Chapter 1558 Looking After (3)

Suzuki Ryuichi furrowed his brow at the sight of the large crowd filling up the indoor venue.

“...So many have come.”

Shimeji Michihiro shook his head. “I’m guessing this isn’t everyone, though.”

“Why?”

“Think about it. It’s not possible for those in the far corners of the country to arrive here on such short notice. So, they must be planning to recruit people regionally.”

“Mm...!”

“Then again, other regions probably won’t see a crowd as large as this one.”

Suzuki Ryuichi silently nodded in agreement.

Tokyo might be Japan’s capital city, its heart, but Kyoto was the Japanese martial society’s capital. Not only did this region boast the highest number of martial artists, but there were more factions here, too.

Although, that story was true only until last year.

“Judging from how they rented a venue this big, they must be swimming in more money than I thought,” said Shimeji Michihiro.

“Makes sense. All the money we’ve extorted from our own people is flowing into their pockets, after all.”

Shimeji Michihiro furrowed his brow at how cynical Suzuki Ryuichi sounded just then. “Look, man. I get how you feel, but my advice? You should watch what you say in this place.”

“...What do you mean?”

Shimeji Michihiro casually shrugged, then pointed at their surroundings. “Well, this place is filled with people who qualify as pro-Korea traitors in your criteria, you see? Since that’s the case, they probably want to rip you apart as you’re an oh-so-noble patriot in their eyes.”

“...!”

“So, watch what you’re saying if you don’t want to die even before getting your final shot at glory, okay? I’ve already noticed a few of our comrades busy glaring at you, you see?”

“...”

“People tend to get super violent when some bastard starts poking them where it hurts, you know?”

Shimeji Michihiro began smirking deeply. Suzuki Ryuichi could only scowl, however.

Hah... You’re like a fish meeting water, aren’t you?

Shimeji Michihiro had always been like this. He was the type who couldn’t take things seriously, always joked around, and made snarky comments if he got too bored with the proceedings.

That was why Suzuki Ryuichi used to think his friend didn’t fit the usual martial artist-shaped mold, but now...

Maybe the one that didn’t fit all along was me.

Suzuki Ryuichi bit his lip softly. So what if that was true?

As long as I can show our unyielding spirit, that will be enough.

He swore to show them how a proud Japanese warrior greeted his death. While thinking that, Suzuki Ryuichi gripped the hilt of a knife hidden under his clothing.

Just as he steeled himself, the doorway in front of the venue opened with an audible clunk, and a familiar face stepped inside.

Isn’t that Konno?

Suzuki Ryuichi’s mind automatically recalled the memories of Konno during the time when the Yamakawa-kai’s prestige soared to the heavens. That man used to be a true warrior who followed the code of Bushido. His conduct made him worthy of the title of a modern-day samurai.

But now? That Konno had none of those qualities.

How... How is it possible for a man to transform that much?!

Rather than a warrior, Konno looked more like an office worker now. Not just any office worker, but a middle-aged man covered in cold sweat after being blown around by life’s headwinds!

“E-everyone...” Konno opened the proceedings with a stammer. “I’m grateful for... N-nice work coming here today on such short notice.”

It looked as if Konno wasn’t sure how polite he should be with the crowd. Even then, he kept glancing fearfully behind him instead of paying attention to the crowd in front of him.

Suzuki Ryuichi furrowed his brow. What was going on here? Why was Konno acting so weirdly like that?

It made some sense for Konno to lose his previous gallant spirit of a warrior. However, he wasn’t acting like someone who had lost his fighting spirit and was wallowing in depression. No, he was clearly terrified of something.

Maybe a big fish has shown up today?

Suzuki Ryuichi reflexively squeezed his thigh.

Since this matter involved traveling to South Korea, the odds of a Martial Assembly member being here to explain things were quite high. And judging from Konno’s terrified state, that member must be someone high up in the Assembly’s hierarchy.

Well, this is better, actually.

Shedding the blood of some no-name small fry wouldn’t have changed anything, anyway. An incident involving a high-ranking member should generate a far more suitable response, Suzuki Ryuichi wagered.

