Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1378

Kang Jin-ho, dressed in prison garb, sat in a solitary cell.

Normally, those arrested and detained would first go to a detention center for questioning. Depending on the investigation, an arrest warrant would be issued, and they would be transferred to a correctional facility. However, Kang Jin-ho skipped the interrogation and was immediately brought to the correctional facility. He couldn’t tell with his knowledge whether this was illegal or within the bounds of the law.

However, one thing was clear.

They didn’t intend to treat Kang Jin-ho as just another inmate.

In this series of events, the body search that should have been standard was omitted, and his room assignment was not a shared cell but a solitary one.

It was the kind of treatment usually reserved for the elite of the political and business worlds, but Kang Jin-ho didn’t feel particularly good about receiving such treatment.

Kang Jin-ho glanced down at the prison uniform he was wearing.

He was wearing the clothes he had only ever seen in movies or on the news. Rather than being angry, he was so dumbfounded that he laughed.

‘I’m experiencing all sorts of things.’

He turned his head towards the entrance and saw a large water jug and a food tray with food on it.

‘I’m sure I’ll have a great appetite.’

Even Kang Jin-ho didn’t feel like eating, so he couldn’t imagine how a normal person would feel if they committed a crime and ended up here.

Kang Jin-ho leaned against the wall and sighed softly.

Anger?

No, it wasn’t that kind of feeling. Rather, he was becoming strangely calm.

It wasn’t that he wasn’t feeling the reality of the situation; it was becoming all too vivid.

‘This wall is keeping me locked up, is it?’

He chuckled.

This was child’s play.

It was like children drawing a circle around another child in the playground and laughing, telling them they couldn’t come out.

And now, Kang Jin-ho was playing along with their game. The only question was how long he would play along with this ridiculous game.

At that moment, he sensed someone approaching the door.

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho, you have a visitor.”

Kang Jin-ho turned his head.

‘A visitor?’

Was there anyone who would come after only one day? No, was it even possible to have a visitor on the first day in a correctional facility?

The door opened with a clanging sound. Two guards stood at the entrance.

“If you have finished your meal, you must wash your dishes and return them. Please do so from now on. You may come out now.”

Kang Jin-ho got up from his seat without answering.

One of the guards reached for handcuffs and a rope to approach Kang Jin-ho.

However, the senior-looking guard raised his hand to stop his junior.

“The rope…”

“It’s okay.”

“But?”

“I said it’s okay.”

The junior guard obediently stepped back.

The senior guard smiled and said,

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho, we will try to accommodate you as much as possible. So, we ask for your cooperation as well.”

This guy seemed to know something.

Rather than making him feel bad and causing an incident that couldn’t be stopped, they were going to keep him locked up here while giving him as much freedom as possible.

It was an obvious ploy, but it was worth playing along.

“Who came to see me?”

“You’ll find out when you get there.”

Kang Jin-ho got up from his seat. He would find out when he got there, as he said.

As he walked towards the entrance, the two guards flanked him as if they were escorting him.

“This way.”

Kang Jin-ho began to walk at a pace that was neither fast nor slow, following the path he was being led on.

Everything he saw was unfamiliar.

The faded white walls, the bluish-gray iron doors, and even the bars between the iron doors… everything looked awkward.

After passing through a couple of closed barred doors, he arrived at a small room that was not a typical visiting room.

The warden’s office, or maybe a break room?

He didn’t know exactly where it was, but it was definitely not a place for visits. Visits at the correctional facility were conducted in a visiting room with reinforced acrylic between them. Even with Kang Jin-ho’s limited knowledge, he knew that much.

Which meant…

“You can sit here.”

The guard pulled out a chair at the table in the center. Then, he kindly pointed to the seat.

Kang Jin-ho sat down without saying anything.

Before he could even open his mouth, the door opened, and two people entered.

One was a face he didn’t recognize at all.

And the other was a face he knew well.

“It’s been a while, Mr. Kang Jin-ho.”

Kang Jin-ho curled up the corners of his lips. It was a face he had wanted to see, but it was someone he rarely could.

Kim Myung-chan, the Prime Minister of South Korea, was walking in with a smiling face.

His body was twitching.

He thought he was calm, but his body didn’t seem to agree. Kim Myung-chan seemed to notice this, as he looked slightly startled before regaining his composure.

“Alright, everyone out. We have some things to discuss privately.”

“Are you sure? If there are no guards, an unexpected situation could occur.”

“It’s the same even if they’re here. If that man wanted to, he could take my head off in an instant. It would only increase the damage for no reason.”

“Huh? That man?”

The person who had entered with Kim Myung-chan looked at Kang Jin-ho with a puzzled expression.

No matter how he looked at him, he didn’t seem like that kind of person.

His build was rather small compared to ordinary people. He wasn’t short, but he was thin, so he didn’t seem like the type to have much strength.

‘They said he violated the National Security Law, is he a North Korean operative or something?’

