Chapter 1545 Face to Face (5)

“America, is it...?”

Cai Kechang’s expression grew unreadable as he perused the report gripped in his hand.

Is there a point in doing all this?

He could already guess how rubbish the American martial artists must be. Of course, he wasn’t conceited enough to think he knew everything there was to know under the sun. Considering how America the country operated in the surface world, they should possess some kind of combat force Cai Kechang wasn’t aware of.

Even then, that can take you only so far.

It didn’t matter how much preparation the Americans had made and how hard they worked. In the end, one could never surpass what they already had.

This was the same as a developing nation in Africa being unable to develop nukes on its own, no matter how hard its citizens tried. America simply didn’t have any history in martial arts, so it’d be impossible for them to possess several powerful experts.

Besides, if they indeed boasted such powerful experts in their ranks, the Americans wouldn’t have kept their heads down for this long. They did not like the idea of the rest of the world not falling in line with America, after all!

China, in the surface at least, was being punted around nonstop by various forces, not even giving it enough time to guard itself against the constant onslaught. With the situation like that, what if America also possessed enough power to rule over the martial world, too? Rather than Cai Kechang, it’d be his corpse sitting inside this office instead!

That was why he felt confident of his estimations. Still, one thing got on his nerves about this situation, and that was...

“...Kang Jin-Ho!”

A new bout of migraine invaded Cai Kechang’s skull just then.

Kang Jin-Ho should also be aware of what Cai Kechang knew. No, it should be more than that. This report stated that he had personally traveled to America and contacted the American officials, so he must’ve gotten the opportunity to learn many more things than Cai Kechang could even imagine.

So, despite confirming things with his own eyes, Kang Jin-Ho still allowed the American martial artists in South Korea?

...Damn it! I simply don’t have enough information.

The information network of the Crimson King’s faction didn’t extend to America. Of course, Cai Kechang still did his best not to miss any major events happening over there. Even so, it was still impossible to learn about every single little event happening on the other side of the planet.

The lack of information meant Cai Kechang couldn’t make any analysis right now.

He roughly crumpled the report until it resembled a ball, then tossed it into a trash bin.

Kang Jin-Ho is one thing, but I’m more bothered by Lee Hyeon-Su. That sly fox-like bastard will never do something that won’t benefit him and the Assembly, after all.

However, why would someone like that allow some random riffs-raffs into their backyard?

At least one thing is for sure now.

Cai Kechang couldn’t tell what this latest development might lead to, but it had already produced one result. And that was his pulsating migraine!

It felt as if needles were poking him on the side of his head. Worse still, it felt like someone was twisting his guts, too.

Cai Kechang roughly massaged the aching side of his head, then groaned deeply.

“Damn it. Looks like I don’t have a choice but to observe some more, then.”

That didn’t feel right at all.

The existences of Kang Jin-Ho and the Martial Assembly were like sharpened blades pointing directly at Cai Kechang’s back. What made this situation even worse was that those blades were getting sharper every day.

At first, those blades were no bigger than some needles, yet they grew as large as awls in no time at all. And now, they had gotten so large that getting stabbed by them would prove fatal to the unfortunate victims.

However, those blades were getting even sharper?

No, wait. It’s too early to make that assumption.

Would using the whetstone called America sharpen the blades or destroy the already-sharp edges instead? Both outcomes were still possible at this stage.

But... Dammit. I should be realistic here.

Cai Kechang chuckled helplessly.

Kang Jin-Ho and the Martial Assembly had this nasty habit of surpassing Cai Kechang’s expectations, after all. And in the worst imaginable way, to boot! There was no way Lady Luck would suddenly become kinder to him at this stage.

Without a doubt, this whole thing would turn into something absolutely terrible just to give Cai Kechang nightmares.

At the very least, when it came to the Martial Assembly? He must never let his guard down. He had suffered enough losses and ill fortunes because of them by now.

The Assembly bastards experienced several events where they could have been utterly destroyed had one thing gone wrong somewhere. But they still found a way to power through those events with their own strength.

“Stinking bastard...”

Cai Kechang growled softly. However, he wasn’t insulting Kang Jin-Ho. No, his target of scorn this time was Lee Hyeon-Su.

