CH 454

Sluuuurp...

The sweet drinking yogurt, or Yakult, traveled through the straw and entered Kang Jin-Ho's mouth.

'...This is the problem with these drinks.'

Kang Jin-Ho frowned and stared seriously at the Yakult bottle. This size might be perfect for little kids but for a grown adult like him? It was way too small to scratch that itch. Unable to endure the itch anymore, Kang Jin-Ho stopped by a convenience store, bought a whole pack of Yakult, then began sticking straws into them.

Didn't someone say that... a bottle of Yakult was best enjoyed by sucking it through the bottom? Kang Jin-Ho was calling bull on that. Indeed, that was heresy. A real man walking on the righteous path must drink Yakult by sticking a straw up top.

Sluuurp...

Kang Jin-Ho's Lamborghini drove down South Korea's national highway. On one hand was another bottle of Yakult, while the other securely gripped the steering wheel. To Elena, he might look like someone with precisely zero worries in this world, but... Kang Jin-Ho's mind right now was a complicated, jumbled mess waiting to be unraveled.

For the first time in a long while, Kang Jin-Ho had homework to finish. And that had been keeping his mind busy lately. As for the title of that homework? It was 'What goal should I set for myself if I am to live a more fulfilling and meaningful life?'

Kang Jin-Ho slightly furrowed his brow. Obviously, this topic was not something he could deal with in a day or two. Besides, he shouldn't even be trying to solve it that quickly, anyway. The answer to this homework could potentially determine the course of Kang Jin-Ho's life, after all.

So, for now... He should take his time thinking about it while dealing with other matters requiring his urgent attention first.

'Right. It's been quite fulfilling for me these last three days.'

Kang Jin-Ho visited the orphanage often and hung out with the children there. After that task was done, he went to help Ju Yeong-Gi out who was mindlessly busy from organizing the new store. Kang Jin-Ho also helped Park Yu-Min out by testing his gaming skills since the latter's tryouts were just around the corner.

The results of Kang Jin-Ho's hard work left him with this fulfilling warmth in his heart.

The orphanage children seemed deeply moved by Kang Jin-Ho's dedication as they told him not to come as he 'must be very busy with other things.' Meanwhile, Ju Yeong-Gi smiled and said, “Jin-Ho, it does give me strength to... see you hanging around me, but it's time you stand on your own two feet, right?” What a manly thing a friend could say to his friend that was. Thinking about it brought a smile to Kang Jin-Ho's lips.

As for Park Yu-Min, he worried about Kang Jin-Ho's health when he tried to stay with his friend into early dawn while playing computer games, urging him to hurry home before it got too late.

Everyone seemed to be... a lot worried about Kang Jin-Ho these days. They seemed to care about Kang Jin-Ho's busy schedule when he actually had nothing better to do. And they even cared about his health... When Kang Jin-Ho was healthy enough to sweep all the available World Records if he participated in a triathlon!

Kang Jin-Ho felt the corner of his heart get warm and fuzzy from how much they cared about him.

'Right. I should visit them more often.'

He gained a renewed appreciation of the advice he heard some time ago, the one about how he needed to expend lots of effort to maintain human relationships. Since he now had more free time on his hands lately, Kang Jin-Ho figured he should tighten his bonds with his acquaintances some more. So, he stepped on the accelerator and...

'…! Speeding tickets!'

...Before carefully withdrawing his strength from the foot on the pedal.

As a man once bitten, twice shy, Kang Jin-Ho's heart would tumble to the pits of his stomach these days even from the sight of a private security company's vehicles passing by. He didn't fear anything under the sun, but the enforcers of the law were still scary!

Maybe because of his first life experiences, Kang Jin-Ho started sweating bullets whenever a police officer knocked on his car's window. While swearing inwardly about how he'd never go through that indignity again, Kang Jin-Ho stuck religiously to the national speed limit while keeping a watchful eye on the speedo.

It was time to create new relationships. The thought of doing so prompted the corners of his lips to curl up. Of course, these new relationships would be... somewhat different from the old ones.

***

“...This is insanity,” said Yi Myeong-Hwan, his sweat-soaked expression dazed and forlorn.

