Chapter 1154: Chapter 1154

Someone in the conference room barely managed to stifle his laughter.

Kang Jin-Ho grimaced deeply while slowly turning his head to look at the culprit. However, Vator sneakily turned away at the exact same time to avoid meeting his boss's glare.

“...Is something funny to you?” Kang Jin-Ho testily asked.

“Sorry about that, master. It’s not like I’m that old fart’s friend or anything like that, but still? I have to agree with him on this one.”

“...!” Kang Jin-Ho clamped his mouth shut.

“Let's be honest about this, master. What era are we even living in? Yes, a cultivator obsessing over their appearance is distasteful. However, at the very least, shouldn't you try to look presentable if you're planning to mingle with other people?”

“Presentable? Are you saying I’m not?”

“Master, look at what you’re wearing!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s gaze drifted lower to his clothing. And he saw a worn-out tracksuit, its collar stretching beyond salvage. Not only that but the fabric had faded so much, too! Overall, one would be inclined to say that Kang Jin-Ho’s get-up imparted a rather unique impression.

“Very unique, indeed!” Vator half-tutted and half-cackled. “You can find people like you back in the great plains, too. People who live on the uninhabited outskirts of nowhere to focus solely on their cultivation. Their attires can be very unrestricted, if you know what I mean.”

That didn't happen only in Mongolia, though. Such people could also be found in Korea. But they usually confined themselves on some nameless mountainsides to polish their martial arts.

“However, master! You live among many people, do you not? In that case, try to pay at least minimum attention to your appearance. What would people think when the Assembly Master is walking around in worn-out tracksuits?”

“...!” Kang Jin-Ho realized even having ten mouths wouldn’t be enough to produce a decent comeback. All he could do was stammer. “W-what about you, then?”

“Hmph!” Vator wordlessly shrugged.

Not because he couldn't think of something to say, though, but more like he saw no need to say anything.

Kang Jin-Ho suddenly recalled the first time he encountered Vator. Wasn't the big man wearing a custom-fit business suit back then? One that looked rather expensive...?

Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly fake-coughed after realizing he had dug a hole for himself by bringing up Vator’s fashion sense. He then tried to steer the conversation away. “Let’s talk about something else, shall we?”

That was when Wiggins came to Kang Jin-Ho’s rescue. “Hahaha, it is true that Elder Chang’s attire can be rather boisterous at times.”

Chang Min testily shot back. “I don't want to hear that from a man who can hide behind his looks alone! You don't have a reason to care about what you put on, after all! Even if you dress like a hobo, people will still think you're putting on a fashion show!”

“...” Wiggins sheepishly clamped his mouth shut.

Chang Min wasn't done, however, and began alternating his resentful gaze between Kang Jin-Ho and Wiggins. “Those who 'have' will never understand the feelings of the have-nots! Look at me and Vator! We must compensate somehow with...”

Vator yelled back, “Hey! Why are you lumping me in with you, you old fart!”

“Don’t delude yourself, you fool! You also belong to this side!”

“God damn it...” Vator grumbled, his complexion getting redder and redder.

Kang Jin-Ho suddenly grew sad for some reason at the sight of these not-young-anymore directors arguing about their looks.

“Chang Min, forget about that for now and tell me about the progress on the teaching of demonic cultivation.”

“My liege! The cult believers are diligently training and pushing themselves to the limit every day to better serve you as your loyal servants! We will definitely prove that the grace you've shown us was not a waste!”

“Mm...!” Kang Jin-Ho firmly nodded. If he was being honest here...

He could easily sense how much Chang Min had changed.

While Vator became even more vigorous than before by accepting demonic cultivation, Chang Min had become even more unfathomable.

After noticing the unmistakable flames of confidence burning in Chang Min’s eyes, Kang Jin-Ho chuckled contentedly. “If only you had mastered your previous demonic cultivation methods by memorizing their sutras. Things wouldn’t have been this cumbersome, then.”

“My liege, rather than me not remembering them, the ones I've mastered have too many undesirable side effects, so... I could not let anyone without a solid foundation master them. If I had done that, the demon cult would've been destroyed without a trace a long time ago.”

The more he thought about it, the more amazing it was to Kang Jin-Ho.

Despite knowing the demon cult was steadily declining, Chang Min did not teach the cult believers the demonic cultivation he knew. But that was because he didn’t know any cultivation technique he could impart to the younger generation.

