Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1408

“How long has he been like this?”

“It’s been a few days.”

The guard spoke hesitantly.

It wasn’t that he had done anything wrong, but given the status of the person he was dealing with, he was cautious with every word.

Lee Jong-wook stared at the cell through the bars with a stern face.

Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.

The sound of a pen moving across paper was the only thing that could be heard, rhythmic and unsettling.

Kim Myung-chan.

He was sitting at his desk, muttering incomprehensible words while constantly writing something.

The hand holding the pen was raw and bleeding.

Even as the blood soaked the paper,

Kim Myung-chan continued to write, oblivious.

“He’s refusing visitors?”

“Yes. He says he doesn’t want to see anyone, no matter who it is. He’s even refusing visits from his family.”

Lee Jong-wook looked at Kim Myung-chan with a hardened expression.

His posture was rigid, his face set, with no sign of the dazed look he had before.

That meant he wasn’t mentally unstable…

Then why this dramatic change?

‘…It’s obvious.’

Kang Jin-ho.

It was clear that Kang Jin-ho had been here.

Lee Jong-wook sighed deeply and lightly tapped on the bars.

Even if he was refusing visitors, he had to try and talk to him.

“Prime Minister.”

“Prime Minister, it’s Lee Jong-wook.”

“Prime Minister!”

Kim Myung-chan spoke without turning his head.

“Go away.”

“…Prime Minister.”

“Go away.”

Lee Jong-wook bit his lip, looking at Kim Myung-chan’s back.

“Prime Minister, I don’t know what happened, but this isn’t helping you. I heard you’re refusing to see your lawyer too?”

“Giving up is pointless. Prime Minister, at least…”

At that moment, Kim Myung-chan slowly turned his head.

Lee Jong-wook flinched and took a step back, startled by the gaze that met his.

A face that didn’t seem human.

Kim Myung-chan’s face was grotesquely distorted, his eyes bloodshot as he glared at him.

“Giving up?”

His voice seemed to come from the depths of his stomach. Lee Jong-wook had never heard Kim Myung-chan speak like that before.

Kim Myung-chan’s bloodshot eyes glared at Lee Jong-wook as if he wanted to kill him.

“What do you know?”

“What do you knowwwwwwwww!”

Kim Myung-chan rushed to the door and slammed against the bars. Blood splattered everywhere.

Lee Jong-wook stared blankly at the scene, unable to even think about dodging.

“Aaaaaaaah!”

He slammed against the bars, even biting at them. Tears streamed from his bloodshot eyes, and saliva dripped from his mouth.

‘He’s gone mad.’

Kang Jin-ho had been here.

Lee Jong-wook thought that for Kim Myung-chan, Kang Jin-ho was synonymous with death.

But this was a completely different outcome than what Lee Jong-wook had expected.

66 —> _=_ _=_ 99

Kuhhhh…

Kim Myung-chan gripped the bars and glared at Lee Jong-wook.

“Do I look like I’ve gone mad?”

“I wish you could at least go mad…”

Heh…

Kim Myung-chan weakly let go of the bars. Lee Jong-wook looked at Kim Myung-chan with an expression he had never seen before.

Nothing.

Kim Myung-chan, who had let go of the bars and stepped away, seemed to feel nothing.

Only an empty shell, with even his soul gone, stood there.

“…Go back, Lee.”

Kim Myung-chan muttered weakly.

“Don’t… don’t come back. I’m not here anymore. Kim Myung-chan isn’t here.

I’m just… yes, just a ghost.”

Kim Myung-chan spoke in a faint voice, his face pale.

“And never… never antagonize Kang Jin-ho… Never.”

“Remember my words. This is my last… my last piece of advice to you.”

Kim Myung-chan turned away.

Then, he returned to his desk and began to write something again.

Scratch, scratch, scratch, scratch.

The sight evoked various emotions in those who watched.

In a way, it looked like the devout actions of a faithful believer, and in another way, it looked like the senseless actions of a madman.

But whatever the action was, it was clear that Kim Myung-chan considered writing those words to be his most important task.

Lee Jong-wook closed his eyes.

He didn’t want to know what those words were. They were meaningless.

He could only understand that Kim Myung-chan was finished.

Lee Jong-wook raised his hand and pressed his fingers against his eyes.

What was this feeling?

He was clearly on the opposite side of Kim Myung-chan. There was even a time when he thought that they could only find a solution by killing each other.

Yet, he felt this surge of emotion…

Lee Jong-wook clasped his hands together.

Then, he bowed deeply to Kim Myung-chan as a final farewell.

‘I will remember.’

Everyone in the world would spit on Kim Myung-chan and curse his name, but Lee Jong-wook would remember. He would remember what kind of person he was.

Even if that memory was filled with evil deeds, Lee Jong-wook alone would remember what kind of person Kim Myung-chan was and what kind of life he had lived.

Lee Jong-wook turned around.

Then, he slowly walked out of the detention center.

It was a strange feeling.

Until a moment ago, Lee Jong-wook had been looking at the world from Kim Myung-chan’s perspective. And the greatest evil in the world he saw through Kim Myung-chan’s eyes was sitting right in front of him.

Kang Jin-ho.

Lee Jong-wook looked at Kang Jin-ho with fresh eyes.

Looking at him like this, he was just a handsome young man.

There was no trace of the man who controlled the darkness of South Korea anywhere on him.

Click.

