CH 471

“He's on the move, sir.”

Saito Genryu's expression hardened like a steel mask as he mulled the report. “I see. And his destination is suspected to be...?”

“Somewhere in the Western coastline, sir.”

“His purpose?”

“It has not been determined yet.”

“Is that right...?” Saito Genryu didn't say anything and mulled the report even further.

Oizumi Shunsuke, the one providing the report, didn't urge his boss and quietly waited. Saito obviously knew that this situation was urgent. In that case, why push him even more and potentially lead to an error in his judgment?

Saito slowly rubbed his chin. “So, he's acting without a purpose... What are the odds of this being a trap?”

“The Martial Assembly has shown no movements, sir,” Oizumi shook his head.

“How about the Assembly's hidden force? I'm talking about a team personally trained by Kang Jin-Ho. A hidden secret force consisting solely of elites from the Assembly.”

“Sir. Kang Jin-Ho has never created or raised an independent force of his own. We've been observing him from the very beginning when he first got involved with the martial world. If he had such a force hidden away, we'd no doubt notice something by now.”

“...Mm. You do have a point. Next.”

“The Assembly's hidden forces have already been exposed, sir. The private forces belonging to Lee Jung-Geol and Bang Jin-Hun were revealed to the world during their conflict, and we estimate they do not have any other hidden forces somewhere.”

“What are the odds of them hiding something or someone even till the end?”

“Zero, sir. If there were any... Such hidden elements should've been exposed during the battle against the Yeongnam Group. However, no such thing happened. Such powerful hidden forces would've been utilized to their fullest since that war was meant to determine the fate of both organizations.”

“I see…” Saito slowly closed his eyes. He took his time mulling over his options, then his expression crumpled deeply. “I'm sure you're aware of this too, don't you?”

“Sir? I don't follow...?”

“Someone on Kang Jin-Ho's level should already know he's being monitored.”

Oizumi frowned a little. “Sir, we did our best to hide our traces.”

“That wouldn't be enough. He knows,” Saito muttered confidently.

Oizumi wordlessly lowered his head. 'How... ironical.'

It was Saito Genryu who had come up with the plan to kill Kang Jin-Ho and take over this wide, untamed land called South Korea. While Oizumi and the others were feeling lost and unsure, Saito pushed ahead with this plan and forced Nanahoshi-gumi to give up all of its territory in Japan.

The plan was to use Nanahoshi-gumi's former territory as bait and let the other gumis struggle over it. In the meantime, Saito and his men would leisurely conquer the masterless mountain called South Korea!

The last part of Saito's plan was about how other gumis wouldn't take the risk of clashing against Nanahoshi-gumi for the piece of the peninsula as they didn't hold as much interest in Korea.

For this plan to work, though... Kang Jin-Ho needed to be eliminated, no matter what!

What was ironic about this situation, at least to Oizumi, was the one person who kept overestimating Kang Jin-Ho was none other than Saito Genryu. It certainly sounded like a bizarre situation. The schemer who wanted to eliminate Kang Jin-Ho happened to be the most worried about the target, too.

“Despite knowing that we're monitoring him, Kang Jin-Ho is traveling to a deserted area, alone. All by himself. Not only that, but giving us plenty of time to respond, too. What could this possibly signify, Oizumi?”

“...Sir, if I may. I think you're overthinking this.”

“Overthinking something can make you miss the timing, yes. However, it won't hurt to think deeply about something. Prudence verging on timidness is better than being reckless, Oizumi.”

“Yes, sir.”

Saito continued to ponder for a while before a grand sigh escaped from his lips. “Is there no other way but to go...?”

Even if it was a trap, Saito knew he'd have to commit now. He believed no other—better—opportunities than this would present itself.

'If Kang Jin-Ho has predicted our response and made this move... If someone else is controlling Kang Jin-Ho... It'll be difficult to avoid a massacre.'

Since a bait this alluring and tasty was dangling before their eyes, just how massive and deadly was this trap? Despite knowing all this, Saito was still tempted to walk straight into the killing field...!

“Fine. I'll humor you,” Saito slowly got up. To catch a tiger, brave hunters had no choice but to enter the tiger's den. Whether they could survive the encounter or not entirely depended on their abilities. And Saito believed in the strength of Nanahoshi-gumi, a group of warriors he raised through his sweat and blood! “Prepare the men. We chase him down!”

