Chapter 1560 Looking After (5)

The spacious venue was now filled with an indescribable silence.

Before Kang Jin-Ho’s entrance, the crowd chatted in hushed whispers, but after his exit... Even the sound of a pin drop would have echoed thunderously now.

As the deafening silence continued on, Shimeji Michihiro whispered as quietly as possible to Suzuki Ryuichi. “Hey, man. Are you planning to stay?”

“...”

“I thought you wanted to show them something?”

Suzuki Ryuichi didn’t respond and remained still.

Was he chickening out now? No, that wasn’t it.

He simply had an epiphany, that was all. Now he knew that showing those people his resolve was a meaningless waste of time.

His death would undoubtedly fail to incite the people gathered in this venue. No, they would simply say that a delusional idiot had gotten himself killed for nothing instead.

Suzuki Ryuichi sneakily glanced at Shimeji Michihiro. He remembered the argument they had earlier.

Looks like I was the one with his head in the clouds.

It seemed that the one who had failed to see the reality was Suzuki Ryuichi. The Japanese martial society’s current state was worse than he thought. Make that at least twice as bad!

Even if the Martial Assembly leaves Japan alone, will we be able to return to our previous state?

That seemed nearly impossible at this stage. After all, Japan had lost its top experts and talents. Not only that, but it also lost many of its top martial arts. Worse still, the will to fight back was gone, too.

Could people like that rebuild the Japanese martial society from scratch by themselves?

No. Things won’t go back to how they were even after a hundred years!

Even if this state had reverted somehow to before the breakout of war, things still didn’t look encouraging. After all, the Japanese martial society before the war had been weak enough to lose completely against the Martial Assembly.

Suzuki Ryuichi tried to think about other options, but he simply couldn’t see a path forward for the Japanese martial society. In that case...!

“Those people are strong.”

He could tell by looking at Kang Jin-Ho and the other man accompanying him. Those people possessed this one thing, but the Japanese martial artists gathered in the venue did not.

And that was the “relaxed” attitude.

Would Japan ever regain the same relaxed attitude one day?

Suzuki Ryuichi squeezed his eyes shut. “Nothing will change no matter how hard I struggle in this place.”

Shimeji Michihiro chuckled sardonically. “You figured that out only now?”

A soft sigh of lamentation left Suzuki Ryuichi’s lips.

He genuinely believed that determination was enough. With it, he should be able to achieve anything he wanted. But today’s experience taught him that no, he was deluding himself. Determination alone meant little in the real world.

“Fuu-woo...”

Suzuki Ryuichi carefully gripped the hilt of the knife hidden under his clothes.

While coming here, he saw this knife as a sign of his determination. But now, he knew better. He knew this knife represented nothing more than reckless bravado.

A knife that didn’t know when it was being pulled out, and a knife that got used constantly for no rhyme or reason would eventually ruin the user instead.

“Listen, Ryuichi. Now is the time if you want to leave. You should go instead of getting dragged to Korea against your wishes.”

“...”

“And the things the Assembly Master had said weren’t some dumb bluff, okay? We all know it, right? As in, we know how terrifying those people can get.”

Of course Suzuki Ryuichi knew that. More than he’d like, actually. How could he not know when it was hard to miss how thoroughly those people had wrecked Japan?

Shimeji Michihiro pleaded with his friend again. “Besides, your purpose for coming here is over, right?”

“No,” Suzuki Ryuichi shook his head. “My purpose? It hasn’t even started yet.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Tell me, Michihiro. What did you think was my actual purpose?”

Shimeji Michihiro furrowed his brow. “I thought you wanted to do something reckless.”

“No, that’s not it...” Suzuki Ryuichi chewed on his lip. “What I wanted to do was revive the Japanese martial society. To go back to the times when our country was ruled by various gumis.”

“And how would you have done that?”

“I naively thought that all I had to do was light the fire in the hearts of the remaining warriors. But now I know how stupid that was. That’s why...!”

A different type of determination began burning in Suzuki Ryuichi’s eyes.

“I’ll do it myself.”

“...?”

“They want to insult me and point fingers at me? I don’t care. I’ll deal with them all.”

Suzuki Ryuichi was someone who had resolved himself for death. In that case, why wouldn’t he be able to endure insults to his honor?

Shimeji Michihiro furrowed his brow again. “What are you saying? You also want to go to Korea now?”

“That’s right.”

