Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 654

“You seem to be in a good mood, Chief?”

“Do I?”

Yeon Min-hyuk asked, looking perplexed as Lee Hyun-soo was quietly whistling.

‘Why does he look like he’s in a good mood?’

I’ve never seen this guy look happy. He’s always half-angry. Or rather, not angry, but how should I put it…

‘He’s someone who has annoyance as a passive skill.’

I kind of understand.

That guy is, well… yeah, he’s that kind of person.

A sergeant who can’t get discharged.

Since the days of the Yeongnam Association [a regional gang], Lee Hyun-soo has been in charge of the practical operations of the organization. Yet, he always had a superior above him.

He’s maxed out in terms of practical skills and abilities, but there’s nowhere else for him to go.

So, the people below him should slowly start to rise and take over his duties, but strangely, that doesn’t happen with him.

It’s like a late-term sergeant who has to mop the floors until he becomes a sergeant because no replacement comes, and he can’t get discharged, so he ends up doing the work the officers tell him to do and getting nagged.

So, how annoyed would he be?

It’s not good to see someone always frowning, but,

for him, Yeon Min-hyuk wanted to acknowledge it.

But today, he strangely seems to be in a good mood.

“Did something happen?”

“I got a new sibling.”

“Huh?”

“I have a capable sibling, so won’t things be a bit easier from now on?”

Looking at Lee Hyun-soo’s face with the corners of his mouth turned up, I get the feeling that ‘someone else has fallen into a trap.’

‘Anyway, he’s a genius when it comes to tormenting people.’

Lee Hyun-soo was a person on the border between a martial artist and a commoner. He had learned some martial arts, but his level was not high. To the point where it was not easy to find someone weaker than Lee Hyun-soo within this General Assembly [a large organization or group].

From a commoner’s perspective, he would be considered amazing, but from a martial artist’s perspective, it’s ambiguous to recognize him as a proper martial artist, and it’s also ambiguous to call him a commoner.

In the world of martial artists, martial prowess is everything. But this man, despite having such low-level martial arts, was not ignored by anyone.

Behind his back, there are those who curse him for being a guy who can’t fight but only uses his brain, but no one dares to say such things in front of him.

Some say that Lee Hyun-soo is so arrogant because he is favored by Kim Seok-il when he was in the Yeongnam Association, and now by Kang Jin-ho.

But Yeon Min-hyuk thought differently.

Even if Kang Jin-ho and Kim Seok-il didn’t exist, and there was no one to protect him,

Lee Hyun-soo would still be Lee Hyun-soo.

‘I would never want to be an enemy with that guy.’

It’s not that he’s protected by Kang Jin-ho, but rather, it’s because Kang Jin-ho is capable that he can handle someone like that. The order is wrong.

Well, in the first place, being protected by Kang Jin-ho is a big deal. There’s no way that Kang Jin-ho would be interested in just anyone.

In that sense, Yeon Min-hyuk respected Lee Hyun-soo.

It’s not that there isn’t anyone greater than Lee Hyun-soo.

Even Kang Jin-ho is someone who can’t be compared to Lee Hyun-soo. But for Yeon Min-hyuk, Kang Jin-ho was like a mythical creature that he could see and touch.

Just because there’s a dragon in front of you doesn’t mean you can feel close to it.

When you’re just imagining it, you might imagine yourself wielding a divine sword and cutting off the dragon’s head, or making the dragon your servant and riding it, but if there’s a dragon right in front of you, you’d be lucky if you didn’t wet your pants on the spot.

That’s exactly how Yeon Min-hyuk felt about Kang Jin-ho.

Just because you can see him and talk to him doesn’t mean you feel close to him. Rather, the fact that such a person exists right in front of you makes you feel even more repulsed.

On the other hand, Lee Hyun-soo was realistic.

His mind is great, but it’s extremely realistic. He doesn’t surprise people with bizarre tricks, but handles obvious things in an obvious way. Watching him from the side, you can’t help but think that you should never become his enemy.

“May I ask who it is?”

“You wouldn’t know even if I told you. It’s someone who has no connection to this side.”

That’s probably right.

That’s why you can become siblings with him. If you knew, it would be impossible.

“More importantly… what’s the report on that woman?”

“That woman, you mean?”

“Was there another woman I needed to get a report on?”

“Ah, you mean Lee Hyun-joo.”

“If you understood, I’d appreciate a quick answer? I don’t want to waste time on something that’s not particularly important.”

“There are no special circumstances. She hasn’t left the house.”

“Hmm, really? I haven’t restricted her from going out.”

“I didn’t explain it in detail. If there are guards loitering around the house, wouldn’t anyone be reluctant to go outside? If you wish, I can tell them that she can go out from today.”

“Leave it. There’s no need to prevent misunderstandings.”

“…But, sir.”

“Yeah?”

“Why are you keeping that woman alive?”

“Who? Lee Hyun-joo?”

“Yes.”

“It’s simple. She’s my half-sister.”

“Is it not funny?”

“Are you joking? Should I laugh?”