“Y-you must’ve heard the story before c-coming here, but... Eh... Any volunteers among you who...” Konno panted and wheezed before shaking his head. “I-instead of me, it’ll be better to listen directly to our honored guest today, who has come all this way to offer you a word of encouragement. A-all of you, stand up. We are honored to host the noble and great Assembly Master of the Korean Martial Assembly.”

That was when all the hushed murmuring and whispering within the venue instantly died down, only to be replaced by eerie silence. Even Suzuki Ryuichi’s jaw fell, his eyes wide open in shock. No words wanted to come out of his mouth.

The Assembly Master? In other words, Kang Jin-Ho?

That man had personally shown up here?!

Suzuki Ryuichi freaked out and reflexively gripped the armrest of his chair.

Crunch!

The armrest couldn’t withstand the grip strength and cracked apart almost immediately. However, Suzuki Ryuichi’s undivided attention remained glued to his front, completely unaware of what he had done.

Konno fearfully glanced behind him at the doorway.

The wait itself wasn’t long, yet to those who were waiting in the venue, it felt like an eternity. And when this eternity finally passed them by...

Clomp.

Clomp!

As quiet footsteps echoed eerily, Kang Jin-Ho leisurely walked through the doorway to enter the venue. While kitted out in a clean black business suit, he stepped up to the rostrum Konno had been occupying. He was followed by another man, also wearing a similar black business suit.

Everyone inside the venue all thought the same thing at that moment. What would Kang Jin-Ho say to them first?

But what he chose to say first easily transcended their imaginations.

“Nice to meet you, you pieces of trash. I’m Kang Jin-Ho.”

His still voice echoed in the venue. Konno freaked out while looking back at Kang Jin-Ho, his pale expression asking if he should translate what the latter had said.

But the one answering Konno wasn’t Kang Jin-Ho, but the man behind him.

“I’ll take over the translation, so step aside,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.

“U-understood, Chief Lee...”

Lee Hyeon-Su stepped forward and took over Konno’s microphone before flashing a brilliant smile at the crowd. He then translated Kang Jin-Ho’s greeting word for word.

Naturally, the crowd began getting agitated. They alternated shocked and puzzled gazes with each other.

What the hell was that?

Did he really call us trash?

Unfortunately for the Japanese warriors, they were in no position to respond. Obviously, voicing their discontent was out of the question. But that didn’t mean they should agree with Kang Jin-Ho, either.

They all thought that, at least for the first greeting, Kang Jin-Ho would try to be moderately polite as per the established norm. So, this off-the-cuff greeting left them confused. All they could do was dazedly stare at him.

“You think I’m wrong?”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho pulled out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket before mouthing a cigarette. Lee Hyeon-Su stopped translating and smartly lit up the cigarette with a lighter.

“Fuu-woo...” Kang Jin-Ho briefly puffed away as a strange smirk floated up on his lips. “Japanese warriors who were not trash have already died. If not, their martial arts got sealed, and they now live on as cripples.”

“...!”

“All of you in this place kept your mouths shut to stay alive even as your friends and comrades got massacred. That’s who you are. And yet you still dared to crawl in here because you thought you might gain something nice by doing so.”

Lee Hyeon-Su diligently translated what Kang Jin-Ho said, then added one more thing. “This is the personal opinion of the Assembly Master, everyone. Please note that this does not represent the Martial Assembly’s official stance.”

“...”

“Oh, and just to be clear, I agree completely with the Assembly Master, you bunch of trash.”

Lee Hyeon-Su grinned brightly.

“Why, you...!”

That was when a Japanese martial artist sitting in the front row suddenly lunged toward Kang Jin-Ho while yanking out a knife hidden under his clothes.

“Dieeeee!”

However, Kang Jin-Ho dismissively flicked his hand at the incoming martial artist as if he was chasing a fly away.

POOOOW!

As the noise of a leather drum exploding resounded, the Japanese martial artist flew away even faster than when he lunged at Kang Jin-Ho. After instantly turning into a bloodied and battered lump, he bounced around on the floor several times before losing consciousness.

Lee Hyeon-Su politely apologized. “I’m sorry, sir. I should’ve inspected them for any hidden weapons.”

“No, it’s fine,” said Kang Jin-Ho with little concern.

How could he get angry when none of them posed much of a threat to him?