That unhesitant reply brought a smirk to Shimeji Michihiro’s lips. “After all that hero talk, who knew you weren’t any different from me?”

“Let’s get one thing straight here!” Suzuki Ryuichi snapped and glared at Shimeji Michihiro murderously. “I don’t care about wealth. But I do need power!”

Japan was already done for. Even if Suzuki Ryuichi wanted to start from the bottom and encouraged people to join his cause, only the dregs would gather. In that case... He might as well acquire power through the Koreans, instead!

Only then, only with such a power, would he be able to do something about this situation!

“If they need pro-Korean bastards, sure, I’ll be your bastard!”

Shimeji Michihiro sneered in silence. Suzuki Ryuichi could still spy the contempt contained within his so-called friend’s expression. Rather than starting another argument, however, he also kept his mouth shut.

Mock me all you want, Michihiro.

Actually, he preferred it this way. He wanted others to think that he had lost his will to fight after witnessing how powerful the enemy was and decided to lick their boots from now on.

That was perfectly fine with him, at least for now.

Suzuki Ryuichi’s eyes coldly flickered just then.

I will submit to you. As much as you want. However, do not think that I’ll truly submit to you!

He would wait patiently. Wait until the Koreans trusted him unreservedly and handed all authority to him, and then...!

Until then, he swore to become their loyal dog.

Just as Suzuki Ryuichi finished resolving himself, the doorway was shoved open, and Kang Jin-Ho and Lee Hyeon-Su entered the venue. After stepping onto the rostrum, Kang Jin-Ho scanned the stiff-faced crowd and asked, “Have you all made up your minds?”

“Yes, sir!”

“Good.”

Kang Jin-Ho smirked deeply. What a group of excellent turncoats and traitors they were.

Of course he knew that not everyone here wanted to cooperate with him. Some of them must really be serious about becoming the Assembly’s tools, but the majority only chased after benefits.

Those benefits might be in the form of financial wealth, martial prowess, or even glory. Whatever it was, though...

Soon, you will all realize it.

They would realize that regardless of what they acquired from him, they were fundamentally incapable of changing!

In the end, it all came down to strength.

The more they experienced, the more they would know that the Martial Assembly was far too strong for them to resist. And the more they experienced, the more diluted their resolve would become. Eventually, they would have no choice but to become loyal servants of the Assembly.

“Very well. I can see how determined you are.”

Kang Jin-Ho held the gazes of everyone in the venue.

“However, that doesn’t mean we can accept everyone in this venue. We’ll perform a simple test and pick only those who have the potential.”

Someone among the Japanese cautiously asked, “W-what kind of test will it be, sir?”

“As I said before, it’ll be a simple test.”

While saying that, Kang Jin-Ho stepped to the side of the rostrum.

“All you have to do is withstand one strike from me.”

“...!”

“Anyone who does not die from my punch will be deemed worthy. If you want to pass out, do so on your feet. Only those with that level of resolve will earn the qualifications to travel to Korea.”

Everyone in the venue grew more and more dumbfounded as they listened.

Who among these Japanese warriors hadn’t already heard about Kang Jin-Ho’s infamy by now?

The story of how he had executed the Yamakawa-kai’s Iemoto in one strike had already morphed into a well-known legend within the Japanese martial society, after all!

That man was the Demon King of East Asia. He was responsible for changing the title of the Three Kings of China to the Four Kings of East Asia!

But now, these small-fry Japanese warriors were supposed to withstand one strike from someone like that?

Even the most elite of elites Japan had produced couldn’t do that, so with what sorcery were these people supposed to accomplish this feat?!

“Those who wish to go through the test, step forward.”

When Kang Jin-Ho said that, no one in the venue stood up from their chairs.

Kang Jin-Ho stared weirdly at the frozen crowd.

“No takers?”

That was when Lee Hyeon-Su pouted slightly. “Oh, come on, sir. Honestly, you’re asking for too much from them.”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow and glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su.

“Sir, I get that you want to make it challenging for these people. But even the Assembly’s people can’t do that. Yes, you will obviously adjust the difficulty accordingly, but even a millimeter off course should be enough to kill someone. How about we find another method to...”

Before Lee Hyeon-Su could finish, someone in the seats suddenly stood up.

“...? Oh!”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s eyes opened wider. That was because the Japanese who stood tall in Kang Jin-Ho’s presence, Suzuki Ryuichi, was stepping forward.

Maybe he’s genuinely insane?

