Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 408

Chai Ke-chang slammed his head on the floor, his body trembling.

‘Damn it.’

He never imagined he’d be in a situation where he had to deliver this absurd report to the Hong King [a powerful leader or figurehead].

‘I shouldn’t have trusted those pieces of trash.’

Even though Kang Jin-ho was someone the Hong King was wary of, he never thought the Yeongnam Association, which had already established a strong presence in the country, would collapse like that.

Isn’t it an immutable truth that one fist cannot defeat ten?

The only ones who can break that rule are absolute beings like the Hong King, who have transcended the limits of humanity. But is it possible that a young man barely over twenty has reached the level of an absolute being like the Hong King?

‘Impossible.’

That was absolutely impossible.

Even if he was highly likely to be a returnee [someone who has reincarnated or returned from another life], returning didn’t mean he would become stronger faster and more certainly. This isn’t a game.

Of course, it might be a little easier.

However, returning is about applying the experience gained from a completely different body to the current one. It was common for those who had achieved considerable strength in their previous lives to become useless because they couldn’t adapt to their current bodies.

Above all, rebuilding also takes time. He didn’t know when he returned, but even at the maximum, the time he could train was only twenty years. To reach the absolute realm in that time was absolutely impossible according to Chai Ke-chang’s common sense.

“They were all defeated?”

“…Yes, they were.”

“Chai Ke-chang.”

At the Hong King’s low call, Chai Ke-chang slammed his head on the floor.

“Please punish this foolish one! I underestimated him!”

“Hmm…”

The Hong King leaned back on his throne.

Chai Ke-chang, who had glanced up to gauge the Hong King’s expression, felt a strange sensation.

The emotion on the Hong King’s face was not anger or displeasure.

“Didn’t I say that would eventually happen?”

“Your Majesty sees ten thousand miles while sitting, but I am a mere human and could not fathom your will.”

“Yes, I suppose so.”

The Hong King stroked his chin and said,

“So, that Yeongnam Association was probably completely swallowed up by Kang Jin-ho?”

“…Yes, it was.”

“Yes, I suppose so. The demons are greedy, after all.”

The Hong King frowned slightly and said,

“So, what’s the plan?”

“For now, the best course of action is to observe.”

“Observe?”

“Yes!”

Chai Ke-chang answered in a firm voice and began to explain the reason.

“There are external and internal threats.”

“Tell me.”

Chai Ke-chang swallowed hard. The Hong King’s voice had become a little stiff. He didn’t like Chai Ke-chang’s suggestion to just watch Kang Jin-ho.

“First, as an external threat, Japan is making moves.”

“Japan?”

The Hong King’s voice perked up a little.

“Did you say Japan just now?”

“…Yes.”

“Tell me again in detail. Japan, you say?”

“In the process of confronting Kang Jin-ho, the martial artists of Korea seem to have drawn in the Japanese. As they were eliminated by Kang Jin-ho, Japan and Kang Jin-ho are now in conflict. According to the informant we planted in Japan, the forces within Japan, mainly the Nanahoshi Group, are currently assessing the situation.”

“Chai Ke-chang!”

The Hong King’s voice boomed.

Chai Ke-chang, realizing the anger in his voice, slammed his head on the ground.

“Are you saying that we shouldn’t move because of those uncivilized monkeys from the archipelago? Are you saying that we should fear those vile creatures who have yet to receive proper punishment for violating our land!”

“Absolutely not! Please quell your anger, Your Majesty!”

“Speak properly. Otherwise, you will not escape my wrath.”

Cold sweat began to form on Chai Ke-chang’s back.

“It’s not that we fear the uncivilized people of the archipelago. It’s because if we step in now and subdue Kang Jin-ho, there’s a possibility that the Japanese will take over the peninsula, which would become ownerless.”

“Hmm…”

The Hong King let out a heavy groan, seemingly thinking there was some merit to it.

“Our situation shouldn’t be so bad that we can’t even keep those Japanese in check, right?”

“That was the case until recently. But, Your Majesty, there is an internal threat.”

“…I see.”

The Hong King sighed.

Chai Ke-chang had said there were external and internal threats. If so, that internal threat must be the reason why they couldn’t move.

“What is this internal threat?”

Chai Ke-chang hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“It’s not accurate information yet, but…”

“Hmm?”

A different light flickered in the Hong King’s eyes.

Chai Ke-chang was not one to mention information that wasn’t certain. For him to say such a thing meant that the importance of what he was about to say was something to be wary of, even considering the uncertainty.

“Speak.”

“…There are rumors that the demons within the Central Plains are gathering.”

At those words, the Hong King’s face hardened.

“Demons?”

“Yes, Your Majesty.”

Chai Ke-chang quietly observed the Hong King’s reaction.

The Hong King, who could be called a descendant of the righteous path, pathologically hated and despised demons. As such, he would never take the news of demons gathering in the Central Plains well.

