Chapter 736: Colliding (1)
Cai Kechang asked grimly, "How are our preparations?"
"Sir! We've completely plugged up all the gaps!"
"I hope you're not idiotically thinking that they will naively show up here unprepared, now are you?"
"Sir! We are already blocking every potential route they might use! Please do not worry."
"Did you just tell me not to worry?" Cai Kechang threateningly asked, his brows quivering dangerously. "You sure know how to run your mouth, don't you? Even though you know nothing! If Kang Jin-Ho somehow slips past this place, the Crimson King's fury will squarely fall on us! Do you think you can handle that? Mm? Do you!"
"...!"
"I'm asking you if you can handle Crimson King's genuine fury, something none of you had the opportunity to face until now!"
"N-no, sir. We wouldn't dare."
"Really? What was that, then? I shouldn't worry?"
The subordinate bowed deeply. "My thoughts were foolish, sir! Please punish me!"
"Forget it!" Cai Kechang unhappily waved his hand before groaning loudly. 'What the hell am I doing?'
He shouldn't be losing his temper with these idiots. If they had the mental capacity to understand how important this operation was, they would've already stolen Cai Kechang's position by now.
What was the point of getting angry because some bastards who were only useful as acting as his hands and feet couldn't see the bigger picture?
The real reason for Cai Kechang's anger wasn't the stupidity of his subordinates, though. No, it was because of all the resentment accumulated in his heart.
"That damn bastard... Kang Jin-Ho!"
Cai Kechang was a man who used his brains. That meant he absolutely hated doing things that went against his predictions and calculations. However, that didn't mean he resented and hated those smarter than him. Indeed, he would have been left awestruck instead if Kang Jin-Ho had managed to accurately hit a spot that Cai Kechang had failed to think of ahead of time.
However, what was happening now was simply... insane!
'You... You want to escape with demonic cultivators in tow?! How could anyone cook up a plan this insane unless they were looking down on us!'
Cai Kechang gritted his teeth. Did Kang Jin-Ho really think this plan would succeed? A plan this outrageous?!
If Kang Jin-Ho managed to escape unnoticed all by himself, Cai Kechang would have begrudgingly acknowledged his shortcomings and applauded the pluckiness of the Korean demonic cultivator. And he would have fully accepted the Crimson King's rage, too. Punished for being incompetent was only par for the course, after all.
Even if the Crimson King got angry enough to behead Cai Kechang, he would still fully acknowledge Kang Jin-Ho as the winner and accept his fate without too many complaints.
However, Kang Jin-Ho grandly flipped everything on his head, didn't he! A plan this insane went beyond the scope of the battle between Cai Kechang and Kang Jin-Ho.
Cai Kechang glanced at his subordinate. "What about the elders? Are they still refusing to act?"
"T-that is, well..."
"Fine. Forget about it!" Cai Kechang waved his hand in irritation. 'Those stinking old farts!'
Those elders ridiculed Cai Kechang for daring to summon them when the opponent was a mere Korean, not the Azure King or the Dark King. So, he didn't need to hear the subordinate's answer to know what they said this time.
"What can you even achieve when you're so blind?"
How could they fail to understand that a tiger menacingly growling before their eyes was far less dangerous than a venomous snake hiding and biding its time below their feet?
Kang Jin-Ho was that venomous snake. A snake that was insidiously targeting their backs!
Allowing Kang Jin-Ho to return to Korea meant the Crimson King's faction would have to constantly be on the lookout for a venomous snake biting their Achilles' heels. How were they supposed to deal with the other two Kings while being wary of such a threat?
Nothing about these elders and their conduct pleased Cai Kechang one bit.
Cai Kechang glanced at the subordinate and asked again. "What about our target?"
"They are currently headed to this place, sir."
"Really? They are headed here? No deviations whatsoever?"
"Yes, sir."
"What about the chasing pack? Did they succeed?"
"Yes, sir! There was a confrontation, and Kang Jin-Ho apparently stepped up personally to destroy the convoy."
"Even then, he's still headed this way?"
"Yes, sir."
This displeasing aftertaste didn't want to leave Cai Kechang alone. There was an unruly beast running around, so he tried to slap it in the butt to herd it in another direction. However, the beast didn't bother to change its heading at all.
'Just what is he thinking?'
All the nearby ports were already under Cai Kechang's control. A ship large enough to accept that many people wouldn't be able to dock in an average-sized pier. They should know that much, yet they were still headed this way?
