Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1637

Move (3)

“…Are you saying you’re going to take the General Assembly’s forces to China?”

“Yes.”

Koh Han-bong stared at Lee Hyun-soo, dumbfounded.

“Are you serious?”

“I’m not important enough to joke in front of the Prime Minister. I don’t have the guts or the will to do that.”

Koh Han-bong let out a hollow laugh.

He would have been much more grateful if he had said it was a joke.

But…

‘It’s not a joke.’

Seeing the seriousness in Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes, which showed no hint of playfulness, Koh Han-bong straightened his posture.

‘Is he serious?’

Invading China?

That China?

‘He’s out of his mind.’

Does he not know the repercussions of such an action? This one decision could destroy Korea, no, not just Korea, but all of East Asia.

Koh Han-bong, his face a mix of bewilderment and concern, stared intently at Lee Hyun-soo before speaking in a slightly dry voice.

“Do you think that’s even possible?”

“Of course, I know it won’t be easy, but…”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Koh Han-bong with determined eyes.

“This isn’t a matter of choosing whether to do it or not. It’s something we must accomplish no matter what.”

A resolute gaze.

Seeing that look, Koh Han-bong let out a deep sigh.

“Director Lee, I understand what you’re trying to say, but… this isn’t something that can be resolved with a simple diplomatic spat. It could very well lead to war.”

“Ah, of course, of course.”

Before Lee Hyun-soo could speak, Koh Han-bong quickly interjected. He had no intention of relinquishing control of this conversation.

“Of course, I know. I know that the General Assembly has close ties with the Chinese government. I think you’re relying on that, but…”

Koh Han-bong lowered his gaze and looked at Lee Hyun-soo.

“But Director Lee, politics is a living thing. Even things that everyone expects to happen can be completely overturned by the smallest detail. I think someone like you understands that much.”

“Of course.”

Seeing Lee Hyun-soo’s still calm reaction, Koh Han-bong frowned.

‘I have no idea what he’s thinking.’

He never thought he’d be in a psychological battle with such a young upstart.

The reason why Lee Hyun-soo was so difficult to deal with was because he had the General Assembly behind him, not because he was a great man himself.

However, the more Koh Han-bong met with Lee Hyun-soo, the more he had to revise his assessment of him.

‘Maybe this guy is restraining himself because he belongs to the General Assembly.’

Koh Han-bong swallowed hard and continued.

“The political circles in China are more complex than you can imagine. They adhere to a system that creates a completely unified decision-making process, but within that system, there are all sorts of power struggles. Just because you’ve reached an agreement with one faction doesn’t mean that it represents China’s position.”

Lee Hyun-soo shrugged.

“Of course, that’s probably true.”

“Yes. So…”

“However.”

Lee Hyun-soo cut off Koh Han-bong.

“I’m not saying this with such a short-sighted view, Prime Minister. As I said before, this isn’t a matter of whether we can do it. It’s something we must do.”

“Even if it means risking conflict with China?”

“We’ve already reached a point of no return with China.”

Koh Han-bong flinched at Lee Hyun-soo’s words.

“Once their war is over, the one who unifies the Three Kings Realm [a term referring to the three most powerful martial arts factions] will inevitably target Korea. It’s like a destiny for martial artists. Complete unification. Those who wish to become the one and only absolute being under the heavens will not tolerate the existence of the Lord of the Assembly by their side.”

“Then at that time…”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Koh Han-bong with serious eyes.

“Do you think the Chinese government will be able to stop them for the same reasons as you?”

Koh Han-bong closed his mouth.

That’s unlikely.

Of course, they would have to be mindful of international opinion, so they wouldn’t be able to move their troops. But they would tacitly support their goals and provide all the assistance they could.

“If you don’t eat, you’ll be eaten.”

Koh Han-bong bit his lip slightly at Lee Hyun-soo’s chilling words.

‘Damn it.’

It felt like only terrible things had been happening since he became Prime Minister. He had so many troublesome issues both domestically and internationally, and now he had to worry about the martial world as well.

“I’ll discuss it with him.”

Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes turned cold at the evasive response.

“Let me make our position clear, Prime Minister.”

Lee Hyun-soo’s voice was chilling. It was not the attitude of someone addressing the Prime Minister of a country.

“Even if the Korean government doesn’t help us, it’s fine. The United States will definitely try to help us. The United States is the one who least wants China to become stronger.”

“Hmm…”

“However, there is one thing.”

Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes gleamed.

“The fact that the US government is involved in this means that they will have the right to demand a share of China if things go well. Of course, even if they don’t participate, they won’t just sit back and watch, but the strength of their voice and the intensity of their demands will be different.”

Koh Han-bong’s eyes narrowed.

‘Is this a threat?’

It meant that if the government didn’t help the General Assembly, they wouldn’t be included in the distribution of rewards later. Or rather, it meant that the General Assembly’s partner could be the United States, not Korea.

