Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 1867

“Will it work?”

“Will it?”

“Is it even possible?”

It was Jang Min, Bator, and Lee Hyun-soo, in that order.

“Well, I understand what you’re thinking, Master.”

Bator chuckled and looked at Kang Jin-ho.

“There are things that can happen, and things that can’t. From the start, for Director Bang to transcend his limits through ‘studying’ is just nonsense.”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“We’ll have to wait and see if it works or not.”

“There are things in this world you don’t need to see, Master. Just like how lightning can strike from the sky and hailstones the size of heads can fall, but gold doesn’t just fall from the sky.”

“…That’s something Director Bang would be quite sad to hear.”

“He’d probably think the same.”

Bator might be right.

And without even needing to ask Bang Jin-hoon, Jang Min and Lee Hyun-soo also agreed with Bator.

“My Lord… Of course, I’m not doubting your insight, but is this really possible… ?”

“It’s impossible.”

Unlike the cautious Jang Min, Lee Hyun-soo was blunt.

“No, even so, shouldn’t we be doing something that makes sense? If you could become a master through studying, who would crawl on the ground while drinking dirt! Then I’d become a master too!”

Kang Jin-ho had logic that could perfectly refute any argument, but he couldn’t refute Lee Hyun-soo’s ‘Then I’d become a master too!’

“That’s right.”

Bator scoffed.

“If you could really become a master like that, instead of wasting time, you could just pick the smartest guys and have them read secret manuals. Then everyone would become a master!”

Kang Jin-ho pressed his fingers into his temples.

“There was an actual case…”

“A case? Hahaha! Master, you’re a good comedian! If you have about a hundred million earthworms, one of them might become a dragon. But anyone who gathers earthworms and raises them hoping they’ll become a dragon is crazy! Isn’t that right?”

Should I just punch him?

Logic or whatever, it would feel better to just punch him in the face…

But thankfully, there was someone here who could punch Bator instead.

Thud!

“Aaaah!”

Jang Min, who had kicked Bator’s butt, spoke with a ghostly face.

“You idiot, how dare you talk back to what the Master said?”

“Old man…”

Bator, who had fallen forward, glanced at Jang Min. Usually, Bator would be screaming about killing him, but now the atmosphere was different.

“Let’s be honest, old man.”

“What?”

“You also think it’s impossible, right?”

“Of course.”

Bator grinned as if to say, ‘See?’ At that moment, Jang Min’s face flushed red.

“N-No, it’s not that…”

“Enough. Excuses are pathetic, old man.”

Kang Jin-ho watched the two of them and pressed his temples harder.

‘Headache…’

Stress is skyrocketing.

“Lord.”

And Lee Hyun-soo, who was more talented than anyone at increasing people’s stress, slowly started his engine.

“I understand that it’s theoretically possible. I also understand that there’s an actual case.”

“Right.”

“But just because there are hundreds of lottery winners in Korea, it doesn’t mean I’ll win the lottery, right?”

“In my opinion, the probability of Director Bang achieving enlightenment through reading is worse than a lottery. It’s like winning the lottery ten times in a row and then getting struck by lightning while walking out of the bank with the money.”

“But is this really going to work?”

Kang Jin-ho’s fingers, pressing his temples, trembled.

“Then…”

“Yes!”

“Do you want to do it instead of Director Bang?”

Lee Hyun-soo respectfully put his hands together.

“I believe that Director Bang will overcome that slim chance and succeed.”

“…Chief Lee.”

“Yes.”

“…Please, just shut your mouth.”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho sighed and opened his mouth.

“It’s not just blindly trying; I thought Director Bang could do it.”

“Director Bang?”

“Bang Jin-hoon?”

“That guy?”

When did these bastards become so in sync?

“…Yes.”

“What are you basing that on?”

“Theory.”

Kang Jin-ho removed the playfulness from his face.

“The Martial Arts of the Assembly are too disorganized. All sorts of martial arts are mixed together without a system.”

“That’s right.”

“It’s a mess, that’s a fact.”

“Even the martial arts they practiced were all different. It was not even a sect.”

Everyone had to agree with that.

Since the Assembly was originally formed as a coalition, the system of martial arts was not properly established.

“Bang Jin-hoon is the one who organized and unified it.”

“Actually, it’s closer to recreation than organization, but it’s not that different. He created it by referencing most of the existing martial arts to bring out the characteristics of the Assembly.”

“Isn’t that just imitation?”

“Does imitation look easy?”

Kang Jin-ho frowned at the three of them.

“There are two types of people in the world. Those who fear what they haven’t done and those who think lightly of what they haven’t experienced.”

“And all three of you are the latter. When Bang Jin-hoon created new martial arts, you probably thought you could do it just as easily if you wanted to.”

Lee Hyun-soo raised his hand.

“That’s not me.”

“Please, just shut your… please.”

“Yes.”

Bator and Jang Min were once again surprised that Lee Hyun-soo was still alive.

Kang Jin-ho, having calmed his anger, continued.

“It’s not as easy as you think. Anyone who has reached a certain level can create martial arts in a rough way. But creating martial arts that are versatile and can be used properly in actual combat is not easy even for masters.”

In fact, among those who were considered the best in the Central Plains [a fictional region in many martial arts stories] in the past, most had simply learned the martial arts of their sects, and there were hardly any cases of creating their own unique martial arts.

That’s why a Grandmaster is special.

“It’s not a matter of level. It’s just that there are people who can do it and people who can’t.”

“Can’t you do it, Lord?”

“Me, well…”

Kang Jin-ho scratched his cheek.