That had to be. Only someone crazy would do this, after all!

First of all, no sane person would try to talk back to Kang Jin-Ho so insolently. And now, he even voluntarily stepped forward to face the test of withstanding Kang Jin-Ho’s punch, too.

That man could be one of two things. Either he genuinely had a few screws loose in his head, or his resolve was the real deal.

Kang Jin-Ho grinned while studying Suzuki Ryuichi standing before him. “I guess you’ve changed your plans a bit, then?”

“I’ve merely realized the truth, that’s all,” said Suzuki Ryuichi.

“Realized the truth, you say?”

“Yes. The world won’t change no matter how much someone like me struggles.”

“Hmm?” Kang Jin-Ho’s grin deepened in amusement. “So? What now?”

“If the world won’t change, I should change instead. Whatever it is... I plan to do it thoroughly.”

Now that was an amusing thing to hear, wasn’t it?

It wasn’t as if Kang Jin-Ho believed this Japanese man’s reply. Even so...

Whatever his true intentions are, I’m sure he will struggle like crazy for a while.

Whether it was to get into Kang Jin-Ho’s good books or to sweep everything he had done until now under the carpet, Suzuki Ryuichi would obey Kang Jin-Ho’s commands more strictly than anyone else and side obsessively with the Martial Assembly.

Such a stance could serve as a role model for the others.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su, and the latter nodded once to say he agreed. That gesture meant this Japanese man should be “passed”, at least according to his opinion.

“Very well. Come over here.”

Kang Jin-Ho called the Japanese martial artist up to the stage, then leisurely clenched his fist before unfurling it.

“Remember that if you fail to withstand my strike, you will die. Are you prepared?”

“Of course!”

Just as Suzuki Ryuichi replied, Kang Jin-Ho threw a lightning-fast punch.

KA-BOOM!!!

The Japanese martial artist’s body flew back like a bullet from that seemingly merciless strike.

BOOM!

He slammed into the wall and got half-buried in the concrete before his unmoving body slowly crumpled to the floor.

“Sir... Please think about the cost of repairing the damages,” said Lee Hyeon-Su with a deep sigh, his eyes locked on the cracked wall. “Also... Sir, you know you mustn’t kill them.”

The second thing he said was pointless, though, as Suzuki Ryuichi somehow found enough strength to push himself off the floor.

Trickle...

Blood began gushing down his nose and mouth, however, and his whole body trembled precariously. Despite his knees going weak, he still kept forcing himself until eventually, he overcame the unsteady trembling of his body to stand upright again.

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes. “Your name?”

“R-Ryuichi. Suzuki Ryuichi, sir!”

“Good. You pass.”

Plop!

Suzuki Ryuichi collapsed the moment he heard the word “pass” coming from Kang Jin-Ho’s mouth.

Lee Hyeon-Su watched this scene unfold before massaging his temples. “We don’t even know any doctors in Japan, sir...”

“Don’t worry. Let him rest, and he should dust himself off the floor soon enough. I didn’t inflict any internal injuries, after all.”

“No, sir! At this rate, he’ll die of excessive blood loss!”

“...Huh.”

Lee Hyeon-Su groaned again, but Kang Jin-Ho stopped paying attention and turned to look at the other Japanese warriors. “Okay. Who’s next?”

“...!”

“Only those who want to go through with the test can remain. The rest can leave.”

His decisive-sounding words made things so much simpler for everyone.

Some got terrified by Suzuki Ryuichi’s wretched state and quickly left. And those who lacked resolve but still wanted to leech off the Assembly ran away from the venue, too.

That meant the number of people who wanted to take the test roughly matched what Lee Hyeon-Su had originally been thinking of recruiting.

Lee Hyeon-Su tilted his head. “Well, sir? With things like this, I don’t think we’ll have to keep performing the test anymore.”

“...”

“It’s too bad for that fella, but what can we do about it now?”

Lee Hyeon-Su stared sympathetically at Suzuki Ryuichi still collapsed on the floor. He cut such a pitiful figure with all the blood trickling out of his face.

“Oh, well. I guess it’s the price of his reckless bravado.”

“...”

“Still, you should at least remember his name, sir. Only then would he feel less aggrieved by this situation.”

“Yeah, I agree,” Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly while nodding. He turned around to leave, only to stop and tilt his head. “Hang on. What did he say his name was?”

“...”

Unfortunately for Suzuki Ryuichi, it seemed the relief for his grievances was still a long way off.