Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1703

Wang Yan-hong’s eyes widened.

‘Is he really a madman?’

Of course, martial artists are generally more accustomed to pain than ordinary people. Martial arts training is basically a repetitive process of pushing the body to its limits.

But there are limits to that too.

Even highly trained soldiers often go into shock when an arm is severed. The severing of a part of the body is accompanied by a shock that is beyond imagination.

But…

To counterattack in a situation where an arm is cut off and a sword is embedded in the abdomen?

This was impossible with ordinary mental fortitude.

That’s why he couldn’t understand it even more.

‘Why the hell?’

Does that Lee Sung-hwi have the motivation to exert that much mental strength?

A person who has something to protect can exert power beyond their own capabilities. But did that Lee Sung-hwi have that much willpower?

‘That’s ridiculous.’

Wang Yan-hong’s face twisted at this absurd situation.

That bat-like bastard, who tried to sell out his country and comrades to satisfy his own pride, was now acting like a great warrior.

It was truly absurd.

Even in the midst of that, Lee Sung-hwi was limping towards him.

The blood flowing from his severed shoulder and pierced stomach soaked his pants and stained the floor red. The amount of blood he had shed so far was enough to kill an ordinary person.

Yet, he was still fighting…

‘It’s irrational.’

If Wang Yan-hong were in the same situation, he would have chosen to flee rather than resist. There was nothing he could do with that body anyway. So, wouldn’t it be much more advantageous to run away and recover?

‘Is he trying to commit suicide?’

Wang Yan-hong spat blood on the floor. The thick blood soaked the floor.

‘You moron…’

Lee Sung-hwi smiled as he watched Wang Yan-hong’s reaction.

No, he tried to smile.

But his face, worn out by pain, did not accurately create the expression he wanted. The expression he was making now was probably a vague grimace, neither crying nor laughing.

The blood was draining from his head, and his senses were becoming dull.

The good thing was that even the terrible pain he felt in his shoulder and abdomen was becoming dull.

‘Cough…’

The blood that gushed from his throat escaped the control of his body and flowed out of his mouth.

‘I’m going to die.’

It was not a joke.

He had faced death several times while fighting Kang Jin-ho, but this was the first time he felt death so surely seeping into the back of his neck.

The gradually declining functions of his body were slowly pushing Lee Sung-hwi to the brink.

Realistically, it was impossible to fight any further. His legs were not injured, so if he turned around and ran, he might have a chance to save his life.

It was a pity that one of his arms was cut off, but if he could survive, losing an arm was a cheap price to pay.

But…

Lee Sung-hwi grinned.

‘…Strangely, I don’t want to run away.’

Was it because the blood wasn’t flowing to his head, making rational judgment impossible?

Who knows?

Either way, rational judgment had flown away the moment he intruded here. A person with a brain in their head wouldn’t have done such a thing.

But…

‘So what?’

It didn’t matter, it didn’t matter at all.

Lee Sung-hwi poured his inner energy [qi or vital energy] into his one remaining fist. Fortunately, his dantian [energy center in the lower abdomen] had not been pierced, and his inner energy was still circulating.

‘Lee, Lee Sung-hwi!’

A voice calling him was heard from behind. Lee Sung-hwi knew who the owner of that voice was.

That’s why Lee Sung-hwi didn’t turn around.

‘Don’t get the wrong idea.’

It wasn’t because he had some cheap lingering attachment. He didn’t want to deny his life so far with a plausible ending of saving someone and dying.

Repentance?

That’s a joke.

Repentance is for those who have committed sins. It was a world where people killed each other anyway. They were just hostile because they walked different paths, so what great wrong had he committed?

‘That’s ridiculous.’

If he was going to regret what he had done, he wouldn’t have started it in the first place. And even if he did regret it, he never thought he could get away with what he had done with this kind of nonsense.

Then why was he standing here?

‘I don’t know.’

His body moved before his head could think, so what was the point of reasoning now?

Just…

Woo woo woo woo.

Dark demonic energy gathered in Lee Sung-hwi’s fist.

‘…Suicide, you say?’

