Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1639

“……Huh.”

Lee Hyun-soo tilted his head, looking at Kang Jin-ho.

‘That’s strange.’

Lee Hyun-soo had known Kang Jin-ho for quite a long time.

Therefore, he knew very well what Kang Jin-ho looked like before a war.

If he had to express it in one word, it would be ‘tension.’

As the war approached, Kang Jin-ho became as sharp as a well-honed sword. Just before the war, he was not only sharp but also terrifying.

He had shown his anticipation and excitement for the battle several times.

But now…

“Chairman.”

“Huh?”

“…Did you go on a temple stay or something?”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Lee Hyun-soo with a blank look.

“Temple what?”

“Temple stay. I was wondering if you went to a temple and practiced asceticism…”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Hyun-soo with a disgruntled expression.

“Temples don’t suit me.”

“Why?”

“Well, that’s….”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his head.

It wasn’t that he had a particular aversion to religion. Rather, Kang Jin-ho agreed with many of the teachings of Buddhism.

However…

“Well, because of those Shaolin bastards, it’s hard to look at them favorably.”

“Ah…”

Lee Hyun-soo nodded as if he understood.

“Well, there’s nothing we can do about that. It’s like a trauma.”

“More than a trauma…”

Kang Jin-ho couldn’t find the right words to accurately describe his situation. Perhaps because of his lifelong memories of fighting with Shaolin [a Buddhist monastery known for its martial arts], he still felt a sense of rejection whenever he saw a temple.

“Then why are you so calm?”

“Huh?”

“You look very relaxed… Enlightenment? Or detachment? You’re not going to ascend to heaven, are you?”

“Don’t exaggerate.”

“No, really, you look like you’re about to emit a halo.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled wryly.

If this was a joke to relieve tension, that would be great, but Kang Jin-ho’s current appearance didn’t show any tension at all.

All he felt was peace and gentleness.

“Did you win the lottery? No, no. There’s no way you’d act like this if you won the lottery. It’s just pocket change for you anyway.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

Lee Hyun-soo tilted his head even more, as if he couldn’t understand.

“I thought you’d be a ticking time bomb before the war… You look better than I expected?”

“Would it change anything if I became a bomb?”

“……Oh?”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Kang Jin-ho as if he found it interesting.

‘Actually, this is much better than him being all worked up.’

Kang Jin-ho said indifferently.

“If I’m on edge, it’ll only make the people watching me anxious.”

“You’re right. But that’s not something you can do consciously, is it?”

“I guess not.”

Kang Jin-ho smiled wryly and took out a cigarette.

‘Is it because I’ve completely accepted the Demonic Heavenly Sovereign?’

Split personality.

Or schizophrenia.

He didn’t know which term was more accurate, but medically speaking, Kang Jin-ho’s mental state wouldn’t have been much different from those conditions. He was being swayed by a personality he had created himself, unable to control it.

But Kang Jin-ho had finally fully acknowledged his past and accepted the Demonic Heavenly Sovereign.

Perhaps that’s why he didn’t feel the same impulses as before.

“……Hmm?”

“Yes?”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his cheek awkwardly.

“Uh… this.”

“What’s wrong?”

Lee Hyun-soo tilted his head.

Then Kang Jin-ho said, as if dumbfounded.

“It feels like I’ve overcome my inner demons?”

“Inner demons? Were you experiencing inner demons?”

“…I guess so.”

There are many types of inner demons.

There are inner demons that come in an extreme form, making a person extremely exhausted, while there are also inner demons that seep into one’s life and slowly eat away at them.

‘Was the Demonic Heavenly Sovereign an inner demon?’

It’s a little different. It’s definitely a little different.

But it is clear that he has played a role that could be described that way. So, it must be that Kang Jin-ho can feel this peace of mind just by the disappearance of the Demonic Heavenly Sovereign.

“You overcame it?”

“Yeah.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Kang Jin-ho as if he couldn’t believe it.

“I’m a layman, so it’s a bit strange for me to say this to you, but can you really solve inner demons just by saying, ‘Oh? I overcame it!’ like you did?”

“It’s usually difficult, right?”

Lee Hyun-soo’s cheeks twitched.

‘I understand now.’

The truth that his inner self had been shouting countless times, but he had stubbornly ignored, could no longer be ignored.

‘He’s so annoying.’

He’s really annoying, really.

To say such a thing with that face, something that other martial artists would laugh at and jump out of the window after hearing.

He had known from the beginning that he was a hopeless case when it came to martial arts, but this was a bit too much.

“So, you’ve become peaceful?”

“…I guess?”

“Is this guy for real!”

Lee Hyun-soo pointed his finger at him, and Kang Jin-ho closed his eyes tightly.

It wasn’t a criticism that the head of the General Affairs Department could dare to make to the chairman, but Kang Jin-ho couldn’t bring himself to point that out. Unlike the Kang Jin-ho of the past, the current Kang Jin-ho could understand how his words would have sounded to Lee Hyun-soo.

It must have sounded like he went out to the convenience store and caught a dragon on the way.

But what could he do? That was the truth.

‘Certainly….’

The energy flowing through his body had changed.

