Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1391

His eyelids drooped involuntarily.

‘I’m tired.’

For some time now, his fatigue hadn’t been going away.

It was only natural, if he thought about it. He was barely getting any sleep.

Whenever he did sleep, he had nightmares, and when he closed his eyes, he kept seeing that look in his eyes.

Kim Myung-chan widened his bloodshot eyes and dropped a single drop of artificial tears.

His trembling hand missed its mark, and the artificial tears ran down his cheek instead of into his eye.

After wasting a few drops, Kim Myung-chan finally managed to moisten his eye and blinked repeatedly.

‘It’s dry.’

He probably looked in the mirror and saw his eyes were bloodshot.

‘I’m getting old.’

There was a time when he could go a month without proper sleep and not feel so tired. A time when he protested while inhaling tear gas, and even while being chased by the Agency for National Security Planning [a South Korean intelligence agency, now called the National Intelligence Service], something burned in his chest.

Where did all those things that burned in his chest go?

Kim Myung-chan looked out the car window.

‘Who are those people?’

‘Ah, you don’t need to worry about them. It’s just a small protest.’

A small protest, huh?

Kim Myung-chan chuckled humorlessly.

There’s no such thing as a small protest in this world.

Who among those who take to the streets and shout their lungs out isn’t desperate?

His own blood-curdling cries for democracy must have sounded like nothing more than a minor disturbance to the rulers of the time.

Yet, he didn’t feel like scolding his secretary because Kim Myung-chan had come too far to argue about right and wrong.

If his car hadn’t passed by here today, Kim Myung-chan wouldn’t have even known that a protest was taking place.

Because there were more pressing matters to deal with.

He had to take care of more important things first.

Excuses grew endlessly and swallowed him whole.

‘When did it start?’

When did the passion burning in his chest go out?

When did it disappear without even leaving ashes behind?

His body felt heavy and sinking.

At some point, the car seat and his office chair became more familiar than his bed.

Instead of his weakening and slowing body, he was just accumulating more titles on his business card.

‘I haven’t changed at all.’

The world says.

That he’s changed.

That he’s gained power and changed.

What a joke.

Humans don’t change that easily. Kim Myung-chan hadn’t changed at all. It was just that they had misunderstood him.

When your position changes, so does your perspective. It was only after reaching this position that he began to see the Kim Myung-chan that they hadn’t seen before.

‘Prime Minister, we’re almost there.’

‘Okay.’

What was on the schedule today?

He couldn’t quite remember.

It wasn’t that his memory was failing due to old age. There were too many people who wanted the position of Prime Minister of South Korea. Sometimes, he would just smile and go along with the flow without even knowing what kind of event it was.

Perhaps where he was going now was one of those cases.

A place where nothing would change even if he attended.

But a place where everyone would be happy if he attended.

Today, his job was to be a trophy, not a person. It was enough to leave a single line saying that the Prime Minister attended and graced the occasion.

Kim Myung-chan closed his eyes slightly and quickly opened them again.

Every time he closed his eyes, he kept seeing that look in his eyes.

‘Is this some kind of soul-snatching thing?’

He felt like he was withering away day by day.

Kim Myung-chan could sense it intuitively. Unless Kang Jin-ho was completely buried, that look would not disappear. He had to drive Kang Jin-ho to the point of no return, not just for the sake of the nation, but for his own survival.

At the same time, he couldn’t go too far. If Kang Jin-ho really couldn’t take it and flipped the table, the worst-case scenario would unfold.

A tightrope walk that was as precarious as it could be.

A tightrope walk where he would fall into an abyss with just one wrong step, a tightrope walk that risked his life.

So far, he hadn’t fallen off that rope.

However, he was too old to enjoy the thrill of this tightrope walk now.

Kim Myung-chan bit his lip.

‘This will be the last tightrope walk of my life.’

If he could solve the Kang Jin-ho problem, there would be no one else to stop him. If he could succeed this time, he would be able to hold power until the day he died as a behind-the-scenes power broker in South Korean politics.

‘A lust for power in old age…’

Kim Myung-chan chuckled softly.

Some people say.

That it’s pathetic to not let go of power in old age.

‘What nonsense.’

Then what else should an old man desire other than power?

Wealth no longer had any meaning.

Honor?

