Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 159

“The tea tastes quite good.”

Hwang Jung-hoo brought the teacup to his nose, savoring the aroma.

“Do you really think it’s good?”

“Shouldn’t I say that?”

“I figured you would.”

Baek Young-gi covered his mouth and chuckled.

Unfortunately, Hwang Jung-hoo was a person who was very far removed from tea ceremonies or art.

Even when presented with high-quality tea, he preferred cheap coffee, and he was often indifferent to masterpieces of art worth billions.

Among those who were called the royal family [referring to the wealthy elite], there were many who disparaged Hwang Jung-hoo as a money-obsessed person who didn’t know art, but Baek Young-gi liked this side of Hwang Jung-hoo.

‘Because he’s not pretentious.’

Hwang Jung-hoo doesn’t try to embellish himself.

Unlike other tycoons who would do anything to appear more cultured and refined, Hwang Jung-hoo hadn’t changed much from the young man who first came to Seoul and established a factory.

It was the same now.

Seeing him gulp down the expensive Pu-erh tea that he received as a gift like water made him laugh. It was obvious that he didn’t like it, but he still drank a cup, saying it was polite to do so since it was a gift.

“Coffee.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

Baek Young-gi prepared a mix coffee [instant coffee mix] that he had prepared in advance and handed it to Hwang Jung-hoo.

“I don’t know why people drink tea. Water is better.”

“It has its own value for those who like it.”

“I’d rather have alcohol. Wouldn’t you agree?”

“…Chairman.”

“Hmm?”

“You don’t look for good alcohol either. You’ve been drinking soju and makgeolli [Korean rice wine] for over thirty years.”

“That’s the best taste, so what can I do? I can’t spend a lot of money to eat something that doesn’t taste good.”

Baek Young-gi eventually shook his head.

“So, did he arrive safely?”

“Yes. I received a report that the branch office went to pick him up.”

“Hmm…”

Hwang Jung-hoo stroked his chin. The prickly stubble tickled his fingertips.

“I can’t figure it out. Why did he go to China?”

“Are you worried?”

“Worried?!”

Hwang Jung-hoo put strength into his voice.

“Why would I worry about that guy!”

Baek Young-gi couldn’t hold back his laughter.

‘If he had shown this side of himself before, would things have been a little different?’

Hwang Jung-hoo was a cold person even to his own family.

Perhaps it was because he didn’t have a daughter, but he forced his own imperial studies on his sons.

And if they didn’t meet his expectations, he would criticize and get angry at them without hesitation, even if they were his sons.

It suddenly occurred to him that if Hwang Jung-hoo had shown even a little of the gentle side he was showing to Kang Jin-ho back then, the relationship between Hwang Jung-hoo and his sons wouldn’t be the way it was now.

‘It’s a futile thought.’

Hwang Jung-hoo was that kind of person.

A person who bet his life on the group. A person who found his value in the group. So there was no room for family or anything like that to interfere.

If Hwang Jung-hoo cared about Kang Jin-ho, it wouldn’t be because of Kang Jin-ho’s human side, but because he had judged that Kang Jin-ho would be helpful to Jae-kyung.

‘I don’t know the reason why, though.’

In Baek Young-gi’s eyes, Kang Jin-ho was just an ordinary student. He sometimes showed a serious side that didn’t suit his age, but he didn’t seem to have the kind of abilities that Hwang Jung-hoo would need to pay attention to.

Of course, Hwang Jung-hoo’s eyes couldn’t be worse than his, so there must be something he didn’t know.

“Did you inform the Chinese side?”

“We have already spoken to the Party at the group level. And we have also asked for cooperation from pro-Jae-kyung companies. Unless there is a violent incident in broad daylight, there shouldn’t be any problems.”

“Ha, this guy. Unless he’s crazy, who would do such a thing in broad daylight in another country?”

“Hahaha, that means there won’t be any problems.”

“How boring.”

Hwang Jung-hoo and Baek Young-gi looked at each other and laughed.

Crash!

“Aaaah!”

Nam Sang-hyuk was lying on the floor with his head in his hands.

‘What is going on!’

People were flying over his head.

To be precise, they weren’t flying, but being thrown.

‘Who the hell is that guy!’

He was a VIP from headquarters, and they were told to manage him carefully.

Since this had never happened before, he thought that Hwang Jung-hoo’s hidden grandson or child was coming. When he saw the young man who appeared with Jo Gyu-min, the chief of staff who was called the most powerful man these days, Nam Sang-hyuk thought that his guess wasn’t far off.

But not now.

“Ah! That crazy bastard, really!”

The guy who looked normal was not in his right mind.

He looked a little different in person, but when he only saw him in pictures, he looked like a weak young man, so he couldn’t help but think that he was a successor who had been raised in a greenhouse.

‘I’m even playing the role of a personal secretary for a young guy like this,’ he lamented.

But that seemingly delicate guy suddenly started a fight with the thugs and began to turn the restaurant upside down.

“What the hell is going on!”

“…I’m sure he has a plan.”

“Does it look like he has a plan right now! I want to know what that plan is!”

“…He must have a plan.”

“I’m going crazy, really!”

Jo Gyu-min was calm as could be. Shouldn’t he at least look flustered if the guy he came with was causing trouble? But Jo Gyu-min was sitting comfortably, watching the situation as if he were watching a movie.

‘Does he think this is Korea?’

