CH 445

The night was deepening, yet many people still loitered in the Martial Assembly's grounds, unable to leave.

Bang Jin-Hun quietly tutted at the sight of the auditorium, which was still brightly lit. “Gee whiz. You sure have a rotten personality...”

“Mm? Did something happen?” Kang Jin-Ho relaxedly asked back.

“Huh-uh? Will you get a load of this guy…?” Bang Jin-Hun shot a glare at Kang Jin-Ho for his blase response. Kang Jin-Ho smiled innocently while sneakily avoiding Bang Jin-Hun's rebuking glare.

“Mister Jin-Ho, are you really going to kill half of the applicants?”

“Mm. Well, who knows?”

“Weren't you just trying to scare them?”

“That's also in the 'Who knows?' category.”

Bang Jin-Hun furrowed his brow. “Even if you were joking, those guys most likely didn't think of it as one, Mister Jin-Ho. What will you do if they get too scared and no one applies? I think I've said this before, but Mister Jin-Ho? You just are not aware of how other people see you. And that's a huge problem.”

“I'm not aware, you say?”

“Yes. Definitely not. The way those people see you is markedly different from how I see you, Mister Jin-Ho. I'm guessing here, but they probably think you are some kind of monster with three heads and six arms.”

“I see. That's fine, then.”

“I'm sorry?”

Kang Jin-Ho didn't clarify himself and just smiled away. Although, his smile carried hints of bitterness.

There was no problem even if those younger-generation martial artists viewed Kang Jin-Ho as a monster like what Bang Jin-Hun said just now. Back when Kang Jin-Ho was in the demon cult, people there didn't merely view him as some monster but actively called him the avatar of Asura, after all!

The demon cult was reviled and feared by the rest of Zhongyuan for its cruelty. However, even the members of such a feared demon cult viewed Kang Jin-Ho as an object of terror for his viciousness. When he looked back at his life, though, Kang Jin-Ho realized his behavior was unavoidable if he wanted to survive, as he had no one to rely on in Zhongyuan. Being cruel came naturally with the territory, so to speak.

Kang Jin-Ho still had the mindset of a modern-era person when he started his life in Zhongyuan, so the people around him back then looked like a bunch of savages with zero common sense. How could he maintain his sanity in a world where thieves caught in the act immediately got their limbs chopped off, while human meat could be bought openly from the roadside stalls?

That world didn't seem fit for human life. Trying to live like a modern-era person in a world with zero respect for human rights was impossible.

'...They are all lame excuses, though.'

Kang Jin-Ho's bitter smile deepened. Indeed, he was simply making excuses for himself.

Surviving in Zhongyuan while maintaining his dignity and respect as a modern-era person might have been doable. As long as Kang Jin-Ho was courageous enough not to fear death and respected his honor more than his life, that was.

Unfortunately, Kang Jin-Ho didn't have the courage back then. All he could do was become even crueler and more vicious than anyone else.

“What are you thinking about, Mister Jin-Ho?” Bang Jin-Hun curiously asked.

“It's nothing important,” Kang Jin-Ho shook his head before mouthing a fresh cigarette. It felt like frustration always clogged up his chest whenever his thoughts drifted back to the events in Zhongyuan.

“Mister Jin-Ho, aren't you worried about losing too many potential applicants?”

“No, I'm not. And it's still fine, anyway.”

“Even so... Wouldn't losing too many applicants become a problem in the long run? At the very least, how about coaxing back some of those kids who have overflowing talents...?”

Kang Jin-Ho leisurely exhaled a cloud of cigarette smoke before replying to Bang Jin-Hun. “Overflowing talents, you say?”

Bang Jin-Hun noticed a certain wryness in Kang Jin-Ho's chuckle but still replied to him. “Yes, talents. I think training the smart kids would be a far better investment than wasting time on hopeless idiots with zero...”

“No, not correct,” Kang Jin-Ho abruptly cut Bang Jin-Hun off with a shake of his head. “Talent doesn't matter at the end of the day. Only one's willpower matters.”

“Will... power?”

“Yes,” Kang Jin-Ho coolly dusted his cigarette ash outside the office window and got ready to explain himself.

However, Bang Jin-Hun suddenly walked up to him first and placed an ashtray on the window sill. “Please don't litter, Mister Jin-Ho.”

“...My apologies,” Kang Jin-Ho sheepishly dusted the rest of the ash into the ashtray. “I'm not going to pretend and say that talent isn't an important aspect. People tend to say effort is more important than talent, but that's rubbish. In most cases, talent is often more important than anything else.”

“Well, yes. I do agree,” Bang Jin-Hun nodded.

“However...” Kang Jin-Ho stared at Bang Jin-Hun. “All the martial artists showing up today already had their talents acknowledged, yes?”