The normal response would be to change direction and head elsewhere.
'What is his plan?'
It was all too displeasing. Kang Jin-Ho's actions always missed Cai Kechang's anticipation ever so slightly. And these slight misses were getting on Cai Kechang's nerves to no end!
"You! Go and make sure the barricades are up properly over there!" Cai Kechang yelled at the subordinate.
"Yes, sir!"
While watching the subordinate quickly dash away, Cai Kechang sucked in a deep breath.
'No, calm down. Don't get agitated, okay? Everything is still within my expectations. Everything is cool so far.'
Cai Kechang would've made the same choice in Kang Jin-Ho's shoes. It didn't matter where they ran off to since the crucial thing was to buy enough time for the ship to dock somewhere. However, the Crimson King's faction would catch up to them before any ship could come close to a harbor. Which meant a full-on confrontation was inevitable.
'I'll commend you if you've calculated that far ahead and still decided to come here...!'
However, what if that wasn't it?
'Then, you're a moron.'
Humans couldn't restrict and control monkeys. Humans could cage them, sure. But a monkey would still do what it wanted to do regardless of what humans thought of it. Hoping it'd do as told would be too greedy.
The difference between Kang Jin-Ho and Cai Kechang was similar to a monkey and a man. In that case, Cai Kechang should just acknowledge reality and respond accordingly.
"Summon all our men currently stationed in other locations over here!"
"Yes, sir!"
Since they were making a beeline to this place, all Cai Kechang's side had to do was face them head-on. That was all! Summoning elders here would've shifted the odds much more in his favor, but their lack of participation didn't automatically mean his targets would slip through his fingers, anyway!
'Hmph! What can a bunch of trashy riff-raff do!'
It didn't matter where those trashy demonic cultivators were leaving through or how many thousands or tens of thousands of them were here. All Cai Kechang cared about was Kang Jin-Ho, after all. With all the combat force assembled here, breaking through this barricade should be impossible, even if it was Kang Jin-Ho's grandfather!
Even with Vator's assistance, the story would not change at all!
'I know all that, so why...'
Cai Kechang sucked in a deep breath.
'Why am I still so anxious?'
Cai Kechang moodily stomped the ground, then yelled at his subordinate. "What happened with the Public Security people!"
"They won't hang around this area, sir! We've forbade them from even stepping foot near here."
"Didn't you tell them to control the surrounding area?"
"Sir! We've cleared out the surroundings instead. All the residents in the area had been kicked out for the time being."
"Fuu-woo..." Cai Kechang slowly nodded. Finally, some good news!
'Our long and twisted history is about to come to an end tonight, Kang Jin-Ho!'
What an experience it was to be at the mercy, so to speak, of someone he hadn't even come face to face before! However, that would end today. This hostile relationship would end with Kang Jin-Ho's death in this place.
'No, wait. He probably won't die here.'
If Cai Kechang had his ways, he'd drag the still-breathing Kang Jin-Ho to the feet of the Crimson King. After all, it was up to the Crimson King how Kang Jin-Ho would be disposed of.
'Not getting killed will be the best outcome for you!'
Considering the Crimson King's hotheadedness and hatred toward all demonic cultivators, the possibility of it happening was near zero, but the most optimal solution was bringing Kang Jin-Ho under the Crimson King's wings and absorbing the South Korean martial society.
The Korean martial society had grown to the point of keeping the Crimson King's faction mindful of their rear now. If they could absorb such a force...! The faction Cai Kechang had dedicated his life to would soar through the heavens like a tiger with wings.
Not only that, but...
'Being able to keep the demonic cultivators in line is an attractive proposition, too.'
Demonic cultivators were tasked with handling all the dirty, demeaning jobs in the martial world. They might be contemptible trash of society, but the world still needed people like that to deal with unsavory tasks. There was no need to explain their necessity when considering how much help they provided with keeping the lands of marauders civil and relatively trouble-free.
If such people could be enslaved properly, that would prove to be greatly beneficial to the faction overall. As long as Kang Jin-Ho could be captured and he submitted obediently to the Crimson King...!
Cai Kechang understood that it'd be tough but not impossible. Kang Jin-Ho would have to contend with the Crimson King, after all!
If Kang Jin-Ho was a living, breathing human being, how could he not be awed by the Crimson King's majestic presence? Even if he was a bloody demon king and not some random demonic cultivator, it was inconceivable for him to stand as equal to the Crimson King! Cai Kechang was convinced of this. He had zero doubt!