Kang Jin-ho lit the cigarette in his mouth. Then, he looked at Lee Jong-wook with a nonchalant gaze.

“Talk.”

Lee Jong-wook sighed and nodded.

“Prime Minister Kim Myung-chan will be sentenced to life imprisonment.”

“Life imprisonment, huh…”

“Even if the charges of murder conspiracy and collusion are set aside, there’s no way to ignore the charges of providing funds to North Korea and trying to kill Mr. Kang Jin-ho.”

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled.

“It’s strange that he didn’t get the death penalty.”

“…The death penalty isn’t something that’s easily handed down in South Korea.”

“So?”

Lee Jong-wook swallowed hard and continued.

“The government wants to wrap things up at this point. Of course, the compensation for Mr. Kang Jin-ho isn’t finalized, and the restoration of the social image will continue. However, at this point…”

“Are we supposed to reconcile?”

“To put it simply, yes.”

Lee Hyun-soo frowned.

“Nothing has been properly compensated, so I don’t know what you mean by reconciling.”

“…Compensation has been made. As you said, Kim Myung-chan has been thoroughly crushed! Not only can he never recover, but he’ll be remembered as the worst prime minister for all eternity!”

“Huh?”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Lee Jong-wook with a dumbfounded expression.

“Now it’s like we’re the bad guys? Hey, Lee Jong-wook. You better watch your mouth. I’m being very patient right now.”

“That’s enough.”

“Chairman!”

“It’s okay.”

Kang Jin-ho waved his hand dismissively.

Lee Hyun-soo shut his mouth with a dissatisfied look. He had a lot to say, but he couldn’t open his mouth when Kang Jin-ho acted like that.

“Let’s clear up one misunderstanding.”

“Misunderstanding?”

“It’s your side that’s not thinking straight right now.”

“I…”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Lee Jong-wook. Lee Jong-wook, overwhelmed by Kang Jin-ho’s gaze, shut his mouth.

“Is there any of Kim Myung-chan’s crimes that were fabricated?”

“All you did was reveal the crimes that were already there, you didn’t create any crimes that didn’t exist. Isn’t that right?”

“…That’s correct.”

Lee Jong-wook bit his lower lip slightly.

“Isn’t it the state’s duty to reveal and punish people’s crimes? Are you going to blame me for making you do what you were ignoring?”

Lee Jong-wook felt drained.

When Kang Jin-ho spoke like that, there was nothing he could say. He wasn’t wrong.

“I don’t know what you’re sympathizing with in Kim Myung-chan, but it’s not right to push us into a corner.”

It was terrifying.

Lee Jong-wook was terrified of Kang Jin-ho.

He was someone who could crush him into dust with a single finger if he wanted to. Even if Kang Jin-ho tore Lee Jong-wook to pieces in this place, the government that sent him wouldn’t hold him responsible.

Rather, they would even provide cover to avoid linking Lee Jong-wook’s death to Kang Jin-ho.

Kang Jin-ho probably knew that too.

But he was explaining.

He was making him understand.

A person with absolute power, who could do whatever he wanted, was trying to deal with Lee Jong-wook, who was worthless, rationally.

Lee Jong-wook found that terrifying.

“Do you understand?”

“Yes.”

“You’re quick to understand.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“Then let’s get back to the original topic.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Jong-wook for a moment before opening his mouth.

“You said reconcile, right?”

“…Yes.”

“It’s not like you and I are in a position to reconcile.”

“But the fact that you brought it up means you have something else to say. Tell me. Don’t bring it up one by one, just lay it all out.”

Lee Jong-wook nodded.

“The government wants to make the matter of providing funds to North Korea disappear in exchange for maintaining Kim Myung-chan’s life sentence.”

“The word ‘exchange’ is a bit strange.”

“Yes. I misspoke a little. I would like to ask you for your help with that part.”

“Why?”

“…Well, North Korea is a sensitive issue in South Korea, and if we’re not careful, the repercussions could be significant.”

“Hmm.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Jong-wook for a moment before nodding.

“Do as you please.”

“…Thank you.”

“Go and tell them. I don’t want to talk about this anymore. We’ll bury this matter here. Next time, we’ll meet again as if nothing happened.”

Lee Jong-wook nodded.

“Instead, we will make sure to finalize everything on our end. We will provide compensation that everyone can accept, including you, the General Assembly, MK, your family, and Choi Yeon-ha…”

It was an obvious statement.

But Kang Jin-ho nodded without bothering to argue further.

“Do that.”

Now that Kim Myung-chan was caught, he had no more interest in it.

He just wanted to end this messy relationship and return to his normal life as soon as possible.

“Continue the practical discussions with Lee Hyun-soo.”

“Yes. I will do that.”

Lee Hyun-soo glared at Lee Jong-wook with eyes like a viper.

“Send the working-level staff separately.”

“I…”

“What does a NIS [National Intelligence Service] guy know about practical matters? Tell them to organize and send the department’s working-level staff.”

“Understood.”

Kang Jin-ho got up from his seat.

“Is that the end?”

“Not yet.”

Lee Jong-wook looked at Kang Jin-ho with a determined gaze.

“There’s one personal matter left.”

Kang Jin-ho turned to Lee Jong-wook with a questioning look.

“Personal matter?”

“Yes.”

Lee Jong-wook bowed his head and said,

“Please accept me into the General Assembly.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned at the unexpected words.