Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1893

“…Damn it.”

Zhang Xiangqian, the head of the Guangzhou branch of the Hongwang Group, gritted his teeth as he looked down.

“You still haven’t found their trail?”

“…I’m sorry.”

“You morons!”

*Bang!*

He slammed his fist on the desk and jumped up from his seat.

“More than twenty branches have been hit already! And you still haven’t found even a single hair of them? What am I supposed to report!”

The subordinates all lowered their heads, but that reaction did not ease Zhang Xiangqian’s mind.

“You’re all utterly incompetent.”

Zhang Xiangqian gnashed his teeth.

He had fought many enemies as a member of the Hongwang Group. But since he first joined the Hongwang Group, he had never been so unilaterally beaten like this.

“You guys can just say you couldn’t find them and be done with it, but I have to report directly! Do you know how agonizing it is to say ‘I’m an incompetent fool who couldn’t find anything’ for days?”

“We, we are doing our best. But it’s like these guys have soared into the sky, we can’t find them at all…”

“Don’t spout obvious nonsense, if you have time for that, go out and scour the streets!”

“I, I’m sorry.”

“Damn it!”

Zhang Xiangqian slumped back into his chair.

‘What a mess.’

The Shanghai branch was completely destroyed.

The media is still reporting on it every day. The government seems to have calmed things down to some extent, but that doesn’t mean the reports have stopped.

“Terrorist group, my ass!”

The media is now making a fuss about revealing the identity of the unidentified terrorist group that attacked the Shanghai branch. Watching that grand performance made him laugh in disbelief.

No, no.

From a fundamental point of view, it might not be wrong.

These guys are clearly committing a massive act of terror against the Murim world [martial arts world]. What else can you call it if not terrorism when they forcibly overturn existing laws and order with force?

“Everyone, keep this in mind.”

“Yes!”

“This isn’t just about trying to get credit! Since Shanghai was hit, we’re not safe either!”

At that, everyone reflexively turned their heads.

Through the window, the view of other buildings could be seen. This place was also a branch located in the middle of the city. In the past, no attack would have been attempted here, but now, that could no longer be guaranteed.

“This is a matter directly related to our safety!”

Zhang Xiangqian gritted his teeth.

“Of course! As long as I’m here, we won’t be easily defeated like those morons in Shanghai. But to reduce the sacrifices before I step in, we must find their trail. Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

“Find them! Find them no matter what! Then I will personally cut off their heads!”

Zhang Xiangqian’s face hardened.

He knew that the Shanghai branch had been attacked. The Guangzhou branch and the Shanghai branch were both branches. If Shanghai was attacked, it was common sense that Guangzhou would not have any way to deal with it.

But Zhang Xiangqian had something to rely on.

First of all, when the Shanghai branch was attacked, the branch manager was away, and Zhang Xiangqian was a master of a level that could not be compared to the branch manager of the Shanghai branch.

“If they had come here, I would have cut their heads off.”

“That’s right, Branch Manager!”

“From the beginning, you were not someone who should stay in a mere branch. If the situation hadn’t suddenly become so urgent, you would have already been promoted to the main headquarters.”

It sounded like flattery, but it was not flattery at all. If the war with the Changwang hadn’t broken out so suddenly, Zhang Xiangqian would have already moved to the main headquarters to assist the Hongwang.

“Enough with the useless talk!”

Zhang Xiangqian roared.

“That’s why we can’t lose to the other branch guys. We must be the first to find their trail! Do you understand?”

“Yes!”

“There’s no need for that.”

Zhang Xiangqian frowned.

“Who is it!”

He shouted with an angry face, but his subordinates looked at each other, as if they didn’t know what was going on.

“This…”

Zhang Xiangqian, who was about to shout again, closed his mouth.

‘What is it?’

He knew his subordinates best. None of them had the guts to mock his words in front of him.

But he had clearly heard the words just now.

“You must be deaf.”

Zhang Xiangqian’s head snapped back as if it would break.

‘What…?’

The sound was clearly heard.

The same voice he had heard a moment ago. Nevertheless, the reason why Zhang Xiangqian did not immediately recognize the presence of the person behind him was because he did not feel any trace of a person from behind.

Zhang Xiangqian’s eyes widened.

The night view.

The night view of Guangzhou can be seen through the large window behind him. And in the middle of that night view, a silhouette of a person is superimposed as if it was deliberately drawn.

‘A person?’

Zhang Xiangqian’s jaw began to tremble.

A person? Is it a person?

No matter how many times he closed and opened his eyes, it was a person.

But Zhang Xiangqian could not define the existence in front of him as a person at all. How could he see something that didn’t feel alive at this close distance as a living person?

‘A phantom? Or….’

He would rather believe it was a hologram.

But the existence in front of him slowly turned its body, betraying Zhang Xiangqian’s expectations.

*Thud.*

It was awkward.

If a person moves, there should be footsteps. But now, the footsteps sounded too awkward to Zhang Xiangqian’s ears. It was as if he could only hear footsteps in the empty air.

*Thud, thud.*

The man who had finished turning his body faced Zhang Xiangqian directly.

