Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1777

“He was shaking like a leaf.”

Chai Ke-chang chuckled, taking a deep drag from his cigarette.

“You must have put on quite the show.”

“I won’t deny it.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked slightly regretful.

‘I should have gone with him…’

He had a lot to do, so it was impossible, but I’m so curious about what kind of face he made when he met the Chinese government officials.

He probably looked like a triumphant general.

“Damn it, I should have seen it with my own eyes.”

“Should have taken a picture.”

Chai Ke-chang laughed at his own reply.

‘To think I’d be joking around with this guy.’

It’s absurd when you think about it.

No matter how true it is that there are no eternal enemies or friends in this world, he and Lee Hyun-soo were plotting to kill each other just a few months ago.

Just how many things did he do to try and kill Lee Hyun-soo?

‘The world is truly unpredictable.’

Shaking his head, Chai Ke-chang continued.

“The thing we were worried about didn’t happen. It seems the government side left everything to that Chang Wang bastard.”

“So the Hawk King faction didn’t get involved at all?”

“Yeah, it seems that way. They were completely lost. They tried to stay calm, but you could see the fear in their eyes.”

“Pathetic.”

Chai Ke-chang shrugged.

“Still, they were once great men. Reaching the top of that party is impossible for ordinary people.”

“That’s the tragedy. Extreme inefficiency.”

Competition makes an organization strong. In a way, only the most outstanding talents survive and rise to the top of the organization.

The problem is that the situation changes by the time they reach the top.

Those who spent their young and bright days in internal competition become intoxicated by the sweet fruits they earned with their youth and lose the sharpness of their youth.

Those who have lost their wisdom and become intoxicated with power tend to cling to means that can easily maintain their power. Chang Wang probably exploited that weakness.

“It’s definitely a problem, but…”

Chai Ke-chang said indifferently.

“That’s not my concern. It’s presumptuous of me to worry about it.”

“At least you know your place.”

“Thanks to you.”

Chai Ke-chang chuckled.

“But isn’t that something your Assembly [referring to the Korean Assembly] should decide, not us? There won’t be any force in your country to stop the Assembly’s tyranny now, will there?”

“Don’t talk such crap.”

Lee Hyun-soo waved his hand firmly.

“You might not understand it as a Chinese, but Koreans tend to be extremely averse to military groups getting involved in politics. I’m the same way.”

“Hmm.”

“And besides that…”

Lee Hyun-soo smirked.

“The higher-ups hate that kind of thing, so we can’t even try. Of course, I agree with that idea too.”

“That’s a shame. If that weren’t the case, you might not have to go through such troublesome procedures.”

“Troublesome is a problem. But if you try to make everything easy, you’ll lose what you shouldn’t lose. What the Assembly shouldn’t lose right now is balance. What they shouldn’t forget is knowing their place.”

Chai Ke-chang looked at Lee Hyun-soo with a strange expression.

He’s an interesting guy.

Especially how a guy who sometimes crosses the line like a madman can say such things so calmly.

“Hmm, that’s not my problem either.”

Chai Ke-chang got to the point.

“From now on, the government will fully support you. If you can agree with Korea, you can bring a chartered plane today. If you need anything, we can support you here. Just get the permission.”

“You’re very cooperative? It seems like you want to get us out of China as soon as possible.”

“I won’t deny it.”

Chai Ke-chang made a bitter face.

What’s burdensome for him is that the Hawk King faction also watched the development and results of this battle.

The final showdown wasn’t something everyone could see, but the word that Kang Jin-ho defeated Chang Wang will inevitably spread.

Since Chang Wang had already lost to Kang Jin-ho before the Black King finished him off, it’s not wrong to say that.

In the end, if the Assembly continues to stay in China, there will be talk about who the real winner of this war is. His subordinates have already started to feel burdened by the Assembly.

‘Above all, the Demon King is the problem.’

What caught everyone’s attention in this battle was none other than Kang Jin-ho and Bator. Before the showdown, the transcendent martial prowess they showed in dealing with the bombardment was firmly imprinted on the warriors of the Chang Wang faction.

Looking back, it’s almost as if they were aiming for this from the start. Of course, I don’t think Kang Jin-ho is that meticulous of a person.

“Anyway, it’s annoying.”

Chai Ke-chang said firmly.

“We were supposed to take control of China if things went well from the start. We’re just proceeding as planned, so don’t interfere and get out of here quickly.”

“…Look at the way you talk.”

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled.

Of course, Chai Ke-chang wasn’t entirely wrong.

“The situation isn’t that easy.”

“I know.”

“The biggest problem is that we have no idea what that guy is thinking.”

Why did he only kill Chang Wang there?

If the Black King had wanted to, targeting Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t have been a problem. And yet….

“Anyway…”

Those who have transcended the realm of humans are all a bunch of people whose thoughts are incomprehensible. Ordinary humans like Lee Hyun-soo can’t follow their thinking at all.

It’s not a matter of ‘superior’ or ‘inferior,’ but a different track.

It’s like how a puppy can be friendly with a cat, but can’t overcome the fundamental difference in thinking.

“Anyway, I’ll leave China to you. Just dealing with the remnants of the Chang Wang faction will be a lot of work, so do your best.”

“…You’re thinking of the cat and the mouse.”

