CH 489

On top of a lofty altar...

Crimson carpets covered the steps leading toward the top of the altar where an imposing throne was located. And a man oozing power sat imperiously on it. With a physique easily double the size of an average man, he exuded dignity and authority like a king.

However, even his imposing figure had to play second fiddle to the physique of another man standing by the foot of the stairs. This man possessed abnormally broad shoulders and a weirdly thick torso. With his lengthy beard, he instantly gave off an impression that had Zhang Fei descended on the mortal plane, he must've looked like this man.

His torso was developed to the point of being freakishly proportioned. Forget masculinity, this man exuded the unmistakable aura of an untamed beast!

The man on the throne glared at the huge man below the altar. Cai Kechang, off to the side and silently spectating this glare-off, could only nervously gulp back his saliva. The encounter between his liege, the Crimson King, and this brute of a man was something Cai Kechang least wanted to see. It wasn't simply because of this intense pressure he felt, however. After all, this meeting signified that one of the best cards in the Crimson King's arsenal would be exhausted now.

“Vator...!” The Crimson King's loud roar echoed in the impressive hallway. “You seem to be doing well.”

“You're one to talk,” Vator snarkily muttered.

China's Three Kings were the highest existences among the current era's martial artists. They were unquestionably the rulers of the modern martial world! However, despite standing before such a mighty being, Vator displayed not a speck of respect or awe.

“I hear you wanted to see me? What do you want, Crimson King?”

The Crimson King patiently muttered, “Yes... I did summon you, Vator.”

“That means our deal is about to end, right?”

“Indeed, you assumed correctly.”

“Good. Very good...! I've been waiting for a long time for this.” Vator's glare at the Crimson King sharpened considerably.

However, the Crimson King guffawed as if this exchange amused him. “Not yet, Vator. It is still too early to bare your fangs at me.”

“Don't you worry. Soon, my moment will come.”

“Hahaha! It won't be as easy as you dream of, Vator. Do not jump the gun yet.”

Cai Kechang sighed weakly under his breath. A long time ago, Vator dared to challenge the Crimson King to a duel. The Crimson King accepted the challenge under the condition that the defeated would have to obey one command from the victor.

That duel ended in Vator's defeat. And to this day, he had been waiting for the Crimson King to issue that command. Once that command was faultlessly carried out, Vator would become a free man. And that would allow him to challenge the Crimson King for a duel again!

Cai Kechang grimaced. 'Dammit...! To think we'd have to waste such a valuable chess piece this way!'

Vator was a brute of a warrior. The fact that he even thought of challenging the Crimson King amply proved how reckless he was... And how powerful he was, too. Not to forget, the Crimson King chose to spare this rash challenger's life after seeing the potential and forced Vator to obey his command, too.

A warrior of Vator's caliber would not be easy to find even if the whole of China was searched with a fine-tooth comb. However... To think they would be wasting someone of this caliber on a matter this trifling!

“So? What are your orders, Crimson King?”

“Your job is quite simple, Vator.”

“Before we start...” Vator curtly cut the Crimson King off. That was something Cai Kechang would never even dream of doing. “Let's get one thing straight here. Once I'm done being your lap dog... I can challenge you again, right? I have the qualifications, don't I?”

“Indeed, you do, Vator. Vator, the mighty Warrior of the Wild Plains... You will always have the right to challenge me.”

Vator slowly nodded in satisfaction. “Good. Now tell me what I need to do.”

“Your job will be straightforward. Travel to South Korea and... Eliminate an individual.”

“...?” Vator tilted his head in confusion. “What? That's my job?”

The Crimson King replied in a firm voice. “That's right.”

“Okay, so... Let me ask just in case. Did the Azure King go to South Korea?”

“Of course not.”

“...Then, I demand some kind of an explanation.”

“Mm,” the Crimson King briefly nodded before glancing in another direction. “Cai Kechang.”

When his name was called out, Cai Kechang sighed quietly again. 'My liege can be so unreasonable with his demands sometimes...'

To the Crimson King, Vator must be no different from any other martial artist passing by. However, Cai Kechang didn't think that way. He seriously dreaded dealing with this brute of a man. Unfortunately, he didn't have a choice in the matter.

Cai Kechang explained to Vator who his target was... Which was none other than Kang Jin-Ho. After listening to the briefing, Vator snapped his head toward the Crimson King and glared suspiciously. “Oh, so... You want me to go and murder this brat? Is that right?”