Zhang Xiangqian, who saw the man with no particular special appearance, bit his lip without realizing it.

“Who are you… who are you?”

“You’re not asking because you don’t know, are you?”

“That’s why I said, there’s no need to look for me. I came like this.”

Zhang Xiangqian’s heart began to beat rapidly.

He knew how stupid the question he had just asked was.

Who am I?

Who else could it be?

Zhang Xiangqian gritted his teeth and glared at the man with a sharp gaze.

“Are you from the Hokwang Group?”

“That’s what they call us.”

“…You.”

Zhang Xiangqian clenched his fist and began to emit his aura.

“Was it you who attacked the Shanghai branch?”

“No.”

The man replied in a monotone voice.

“But well, it doesn’t really matter if it’s different. The result will be the same anyway.”

“Tell me your name.”

“…Why bother?”

“I should at least know who died here.”

A small crack appeared on the man’s expressionless face. The man, who lightly raised only the right corner of his mouth, quietly opened his mouth.

“Good. I don’t like your type.”

“I don’t know how you infiltrated this far, but you should give up on the idea of going back alive. This place is not as easy as the Shanghai branch!”

“I wish it was. Otherwise, it would be too boring.”

“This guy…”

Just as Zhang Xiangqian was about to give the signal to attack, the man opened his mouth.

“I wasn’t really planning to do anything here in the first place, but thanks to Shin Chang making such a flashy mess, I also have to do something that stands out.”

“What?”

“I’ll give you an answer as an apology. I am Gongryeong. Remember it if you can.”

Gongryeong quietly raised his hand. Then, he casually pulled his finger slightly.

Zhang Xiangqian looked at Gongryeong with a puzzled expression. He couldn’t understand what that action meant.

But at that moment….

*Swish!*

*Swish, swish!*

*■*

*…*

*■>Swish, •*

A very faint and unfamiliar noise pierced Zhang Xiangqian’s ears. A small sound like something thin brushing against a cloth.

Hearing that sound, Zhang Xiangqian reflexively turned his head.

Only then did he see it.

The sight of his subordinates’ bodies being cut in half like toys.

“What…”

But there was no time to be surprised.

Something that had lightly cut through the bodies of his subordinates was flying towards him. He couldn’t see it with his eyes, but there was definitely something there.

“Kuh!”

Zhang Xiangqian gathered all his energy and wrapped it around his body.

*Kii-gak! Kii-刀}gi■gak!*

Something pierced through the fully gathered protective energy. The protective energy, which could block even a cannonball, was distorted and twisted as if it would burst at any moment.

It was as if a large balloon was wrapped tightly with thread, the protective energy swelled up in a bizarre shape.

‘Silver thread?’

No. Should I call it a wire?

“Aaaaaaah!”

A loud scream burst from Zhang Xiangqian’s mouth. The wire that had crushed the protective energy pierced his body. He managed to prevent it from being cut in one go, but the wire, sharper than a knife, pierced and tightened all over his body.

“Koo…”

“Hmm?”

Gongryeong looked at Zhang Xiangqian with interest.

“Someone in the branch is able to block this… interesting.”

“Kueee…”

Zhang Xiangqian’s body trembled.

Even at this moment, the wire was piercing his body. If he let go of even a little bit of his energy, it would cut his body in one go, making him the same as the subordinates who were sprawled out behind him.

“That’s why I like strong guys like you. It’s not fun to cut something that’s easy to cut. It’s fun when you cut something that’s hard to cut.”

Gongryeong smiled and gradually bent his finger.

“Kueee…”

Zhang Xiangqian, feeling the wire tightening around his body, trembled and looked at Gongryeong.

“Don’t worry. Soon, everyone will be the same.”

“You’ll be the same.”

“Hmm?”

At that moment, the door burst open and a blue sword energy flew inside.

*Ting! Ting! Ting!*

With a sound like piano strings breaking, the wires that were tightening around Zhang Xiangqian were cut and bounced into the air.

Gongryeong retrieved the wires with an expressionless face.

Then, his gaze followed those who were entering through the door.

Murim warriors who were extraordinary at a glance. They were too strong to appear in a branch like this.

“…Is this a trap?”

“Did you think we would just keep getting hit? Your movements were never outside of Chaikeochang’s predictions from the start.”

About ten people.

Gongryeong tilted his head as he looked at the ten or so Murim warriors who had entered.

“Is that all of you?”

“We are enough to catch you.”

“But the more perfect the job, the better. This area is already completely surrounded. You! You will pay the price for daring to attack the Hongwang Group’s branch.”

Gongryeong glanced outside.

There was no visible change. But a palpable killing intent could be felt.

“How strange. I came here without a plan… Did you say Chaikeochang?”

“It seems you’ve heard of his name.”

“He’s more capable than I thought. But… he’s stupid.”

Gongryeong’s smile deepened.

“You can’t catch me with this.”

He spread his arms with a bizarre smile.

“No matter how many small fries you bring, only corpses will increase. Let your fragmented corpses tell you that fact!”

The wires that came out of his sleeves began to fly towards the Hongwang Group’s warriors like living snakes.