Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1356

It was a bizarre sight. The jeep’s headlights illuminated the dark, poorly maintained road. And behind that faint light, something black followed.

‘What is that?’

Jang Pil-jae unconsciously slammed on the accelerator.

He didn’t know what it was, but it was ominous. Instinctively, he felt a strong urge to run away from that black thing.

However, the encroaching darkness easily surpassed the speed of the old jeep.

No matter how hard he tried to escape, the darkness engulfed the jeep like a rapidly approaching tsunami.

‘Haaah!’

♦

Kang Jin-ho let out a low shout and stretched his hands out to the left and right.

Swish.

With the sound of swords being drawn, Crimson Dew and Azure Dew appeared from the subspace [a pocket dimension or storage space].

Fwaaaang!

Kang Jin-ho’s two beloved swords, drawn and crossed, slashed through the encroaching darkness in a cross shape.

A crack.

A small crack seemed to appear in the black wave, but soon, with the sound of silk tearing, the wave split apart, as if parting the sea.

And at that moment.

A black figure suddenly popped out of the darkness and swung its claws at Kang Jin-ho’s head.

Clang!

Crimson Dew blocked the incoming claws, and Azure Dew pierced the black body that couldn’t dodge in time.

Swoosh.

Azure Dew clearly pierced the body.

‘What?’

There was no sensation of cutting.

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes widened slightly.

At that moment…

Kwaaaaaaa!

A sound like something exploding from the ground was heard, and the heavy jeep was thrown straight into the air.

‘Aaaaaaaah!’

The sky and the ground alternated in his vision. Jang Pil-jae, realizing that the jeep was spinning in the air, screamed at the top of his lungs.

‘Hold on tight!’

Lee Hyun-soo shouted and reached out, pushing Jang Pil-jae’s body firmly into the seat.

Just as the jeep, which had soared into the air, was about to crash upside down on the ground, Kang Jin-ho struck the ground with Azure Dew.

Whirl.

The jeep, carrying three grown men, spun like a toy and landed precisely on the ground. Thump. The jeep, which had bounced into the air, shook as if it would flip left and right, but eventually managed to settle on the ground.

‘Haaah…’

‘Hold the steering wheel tight!’

‘Yes! Yes!’

Jang Pil-jae, terrified, gripped the steering wheel. Then, he stepped on the accelerator as hard as he could.

Kang Jin-ho climbed onto the trunk of the jeep and looked back. The corners of his mouth curled up.

At this moment, Lee Hyun-soo felt a strong sense of unease.

‘It’s similar.’

That black demonic energy, and the ghost-like shape, the bizarre form and movements that didn’t seem human.

Although the quality was different, it was somehow similar to Kang Jin-ho. Or, to be precise…

‘Is it a demon?’

That was exactly the image of a demon that Lee Hyun-soo had imagined before meeting Kang Jin-ho. Does that mean?

‘The Blood Cult?’

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes narrowed.

Those who practiced demonic arts were demons, and the place that controlled those demons was the Demonic Cult. However, not all demons in the world belonged to the Demonic Cult.

The Demonic Cult was just one branch of the demonic path. Because it was the strongest and most powerful, the Demonic Cult was perceived as the demonic path itself, but even when Kang Jin-ho was active in the Central Plains [a historical term referring to the fertile plains of China], there were definitely demonic paths that were not the Demonic Cult.

One of them was the Mara Blood Cult. If the Demonic Cult dominated the Central Plains with its immense power and destructive force, the Mara Blood Cult was a place where all sorts of evil and miscellaneous arts gathered. The origins of human sacrifice and demonic arts learned by sacrificing people, which made the world despise the demonic path, came from the Mara Blood Cult.

Kang Jin-ho bared his teeth and smiled.

His eyes slowly began to turn red.

It was ridiculous.

The Blood Cult’s martial arts were a collection of heresies. To properly master the Blood Cult’s martial arts, one had to use humans as sacrifices. That was why the Blood Cult was ostracized even among the demonic paths.