However, the Hong King’s expression was calm, contrary to Chai Ke-chang’s expectations.

“…It was bound to happen.”

The Hong King nodded quietly.

“The reason why the demons have been scattered until now is because they didn’t have a proper center. If that center appears, they will also try to gather and form a force.”

“Their gathering is something to be wary of. However, what I’m wary of is not that they’ll form their own force, but that they might gather under the command of the Creation King. What threat would those riffraff pose if they gathered?”

“Hahahaha.”

The Hong King laughed as if it were ridiculous.

“You don’t value history.”

“Looking back at the history of the martial world, there were times when demons ruled the Central Plains. Although they are a wretched and pathetic bunch now, we must not ignore the potential they possess.”

“…I will keep that in mind.”

The Hong King said so, and Chai Ke-chang tried to understand, but his face showed that he didn’t understand at all. Seeing Chai Ke-chang, the Hong King quietly stroked his beard.

‘This is not something to take lightly.’

He had a feeling that Kang Jin-ho was behind the gathering of the demons. No, this was a certainty that went beyond a feeling.

Of course, the demons now are not a force that poses much of a threat even if they gather. But…

‘It was different.’

The traces of demonic arts created by Kang Jin-ho were on a different level from the demonic arts used by the current demons. What if Kang Jin-ho knew the martial arts of the past Demonic Cult [a group practicing dark or forbidden martial arts] and passed those martial arts on to the current demons?

The Hong King jumped up from his seat.

“Chai Ke-chang!”

“Yes! Your Majesty!”

“Open your eyes and ears. Gather all information related to this matter. I will accept your words that now is not the time to move. But in return, do not miss any movement and report it!”

“I will obey your command!”

The Hong King looked up at the ceiling with a burning gaze.

‘A chaotic era is coming.’

The archipelago, which had begun to move towards other countries for the first time in decades, and the gathering demons.

Kang Jin-ho was at the center of all those movements.

The Hong King clenched his fist, certain that the long peace was coming to an end.

“Annoying people, they’re no help at all.”

Wang Wei-an grumbled as he entered the back alley.

If he had to pick one thing that was the worst choice in his life, Wang Wei-an would not hesitate to say it was learning demonic arts. His late father was a demon, and he was proud of the fact that he had learned demonic arts himself.

“Damn it.”

Looking back, his father was a really stupid person.

What was so proud about learning demonic arts that even fellow martial artists treated them like bugs and pointed fingers at them?

And if he was going to be proud, he should have kept it to himself. Why did he pass it on to him?

Demonic arts were different from righteous arts.

Those who had learned righteous arts could learn demonic arts, but once someone stepped into demonic arts, they could never return to righteous arts.

“Damn it!”

In the end, the only thing that could relieve his frustration was cursing.

That’s what demons were like.

They couldn’t live as ordinary people, nor were they treated as martial artists. There was a time when they were targeted for extermination by martial artists just for learning demonic arts, but now, whether it was because they were no longer a threat or because times had changed, they didn’t go that far.

They just despised them.

While the martial artists who were active in the underworld were swallowing the world bit by bit, those called demons had no choice but to hide deeper into the darkness. Into the dirtiest and most dangerous places.

There were demons who became dogs of martial artists to escape such a plight, but in the end, they were deprived of the opportunity to rise and were just used as consumables before being discarded.

“Hehehe.”

Well, it was understandable.

Who could trust those who shed their human skin and turn into monsters the moment demonic energy seeped into their marrow?

To become stronger, they had to master demonic arts deeply, but the deeper they mastered demonic arts, the stronger the demonic energy became, causing them to lose themselves. That was the dilemma of the demons.

In the end, most demons gave up on deepening their demonic arts and lived with only half-baked demonic arts. Just like Wang Wei-an now.

Outwardly, they were tormented by the threats of martial artists and had no choice but to hide in dirty and damp places. That was the plight of the demons in the current era.

But…

“I’m busy to death, damn it.”

A summons that hadn’t happened in ten years had occurred.

The organization that had only existed in name had begun to move for the first time.

The order was simple.

— Gather.

– Gather at the designated location and time.

He tried to ignore it.

But he couldn’t ignore it.

He thought that even if they gathered, what would change? But the expectation that there might be a solution to alleviate this miserable situation even a little made Wang Wei-an move.

‘They’re all gathering.’

Pale-faced men gathered one by one in the dark back alley.

Lifeless faces.

Anxious expressions.

Feeling like he was looking in a mirror, Wang Wei-an spat on the ground.

‘Damn it.’

Their situation wouldn’t be much different from his.

He went deeper into the back alley, and a man guarding the door at the end of the alley checked Wang Wei-an and opened the door for him.

“Inside.”

Wang Wei-an didn’t answer and bowed his head, squeezing his body through the small door.

After walking for a long time through a small, cramped corridor, he arrived at a huge space that existed underground.

Wang Wei-an’s eyes widened as if they would tear apart as he saw the space.