Even though China has become much more modern recently, it was still a country where wildness was alive.

If you get involved with the Triads…

Clang!

Nam Sang-hyuk screamed when he saw a cleaver fly right in front of his face.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

What the hell was going on?

Nam Sang-hyuk raised his head and looked at Kang Jin-ho.

“Hey, you crazy bastard! Don’t make a martial arts movie just because you came to China!”

Nam Sang-hyuk was a sad office worker of this era who couldn’t even shout loudly.

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho frowned as he looked at the people running towards him with weapons.

A clean blow landed on the abdomen and chin of the man with tattoos all over his body who was running at the front.

Thud! Thud!

The sound of a satisfying strike echoed, and he kicked the person who had lost consciousness, sending him flying.

“Uwaaaah!”

The gang members were horrified as they caught the person flying towards them. Where else would you see a person flying through the air if not in a movie?

“Hui, hui tui (retreat)!”

The thugs, realizing that the innocent-looking young man in front of them was no ordinary person, hesitated and stepped back.

Kang Jin-ho shook his head from side to side, making a cracking sound.

It seemed like it was the first time he had fought someone like this in modern times. He had used martial arts before, but it was the first time he had actually thrown punches and received attacks since he met the rapist in the past.

‘Even then, it didn’t feel like I was being attacked that much.’

They were too weak to make his blood boil, but he felt refreshed because he had moved his body directly for the first time in a while.

“If you don’t come, I’ll go.”

As Kang Jin-ho walked towards them, the thugs began to retreat with panicked faces.

They had weapons in their hands, and there were dozens of them, but they couldn’t rush in because there were also dozens of people lying on the floor, foaming at the mouth.

“It won’t change anything even if you stay there.”

At that moment, Jo Gyu-min’s voice came from behind.

“Kang Jin-ho!”

“Yes?”

Kang Jin-ho tilted his head and turned around, and Jo Gyu-min shouted.

“Korean, Korean! You have to speak in Chinese!”

“Ah…”

That’s right, this was China.

China felt like Korea, and Korea felt like China. He felt so familiar that he briefly forgot that he was in a foreign country.

‘Then, how do I say “I’m going” in Chinese?’

Kang Jin-ho stopped in his tracks and began to ponder something, and the thugs looked at each other in confusion.

They had no idea why that man had suddenly stopped and was acting like that.

“Wo qu (I’m going).”

‘If you don’t come, I’ll go’ was still too much for him. Kang Jin-ho smiled helplessly and rushed towards the thugs.

“Uwaaaaaa!”

Seeing Kang Jin-ho approaching, the thugs grabbed their weapons and rushed out reflexively.

They could clearly understand the order to kill him. But they couldn’t understand what the words that sounded like profanity meant. It was the moment he understood that the fastest-changing thing in language was swear words.

Kang Jin-ho knocked away the long cleaver flying towards his face with the back of his hand and landed a clean blow on the empty face.

Thud!

He stomped on the thighs of those who were approaching without hesitation and kicked the chin that was lowered.

At the same time!

Bang!

Kang Jin-ho, who had changed the atmosphere with a powerful kick, smiled uncontrollably and charged forward.

This is it.

Yes, this is it!

The level didn’t matter.

It was a feeling of releasing the suppressed thirst.

What good is it to learn and accumulate martial arts?

There will always be a place to unleash it someday.

Even if what he was doing now was nothing more than a massacre of civilians.

Thwack!

“Keuh.”

Chin, side, and abdomen. One person with one accurate blow.

Kang Jin-ho never rushed, but he moved forward, taking down one enemy with one gesture.

The people who fell to the floor groaned repeatedly without being able to get up again. Almost none of them lost consciousness, but they were in so much pain that no one could get up.

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho took a slow deep breath.

It felt like he had warmed up a little, even though it was just exercise. There were exactly five people left in front of him.

“Kuai…”

Kang Jin-ho, who was about to urge the remaining five, looked down once and gestured.

“Huh?”

When Kang Jin-ho gestured to clear away the guys who had fallen to the floor, the terrified people nodded their heads frantically.

Kang Jin-ho gave them a smirk and slowly turned his body and walked towards Jo Gyu-min.

“…You’ve worked hard.”

He had expected it, but it was still a bit shocking to see it with his own eyes. He had subdued dozens of people with weapons in an instant.

“B-but why did you do this?” Nam Sang-hyuk asked, jumping up.

“It’s not over just because you’ve taken down these guys. More will come soon.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded slowly.

“That’s it.”

“Yes?”

“Da cao jing she (打草驚蛇) [a Chinese idiom meaning ‘beat the grass to scare the snake’, or to make a move to reveal the enemy]. I’ve disturbed the grass, so now the snake will come out.”

“Yes?”

It was a completely incomprehensible statement.

It seemed like he needed an explanation, but Kang Jin-ho didn’t bother to say more and picked up his bag.

“Let’s go.”

“Ah, yes.”

“Please compensate for the damaged restaurant items.”

“I understand.”

Nam Sang-hyuk muttered to himself as he watched Kang Jin-ho leave the restaurant first.

“But that also means that you’re going to get bitten by a snake for disturbing the grass, doesn’t it?”

Nam Sang-hyuk couldn’t hide his anxiety, wondering if it would turn out as Kang Jin-ho interpreted it, or as he interpreted it.