And now, the Blood Cult’s martial arts were being used by the People’s Liberation Army [the military of China].

Or perhaps the descendants of the Blood Cult had been hiding until now and had cooperated with the army to survive.

Either way, it was strange.

‘Kaaaaaaah!’

A Blood Cultist, covered in black demonic energy, stretched his entire body and rushed towards Kang Jin-ho. The long claws extending from both hands were stained blood-red.

Kang Jin-ho, with cold eyes, stared at the Blood Cultist swinging his claws at him and instantly extended his sword.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

With the sound of metal colliding fiercely, the Blood Cultist’s claws were cut off and flew into the air.

‘Kiki kikik!’

However, from the place where the claws were cut off, new, crimson claws grew out and lunged at Kang Jin-ho’s entire body like snakes.

Lee Hyun-soo, who was holding onto the seat and watching the situation behind him, widened his eyes.

‘Crazy!’

What the hell was that?

The Blood Cult’s martial arts transcended the common sense of ordinary martial arts. It was a situation that Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t understand at all.

But Kang Jin-ho, as if he already knew, aimed Crimson Dew.

Kwaaaaaaa!

Black demonic energy shot out from Crimson Dew like a cannonball, tearing the Blood Cultist’s body to shreds.

‘Kaaaaaaah!’

This time, there was an impact, and a terrible scream echoed.

But Lee Hyun-soo could see. The Blood Cultist’s body, torn to pieces and falling to the ground, wriggled and gathered in one place, and soon took on a human form and began to run on all fours.

‘No! Damn it, what is that!’

This was too much.

‘Lee Hyun-soo!’

‘Just drive properly!’

‘No, Lee Hyun-soo!’

‘Ah! Don’t worry about it and drive!’

‘No! You bastard! In front! There’s something in front!’

‘Huh?’

Lee Hyun-soo’s head snapped forward.

‘Huh?’

Ah… there were two of them?

Lee Hyun-soo saw the figures of black shadows blocking the road. The figures, as if wrapped in swaying black cloaks, raised one hand and slammed it down violently.

Crack!

A sound of something splitting pierced his ears sharply.

‘Splitting?’

What?

It was at that moment.

Trrrduk.

A sound of something twisting was heard. Lee Hyun-soo turned his head and looked at Jang Pil-jae. Strangely, it felt like Jang Pil-jae was getting further away from him…

‘It’s not a feeling! This is a goddamn mess!’

The jeep was cut exactly in half and split to the left and right. Lee Hyun-soo, holding onto the seat of the flipping jeep, cursed.

‘Aaaaaah! Those bastards!’

Bang! Thud! Bang!

The jeep, split in half, repeatedly crashed into the road. Having run at full speed, every time it crashed, a pain as if his whole body was breaking pierced him. Lee Hyun-soo gritted his teeth and gripped the seat.

Screech, screech, screeeeech.

The jeep, which had been skidding while sparking, lost speed and stopped.

Lee Hyun-soo, having cut the unyielding seatbelt with both hands, crawled out of the jeep and stood up.

His eyes stung, so it seemed like blood was flowing from his head.

He saw Kang Jin-ho, who had already landed on the ground.

‘Lord!’

Having confirmed Kang Jin-ho’s safety, Lee Hyun-soo turned his head and checked the jeep that had been thrown to the opposite side. Then, he quickly ran and pulled Jang Pil-jae out of it.

‘Ah, ah! Gently! Be gentle!’

He seemed to be safe, judging by the fact that he had the strength to speak.

‘Ouch! It’s broken there! Ah, damn it! Don’t pull that! That! Ouch! Don’t pull my leg either! It’s broken, you bastard!’

Only his head seemed to be okay.

Lee Hyun-soo, having somehow managed to drag the struggling Jang Pil-jae out, forcibly supported him and stood next to Kang Jin-ho.