The honor of an old man was just a line to be added to his tombstone after death. Why didn’t they understand that the only pleasure left for those whose senses had dulled and who had experienced too much was power?

Kim Myung-chan leaned back in his seat as the car sped down the controlled road.

The feeling of controlling a road that should have been full of cars and driving comfortably was something that those who hadn’t experienced it couldn’t imagine.

No matter how delicious the food he ate, no matter how wonderful the places he traveled to, he couldn’t feel this kind of feeling. Not even drugs could give him this kind of satisfaction.

‘Any word from the detention center?’

‘No, there hasn’t been any.’

‘I see…’

Kim Myung-chan leaned his head back on the seat.

Kim Myung-chan lowered the car window and took out a cigarette. Strangely, he thought of cigarettes whenever he thought of Kang Jin-ho. Whether it was because he was impressed by the way he smoked, or because Kang Jin-ho’s very existence made him feel suffocated.

‘What are you going to do, Kang Jin-ho?’

It was time for them to reach a conclusion.

But Kim Myung-chan thought that the conclusion had already been reached. As long as Kang Jin-ho hadn’t come to him by this moment, he couldn’t move anymore.

‘It seems a little late, Kang Jin-ho?’

Because there was no way to turn back.

If Kang Jin-ho made a decision now, the damage he would have to endure would be too great. MK [likely referring to a company or organization] would collapse, and the General Assembly [possibly a political or business entity] would be completely cut off from the outside world.

The option of pushing them out by force was impossible for Kim Myung-chan to even consider, but even so, all they could do was build their own kingdom in the place where the General Assembly was now and fester to death.

‘MK became a poison, didn’t it?’

If it were the General Assembly of the past, this situation might not have been so burdensome. However, the General Assembly, which had streamlined its revenue stream through MK, would suffer from severe financial shortages just by putting pressure on MK.

Then, all that was left was the money they earned in Japan.

That too would not be easy to bring to Korea without the protection of the regime.

The regime just had to slowly tighten their noose and wait for them to collapse on their own.

In this situation, would they come to kill Kim Myung-chan?

Well, it was possible.

But all that would remain would be a victory with scars and the downfall of those around them. Kang Jin-ho would never choose that option.

A smile of victory appeared for the first time on Kim Myung-chan’s haggard face.

‘I won.’

Kim Myung-chan had captured the king of East Asia, whom even China and Japan couldn’t handle. A thrill that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up shook Kim Myung-chan’s body.

At that moment, his secretary opened his mouth with a slightly trembling voice.

‘Prime Minister…’

‘I know. It’s not good to pop the champagne too early.’

‘Yes?’

Kim Myung-chan cleared his throat.

‘No, I was just thinking about something else. So, we’re about to arrive, right?’

‘N-no, that’s not it…’

‘……Then?’

The secretary held out the phone in his hand to Kim Myung-chan. Kim Myung-chan didn’t miss the fact that the secretary’s fingertips were trembling.

‘What’s going on?’

‘……I think you should see it for yourself.’

Kim Myung-chan tilted his head slightly. It was the first time his secretary had acted like this. Usually, he never lost his composure, no matter how serious the situation was.

Kim Myung-chan frowned slightly and took the phone.

And then, he saw the news that was on the phone…

Squeeeeze.

Kim Myung-chan’s hand gripped the phone as if it would break.

‘Wh, what is this… what is this?’

His gaze wandered aimlessly, unable to find a place to settle. His ears were ringing, and his heart was pounding like crazy.

‘Th…’

Kim Myung-chan, forcing his trembling body to stand, took a ragged breath.

‘Wh, where is this? Where are they spouting such nonsense! Which broadcasting station is it?’

The secretary replied with a pale face.

‘……It’s not just there. Special reports are coming out one after another.’

‘Do you think that makes sense? This is a special report? How could such a thing happen! The reporters wouldn’t have received the source all at once!’

‘A-as far as we’ve confirmed right now…’

There was an unmistakable tremor in the secretary’s voice.

‘The Chairman himself made the announcement through CNTV [China National Television]. There’s no question of receiving the source or not. It’s through the official channel…’

‘Does that even make sense!’

Kim Myung-chan threw the phone forward. The phone hit the car window, bounced off, and fell to the floor.

