Chapter 1620: Opening (5)

“Sir, I’ve done it!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s brows shot up higher. “Oh?”

He shouldn't be so welcoming to someone daring to kick the door down and waltz into the Assembly Master's office, of course. However, what the intruder had said was enough to blow away what little dissatisfaction was bubbling in Kang Jin-Ho's mind.

Besides, even if some dissatisfaction remained, the intruder's pitiful appearance would've prevented him from voicing it, anyway!

“Director Bang, have you been sleeping in the streets for the last few days?”

“…!” Bang Jin-Hun’s expression crumpled hideously. “How could you say that, sir?! Are you implying that I look like a hobo?!”

“Well… When was the last time you went home?”

“I… I think it was two weeks ago, sir?”

“And when did you last shower?”

“That, uh, I can’t remember…?”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned brightly. According to the dictionary, a “hobo” was supposed to mean a homeless person. Even so, a man who had a home but never went there and even refused to wash up properly should qualify as a quasi-hobo as well, no?

“But that’s not important, sir!”

“…? I think it is?”

“I’m telling you, it’s not!”

Bang Jin-Hun urgently pushed a pile of A4 papers in Kang Jin-Ho’s direction.

“What is this?”

“My completed secret manual!”

“…?”

Kang Jin-Ho stared in sheer stupefaction at this pile of documents. Just because the eras had changed, even sacred objects like secret manuals were being treated in such a disrespectful way, too?

If this had been back in Zhongyuan, anyone daring to scribble profound teachings of cultivation on bits of parchment and presenting them to Kang Jin-Ho so haphazardly would’ve been subjected to a harsh beating on the spot!

While thinking that he was gradually turning into a martial artist version of a boomer, Kang Jin-Ho accepted the secret… No, a pile of A4-sized documents.

He tutted loudly. “You could’ve stapled them or something.”

Bang Jin-Hun shook his head. “No, sir! It’s too thick to do that.”

“Then, why didn’t you punch some holes, and…”

“That’s not important, sir!”

Kang Jin-Ho flinched a little when Bang Jin-Hun raised his voice in annoyance. He could’ve just said no, so why was he getting angry like this?

After groaning softly, Kang Jin-Ho settled down and began reading the secret manual. With so much content to go through, it took him some time to do so.

“Hmm…?”

Kang Jin-Ho kept nodding slightly while reading the secret manual.

“Sir? What do you think?”

“Wait. Let’s talk after I’m finished.”

“…Understood.”

Bang Jin-Hun could only wait anxiously while observing the expression of Kang Jin-Ho, who continued to read the secret manual in silence.

He even began praying inwardly. Please…!

He could confidently say that this secret manual was the greatest achievement in his life, one that could never be repeated or topped ever again.

Of course, some might say he could potentially craft an even better secret manual once his martial realm had improved. But the truth was not as straightforward as that.

The later works by acclaimed authors wouldn't necessarily be rated as highly as their earlier works. And scientists didn't always produce their crowning achievements at the twilight of their careers, either. This story was the same for martial arts, as well.

A martial artist wouldn't necessarily create the greatest secret manual even after reaching a higher realm in cultivation.

A possible explanation for that was that one's cultivation realm was achieved through one's body, but the mysteries of a new martial art had to be solved through one's head. Obviously, this was not an absolute, inviolable rule. But Bang Jin-Hun was certain that the odds of him creating another martial art even better than this one in the future were close to zero.

But that also meant that the pile of documents in Kang Jin-Ho's hands contained absolutely everything of Bang Jin-Hun. No wonder this crippling anxiety was threatening to devour him alive right now!

“Fuu-huuph!”

Martial arts were like a massive skyscraper. One poorly built section somewhere would be enough to bring the entire thing crumbling down. At least the faults with the building’s external appearance could be mended or replaced in some way. However, what if the faults were with the pillars?

In that case, the secret manual itself would have to be thrown into a nearby trash can.

Knowing all that, Bang Jin-Hun couldn’t tear his anxious gaze away from Kang Jin-Ho.

“Hmm…” Kang Jin-Ho put the pile of A4 papers down and stared at Bang Jin-Hun. “I’ve noticed various minor issues.”

“…B-but?”

Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged. “But overall, this is an excellent work.”

“Ah!”

Bang Jin-Hun sagged into his seat after he was finally released from all the tension.

“Supplement a few things here and there, and we will have a completed secret manual on our hands," said Kang Jin-Ho with a deep grin.

This surpassed his expectations.

Kang Jin-Ho could also create an orthodox cultivation method or martial art techniques if he wanted to. After all, martial arts followed the principle of “All streams eventually return to their source”; he might be a grandmaster of all things demonic arts, but that didn’t mean he was completely clueless about orthodox cultivation.

Even so, Kang Jin-Ho wouldn’t have a choice but to base such an orthodox cultivation method on demonic cultivation.