“Was that an attempt to show me that you still have a backbone? Don’t make me laugh. People who have kept their mouths shut until now do not have the right to talk about backbone and whatnot. Besides, what can a bunch of trash like you show me, anyway? After all, those who died before you have already shown me everything you wanted to show me.”

“...!”

Suzuki Ryuichi’s body began trembling just then. What Kang Jin-Ho said stabbed painfully into his heart.

“Cowards usually try to beautify their cowardice with words like patience. They all say they were being patient, that they were waiting for a better chance to present itself. Unfortunately for you, such a chance will never come. Those who missed their timing can do nothing but stew in the shame of their cowardice. That’s all.”

Kang Jin-Ho smirked deeply.

“So, you still think you’re not a bunch of trash?”

“...!”

No one dared to speak.

“Fuu-woo...”

Kang Jin-Ho leisurely puffed away, then glanced at each and everyone in the venue. Whenever their gazes met, the Japanese warriors didn’t dare stare back and hurriedly lowered their heads.

“However, I don’t dislike trash like you.”

To be more precise, his sentiments this time were a little more particular.

Kang Jin-Ho never liked people who lacked passion and didn’t bother to better themselves. However, did these people fit that criteria? That was up for debate, wasn’t it?

In that case, did fighting till the last person, even though the battle had already been decided, qualify as the right thing to do? Just like what the Japanese warriors who died during the war had done?

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t believe that was the case. And his sentiment extended to the Martial Assembly, too.

If Kang Jin-Ho died at the hands of the Three Kings, and the Assembly found itself in an unwinnable situation, the best choice it could make was bowing down to the Chinese martial society to ensure its continued survival.

The way he saw it, one’s survival should always be the most important thing to a person.

Dying to preserve one’s honor was a worthless endeavor to Kang Jin-Ho. Especially more so if that so-called honor was tied to the sense of belonging one held toward a worthless organization.

“It doesn’t matter even if you’re trash. Because you at least know your life is worth more than anything else. That’s why I’m offering you this.”

The corners of Kang Jin-Ho’s lips curled up.

“I will open the path for you, all of you, to rule over Japan.”

He didn’t even bother to use euphemisms to soften his words. And those sharper-than-blades words slammed into the hearing of every Japanese warrior in this venue.

“The offer is simple. Come to Korea. Receive training from us. And you will return to Japan after becoming stronger than those who chose to stay behind. As compensation, you will run a few simple errands for us. And yes, we will guarantee your autonomy as much as possible.”

Someone in the crowd broke the silence with a trembling voice. “Y-you... want us to become your tools?”

“That’s right.”

Kang Jin-Ho also didn’t even bother to beat around the bush.

“Tools, dogs, pro-Korean bastards... It doesn’t matter what label you want to use. That’s not going to change the nature of this arrangement, after all.” Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged. “My people came up with a nice-sounding title for what you would become, but I don’t remember what that was. But I’m sure you’ll all agree that titles ultimately don’t matter. Because they won’t affect what you must do for us. Your job is simple. Rule over Japan on my behalf.”

“...!”

“You can stay if you’re interested. If not, leave.”

The end of Kang Jin-Ho’s “explanation” ushered in a hellish silence.

This was different from what the Japanese martial artists had been expecting.

At the very least, they expected to see carrots dangling in front of them, with nice-sounding invitations extended in their way. Everyone who had shown up here could obviously guess what the Koreans wanted from them. After all, they weren’t naïve idiots.

Still, they expected the Koreans to hide beneath a pleasant facade. Even if the facade was flimsy and could be stripped away almost immediately, having one made a lot of difference compared to not having one, after all!

But it was clear at this point that Kang Jin-Ho wasn’t interested in putting on a facade. Since that was the case, what should the Japanese even say to him?

How were they supposed to even...

Just as everyone’s thoughts reached that far, Suzuki Ryuichi cautiously stood up, then stared unflinchingly at Kang Jin-Ho. However, his knees were trembling, while his fists were tightly clenched. Even his eyes were slightly bloodshot, too.

His appearance amply proved how much of a burden he was under and how hard he was trying to overcome his emotional turmoil.

“Do you mind if I ask you a few questions?”

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Suzuki Ryuichi, his lips curling up even more.

“Go ahead.”