Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1156

“Everyone?”

“Yes. Everyone.”

Kang Jin-ho slightly frowned.

Not all martial artists in South Korea belonged to the Assembly. When Kang Jin-ho drove out the Double-Edged Sword Sect, the leaders of the Assembly and the Yeongnam Council had left the Assembly appropriately.

However, even so, there were still many left. At least, it was safe to say that all martial artists under the age of 40 belonged to the Assembly.

So, how many would that be?

While the number didn’t reach ten thousand, it easily exceeded five thousand. And he was going to mobilize all of them?

“I want to say the same thing I said to Jang Min.”

“I know. However…”

Just because everyone learns martial arts doesn’t mean everyone will be strong. There are differences in talent, effort, and the time they’ve spent learning martial arts. The strongest ordinary martial artist in the Assembly is on par with Bang Jin-hoon, but the weakest isn’t much stronger than an ordinary Demonic Cultist.

That means they’re not capable enough to be deployed to the battlefield.

“Assembly Leader.”

Bang Jin-hoon spoke seriously.

“As I’ve said before, the Assembly has changed. And this war should be the standard for that change.”

“You’ve changed many aspects of the Assembly. You’ve given everyone hope that they can become stronger if they follow you. That’s a great thing, but in a way, it’s also a poison.”

“A poison?”

“Yes. In the past, people would try to take the lead when something happened, but now they naturally wait for your orders.”

“Hmm.”

“If this were an army, that would be correct. But this isn’t an army. It’s the duty of everyone in the Assembly to protect it. To do that…”

Bang Jin-hoon’s eyes flashed coldly.

“They must shed blood and fight for themselves. No one has the right to enjoy something they can’t protect themselves.”

It was a chilling voice.

But no one could call Bang Jin-hoon heartless.

The person who cares most about the Assembly members is, without a doubt, Bang Jin-hoon. He would be the one most hurt if they shed blood, and he would be the one most saddened by their deaths.

In the first place, the sense of belonging that those who came from the outside have is bound to be different from the sense of belonging that Bang Jin-hoon has for the Assembly.

And now, Bang Jin-hoon was saying that they had to shed blood. So, who would dare to criticize him for being heartless?

“There will be a lot of sacrifices, won’t there?”

“I know. However…”

Bang Jin-hoon answered with a resolute face.

“If the Assembly is made up of people who only take what’s given to them, it won’t last long anyway.”

Wiggins spoke cautiously.

“You have to take care of a flower, right? If you put it outside to grow strong, most of them will die, won’t they?”

“Isn’t it time to take down the greenhouse? If they’re going to die later or now, it’s better to do it now. And… we can’t keep providing them with a greenhouse forever. If it were just this one time, I would try to preserve as much power as possible. But those who can’t endure this can’t fight the Hongwang Clan.”

Everyone nodded.

Jang Min glared and said,

“Demon Lord, I also…”

“Your case is a bit different.”

“Still, we need to distinguish between flowers that can fight outside and flowers that die if they just feel the wind. The Demonic Cult doesn’t have that kind of ability yet. If you want to feel the wind, we’ll find a way later.”

Jang Min bowed.

“Your words are wise, Demon Lord.”

Wiggins smiled wryly at Jang Min.

‘He’s amazing.’

Perhaps Jang Min’s true feelings were different. If the entire Assembly was mobilized, Jang Min would also want to mobilize all the Demonic Cultists. But the moment Kang Jin-ho gave the order, he didn’t raise any further objections.

Regardless of his true feelings, he was completely following Kang Jin-ho’s orders.

And thanks to Jang Min’s reaction, Kang Jin-ho’s authority was firmly established.

Respect in one’s heart is not enough. Respect must be shown to have value.

Kang Jin-ho looked around at everyone.

“As you know…”

Kang Jin-ho’s voice lowered.

The moment they heard the low voice that sounded like metal, everyone’s body tensed up.

“The enemy is strong.”

Just half a year ago, the Assembly wouldn’t have dared to think of opposing the Japanese martial arts world.

But in that half year, the Assembly had undergone a transformation that made the phrase ‘sea change’ seem inadequate. But even so, Japan was still a formidable opponent.

They shouldn’t ignore the power the enemy had built up. They had to accurately assess the enemy’s capabilities with an objective eye and respond accordingly.

“And this war isn’t just about fighting and winning.”

Everyone knew what Kang Jin-ho meant.

The outcome of this war would determine the fate of not only Korea and Japan.

It wasn’t just a matter of winning or losing. If they greatly depleted their power while fighting Japan, even if they won, it wouldn’t be a true victory. The Hongwang Clan, which was constantly eyeing Korea, would seize the opportunity and run wild.

The Round Table was the same.

They may have submitted to the Assembly now, but if they were defeated by Japan or suffered great damage even if they won, they might act differently.

Wiggins trusted the Master. But that was trusting the Master’s abilities, not trusting him personally.

In the first place, the Assembly and the Round Table didn’t have a relationship based on trust.