Choosing one school of martial arts and sticking to it wasn't all that difficult. However, reorganizing all the disparate martial arts practiced by various members of the Martial Assembly and creating a commonstream for everyone to follow was incredibly tough.

Trying to take shortcuts or find an easy workaround shouldn't even be considered in such a situation. Knowing this, Kang Jin-Ho limited himself to providing advice to Bang Jin-Hun and not much else. Even so, the end product Bang Jin-Hun had shown up with still surpassed his expectations.

The bits and pieces of disparate orthodox methods utilized by various members of the Martial Assembly until now formed the fundamental backbone of this martial art. The foundation was undoubtedly orthodox in nature, as well. Even then, it didn't stay in that lane all the way through.

It even contained demonic cultivation methods from Kang Jin-Ho, Vator’s external arts, and even the concept of approaching combat as pragmatically as possible, as favored by Wiggins.

It was safe to say that this secret manual contained everything Bang Jin-Hun had heard, seen, and learned from the transforming Martial Assembly.

Of course, containing varied ideas and concepts alone wouldn’t be enough to produce a top-tier secret manual. But what Bang Jin-Hun had done was find the perfect middle ground for them all and create the right kind of harmony.

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression grew unreadable as he contemplatively stared at Bang Jin-Hun’s secret manual.

So, this is how martial arts evolve?

The environment surrounding Bang Jin-Hun influenced how he viewed martial arts. Kang Jin-Ho found that quite intriguing.

Bang Jin-Hun finally sobered up and asked, “Y-you said something about supplementing? How much do we have to…?”

“Mm, I’ll probably need around two hours.”

“S-so fast?! Even though I had to rack my brain for several months?”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled. “I would've also needed months to create something on this level. But I'm merely adding and fixing little things here and there. Those watching from the sidelines have always been ready with hints and advice, after all.”

“But, sir. You mustn’t rely too much on demonic cultivation,” said Bang Jin-Hun firmly. “I’m not trying to be exclusionary to demonic arts. But we will lose the diversity if we let the Assembly’s martial arts become too similar to demonic arts. Doing so will only benefit us short-term!”

“You can relax. I’m not planning to mix my martial arts into this secret manual.”

Kang Jin-Ho agreed with Bang Jin-Hun’s opinion on this matter.

“Besides, your secret manual is already focused on realistic combat situations without me needing to add that in, anyway.”

“Then… That’s good to hear, sir.”

Bang Jin-Hun sighed deeply. With his tension gone, it felt as if indescribable fatigue was flooding him inside. His eyelids threatened to close on their own, while his entire body felt languid.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled gently. “You did well, Director Bang. Why don’t you go home and get some rest?”

“Are you going to work on it right away, sir?”

“Yeah, that’s the plan.”

“Then… Do you mind if I wait for the completion first?”

“Sure. But I’ll need the original file to…”

“No problem. I’ll email you the file.”

“…”

…And now, they had finally reached an era where secret manuals could be exchanged via email. At this rate, wouldn't the Martial Assembly set up an exclusive cloud computing service, too?

Kang Jin-Ho could already picture someone telling him something like, Sir, instead of wasting time rummaging through Jangseogak, let's just rely on our cloud service to enjoy convenient, unrestricted access to all secret manuals.[1]

He tutted like a boomer. What a wonderful state of things this is. Seriously now.

While Kang Jin-Ho was struggling to adapt to the changing times, it seemed Bang Jin-Hun had zero issues with it!

“You must be exhausted. How about taking a shower and freshening up?”

When Kang Jin-Ho asked that, Bang Jin-Hun firmly shook his head.

“No, I’m fine, sir.”

“…It’s not fine for me, though?”

Bang Jin-Hun’s brows quivered when Kang Jin-Ho openly scowled in displeasure. “We are all men here, so why all the fuss, sir?!”

“Men also have functioning noses, okay?”

“But these are glorious wounds I earned from creating the secret manual!”

“Who cares! Go and get your damn wounds looked at already!”

Bang Jin-Hun was stunned into silence just then, his widened eyes glued to Kang Jin-Ho. What the freaking hell? I don’t remember him being this good with comebacks before? When did he raise his language proficiency to this degree?

Kang Jin-Ho wasn’t done, however!

“You're getting on my nerves, so go wash up! And change into new clothes while you're at it, too! Are you going to welcome the crowning achievement of your life while looking like a hobo?”

Bang Jin-Hun grunted loudly when he heard the “crowning achievement” and nodded weightily. “Very well. I will thoroughly purify myself with a good bath, sir! In the meantime, please finish organizing the secret manual.”

He then got up and strode gallantly out of the office.

Kang Jin-Ho groaned loudly. “What was that all about…”

He turned his computer on and waited for Bang Jin-Hun’s email to arrive, then began typing on the keyboard after opening the attached file.

What a good thing it is that at least I can do this much.