“You’re getting a pay cut.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled wryly.

“I thought it would work. The names are similar too.”

“They’re all similar. It feels like there are strangely many people with similar names around here.”

“It must be someone’s ability problem. Or it’s a problem of laziness.”

“Who are you talking about?”

“Well, who could it be?”

Lee Hyun-soo glanced at the sky and shook his head.

“Let’s move on. The reason for keeping that woman alive is simple. The benefits of keeping her alive are greater than the benefits of killing her.”

“But…”

“She’s a woman with no particular ability. Rather than killing her and provoking the remaining members of the Double-Cross Faction, it’s better to keep her alive and show our generosity.”

“If we kill that woman, would the Double-Cross Faction dare to say anything?”

“They wouldn’t. But they’d feel bad, wouldn’t they? You can’t get active cooperation just by suppressing them with power. Unless you think she’s a Wonder Woman who can gather the power of the Double-Cross Faction and oppose Kang Jin-ho, just leave her alone. Got it?”

“…Yes.”

Lee Hyun-soo laughed at Yeon Min-hyuk’s dissatisfied reaction.

‘There’s no way he’d understand even if I explained it.’

There’s a reason for everything in the world. For everything.

There’s no one in the world who would enjoy being watched.

Privacy is a very important part of being human. Having time to oneself is an essential element for humans.

But what if your time is not just being infringed upon, but every move you make is being watched and reported?

Could you endure that stress?

Most people would never try to endure it. They would try to break through their current reality by any means.

But here was someone who had to silently endure that reality.

Clack.

The sound of a mug being placed on the table echoed through the living room.

Too big of a house.

It’s too big of a house to live in alone. Even if the living room is filled with the low scent of coffee, it doesn’t fill the warmth of a person.

Lee Hyun-joo looked around the living room with a slightly dazed gaze.

At first glance, it’s a peaceful living room. But beyond the large glass window on the front of the living room, there are at least three pairs of eyes watching her.

‘There’s no need to go this far…’

It’s probably not Kang Jin-ho’s order to watch her. She’s not important enough for Kang Jin-ho to pay attention to. It’s probably a decision made at a lower level without even reaching Kang Jin-ho.

I understand.

She’s the only blood relative of the person who committed the most dangerous act in the General Assembly. It’s perhaps natural to watch her. If she were in their position,

she would have ordered surveillance without any hesitation.

‘No, I wouldn’t have watched them.’

Lee Hyun-joo would have ordered them to be uprooted.

Even a slight possibility is still a possibility. There’s no need to leave them behind and feel uneasy. It’s something that wouldn’t happen in other groups, but the General Assembly is a place where killings are frequent. In this coup, a hundred people died, so what’s the problem with adding Lee Hyun-joo to that number?

It’s not about whether there’s guilt or not,

what’s important is whether they are a threat or not.

The reason her head is still attached is because someone judged that she is not a big threat, but they are uneasy about leaving her alone, so they ordered her to be watched.

Perhaps even the people who gave that order have forgotten about her existence. If a steady, unique report came in, they would clearly recognize her existence, but since she was first imprisoned, all she’s done is roll around in the house…

By now, their interest would have waned.

But that doesn’t mean she has any intention of doing anything.

Lee Hyun-joo wasn’t particularly dissatisfied with the current situation. From her point of view, she should be grateful just for having her head still attached.

Whether it should be called generosity or indifference, I don’t know.

“Still, it’s something to be alive.”

“Is this being alive?”

Lee Hyun-joo’s body stiffened.

The voice that came from behind was enough to make her nervous.

No one else can enter this place. The fact that she is being watched from the outside means that those who come in from the outside are also being watched.

There’s no way that those who control her every move would let someone come into this place. Especially someone who comes in from somewhere other than the front door.

That means the person behind her right now is either someone who can deceive the watchers or someone who has the power to defeat them…

‘Who?’

There are many people who could do that, but among them, no one came to mind who would try to meet her while going against Kang Jin-ho’s wishes.

Then there’s only one conclusion.

Lee Hyun-joo slowly turned her head. To confirm the identity of the uninvited guest who had invaded her home.

Lee Hyun-joo, who turned her body with a movement that was not fast in order not to provoke the other party, widened her eyes.

“You…”

Someone she had never expected was standing in front of her.

Lee Sung-hwi.

Lee Sung-hwi, who had been missing, had appeared in front of her.

“It’s been a while.”

“You, what the heck!”

Lee Sung-hwi gave a bitter smile.

“I heard the princess was imprisoned, so I came to rescue her. Come on, let’s go. I’ll get you out.”

Disbelief filled Lee Hyun-joo’s eyes.

“You came to rescue me?”

“Yeah. I’m a little late, though.”

“Ha…”

Lee Hyun-joo looked at Lee Sung-hwi as if she was dumbfounded and opened her mouth.

“You’ve got the wrong idea, Lee Sung-hwi. I’m not imprisoned here.”

What on earth does that mean?

“You…”

“Go back. I have no intention of leaving.”

Lee Sung-hwi’s face contorted.