Chapter 533. Coming to a Conclusion (3)
Creeeaaak!
Lee Hyeon-Su thought that that didn't sound right for the noise of a sword stabbing into a human's throat.
If this situation was happening inside a video game, the people responsible for that sound effect would've been fired on the spot. Forget about justifications for their dismissal or whatever; who would play this stupid game when its faulty sound effect could cause a seizure in people?!
As if to prove that reality was always more bizarre than fiction, Vator's thick neck continued to resist Kang Jin-Ho's ultra-sharp sword from cleanly stabbing through it.
Lee Hyeon-Su couldn't help but be amazed by Kang Jin-Ho, who unhesitantly stabbed someone in the neck, and Vator, who was still alive even after a blade was stabbed into his throat!
“Kkuh-huhk!”
However, surviving didn't mean one would be freed from the pain.
How would it feel? Lee Hyeon-Su couldn't even imagine what Vator must be feeling right now.
The big man's body was rendered useless. Powerless. Unable to resist. To make matters worse, Kang Jin-Ho and his demonic expression was stabbing Vator in the neck, too... As if Kang Jin-Ho wanted to severe Vator's head off. But now...!
Vator's accursed physique was so abominably tough that Kang Jin-Ho couldn't cut his head off in one blow. As his flesh was tempered through external arts, it remained incredibly durable even after Vator ran out of stored internal qi.
Creak! Creak! Creaaaak!
Kang Jin-Ho pulled his sword out before chopping it down on his victim's neck. Every time he did, bone-chilling noises of fingernails being chewed out resounded as Vator's neck slowly, oh-so-agonizingly slowly, came apart from his torso.
What would Vator be staring at right now? Just below him?
Every now and then during executions, the devices meant to execute would malfunction. If everything went according to the script, the floorboard would've fallen away, and the rope around the prisoner's throat would've done its job in the proverbial blink of an eye. Unfortunately, the malfunction would mean the floorboard didn't fall, and the prisoner would remain alive when he thought he'd die for sure.
Apparently, no words in the existing vocabulary were adequate enough to describe the mental stress the prisoner must suffer at that moment. Lee Hyeon-Su heard that the prisoner would suddenly grow older by decades, or their hair would rapidly turn gray.
In that case, what about Vator?
His execution couldn't be called a failure. He was steadily approaching his death as Kang Jin-Ho's sword continued to chop at his neck. But he was wide awake as it happened. So, what would he be feeling right now? Even if Vator's mentality was as tough as it could get... Would he be able to maintain his sanity in this situation?
Would he be able to accept this situation where a devil with zero humanity left was continuously chopping down with a sharp sword just to cut his head off?
A weak moan leaked out of Vator's mouth. “Heuh... euh... Euh...Euw…”
Lee Hyeon-Su turned his head away again.
'Goddamn it...!'
Of course he knew. He knew what Kang Jin-Ho was talking about.
From Kang Jin-Ho's perspective, there was no doubt that Vator had crossed the line. The duel and finding who was stronger might mean everything to Vator, but that wasn't the case for Kang Jin-Ho.
His death would have led to the collapse of the world around him. The lives of everyone who depended on Kang Jin-Ho in some way would rapidly change, most likely for the worse. Simply put, the risks Kang Jin-Ho carried were different to Vator. In that case, the cost of losing the fight should not be the same, either.
Lee Hyeon-Su understood all that. Even so...!
'Even so, isn't this too much?!'
He just couldn't agree with tormenting someone so inhumanely like that. People used to deride Lee Hyeon-Su for being a cold-hearted demon, but even he would not go this far.
The way Kang Jin-Ho tortured Vator went beyond the level of venting his anger or him trying to exact the appropriate revenge for the sin of attacking him. No, at this point, Lee Hyeon-Su began wondering if Kang Jin-Ho had a problem in his head! That was because...
'I mean, Mister Jin-Ho can easily kill Vator, right?'
Even if Vator's body was supernaturally tough, Kang Jin-Ho in his serious mode wouldn't need this long to finish the job. Wasn't it already proven that Kang Jin-Ho could stab through Vator by focusing his power? In that case... Was there a reason to gift Vator with such extreme levels of fear?