“Yes, sir!” Oizumi bowed deeply before rushing outside the room.

Saito slowly picked up his favorite sword and gently unsheathed it. Looking at the reflection of his face on the cold azure-gray blade surface calmed his turbulent mind down.

'...This is something we must go through sooner or later, anyway.'

It was about time Saito taught that arrogant Korean that no crafty schemes could survive in the face of an overwhelming difference in the combat force.

“You're still a Joseon martial artist. Nothing more.”

He never once thought that he needed to be wary of Joseon. And what would happen soon was simply this peninsula returning to the days of Imperial Japan's rule.

Saito slowly sheathed the katana and tied the weapon to his hips.

“I shall make you regret your arrogance, Kang Jin-Ho!”

***

Vroooooom...!

Kang Jin-Ho boldly stepped on the Lamborghini's accelerator. He'd been restraining himself from speeding on public roads lately, but for today... Nothing could stop him from going fast. He glanced at the 'luggage' resting on the passenger seat.

'...I'm beginning to look forward to this.'

It wasn't to the point of getting Kang Jin-Ho excited, though. However, it was also true that his heart was beating a little faster than usual.

While driving the car, Kang Jin-Ho recalled the conversation he had with Lee Hyeon-Su.

***

“Concentrating on defense is more beneficial,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Lee Hyeon-Su smirked confidently. “That's wrong, sir.”

“...”

“That kind of mindset is indeed widespread, I admit that,” Lee Hyeon-Su muttered while shrugging his shoulders. “Such as defending is easier than attacking. Or, the ones to make the first move face greater odds of failure.”

“Mm...”

“That could've made logical sense in the past. No, let me clarify myself first. I do not think that makes much strategic sense when in a war with someone. Plenty of nations throughout history got destroyed while focusing on defense, but not many aggressors paid the price by going bankrupt or things like that,” Lee Hyeon-Su leaned forward on the table. “Yes, we do get cases like the Sui dynasty, but those are very specific examples. Normally, the ones defending suffer several times worse losses. Do you know why that is the case?”

“No, not sure,” Kang Jin-Ho frowned. He had to admit to his ignorance. He believed no one could best him in combat, but that didn't mean he was a master strategist.

Kang Jin-Ho relied a lot on his instincts for his battles. He couldn't predict how his enemies would move, but he could guess how they would respond to his actions.

That was why he could never be a strategist, even if he could act like a tactician. That meant he needed someone capable of looking at the overall picture during the battles between opposing factions.

“A defensive battle will always produce losses on the defender's side, Mister Jin-Ho,” Lee Hyeon-Su spoke up in a firm, unhesitant voice. “A war to gain territory will always devastate the land it's fought on. With timing being what is, I also foresee other problems will rear their heads. For example…”

Lee Hyeon-Su stopped talking and grimaced a little. He wasn't doing this to set the mood or anything like that. He was just reluctant to say the following words in front of Kang Jin-Ho.

“Cough... Your friends, family members, and...”

That was all he had to say. When friends and family were brought up, Kang Jin-Ho's aura instantly transformed. The air he oozed became so oppressive that Lee Hyeon-Su didn't dare add anything else. He freaked out and hurriedly waved his hands in a fluster at the creepy, chilling aura seeping into his spine. “P-please calm down first, Mister Jin-Ho!”

“Did you say something about my family...?”

“Please! Calm down!”

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly stared at Lee Hyeon-Su before slowly closing his eyes. Lee Hyeon-Su finally sensed the deadly pressure crushing down on him disappear in an instant and could breathe a sigh of relief.

'Gee, whiz... I thought I was gonna die!'

Lee Hyeon-Su had witnessed far too many facets of Kang Jin-Ho. That was why it felt like his soul was being squeezed to death whenever Kang Jin-Ho decided to unleash his terrifying aura. Lee Hyeon-Su definitely didn't want to end up like Kim Seok-Il, after all!

From his perspective, Lee Hyeon-Su desperately needed a leader who'd show him the way... A leader who knew how to listen to his subordinates. Kim Seok-Ik didn't meet that standard, but Kang Jin-Ho had the potential to become one. At least, that was what Lee Hyeon-Su thought.