‘Hoo! Hoo! Hoo!’

Kim Myung-chan was breathing heavily as if he was about to have a heart attack.

‘C-control the media!’

‘Prime Minister…’

‘Does it make sense to broadcast such ridiculous content without permission! I’m going to sue them all for defamation! Tell them to take down all the articles if they don’t want to be sued! Put a stop to the publication!’

The secretary bit his lip.

‘The public has already seen the news and the articles. You can’t stop it that way. It would be better to hold an emergency press conference and explain…’

‘Explain?’

Kim Myung-chan stared blankly at his secretary.

‘Explain?’

Yes, he had to explain.

Of course, he had to explain. He had to.

But…

‘What the hell am I supposed to explain?’

Kim Myung-chan opened his own phone with trembling hands and turned on the internet.

Kim Myung-chan, who had checked the article on the main page, trembled without saying a word.

‘How could this happen…’

He thought it was going to end now. Because there was no other way. As long as he and the regime controlled the courts and moved the country, there was no way out.

Yes.

If it was within South Korea. But what if it wasn’t South Korea?

‘Kang Jin-ho! Kang Jin-hooo! Aaaaaaaah! Kang Jin-hooooooo!’

Kim Myung-chan, who had intuitively realized how all of this had happened, screamed and slammed his thigh.

‘That dirty bastard went all the way to China! Bringing in foreign powers into national affairs? I’ll fry you in shit! Aaaaaaaah!’

Kim Myung-chan screamed and thrashed, not even knowing what he was saying.

The secretary’s face contorted horribly as he watched the scene.

‘F-first…’

That was when it happened.

The moment they arrived at their destination, a group of people swarmed around the vehicle.

‘Wh, what is it?’

‘They seem to be reporters.’

‘Reporters? Why are reporters here!’

‘……We were a little late in figuring it out. They probably knew we were participating here and were waiting in advance…’

Click! Click! Click!

Flashes went off one after another beyond the heavily tinted car window. It was as if they were setting off fireworks.

‘Prime Minister! Please say something!’

‘Is the Chinese announcement true?’

“Prime Minister! Prime Minister!”

Kim Myung-chan bit his lip tightly.

“Let’s go.”

“B-but…”

“Push through and go! Now!”

The driver, seeing Kim Myung-chan’s face half-crazed, bit his lip and stepped on the accelerator.

Reporters screamed and scattered left and right. The car, having broken through the crowd, roughly re-entered the road.

“Prime Minister, then where to…”

Kim Myung-chan leaned his head against the seat with a blank expression.

Where to?

Where on earth should he go?

Before Kim Myung-chan’s mind could finish thinking, his mouth opened first.

“…To the detention center where Kang Jin-ho is.”

“Yes?”

“Now!”

“Yes!”

The car began to pick up speed.

On the screen, a familiar face was saying something. It was in Chinese, so he couldn’t understand it. But fortunately, the announcement didn’t last long, and the screen switched to a news desk.

The anchor, looking at the screen, turned to the reporter and asked.

“Isn’t the content of the chairman’s emergency announcement in China today quite shocking?”

The reporter nodded and replied.

“Yes, it is. There was an emergency announcement from the Chinese Communist Party this morning. It was discovered that a member of the Central Military Commission [the highest military body in China] had attempted murder by trading with a foreign country. The shocking fact is that the foreign country China is claiming is our Republic of Korea, and the person who contacted the Chinese Central Military Commission member is none other than Prime Minister Kim Myung-chan of the Republic of Korea.”

The anchor’s face became even more serious.

“If that’s true, it’s an incredibly shocking thing, but isn’t it something that’s hard to believe? Even if it’s true, isn’t it suspicious that the Chinese side is publicly announcing this fact?”

“It’s true that there are such views. But the reason why we have to believe this is that China has actually arrested Zhao Chun, a member of the Central Military Commission.”

“The term ‘Central Military Commission member’ has been coming up a lot since a while ago. To help viewers understand, could you explain what position a Central Military Commission member holds?”

The reporter nodded lightly and glanced at the script.

“Yes. China is basically a country controlled by the Party. Everyone knows this fact. The core of that Party is the Central Committee.

This Central Committee is further divided into several departments, and among them, the Central Military Commission is the place that controls the People’s Liberation Army and holds military power.”