Lee Hyeon-Su used to think he had a pretty good understanding of what made Kang Jin-Ho tick, but even he couldn't continue watching this horrific scene.
“Kill... kill me...” Vator quietly groaned.
“I can't hear you,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered coldly.
“Kill... Kill me... now...”
“I'm sorry. I'm Korean, so I don't speak Chinese.”
“...Please.”
“Don't make me laugh, Vator,” Kang Jin-Ho tutted, his gaze growing even colder. So cold, in fact, that azure flames seemed to be dancing eerily in Kang Jin-Ho's eyes. “The loser has no right to complain about whatever happens to them. Didn't you think that while attacking me?”
“...!”
“If you didn't... Maybe you should've thought deeper about what it meant to attack someone completely unrelated to you for the purpose of killing him. That is, if you can think of anything else other than martial arts with that rotting brain of yours.”
Kang Jin-Ho was still genuinely enraged. These martial artists, they did whatever the hell they wanted without a care in the world. Things were so bad back in ancient Zhongyuan that the common folk used to label martial artists as terrible inhuman demons regardless of who they were affiliated to.
All those obsessed with improving their cultivation were blind to everything else. They didn't know, or maybe didn't care, about how big the ripples of their actions and choices could be to the world around them. Just like...
'Right, like how I used to be in the past.'
Once upon a time, Kang Jin-Ho was no different from Vator. No, he had been several times worse. After all, Kang Jin-Ho had destroyed countless lives under the pretext of ensuring his own survival.
Of course, he didn't regret his actions. Even if he were to go back in time now, Kang Jin-Ho would still make the same choices. His survival would still remain the most important topic for him, after all.
Even so, knowing that he did all those horrific things under the pretext of his survival meant Kang Jin-Ho could never really get over his disgust for himself. And those horrible things weren't even necessary at the time, too! Things the current Kang Jin-Ho... wouldn't do.
The past Kang Jin-Ho didn't even hesitate or agonize for a second before destroying many lives if it was for his convenience or achieving his goals. And he used to think there was nothing wrong with that.
What would the current Kang Jin-Ho say if he witnessed his past self in action? He probably would call himself a devil. Maybe, he'd hold himself in contempt for being such an inhuman bastard.
What Vator did today was remind Kang Jin-Ho that the target of his contempt was Kang Jin-Ho himself. That he was disgusted by a part of himself that could never be exorcized from him.
Seeing Vator even made Kang Jin-Ho nauseous with himself for briefly getting excited about fighting a powerful expert.
Maybe Kang Jin-Ho was fooling himself. This could be nothing more than a simple venting of his anger. A way to let out his uncontrollable emotions.
It was unfortunate for Vator that he had to become the target of this outpouring of emotions, but... So what? Vator must've lived a life of violence, anyway.
If Vator honestly believed the strong, the winner, had the right to do whatever he wanted, then Kang Jin-Ho could demonstrate that for him. After all, Kang Jin-Ho was the strongest in this place, wasn't he?
Vator's eyes grew glassier and glassier. The drool dripping from his slack jaw was even greater in quantity than the blood leaking out from his neck. Even his tough mind had failed to endure the sheer torture of this situation.
“P-please, stop!”
That was when a despairing voice exploded from somewhere. Definitely not from Vator's lips, though. It came from someone else.
It was Zhang Dajing. Vator's attendant rushed toward where Kang Jin-Ho was at the speed of lightning, then kowtowed urgently in front of the dying Vator.
“I beg of you, sir! Please spare his life!”
Kang Jin-Ho's head slowly shifted over to Zhang Dajing.
“M-Mister Kang Jin-Ho, I beg of you...!” Zhang Dajing pleaded even as his teeth clattered fearfully.
His complexion was as pale as it could get, as if a scary ghost had appeared before his eyes. His state seemed to hint at how much Zhang Dajing had to agonize over his decision to step up and persuade Kang Jin-Ho.
However, he still managed to overcome his fear of Kang Jin-Ho, his fear of dying immediately by butting in... or ending up in the same wretched state as Vator.
Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes, slightly puzzled by this intrusion.
