Chapter 608. Overwhelmed, Again (3)
“Fuu-wuuuph...!”
Yi Myeong-Hwan sucked in a deep breath.
The first deployment! Those three words coming out of Kang Jin-Ho's mouth created huge ripples.
Even though Yi Myeong-Hwan repeatedly told himself to stay calm, nothing changed. His whole body felt hot and tingly as if a giant ball of flames was burning inside his chest.
Yi Myeong-Hwan closed his eyes to shut everything out and even tried to recite Buddhist prayers. He even resorted to humming a few Christian hymns he heard in passing, but... But nothing could calm him down.
'Blood hell... Should I take a cheongsimhwan or something?' [1]
A dumb little pill like that wouldn't be effective in calming a martial artist's jitters, but Yi Myeong-Hwan was desperate enough to try anything at this point.
It seemed that the phrase, 'My blood is boiling,' was invented for conditions like this. Despite his best efforts to remain calm, his brain didn't want to accept his will after hearing about the upcoming battle. It obstinately continued to push his physical body into an unbearably taut state of tension.
At least everyone else was going through the same thing as Yi Myeong-Hwan!
'It's so bloody suffocating in here!'
The demonic qi densely filling the auditorium seemed to squeeze Yi Myeong-Hwan's lungs dry. Since demonic qi lacked a physical form, it couldn't suffocate anyone. But this feeling still stubbornly refused to leave Yi Myeong-Hwan alone.
That was how thick the demonic qi filling up the auditorium's interior was. And they had no one to blame but themselves for emitting so much demonic qi and creating this situation. Not just Yi Myeong-Hwan, but his peers were also mired in the same nervousness and tension.
“Fuu-woo...” Yi Myeong-Hwan sucked in another deep breath. 'He said it might not happen today, so calm down!'
No, hang on. When Kang Jin-Ho said those things, he must've meant that the odds of the first deployment happening on another day were higher. That had to be it. After all, when a superior officer told his subordinates that they might see some combat tonight, it usually meant they shouldn't relax even if the odds of that prediction coming true were low.
Yi Myeong-Hwan thought his peers were pathetic bastards for wagging their tails and whimpering away like excited puppies. Of course, he also saw himself just as guilty as them.
'Dammit. Calm down, man!'
Just how many times has he told himself that?
Yi Myeong-Hwan sneaked a glance behind him. The lunatics, also known as Yi Myeong-Hwan's fellow martial artists, were visibly tensing up yet... Like some kind of a miracle, they were not losing their cool with each other. They probably didn't want to waste even a tiny bit of their energy since they should be unleashing it against their enemies pretty soon.
Yi Myeong-Hwan was oh-so tempted to applaud them for their tenacity.
'Bloody hell... I really hope we get the word to deploy tonight...'
These martial artists were also human beings, so it would not be possible for them to keep this intensity up forever. Give them a few more days, and they would most likely end up resembling burnt-out candles with only the wax drippings remaining. At least, that was the impression Yi Myeong-Hwan got.
'Before that happens, we need to somehow douse the flames...'
Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn't help but think something needed to be done as soon as possible before something bad happened. He wasn't worried about just himself but others, too.
Their conditions seemed rather concerning, to put it mildly. In a way, this situation was similar to all the fighting dogs shoved inside a cramped cage. If something were to trigger these folks, the ensuing catastrophe would be...
Yi Myeong-Hwan's thoughts were abruptly cut off just then.
Creeeaak...!
The sharp metallic noise of a door opening assaulted Yi Myeong-Hwan's ears. His head shot up to look. And for a moment there, he forgot to breathe at the sight of a person entering the auditorium. It was... Kang Jin-Ho!
Indeed, Kang Jin-Ho was leisurely walking inside. When he reached the center of the auditorium, he scanned the faces of everyone here, and then leisurely addressed them. “So... Are you all ready?”
He didn't need to hear their reply, though. The burning look in their eyes was all the answer he needed.
***
'Gee whiz. This is f*cking creepy!'
Lee Hyeon-Su rubbed all the goosebumps on his forearm. He could do something about his skin's condition, but not this chilling feeling washing over him. That was beyond his ability to overcome.
The best way to describe this feeling was... Like lugging around a huge cache of explosives on his back?
'I'm supposed to cooperate with these... animals from now on?'
When that thought entered his mind, Lee Hyeon-Su's expression grew somber. He used to deal with someone like the Fallen. And compared to that man's madness, these younger-generation martial artists were like meek little lambs. Even then...!
'Even meek lambs can kill people when they go insane... By ramming their heads into you!'
And there was more than one lamb here. In fact, it was a whole dang flock of them! The prospect of leading over a hundred of these insane lambs that might stray somewhere else at any given moment was giving Lee Hyeon-Su a powerful migraine.
