Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 206

The cafe had a better atmosphere than expected. However, Kang Eun-young couldn’t enjoy the ambiance as much as she’d hoped. It was partly because Choi Yeon-ha, whom she admired, was right in front of her, but there was another crucial reason.

‘This coffee really tastes awful.’

She wasn’t usually picky about food, but after consistently drinking Kang Jin-hwan’s masterfully brewed coffee, Kang Eun-young couldn’t find any enjoyment in the coffee made by this amateur barista.

“You don’t seem to be touching your coffee much?”

“Oh, no, it’s not that.”

“Is it not good?”

Kang Eun-young hesitated, thinking it wouldn’t be polite to lie and say it was delicious. Choi Yeon-ha smiled and said,

“Do you have a favorite cafe? Usually, people say this is delicious.”

“My father runs a cafe.”

“Ah, right. I heard your father runs a cafe.”

“Yes. He puts his heart and soul into making coffee, so I’m used to drinking only that…”

“Ah…”

Choi Yeon-ha nodded as if she understood.

“Then it must be hard to drink other coffee.”

“Would you like to come sometime? It’s really delicious. The cakes are good too. I’ll treat you.”

“Oh my? Would you?”

Choi Yeon-ha covered her mouth and laughed.

“You’re a better actress than I thought.”

“Really?”

“In my opinion, you might have a better future as an actress than as a singer. Of course, I’m not saying you’re not suited to be a singer, but that’s just my opinion. As an actress, I can’t just ignore someone with potential. Don’t take it the wrong way.”

“I’m not taking it the wrong way at all. It’s like a dream come true that you’re saying this to me.”

“Really? Not just saying that?”

“No! I’ve been a fan of yours since before I debuted. I even begged to be cast in this drama because you were the lead.”

“That’s so kind of you.”

Choi Yeon-ha covered her mouth and laughed, looking very pleased.

‘She has a great personality.’

Kang Eun-young was relieved that Choi Yeon-ha was exactly as she had imagined.

In the entertainment industry, you learn how different a celebrity’s public image is from their real personality. It’s common for a top star who is loved for their innocent image to actually be a narcissist and a sadist who torments those around them.

Celebrities, who have to play a fake role in front of others, often express their extreme stress in strange ways.

But thankfully, Choi Yeon-ha was as good a person as she seemed.

“Don’t you have any questions for me?”

“Well, this isn’t really a question for you, but… it might sound a bit out of the blue…”

Out of the blue?

Kang Eun-young quietly waited for Choi Yeon-ha’s next words.

“What kind of person is your brother?”

“Excuse me?”

Kang Eun-young looked at Choi Yeon-ha with a subtle expression at the sudden, direct question.

The room was damp and dark.

Lee Hyun-soo nervously stared at the dark room visible under the steel door. The stairs leading down to the basement were vaguely visible.

‘Damn it.’

Coming to meet this guy was always like this.

And every time he walked this path, Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t shake the thought, ‘Will I really be able to get out of this basement alive?’

‘Even though he’s supposed to be useful…’

Running an organization is never easy. Especially for a group like Yeongnam, sometimes you have to walk a path you know is wrong.

Lee Hyun-soo understood all of this, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that there was a limit.

Wayward Path.

Kim Seok-il, the head of Yeongnam, called him that.

Deviant Wayward Path (非人外道) [A term implying someone who has abandoned the path of humanity].

A person, but one who does not walk the path of a person.

It was a very fitting term, but it always felt too elegant to apply to the guy in this basement.

A more vulgar and violent term would have suited the thing below.

“Hoo…”

Lee Hyun-soo took a deep breath and stared at the basement.

He understood.

Anyone who has run an organization would understand. The world isn’t just made up of things that have a direct impact, like skills and connections. Sometimes, things that seem like pie in the sky are more important.

Just like how advanced specs and cutting-edge facilities were completely defeated by the words ‘innovation’ and ’emotion’.

For Lee Hyun-soo, it was justification.

It was cumbersome and seemed useless, but it was something you couldn’t do without.

Even though everyone knew it wasn’t their true intention, it was something they had to put forward.

No politician or political party would say, ‘The reason I’m in politics is to gain power and make a lot of profit.’ Even though most people can infer that, they have to outwardly mention national security and social development.

Why?

The moment they throw away the justification and speak their true feelings, people will confirm what they had inferred and start throwing stones.

What would happen if a car company said, ‘We are making huge profits in the domestic market instead of exploring overseas markets at a loss’?

What would happen if a certain political party came out and said, ‘We’re not really interested in national security, we just want to take bribes and wield power’?

It’s a fact that everyone knows, but the powder keg that didn’t explode when there was the justification of working for the country and consumers would suddenly explode.

That’s why justification was so important.

Everyone knew that the power struggle between Yeongnam and the General Assembly was ultimately a fight for profit, but they couldn’t help but put forward the justification that ‘we are preparing for foreign powers and continuing the lineage of martial arts’.