“Would it be okay to see it as something like the Ministry of National Defense in Korea?”

“There are some differences, but it’s not a big problem to understand it that way.”

“Then what does it mean to be a member of that Central Military Commission?”

“The Central Military Commission of China consists of eight members. They are the core of power and the real power holders with military authority. It’s easier to understand if you keep in mind that the chairman has traditionally come from the Central Military Commission.”

“So, you’re saying that such a Central Military Commission member has been arrested?”

“Yes. The exact charges have not yet been confirmed. But considering how serious the matter is, this could escalate to the maximum charge of treason.”

“Treason, just hearing it is terrifying. The problem is that the person accused of treason is none other than Prime Minister Kim Myung-chan, isn’t it?”

“That’s right.”

“Then what on earth did Prime Minister Kim Myung-chan ask of them?”

“The announcement did not clearly mention that part. However, Xinhua News Agency [China’s official press agency], which is no different from China’s public security, has published an article stating that Prime Minister Kim Myung-chan sent a large amount of dollars to member Zhao Chun in exchange for killing a Korean who had entered China.”

“Are you saying it’s a murder for hire?”

“Yes. That’s what they’re claiming.”

The anchor was speechless for a moment. If this was really true, this incident could be called the biggest political scandal in the history of the Republic of Korea.

“Why on earth would he do such a thing?”

“Prime Minister Kim Myung-chan has not yet made a statement. Until the facts are clarified…”

[What is the Blue House’s [the presidential office] position?]

[They say they are doing their best to ascertain the facts right now. It seems that the Blue House is also having difficulty dealing with it because it is such an unprecedented event.]

“Ha…”

Wiggins chuckled as he watched the news.

“What on earth…”

His words trailed off.

Wiggins, who prided himself on having gone through thick and thin, was beyond his comprehension. He couldn’t even guess how the situation had unfolded to cause such a crisis.

“That, it’s all true, though…”

“True?”

Lee Hyun-soo replied with a dumbfounded expression.

“Isn’t it? It’s obvious that Kim Myung-chan passed on our information. No wonder those bastards knew in advance and prepared when they were in China.”

“…That’s true.”

“It’s obvious that Kim Myung-chan paid to have Lord killed.”

“No, but…”

Bang Jin-hoon couldn’t help but interject.

“Why the hell are the Chinese revealing it themselves? It’s embarrassing.”

Even Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t even guess this.

One of the things that Chinese people value most is face. And most regimes tend to follow the tendencies of their people. Because those who make up the regime come from the people.

China, which values face, openly mentions its own flaws, and publicly reveals the crimes of a foreign prime minister while risking diplomatic friction?

“…The common sense I know has become uncommon sense.”

Even Wiggins, who had been coordinating relations between countries as a knight of England for many years, had never imagined such a development.

“No, but!”

Bang Jin-hoon asked urgently.

“What happens now?”

“Well…”

Lee Hyun-soo opened and closed his mouth several times.

‘What the hell happens if this is true?’

Basically, predictions come from common sense and history. Prediction is about finding a natural flow based on past experiences. But this case doesn’t fit into any case he knows.

It was Wiggins, of course, who helped the confused Lee Hyun-soo.

“China wouldn’t have done something like this without any evidence. The evidence must have already been secured, and that evidence will also be made public.”

“That’s right.”

“Then Prime Minister Kim Myung-chan has no choice but to be arrested. This is something that can’t be buried.”

They might be able to somehow resolve what happened domestically. It would face a lot of backlash, but if they suppressed the media, manipulated the trial, and waited for people to forget, it would be possible.

But not China.

For the Korean government to gag the Chinese government and ask them to lie for Kim Myung-chan?

At that point, it’s in the realm of fiction.

“Then what about Lord?”

“It depends a bit on the situation. If it turns out that the person Kim Myung-chan ordered to be killed is Lord, then it will immediately be said that he was framed, and even if not…”

Wiggins clenched his fist.

“Either way, it’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us. This opportunity…”

“No, but!”

Bang Jin-hoon threw cold water on it.

“Why the hell are those bastards doing this! There’s no reason for the Chinks to help us. Or are they doing this because they have a great sense of law-abidingness, which doesn’t make any sense?”

