Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 729

“Hoo-up.”

A short breath was inhaled.

The oxygen rushing into his lungs spread instantly, creating vitality. The demonic energy filling his dantian [energy center below the navel] swirled throughout his body along the meridians [energy channels].

Fulfillment.

And a sense of liberation.

The surging killing intent instantly cleared his complicated mind.

He was doing something that didn’t suit him.

Complex calculations didn’t suit him. Acting on his emotions and impulses was what he should be doing.

*Thud.*

He stepped onto the ground.

The muscles in his calves and thighs tensed. The condensed power exploded at once, and his body shot forward with terrifying speed, like an arrow.

*Shwaaaaaak!*

The sword, wrapped in demonic energy, cut through the metal car like paper.

*Kwaaaang!*

The severed car was instantly engulfed in flames. The road, which had been darkening, was now brightly lit by the blazing fire.

Kang Jin-ho jumped in front of the oncoming truck without hesitation.

*Kwaduk!*

As he stepped, the hood crumpled, and his foot sank inward.

Through the front windshield of the truck, the driver’s eyes met Kang Jin-ho’s.

“Ah…”

The driver’s mouth fell open as he saw Kang Jin-ho.

How did Kang Jin-ho look in his eyes right now?

It was something he could know without having to hear it.

Just by looking at that expression full of fear and dread, he could fully guess what he was feeling.

If a demon, who appeared from the darkness and split two trucks in an instant, was standing in front of you, emitting streams of demonic energy, anyone would feel the same way.

“Ah…”

Kang Jin-ho, stained red, stared at the terrified warrior.

Mercy?

No way.

*Poook!*

Without even feeling the sensation, the Blue Willow pierced through the glass and stabbed the driver’s heart.

Mercy was something that could happen between people who didn’t try to kill each other.

Showing mercy to someone who came to kill you?

That was ridiculous.

That wasn’t mercy. It was a stupid thing to do.

“Kuh, kkeuk.”

His heart was pierced.

He should die.

But the warrior’s trained body didn’t allow death so easily. Even with a large hole in his chest, his consciousness didn’t fade. He just couldn’t move his whole body.

The sword that slowly pierced his heart was pulled out.

A demon.

With only a thin piece of glass between them, the demon was looking at him. A faint smile bloomed on the demon’s lips, the same lips that pierced his heart.

It was a fantastical sight.

Behind the demon, the crescent moon was looking down at him like a yo-yo. The scene was so picturesque that it lost its sense of reality.

The only thing keeping him in reality was the intense pain in his chest. And even that pain was gradually disappearing.

*Sssseut.*

A sound like tearing a silk cloth was heard.

‘What is he doing?’

Even though he knew that certain death was approaching, he couldn’t shake off his curiosity.

A long sword.

A strangely long sword. The long sword with a blue tassel at the end of the handle pierced through the glass and got stuck in the steering wheel.

‘The steering wheel?’

Why?

The question was quickly answered.

The sword stuck in the steering wheel was bent sideways. The steering wheel spun to one side. At the same time, the truck he was in violently rotated to the left, and then to the left again. The truck teetered as if it would tip over from the sudden turn, but it didn’t fall and successfully completed a violent U-turn.

‘No, way?’

The view, which had been changing rapidly like in a movie, became fixed. What he saw was the demon hanging on the windshield.

The demon, with a strange smile, soared into the sky. At that moment, what entered his eyes was a procession of numerous vehicles rushing towards his truck.

The vehicles that saw his truck turn and rush towards them scattered in all directions. But those many cars couldn’t perfectly clear a path for him.

‘You son of a bitch!’

He couldn’t even scream. The only resistance he could offer was to tightly grip something within reach.

*Kwaaaaaaaang!*

The truck that had passed under Kang Jin-ho’s feet as he jumped into the air collided with the line of vehicles that were rushing in.

The impact of the truck, which was ramming at full speed without even braking, was so great that it made him involuntarily exclaim, “Ugh!”

The cargo bed of the first truck to collide was lifted into the sky, and the rotating truck literally swept away the following cars.

The cars spun like toys and flew into the sky.

The face of one person flashed through Kang Jin-ho’s mind.

If that director who was filming a movie with Choi Yeon-ha saw this scene, he would probably clap. It was that intense and realistic.

*Thud.*

Several cars rushed towards Kang Jin-ho, who had landed on the ground.

*Kung!*

Kang Jin-ho’s right foot took a powerful step. The asphalt caved in and shattered, flying up.

And then his left foot!

His extended left foot kicked the oncoming car. The car was thrown backward faster than it had been rushing forward, as if the brakes had failed.

Kang Jin-ho, who had also sent another car flying, was brushed by the last car. Kang Jin-ho reached out, broke the car’s window, and hung on.

Pulling himself up, Kang Jin-ho entered the car and sat on the passenger seat.

“H-Hic!”

The driver looked at Kang Jin-ho with eyes as if he had seen a ghost.

He was completely bewildered by the unexpected situation, gripping the steering wheel and trembling.

“Catch up.”

“…Yes?”

“Catch up to the car in front.”

The warrior nodded vigorously without answering and stepped on the accelerator hard. The car accelerated rapidly and shot forward.

Kang Jin-ho took out a pack of cigarettes from his pocket.

Then he frowned.