Lee Sung-hwi smiled, revealing his blood-soaked teeth.

‘You’re talking like I’m going to die… Do you think you guys can kill me? I am… I am a disciple of Lee Joong-gul.’

Lee Sung-hwi gritted his teeth.

‘…Even if the General Assembly is a mess now, the General Assembly is a place where my master and I gave everything. I can’t stand to see you… you bastards destroy it, you Chinese bastard.’

Wang Yan-hong’s eyes became even colder.

‘It seems you’ve really lost your mind.’

Wang Yan-hong walked towards Lee Sung-hwi, dragging his sword. Although dark demonic energy was gathering in his one remaining fist, Wang Yan-hong didn’t seem to feel it as a threat at all.

Wang Yan-hong struck Lee Sung-hwi with the side of his sword.

Thwack!

Lee Sung-hwi tried to block it somehow, but his body didn’t listen to him as much as he thought. Lee Sung-hwi, whose jaw was crushed, flew like a limp corpse and crashed to the floor.

‘Damn it!’

Lee Hyun-soo gritted his teeth and tried to rush forward, but Lee Hyun-joo grabbed his shoulder.

‘Let go! Right now…’

Slap!

Lee Hyun-joo slapped Lee Hyun-soo’s cheek without asking or saying anything.

Lee Hyun-soo, who was hit so hard that his lip burst, looked at Lee Hyun-joo with a bewildered face.

‘…Calm down.’

‘Do you think that person is standing in front because of who?’

‘Well, you…’

‘Don’t be ridiculous. That person wouldn’t do that.’

Lee Hyun-joo bit her lip.

‘And!’

She glared at Lee Hyun-soo with bloodshot eyes.

‘Don’t look down on people, you from the Yeongnam Association. The true successor of the General Assembly won’t back down so easily.’

‘Heh… Hehehe.’

No sooner had she finished speaking than a suppressed laughter was heard.

Lee Sung-hwi, who had been slumped over, stirred. Then, he touched the floor with his trembling hand.

‘That… that’s right. That’s right.’

Lee Sung-hwi raised his body with a blood-soaked face. His swollen jaw and one side of his face were so swollen that he looked indescribable.

‘Don’t move a single step from there… I’ll take care of it.’

Staggering legs.

Shaking upper body.

Wounds that were still bleeding.

He looked like he could die at any moment.

But the look in Lee Sung-hwi’s eyes, visible between his swollen eyelids, was still cold.

‘…Is that all you’ve got?’

Lee Sung-hwi smirked and looked at Wang Yan-hong.

Then Wang Yan-hong sighed.

‘It’s plausible. It’s like a movie. The problem is that the director is third-rate and the ending is too obvious. I heard that Korea is a movie powerhouse, but this is too old-fashioned.’

Wang Yan-hong shook his sword once.

‘I’m sorry, but I can’t stand watching such third-rate movies. I’ll make it a little more realistic.’

Reddish sword energy swirled around Wang Yan-hong’s sword.

Then, the gathered sword energy was released in an instant and flew towards Lee Sung-hwi.

Lee Sung-hwi gritted his teeth and extended his fist.

Kuuuung!

The fist surrounded by demonic energy struck the sword energy. But it couldn’t completely block it, and the remaining force penetrated Lee Sung-hwi’s one remaining fist.

Swoosh.

His wrist was cut off and fell to the floor.

But Lee Sung-hwi didn’t even glance at his fallen hand and walked towards Wang Yan-hong.

‘You know what?’

‘You guys… whatever you call yourselves, the Changwang Clan… I’ve hated you from the start.’

Wang Yan-hong chuckled.

‘I really don’t understand. Do you think there’s any value in this death?’

‘You’re definitely an idiot.’

‘…What?’

Lee Sung-hwi grinned.

‘The person who makes death valuable is a great man. Do I look like a great man to you?’

A chilling gaze, enough to make one shudder just by looking at it, flowed out from between his swollen eyes.

‘I’m trash. Trash dies like trash. What’s so strange about that, you bastard!’

Lee Sung-hwi gathered all his strength and rushed towards Wang Yan-hong.

