Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1520

Can human nature be changed? Seong Ju-chan honestly thought it was impossible.

Nature cannot be changed.

A timid person cannot become bold, and an active person cannot spend their weekends on the couch.

That’s just how nature is.

But the fact that nature cannot be changed doesn’t mean that humans cannot be changed.

The process of suppressing and trimming parts that are naturally incompatible with society to adapt to it without problems.

The world calls that education.

‘Can this bastard be changed too?’

Seong Ju-chan gave Jeong Myeong-cheol a strange look.

Most humans can be fixed with education. People say that the position of schools continues to decline as private education develops, but the reason why public education doesn’t completely collapse is because young children go through the process of learning what they should and shouldn’t do while going through a society called school.

The problem is…

‘This isn’t a normal human.’ Seong Ju-chan clicked his tongue.

He had rarely seen a human like Jeong Myeong-cheol in his life.

‘He’s amazing in a different way.’ The confidence of an ordinary person starts from what they have achieved.

But this guy has not achieved even a speck of a thing, yet his confidence is sky-high. It was amazing how a guy with nothing inside could be like that.

‘Isn’t this also a kind of mental illness?’ A case of delusional confidence?

Seong Ju-chan chuckled and kicked Jeong Myeong-cheol’s butt once.

“Hey, this bastard is trying to rest every chance he gets? Is it hard? Is it hard, you bastard? The people you’ve been tormenting have been suffering for over a decade, and you’re acting like you’re dying after only a few days of rolling around. I swear, I’ll separate your head from your body.”

“Hee… Heee…”

“Run, you bastard!”

Having resolved to somehow turn Jeong Myeong-cheol into a human, Seong Ju-chan raised his voice.

But he didn’t know.

What kind of results his small actions would bring.

“What is that?”

Bang Jin-hoon tilted his head, looking at Jeong Myeong-cheol, who was almost a human zombie, rolling around the training grounds.

“That person doesn’t seem to be a martial artist? Why is a regular person doing that in the General Assembly’s training grounds? Huh? Isn’t that Seong Ju-chan?”

Bang Jin-hoon’s face contorted.

Seong Ju-chan was someone who had left the General Assembly. Although he had some personal goodwill towards Seong Ju-chan, the principles had to be clear. It was a problem that someone who had left the General Assembly was in the General Assembly, and it was also a problem that such a person was tormenting a regular person.

“Find out what’s going on.”

“Ah, that’s…”

Cheon Tae-hoon waved his hand as if it was nothing.

“It seems the Guild Leader has started another thing.”

“Huh? The Guild Leader?”

Why was that name coming up here again?

Bang Jin-hoon tilted his head, and Cheon Tae-hoon roughly explained the situation he knew.

“Ah, so…”

Bang Jin-hoon nodded as if he finally understood.

“That bastard is the one who caused a ruckus at the retired members’ store and interfered with business?”

“That seems to be the case.”

“So, they caught him and are making him roll around? He’s not a martial artist, so they can’t kill him, but they can’t beat him to death because his crime isn’t enough for that?”

“Yes.”

“What a…”

Bang Jin-hoon chuckled.

“Now they’re playing house. If it were the old days, they would have just beaten him to death, whether he was a regular person or not.”

“Hey, the Guild Leader?”

Bang Jin-hoon slightly turned his head and looked at Cheon Tae-hoon.

“I’m sometimes dumbfounded when I see you guys these days.”

“…Yes?”

“How long ago was it that you and I almost had our heads chopped off by the Guild Leader? Hey, if things had gone wrong back then, we wouldn’t be here now. We’d be buried somewhere in the mountains, playing ‘rock, paper, scissors’ with the King of Hell [a reference to the afterlife in Korean folklore].”

Cheon Tae-hoon nodded without realizing it.

“The Guild Leader has become so mild these days, but don’t you remember when we first saw him? I thought he had knives in his eyes. His eyes… ugh.”

Bang Jin-hoon shuddered. Cheon Tae-hoon also agreed with the feeling Bang Jin-hoon had.

‘Come to think of it, that’s right.’

When Kang Jin-ho first got involved with the General Assembly, he was like a person made of blades. Perhaps it was because Kang Jin-ho recognized them as enemies…

‘No, no. Even after that, he continued to feel like that for a while.’

In the past, Cheon Tae-hoon couldn’t even dare to make eye contact with Kang Jin-ho. But now, if he sees him from afar, he goes up to him first, greets him, and even jokes around.

“Come to think of it, he’s really changed a lot, hasn’t he?”

“I’m still surprised sometimes. These guys think the Guild Leader is their friend. They’re joking around with him? Joking around?”

Cheon Tae-hoon, feeling guilty, slightly closed his mouth.

“If it were the old Guild Leader, that bastard would be looking for where his head was.”

“…That seems to be the case.”

Bang Jin-hoon sighed deeply.

“It’s good that he’s become milder, but still, that’s a bit…”

“Isn’t it because it’s related to the retired members?”

“Huh?”

“The Guild Leader is also very concerned about that, so he must have been angry at the guy who tried to interfere with it.”

“No. It’s not that, it’s that he could just break a finger or two and beat him to death, but why is he trying to keep him alive?”

Cheon Tae-hoon stared at Bang Jin-hoon with a blank look.

‘No, no.’

Come to think of it, it’s not that Bang Jin-hoon is strange.

It was true that there was a rule in the General Assembly not to touch regular people, but that rule had rarely been followed properly. To be honest, how could the General Assembly, which didn’t hesitate to kill people for money, keep that rule?

