Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1152

“Pfft.”

Laughter erupted from somewhere.

Kang Jin-ho turned his scowling face to see Bator, who had burst into laughter, subtly turning his head away.

“……Is it funny?”

“My apologies. But Master, while I may not be fond of that old geezer, I have to completely agree with him on that point.”

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t say anything and closed his mouth.

“Honestly, what era are we in? It’s bad enough for a martial artist to be so obsessed with appearances, but if you’re going to live among people, you should at least dress neatly.”

“What’s wrong with me?”

“So, what are you wearing right now?”

Kang Jin-ho’s gaze went downwards.

His eyes fell upon a stretched-out tracksuit. The color was so faded that it gave off a unique, nowhere-else-to-be-found vibe.

“It’s unique. Very unique.”

Bator clicked his tongue and continued.

“You sometimes see them in the prairies. Those who seclude themselves in remote areas, dedicated to their own martial arts. Their attire is endlessly free.”

There are some in Korea too.

Those who bury themselves in the mountains, only training in martial arts.

“But Master, you’re someone who interacts with people. You should at least pay some attention. If the head of the General Assembly goes around in old workout clothes, what will others think?”

He had nothing to say, even with ten mouths.

“What about you, then?”

“Heh.”

Bator silently shrugged his shoulders. It wasn’t that he had nothing to say, but rather that he didn’t want to say it himself. Come to think of it, when he first encountered Bator, he remembered him wearing a tailored suit.

It was quite high-end….

Kang Jin-ho, who had brought up the topic of fashion for nothing, cleared his throat and changed the subject.

“Let’s move on from this.”

Wiggins took Kang Jin-ho’s side.

“Haha, it’s true that Elder Jang Min’s attire is a bit flamboyant.”

“I don’t want to hear that from someone who covers it up with their face. Why do you need to care about fashion? You’d look fashionable even if you just wrapped a rag around yourself.”

Wiggins quietly closed his mouth.

Jang Min looked back and forth between Kang Jin-ho and Wiggins with slightly resentful eyes.

“Those who have it don’t understand the feelings of those who don’t. Look at me and Bator. We still try somehow……”

“Why am I being dragged into this, old man!”

“Don’t deny it. You’re one of us too.”

“Damn it.”

Bator’s face flushed.

It was somewhat depressing to see the elderly directors bickering with flushed faces.

“Anyway, how is the transmission of demonic arts going?”

“Demon Lord, the disciples are training rigorously today to become the Demon Lord’s loyal hands and feet. We will prove that the grace bestowed by the Demon Lord was not in vain.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

Indeed, there was a noticeable change.

If Bator had become a bit more full of vigor after accepting the demonic arts, Jang Min had become deeper after accepting Kang Jin-ho’s demonic arts.

Kang Jin-ho smiled, feeling the firm confidence in their eyes.

“If you had memorized the demonic arts with formulas, it wouldn’t have been this troublesome.”

“It’s not that I couldn’t memorize them, but the demonic arts I learned had too severe side effects… I couldn’t pass them on to those without a foundation. If I had, the Demonic Cult would have been wiped out by now.”

“That’s true.”

The more he thought about it, the more amazing it was.

Jang Min knew that the Demonic Cult was failing, yet he didn’t pass on his demonic arts. It was because he had no demonic arts to pass on.

When pushed to such extremes, people tend to think of drastic measures. But Jang Min believed in the legend that the Demon Lord would return someday and held on until the very end.

It was thanks to Jang Min’s dedication and determination that the Demonic Cult had a chance to revive.

No one here could possibly imagine the emotions Jang Min felt as he watched the Demonic Cult members properly learn demonic arts and their martial prowess grow stronger day by day.

Kang Jin-ho glanced at Bator.

Bator also nodded quietly. It meant that preparations were progressing steadily without the need for words.

Bang Jin-hoon, who had been listening to the conversation, opened his mouth.

“Well, you don’t have to worry that much.”

Kang Jin-ho’s gaze turned to Bang Jin-hoon.

Bang Jin-hoon scratched the back of his head, looking a bit embarrassed.

“I understand your desire to check the obvious things one by one. That’s how it had to be until now. It’s also true that nothing has worked properly in the General Assembly without going through your hands since you came.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Bang Jin-hoon without a word.

What was he trying to say?

“So, I also know that you think of the General Assembly as a bit of a burden. It must feel like raising a baby. You have to feed it, clean up its poop, play with it, and teach it how to talk.”

“Not quite to that extent…”

“That’s just to put it simply.”

Bang Jin-hoon shrugged his shoulders.

The feelings he had for Kang Jin-ho were different from anyone else here. The others had joined the General Assembly because of Kang Jin-ho. In the end, the General Assembly was just an affiliation and a means for them.

But Bang Jin-hoon was different.

He was a member of the General Assembly before Kang Jin-ho came, and in a way, he was the reason Kang Jin-ho joined the General Assembly.

