Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 431

Watching Kang Jin-ho calmly sip his coffee, Bang Jin-hoon let out a deep sigh.

‘Does he really have no plan?’ Bang Jin-hoon couldn’t help but agonize, looking at Kang Jin-ho’s seemingly blank face.

The Kang Jin-ho he knew was an enigmatic person. He was the type to overturn everything without considering the consequences once he started something, but the trigger for starting that ‘something’ was always a mystery.

It was like not knowing where the trigger of a machine gun that would sweep everything around it was, making it impossible to touch.

‘I can’t trust him completely.’

He said he had no plan, but he couldn’t fully believe that. There must be something else he was thinking.

‘Otherwise, the current situation would be impossible.’

Looking at him like this, it’s easy to forget. How incredible the person in front of him is.

Is it because he’s strong?

No.

He wasn’t just incredible because he was strong. It hasn’t even been a year since Kang Jin-ho appeared in the Murim world [a world of martial arts practitioners]. In that short time, Kang Jin-ho had neatly unified the Murim world and seized control of the Korean underworld.

Could this situation have been a series of coincidences, or was it simply because Kang Jin-ho was strong?

‘No, absolutely not!’

Looking back, Kang Jin-ho had always taken the best possible course of action in each situation. What seemed reckless at the time turned out to be the best choice he could have made.

It was true that Kang Jin-ho’s abilities helped him take the best course of action, but it shouldn’t be forgotten that having abilities doesn’t always guarantee the best results.

‘Usually, people tend to show off their abilities…’

Everyone has vanity and pride. Those with abilities tend to want to package and flaunt them even more. But Kang Jin-ho tried to hide and conceal even the abilities he possessed.

Perhaps it was that tendency that allowed Kang Jin-ho to reach his current position.

“Then, what brings you here?”

“Huh?”

“I thought you came to discuss the Japanese issue, but then why?”

Looking at Bang Jin-hoon’s face demanding an answer, Kang Jin-ho tilted his head subtly.

“…I just came?”

“What?”

“I just came.”

Bang Jin-hoon noticed that Kang Jin-ho’s voice sounded strangely weak and stared at him silently. Kang Jin-ho, flinching at the gaze, turned his head away.

“Did you get kicked out?”

“It’s not like that.”

“Did you commit some kind of crime?”

“That’s not it either.”

“Please be honest. I may not be older than you, Kang Jin-ho, so I can’t really give you advice, but it’s better than keeping it to yourself…”

“It’s not that kind of worry. It’s just a minor issue.”

“A minor issue?”

“Yes. It’s…”

After hearing Kang Jin-ho’s explanation, Bang Jin-hoon stared at him with a dumbfounded expression.

“They’re nagging you for lazing around at home without doing any work?”

“…Keep it down.”

As Kang Jin-ho signaled him to lower his voice, Bang Jin-hoon chuckled a few times before taking out a cigarette and offering it.

“Have one.”

“Thank you.”

Kang Jin-ho took the cigarette and put it in his mouth, and Bang Jin-hoon lit it for him.

‘How am I supposed to take this?’

Bang Jin-hoon looked at Kang Jin-ho, filled with bewilderment. Seeing the young man in front of him slightly hunching over and smoking, he couldn’t help but chuckle.

‘This is beyond comprehension.’

Well, it is.

Looking at him like this, the young man in front of him just looks like an ordinary 20-year-old.

‘It’s a strange thing.’

It’s often said that you can’t win against your parents, but that’s just a saying. The moment a child grows up and gains financial independence, the power dynamic between parents and children naturally shifts to the child.

Especially if the child is exceptionally talented, that moment comes even faster.

Kang Jin-ho was the kind of son that was hard to find again in Korea. And yet, he was still being nagged by his parents, and to avoid that nagging, he left home with nowhere to go and ended up here.

‘He’s just an unfathomable person.’

The Kang Jin-ho who crushes his enemies was a person who instilled fear even in his allies.

Just as one would feel uneasy having a grenade in their pocket, even knowing that it won’t explode unless the pin is pulled, Kang Jin-ho was the kind of person who made you feel uneasy just by watching him, even though you knew he would never turn on you.

It was that fear and overwhelming presence that allowed Kang Jin-ho to completely dominate the Assembly [a powerful organization].

Without any particular position or authority, Kang Jin-ho was swallowing up Korea’s largest power just by his own presence.

And to such a Kang Jin-ho, Bang Jin-hoon had no choice but to give realistic advice.

“Why don’t you get a part-time job?”

Looking at it from the opposite perspective, it made sense.

No matter how much Kang Jin-ho had conquered the Murim world, he couldn’t explain to his mother, ‘I’ve taken over the Korean underworld.’

And no matter how much influence Kang Jin-ho had over the business world, he couldn’t say, ‘Actually, I’ve almost taken over the business world.’