If it were the old General Assembly, Jeong Myeong-cheol would have been dead already.

It was after Kang Jin-ho came that the rule, which was not like a rule, began to exert its life force.

“Anyway, it seems a bit inappropriate for us to interfere since it’s something the Guild Leader is doing.”

“…Is that so?”

Bang Jin-hoon’s voice became strange.

In that moment, Cheon Tae-hoon felt his heart drop.

Whenever Bang Jin-hoon made this kind of voice, something always happened. It meant that he was in a bad mood.

‘He wouldn’t be in a bad mood with the Guild Leader…’

More than anyone else, Cheon Tae-hoon knew how much Bang Jin-hoon trusted and followed Kang Jin-ho.

Why wouldn’t he?

If it weren’t for Kang Jin-ho, Bang Jin-hoon wouldn’t even be alive now. He would have died fighting Lee Jung-geol, or he would have died fighting the Yeongnam Association [a powerful regional gang].

No, there’s no need to go as far as the Yeongnam Association.

The fact that Lee Jung-geol was a vicious human being who would even bring in Japanese guys to win was something they had not expected at all. If the conflict had reached its extreme, Bang Jin-hoon would have been the one to be purged.

Besides…

In the first place, the reason why Bang Jin-hoon rebelled against Lee Jung-geol was because he treated the members of the General Assembly as expendable. But Kang Jin-ho is actually taking care of them even more than Bang Jin-hoon.

He provided them with accommodation, increased their salaries, gave them nominal jobs that they could proudly show to the outside world, and now he is even opening up ways for those who have left the General Assembly to make a living.

How could you not follow such a person?

Although there are many followers of the Kang Jin-ho religion in the General Assembly, Cheon Tae-hoon had no doubt that Bang Jin-hoon was the most devout believer among them. For such a Bang Jin-hoon to question Kang Jin-ho’s policy was nothing short of blasphemy.

That means he has a complaint about something else…

“…What are the kids doing now?”

“Yes? It’s after lunch break, so wouldn’t they be resting?”

“Ah, resting? Resting?”

Bang Jin-hoon’s eyebrows twitched.

“It’s not that I’m saying anything about resting.”

Cheon Tae-hoon’s trauma began to be triggered.

“You should train when you train, and rest when you rest. I’m not a narrow-minded person. I have no intention of interfering with resting after you’ve done everything you need to do. Do you understand what I mean?”

“…Yes.”

“But look.”

Bang Jin-hoon pointed his chin at Jeong Myeong-cheol.

“Doesn’t he seem to be working harder?”

Cheon Tae-hoon’s eyes trembled.

No, that guy is being punished right now, and we are training, but if you compare it like that…

“Of course, I know what you’re thinking. You’re thinking the situation is different.”

Bang Jin-hoon snorted slightly.

“Hey, aren’t we martial artists? But isn’t it a bit of a problem that the daily training volume of a martial artist is less than what a regular person can handle?”

“…It’s not less, absolutely not.”

“It’s a problem even if it’s similar. Isn’t it?”

No, it’s much more! We’ve been working really hard these days!

He had so much to say, but Cheon Tae-hoon couldn’t say anything. If he opened his mouth and made excuses here, the problem would double.

Because that’s the kind of person Bang Jin-hoon is.

“I’m not saying I’m going to push you guys. But think about it. Those Ma Yeom guys are sticking to the Demonic Cult [a martial arts sect] these days and training. Those big guys are being rolled around like balls by Bator. Even Director Wiggins is driving the kids like a ghost these days. But…”

Bang Jin-hoon slightly turned his head and looked at Cheon Tae-hoon.

“Don’t you guys seem a bit comfortable, is what I’m saying.”

“Ah, I’m not saying I want to torment you guys. I’m not that kind of person. Cheon Tae-hoon, you know that, right?”

“O-Of course.”

“Yeah. I thought you would know. So, what I’m saying is…”

“Shouldn’t we work a little harder, is what I’m saying.”

“Y-Yes, we will work hard.”

“Yeah, yeah. I think you understood me well. But it’s no use if only you know that, right?”

“…Yes.”

“I know the rest time isn’t over yet, but if you call the kids and explain it properly, it will boost their motivation, and then everyone will be happy. The future of the General Assembly depends on you guys. Right?”

“I will do that.”

“You really understand what I’m saying.”

Bang Jin-hoon patted Cheon Tae-hoon’s shoulder a couple of times, cleared his throat, and turned around. Then, with his hands behind his back, he walked away.

Cheon Tae-hoon, feeling an urge to put a scholar’s hat on his head [a Korean expression for feeling overwhelmed and needing to study], slightly gritted his teeth and picked up his phone.

“Hey, everyone come out.”

[Why?]

“…Director Bang wants us to do laps.”

[No, why all of a sudden?]

“Just come out if I tell you to, you bastard. Tell the kids to gather in the training grounds within 5 minutes. The director will be watching, so tell them to come out with their game faces on.”

[Haa… I understand.]

“From what I see, this is definitely not going to end easily. If you show up with a disgruntled face and the director sees it, you’ll die, I’ll die, and we’ll all die together. Make sure they manage their expressions.”

[Yes. Don’t worry.]

Cheon Tae-hoon, who hung up the phone, glared at Jeong Myeong-cheol and Seong Ju-chan with hellish eyes.

‘They should have rolled him somewhere out of sight. That damn bastard!’

Cheon Tae-hoon was determined to deal with Seong Ju-chan once this was over.

Thus, the small incident began to grow in size, plunging the General Assembly into a chain of hell.