Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1029

‘What’s the situation?’

‘…It’s not good.’

The leader quietly observed the man kneeling before him. The man, dressed in a traditional haori [a Japanese jacket], kept his head bowed low to the floor as he spoke in a subdued voice.

‘The backlash from the Gumi [Japanese mafia] who lost their elites is considerable.’

‘Considerable?’

‘Yes. More than anything…’

The man swallowed hard, then continued.

‘We joined the grand plan to advance to the continent through the peninsula, but we were annihilated without even setting foot on the peninsula…’

‘Hmm?’

‘…I’m sorry.’

He didn’t need to hear the rest. It was clear that those who doubted his leadership were beginning to surface.

‘Jackals, the lot of them.’

That’s what it meant to be at the top.

When things went smoothly, there were no dissenters. But when a crisis struck, even the smallest grievances that had gone unnoticed before erupted all at once.

It was human nature to shift blame and look for someone to tear down. The leader was not immune to such tendencies either.

‘It’s futile.’

It had taken over fifty years to build Shin’nichikai into the largest Gumi in Kansai [a region in Japan]. Living in the martial world was like walking a tightrope made of blades.

The more power you amassed, the more famous you became, the more popularity and reputation you gained, the more dangerous life became for a martial artist.

Rising high meant the risk of falling was greater, and the higher you climbed, the more people wanted to pull you down.

But…

‘Just over something like this.’

He acknowledged it was a painful failure.

It was true that Nakata Yuji had fanned the flames, but the leader had also responded to those flames. Those at the top should not make excuses for others.

To say that you failed because of someone else’s suggestion was to admit that you were incapable of doing anything yourself.

That was absolutely unacceptable.

A subordinate’s mistake was because he failed to properly control his subordinate, and if others’ opinions were wrong, it was because he failed to properly review and conclude the proposals.

Everything was his fault.

The leader had lived with only that thought.

‘Sanosuke.’

‘Yes, Leader.’

‘Do you know where things went wrong?’

Sanosuke dared not answer.

He didn’t know the answer, and even if he did, he couldn’t speak at this moment. It would be nothing short of an insult to the leader.

‘It’s a strange thing.’

The leader chuckled.

‘I never trusted Nakata Yuji’s loyalty, but I did trust his abilities. I believed he was someone I could trust with a task as long as he thought he could benefit from following me. But the result is this. Ultimately, he proved his incompetence instead of proving his loyalty.’

He had protected his command with his death, and with his death, he had revealed his incompetence.

It was too strange to be the last of the Nakata Yuji he knew.

‘I’ve never felt that my judgment of people was so lacking, but this time it’s been a painful lesson.’

‘Leader.’

Sanosuke spoke in a somber tone.

‘Winds are bound to blow. You cannot achieve great things if you worry about every gust of wind.’

‘Winds, you say…’

The leader smiled lightly.

Winds are different. You can ignore a gentle breeze, but you can’t ignore a typhoon that’s about to make landfall.

That was the situation the leader was in now.

He was on a small boat, waiting for a typhoon. If he was lucky, he might survive, but nine times out of ten, the boat would capsize.

He didn’t know what the exact solution was, but he was sure that praying on the boat was not the answer. Now was not the time to pray and wait, but the time to move.

‘What are their demands?’

‘I dare not say…’

‘Don’t stall. The demands won’t disappear just because you don’t say them.’

Sanosuke pressed his head to the floor and spoke.

‘It’s blasphemous to even mention it, but they want the leader to step down.’

‘My resignation… So, they would allow Shin’nichikai to remain in power?’

There was no answer.

The leader stared at the ceiling without a word.

‘They’re insidious.’

It was human nature to bow your head when the opponent was strong and to bite when the opponent showed weakness, but wasn’t this too petty?

‘They’re acting as if they’ve lost a war just because they lost a few young elites. Even Hideyoshi [a famous Japanese warlord] wasn’t asked to step down when he lost a war.’

‘Because he didn’t use his power.’

The leader’s head slowly turned. It was a voice he had never heard before.

A voice that should never be heard in his residence.

‘Who is it?’

‘Would you mind having these guys step back? They say they absolutely can’t let me in. I might end up killing them.’

The leader narrowed his eyes.

‘Open it.’

‘But, Leader…’

The leader stared at Sanosuke. Overwhelmed by his gaze, Sanosuke quickly gestured.

Screech.

The sliding door opened, revealing the scene outside. Dozens of Japanese swords were pointed at a man’s neck. But the man whose neck was targeted was looking at the leader with a relaxed expression.

‘Who are you?’

‘I’m called Cai Keqiang. You’ve probably heard the name?’

‘Cai Keqiang?’

Only then did the leader notice that the man’s Japanese was a bit awkward, and he frowned.

‘Hongwang Clan?’

‘That’s right.’

‘You’re a rude one. You should know that it’s not polite to barge in without notice. Doesn’t Hongwang teach you that?’