“Do you smoke?”

“Yes! Yes! I do.”

“Give me one.”

“Yes! Here!”

The warrior took out a cigarette from his pocket and handed it to Kang Jin-ho with trembling hands.

Kang Jin-ho took the cigarette and leaned back leisurely in his seat.

*Click.*

Kang Jin-ho lit the cigarette in his mouth and slowly exhaled the smoke.

“Step on it.”

“Yes!”

The car shot forward like a bullet. Kang Jin-ho turned his head slightly and looked at the side mirror.

In the distance, the cars that had been smashed to pieces were emitting acrid smoke and flames.

‘This can’t be the end.’

This was like a greeting.

The people in the cars were just small fry. It wasn’t an attack to make them suffer.

‘These guys have some weird sense of aesthetics.’

Unlike the thoroughly practical Demonic Cult, the orthodox sects were obsessed with the process.

There was no such thing as a surprise attack. They were always obsessed with defeating their opponents fairly and squarely.

Thanks to that, they were easier to deal with, but…

‘There were many times when I got tired of it.’

Enemies who used all sorts of tricks were more annoying to deal with, but these guys who pushed straight ahead had other inconveniences. The pressure exerted by an enemy who only knew how to fight head-on sometimes made even the Heavenly Demon Lord struggle.

Anyway, he bought some time.

A container with its door torn off came into view.

“Get close.”

“P-Please save me!”

“Is it okay to beg a demon?”

“S-Save…”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

In the past, there were many orthodox sect members who begged him like this. Especially in places like this, where he didn’t have to worry about other people’s eyes.

But the result was always the same.

Back then, Kang Jin-ho didn’t spare those who attacked him. Even if the enemy’s morale was broken, even if the war was already decided.

It was Kang Jin-ho who barely stopped his sword after the Blue Demon’s earnest plea that meaningless slaughter would cause even greater backlash. So what about now?

“For the first and last time in your life, a cigarette has helped you.”

The warrior’s face brightened as he realized what Kang Jin-ho’s words meant.

“Get close.”

“Yes!”

“And quit smoking. Because it won’t help you again.”

Kang Jin-ho kicked the door off and flew onto the container. The car that had shaken him off braked suddenly, lost its balance, and crashed into the median strip.

“Hmm.”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his cheek as he watched the car rolling over.

“I saved him for nothing.”

He wouldn’t be dead, but he couldn’t avoid injury. Well, whatever. It wasn’t his fault.

“Demon Lord!”

Joo Gang bowed his head deeply towards Kang Jin-ho. If they weren’t inside the container, he would have bowed immediately, but there was no space to bow here.

“It must be quite refreshing now, right?”

“Y-Yes, it is.”

It was too refreshing, that was the problem.

“There’s no time to stop and regroup. Go up and find a suitable place to ride.”

“W-We can endure it like this.”

“Good. It’s also a good way to advertise to passersby that we’re carrying this many people in a container.”

“Ah…”

“Get up here.”

Kang Jin-ho jumped onto the container. Then, the demons followed him up. The demons who climbed onto the container moved to the trucks on the left and right.

Kang Jin-ho watched the scene and then ran forward.

As he ran ahead, jumping over the roofs of the cars, a van with its back door wide open welcomed him. Kang Jin-ho jumped into the van, opened his subspace, and shoved the Blue Willow and Red Willow inside.

“Wasn’t that a bit too fiery for a welcome greeting, Master?”

“It’s not that I’m fiery, it’s that they’re too weak.”

“You don’t think that’s the full power of the Hongwang Clan, do you?”

“Of course not.”

Kang Jin-ho moved to the front and sat in the passenger seat again.

“It seems like they’re telling us to prepare.”

“The fact that they followed us this way means they also know our destination.”

“I guess so.”

“There’s also a way to change direction now. The shortcut isn’t always the best option.”

“Didn’t you say that time is the most important thing?”

“I’m just pursuing efficiency.”

“It won’t change anything anyway.”

It’s not like all the drones Kang Jin-ho destroyed were all of them. They probably know all of their travel routes in various ways.

They might even be occupying every place they could go with a massive amount of manpower. If they wander around aimlessly, they’ll just be giving them more time to gather their forces.

“If they block us, we’ll break through. That’s all.”

“It’s definitely too fiery.”

Bator shook his head.

“Tell the elders to gather the trucks in front.”

“…Master.”

“If they want a fight, we’ll give them one.”

Bator shuddered at the sight of Kang Jin-ho’s smile.

‘He’s lost it.’

The current Kang Jin-ho was different from the Kang Jin-ho he had fought. Back then, he still felt like he was trying to restrain himself as much as possible, but now it felt like he had unleashed everything and was enjoying himself to the fullest.

‘Maybe I’m helping a demon.’

The Three Kings at least don’t go on rampages like Kang Jin-ho. For the sake of the world, it might be better for one of the other Three Kings to take control of the Murim world [martial arts world] than Kang Jin-ho.

But what does it matter?

“I’ll take the lead.”

“That would be good too.”

His heart was boiling like this.

Bator grinned, baring his teeth.

“There were a lot of annoying bastards anyway. I’ll take this opportunity to give them a taste of their own medicine.” Bator didn’t yet realize that he was gradually becoming more like Kang Jin-ho.