Lee Hyeon-Su glanced at the bus's interior mirror but immediately turned his head away. The reflection was filled with dozens of eyes burning in crimson hues. Even Lee Hyeon-Su, who was quite proud of being a gutsy man, was too spooked to stare back at such intense glares.
'I'll never issue solo missions to these guys...!'
At least Kang Jin-Ho was riding in the same bus as them to act as their handler. Imagine if he wasn't here to keep these animals on a leash!
Lee Hyeon-Su was convinced that these men would have caused a serious problem by now!
“...Mister Jin-Ho, didn't you say the side effects would be negligible?”
“Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes while turning his head to look at Lee Hyeon-Su.
“I'm talking about demonic cultivation. You said these guys won't go crazy like the Fallen since you've handed out the intact, uncorrupted demonic cultivation method.”
“Yes, I did say that.”
“But they look plenty crazy to me?”
Kang Jin-Ho bared his fangs in a toothy grin. “Is that so? But... Aren't they well-behaved compared to a lunatic who murders people and consumes their flesh?”
“...Mister Jin-Ho, couldn’t you find more normal-sounding examples to compare them to?”
If the target of the comparison was the Fallen, everyone in South Korea should qualify as a master in controlling their rage. Compared to regular martial artists, these younger-generation folks were definitely not of sane mind!
Kang Jin-Ho chuckled unhurriedly. “There's no need to worry as they won't cause problems.”
“Mm? Does that mean they aren't as vicious or violent as they look?”
“No, that's not it,” Kang Jin-Ho nonchalantly replied. “They still have their reasoning, and that makes them scared of getting killed, you see? I warned them that I'd personally kill anyone stupid enough to cause problems. So, things should be fine.”
“...Wowsers. Now I feel so much at ease,” Lee Hyeon-Su muttered dazedly while staring outside the bus's window. 'Who knew I'd one day miss working for that bastard, Kim Seok-Il...?'
Back when Lee Hyeon-Su still called the Yeongnam Group his home, he only had to worry about dealing with Kim Seok-Il. Sure, that one bastard nearly drove Lee Hyeon-Su to consider suicide after all the accumulated stress got to him, but that was still preferable to the situation of a hundred-plus lunatics potentially causing untold chaos everywhere...!
'...Something has gone wrong with the Martial Assembly.'
During his time in the Yeongnam Group, Lee Hyeon-Su always maintained a top-three spot in the Most Insane Bastards of the Organization ranking. Every member of the Group was fearful of Lee Hyeon-Su's cruel, heartless schemes. What about now, though?
Instead of 'insane bastard', Lee Hyeon-Su had been demoted to an ordinary plebeian who prayed fervently for this colorful cast of madmen not to create a mess somewhere.
Every comparison and evaluation was subject-dependent. Lee Hyeon-Su might have been treated like a lunatic back in the Yeongnam Group, but mingling with even crazier bastards like these people had turned him into the straight man of this comedy troupe!
Should he celebrate this turn of events or fall into despair? Lee Hyeon-Su couldn't readily decide.
“Excuse me...?”
That was when a hushed voice suddenly came from behind him to break his train of thought. Lee Hyeon-Su turned his head to look, only to discover Yi Myeong-Hwan staring at him with eyes burning in an eerie crimson aura.
“...Can't you speak while looking elsewhere? I thought I'd get a heart attack, you dumb prick!” Lee Hyeon-Su angrily spat out.
“Oh, uh... My bad, sir. But, can you tell us where exactly we're going?”
“Why do you want to know?”
“I thought we should at least know who we're going to fight, sir.”
“Hmm...” Lee Hyeon-Su frowned slightly, then glanced at Kang Jin-Ho next. He was asking what he should do here.
When Kang Jin-Ho unhurriedly nodded, Lee Hyeon-Su grimaced slightly. That nod implied that Kang Jin-Ho would leave it up to Lee Hyeon-Su's discretion.
After sighing a little, Lee Hyeon-Su addressed Yi Myeong-Hwan. “The truth is... Our mission tonight is to bring down the former Assembly Master, Lee Jung-Geol.”
“...Huh? Who did you say it was?”
“The former Assembly Master Lee Jung-Geol.”
Yi Myeong-Hwan's expression froze stiff. “...Will the former Assembly Master be alone?”
“No. He must be together with a handful of elders and close confidantes. Oh, that's right... There's a possibility of your clan members and even your masters accompanying Lee Jung-Geol,” said Lee Hyeon-Su while pretending that he only learned this information not too long ago. Obviously that wasn't true, but would others know that? “Oh, well. If anyone has second thoughts, you are free to leave. We won't force you to participate. Besides, Mister Jin-Ho isn't the type to sweat the small stuff like that.”
A wave of agitation swept across the younger-generation martial artists. They didn't care about fighting Lee Jung-Geol. Even if that man was the former Assembly Master, it wasn't as if they held any notable loyalty to that man, anyway. No, their issue was with Lee Jung-Geol's friends and acquaintances surrounding him.
