Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1327

The Setup (1)

Whoosh.

The luxury sedan carrying the Hong King sped down the road.

Chai Ke-chang subtly glanced at the Hong King’s expression. No matter how careful he was, it would be impossible to avoid the Hong King’s senses, but even so, it would give a more polite impression than turning his head outright.

The Hong King’s expression was hard to define.

On the surface, there wasn’t much of an expression, but Chai Ke-chang could tell that deep satisfaction and subtle dissatisfaction were simultaneously surfacing on that seemingly expressionless face.

A question arose in Chai Ke-chang’s heart.

What was the Hong King thinking right now?

What kind of emotions were filling the Hong King’s heart after successfully arranging the long-awaited meeting with the Demon King?

“Curious?”

Chai Ke-chang flinched.

Seeing this, the Hong King smiled lightly.

“Don’t worry. It’s not like I’ve mastered mind-reading or anything. However, it would be greedy to expect me not to notice when you have such a look of curiosity on your face.”

“I apologize, Hong King.”

“There’s no need. Curiosity isn’t a sin. Ask. I’ll answer.”

Chai Ke-chang swallowed hard.

He knew it was impolite to pry into his lord’s feelings, but he couldn’t suppress his curiosity.

“How was it?”

“Are you talking about the Demon King?”

“Yes.”

The Hong King wore an inscrutable smile.

“He’s become terrifyingly strong.”

“I had overcome the wall [a metaphor for reaching a new level of power]. So, I had the pride that the Demon King was no longer my match. But it wasn’t so. The Demon King is getting stronger as I get stronger. His strength is so intense that it makes my heart tingle.”

Chai Ke-chang’s brow furrowed.

For a moment, he couldn’t understand the Hong King’s words. He had also seen Kang Jin-ho with his own eyes, but he didn’t feel that he had changed from the past.

No, rather…

“I dare not compare my eyes to the Hong King’s, but I thought the Demon King’s aura had faded.”

The Kang Jin-ho he had seen last time was literally a demon descended to earth, itself.

Chai Ke-chang had never thought that such a human could exist in the world. Even the Black King, who controlled all the devils in the world, had never brought such intense fear to Chai Ke-chang.

But the Kang Jin-ho he faced today was closer to an ordinary young man than a demon. Even if there was a difference between the battlefield and everyday life, it was clear that the feeling given by the human being Kang Jin-ho had changed.

“It may seem that way to you.”

“Don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I’m ignoring you. There are probably no more than five people in the world who can feel the true nature of the Demon King right now.”

Chai Ke-chang narrowed his eyes.

“Are you saying he’s close to completion?”

“No.”

The Hong King shook his head lightly.

“When you reach the ultimate, everything becomes soft… Is that what you want to talk about?”

“…I’ve heard that.”

“How am I?”

Chai Ke-chang immediately understood the Hong King’s words.

The Hong King was literally the incarnation of hegemony, one who had achieved the ultimate in hegemony [supreme dominance or leadership].

But even if the Hong King’s level had increased, his hegemony did not seep inward.

Then the Demon King would be the same.

Then why…

The Hong King smiled lightly as he watched Chai Ke-chang, who couldn’t grasp the situation.

‘It must be hard to understand.’

Because he doesn’t have a deep understanding of demons and evil.

Chai Ke-chang would never be able to understand Kang Jin-ho. Because he doesn’t distinguish between those who have mastered demonic arts and those who are evil.

Chai Ke-chang was an extremely intelligent person, but there was no one in the world who could perfectly analyze even what they had not experienced. The negative perception of demonic arts and the prejudice against the demons he had experienced so far were even blinding his eyes when evaluating Kang Jin-ho.

‘It’s an interesting thing.’

In fact, it’s a bit of a difficult concept.

Demonic arts are evil, and those who have mastered demonic arts are demons. But those who have mastered demonic arts may not necessarily be evil. Someday, Chai Ke-chang will also know this fact.

“Then are you saying that the Demon King has become that strong?”

“That’s right.”

“Enough for even the Hong King, who has overcome the wall, to be wary of?”

The Hong King nodded without answering. As if there was no need to add anything.

“But…”

Chai Ke-chang narrowed his eyes.

He knew.

He also knew because he was a martial artist who had reached the peak.

Learning martial arts and becoming stronger is actually a very irrational thing.

Because the effort and investment put into martial arts do not necessarily lead to strength. Becoming stronger is not like climbing a mountain. Climbing a mountain is an extremely difficult task. You have to constantly push yourself, and if you don’t properly gauge your limits, you can even lose your life.

But a mountain can eventually be climbed if you try and try again. You can climb even one step further until the moment you die.

But martial arts are different from climbing a mountain. Martial arts are about overcoming walls. Martial arts are about overcoming one wall, and then another harder and higher wall blocking your path.

No matter how hard you try and struggle, if you can’t get your foot on the end of the wall, you will fall and return to your original position. If you can’t overcome it, you can’t move even one step forward in martial arts.

The height of the wall that someone like the Hong King has to overcome is something that Chai Ke-chang cannot even imagine. Perhaps that wall is a height that cannot be defined under human perception.

The Hong King had finally overcome that wall.