“Warden.”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

“Don’t waste time and do as I say. We have some things to discuss.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“Ah, wait a moment.”

The Prime Minister called the guards.

“I’m sorry, but could you make two cups of coffee?”

“Yes, Prime Minister.”

Soon, everything was settled, and everyone else left. Kang Jin-ho stared blankly at the instant coffee mix placed in front of him.

“It might not be to your liking, but it would be good to have a sip. It’s quite a precious food here.”

Kang Jin-ho glanced up at Kim Myung-chan.

“You seem to have experience.”

“There were times when I used to come and go like it was my own home. Compared to when I was coming and going, it won’t be too bad for you here.”

Kim Myung-chan smiled.

Seeing that expression, Kang Jin-ho let out a hollow laugh.

He realized once again how monstrous politicians were. Kim Myung-chan was clearly aware that if Kang Jin-ho wanted to, he could kill him in less than a second.

Yet, he was smiling and joking in front of Kang Jin-ho. A normal person wouldn’t even think of appearing in front of Kang Jin-ho.

In the end, this guy was also a monster wearing a human mask.

“Are there any inconveniences?”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Kim Myung-chan.

“You’ve done something interesting.”

“I understand that you’re angry. I would be angry too if I were in your position. But this isn’t my fault. Isn’t this the only way to control you?”

Kim Myung-chan rubbed his neck as if he was joking.

“If I hadn’t done this, my head might have been chopped off by now.”

“You know it well.”

Kim Myung-chan laughed lightly. Kang Jin-ho could see it.

Kim Myung-chan was trying his best to appear relaxed, but his heart was beating too loudly and quickly. And he was also breathing heavily. Kang Jin-ho could clearly see the subtle differences that ordinary people couldn’t see.

Just by pretending to be relaxed in front of Kang Jin-ho, Kim Myung-chan was using all of his physical and mental strength.

It meant that he was also desperate.

“There’s something I want to ask.”

“You can ask me anything.”

“Why did you do it?”

“…Excuse me?”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head slightly to the side.

“I just don’t understand. Has my existence ever been harmful to you?”

“I have tried my best to respect the outside world. That’s why I’ve conceded as much as I could and cooperated as much as I could. Now that things have come this far, I’m curious. What was the reason for trying to kill me so badly?”

Kim Myung-chan raised his hand and slightly pushed up his glasses.

“I expected many questions, and I prepared answers for them… but this is a bit unexpected. Are we going back to the basics after coming this far?”

“Because that’s the most important thing.”

Kim Myung-chan nodded.

“But if I were to tell you that, I would have to admit that I ordered the series of events against you.”

“Is that a surprise now?”

Kim Myung-chan couldn’t help but laugh.

“I see. Yes, that’s right. This has nothing to do with the law. Even if I erase all the evidence, you would try to kill me based on suspicion alone. Because you’re so suspicious. Isn’t that right?”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t answer. But in this situation, silence was affirmation.

“That’s why.”

Kim Myung-chan looked at Kang Jin-ho with cold eyes.

“I tried my best to cooperate. I conceded as much as I could. That’s the problem. Mr. Kang Jin-ho, don’t you understand? For ordinary people, the law is something that must be obeyed. If you don’t obey it, you get punished. Of course, there are those who cleverly evade the law, but even they will be judged by the law if evidence of their illegal activities comes out. Even the president cannot escape the law.”

Kim Myung-chan took a sip of coffee, as if his throat was dry.

“But for you, the law is just something you can choose to obey or not, depending on your mood. You said you cooperated and conceded. I know. That was your goodwill towards me. But conversely, the moment you turn against the government, no law will be able to restrain you.”

Kim Myung-chan spoke as if he was grinding his teeth.

“I’m curious why we should tolerate a force that ignores the law under the national system and raises its own private army. Is there even one reason why we should show goodwill to you?”

Kang Jin-ho and Kim Myung-chan’s gazes met in the air.

Neither of them broke eye contact.

“There was no room for negotiation from the start.”

Kim Myung-chan did not acknowledge the existence of Murim [martial arts world]. To him, Murim were just a private army that threatened the nation by their very existence. And Kang Jin-ho was a Murim by birth.

It was like a railroad track that would never intersect. They could travel together, but they could not merge.

In the end, this incident was bound to happen sooner or later.

“I understand that you tried to kill me.”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes sank.

“But this method is unexpected. Did you really think you could hold me with something like this?”

Kim Myung-chan laughed lightly.

“Aren’t you already here?”

“Mr. Kang Jin-ho, you seem to not know yourself very well. Do you know what I think is the most important thing to you?”

“Family? Friends? Colleagues? Money? No, it’s not. Let me tell you. What you value most is the balance of life. In other words, you are…”

Kim Myung-chan made a slightly chilling expression.

“A greedy person who has no intention of letting go of anything you hold in your hands. Mr. Kang Jin-ho, you don’t know what sacrifice is.”

His words became a chilling dagger that pierced Kang Jin-ho.