Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 504

Seok Tae-soo looked at Lee Myung-hwan, who was convulsing on the floor, with a strange expression.

‘What is this? A hidden camera?’

Even so, this situation was too bizarre.

Just because someone put their hand on his back, he’s having a seizure like he has epilepsy. Does that even make sense?

Seok Tae-soo looked around awkwardly.

‘The atmosphere is getting chilly…’

Those who witnessed the scene all had stiff faces and didn’t know what to do. If Lee Myung-hwan were to suddenly jump up and shout ‘Surprise,’ the atmosphere would certainly improve, but…

‘That’s not going to happen.’

Lee Myung-hwan aside, Kang Jin-ho wasn’t the type to play such pranks. The fact that Kang Jin-ho was so calm meant that this was definitely not a prank or a hidden camera.

‘Then what is it, that?’

Just by putting his hand on someone’s back and circulating qi [vital energy], the person is writhing as if they’re being electrocuted. What are they supposed to do?

And what? Next?

Is he going to do that to other people?

Is he joking?

Everyone seemed to be thinking the same thing. They were all looking at each other with faces that said, ‘What are we supposed to do now?’

“Next.”

Then, Kang Jin-ho spoke as if driving a wedge. Normally, no one would step forward, but Kang Jin-ho’s voice, which was subtly mixed with annoyance, was paralyzing people’s minds.

At least they won’t die.

But if they pissed that guy off, they might actually die. They had seen too much to put their hope in Kang Jin-ho’s love for humanity.

“I, I’ll go.”

Judging by the looks of it, it didn’t seem like he was going to stop after just one or two people. And that fact made everyone resigned. If they were going to have to go through it anyway, it was better to get it over with quickly.

One person at the front stepped forward.

“Turn around.”

“Yes!”

His face was full of tension, but his reaction was quick. Before Kang Jin-ho’s words were even finished, the answer came out, and his body rotated at the speed of light.

However…

‘His face is a mess?’

Everyone was looking at his face. Seeing his face, stiff with strange fear and anxiety, made my heart clench.

However, Kang Jin-ho calmly placed his hand on the back of the person who had stepped forward.

“Eeeek!”

What on earth do you have to do to make that kind of scream?

It’s not a common experience to see a person writhing like a squid on a hot plate. Unless a cigarette butt you flicked off lands on your back.

In that sense, Seok Tae-soo could be considered lucky. He had the good fortune to witness such a strange sight in succession. Except that he would soon be in the same state.

Thud.

As another person fell to the floor and started breakdancing, the atmosphere in the lecture hall went beyond chilly and began to resemble the Siberian plains.

The late summer heat was fading away. Seok Tae-soo seriously considered going to the back and turning off the air conditioner.

It felt like they were going to freeze to death, so what was the point of the air conditioner? Especially in a country that was already short on electricity.

“Um…”

Seok Tae-soo raised his hand without realizing it.

As a proud Korean, he didn’t want to step forward and get on Kang Jin-ho’s bad side, but now was not the time to show the virtue of yielding.

“What is it?”

“…I have no intention of objecting to the instructor’s excellent teaching methods, but is there no other way besides this method?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, there isn’t! Absolutely not! But… teaching each person one by one like this is a waste of time…”

Seok Tae-soo swallowed hard.

“The instructor is a very busy person. I don’t think we should waste his time. This is just my opinion, but… since two people have already experienced it, when they wake up, we can share their experience and learn from it, which would reduce the instructor’s wasted time…”

He didn’t even know what he was saying himself, but for a random idea, it seemed to have some persuasive power.

“That’s right!”

“We’ll try it ourselves!”

“Self-reliance is important! Self-reliance!”

“We can do it!”

A desperate chorus of agreement erupted.

The young martial artists, who had been subtly divided into the Yeongnam faction and the General Assembly, became one at this moment, shouting with one heart and one mind.

It was a moment that neatly resolved the chronic factionalism that even the king couldn’t solve. If you only looked at that, it was a scene that could be evaluated as truly righteous and heartwarming.

But the problem was that there was always one person who couldn’t read the atmosphere.

“While I appreciate the intention to save time, this is something I must do.”

And the fact that the person who couldn’t read the atmosphere was none other than Kang Jin-ho was everyone’s misfortune.

“…No.”

Kang Jin-ho said, narrowing his brow slightly, very slightly.

“The demonic art I gave you is different from the trash you know. To show you what a real demonic art is like and what its value is, I should endure this much trouble.”

‘Which bastard was grumbling earlier?’

‘Catch him!’

‘I’m going to kill him. I’m really going to kill him.’

Rage was boiling up.

The desire to kill those who had created this situation was overflowing.

But on the other hand, a strange feeling was flowing.

Seok Tae-soo looked at Kang Jin-ho with a subtle gaze.

‘What should I say, that…’

‘Is he sulking?’

No, of course, for someone like Kang Jin-ho, I should use a more refined expression like ‘he’s upset’ or ‘he’s displeased.’ But if I just blurt it out crudely, it seems like he’s angry because his demonic art was ignored…

If that’s the case, then a little, just a little…

‘He’s petty?’

It was like seeing a new side of Kang Jin-ho. Usually, seeing a new side of a person is a positive thing, but now it felt a little different.

‘No way, right?’

Surely he wouldn’t be petty about something like this?

At that moment.