And to maintain that justification,

They needed a minimum of measures. At least, they shouldn’t do anything too obviously dirty.

Even if they did, they had to have a way out to pretend they didn’t.

For Kim Seok-il, the head of Yeongnam, the Wayward Path was that way out.

He was a good card that could secretly and quietly solve problems without others knowing, and if his identity was revealed, they could cut ties and deny any relationship.

But…

Lee Hyun-soo stared at the stairs leading to the basement and slowly walked inside.

The darkness was thick.

It was as if black paint had been poured into the water, and even Lee Hyun-soo’s well-trained eyes couldn’t properly distinguish his surroundings. And the stench that stung his nose.

The smell of blood.

Not fresh blood, but the smell of dried and half-rotted blood stung his nose. The smell of countless odors mixed together was beyond Lee Hyun-soo’s limited vocabulary.

He raised his hand to cover his nose and continued down the stairs. Finally reaching the bottom, Lee Hyun-soo spoke in a low voice.

“Wayward Path.”

There was no answer.

But Lee Hyun-soo didn’t rush and quietly spoke again.

“Wayward Path!”

“I’m listening.”

The answer came from behind him.

‘When?’

Behind him was the stairs he had just come down. But when did the Wayward Path come all the way there? He hadn’t felt any presence at all…

A thick smell of blood could be felt among the stench.

‘You dog bastard.’

Lee Hyun-soo gritted his teeth quietly.

Even though he was useful, the fact that they had to use someone like this was proof that Yeongnam had already rotted beyond repair.

But who could he blame?

Lee Hyun-soo was not free from that responsibility either.

“The chairman is looking for you. There’s something you need to do.”

“Chairman? Chairman? Chairman?”

“You crazy bastard…”

Then, a hot and sticky breath was felt right next to his ear.

“Do I seem crazy?”

“Well, maybe you are. Your neck is white. So white. Hmm, I don’t know why I’m keeping you alive right now? I want to tear that neck off. What kind of sound would it make if I tore it off? So… what did you just say?”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed quietly.

Wayward Path.

A man whose demonic energy had seeped into his bone marrow, causing him to lose his humanity.

Yeongnam was protecting him from being hunted by others, and in return, they were having him handle the dirty work that they couldn’t ask others to do.

‘He’s gotten worse.’

Until recently, he was more communicative than this.

“The chairman told me not to kill you.”

“Chairman?”

“Kim Seok-il.”

Then, a sudden silence fell.

“Right, Kim Seok-il. That’s right. So, what’s the business?”

“There’s someone you need to kill.”

“I always kill people.”

‘You damn bastard.’

The fact that he was even talking to someone like this made him despise himself. Lee Hyun-soo decided to skip the conversation and just explain the business.

Thud!

The documents that Lee Hyun-soo threw down fell to the floor.

“His name is Kang Jin-ho. He’s not even thirty yet. There are quite a few eyes watching, so do it as quietly as possible.”

Rustle.

Lee Hyun-soo put a cigarette in his mouth with an annoyed expression and lit it.

Although the place and situation create the atmosphere, this was the only place in the world where the sound of flipping through papers could sound so unpleasant.

“…A kid?”

A chuckling laugh was heard.

“If you can call someone like that a kid, you must not be afraid of anything. I wish I had that kind of guts. I can’t even stand up just by looking at the picture, but you call him a kid. Heh heh heh.”

Instantly, Lee Hyun-soo’s face hardened.

A demon.

And a psychopath.

A blood-soaked human butcher.

Even though he had all those crazy elements, the reason why Yeongnam hadn’t disposed of the Wayward Path was because his skills were too reliable.

And now, that Wayward Path was whining. Something that had never happened before.

‘Is there something only that crazy bastard can see?’

“So, are you saying you won’t do it?”

“Won’t do it?”

The Wayward Path tilted his head.

“Can I not do it? If I can not do it, can I not do it? Not do it? Me? Not do what I’m told, not do it. Can I not do it?”

After muttering and chuckling to himself for a few minutes, the Wayward Path’s eyes began to fill with blood.

“I’ll sink my teeth into his neck, and I’ll shove my hand into his stomach. Have you ever seen a person’s expression when their neck and intestines are torn out at the same time? What kind of expression will this guy make? How will this expressionless face change? Curious? Are you curious?”

“…I expect a quick resolution.”

With those words, Lee Hyun-soo turned and went up the stairs. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he began to see the large bags covered in the corner.

He didn’t want to know what they were.

He didn’t even want to guess.

‘That Kang Jin-ho guy is pitiful.’

Just the thought of having to face that guy made him feel sorry for him. Although he had never met Kang Jin-ho, he hoped he could die peacefully.

That was all Lee Hyun-soo could do for Kang Jin-ho.