Kang Jin-Ho had real trouble getting used to the products of modern civilization. As a matter of fact, he had trouble using his phone until recently, too. Funnily enough, however, his typing speed was good enough to use the word processor without too many issues, and that was all thanks to all the computer games he used to play so much.

“Is this why some people say that nothing in this world is completely useless?”

Kang Jin-Ho glared sharply at the computer monitor. While scrolling through the pages, his fingers continued to tap away on the keyboard.

***

Bang Jin-Hun stepped into the office. “I’m back, sir. Are you finished?”

“More or less,” said Kang Jin-Ho. He sighed deeply while clicking on the print icon. “We need to bind this thing.”

The secret manual was almost as thick as a dictionary, thanks to how densely packed with sutras it was.

Bang Jin-Hun frowned. “Maybe we could have reduced the font sizes?”

“We aren't trying to create a textbook here. Making it harder to read won't help anybody.”

The two men stood next to the printer and stared at the device in silence.

Eventually, though, Bang Jin-Hun broke the silence first. “Assembly Master?”

“Mm?”

“Thank you.”

“…?” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow slightly. “For what?”

“Without you, I would've never done something like this. Not even in my wildest dreams, sir. I would've been buried in a shallow grave after bickering with Lee Jung-Geol. Or after tussling with Kim Seok-Il.”

“You could’ve defeated them both, though?”

Kang Jin-Ho thought the odds of that happening were quite good, too. But Bang Jin-Hun disagreed.

“Even if I did that, the Japs would've made sure I was dead, sir.”

“Oh…”

That sounded about right?

Bang Jin-Hun sheepishly rubbed his nose. “Well, I guess things could have worked out better than I imagined. In the end, though? Nothing would’ve changed, sir. I didn’t have the power to stop our enemies, after all.”

“…”

“However, thanks to you, I even got to create something on this level, sir. And I’m a part of the Martial Assembly’s progress, too. It’s all thanks to you.”

“You don’t have to thank me.”

“But sir, there are times when a man must thank his benefactors unreservedly.”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed under his breath. Why did it feel like people were thanking him more often lately?

“…Looks like it’s finished.”

“Finally!” Bang Jin-Hun excitedly cried out and grabbed the pile of printouts before plopping down on the couch to go through their contents. He focused all his brain's processing power on imagining the contents of the secret manual in his mind.

Kang Jin-Ho brewed himself a cup of coffee and took up a spot on the couch facing Bang Jin-Hun.

And then, some time later…

“Fuu-wooooo…!” Bang Jin-Hun let out a lengthy sigh before raising his head. “Sir, this…”

He hesitated several times, unable to verbalize his thoughts properly. Eventually, he sighed again.

“We’ve finally created this, sir.”

“No, you have.”

“But I couldn’t have done it without you.”

“That's not true. I honestly believe you'd have completed it on your own eventually. However, I can't create something like this by myself. That's why you deserve all the credit, Director Bang.”

Bang Jin-Hun clamped his mouth shut. He didn't completely agree with Kang Jin-Ho here, but it still felt like all his hard work had been validated just now by those words of praise.

In all honesty, he still couldn’t believe that he was responsible for producing a martial art of such a caliber.

“Sir, please give it a suitable name.”

“What, me?”

“Yes, sir. You’re the Assembly Master, after all.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly. “You should be the one to do that. You’re its creator, after all. I don’t have a say in this.”

“…” Bang Jin-Hun stared at the secret manual for a long time before muttering quietly. “I will call it… the Harmony Art.”

“The Harmony Art, you say?”

“Yes, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho muttered in slight disappointment. “That’s kinda dull.”

“I prefer it that way, sir. Because I don’t want this martial art to become a special something that symbolizes the Martial Assembly. No, I want it to be the base, the foundation, that everyone joining the Martial Assembly must know.”

“I see. A dull name, but the intention behind it is quite grand in scope.”

The corners of Kang Jin-Ho’s lips curled up. Despite what he just said, he thought the name was actually not so bad.

Besides, the name must've contained Bang Jin-Hun's thoughts on the matter. He might be the creator, but he couldn't have given birth to it without Kang Jin-Ho, Vator, Wiggins, and even Chang Min helping out with the Martial Assembly. That was what the name was supposed to convey. And it could also mean that all the disparate martial arts had been blended harmoniously into this secret manual.

Whatever the case might be… Bang Jin-Hun could be such an inflexible, unimaginative guy, no?

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Bang Jin-Hun. “Let’s hurry and teach the members.”

“Agreed, sir!”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned unknowingly while watching Bang Jin-Hun tightly clenching his fists and stopping himself from excitedly jumping around in the office.

This was the moment the martial art capable of taking the Martial Assembly to an even higher place was born.

1. Jangseogak is a Korean history archive operated by the Academy of Korean Studies near Seoul.