Two days ago, when Bang Jin-Hun summoned the younger generation of the Martial Assembly to the auditorium, Yi Myeong-Hwan's expression was full of unwavering determination. It was as if he was a soldier heading out to a warzone.

As for his previous nervousness and reluctance... Well, he left them at home. The time for regrets and second-guessing was already over by then. From that moment on, Yi Myeong-Hwan had no choice but to give it his all.

It looked like everyone entering the Martial Assembly's auditorium that day had a similar mindset. Seeing those determined faces awakened a competitive spirit of 'Don't you dare lose!' in Yi Myeong-Hwan... And also, this strange sense of camaraderie, too.

As far as his feelings were concerned, Yi Myeong-Hwan was ready to absorb any training regime, no matter how insane or challenging it was!

...Until Bang Jin-Hun entered the auditorium to make an announcement, that was!

***

Going back slightly in time...

“Fellas. If I'm being honest…” Bang Jin-Hun went straight into the main topic as soon as stepping into the auditorium. Although, what he said was a bit... vague to call it the ‘main topic.’ “Mister Jin-Ho wanted to start the training in two days.”

The young martial artists gathered in the auditorium stared in confusion at Bang Jin-Hun. In that case, why were they summoned here?

“Here's the thing, though... Think about this for a sec, okay? After Mister Jin-Ho's training starts, imagine what will happen to our pride when you guys can't even keep up and pant and wheeze like weaklings. Especially if that happens during the early stages...! Think about it from my perspective. Every time the training ends, I gotta talk to that man, yeah? And how would I feel if he says something like, ‘Kids these days are surprisingly weak, aren't they?’ Ah? Tell me, how would I feel, fellas?”

Obviously, Bang Jin-Hun would feel like he'd been chewing on dog turd. Yi Myeong-Hwan fully understood Bang Jin-Hun's sentiments.

“In that case, what should I do with you? I obviously can't let you lounge around until the start of Mister Jin-Ho's training, right? I mean, you all know what I'm like, don't you? I'm pretty f*cking short-tempered and stuff, right? Don't you agree?”

When those 'self-deprecating' words left Bang Jin-Hun's mouth, Yi Myeong-Hwan suddenly broke out into a bright smile.

This had to be one of the instances of so-called de-authoritarianism at work. It had to be. However, something about this particular instance told Yi Myeong-Hwan that it was not heading toward a good ending.

As far as Yi Myeong-Hwan knew, this de-authoritarianism was supposed to be something good, but... He was pretty sure it didn't apply when an authority figure tried to threaten people below them as if they were 'close friends.'

“That's why it's time to do something that will be a win-win for all of us. You'd be preparing ahead of time, so you win. And I don't need to hear about how lackluster you are, so that's a win for me, too. If you guys put in a little more effort now, wouldn't a wonderful world where everyone is happily smiling away open for us?”

That was when someone in the crowd raised his hand.

Bang Jin-Hun glanced at this young martial artist. “Yeah? What is it?”

“Sir, can I opt out for today? I gotta feed my cats back home, you see...?”

“Oh? Well, you can become cat food instead, then.”

“...Allow me to participate, sir!”

Bang Jin-Hun smiled brightly at that 'energetic' response. However, that expression definitely didn't look like a smile to Yi Myeong-Hwan.

Bang Jin-Hun was the type to do what he said he'd do. If he didn't like how things were going, he'd really crush a person and shove them inside a tin of cat food!

“Anyways... What I'm saying to you now is before the whole training thing starts for real in two days, I want you to sweat a bit with me. Don't worry, I have no plans of staying in my office lazing around while putting you guys through a wringer. I read this book someone gave me as a present recently, okay? And it said that leaders who lead by example are in vogue nowadays. Which means I gotta join you guys, too. So, what do you think? It's pretty cool, right?”

'Ah, so what you're saying is...'

Rank-and-file soldiers were about to commence training, but the division commander... No, the actual Chief of Staff also wanted to join them for fun? Not as an instructor or a commander, but as a common rifleman, no less? To muck about in the mud with the rest of the enlisted men and to share the tasteless army food and all?

‘What the f*ck? Did he go insane, too?’