Here was Cai Kechang, racking his brain and doing everything possible to solve this hellish situation, yet that stinking bastard was sitting in a cushy office to watch his organization grow by leaps and bounds.

Life can be so unfair, no?

Cai Kechang’s dissatisfaction wasn’t with the Crimson King and its faction, of course.

It’d always be so much harder to take 99 to 100 than taking 1 to 99. Dozens of times harder, as a matter of fact. If all the extreme changes were visible to the naked eye, it could only mean that there were so many things that needed to be changed and improved upon, after all.

Despite knowing that, though...

Click...

Cai Kechang mouthed a cigarette, then contemplatively puffed away.

“Their change... It keeps getting on my nerves.”

He knew now wasn’t the time to get obsessed about this development. After all, the Martial Assembly wasn’t the faction’s number one enemy, at least not right now. No, that honor belonged to the Azure King’s faction, which had finally begun baring its fangs.

When objectively analyzed, the threat posed by the Martial Assembly was like a rock compared to the gigantic boulder called the Azure King’s faction. One might trip on this rock and break their nose if they weren’t careful, but paying a little bit of attention should be enough to avoid injuries.

Cai Kechang was merely being paranoid about such a rock. That was all.

Knock, knock!

Cai Kechang finally broke out of his thoughts and raised his head slightly at the sound of knocking. “Enter.”

Creeaak!

Huh. Cai Kechang frowned slightly. Looks like the hinges need changing or something.

Was it because he was more on edge lately? Even the sound of the door opening got on his nerves.

A martial artist entered the office and politely bowed. Cai Kechang narrowed his eyes. “What’s the situation?”

“It can’t be described as favorable, sir. All of our vanguards have fallen.”

“Is that so?”

Cai Kechang’s response remained lukewarm despite the news of his men’s deaths. He wasn’t pretending to be calm, either. He really didn’t feel much about their demise. Why should he, when similar events had repeated themselves dozens of times by now?

The factions belonging to the Crimson King and Azure King had focused their combat force in the border areas. However, they still hadn’t entered a full-on war yet, and their skirmishes so far had been limited to small numbers of combatants invading enemy territory every now and then, and the other side defending said territory. The deaths of the vanguards meant Cai Kechang’s side had lost a few dozen men, but that was about it.

Such a loss was a drop in the ocean considering the total number of martial artists in the Crimson King’s faction.

“What about the enemy? Their losses?”

The martial artist replied, “They seemed to have suffered similar losses.”

Did that mean the enemy had also sent small fries?

“I see. Any signs of additional provocations?”

“No, sir. Nothing so far.”

“Is that right? Dammit...”

Just how long were they supposed to keep up with this accursed stand-off?

Cai Kechang rubbed his eyes. It felt like he was gradually withering away.

If an all-out war broke out while he wasn’t looking, everything would come crashing down in the blink of an eye. Knowing this, he couldn’t rest properly. Sleep wasn’t sleep for him anymore.

He had already forgotten about the number of times he woke up screaming from exhausted slumber, the images of the Crimson King’s faction getting destroyed haunting his nightmares.

Things had gotten so bad that he even began thinking that it would be better to have a resolution as soon as possible, even if that resolution came in the form of his side’s defeat.

The question, though, was how did this stand-off situation come about in the first place?

Those stinking government dogs!

The Three Kings and their factions had been keeping each other in check for a long time now.

But these latest skirmishes were carried out with full understanding of their current situation. Their war could have ended already were it not for the unnecessary variables getting into the mix.

“I swear! One day, I will grind your bones to dust!”

If only the government dogs didn’t bare their fangs of ambition when Kang Jin-Ho came to China! This deadlock wouldn’t have happened, or at the very least, dragged on and on like this.

No, hang on. I don’t care about them revealing their ambition. What I care about is how they formed an alliance with the Martial Assembly!

Everyone knew it was all a sham, that it was nothing more than window dressing, yet even a bluff like that was enough to hinder one’s progress. That was how life operated, wasn’t it!

Never mind the Azure King, Cai Kechang had his hands full trying to keep an eye out on the Dark King’s faction, too. But now, with the government getting actively involved in the martial world’s shenanigans under the so-called backing of the Martial Assembly...!