Any normal parent would take their child to a psychiatrist the moment they heard that. That was the natural reaction.

‘This is kind of a joke…’

Sometimes, some of the notorious figures in the underworld are filial sons at home, and their parents think their children are very kind people. It seems like this is one of those cases.

Because they can’t be honest.

“So, what do your parents say?”

“…They want me to go back to school.”

“Kuh-heup.”

Bang Jin-hoon chuckled, as if sobbing.

He knew he shouldn’t laugh, but he couldn’t help it. How could anyone not laugh in this situation?

Go back to school?

What meaning did education or a diploma have for this person that they would tell him to go back to school?

“Do you have any thoughts on that?”

“For now…”

Kang Jin-ho put out his cigarette and opened his mouth.

“Even if it’s not just my parents’ words, I feel like I’m a bit adrift. Until now, there was always something I had to do, and doing it was the basic pattern, but now I really have nothing to do.”

“Hmm…”

Bang Jin-hoon nodded.

Come to think of it, Kang Jin-ho was just an ordinary student until recently, and he went to the military as a student. Then, as soon as he was discharged, he got entangled in the Murim world and ran around. Now was the first time he had any leisure.

Given the circumstances, it seemed like he was a bit bewildered himself.

Bang Jin-hoon thought that perhaps what he should say to Kang Jin-ho at this moment was this.

“This is more of a suggestion than advice…”

“Yes?”

“Take a break.”

“…Huh?”

Bang Jin-hoon smiled gently.

“People often make the mistake of thinking that just because they can withstand pressure, it means they don’t experience it. It’s just a matter of how much they can take.”

“Hmm…”

“From Kang Jin-ho’s perspective, you might think that there haven’t been any problems so far, but in my opinion, the pressure Kang Jin-ho has received so far is beyond imagination.

You might not feel it much and not care, but the pressure you’ve received is accumulating in your body.”

“Not really… My body is still in top condition.”

Bang Jin-hoon shook his head.

“When pressure accumulates, it’s not just physical problems that arise. Your mind becomes clouded, and you can’t make proper judgments. Without you even realizing it.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly closed his mouth.

‘Certainly.’

Looking back, the reason he made such an extreme choice to turn everyone into enemies at the last moment of his previous life… perhaps it was because he hadn’t properly resolved the continuous pressure.

It was questionable whether he would make a different choice if he went back to the past, but the current him would have chosen a less shocking method and tried to consult with others.

It was true that it was excessively extreme to say it was ‘simply because there was no one to trust’ or ‘because he wanted to’.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

“Sometimes, taking a complete break without thinking about anything is a way to move forward. Don’t think of it as nagging, and I recommend taking some time to reflect on yourself.”

“Yes.”

“As soon as possible.”

“Huh?”

Bang Jin-hoon sighed.

“It’s a bit awkward to say this after giving you that advice, but Kang Jin-ho, you’re not someone who can rest just because you want to. The world won’t leave you alone. As I mentioned earlier, the Japanese won’t stay still, and there are many unresolved issues.”

“Umm…”

“So, rest while you can. Such opportunities don’t come often.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly nodded.

Bang Jin-hoon, feeling pleased that Kang Jin-ho seemed to have accepted his words to some extent, smiled gently.

“Then, how about some billiards today…”

“Actually, there’s something I’ve been thinking about…”

“Yes?”

Kang Jin-ho raised his head and looked directly at Bang Jin-hoon.

“I’ve been thinking that I should do something for a while now. The timing is a bit awkward, and I wasn’t sure if it was something I really needed to do, so I left it alone, but now that I have some time, I think I’ll give it a try.”

Bang Jin-hoon sighed.

“I just told you to rest, and you’re already looking for work?”

“It’s not that difficult. It’s not a burden. It’s not something that will cause the mental pressure you mentioned.”

“…What is it?”

The corners of Kang Jin-ho’s mouth curled up slightly.

“I’ve realized something while dealing with the Japanese…”

“Yes?”

Why was he suddenly talking about Japan?

“The level of Korean Murim and Japanese Murim seems to be a bit different.”

“That’s an undeniable fact.”

Bang Jin-hoon nodded. There were excuses to be made. The level of the Korean Murim world was by no means weak on a global scale. If you were to be objective, it could be said to be on the stronger side.

But next to them was Japan, and above them was China. With the world’s strongest powers on either side, it was difficult for Korea to make its voice heard with its current strength.

“So, I’m thinking of changing that.”

“Yes?”

“With a little bit of work, they can become much stronger.”

“…You’re going to work on them?”

“Yes.”

“The kids?”

“Yes.”

So, that means he’s going to teach the Murim members who belong to the Assembly?

Bang Jin-hoon, recalling the image of Kang Jin-ho teaching the children at the orphanage a while ago, smiled gently.

“Can I refuse?”

Kang Jin-ho also smiled gently.

“No, you can’t.”