Chai Ke-chang chuckled.

“You say that, but you don’t look too comfortable either. It seems like you need some internal reorganization.”

“You’re stating the obvious.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed.

First, they need to reorganize the Round Table [a group of powerful individuals]. And they need to fix the fundamental problems that were revealed in this battle.

“…I hate post-war cleanup the most.”

“I agree.”

“But this time, it feels a bit different.”

“Hmm?”

Lee Hyun-soo leaned back on the sofa and rubbed his temples.

“The fact that we’re in a situation where we can do post-war cleanup is something to be grateful for. If we had all died in that mountain, it would have been easier.”

It’s not like he doesn’t feel uneasy.

The existence of the Black King is still shrouded in mystery, and his attitude is also unclear.

If he had clearly shown hostility, the direction would have been clear, but it’s not like that. It feels like something is slowly crawling under his feet. It wasn’t easy to shake off that unpleasant feeling.

But….

“Anyway, we’ve overcome one hurdle.”

“We’ve climbed a big mountain.”

The fact that they were freed from the terrible enemy called Chang Wang made Lee Hyun-soo able to sleep. If this situation had continued a little longer, he might have died of a nervous breakdown rather than at the hands of Chang Wang.

“He was a terrible bastard.”

Chang Wang tormented them relentlessly until the very last moment.

There might be stronger enemies, but it’s doubtful if there will be an enemy more painful to deal with than him.

Chai Ke-chang glanced at Lee Hyun-soo and opened his mouth.

“Our alliance was formed to deal with Chang Wang.”

“But it doesn’t seem like there’s a need for change right now. Having an enemy is a good thing.”

“You’re talking like you would have backstabbed us if there wasn’t an enemy.”

“You never know.”

Chai Ke-chang chuckled, and Lee Hyun-soo looked straight at him and said.

“Chai Ke-chang.”

“Speak.”

“I don’t trust you.”

Lee Hyun-soo spat out the words.

“I’m sure you don’t trust me either. People like us don’t trust anyone in the end.”

“That’s right.”

Chai Ke-chang nodded readily.

No matter what kind of relationship they form, they first suspect and calculate. If they can’t suspect anymore after endless suspicion, they don’t trust, they become fanatical.

That’s the characteristic of people like them.

The reason why their endless suspicion and calculation don’t extend to Hong Wang and Kang Jin-ho is also for this reason.

“But there’s no reason to be hostile to you for a while.”

“I feel the same way.”

“I hope that won’t happen in the future either. For each other’s sake.”

Chai Ke-chang gave a bitter smile.

“I’m telling you in advance, don’t try to kill me.”

“I won’t, you idiot. If you’re gone, the Hong Wang faction will only have stupid martial artists left. How am I supposed to deal with that?”

Lee Hyun-soo waved his hand.

Anyway, it’s always a relief to have someone you can talk to.

Lee Hyun-soo got up from his seat.

“I’m leaving.”

“You seem to be in a hurry?”

“You told me to get out of here quickly.”

Lee Hyun-soo frowned and continued.

“Prepare the chartered plane on your side. It’s a hassle to get it from Korea.”

“I’ll prepare the best one for you. You’ll be more than comfortable during the short flight. Should I prepare in-flight meals too?”

“Stop talking nonsense.”

Lee Hyun-soo quietly looked at Chai Ke-chang.

“I’ll say it again…”

“The Chairman [referring to the leader of the Korean Assembly] is not interested in China. As long as you don’t target Korea, there won’t be any problems.”

“Hmm.”

“From your perspective, it’s just a small country.”

“There’s no need to rush so desperately. If Chang Wang was someone who knew satisfaction, he wouldn’t have ended up buried in a mountain like this.”

“I heard your threat loud and clear. If you’ve said everything, get out.”

“You son of a bitch.”

Lee Hyun-soo raised his middle finger and left the room.

Bang, as the door closed, Chai Ke-chang put a cigarette in his mouth and lit it.

“Satisfaction…”

What a stupid thing to say.

The Hong Wang faction can only move according to Hong Wang’s will. But while Hong Wang might feel a sense of rivalry as a martial artist towards Kang Jin-ho, he doesn’t want to discuss superiority as a force.

‘I’ve fallen into a ridiculous trap.’

Hong Wang will definitely want to defeat Kang Jin-ho with his own strength alone. In other words, even if the day comes when the Hong Wang faction has overwhelming power compared to the Assembly, Hong Wang will never try to use that power.

To defeat Kang Jin-ho in a fair fight between martial artists.

‘Anyone who interferes with that will not be forgiven. Even if it’s me.’

But….

Can Hong Wang defeat Kang Jin-ho alone?

Really?

Chai Ke-chang chewed on the cigarette filter.

“…The cage is too strong.”

He felt a stuffy feeling in his chest, but Chai Ke-chang didn’t try to escape this situation. Compared to when he was chased out of China by Chang Wang and had to flee to Korea, this is like heaven.

A beast in a zoo is said to be unhappy, but compared to a beast starving to death in the wild, it’s a reasonably comfortable and enjoyable life.

“Losing the sharpness of youth and becoming intoxicated with power and comfort…”

Chai Ke-chang laughed softly.

“I’m getting old too.”

Chai Ke-chang’s eyes lowered as he tapped the ash into the ashtray.