From his perspective, he couldn’t comfortably watch Kang Jin-ho, who was like an outsider, struggling to take care of everything in the General Assembly, like the others.

“Raising a child is like that. You wonder if this kid will ever be able to do their part. Even when they get older and stronger, they still seem like a child. But that’s just a parent’s perspective. Just like a tree grows when you give it water and fertilizer, a child grows too. It’s hard for parents to realize that.”

Bang Jin-hoon met Kang Jin-ho’s gaze with serious eyes.

“The General Assembly is no longer a child that you have to take care of and worry about. It’s at the point where it can walk and run on its own. The time has come when the General Assembly can be a strength for you, rather than you supporting the General Assembly.”

“Is that so?”

“No, I think I might have overdone it a bit.”

Bang Jin-hoon laughed awkwardly as Kang Jin-ho made a displeased face. He got a little carried away.

“Anyway, it means that the General Assembly has reached a stage where it can be somewhat self-sustaining. For example, the Chevaliers [elite knights] and the general members are getting stronger even without your direct attention, right? The same goes for Bator’s kids. Of course, well, you did transmit the demonic arts.”

“That’s true.”

Kang Jin-ho also acknowledged this point.

When he first integrated the General Assembly and the Yeongnam Association and unified the General Assembly, nothing worked properly unless he paid attention. But now, the General Assembly had gained self-sufficiency and started to move on its own.

Lee Jung-geol’s legacy was trying to bring the General Assembly into the world, and the joined forces were trying to develop on their own. Above all, those who had been complacent were stimulated by such movements and were trying to become stronger on their own.

‘If I were to leave now?’

Of course, the same level of development would be impossible. The General Assembly still relied on Kang Jin-ho in many ways. But that didn’t mean that development would stop completely or that it would go back to the past.

Once water starts flowing, it cannot be stopped by human force. If water is not continuously supplied, it will eventually dry up, but what Kang Jin-ho had given so far would be enough to keep it flowing for ten years without any problems.

“In the end, people reap what they sow. The General Assembly will repay you as much as you have given to it.”

“I haven’t really given that much.”

“You’re joking.”

Bang Jin-hoon smiled bitterly.

Ironically, the person who undervalued Kang Jin-ho’s achievements in the General Assembly the most was Kang Jin-ho himself.

“Actually, I don’t like this series of events. I think the General Assembly should ultimately remain the General Assembly. Creating companies outside or getting involved in politics, well, that kind of thing… honestly, it’s a bit annoying.”

“Old-timer.”

“Stagnant water.”

“Rotten.”

“You guys…”

Bang Jin-hoon distorted his face as he deflected the incoming attacks.

“I know, it’s an old-timer’s idea. That’s why I didn’t say anything, right?”

Bang Jin-hoon said, puffing out his nose.

“An old man can’t keep up with the way young people think. So, I’m going to hand it over and do my own thing. If the young ones develop the General Assembly, I’ll keep my place in a different way from them. In the end, it’ll be martial arts.”

Wiggins looked at Bang Jin-hoon with a sulky face.

“Director Bang, you’re the youngest one here.”

“A young old-timer. What a terrible hybrid…”

“……Let’s stop there.”

Wiggins chuckled.

It wasn’t a bad thing. Rather, it could be said to be a good thing. It wasn’t necessarily a good direction for everyone to shout for change and cheer each other on.

What was absolutely necessary when pushing something forward was not the driving force, but someone to apply the brakes. In that sense, Bang Jin-hoon’s position was helpful to the General Assembly, not harmful.

“So, when is Lee Hyun-soo coming back?”

“Why?”

“The kids are dying. That bastard was supposed to leave the MK side to Director Lee, so why is he loitering there?”

“It’s the initial stage, so there must be a lot to take care of. He’ll be back soon.”

“That’s a relief, but… the work gap is too big.”

“I’ll help out appropriately.”

“……I’m sorry. That’s originally something our directors should be doing.”

“Ahem.”

“Cough.”

The directors subtly turned their heads away.

Kang Jin-ho looked at them one by one and said.

“I don’t expect it.”

A slightly awkward silence flowed.

“Anyway, so you should also take your hands off the minor things now. The position of the head is not about taking care of everything. It’s true that the General Assembly has developed because you have played that role, but now it has grown enough for you to take your time.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

He never thought the day would come when he would hear these words.

“I don’t exactly agree, but…”

Wiggins also chimed in.

“It’s true that you need some rest. Once this matter with the Japanese is over, you should go on a vacation.”

“It doesn’t seem like he has any intention of coming.”

“He’ll be back soon. They too…”

At that moment, Wiggins’s phone rang.

“Excuse me.”

Wiggins took out his phone and unlocked it. Wiggins’s face hardened as he looked at the screen.

“Master, I apologize for saying this, but it seems like my words have come true.”

“Hmm?”