‘There’s no need to be polite to lowly Japanese. That’s what I learned from Hongwang.’

The leader’s eyes narrowed.

He was an extremely arrogant man, but he had to admit that he had guts. He was said to be the brain of Hongwang, and it seemed that the rumors were not exaggerated.

‘Let him in.’

The Japanese swords that had been aimed at Cai Keqiang’s neck were all withdrawn at once. Cai Keqiang walked inside as if it were natural.

‘Bring a chair.’

‘…There’s a cushion there.’

‘When a guest comes, it’s polite to accommodate the guest’s needs. Don’t you islanders know such manners?’

‘You…!’

Sanosuke jumped up from his seat.

But the leader chuckled as if amused.

‘Bring a chair.’

‘Leader!’

‘Sanosuke.’

‘…Yes.’

The leader stared at Sanosuke and spoke.

‘If I have to tell you twice again, I’ll cut your belly open.’

‘…I’m sorry.’

‘Bring a chair.’

‘Yes!’

As Sanosuke backed away to get a chair, Cai Keqiang chuckled.

‘Things don’t look so good.’

‘Hmph…’

Authority does not crumble from the outside. The first place where the signs of crumbling authority appear is right around you.

Sanosuke himself might not realize it, but until recently, he would never have dared to talk back to the leader. The leader’s crumbling authority was showing even in such places.

The leader quietly looked at Cai Keqiang and spoke.

‘What’s the matter?’

‘You must know why I’m here?’

‘I know that Chinese people are arrogant. But you seem particularly arrogant.’

‘I admit that. But the important thing is that I came here to help you.’

‘Help?’

The leader’s eyes narrowed slightly.

‘If you hadn’t pushed us, the situation wouldn’t have deteriorated this much. You must know that, right?’

‘We’re a bit wronged by that. We never imagined you would be so incompetent.’

The leader gritted his teeth slightly.

He tried his best not to show his emotions on his face, but he couldn’t tolerate the current statement. That statement was accurately stabbing at the leader’s sore spot. He also hadn’t imagined that those who had gone on the expedition to Korea would return so incompetently defeated.

The leader stared at Cai Keqiang without a word. He could argue if he wanted to, but he didn’t want to get into a fight with Cai Keqiang right now.

Seeing his flushed face quickly return to its normal color, Cai Keqiang smacked his lips.

‘So, he’s the head of Shin’nichikai?’

He was not easy to deal with, as expected.

Even if they were just people who had only managed to take half of a small island nation, those who were the heads of a country had a certain level of dignity.

Cai Keqiang decided to lower his tone at this point. It wasn’t always the best strategy to simply provoke the other party.

‘Speak.’

‘Hmm?’

‘The fact that you came all the way here means you have a proposal. If you’re a direct envoy from the Hongwang Clan, it’s only polite to hear the proposal and send you on your way.’

‘Let me correct two things.’

Cai Keqiang held up his fingers.

‘First, I’m not just someone who can be called an envoy. I am the one who represents his opinion. Not some lowly envoy.’

‘And second.’

Cai Keqiang bared his teeth.

‘Don’t you ever say something arrogant like you’ll just listen to my proposal. I came here representing the Hongwang Clan.’

The leader sighed.

If they were to engage in public discourse rather than private matters, it was only natural to treat the other party with respect. No matter how much Shin’nichikai had dominated Kansai, it could not be compared to the Hongwang Clan.

Shin’nichikai was just the leader of the Kansai alliance, but the Hongwang Clan was clearly the ruler of a much larger power. Their status was different.

‘I apologize.’

As the leader changed his attitude, Cai Keqiang also bowed his head slightly.

‘No problem.’

‘Then, may we hear your story now?’

‘I came to discuss matters.’

‘Discuss what?’

The two continued their conversation in a soft tone, as if they had never growled at each other before. The atmosphere was so mild that Sanosuke, who had rushed to bring the chair, was bewildered.

‘Of course, it’s about Korea.’

The leader’s eyes sharpened.

‘Discussion… Of course, it’s a discussion that needs to happen. But I think you’re aware that the current situation is not very favorable?’

‘No, now is the perfect time.’

‘…What do you mean?’

‘Historically, isn’t the method of dealing with internal chaos obvious? You create an external enemy.’

The leader looked at Cai Keqiang with a calm gaze.

It was an obvious method.

An obvious method meant that it was a standard approach, but it also meant that others would expect it.

An invasion of Korea.

If he could get the other Gumi to accept that proposal, it would be the best move, but the path to get there was not easy.

‘Do you have a plan?’

‘What if I do?’

‘You’re speaking the obvious. The conquest of the peninsula is something that must be done.’

‘Of course. I’m glad we see eye to eye.’

Cai Keqiang curled up the corners of his mouth.

‘If your heart is so firm, there’s no need to talk any longer. Gather those who need to be persuaded. I’ll take care of it. The Hongwang Clan will not spare any support for Shin’nichikai.’

The leader nodded silently.