“Well…”

Those who were looking at each other all reached one conclusion. Then, it was Bator who spoke that conclusion out loud.

“The Master did something.”

“Damn it, he doesn’t even give us a chance to help. If he sits in there and solves things on his own, aren’t we all going to become freeloaders?”

“…Well, as a result, it’s a good thing.”

Wiggins shook his head.

“Nothing is certain right now. First, we need to meet Lord. We need to know what Lord has done to sort out the situation.”

“Let’s go. There’s no point in waiting. Let’s go for a visit right away.”

“I’m going too.”

“Me too, I’m going too.”

“Then I’ll go first…”

“Don’t teleport, let’s go together! It must be a mess over there too, so don’t do anything dangerous.”

“Hmm, okay.”

The board members of the general assembly quickly rushed out of the building.

Kang Jin-ho was sitting calmly in his chair.

White smoke slowly flowed from the end of the cigarette in his mouth and scattered in the air.

Kim Myung-chan stared blankly at the scattering cigarette smoke.

The cigarette smoke, which had a substance, slowly scattered and then disappeared. Like a dream.

That series of scenes seemed to symbolize Kim Myung-chan right now.

“What’s going on?”

When Kang Jin-ho asked calmly, Kim Myung-chan bit his lip tightly and then opened his mouth.

“Don’t you know?”

“Well, this is a prison. I don’t know much about things in the outside world. News is slow.”

“But you must know. Because you’re not keeping your word to kill me when you see me next.”

Kang Jin-ho laughed.

“Because there’s no need to.”

“…Why?”

“Are you alive?”

Kang Jin-ho took a deep drag of his cigarette.

The cigarette smoke that had passed through his lungs slowly flowed out.

“It might sound a bit old-fashioned to say this… but I know from experience, dying isn’t that big of a deal.”

“What really drains a person is the process of going to death. Death itself is just a result.”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Kim Myung-chan quietly.

“So I’m asking you. Are you alive right now?”

“If you don’t want to answer, I’ll answer for you. You’re alive, still. But…”

Kang Jin-ho bared his teeth like a beast and laughed.

“Soon you won’t be able to live or die.”

Kim Myung-chan’s hand, which was gripping the table, trembled. In every word Kang Jin-ho uttered, there was a terrible amount of anger and hatred for Kim Myung-chan.

“Didn’t I tell you, I would kill you while giving you all the pain I could?”

“Is this it?”

“I’ve seen so many of your kind. The physical pain you feel is nothing. Of course, I can give you pain you can’t even imagine. But even that pain is weak compared to this. Because your kind feels pain not in your body, but in other places.”

Kang Jin-ho, having stubbed out his cigarette in the ashtray, took out a new cigarette and put it in his mouth. Then, he snapped his fingers and lit it.

“Everything that supported your life will collapse. The higher you climbed, the longer and more painful the fall will be. The career you were proud of will become useless, and those who were proud of you will desperately try to erase your name. The power you boasted about will now bind you, and those who protected you will desperately try to deny and bury you.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled softly.

“Try to survive.”

“You said it was for the sake of the country. Then the country will also try to understand and protect you. So try to survive. Desperately make excuses, run away with all your might, and try to survive. I’ll be watching from here.”

Crack.

Kim Myung-chan’s teeth broke.

Blood trickled down the corner of his mouth.

“How on earth were you able to move them?”

“You’re telling an interesting story. If you can do it, why can’t I?”

Kang Jin-ho slowly got up from his seat.

“I have nothing more to say. Go back. I’m living comfortably here. No need to worry.”

“L-Lord! W-wait a minute!”

Kang Jin-ho, who was heading for the door, slowly turned his head and looked at Kim Myung-chan.

Cold eyes.

Eyes that don’t look at a person. Eyes that look at an inanimate object with no meaning.

The moment he saw those eyes, Kim Myung-chan couldn’t help but realize that no words had any meaning.

“Have you ever experienced hell?”

“You’ll experience it now. Try to endure as much as you can. Let’s meet again at the end.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled whitely and knocked on the door.

Kim Myung-chan sat down on the floor, watching the guards take him away.

With a blank face, Kim Myung-chan stared at the door for a long time, and a groan-like murmur escaped from his mouth.

“I can’t… I can’t end like this. Like this…”

Hell has only just begun.