Yi Myeong-Hwan told himself he'd find the bastard who gifted that highly-suspicious book to Bang Jin-Hun. And he'd rip a new one in that as*hat afterward! If he found enough free time, that was! After all, that as*hole was responsible for instilling weird ideas in the head of the Assembly Master who had been minding his own business!

Just listening to Bang Jin-Hun talk was already filling Yi Myeong-Hwan with this great discomfort.

“But, uh... Sir, what should we do?”

Bang Jin-Hun shrugged his shoulders. “First thing first... We gotta improve our basic fitness first. Listen, fellas. It doesn't matter whether you have the balls or not if you don't have the fitness to back it up. I've gone through a lot of crap in my life, and let me tell you, your fitness is number one in everything. If you are fit, you can endure any ol' tough sh*t coming your way. And if you're unfit, you won't get back to your feet no matter how much you tell yourself you can do it. So, what I'm proposing to you fellas is that we all should just work ourselves to death for the next two days and improve our fitness level. How about it?”

The younger generation martial artists all began nodding in agreement.

“Great! I'm rather pleased about how you all are so understanding about this!”

“Sir! Should we start now?”

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“Yeah. No point in dithering about, am I right? Might as well get to it ASAP.”

“What should we do?”

“Mm... Let's start with running first,” said Bang Jin-Hun while pointing at a mountain peak visible through the auditorium's window. “Our goal is to reach that summit and come back here. Also, it won't do for us to take our time covering the distance, so... Let's all do it as quickly as possible, shall we? I'm guessing one hour should be enough for a round trip. Don't forget, I'm not doing this to make your lives a living hell, okay? Anyone who finishes early will get a break. As for those who can't make it back here on time, I'm gonna evaluate you as having worse fitness than I expected, and give you a more logical training regime to improve your fitness level. Okay, everyone?”

“Yes, sir!!!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan replied loudly, then nodded away in agreement.

‘For sure... Our current Assembly Master is cut from a different cloth than the previous master.’

Back when Lee Jung-Geol was still the Assembly Master, he'd never have an impromptu 'conversation' with a mere Assembly member. Lee Jung-Geol's status and authority meant common-or-garden martial artists would never dare approach him back then.

That impression still loomed large in people's minds, and guys like Yi Myeong-Hwan would sometimes 'feel' that Lee Jung-Geol still occupied a higher position than Bang Jin-Hun even now.

In that sense, Bang Jin-Hun really was a great man. Even though he hadn't resorted to a demonstration of his authority, Bang Jin-Hun still somehow found a way to secure his position. He never was forceful or coercive but still knew how to make the Assembly members respect him.

If one was asked about what could be Bang Jin-Hun's greatest achievement so far, most people would point to how he put an end to the previous Assembly Master's authoritarianism. After Bang Jin-Hun took over, the atmosphere in the Assembly had gotten a lot more cheery and relaxed. The significance of the improvement in the mood was especially notable considering the events and incidents that happened during and after his takeover.

'Most importantly, though... Him not being a stuck-up boomer is the best thing out of them all.'

Even if Bang Jin-Hun ordered the members to train and assigned new missions, they were still within the boundaries of 'reasonable.' Stuff that made sense. That was why people trusted him and followed him. Compared to those boomers who constantly spewed rubbish like, “You know, back in my day? We can do those things with one finger!” Bang Jin-Hun was like the personification of reasonableness.

As proof, just look at this new training!

Making a round trip to a mountain peak visible in the distance within one hour might have been an insane undertaking for normal, non-cultivating civilians, but not for martial artists. This sounded like a perfectly-reasonable warm-up for them. Everyone inside this auditorium should be able to do it without too much trouble.

Compared to the boomers who'd shove a nonsensical mission under the pretext of harsh training in everyone's face, Bang Jin-Hun was so, so much more reasonable, wasn't he!

“Sir, should we set off now?”

Bang Jin-Hun nodded while glancing at the crowd. “Yeah. Let's gather at the field outside first and... You know what, let's not do that. Since I'm gonna follow you, let's not waste time and get going right away. I mean, it's not like we're doing something freaking momentous, anyway. No point in opening ceremonies and sh*t, right?”

Bang Jin-Hun's practical mindset was also a huge plus point in Yi Myeong-Hwan's book.

