front of a child, though.”

“I'm not a child, Mom!” Kang Eun-Yeong yelled in dissatisfaction.

“Pipe down! You're being noisy!”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong's powerful aura instantly crushed any thoughts of defiance in Kang Eun-Yeong's mind, and all she could do was plop down on the spot and forlornly scratch the floor with her nails.

“As I was saying... Jin-Ho, I will always believe in you. That won't change. You can do what you want, okay? I hope you understand what I mean.”

“I do, Mother,” Kang Jin-Ho smiled gently at his mother. It had been a while since he last felt this way. However...

“That's why I wish you could stop spending nights out…”

“...?”

“And stop leaving so early at dawn...”

“...”

“Son, you're not a high schooler anymore, so why do you keep trying to stay out the whole night? Why?”

Kang Jin-Ho was left speechless by his mother's sudden counterattack and could only blink his eyes in stupefaction. However, he recovered soon afterward, and bowed deeply at Baek Hyeon-Jeong. “...Mother, I'll be back soon.”

When Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly rushed toward the exit, Kang Eun-Yeong urgently cried out to him. “Nooo, wait! Help me get rid of my tummy fat first! Oppa!”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong grabbed her daughter's arm. “You, come with me! Why are you demanding your oppa to do something about your tummy fat! This is why I told you to stop stuffing your face with all those fried chickens and pig trotters late at night!”

“Force me to give up on my fried chicken?! I'll give up on life first!” Kang Eun-Yeong proudly declared to her mother.

“Ohhh? Is that right? Fine! Let's see who will win today! Come here, right now!”

“Nooo! Oppa, oppa! Help! No! I can't let my humiliation be photographed by the paparazzo! Orabi, heeeeelp!”

“Hurry on, son. Don't worry, I'll deal with this girl!” Baek Hyeon-Jeong smiled gently at her son before glaring fiercely at her daughter.

“...Thank you, Mother.” Kang Jin-Ho quickly slipped outside the front door.

After shutting the gate behind him, Kang Jin-Ho looked up at the darkened skies above.

'Forget outside, inside my home's more like a warzone...!'

And wasn't one's home supposed to be filled with warmth and love?