“I’ve created several demonic arts, but they’re not that great at my level. It’s not that hard for someone with a power of a hundred to create martial arts that can exert fifty.”

And now, having transcended the boundaries of forms, he doesn’t feel the need to create martial arts. He could if he wanted to, but…

“What’s amazing about Director Bang is that he created martial arts that surpassed his own level. I helped, but the basic techniques of the Assembly were almost impossible to create at Bang Jin-hoon’s level at the time.”

“That’s certainly true.”

Basic techniques are surprisingly tricky martial arts.

Being the most basic means that it must contain the core. It must be something that anyone can learn, yet not weak, and it must be able to be developed in various ways according to each person’s style, while also containing the identity of the Assembly.

‘Thinking about it, it’s quite amazing.’

At the time, he was looking at higher places, so he didn’t realize it, but it seemed that Bang Jin-hoon had done something truly amazing.

“So, it’s not necessarily impossible.”

Kang Jin-ho shrugged.

“Even if he fails, he’ll be able to systematically organize and select the martial arts scattered throughout the Assembly, so it’s a win-win situation.”

Lee Hyun-soo narrowed his eyes.

“…So you’re also thinking about the possibility of failure, Lord?”

“I knew you’d say that.”

“Ahem.”

Kang Jin-ho cleared his throat and looked out the window.

“Don’t act all sentimental. Like you have something to be sentimental about.”

Anyway, that bastard’s mouth is the problem.

His mouth.

Black was the text, and white was the paper.

At first, there seemed to be some content, but after reading over a hundred secret manuals, the content began to become vague, and after two hundred, they began to intertwine.

Bang Jin-hoon, with his hollow eyes, looked at the secret manuals before slowly raising his head towards the ceiling.

“You shouldn’t rest.”

“…My neck is stiff.”

“How can a martial artist say their neck is stiff!”

“My eyes are also blurry…”

“Students preparing for civil service exams all study like that! Just go to Noryangjin [a district in Seoul famous for cram schools]! They all study even while eating, how can you, Master, not do it?”

Bang Jin-hoon looked at Chun Tae-hoon with sad eyes.

However, Chun Tae-hoon, who had become the professor tormenting a graduate student for the first time in his life, did not let Bang Jin-hoon go.

“Just sitting at your desk doesn’t mean you’re studying! Just looking at a book doesn’t mean you’re studying! What’s important is how focused you are! Pure study time is important!”

“…What’s pure study time?”

“Pure study time.”

Where did that bastard learn such words?

What? Noryangjin?

He’s acting like he passed the 9th grade exam after going to Noryangjin a few times…

“Stop yapping, you punk.”

“I’m doing this for your own good, Master!”

“Before I knock your teeth out.”

Chun Tae-hoon quietly closed his mouth.

“Ughhh.”

Bang Jin-hoon, letting out a desperate groan, scratched his head. Hair fell from his once-lush head without any worries about hair loss. At this rate, he might have to skip the hair loss medication stage and go straight to a quick wig tech tree.

Right now, Bang Jin-hoon was literally working his head off.

Exaggerating?

Could you dare say that after seeing the hair falling from his head? The pile of hair under the chair was proof of his efforts.

But…

‘Will this really lead to anything?’

The more he looked, the more complex and vague it became. If he could see even a little progress, he could use that as nourishment to move forward, but the more he did, the more distant it felt, making him lose his energy.

“I’m really going to die.”

Bang Jin-hoon’s head turned to the side.

On the opposite desk, Wiggins was reading the secret manuals with an interested look.

“Hey, do you understand anything?”

“I’ve learned Chinese.”

“Chinese and Hanja [Chinese characters used in Korean] are different.”

“I’ve learned Hanja too.”

No, what is this guy, really…

Bang Jin-hoon’s face contorted.

“You said you’d help, but how can you help if you’re just reading the secret manuals! You should be helping me!”

“I was about to do that anyway.”

Wiggins got up from his seat. Then, he walked over and scanned the secret manuals on Bang Jin-hoon’s desk.

“…You’ve really never studied before, have you?”

Bang Jin-hoon, having no excuse, closed his mouth like a clam.

“I’ve never seen anyone study like this before. I don’t know if I should call it amazing.”

“…What’s wrong?”

Wiggins picked up the secret manuals one by one.

“These are all the ones you’ve read, right?”

“Yes.”

“Dragon Form Palm, Hangra Sword Technique, Jangbaek Fist, Jiri Gong, Dogang Divine Steps, Shattering Claw Technique?”

Wiggins shook his head.

“How can you achieve anything by just randomly reading different types of martial arts!”

“…Aren’t they all the same martial arts?”

“That’s right. They’re all the same martial arts. Studying is all the same, so why do we divide subjects! Do you study English for 10 minutes, then math for 5 minutes, and then read Korean for 20 minutes?”

Bang Jin-hoon tilted his head.

“You have to have done something to understand what you’re saying.”

Wiggins covered his face.

This is a big problem. He’s even crazier than I thought.

“Let’s start by classifying the martial arts here by type.”

“…Will that make it better?”

“I don’t know. But it’ll be a bit easier.”

Wiggins smiled subtly, seeing Bang Jin-hoon looking disappointed.

‘He created martial arts while researching like this?’

He’s even crazier than I thought.

That’s why he seems to have potential.

“If he can properly digest it… maybe something even more amazing than I thought will come out.”

“Huh?”

“Enough, let’s start classifying. Hurry.”

“…Yes.”

Wiggins shook his head, watching Bang Jin-hoon move weakly.

‘Why does this kind of talent have to be with this kind of person?’

Wiggins thought that the heavens were sometimes very fickle.