“Yes, that's exactly what I want from you.”

Vator's expression crumpled deeply. “Crimson... Kiiiing!”

A roar louder than a bomb going off rocked the impressive hall like an earthquake. Cai Kechang hurriedly covered his ears and buried his head by the floor. It felt like his brain was turning into mush from the soundwaves alone!

Despite a roar loud enough to rupture eardrums, the Crimson King remained totally unperturbed on his throne. He rested his chin on his hand and silently stared down at Vator.

Vator continued to roar in indignation, “How dare you belittle the title of the Warrior of the Wild Plains! Did you restrict me all this time just to handle this kind of sundry chores?!”

“Sundry chore, you say?” The Crimson King smirked ever so slightly in ridicule as he narrowed his eyes. “Vator. My old friend...!”

Vator stopped roaring and silently glared when the Crimson King's voice grew lower and heavier.

“Let me offer you this advice. If you head to South Korea with such a mindset, you will not come home.”

“Are you implying I'll die?”

“With very high odds, yes.”

“I know I lost to you,” Vator's glare grew fiercer as an enormous fighting aura began gushing out from the area around his throat. Cai Kechang, still cowering next to him, began dripping in cold sweat from how oppressive and enormous it was. “However, that does not give you the qualifications to mock me like this. I am Vator! The Warrior of the Wild Plains!”

“I’ve never mocked you or disparaged you, Vator.”

“...!” Vator suddenly stopped talking and grimaced. Despite his gruff and savage appearance, Vator was definitely not a slow-witted man. “...Are you implying that… This brat named Kang Jin-Ho is strong?”

“Several times stronger than your expectations, yes.”

“...Strong enough to put my life on the line?”

The Crimson King casually replied, “Well, if you maintain that kind of mindset, I won't have to look forward to your challenge.”

Vator gritted his teeth. Due to how large his skull was, even the noise of him gritting teeth sounded like thunderclaps. “Very well. I'll confirm with my own two eyes if that brat is as strong as you claim! I shall return with that brat's head as a souvenir. And that would be when your head will be added to my collection! Wait for me, Crimson King!”

Vator spun around and stomped his way out of the grand hallway. The Crimson King silently watched this scene before quietly chuckling away. “He truly is a bear of a man.”

Cai Kechang groaned softly. “He indeed is, my liege.”

“Even how wily he is despite his brutish appearance is exactly like a bear, isn't it?”

Cai Kechang silently nodded in agreement. Those who let themselves be taken over by pride and confidence tended to look down on other people. However, Vator immediately discarded his pride after listening to the Crimson King's warning.

Even if Kang Jin-Ho was unexpectedly strong, it'd still be difficult to escape death now that Vator had shed his arrogance. Vator, the mighty warrior, fully deserved such a high evaluation.

“My liege. With Vator on the way, Kang Jin-Ho is as good as finished.”

“I hope so,” the Crimson King sighed while rubbing his eyes. “Indeed, it'd be a relief if that's how this story wraps up. Indeed...”

Cai Kechang tilted his head in confusion. “I beg your pardon?”

“Vator is strong. There is no doubting that. No demonic cultivator can deal with Vator.”

“Yes, my liege. That is what I believe so, as well.”

“However... What if Kang Jin-Ho does deal with him? What then?”

“...!”

The Crimson King's voice grew weighty again. “If that were to happen... This individual named Kang Jin-Ho would have exceeded my estimation, which I had to revise several times already. And that could only mean...”

The Crimson King suddenly stopped talking. He judged that Cai Kechang didn't need to hear this from him. That was because not even the Crimson King knew how to assess and respond to the eventuality of Kang Jin-Ho triumphing over Vator.

'Such a thing should not happen.'

However, if it did happen, it'd herald the birth of a new king in that small peninsula. A king that was still immature and minor in influence, but a king nonetheless!

“Cai Kechang. Deliver this message to Vator.”

“Yes, my liege!”

“Tell him that if he fails to sharpen the edges of a blunt ax, it might never be used again.”

“It shall be done, my liege.” Cai Kechang bowed deeply, then bit his lower lip out of sight. 'My liege isn't acting his usual self...'

The Crimson King had already said something similar to Vator. Even so, he still wanted this new message to be delivered. That could only mean... He was feeling a hint of nervousness about Vator facing Kang Jin-Ho.

'Is Kang Jin-Ho really such a dangerous existence?'