When humans were driven to the edge, they would begin thinking about resorting to extreme measures. However, Chang Min admirably held on. He believed in the legend of the demon emperor's eventual return and doggedly soldiered on.

Thanks to his sacrifice and determination, though, the demon cult had finally found a chance to revive itself.

No one here should be able to guess Chang Min’s sentiments after witnessing the cult believers getting stronger every day by mastering the completed demonic cultivation.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Vator next. The big man silently nodded. That gesture silently conveyed that preparations on his side were going well.

Bang Jin-Hun, who had been silently listening, suddenly chimed in. “I don’t think there’s a reason to worry, sir.”

“Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Bang Jin-Hun next.

The former Assembly Master bashfully scratched the back of his head. “Sir, I get why you'd like to confirm all these things yourself. Because you didn't have a choice but to do it in the past. If I'm being brutally honest, after you joined us, nothing in this place functioned properly without going through you first.”

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly stared at Bang Jin-Hun, wondering what the latter was trying to say.

“That’s why we know that you view the Assembly as a bit of a burden, sir. You probably think it’s like raising a needy baby. You gotta feed us, change our diapers, entertain us with new toys, and even teach us how to speak.”

“It’s not to that extent, though...?”

“It's a figure of speech, sir. A figure of speech,” Bang Jin-Hun casually shrugged.

His feelings regarding what Kang Jin-Ho had done so far were different from everyone in this room. After all, these folks had joined the Martial Assembly because of Kang Jin-Ho's presence. To them, this organization would always be a means to an end and not much else.

However, Bang Jin-Hun wasn’t like that. He had always been a part of the Martial Assembly before Kang Jin-Ho’s arrival. Some people might even say he was instrumental in Kang Jin-Ho joining this organization, too.

Watching someone who was basically an outsider struggle so much to look after every aspect of the Martial Assembly did not sit well with Bang Jin-Hun. Others here might not have that problem, but he certainly did!

“But sir, that's what it's like to raise a kid. You probably wonder if this brat will even pull his weight later on. Even if he grows up and becomes physically strong, you'll always view him as a little brat. But that's only in the eyes of a father. Like how a tree will grow by watering it and giving it fertilizer, a child will eventually grow up, too. Parents usually have a hard time accepting that.”

Bang Jin-Hun stared solemnly into Kang Jin-Ho’s eyes.

“But sir, the Martial Assembly isn't a little child you must look after constantly. It knows how to walk on its own. Heck, it can even run now. The Assembly no longer requires you to support it as it has grown strong enough to provide you with all the help you need.”

“N-no, not exactly, sir. I'm embellishing things a bit here...”

Kang Jin-Ho stared weirdly, causing Bang Jin-Hun to smile sheepishly. Bang Jin-Hun knew the heat of the moment had gotten the better of him just now.

“In any case! I’m trying to say that the Assembly has finally reached the stage where it can sustain itself, sir. To prove that, whether it’s the Chevaliers or the regular members, they are all getting stronger without your constant monitoring. And it’s the same story for Sir Vator and his disciples, too. Even if, uh, you did impart a powerful demonic cultivation method to them first for that to happen...”

“Sure, that's true.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded. He had no problem acknowledging that part.

Back when he united the Martial Assembly and the Yeongnam Group before putting an end to the Assembly's internal struggles, not a thing in this organization functioned properly without his input. But now, it could chug along autonomously without him overseeing every facet of its operation.

Lee Jung-Geol's inheritance was instrumental in bringing the Assembly into the surface world, while the newly joined combatants were trying so hard on their own to improve themselves. Which in turn, stimulated the original members stuck in a rut to improve themselves, too.

‘What if I bow out of the scene now?’

If Kang Jin-Ho did that, the current rate of progress would become impossible to maintain. The Assembly still relied a lot on Kang Jin-Ho in various aspects, after all. However, that didn’t mean the organization’s progress would lurch to a complete stop. And things wouldn’t revert back to how they were in the past.

Once it started flowing, a stream of water could not be stopped artificially forever. Although the stream might eventually dry up without a source of water constantly feeding it, everything Kang Jin-Ho had done should allow this stream to flow for ten years without too many issues.

“Sir, in the end... Humans are like plants. Your harvest will match how much you’ve done for your crops. I swear to you, the Assembly will repay you for all the good things you’ve done for us,” said Bang Jin-Hun.