“S-sir. I'm fully aware of Sir Vator's guilt. And I also know that a loser has no right to complain about their fate, no matter how harsh it is. However... However, Sir Vator has paid the price already. I beg of you to grant him mercy, and…”
Kang Jin-Ho's expression remained still, but the slight hint of puzzlement was growing now. “Is this man your superior?”
“Yes, sir.”
“And you're loyal enough to risk your own neck for this man's survival?”
“I am…” Zhang Dajing briefly stopped talking, then bit down on his lip. “I used to think such a thing was irrelevant to me, sir. However... It seems I didn't know much about myself. Even if I die tonight, I know I must say what needs to be said to have the peace of mind in the afterlife.”
Even as he spoke, Zhang Dajing couldn't get over this awkwardness, and it showed on his face. Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes and wondered if Zhang Dajing himself couldn't be sure why he'd risk his own life this way.
The truth was Zhang Dajing did act compulsively. What could he do when his heart commanded him to rush out here? But his head still couldn't understand why he'd shoulder such risks for a man he had only known for a few days.
If there was one reason, well... Because Vator treated Zhang Dajing like a fellow human being?
Being assigned to South Korea was like the end of a career for an intelligence operative in the Crimson King's faction. Any operative deemed good enough would've been given tasks related to investigating other factions in Zhongyuan, so being dispatched to Korea was no better than being cast out.
Besides, discrimination in China could be rather shocking depending on where you came from and what your rank was. One's rank was thought of as one's badge of honor and the amount of power one could wield in Chinese society. Those with low ranks would be summarily ignored or held in contempt. And everyone viewed this attitude as normal.
As Zhang Dajing couldn't find any agents ranked lower than him in the faction, everyone in the organization treated him like disposable trash.
Only those dispatched to South Korea were of equal standing. Only they could console each other's unfortunate circumstances.
In the midst of all this discrimination, though, Vator showed up. And he didn't look down on the agents. No, he treated Zhang Dajing and his company with respect. This humane treatment he had never experienced before in his life could be the trigger that pushed Zhang Dajing into making this choice.
“I beg of you!” Zhang Dajing smashed his forehead on the hard ground. “Sir Vator might be sent from the Crimson King's faction, but he is not affiliated with it, sir! I assure you, Sir Vator is completely unrelated to the Crimson King's ambition of conquering South Korea! He's only here in this country due to a personal matter with the Crimson King. That is why... Please, grant us mercy and forgive Sir Vator. I beg of you! We will…”
“In that case, will you die in his place?” Kang Jin-Ho abruptly cut Zhang Dajing off. “You heard me. Are you willing to die for him? Then, I'll let this man live. However... I'll rip you apart instead.”
“...!” Zhang Dajing couldn't readily reply. His shoulders trembled noticeably. Could he die in Vator's place instead? Could he sacrifice his life like that?
Kang Jin-Ho smirked when Zhang Dajing couldn't reply. “Indeed, one's life is precious.”
“...! M-Mister Kang, I...!”
“Don't you worry. Even if you said you'd die for him, I'd still have killed Vator after cutting your head off. I've never been a fan of those idiots who act on useless emotions, you see? But I reward those with honesty. So, I'll let you both live.”
Zhang Dajing's head shot up. But the look of delight on his face immediately disappeared, morphing into that of pure despair instead. Kang Jin-Ho's expression, as he looked down on Zhang Dajing, could only be described as shockingly devious!
“I never planned to kill either of you in the first place, you see?” Kang Jin-Ho reached out and grabbed Vator's skull. He lifted his victim's head up and yanked it close to his own face. Blood trickled down from the open wounds on Vator's throat, but Kang Jin-Ho didn't care. “Death is too good of an ending for you. And I'm not merciful enough to grant that.”
Kang Jin-Ho's eyes burned in deeper and deeper shades of crimson. His irises were now redder than even the reddest blood, yet pitch-black darkness also seeped into this redness. This crimson hue was so ominous and frightening that merely looking into it felt like falling into the burning pits of the netherworld!
“Now... Look at me, Vator! Look at me!”
A bizarre, spooky voice seemingly leaking out of the underworld came from Kang Jin-Ho's distorted lips.
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