Seok Tae-soo saw it.

Kang Jin-ho’s lips curled up very slightly, just a tiny bit, as he glanced at those who were convulsing on the floor below.

‘That bastard… he’s for real!’

No, even if a person is timid, how could he do that…

“Next.”

Before he could even organize his thoughts, Kang Jin-ho started moving again.

A hellish gloom descended upon the lecture hall.

“What, what is this?”

Lee Hyun-soo, who had entered the lecture hall, was shocked.

Where was this place he had come to?

He thought he had come to a lecture hall where the kids were gathered?

But what on earth was this place? To his eyes, it looked like a wounded soldier’s camp in the middle of a battlefield.

If you saw over a hundred sturdy men lying on the floor, groaning, wouldn’t anyone think the same thing?

“What’s wrong with you guys?”

“Ughhh…”

Only groans came out in response.

Even Lee Hyun-soo, who was usually reserved in expressing his emotions, couldn’t help but be dumbfounded. To someone who didn’t know the situation, it looked like someone had invaded and knocked them all out.

If Lee Hyun-soo hadn’t known that Kang Jin-ho had been here, he would have thought so too.

“Who were the bastards who were grumbling earlier?”

Lee Myung-hwan, who had barely managed to raise himself with trembling arms, said through gritted teeth with bloodshot eyes. As soon as he finished speaking, the martial artists who had been crawling on the floor began to rise like zombies, their eyes rolling wildly.

As if they were going to find the culprit who had caused this situation and chew them to pieces.

Lee Hyun-soo could only shake his head at the sight.

‘Will this work out?’

He didn’t need to doubt their control, at least.

Of course, the problem was that it wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

“Hey, you crazy bastards! If you’re not going to take responsibility for what you say, shut your mouths! Why do you make people look like this by talking without thinking!”

“…Who knew he’d get pissed off about that.”

Lee Myung-hwan finally lost his temper.

“Hey, you crazy bastards! When you were in the military, did you throw out jokes in front of the division commander and then say you didn’t know he’d get angry about that! Is the difference between that person and you less than the difference between a private and a division commander?”

“…I’m exempt from military service.”

“Which bastard is it?”

“Sorry.”

At Lee Myung-hwan’s words, everyone understood what they had done.

“Come to think of it, Mr. Kang Jin-ho is a very high-ranking person…”

“Yeah. Strangely…”

“Honestly, there are times when I’m so scared that my jaw trembles. But it’s a bit strange…”

They all looked at each other.

‘He’s easy to deal with.’

No, of course, it didn’t mean that Kang Jin-ho was easy. There were many among them who would have a fit just by looking at Kang Jin-ho’s face. If you were to pick the most terrifying person in the world, nine out of ten would definitely pick Kang Jin-ho. There were even people suffering from trauma because of him.

But what should I say?

‘It’s his personality that’s the problem, his personality.’

From their point of view, they couldn’t figure out Kang Jin-ho’s personality at all.

When the switch is flipped, he becomes the most cruel and terrifying person in the world, but normally, he’s not like a martial artist, what should I say…

Gentle? That’s a bit strange…

Anyway, he’s mild and soft.

Of course, they were also people who lived in the underworld. Just because someone treats them gently doesn’t mean they think their personality is good. But Kang Jin-ho’s gentleness shows in his attitude. Every gesture, every word, feels like he’s considerate of people to some extent.

That might be normal in other places, but in the martial arts world, where hierarchy is strictly enforced, there weren’t many people who treated their subordinates with such an attitude.

That’s why they end up crossing the line from time to time.

‘The person I’m most afraid of is also the person I can treat most comfortably…’

‘What a ridiculous thing to happen.’

Lee Myung-hwan clicked his tongue and looked at his colleagues. In a way, it was a very serious problem, but when you knew the inside story, it was just a minor side effect.

These guys, who were playing around like this, would try to carry out his orders as if they were throwing away their lives if Mr. Kang Jin-ho gave a serious command.

‘It seems like we’re becoming double-personalities because we’re playing under a double-personality.’

Thinking it was a ridiculous side effect, Lee Myung-hwan struggled to get up.

“But what brings you here?”

“Ah, right.”

Lee Myung-hwan said, looking at everyone.

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho’s first revised translation is out, so come to the office and pick it up when you leave.”

“…Did you have it bound?”

“Yeah.”

“Thank you.”

Lee Myung-hwan bowed his head as a representative, and Lee Hyun-soo waved his hand.

“I didn’t go through much trouble, so don’t overdo it. I don’t want to show off.”

“Yes.”

“Oh, and Mr. Kang Jin-ho said something as he was leaving…”

“Yes.”

“He told you to memorize all of this by the next time he comes.”

“Pardon?”

Lee Myung-hwan asked blankly.

“All of it? If it’s all of it…”

“This, the book.”

Lee Hyun-soo said calmly, holding up the book he had been carrying under his arm.

“…That?”

No matter how you looked at it, that was the size of a college textbook.

Memorize that?

Is he joking?

“And he said that those who can’t memorize it all will be trained separately. If you can’t do it with your head, you have to do it with your body? He’s a very kind man.”

Lee Hyun-soo said calmly, not knowing the situation.

And the faces of everyone who heard those words began to rot miserably.

‘He’s so petty, really.’

Everyone realized that you could never become a master with a normal personality.