Of course, Cai Kechang didn't doubt the Crimson King's judgment. That didn't mean he could fully get over his puzzlement, though.

Vator was acknowledged by pretty much everyone. Since that was the case, Cai Kechang's common sense told him that the question now was how quickly and gruesomely Kang Jin-Ho would die. The possibility of Vator losing to him didn't even cross his mind.

Soon, Vator would prove whether the Crimson King had been overestimating Kang Jin-Ho or that Korean demonic cultivator indeed was a terrifying existence worthy of all this drastic response.

For the first time since Cai Kechang started his martial journey, he began rooting for Vator's victory.

***

“You want to assemble a team of tutors?” Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes in a slight fluster.

“Yes. That's the plan,” said Jo Gyu-Min with a simple nod. However, he noticed the weird way Kang Jin-Ho was staring at him. “Why are you looking at me like that, Mister Jin-Ho?”

“No, well... This wasn't what I expected, you see. I figured either you'd personally teach the kids or something similar in that vein.”

“That's an amateurish way of handling this matter,” Jo Gyu-Min chuckled while leisurely mouthing a cigarette. “How should I put it... Well, I do have some confidence that even if I choose to personally tutor the kids, the quality of education won't fall that far behind those given by specialized teachers. Something like that?”

Park Yu-Min drew a thick red line under the late addition to his evaluation of Jo Gyu-Min in his mind, 'contemptible', as if to emphasize that word. 'Was Chief Jo always like this?'

Jo Gyu-Min continued to boast about himself. “I've never fallen behind my peers in education, you see. Since I do have some know-how on effective teaching methods, I could've done it personally. However, the best way to handle anything is to leave it up to the professionals. Besides, the subjects that needed to be covered are far too numerous for me to handle. Trying to teach every single one will prevent me from carrying out my other duties.”

“Mm…” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. Although he didn't fully understand it, Jo Gyu-Min said that's how it was, so it had to be. “In that case, how is it going with assembling the team?”

“It's almost complete, Mister Jin-Ho. The team's make-up will center around the core subjects.”

Kang Jin-Ho was slightly taken aback. “Already?”

“I told you, didn't I? Money can solve pretty much anything, Mister Jin-Ho,” Jo Gyu-Min chuckled suspiciously. “And we did dangle a tasty bait in front of the prey, so there's that, too.”

Jo Gyu-Min proceeded to explain what happened, causing Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min to frown somewhat.

Theft is never good, try looking at [ pawℝead.com ].

Park Yu-Min raised his hand. “I have an objection about that, Chief Jo!”

“Sorry?”

“Do you have to advertise that the kids were tutored privately by these teachers? Can't we... not do that? There's the issue with the kids' self-esteem to worry about, and the orphanage will have to be brought up during the advertisement process, too... That's not necessarily a good thing, you see?”

“Mm…” Jo Gyu-Min weightily nodded away. “I see. However, I never said I'd do free advertising for them.”

“Sorry? But, just now... didn't you say...?”

“That was the part of the bait, Mister Yu-Min. It's not like such a clause was baked into the contract, so is there a need for me to stick to what I said?”

“...”

Jo Gyu-Min cackled. “That's how contracts work, gentlemen. Before you analyze and write all the important agreements down on paper, none of it will mean anything. You two should also be careful about signing contracts later on when you're on your own, okay? Fufufufufu.”

Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min grew stupefied by Jo Gyu-Min's insidious cackling.

Jo Gyu-Min's smirk deepened. “Is there a problem, gentlemen?”

“N-no, not really.” Park Yu-Min hurriedly shook his head, then added 'con man' to his evaluation of Jo Gyu-Min, who was still cackling in satisfaction.

It seemed the evaluation of Jo Gyu-Min's capabilities was going up with every passing day... even if people's view of his humanity was taking a knock!

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin. “However, wouldn't this cost a lot of money?”

“Yes. It cost us a pretty penny to assemble a team of excellent educators. A lot more than you can imagine, actually.”

Kang Jin-Ho and Park Yu-Min cocked their eyes. “Oh? Then, how did you solve the money issue?”

“Hahaha. No need to be that concerned,” Jo Gyu-Min guffawed while patting Kang Jin-Ho's shoulder. “After all, we have a gentleman here with a bank balance bursting at the seams with more money than he can hope to spend in his lifetime! So, he should spend it on a good cause like this, no?”

Park Yu-Min seriously pondered if he should add 'Moocher' to the evaluation as well.