Cai Kechang obviously acknowledged Kang Jin-Ho. They might be enemies now, but after the situation was sorted out... Cai Kechang believed he and Kang Jin-Ho could serve the Crimson King together. If that happened, Cai Kechang would have no problem treating Kang Jin-Ho as his superior.
Not because of necessity, either. Cai Kechang was being dead serious. After all, the Crimson King and his faction were in dire need of a proper second-in-command, a top expert that could become his hands and feet! That role was not something any of those rotten eggs-for-brains elders or the disciples could take on.
"Administrator Cai, sir! They are here!"
"Hmph!" Cai Kechang grunted loudly, his eyes gleaming dangerously. "Get the Vermilion Blood Squad ready to engage the target!"
"Yes, sir!"
Cai Kechang grew slightly more tense as he glared at the road before his eyes that led to the pier behind him. The distance between the ocean and this location was only around one kilometer. Losing this place meant the demonic cultivators would enjoy an open access to the sea.
'Although... That will never happen!'
Cai Kechang was taken over by this unexplainable excitement. All that cloying displeasure bothering him until now was gone without a trace, and now, his heart pounded away like a little kid about to go on a picnic.
Even if he wasn't conscious of it, Cai Kechang must've been looking forward to finally meeting Kang Jin-Ho face-to-face!
'What about the barricade?'
The road leading to the pier was littered with speed bumps and stingers designed to puncture tires. And there were barricades set up right behind them, followed by walls of sandbags, too. Breaking through here with cars would be impossible.
In the end, the fleeing demonic cultivators would have to leave their vehicles, and that would naturally lead to them getting wiped out by the assembled martial artists from the Crimson King's faction. Obviously, killing them all was impossible.
Even if they were weak riff-raff, some were bound to slip past when their number reached several thousand. Besides, Cai Kechang wasn't planning to capture or kill every insect-like demonic cultivator, anyway.
Without Kang Jin-Ho, they were nothing. That was why...
"Here they come!"
Cai Kechang heard that and tightly clenched his fists.
They were here! Cai Kechang's heart pounded faster, and his palms got sweatier and clammier. He rapidly sucked in several deep breaths, then locked his glare on the road.
He... could see it! There, far away in the distance!
On the far side of this seemingly endless stretch of well-maintained road, Cai Kechang's sharp eyes spotted small dots progressively getting larger and larger. Those dots revealed themselves to be white light.
Those faint little lights gradually grew in size and number. And now, those small lights formed long lines to flood this location like a river of light!
'That's some scale, alright...!'
Cai Kechang felt stifled, nay, overwhelmed by this visual. Those lights were only growing larger, making it seem like the river was about to overflow. Almost at the same time, though...!
Cai Kechang accurately spotted the true objective of this operation amidst the seat of light. All kinds of vehicles in an unorganized pile were writhing ominously while closing the distance. And spearheading this bizarre convoy was a black van with two men standing on its roof.
One of them was completely unmissable. How would that be possible when he had such a huge physique?
"Vator...!" Cai Kechang sucked in a deep breath again.
There he was, the traitor! That uncouth foreign marauder who dared to kick dirt all over the Crimson King's goodwill! It seemed Cai Kechang found another target that must die here tonight.
Since that was Vator... Cai Kechang's gaze shifted slightly away from Vator, to the big man's side.
The other person seemed exceedingly plain. Far too plain.
'That's... Kang Jin-Ho?'
He didn't seem all that special, so how...
When his thoughts reached that far, Cai Kechang's brain suddenly stopped functioning for a second.
'He's plain? Really?'
There was no way that was true! Next to Kang Jin-Ho was Vator, after all!
All things in this world were relative. A plain man standing next to Vator should be totally invisible and overlooked thanks to the big man's stupendous presence.
However, that man still managed to give off the feeling of being plain. Which could only mean... His presence was at least on par with Vator's! No, maybe even more than that!
'Yes, it must be!'
Once Cai Kechang's gaze locked on Kang Jin-Ho, it didn't want to go back to Vator anymore. And that helped Cai Kechang to instinctively realize something.
He now knew who was the most dangerous existence here. He now understood who he must be most wary of!
Kang Jin-Ho leisurely extended his hand; then, his finger pointed up ahead. And then...!
The trucks driving all around the van like escorting warriors suddenly sped up like enraged bulls and charged straight at the barricades.
"Ram into them," said Kang Jin-Ho, an odious smirk etched across his lips.
The lengthy night had just begun.
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