Chapter 1193. Countering (3)

Chapter 1193. Countering (3)

Creak, squeak...

Unpleasant creaking noises came from Cai Kechang’s chair.

‘Maybe it’s time to replace this damn chair.’

Cai Kechang massaged the area around his eyes.

His fatigue refused to go away. Maybe not getting enough sleep lately was the culprit.

His skin was coarse, while his eyes remained unfocused and gloomy. His appearance definitely did not suggest he was a cultivator.

A brief circulation of qi according to his cultivation method should’ve been enough to rid most of the fatigue. Unfortunately, Cai Kechang’s fatigue had gotten to a point where such a method wouldn’t be enough to deal with it.

‘Because my problem is psychological in nature.’

Indeed, his stress was largely to blame.

While awake, his attention was being diverted in practically every direction. The Azure King’s faction continuously picked fights with the Crimson King’s people. And Cai Kechang even received news that the Dark King, who had been staying under the radar for a while now, had begun moving as well.

‘The Dark King, too...!’

That bastard was known as a notoriously restrained individual, yet to think that that powerful expert chose to do

something

at this exact time!

Cai Kechang obviously knew it was not good news.

He could look at it positively and say the Dark King was merely getting ready to move again since their camp had been cautiousness personified until now. And that the timing was merely coincidental.

After all, their camp still had not exhibited any abrupt movements yet.

However, this assumption was only possible by being hopelessly optimistic about things.

When analyzed critically, though, it was rather obvious why the Azure King’s people kept provoking the Crimson King’s side and the Dark King’s people had started moving again.

‘They can probably see that our foot is stuck in a trap.’

Since the Crimson King’s faction monitored the Azure King’s and the Dark King’s factions, it was safe to assume that those two sides did the same.

Their agents must’ve infiltrated the Crimson King’s faction, which would mean they had the information of Kang Jin-Ho making life rather difficult for the Crimson King.

...No wonder they dared to become so bold lately.

Cai Kechang massaged the bridge of his nose again.

Unbearable migraines always tormented him whenever he thought about Kang Jin-Ho.

A cultivator suffering from migraines? Even a stray mutt would laugh at such a ridiculous notion. But that was the truth, so what could he do about it?

Cai Kechang groaned deeply, then mouthed a cigarette.

Click...

After lighting it, he stared outside the window, his expression bitter.

‘I’m smoking way too much.’

He used to smoke no more than three cigarettes a day not too long ago, but now? He’d go through at least two packs in the same time span! It almost felt like a cigarette was permanently glued to his lips during his waking hours these days.

Such bits of leaves shouldn’t do much to alleviate his mental fatigue. But for some inexplicable reason, rising stress levels always led to Cai Kechang reaching out for a cigarette.

He stared at the cigarette before chuckling helplessly.

Putting in an effort to quit didn’t seem necessary. He wouldn’t need to rely on cigarettes for a while if the current operation proved successful, after all!

‘Still...’

Cai Kechang shifted his attention away from the cigarette and glanced at the computer monitor. South Korea’s map filled the screen. And this map displayed several lines of various colors.

“What a bunch of idiots.”

The Japanese martial society was far more incompetent than he had expected.

It wasn’t the issue of their martial prowess. None of the Japanese experts could be called weaklings even when compared to the Crimson King’s people.

But the important aspect of one’s martial prowess wasn’t how powerful one was, but how well one could utilize their strength.

The term, Galapagos syndrome, suited the Japanese so eerily well.[1]

The Japanese martial artists threw their everything into becoming stronger from the day they were born. But they did not think about

how

to utilize their accumulated strength more efficiently or effectively.

No, they only resolutely believed in the cliched idea of the greater strength winning the battle.

Cai Kechang believed he made the right call by lending his smarts to those islanders. It was just that...

‘I hope I didn’t just waste my calories cooking up all these ideas...’

If he could utilize every bit of the Japanese combat force... As in, if he could have personally trained them and commanded them as his loyal pawns, killing Kang Jin-Ho wouldn’t have been a distant dream.

Unfortunately, expecting such unity and a functioning command structure from the Japanese was asking for a miracle.

As such, everything now fell into the nebulous realm of luck.

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t understand the concept of retreat. As to prove it, he did not back down or try to flee once while fighting against the Crimson King.

That aggressiveness and boldness made Kang Jin-Ho strong. One could definitely say those were his strong points.