A severed arm and a severed wrist.

There could be no more terrible situation for Lee Sung-hwi, who used his fists.

But Lee Sung-hwi charged straight at Wang Yan-hong without the slightest hesitation.

‘Hwaaaaaaaah!’

A scream mixed with indescribable emotions pierced Wang Yan-hong’s ears. Even Wang Yan-hong, the great, couldn’t help but feel a chilling sensation running down his spine at that moment.

‘A madman.’

Dark demonic energy flowed out from the area where his wrist was severed. With such power that couldn’t even take proper form, he wouldn’t be able to inflict even a single wound on Wang Yan-hong’s body.

Lee Sung-hwi, who couldn’t possibly not know that, was rushing forward without looking back.

‘You crazy bastard!’

Wang Yan-hong swung his sword reflexively.

Slash!

Lee Sung-hwi’s left shoulder to his right side was split open. Pieces of his severed intestines flowed out of the open wound, but Lee Sung-hwi’s legs didn’t stop.

‘You!’

The sword was swung again.

A slash aimed at his heart.

Instead of dodging, Lee Sung-hwi twisted his body. The flying sword energy narrowly grazed Lee Sung-hwi’s heart and pierced through his body.

Even so, Lee Sung-hwi didn’t stop.

‘What the hell?’

A look of exhaustion appeared on Wang Yan-hong’s face.

‘Hwaaaah!’

Pressed by that momentum, Wang Yan-hong unknowingly took a step back.

‘D-damn it!’

Wang Yan-hong, realizing his own disgrace, swung his sword and cut off Lee Sung-hwi’s leg.

Swoosh!

Thud!

Unable to run even with his leg cut off, Lee Sung-hwi’s body, which had been rushing forward with violent momentum, fell to the floor.

‘Hah…’

Wang Yan-hong took a deep breath.

His hair was standing on end from how tense he was, and cold sweat was running down the back of his head.

‘I, to such a weakling…’

He glanced to the side and saw that his subordinates were also staring at Lee Sung-hwi, who was twitching, with a look of exhaustion.

‘This is not good.’

Wang Yan-hong took a deep breath and opened his mouth.

‘It seems you’re the craziest bastard in this peninsula. Honestly, I’m impressed.’

Wang Yan-hong grabbed his sword and approached Lee Sung-hwi. He thought it was the least he could do to end his life himself.

But at that moment, Lee Hyun-joo and Lee Hyun-soo, who had been waiting for the situation, rushed out and stood in front of Lee Sung-hwi.

‘…You’re not running away?’

Lee Hyun-soo bared his teeth.

‘From now on, fighting is more advantageous.’

Wang Yan-hong shook his head.

‘There’s not a single sane person. It seems all the madmen in the peninsula have gathered here?’

‘Heh… Hehehe, heh.’

Then, Lee Sung-hwi, who had been convulsing on the floor, burst into a broken laugh.

‘…What’s so funny?’

Wang Yan-hong’s face hardened.

‘Now, with just one strike, not only will those you’re trying to protect be gone, but your neck will also be gone. What’s so funny? Is it so enjoyable to die like a dog?’

‘Heh… It’s so… fitting.’

‘…What are you talking about?’

‘You… you said it.’

Lee Sung-hwi trembled and raised his head.

‘Here… you said all the madmen have gathered here.’

Wang Yan-hong tilted his head.

He couldn’t understand what he was saying at all. Had he lost his mind from losing too much blood?

‘So… welcome them. As far as I know… the craziest bastard in Korea has arrived.’

At that moment.

‘How do you want to die?’

A rough and low voice, as if it had come from hell, was heard from behind Wang Yan-hong.

Wang Yan-hong’s head slowly turned.

Darkness.

A man surrounded by darkness even darker than the darkness in the forest slowly walked out.

‘D-demon… Demon King…’

Wang Yan-hong’s whole body lost its strength.

In the deep darkness, two streaks of blood-red light pierced his soul with a chilling intensity.

‘Tell me, how do you want to die?’

The fishy smell of blood pierced Wang Yan-hong’s nose.