Everyone seemed to share Yi Myeong-Hwan's sentiments as they were all visibly raring to go. As a matter of fact, the ones closest to the exit had already shoved the doors open and rushed outside. At least, that was what they tried to do.

Bang Jin-Hun suddenly called out to them. “Eh? Hey, wait a minute! You, stop!”

“I'm sorry, sir?”

“What are you guys doing?”

“We were going to run like you told us to...”

“What the hell? Maybe you didn't understand me, after all? This is why I'm not a fan of announcing stuff like this... I mean, it's easy for people to misunderstand me, right? I might as well do a PPT next time.”

PPT? As in the Powerpoint Presentation? That was that, but misunderstanding Bang Jin-Hun...? Did they do something wrong, then?

Bang Jin-Hun tutted. “I told you, we're gonna improve our fitness.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Which means, you mustn't rely on your cultivation.”

“...Sorry?”

“You gotta run with your own two feet. That's the only way to improve your fitness, fellas. You think you can do that while relying on your accumulated qi?”

A grin slowly formed on Yi Myeong-Hwan's face even though he wasn't aware of it.

Okay, so... If I'm hearing you correctly...

Anyone who could do what Bang Jin-Hun said shouldn't be called a human being anymore, or at least that's what Yi Myeong-Hwan thought. As a matter of fact, not even a mountain lion could do that round trip in one hour!

“Don't forget that...” Bang Jin-Hun raised his index finger. “I'll be running with you all, too. So, let me warn you in advance. Anyone who thinks they can secretly use their qi without me finding it out? Go ahead. I dare you.”

“...”

“You do that, and we're gonna have some fun later. Get my drift?”

“...”

Yi Myeong-Hwan sneakily circulated the qi gathered in his legs and gradually dispersed it.

***

Back to the present...

“Huff! Huff, huff! Wheeze!”

This was the situation Yi Myeong-Hwan now found himself in. He was out of breath, his lungs screaming for more air. His legs were shaking all on their own from cramps and exhaustion.

Yi Myeong-Hwan got to learn a new fact today. He had no idea that going down a mountain was so much harder than climbing it! Trying to run downhill with tired legs was unimaginably hard for people with average fitness. Especially when he needed to run at full tilt, no less!

“Hah, you bloody weaklings!” Bang Jin-Hun's irritated voice slammed into Yi Myeong-Hwan's eardrums. “What should I do with a bunch of unfit idiots who are all out of breath after running only this much? You are all supposed to be martial artists, right?! Doesn't that mean you gotta be better at this sh*t than regular people? Hell, a local amateur mountaineering club will have a ton of people better than you at climbing a mountain, fellas!”

Yi Myeong-Hwan scowled at those harsh words. However, Bang Jin-Hun wasn't done yet. “I didn't tell you to reach Mount Everest's summit or put your flag on top of Kanchenjunga, now did I? But a small hill out back can defeat you like this? What a bunch of useless idiots you are!”

What the freaking hell, you insane bastard! Yi Myeong-Hwan screamed in his head. Are we on a time attack or something here?! You can conquer Everest without oxygen tanks if you have enough time on your hands, you know! But this isn't that, now is it?!

Yi Myeong-Hwan had so many things he wanted to say but didn't have the energy to voice them right now. Making multiple round trips to that mountain for two days straight with only two hours of sleep in between had forced him to reach a philosophical understanding of ‘I am the mountain and the mountain is I!’

One might question the validity of such a musing, but it was a simple enough concept to understand, really! If Yi Myeong-Hwan croaked in the middle of this so-called fitness training, he'd get buried in the mountainside, which meant he'd have become a part of the mountain!

“Oh, hey. Look over there, fellas,” Bang Jin-Hun suddenly smirked and pointed toward the bottom of the mountain. A flashy red supercar was uncharacteristically driving slowly on the road built on the mountain slope.

“Hah. You're all dead meat now.”

“...”

Bang Jin-Hun ominously cackled. “Kekekeke...”

“...”

What a good thing that the supercar wasn't black. If it had been, people might have thought that a grim reaper had arrived. While riding in a hearse, perhaps.

Yi Myeong-Hwan could only groan inwardly.

‘Ah, f*ck…’