On the other hand, though...

‘Those can become his weaknesses, too.’

What an irony that was.

An ordinary man would flee at the first sign of the enemy being stronger than him. A wise man would retreat and aim for another opportunity. However, what about a powerful man?

A powerful expert would never retreat.

Cai Kechang believed being a ‘powerful’ expert was the same as being the ‘survivor’.

How many people in this era were born with a similar level of talent as Kang Jin-Ho or the Crimson King? Scour the entire world, and you’d find at least a hundred such individuals.

Did one hundred sound like a lot? Definitely not!

Cai Kechang was being conservative with his estimate. If the time frame began from the Crimson King’s birth to now, the number of people with enough potential to reach his level of strength should easily exceed one hundred and then some.

However, less than ten people in the entire world could rival the Crimson King or Kang Jin-Ho.

Why was that?

“Because they are all dead. That’s why.”

Cai Kechang chuckled again.

Of course, he was not trying to belittle the Crimson King or Kang Jin-Ho here. No, it’d be more correct to say he only had unreserved praise and respect for them.

Talent was just that, talent. Ditto for one’s possibility.

Even if one was born with requisite talent, one still had to fight nonstop and win to reach a similar level as Kang Jin-Ho and the Crimson King. Only by surviving hundreds of life-or-death battles could one reach such a realm of strength.

...And that was what Cai Kechang found so ironic.

A wise man would try to avoid fighting. However, those who kept avoiding fighting would never become stronger. A martial artist could only grow through deadly battles, after all.

However, the odds of dying increased dramatically the more you participated in these battles.

That meant one had to possess a personality of not avoiding battles that might kill them, and incredible luck that would ensure their survival even from the pits of hell if one wanted to attain heights of true strength.

What if Lady Luck wasn’t singing in your direction?

“Then you better kiss your loved ones goodbye.”

What the Japanese had done couldn’t even be called a proper military strategy. All that had happened was they had dispatched a large number of combatants that could potentially deal with Kang Jin-Ho despite the risk of running into incalculable losses.

Tactically speaking, this whole thing would go down the drain if Kang Jin-Ho decided to flee. After doing that, he could join up with other martial artists of the Assembly before taking his time hunting down the invaders that had foolishly entered too deep into his territory. Exactly like a pack of wolves hunting deer, then.

That would’ve been a wiser move, but...

“But he’s not going to do that, and that’s why he’s powerful. That’s what makes him... Kang Jin-Ho!”

What would the Crimson King have done if he was in a similar situation? He too wouldn’t have fled. He would’ve stood tall and tried to shatter the heavens with his divine fist!

Cai Kechang had been serving the Crimson King for a long time. It was this experience that helped him create a strategy tailor-made for someone like Kang Jin-Ho.

Unfortunately, it seemed the Japanese were incapable of understanding this.

‘Well, I’ve done everything I can from this side.’

It was the case of ‘Man prepares, God disposes’ from this moment on. Of course, Cai Kechang knew that wasn’t the right idiom, but that was the situation this time.

He had done everything humanly possible. Now the outcome was entirely up to the heavens. If the Japanese’s blade could reach Kang Jin-Ho’s throat somehow...!

Then, the Crimson King’s faction could finally pull its feet out of the quagmire and soar through the skies once more.

Even though he loathed to admit it, there was no denying that Kang Jin-Ho and the Martial Assembly had helped with the growth of the Crimson King and his faction.

As Cai Kechang stewed in his thoughts, his phone suddenly began ringing. He glanced at it for a bit before answering the call in a sarcastic tone.

“Oh? What do I owe this pleasure?”

-We’ve received an update. Our men have reached the destination.

“Oh, is it? Well, well. How kind of you. Even though you didn’t have to keep me in the loop like this.”

Cai Kechang replied in a smarmy voice to the Iemoto.

-You arrogant little man...!

“Is that how you feel about me? My bad. All I can ask for is your understanding. You see, the one I serve is so amazing that it’s hard to feel much respect or awe at everybody else. Especially when it’s your people who are only so-so.”

-...!

Cai Kechang could hear a quiet little groan.

That made him chuckle silently. It might sound like a provocation, but he was being rather considerate just now.

If he spoke honestly and used the example of the Crimson King and Kang Jin-Ho, this conversation might abruptly end right here, after all!