As such, the Hong King would have become stronger in a different dimension than in the past. But according to the Hong King’s words, wasn’t Kang Jin-ho also in the same realm as the Hong King, having overcome the wall?

“Then…”

“Don’t worry.”

The Hong King shook his head.

“The reason I’m postponing the match with him is as I said before. It’s just that I don’t want to be in the position of a clam and a heron [a metaphor for getting caught in a conflict between two stronger parties], not that I feel burdened by the match with the Demon King.”

The Hong King’s eyes sank.

“The day will come when I will have a match with the Demon King. That day will be the day I complete my martial arts.”

There was a resonance in his voice.

Chai Ke-chang quietly looked at the Hong King.

‘Is he his arch-rival?’

It was a strange thing.

If there were ten or a hundred people who knew of the existence of the Three Kings, they would all think that the Hong King’s arch-rival was another of the Three Kings. No, even just a year ago, the Hong King himself would have thought so.

But now, the Hong King was saying that his arch-rival was the Demon King, not another of the Three Kings.

It wasn’t just because he failed to win the match.

It wasn’t because he couldn’t take his opponent’s life even though he fought with all his might.

Both Kang Jin-ho and the Hong King… they were clearly feeling something that others didn’t know about each other. Otherwise, there were too many things that couldn’t be explained.

“Hong King, may I ask you one more thing?”

“Speak.”

Chai Ke-chang swallowed hard and opened his mouth.

“It is clear that the General Assembly and we are allies. And it is also clear that they have expressed their intention not to be hostile while they are here.”

“And?”

“But that doesn’t mean that we will tolerate what they are doing here, does it?”

The Hong King glanced at Chai Ke-chang.

It meant that although they would not be openly hostile, they would try to find out what Kang Jin-ho’s purpose was in coming to China and try to interfere with it.

“The purpose?”

“It seems to be an assassination.”

“Assassination?”

“Yes. The timing of the key figure coming over from North Korea and Kang Jin-ho’s entry into the country coincide. They have also settled in Beijing, and…”

“Leave it alone.”

The Hong King buried himself in the seat.

“If you can support them, support them.”

“Hong King.”

“Chai Ke-chang.”

“Yes.”

Chai Ke-chang straightened up. There was a rebuke in the Hong King’s voice.

“I know you are working hard. I also fully understand and appreciate that we have come this far thanks to you.”

“Ho, Hong King, please don’t say that. How could this humble one have been of any help? All of this is solely the work of the Hong King.”

“Excessive humility is rather arrogance. Raise your head.”

“Yes, yes!”

Chai Ke-chang straightened up.

“First of all.”

The Hong King curled up the corners of his mouth.

“If the Demon King has decided to carry out an assassination, there is no way to stop it. Unless someone like me is guarding the area, it’s the same even if you surround the area with the military.”

“Hmm.”

Chai Ke-chang groaned.

It was true that he felt a little doubtful, but if the Hong King said so, it must be true.

“Secondly…”

The Hong King turned his head and looked at Chai Ke-chang.

“What is the reason why the Demon King is trying to assassinate him?”

“…There are signs of a coup. It seems that something is about to happen in North Korea. The key figure who entered the country is a hardliner, and if he seizes power, it will be a great threat to South Korea.”

“Not just South Korea.”

The Hong King chuckled.

“But if the situation in South Korea becomes urgent, it won’t be bad for us.”

“Yes. That’s what I wanted to say, Chai Ke-chang.”

“…What do you mean?”

“We are walking on a cliff.”

The Hong King’s voice sank heavily.

“If we take one wrong step, we will fall off a cliff. But what’s more frightening is that if we lose, the future of China will be bleak.”

“That’s right.”

It was terrifying to imagine what would happen if the Chang King and the Black King ruled China. The Black King was a man full of malice, and the Chang King was a man whose thoughts were impossible to know.

“That’s why we didn’t care about the means and methods. We believed that if we achieved our goal, everything would be peaceful. But at some point, isn’t that mindset even clouding our beliefs?”

Chai Ke-chang bit his lip.

It was an accurate… and cold-hearted point.

“The method is very much like the Demon King, but the purpose is ultimately for peace. It’s funny that we, who pursue the right path, are interfering with the Demon King, who has come all the way to China risking his life to protect peace, isn’t it?”

Chai Ke-chang lowered his head slightly.

He didn’t agree.

It was also true that nothing could be achieved by only pursuing the greater good.

But…

‘This person is right.’

The leader must sometimes be a dreamer. Because those who are willing to risk their lives for the greater good and justice, which seem like nothing to others, are the ones who win people’s hearts.

“I will do as you say.”

“And…”

“Yes?”

The Hong King chuckled.

“Even if we don’t interfere, there are plenty of people who will interfere.”

The Hong King smiled and looked out the car window.

‘It’s a time of chaos.’

The Hong King could feel it.

The continent was boiling. All the evil in the world was flocking to this vast China. Soon, unprecedented chaos would strike the continent.

But he was rather pleased.

Chaos was just a process of purification. When this terrible chaos subsides, the continent will regain peace and achieve eternal glory.

Because the Hong King would make it so.