Cai Kechang just couldn’t carelessly waste his faction’s combat resources. Of course, he knew that this deadlock wouldn’t last forever.

It was too late to withdraw their troops without incurring losses now. The moment one side lost its patience, an all-out war would break out immediately. And the victory or defeat would be decided in the proverbial blink of an eye.

Cai Kechang glanced at his subordinate. “Remind everyone not to lower their guard.”

“Understood, sir. But they are beginning to reach their limits.”

“I know. That’s why they must be more alert than ever.”

“Understood. We’ll remind everyone.”

Cai Kechang weightily nodded. He knew how unreasonable his demand was, of course. Even martial artists were humans at the end of the day, after all.

Enemies were biding their time right before their noses. Knowing this, their nerves must be stretched taught right now. How long would they be able to maintain this state?

Cai Kechang rubbed his face, then asked the subordinate again. “And what about the Crimson King?”

“He still hasn’t emerged from his closed-door seclusion, sir.”

“In his residence?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hmm...” Cai Kechang slowly nodded again. As expected!

Other people might think the Crimson King was being irresponsible, but Cai Kechang knew that his master was doing his utmost best right now.

The simple and unavoidable truth about this war was that it’d only end after the Crimson King and Azure King fought each other.

All the combatants stuck in a deadlock? Of course they were invaluable helpers in this war. However, their presence would mean nothing if the battle between the two Kings one-sidedly tilted in favor of one over the other. Combat forces would only mean something if the delicate balance of rock-paper-scissors was maintained between the two Kings.

Keeping calm during this lengthy stand-off was proving rather difficult, even for Cai Kechang. He could feel this pain akin to his mind smoldering away right now.

One must suppress their frustration and anxiety no matter what. And they must endure the urge to jump straight into the enemy camp while maintaining their peak physical condition. That would be an incredible challenge even for the greatest of great men, yet the Crimson King was doing precisely that right now.

“Fuu-woo...” Cai Kechang let out a brief groan. Right. I shouldn’t be whining like a brat.

His master was doing his absolute best. In that case, he should give his all to assist and serve the Crimson King.

Cai Kechang shot up to his feet. “Get ready. I’ll begin my round of inspection.”

“Understood!”

Cai Kechang followed his subordinate and left his office, his eyes narrowing to slits.

It won’t be long now. I’m sure of it.

This war had been dragging on for too long. However, it should end soon one way or the other. Whether the Crimson King’s faction survived, or the Azure King’s...

“...No!” Cai Kechang bit his lip, hard. The ones surviving will be us! We will emerge victorious, no matter what!

Didn’t he make all these preparations just for that purpose? And once his side won this war, he’d deal with that infernal Dark King, then the stinking government dogs next. However, what then? What would come afterward?

...The Demon King!

All they had to do was get that far. That was all.

Area-wise, East Asia didn’t even cover one-fifth of the planet. However, the one who conquered this place would also conquer the world.

Cai Kechang shuddered when his thoughts reached that far. Such a story belonged in cartoons. Or dreams. But this dream-like story would soon become reality. And this knowledge soaked Cai Kechang’s brain in endorphins.

“Right. Contact our people in Korea and tell them to uncover all the information on the American troops!”

“American troops, sir?”

“Don’t ask stupid questions! You know who I’m talking about!”

“Understood! It shall be done!”

We still need to prepare. Cai Kechang sucked in a deep breath. “And tell them to keep their eyes on Kang Jin-Ho at all times! Also, we need to figure out the Dark King’s movements!”

“Yes, sir!”

As long as there were no variables! Cai Kechang’s expression stiffened.

The worst outcome would be a third party butting in during the battle between the Crimson King and the Azure King. If that happened, all the grand plan Cai Kechang had cooked up would get torn apart into pieces.

“For now... Everything is still within my calculations.”

That included the Azure King, the Dark King, and even the Demon King! They were still dancing within his palms. For now.

Cai Kechang sucked in a deep breath again. His gut ached again, but he didn’t have the leeway to care about such a thing right now.

Even if I have to sacrifice everything of mine...!

Soon, this volcano would erupt. With all the power it had been storing up for the past several decades! And once it erupted, everything would change, and nothing would ever be the same again.

A war that couldn’t end until only one party remained; its starting point was getting closer and closer.