The energy flowing through his body was now almost too weak to be called demonic energy. The dark and explosive color unique to demonic energy had faded a lot, and it was filled with softness and stability.

Of course, that didn’t mean that the destructive power unique to demonic energy had disappeared.

‘He’s taken another step forward.’

What Kang Jin-ho was trying to do.

The harmony of demonic energy and righteous energy.

It was clear that he had taken another step towards that incredibly difficult goal, which he might have to pursue for the rest of his life.

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

“Anyway, it’s a good thing, right?”

“It’s a good thing, a really good thing. Haha.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head and lit the cigarette in his mouth.

“So, what’s the matter?”

“Ah, that’s right.”

Lee Hyun-soo said, realizing his purpose. He had come to see him for business, but he had been distracted by Kang Jin-ho’s change and had wasted time.

“You need to see this. The US has obtained footage of Hong Wang.”

“Hmm?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes widened slightly.

No matter how much they used satellites, it wasn’t easy to track Hong Wang’s whereabouts. But they had not only found Hong Wang but also obtained footage?

“What kind of footage is it?”

“It’s footage of him massacring Chang Wang’s subordinates.”

“…They filmed that?”

“There’s a reason why they’re called the ‘Heavenly Country.’ Don’t think that all their technology has been revealed.”

“That’s amazing.”

Kang Jin-ho slightly narrowed his brow.

‘If they can track Hong Wang, that means I haven’t escaped their surveillance either.’

In fact, this was a problem with no solution.

How could he escape from a stalker who was taking videos from outside the atmosphere? They were not beings bound by law, nor were they beings that could be dealt with by force. He could either live his whole life moving only under roofs, or he could live believing that surveillance didn’t exist and ignore it.

‘Or….’

“…You shouldn’t have reckless thoughts.”

“It’s okay. It’s nothing like that.”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“I’m not going to do it right away. I just want to try it out after this war is over.”

“Please don’t!”

Lee Hyun-soo covered his face.

He didn’t want to go to war with the US right after the war with China. No! He didn’t want to fight the US until the moment he died.

“Anyway, absolutely not. They’re friendly to us. Whether it’s just on the surface or deep down, what do we care? If we treat them well, we can get along well.”

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

“Don’t worry. I have no intention of fighting the US either.”

Kang Jin-ho was a battle maniac, not a war maniac. The only time he felt pleasure from fighting and winning was when his opponent was a martial artist.

The US military’s firepower made Kang Jin-ho feel a sense of crisis and at the same time impressed him, but Kang Jin-ho did not feel any emotional excitement in that battle.

No matter what, he was destined to be a martial artist.

Therefore, the US, which could be said to be all about military power, could never be his enemy in the first place.

“Anyway, let’s watch the video.”

“Okay.”

Lee Hyun-soo connected his laptop to the TV and played the video.

[Aaaaaaah!]

[Ho, Hong Wang is coming! Hong Wang! Hong Wang is coming!]

[Don’t back down, fight him! Chang Wang wants Hong Wang’s head!]

The annoying noise and voices were drowned out by a loud explosion.

At the same time, Kang Jin-ho frowned.

“They even capture audio?”

“…That’s not the important thing right now.”

“It might not be important to you.”

This is quite an important factor on our side.

Then Lee Hyun-soo shrugged.

“There’s no way they could do that. It’s probably a combination of the audio from a pre-installed bug. The sync is slightly off.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho was not relieved even after hearing that.

“But, Chief Lee.”

“Yes, Chairman.”

“Is this place being bugged?”

Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t say anything. He just looked around with a slightly uncomfortable expression.

“…We have to believe it’s not.”

“I really think we should raid them at least once.”

“Let’s talk about that later, later. After the war is over.”

Lee Hyun-soo pointed at the video and asked.

“What do you think?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you confirm Hong Wang’s martial prowess with this video?”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his chin slightly.

“Confirm….”

His gaze followed Hong Wang’s movements in the video.

In the middle of the battlefield.

Hong Wang was walking as if he was taking a stroll in the battlefield where there were only enemies around him.

Every time he lightly waved his hand, Chang Wang’s subordinates were splattered with blood and flung in all directions.

“It’s hard to confirm with opponents like that.”

“I knew it…”

Lee Hyun-soo nodded as if he knew that was coming.

Military prowess is relative.

Even Lee Hyun-soo, who was called the weakest martial artist in the General Assembly, would be no different from a grim reaper if his opponent was an ordinary person. Unless they knew the level of the opponents Hong Wang was facing on the battlefield, it was impossible to measure Hong Wang’s strength just by watching the video.

“But that.”

“Yes?”

“He looks at least three times stronger than before?”

“Three times? Based on when? Are you comparing it to when you fought Hong Wang? Then you’re also about that strong…”

“No, based on when we met in China a while ago.”

“…Yes?”

Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes shook.

“Didn’t you say he was much stronger than before back then?”

“That’s right.”

“And you’re saying he’s three times stronger than that?”

“That’s the minimum. It’s hard to tell exactly just from the video.”

Lee Hyun-soo’s lips twitched. In the end, he had said what he never wanted to ask.