Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1365

“Rowing a boat on the blue waters of the Duman River…”

“It’s the Amnok River [Yalu River].”

“Isn’t it the same thing! Damn it!” Jang Pil-jae became strangely rebellious.

“…Mr. Jang Pil-jae.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed deeply and then spoke.

“You should try to be a little cooperative. Isn’t that what human relationships are about?”

“Cooperation, my foot.”

Jang Pil-jae scoffed.

“We’re in a situation where we might die any minute, so what’s the point of worrying about human relationships? It’s all the same whether we die this way or that way.”

“I doubt you want to die right now, though?”

Lee Hyun-soo, having subdued Jang Pil-jae’s rebellion, sighed deeply and unfolded a map.

“So, it seems like this route is the right one.”

Lee Hyun-soo, looking at the map, narrowed his eyes. In the documentaries, he had only seen people crossing bridges or hiding in nearby villages, but what he saw before him now were mountains upon mountains, and a large river flowing through them.

‘Well, no wonder they can’t stop people from defecting.’

For Koreans, whose only land border is blocked by iron-clad security and physical fences, the concept of crossing a border hardly exists. But in most countries, borders are like this.

Where there are no clear divisions by rivers or mountains, people can come and go without even recognizing a border, especially in places without roads.

“I think we can go this way.”

Despite Lee Hyun-soo’s words, Jang Pil-jae and Kang Jin-ho didn’t react much. They were just staring blankly at the border.

“Master?”

“Hmm.”

Kang Jin-ho hummed in response to the voice calling him.

“Is there a problem?”

“It’s not that….”

“Yes?”

“Now that we’re actually about to cross the border, I feel a little uneasy, somehow…”

At this moment, Kang Jin-ho was acutely aware of the fact that he was Korean. He had been born in Korea, held Korean citizenship, and lived as a Korean, yet he had often wondered if his mindset was closer to that of a Chinese person. Ironically, it was not Korea, but North Korea that solidified his identity.

Seeing how uncomfortable he felt about crossing this insignificant river, it was clear.

“Does it even make sense that someone who caused chaos in the middle of China is now suddenly afraid of entering North Korea?”

“It’s not that I’m afraid… how should I put it?”

Kang Jin-ho made a subtle expression.

“Hmm, yeah. It’s probably closer to ‘uneasy.’ The feeling of not wanting to approach a tiger is different from the feeling of not wanting to approach a cockroach. It’s not about ‘whether I can win’ that matters.”

“…Do you hate cockroaches?”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t answer. Lee Hyun-soo added a line to the list of information he had stored about Kang Jin-ho: ‘Hates cockroaches.’

Indeed, it wasn’t a matter of strength.

“There’s no turning back now.”

“Hmm.”

“And you don’t have to think of it as entering North Korea. If everything goes according to plan, you won’t see anyone’s face until we reach the rendezvous point.”

Kang Jin-ho stared intently at Lee Hyun-soo.

“…Why are you looking at me like that?”

“No, I was just thinking…”

“Thinking what?”

“When you said ‘if everything goes according to plan,’ it seems like things have never gone according to plan.”

Seriously, this guy is now hitting me with words. Isn’t hitting me with his fists enough?

“It’ll be fine this time.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at the North Korean land with a slightly melancholic gaze.

‘It definitely won’t end smoothly.’

Looking back, there hasn’t been a single time in his three lives that things have been easy or comfortable. Something is bound to go wrong this time as well.

“By the way, I understand the North Korean army, but aren’t the Chinese blocking this area?”

Lee Hyun-soo shrugged at Jang Pil-jae’s words.

“They seem to firmly believe we’re going to cross into Russia. Idiots.”

Jang Pil-jae spoke with a dumbfounded expression.

“Does that mean that even the Chinese think it’s unrealistic to go to South Korea through North Korea?”

“Let’s think positively, let’s think positively.”

Seriously. How can this guy be so optimistic?

There’s a time and place for positive thinking. He’s the type of person who would clap even if he got terminal cancer, just for the experience.

“Alright, alright, there’s no point in dragging this out. Like you said, the Chinese might come swarming, so let’s go into North Korea for now.”

“Ugh.”

“Kkeuong.”

Kang Jin-ho and Jang Pil-jae sighed deeply and got up.

“I don’t know if this is the right thing to do.”

“Seriously.”

Lee Hyun-soo spoke with a determined look.

“We have to do our best, even for the people who are suffering elsewhere.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded quietly.

“Even if we don’t know them, think about how worried Choi Yeon-ha and Mr. Wiggins must be. We need to get back to Korea as soon as possible.”

“Right.”

Kang Jin-ho started to move.

‘I have to resolve this.’

A firm determination flickered in his eyes.

“I never knew Chinese food was this delicious.”

“Me neither.”

“And I never knew there were so many places to shop in China. Korean department stores are like hole-in-the-wall shops, hole-in-the-wall shops.”

“I know, right?”

“They say Korea is a good place to live if you have money, but China is even better. Much better.”

“If we had known this earlier, filming wouldn’t have been so hard.”

“Well, back then, it was a remote mountain village, so it couldn’t be helped, right?”

“That’s why I’ve removed all historical dramas this time.”

“Good job, good job.”