“But I haven't done much, though.”

“Surely you jest, sir,” Bang Jin-Hun chuckled wryly.

The person who downplayed everything Kang Jin-Ho had done for the Martial Assembly the most was, ironically enough, Kang Jin-Ho himself.

“Honestly, sir? I'm not too happy about the current flow of the situation. The way I see it, the Martial Assembly should remain as the Martial Assembly. Stuff like setting up a company in the surface world and getting involved in politics... Forgive me for saying this, but I'm not on board with any of those, sir.”

“Really? What a boomer.”

“Stuck in the old ways.”

“The enemy of progress.”

“What the?! These damn old farts...” Bang Jin-Hun frowned deeply at the trio of verbal abuses flying in. “Yes, I know! I know I sound like a boomer, okay? That's why I haven't said anything until now.”

Bang Jin-Hun snorted loudly, steam gushing out from his nostrils.

“An old-ass punk like me can never understand the mindset of younger generations. I get all that! And that's why I've been thinking of leaving the youngsters in charge and focusing more on what I can do. While the younger generations push the Martial Assembly into the future, I'm gonna rely on my own methods to protect this place, my home. And that is through martial arts, sir!”

Wiggins stared at Bang Jin-Hun, obviously unimpressed by something. “Mister Bang... You're the youngest person in this room.”

“A young boomer, is it? What a truly horrifying hybrid of...”

“...P-please, stop right there, sir!”

Wiggins chuckled when Bang Jin-Hun hurriedly tried to stop him.

Bang Jin-Hun's attitude was not a bad thing, though. On the contrary, it could even be called a good thing in this situation.

Everyone enthusiastically shouting about changing this and transforming that would not always be something good, after all.

Rather ironically, what was absolutely necessary during people's attempt to charge ahead with something wasn't the momentum, but voices of opposition that could act as a brake. In that sense, Bang Jin-Hun's stance would never be seen as a hindrance to the Assembly. On the contrary, it'd be considered as a great help.

Bang Jin-Hun frowned slightly. “By the way, sir? When is Lee Hyeon-Su coming back?”

“What’s the matter?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.

“Our members are figuratively dying here while trying to deal with the workload, sir. That punk! We've all agreed to let Miss Lee handle MK's matters, so why is he spending all his time over there?”

“Well, that’s because it’s still the early days for the company, and there must be lots of things he must sort out first. Don’t worry, he should be back soon.”

“That’s great to hear, sir, but... His absence is creating a serious issue, you see?”

“It’ll be fine. I’ll help out.”

“...My apologies, sir. We the directors should be taking care of these things, but here we are.”

The directors stealthily looked away. However, Kang Jin-Ho made a point to stare at both men.

“Don't worry, I never expected that much from you anyway.”

A bout of awkward silence descended in the office.

Bang Jin-Hun hurriedly spoke up again. “I-in any case! Sir, what I’m saying is that you shouldn’t intervene in every little thing anymore. Let us do that. An Assembly Master shouldn’t be trying to micromanage everyone, you know? Yes, we’re grateful for you sacrificing so much to improve the Assembly’s situation. And this organization has grown to the point where you can now afford to relax a bit, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled slightly at that. To think the day would come when he'd hear that from Bang Jin-Hun!

“Although I'm a little reluctant to agree...” Wiggins spoke up next. “It is undeniable that everyone needs to rest every now and then, my lord. Once we finish dealing with the Japanese, I strongly recommend that you go on a vacation to unwind.”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned a little. “Maybe. But the Japanese don't seem all that keen, though?”

“No, they will come. My lord, those people are... Mm?”

Wiggins was interrupted mid-speech when his phone began buzzing noisily.

“Please excuse me,” said Wiggins while pulling his phone out. He unlocked it and stared at its screen, only for his expression to stiffen. “My apologies, my lord. It seems I've inadvertently triggered what you might call the main event.”

“Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow slightly.

“I just received a message from the Round Table. Their agents monitoring the Japanese say their targets have started moving.”

The Japanese began moving? That could only mean the war had begun.

The corners of Kang Jin-Ho's lips curled up. He thought he could smell the faint whiff of blood just then. This smell should have been familiar to him, yet it still didn't.

“Got it. Find out what’s going on,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Taut tension immediately filled the conference room. And this tension freshly reminded Kang Jin-Ho of the fact that he was about to return to the battlefield very soon.