Unfortunately, Kang Jin-Ho had one fatal flaw. Something that could make him even worse than Kim Seok-Il.

'...So scary!'

A grown man being scared of another grown man might seem weird and a bit awkward, but what could Lee Hyeon-Su do about it when it was reality?

Kim Seok-Il was obsessive about tormenting Lee Hyeon-Su and others. He tried to instill the sense of danger that he could destroy Lee Hyeon-Su any time he wished. And he did physically and verbally threaten plenty of times, too.

The former Yeongnam Group boss possessed the abilities and the nature to make his threats real, though. He was cruel. Vicious. Twisted enough to enjoy it.

However, Lee Hyeon-Su never once feared Kim Seok-Il. He did feel irritated by him this one time, but other than that...

The situation was different with Kang Jin-Ho. He never threatened Lee Hyeon-Su. Not even once. Even then, Lee Hyeon-Su was deathly scared of Kang Jin-Ho.

Despite knowing this returner wouldn't become hostile toward him anymore, Lee Hyeon-Su still felt this fear that defied all attempts to logically dissect it. Which was a big problem.

Imagine how much worse it must be for 'regular' people if someone like Lee Hyeon-Su was scared sh*tless by Kang Jin-Ho. They probably couldn't even breathe in front of him. Even if Kang Jin-Ho wanted to become more open and outgoing, his surroundings would inevitably push him toward being more reclusive instead.

Only a few people would have the balls to point out Kang Jin-Ho's mistakes or if he strayed in the wrong direction. That was why...

That was why Lee Hyeon-Su had to say these things. He clenched his teeth and continued from where he left off. “You... have already experienced this several times before.”

“...”

“And no, it wasn't because your luck had been poor. On the contrary... You can say you've done it to yourself.”

“I did it to myself?” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow as if he didn't like the sound of that particular observation.

“Yes. You brought it on yourself.”

Kang Jin-Ho's narrowed eyes intensely stared at Lee Hyeon-Su, silently waiting for a further explanation.

“We now have a pretty good idea of who's targeting you. And I'm sure you also have your guesses on who they could be.”

Kang Jin-Ho didn't say anything. Lee Hyeon-Su wasn't expecting a response, anyway.

“Mister Jin-Ho, your standard mentality can be summed up like this. Anyone who attacks you will get their heads smashed in. They provoke you, and they die.”

“...Mm.”

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“That's because you're confident about your strength. Please don't misunderstand me, Mister Jin-Ho. I'm not trying to say you're wrong to think that way. You have every right to be confident, after all. However…” Lee Hyeon-Su grimaced while dragging his words out. “Your new problem is that others also know of your strength. Yes, some idiots have tried to target you directly earlier on, but now? They all know the truth. They know coming after you directly is too reckless.”

Kang Jin-Ho's eyes narrowed even more as he listened.

“So... They will target your surroundings. That will place a restriction on you. They know that by doing so, they can dull your edge and improve their odds of victory. And what you're doing right now is giving your enemies enough time to prepare and target the people in your life.”

Lee Hyeon-Su nervously swallowed his saliva after finishing voicing his opinion. This was something he probably shouldn't say to Kang Jin-Ho. Didn't he try to bury Kang Jin-Ho and his lady friend in that tunnel not too long ago?

Reminding Kang Jin-Ho about that event didn't seem like the best idea for Lee Hyeon-Su. However, it still had to be done.

Today was the best time to say all this. Otherwise, it'd be too late. Lee Hyeon-Su simply must say it now!

It couldn't be helped. Lee Hyeon-Su was the type of man who pursued the most optimal efficiency and effectiveness, after all. The correct thing was to put the organization ahead of his own health. For the sake of the organization's future... He was fully prepared to risk his neck!

Whether he knew Lee Hyeon-Su's sentiments or not, Kang Jin-Ho didn't say anything and mulled something before finally raising his head to stare straight at his conversation partner. “In that case, what should I do, Azure Demon? No, wait...”

'Azure Demon? What's that?'

Lee Hyeon-Su tilted his head as his eyes spotted the corners of Kang Jin-Ho's lips suspiciously curled upward.

“...Lee Hyeon-Su,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered with a strange smirk on his lips.

This was when their discussion began in earnest.