‘Are you okay?’

‘Yes. But what the hell are those bastards? Why don’t they die even when they’re cut?’

‘Because they’re not human.’

‘……Yes?’

If they weren’t human?

Were they ghosts?

‘In terms of magic, they’re like summoned creatures.’

‘……Isn’t this China?’

‘China has its own version of illusionary arts.’

And the Blood Cult was a place of manipulation of those illusionary arts and evil arts.

Kang Jin-ho raised his head and looked straight ahead. Between the two black figures swaying back and forth, he could see someone slowly walking towards them.

‘A person?’

Kang Jin-ho nodded at Lee Hyun-soo’s voice.

Step, step, step.

A man wearing a People’s Liberation Army uniform slowly walked towards Kang Jin-ho and the others. The black figures circled around him as if they were guarding him.

A pale face.

The man, who seemed to be on the border between a boy and a young man, had a strange feeling. The man approached with a leisurely pace and stopped at a certain distance.

Then, he playfully gave a military salute and opened his mouth.

‘Nice to meet you, Mr. Kang Jin-ho.’

‘Who is he?’

‘An enemy.’

The man shrugged.

‘I just told you the facts as they are, why do you have that expression?’

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

There had been countless people who had stood in his way, but this was the first time he had seen such audacity.

‘Are you a descendant of the Blood Cult?’

‘As expected, you knew right away. I already heard that the Demonic Cult guys were panting like dogs who had found a bone when they heard you had appeared. It seems you’re the current leader of the cult.’

The man made a strange expression. It was like he was smiling and crying at the same time.

It was difficult to guess the man’s emotions just from his expression.

‘And you are?’

‘Ah, me? I’m a, a member of the People’s Liberation Army… no, no. It’s better to say this. I’m the current leader of the Blood Cult.’

‘Are you the Blood Demon?’

‘……I don’t particularly enjoy that nickname you guys gave me. It’s childish. But well… I don’t deny it. Most people called me that anyway.’

Kang Jin-ho curled up the corners of his mouth.

‘You’re going to stop me?’

‘Eh, no way.’

The man waved his hands.

‘No matter how fearless I am, I don’t want to fight against that ‘Red Demon’.’ [Referring to Kang Jin-ho’s past title]

Kang Jin-ho narrowed his eyes.

‘You…’

‘Please don’t get any strange ideas. The legend of the Heavenly Beginning and Crimson End isn’t only known in the Demonic Cult. The Demonic Cult guys keep saying Heavenly Beginning and Crimson End, Heavenly Beginning and Crimson End… If you don’t know it, you’re an idiot.’

The Blood Demon wore a twisted smile.

‘Honestly, I’m a little scared. One of the black ghouls I worked so hard to make is already tattered. This is a huge loss…’

Kang Jin-ho sighed lowly.

‘It seems… I’ve been quite underestimated.’

The Blood Demons of the past couldn’t even dare to stand before Kang Jin-ho. In the era when the Red Sky Demon Lord had the world at his feet, the Blood Cult’s groups were busy abandoning their bases and hiding where he couldn’t see them. And yet, this young punk dared to wag his tongue in front of him.

‘You seem angry… Please don’t misunderstand. It’s not that I’m not scared, it’s just that my way of speaking is like this. I’m about to piss my pants right now.’

‘Have you said everything?’

‘No. Just one more thing.’

The Blood Demon snapped his fingers.

‘I honestly didn’t want to do this, but the higher-ups wouldn’t listen to me. Do you know how to catch a beast with a slow arrow?’

‘The answer is to hold it still and shoot it with an arrow.’

At that moment, something black surged from under Kang Jin-ho’s feet.

Then…

Kaaaaaang!

With a sharp sound of air tearing, dozens of missiles flew towards Kang Jin-ho.

Bang!

Kwaaaaaaaang!

A deafening explosion that seemed to turn the world upside down shook the dark night.