“In the end, martial artists are beings who prove themselves with power. The victor will have everything, and the loser will lose everything. The reason the Demonic Cult was able to rise was because it didn’t lose, and the reason the Demonic Cult fell was because it lost.”

To be precise, it was because Kang Jin-ho fell.

When he ruled the world with an invincible mindset, was the Demonic Cult’s power really strong enough to face the entire Central Plains [a term referring to the heartland of China, often used in martial arts stories]?

It couldn’t have been.

But they easily dominated the Central Plains. That was because they had the perception that the Demonic Cult and Kang Jin-ho would not be defeated.

And when Kang Jin-ho fell, that perception disappeared. Even though the Demonic Cult still had enormous power, it gradually declined and eventually fell to a miserable state of barely surviving.

That’s what power is like.

“The best thing is to prevent those bastards from setting foot on Korean soil.”

The directors exchanged glances.

“And the next best thing is to make sure that not a single one of those who set foot on this land returns alive.”

A slight chill ran down their spines.

It wasn’t confirmed how many people would come here, but it was certain that it would be at least over a thousand. Kang Jin-ho was saying that he wouldn’t let a single one of those people return alive.

If those words had come from someone else, it would have just been a metaphor showing their determination, but the words from Kang Jin-ho’s mouth carried a different weight.

Even if it were someone else, Kang Jin-ho was someone who was capable of doing that. Everyone here knew that.

“We need to let them know.”

Kang Jin-ho curled up the corners of his mouth.

“What the price is for acting without knowing their place.”

The directors nodded with heavy faces.

In the first place, after the past invasion, Korea and Japan had become incompatible. Now, they had no choice but to kill each other until one side completely collapsed.

Japan knew that, which was why they were forcing an unreasonable invasion.

If so, the only thing left was to create the result of victory.

“Wiggins.”

“Yes!”

“Organize it.”

“Yes!”

Wiggins bowed his head and turned around.

“Inform the members and cultists that war is approaching. From now on, we will operate under a wartime system.

Gather those living outside into the Assembly. And reorganize the formations in preparation for war.”

“Understood.”

“Don’t worry.”

“On our side, we will work with the political and military circles to prepare for any eventuality.”

“…Is it okay for the military to get involved?”

“Not really, but like last time, they can provide minimal help.”

Bang Jin-hoon chuckled.

‘The more I think about it, the more ridiculous it is.’

A war was happening right here on Korean soil, but the military, which should be protecting the country, couldn’t move. Where else could you find such irony?

‘Someday, it will collapse.’

This situation, where they were hiding another world within the world and pretending not to know each other, would come to an end someday.

When that time came…

Bang Jin-hoon shook his head.

That was a matter for later. It wasn’t something to think about now.

“We don’t know how much time we have left. They probably expect that information will leak to our side. Once they’ve moved, they’ll try to push into Korea as quickly as possible. From now on, there’s no time to sleep.”

Bator glared at Wiggins with his bulging eyes.

“We need to properly confirm where they’re coming from. If they scatter, the war will be prolonged. You know that there are people who will be happy the more resources are consumed, right?”

“Of course. I will do my best.”

Wiggins gritted his teeth quietly, thinking of Chaikaichang’s name.

It was obvious what that bastard was planning, but things would never go the way he wanted.

“Isn’t it too much for Director Wiggins to handle? He has to control those French guys, check the information, and reorganize his own unit. And external contact too? Will that be possible in time?”

Wiggins chuckled at Bang Jin-hoon’s words.

He was still someone who had been in charge of practical matters, so he was worried about these things.

“Don’t worry about that. Someone else will handle the external contact, not me.”

“Someone else?”

That was when it happened.

Bang!

The door was violently opened, and Lee Hyun-soo, his whole body soaked in sweat, rushed inside.

“I heard the Japanese are invading!”

The directors stared at Lee Hyun-soo before nodding.

“He’s here, the one who will do it.”

“He can handle the trivial stuff.”

“He’s annoying when he’s around, but we miss him when he’s not.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked back at the directors, not yet grasping the situation. Kang Jin-ho chuckled at the sight.

He wondered what was missing, and it seemed it was because Lee Hyun-soo wasn’t there.

“Wiggins.”

“Yes, Lord.”

“Did you say you were receiving information about Japan from the Round Table?”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“Based on that information, make a list of the upper echelons.”

“…Yes?”

Kang Jin-ho quietly turned his head and looked out the window. Looking at the sky that was turning twilight, Kang Jin-ho opened his mouth.

“It would be nice if they walked in on their own, but those who have to take responsibility don’t move in times like this. But we need to let them know that they can’t avoid responsibility just by doing that.”

“I understand what you mean.”

Kang Jin-ho had no intention of ending this war as just a war. The moment the war ended, he would try to punish those who had chosen to invade Korea.

And this time, even Wiggins had no intention of stopping Kang Jin-ho.

‘A full-scale war is like that.’

Completely destroy them.

So that they can never rise again.

Click.

Kang Jin-ho took out a cigarette and slowly exhaled smoke.

“Blood must be repaid with blood.”

Now they would know.

The Assembly…

What it meant to provoke Kang Jin-ho.