Of course, being a partner doesn’t mean they’re on equal footing, but… anyway.

‘This isn’t something I can decide.’

Cold sweat broke out on Koh Han-bong’s forehead.

China and the United States.

The scale was so large that he felt like his soul was leaving his body. He thought he was being calm right now, but he didn’t know how foolish it was to check his own state.

“What does the Lord of the Assembly think?”

“Well, he’s always the same, isn’t he?”

It meant he wouldn’t back down.

Kang Jin-ho was always like that. He lived quietly, as if he didn’t exist, but when something happened, he always dealt with it in the most explosive way.

That’s what happened with Japan, and that’s what happened to Kim Myung-chan.

If it’s no different this time…

‘There’s no such thing as a reasonable compromise, is there?’

Koh Han-bong sighed deeply.

‘I’m going crazy.’

He couldn’t understand this world at all.

The basis of politics is negotiation.

Politics is a battle to find out how much I have to give and what I have to gain to satisfy each other.

To Koh Han-bong, who had lived as a politician, the martial artists were incomprehensible. If they were intelligent humans, they would find a way to avoid risk, but these guys had no intention of stopping the fight until one of them died.

‘Damn bastards.’

Lee Hyun-soo gave a low smile, as if he understood what Koh Han-bong was thinking.

“Anyway, please organize the government’s position.”

“…What exactly are you asking of us?”

“I told you. A means of transportation. A means of transportation that can move the entire General Assembly to China.”

“Look here, Director Lee.”

Koh Han-bong rubbed his head as if he had a headache.

“Where am I supposed to find that kind of transportation? There’s a limit to what we can arrange in the private sector.”

“The navy has plenty of ships, so why do we need to arrange it in the private sector?”

“…Did you say the navy?”

Koh Han-bong’s eyes trembled.

“Director Lee, do you not know what it means for the military to be involved in this?”

“Of course, I know.”

“You’re saying that even though you know? This is not something to joke about.”

“Prime Minister.”

“This is…”

“Prime Minister!”

Koh Han-bong closed his mouth.

Lee Hyun-soo was glaring at him with slightly reddened eyes.

“What do you think we’re going to China for?”

Lee Hyun-soo slowly bared his teeth.

“We’ve risked our lives for this. Going to China means we’re prepared to never return. And yet, the government is worried about future troubles?”

Koh Han-bong closed his mouth.

There was no reason for him to lose in terms of logic.

But there was nothing more futile than arguing logic with someone who had risked their life.

This wasn’t a matter of logic, but of emotion.

“We’re not forcing you. We have many ways to do it. This will decide it. Whether the government is an entity that shares our fate, or just a simple business relationship.”

“…That’s too much of an interpretation. There are such things as positions, aren’t there?”

“Yes, there are. Positions.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled faintly.

“But that’s only until the war breaks out. Those who argue about positions during wartime get their heads chopped off.”

“The method doesn’t matter. Please find a way for the government to transport all of us to China.”

“D-Director Lee!”

“I believe you will make a good choice. However, if that decision is delayed, it will become meaningless. Please give me an answer by tomorrow.”

Lee Hyun-soo got up from his seat.

“Director Lee! Look here, Director Lee!”

Lee Hyun-soo turned his head as he was about to leave.

“Let me just say one more thing.”

“In a peaceful world, there are many different positions. But in wartime, there are only two positions. Enemy or ally.”

“I wonder which side the government is on.”

With those words, Lee Hyun-soo walked out.

Then, Koh Han-bong, left alone, supported his swaying body by placing his hand on the floor.

‘Crazy bastards.’

How far are they going to take this?

‘Are they going to turn East Asia into a sea of blood?’

He thought that a day like this might come someday when he was working with the General Assembly. But that was just ‘someday.’ If he had known that the General Assembly would act so quickly, he would have stepped in to prevent the restoration of relations with the General Assembly.

But it was too late to regret it.

Now it was time to choose.

Koh Han-bong took out a cigarette with trembling hands and put it in his mouth. Then he lit it and took a deep drag.

‘Senior.’

Kim Myung-chan’s face flashed briefly in his mind.

Did he know the right way to deal with them?

Koh Han-bong put a bitter smile on his face.

Well, if he had been able to deal with the martial artists properly, he wouldn’t be in that state now.

Koh Han-bong lightly rubbed his face and got up from his seat. As he opened the door and went out, his secretary, who had been waiting in front, quickly followed him.

“The car?”

“It’s waiting in front. Where would you like to go?”

“To the main house, no, to the inner house.”

“Yes!”

“Let them know I’m coming now.”

“As you command, Prime Minister.”

Koh Han-bong slightly raised his head and looked at the sky.

The dark clouds gathering from the south were painfully etched into his eyes.

‘It seems like…’

A downpour is about to begin.

A rain that won’t stop for a while.