Lee Jung-Geol had ruled over the Martial Assembly for decades. And his circle of friends basically formed the core of the Assembly. So, it shouldn't come as a surprise to learn that all the younger-generation martial artists had relations and connections to those people.
“If you want to drop out, you're free to do so,” said Kang Jin-Ho in a calm, flat-sounding voice. He wasn't trying to intimidate anyone but to make a simple, straightforward announcement.
Yi Myeong-Hwan cautiously asked, “Is it really okay for us to not participate?”
“Mm? Why do you sound worried?”
Yi Myeong-Hwan couldn't answer and shut his mouth instead.
That was when Lee Hyeon-Su groaned softly before explaining the situation on behalf of Yi Myeong-Hwan. “They are worried about being forced into disadvantageous positions compared to those who chose to stay, Mister Jin-Ho.”
“Disadvantageous positions?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.
“Yes. They think you'll discriminate against them.”
Kang Jin-Ho chuckled in clear dismay. “Yes, I won't accept anyone cowardly backing off when there are enemies before our eyes.”
The atmosphere in the bus rapidly reached sub-zero when everyone heard Kang Jin-Ho's announcement.
“However, it's your job to determine whether someone is your enemy or not. Let's say I told you these people are your enemies. However, if you disagree with my assessment, you simply don't fight them. And that will be all. I won't blame you for that.” Kang Jin-Ho turned around in his seat to look back. “All I ask from you is to not back down from a fight. It's your choice to decide what to fight for and which battlefield to die in. Most importantly... I do not want anyone to blindly follow me. So, choose.”
The looks in everyone's eyes became withdrawn, as if they had all fallen into deep thought. Kang Jin-Ho didn't say anything else and sat back down, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
Lee Hyeon-Su observed his scene, then quietly whistled away. These younger-generation martial artists would now have to do a lot of soul-searching during this bus ride. All he could do now was to pray that they find their answers before they arrived at their destination.
Lee Hyeon-Su glanced at his assistant in the next seat. “Hey. Inform the other bus of the current development and tell them to decide before we arrive. We'll probably reach the destination in around ten minutes.”
“Understood,” said the assistant.
After sorting out the situation, Lee Hyeon-Su quietly addressed Kang Jin-Ho. “Mister Jin-Ho...?”
“I'm listening.”
“Well... With so many guys going somewhere in a bus, isn't it like we're going on a school trip?”
Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head while cocking an eyebrow. “A... school trip?”
“Yes. I haven't traveled in a large group like this since graduation, so, uh... It kinda feels weird.”
Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly turned his head away to look outside the window. That was when Lee Hyeon-Su saw the reflection of Kang Jin-Ho's lips moving in the glass.
'...Did he just call me a crazy bastard?'
It can't be, right? I mean, he wouldn't do that. Surely not...
***
The buses drove for a while before abruptly coming to a stop in the middle of nowhere. The driver turned around and spoke to Lee Hyeon-Su. “We can't go any further than this, sir. We'll be spotted by the CCTV cameras.”
“Got it. Good work,” said Lee Hyeon-Su while getting up. He glanced back at the passengers behind him. “Those who wish to participate, get off the bus. Anyone who doesn't want to fight can stay here. We'll just be on our way. As you've heard before, you will not be discriminated against even if you choose to stay. Remember, this is a civil war. You must think about the unique nature of such conflicts, okay? You might have to kill people close to you with your own hands. That is why you need to think long and hard about this.”
Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly nodded at Lee Hyeon-Su's speech, then exited the bus first. He walked over to the roadside before mouthing a cigarette.
Lee Hyeon-Su sneaked closer before lighting the cigarette for Kang Jin-Ho. “I have to say, you sure are well-mannered, Mister Jin-Ho.”
“What do you mean?”
“No one would've said anything even if you smoked inside the bus, yet you held yourself back until now.”
“They would've slagged me off in their minds.”
“...Well, yes. That's true.” Lee Hyeon-Su smiled wryly, then turned his attention back to the buses. No one had exited yet. 'Hang on, someone will join us, right?'
He shouldn't be worried about such a thing, though. After all, those who knew for sure that their acquaintances wouldn't be with Lee Jung-Geol had no reason to avoid fighting tonight. And there were some martial artists in those buses whose loyalty toward Kang Jin-Ho exceeded their affection toward their acquaintances. Such as...
Lee Hyeon-Su smirked weakly after noticing who the first person to exit the bus was.
Indeed, people like that Yi Myeong-Hwan fit that bill.
After exiting the bus, Yi Myeong-Hwan stood to the side. That seemed to serve as the signal as more people began exiting the vehicles.
1. 'Cheonsimhwan', also called 'clear-mind pill', is a pill formulated with thirty-odd herbs and other medicinal ingredients to treat numb limbs and symptoms of various ailments. ?
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