Choi Yeon-ha took a spoonful of the soup in front of her and looked satisfied.

“I usually don’t like Chinese food, but this one doesn’t have much oil.”

“Of course.”

Choi Yeon-ha turned her head.

Chai Ke-chang, who had just entered through the door, smiled gently.

“Chinese cuisine…”

“Don’t you know how to knock?”

“…I’m sorry.”

Chai Ke-chang cleared his throat loudly and continued what he was saying.

“It’s usually called Chinese cuisine, but China is vast and populous, so each region has its own unique dishes. The food that’s usually called oily is from the northern part. The further south you go, the lighter it becomes.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Usually, people only try the food in tourist spots or big cities and develop a prejudice against Chinese cuisine…”

“Okay, okay. Your country’s food is good. Okay?”

Chai Ke-chang’s cheeks twitched.

‘Seriously, how does the Demon King handle this woman?’

At first, he thought she was just ‘a bit unique’ or ‘strong-willed,’ but as the days went by, she became more and more unmanageable.

Now, she was acting as if this was her own home.

Seeing the servants, who had been thoroughly trained to serve the Red King, scurrying around as if a higher-ranking person had appeared, Chai Ke-chang felt like his insides were turning upside down.

But he couldn’t raise his voice. That was Chai Ke-chang’s position.

The woman in front of him was the Red King’s guest and the Demon King’s lover. She was not someone Chai Ke-chang could dare to criticize. Even if she had only one of those statuses, she would have absolute authority, so how could he possibly deal with a woman who had both?

If he were to be rude, the Red King would rain down fire, and the Demon King would try to rain down swords.

“Is there any news about Jin-ho?”

“No news is good news. I think he’s probably almost in Korea by now…”

Chai Ke-chang stopped talking and scratched his chin.

“No, that’s not right. He has a baggage with him. It might take a little longer.”

“Baggage?”

“I’m talking about Lee Hyun-soo.”

“Ah…”

“If it weren’t for that guy, the Demon King would already be in Korea, punishing the traitors. If I ever meet the Demon King again, I should advise him to get rid of that useless guy.”

Choi Yeon-ha shook her head.

‘Were they enemies in their past lives?’

Chai Ke-chang would always criticize Lee Hyun-soo whenever he had the chance, but what was even funnier was that Lee Hyun-soo would also criticize Chai Ke-chang whenever he had the chance. The phrase ‘like cats and dogs’ seemed to exist for these two.

“And if you’re so worried, why don’t you just call him? If the call goes through…”

“Have you never seen a movie?”

“Huh?”

“You know, like in spy movies. There’s always a scene where they’re trying to be quiet at a crucial moment, and then their wife or girlfriend calls, causing them to get caught and everything goes wrong.”

…Is that what’s happening now?

“How annoying would it be for someone who’s working hard if some guy who’s just eating and loafing around keeps calling and whining?”

Was this person someone who cared about that?

Choi Yeon-ha, reading Chai Ke-chang’s expression, chuckled.

“You’re single, aren’t you?”

“I thought so. You have the face of someone who doesn’t know the basics of dating.”

“Ah, no, wait a minute. Why are we talking about dating here?”

“That’s how dating beginners usually act. You have to know how to be patient at crucial moments to be forgiven for whining all the time. You should at least think about that.”

If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to just not whine in the first place?

I don’t know.

For Chai Ke-chang, Choi Yeon-ha was someone beyond the realm of understanding.

Chai Ke-chang quickly changed the subject.

“You don’t have to worry. We’ll send you back to Korea as quickly as possible once the situation is resolved.”

“No, it’s okay for now. After spending some time here, it’s not so bad.”

“You’re being treated well, so it’s only right for a guest to rest well.”

No, having some shame is what’s right for a guest.

Do you even know how much your meals are costing….

“But can I ask you something?”

“Go ahead.”

“From what I can see, you guys don’t seem like bad people, so why are you so eager to kill Jin-ho?”

“If we’re not bad people, and we don’t get along with that Kang Jin-ho, what does that mean?”

“…Ah, you guys are bad guys.”

I shouldn’t have said anything.

Damn it.

Chai Ke-chang shook his head and turned around.

“Then, please finish your meal.”

“Why did he come?”

Chai Ke-chang, unable to say that he came to check if she was eating well, sighed.

Just as he was about to go outside, Chai Ke-chang’s phone rang. Chai Ke-chang’s face changed strangely as he checked the text message on his phone.

“Aren’t you leaving?”

“…We have news about Mr. Kang Jin-ho.”

“Huh? What did you say?”

“Our informants over there have found out that Mr. Kang Jin-ho seems to have entered North Korea.”

“Ah, I see. North… what? Where?”

“North Korea. The Democratic People’s Republic of Korea.”

Choi Yeon-ha’s face went blank.

“Why?”

“It seems like he’s planning to go to South Korea by land. Once he passes through North Korea, he’ll be in South Korea.”

No, who doesn’t know that?

“He’s going to go to South Korea through North Korea?”

“Yes.”

“Ho, ho ho…”

Choi Yeon-ha muttered blankly.

“I thought he was crazy, but has he really gone crazy? Unless he’s lost his mind…”

Chai Ke-chang forcibly swallowed the words that her boyfriend had never been sane.