It can be hard to make great work when its stolen from bit.ly/3iBfjkV.

Bang Jin-Hun clamped his mouth shut. Kang Jin-Ho wasn't technically incorrect here. When martial artists looked for disciples, they made sure the hopefuls had the requisite talent for martial arts first. And one could only join the ranks of the Martial Assembly after going through so many trials and inspections to get their talents acknowledged and become somewhat of a martial artist first.

Kang Jin-Ho puffed at his cigarette once more. “In this world, there is something called a heaven-sent talent. Once-in-a-lifetime genius. An individual who can identify something new even when they are taught the same thing as everyone else. An individual who seeks something even greater while sensing the same thing as everyone else... Yes, such individuals do exist.”

Such individuals existed back in Zhongyuan, too. The so-called geniuses, that was. Individuals possessing astonishing talents who were treated as someone special and had to carry the hope of their entire sect on their shoulders...

Zhongyuan was vast and overflowing with people, so it shouldn't come as a surprise to see quite a few such geniuses back then.

...And Kang Jin-Ho had killed them all.

“Past a certain point, however... One's talent will become nothing more than a small advantage that can reduce the training period. Beyond that point, something else, another factor, will come into play.”

Bang Jin-Hun tilted his head. “Like effort?”

“No,” Kang Jin-Ho resolutely shook his head. “It's one's willpower.”

“Willpower, you say?”

“Yes. You can also call it your goal if you want.”

“Hmm...” Bang Jin-Hun tilted his head this way and that, unable to understand Kang Jin-Ho's explanation. How was that different from putting in enough effort to reach one's goals?

Kang Jin-Ho subtly grinned before offering further explanations for Bang Jin-Hun's sake. “Usually, people tell themselves that putting in enough effort is crucial to their success. They say persistent effort can overcome one's reality and the differences in talents. Only half of that statement is correct. The rest is nonsense.”

“Oh? As much as half of it is correct? Mister Jin-Ho, I'm guessing you haven't been unlucky enough to experience Hell Joseon, then?”

“...I'm speaking from experience, Assembly Master Bang.”

“Really? Effort can really overcome the differences in one's talent?”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “Yes. It's possible.”

Bang Jin-Hun looked at Kang Jin-Ho weirdly, still unconvinced. “Aren't you just saying that to make others feel better about themselves...?”

“No. It's simply because you all don't know what real effort is like.”

“I'm sorry?” Bang Jin-Hun was genuinely puzzled just then.

However, Kang Jin-Ho ignored the confused look on the Martial Assembly's Master and took another slow puff of his cigarette. For some reason, Kang Jin-Ho kept getting reminded lately of how precious a smoke break was, even though it should've been anything but. He briefly shook his head to get rid of that distracting thought before addressing Bang Jin-Hun again. “The whole thing about telling you to put in more effort is actually pointless. Putting in effort only makes sense when there is a tangible goal. Almost nothing in this world is more futile than aimless, goalless effort.”

“Mm...?”

“So, the whole wording of that notion is wrong, to begin with. It shouldn't be 'put in more effort'. No, what you need is a goal so important that you are willing to risk your life to reach it. As long as you're willing to reach that goal no matter what, effort will naturally follow. However, people usually demand you to put in the requisite effort first. So that you can hopefully reach an unclear goal one day.”

Bang Jin-Hun shook his head, still confused and unconvinced. However, Kang Jin-Ho wasn't thinking of convincing him, anyway. This concept might be something... 'ungraspable' to those who hadn't experienced it first-hand.

'Being desperate is a terrifying thing.'

That was the story of Kang Jin-Ho. After parting ways with his master, Kang Jin-Ho stepped into the world all alone. And that world was like a starving, raving demon out for his blood. Back then, Kang Jin-Ho hadn't fully shed the common sense of a modern-era person yet, so Zhongyuan was like purgatory itself. And the people living in it were like guardians of Hell, too.

By the time Kang Jin-Ho regained his senses, the entire world was pursuing him with the intention of killing him.

Putting in more effort? What a stupid notion that was. All Kang Jin-Ho could do back then was set an extremely simple goal of 'survival' and focus every fiber of his being on it. And he did absolutely everything for the sake of his survival. So, the 'effort' other people talked about? To Kang Jin-Ho, that wasn't effort. That was something one simply had to do, no questions asked.

One should think about this. A man who got dragged into war wouldn't consider the process of picking up a dagger and shoving it into his enemy's throat 'putting in enough effort' to survive. Even if you got shot at, had arrows sticking out of your torso, and your limbs were torn and severed, you still wouldn't give up on crawling away. You wouldn't give up on trying to survive just because moving in that state was too difficult and exhausting.

Against a life full of desperate struggles to reach its goal, words like 'effort' were nothing more than nice-sounding romantic ideals.