-It’d be better for you to save your haughty attitude till later, once we’ve confirmed everything has gone according to plan. Arriving at the destination does not mean Kang Jin-Ho will be there, after all. I still do not trust your plan, Cai Kechang.

“And that’s why you’re still weak,” said Cai Kechang.

He pulled out a new cigarette, mouthed it, and lit it up.

He had no desire to explain any further. This Iemoto bastard would still not understand even if Cai Kechang sat him down and explained the nuance for the three days straight, anyway!

‘Then again, it’s not exactly his fault, now is it?’

Thinking like the Iemoto was normal. Sane, even. From the Japanese’s perspective, Cai Kechang must’ve looked like a nutcase instead.

Still, Cai Kechang couldn’t help but acknowledge the Iemoto. Despite not understanding it, he still chose to go all-in with Cai Kechang’s plan. That was probably the secret to how the Iemoto managed to reach his current position.

The Iemoto was no better than a frog in a well. But even frogs had their ways of fighting for supremacy.

“It’s fine even if you don’t trust me. After all, you can’t trust something you don’t understand. So, just hang back and wait for the outcome. If everything goes well, don’t forget to thank me. Oh, but don’t send any gifts my way. We have plenty of eyes watching this side, too.”

-This is as far as my courtesy to you extends. Next time we meet, you better be prepared to fight till death.

“Really? That won’t be possible for your...”

Cai Kechang frowned when he heard the call end abruptly.

“Goodness me. What a temper that is.”

Cai Kechang smirked while putting his phone down.

“Prepare for death,

eh

...?”

Even though Cai Kechang had told them so many times! The Japanese would never get a chance to threaten his life.

Even if their army succeeded in killing Kang Jin-Ho, the price they pay would be substantial. Also, when the Assembly’s rage at losing its boss was directed in the Japanese’s way...!

They would only get to conquer South Korea after both sides suffered irreversible losses. Once that happened, Japan and South Korea would become ownerless mountains, and Cai Kechang could take his time devouring them.

That Iemoto hadn’t even understood something as simple as that.

‘Then again, who am I to point fingers?’

If Cai Kechang had been as good as he said he was, he wouldn’t have let Kang Jin-Ho slip through his fingers when the Korean had entered China earlier.

That opportunity was as good as it could get. And the absolute being called the Crimson King accompanied him back then, too. Yet Cai Kechang still failed grandly.

In that case, what qualification did he have to criticize the Iemoto?

What made him better than the Iemoto was that Cai Kechang had developed a sort of

immunity

after Kang Jin-Ho had hit him in the back of the head several times. If their positions had been flipped around, it’d be the Iemoto mocking Cai Kechang right about now.

Knock, knock...

Someone knocked on the door.

Cai Kechang glanced at the doorway and said, “Enter.”

The door creaked open a little, then a messenger entered before prostrating on the floor.

“Sir, the Crimson King was looking for you.”

“Really?”

“Yes. He ordered us to summon you.”

“

Mm

...!”

Cai Kechang hurriedly got up.

‘I wanted to make a report after confirming the outcome first...’

Maybe the Crimson King got wind of what Cai Kechang was doing.

“Very well. I’m on my way,” said Cai Kechang.

“Understood, sir.”

Cai Kechang briefly organized the mess on his desk, then took a deep breath before exiting his office.

‘Now I’m getting curious.’

How would the Crimson King react if Cai Kechang killed Kang Jin-Ho through his cunning rather than martial prowess?

Would he praise Cai Kechang for a job well done? Or lose his temper for resorting to cowardly methods and robbing him of a worthy adversary?

The ‘old’ Crimson King would’ve most likely gone with the former. He might walk the path of righteousness but didn’t get too obsessed about pretexts. That used to be his style, but what about now?

‘Maybe...’

Maybe the Crimson King was even more obsessed about Kang Jin-Ho than Cai Kechang.

The only reason he allowed Cai Kechang to run free could be that...

The Crimson King probably believed that no matter what Cai Kechang did, he’d still fail to harm a hair on Kang Jin-Ho.

That was the arrogance only the absolute powerhouses could possess!

‘I don’t like it.’

Cai Kechang felt uncomfortable about the Crimson King acknowledging Kang Jin-Ho as his equal.

After fixing his subtly shifting expression, Cai Kechang hurriedly headed to the Crimson King’s audience chamber.

1. ”Galapagos” syndrome is a collective term for unusual and often inefficient business practices and services found in Japan that do not meet global standards. ☜