“As long as you can attain that, you will become stronger. But it'll be impossible for anyone lacking the necessary willpower.”

“Let me be honest here, Mister Jin-Ho. I don't get it,” said Bang Jin-Hun.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded, realizing that even Bang Jin-Hun should find it difficult to understand Kang Jin-Ho's viewpoint. “Mister Jin-Hun. You must've done so much to grow your faction, train your followers and also improve your cultivation in your quest to oppose Lee Jung-Geol.”

“Of course.”

“Will you say that was you putting in enough effort?”

“...!” Bang Jin-Hun thought he could just about figure out what Kang Jin-Ho was saying. It seemed that 'Putting in effort' was when one was doing something they didn't need to. At least, that seemed to be the meaning behind what Kang Jin-Ho said.

And it sounded like Kang Jin-Ho wanted the Martial Assembly's younger generation to throw their everything into improving their martial arts as if it was something as obvious as breathing air.

“Are you saying they should set milestones for themselves? Goals to reach at certain points?”

“Something like that, yes.” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded.

“...That won't be easy, though.” Bang Jin-Hun muttered, still skeptical about this whole thing. 'The current era's far too different for that.'

Bang Jin-Hun thought he finally knew what Kang Jin-Ho had been saying. Indeed, there was a time in history when martial artists poured their absolute everything into their pursuit of strength, which was what Kang Jin-Ho demanded from the Martial Assembly's younger generation. However, that era had ended a long time ago.

One didn't need to become that strong nowadays as only a passable attainment in martial arts would still open a lot of doors in the modern era. And all the fun and pleasure to be had from those open doors were indescribably wonderful, too. So, who would go out of their way to become even stronger in such an environment?

“The idea of the spirit of martial arts sure sounds nice, but... Let me be honest here, Mister Jin-Ho. I think that's one hell of an outdated concept these days.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “I'm sure that's the case. However... I never asked for that from the get-go. I don't believe in something as lofty as that, you see.”

“Eh?” Bang Jin-Hun blinked his eyes in even more confusion. If that was Kang Jin-Ho's case, just what motivated him to get stronger?

“The spirit of martial arts, is it? What a lofty-sounding ideal that is. However, I don't think martial arts' basis has anything to do with that,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“Mm? In that case?”

“Let me ask you this, then. Mister Jin-Hun, what do you think is the fundamental principle of martial arts?”

“To me? It's to become one with nature through martial arts. Or... The will to attain an even higher realm. That's my belief.” Bang Jin-Hun confidently declared, only to notice the corners of Kang Jin-Ho's lips curling up. He realized that smirk signified ridicule, and his face blushed a little. “Am I wrong?”

“That certainly sounds grandiose, Mister Jin-Hun. However, while that sounds cool, I also think it's incorrect. Personally speaking, of course.”

“In that case...?” Bang Jin-Hun cautiously asked, his anticipation level rising.

Kang Jin-Ho was the strongest martial artist Bang Jin-Hun had ever met. And he firmly believed that no one in the Korean peninsula was stronger than Kang Jin-Ho, including those from history books. So, such an individual's viewpoint on martial arts would definitely help Bang Jin-Hun's own martial arts journey.

“Mister Jin-Ho, what do you believe is the foundation, the basis, of your martial arts?”

Click...

Kang Jin-Ho stubbed out his cigarette before lighting another one.

“Fuu-woo...” Kang Jin-Ho took a deep puff before smiling brightly at Bang Jin-Hun. “This might sound a bit simplistic and blunt, but... This is what I think. The feelings and thoughts I get from the techniques I trained in and other martial arts I've seen are like this.”

“Y-yes? What is it?”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded before revealing his thoughts in a serious tone. “I will never lose to that punk.”

“...Eh?” Bang Jin-Hun's expression grew a bit dazed just then.

“Ah, let me be clear about something. That's not exactly my viewpoint on martial arts. What I'm saying is that's the overall impression I get. So, if I were to go into more details, then...”

“:..Y-yes?”

“It's more like... I'm going to do whatever it takes to destroy that bastard.”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho's attitude became even more serious than before. “I don't need any other reasons. Beat up the other party until they are dead, and prove that I'm the strongest in the room. That's all. If your goal was to become one with nature and whatever, why not join a Buddhist monastery instead? Why risk your health and sanity on training in martial arts? Besides, martial arts solely exist to beat up your enemies, don't they?”

Bang Jin-Hun suddenly beamed brightly and nodded away. This guy named Kang Jin-Ho, he...

As it turned out, he was beyond hopeless!

'Guys, I'm sorry, but... I think you should give up.'

Even sane people might suffer untold mental damage and go mad after experiencing Kang Jin-Ho's training regime!

Bang Jin-Hun's worried gaze shifted outside the window toward the wavering lights in the distance.