Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 2117

It might not have been such a grand announcement.

Kang Jin-ho had simply promised to try not to harm those living ordinary lives and declared that martial artists were not monsters but ordinary humans who were also afraid of the new world to come.

However, its impact was far greater than expected.

The key was the last statement: opening up martial arts to ordinary people and having martial artists directly support them in learning it.

The ripple effect of those words was enormous.

The reason people feared martial artists was very simple. It was because they possessed power that ordinary people did not.

People create barriers even with the smallest differences. To exaggerate a bit, martial artists who could leap over buildings in a single bound and shatter structures with a single punch were, from the perspective of ordinary people, no different from aliens in human disguise.

No matter how much they shouted that they were no different, it wouldn’t be accepted.

People either admire or despise those who possess something different from themselves.

Those who are admired become heroes, and those who are despised become villains. The simple difference between heroes and villains, who are fundamentally no different, is whether ‘the one with that power is likely to harm me.’

While everyone in the martial world was trying to figure out how to prove they wouldn’t harm ordinary people, Kang Jin-ho changed the approach.

Perhaps it was an idea that came from the distrust of humanity that Kang Jin-ho still held. Rather than making people believe that he wouldn’t shoot them while pointing a gun at them, it was better to have everyone hold a gun equally.

If everyone has a gun, the fear of guns diminishes. Humans fear what they cannot respond to. What they can respond to is no longer an object of fear but a tool to be used.

This simple shift in perspective had an enormous impact on ordinary people.

Some worried about the side effects this situation would bring. Some raised their voices, saying that if everyone learned martial arts, there would inevitably be a problem with public safety.

But most people simply looked forward to the new world that would open up to them and the new lives they would embrace.

Those voices of concern were quickly buried beneath the massive wave of anticipation.

“Special Feature.”

“What is Martial Arts?”

Lee Hyun-soo clutched his head while watching a special TV program. A martial arts dojang [training hall] master, whom he didn’t know where they had found, was giving a serious analysis of martial arts, and the audience was listening with exclamations of admiration.

From Lee Hyun-soo’s perspective, this was a terrible comedy. Or perhaps, a delightful tragedy.

Someone spouting nonsense with a serious face and the public accepting that nonsense without filtering it—what could be a more absurd fable?

But…

“It’s positive.”

“It is positive.”

Faced with those almost forceful voices, Lee Hyun-soo had no choice but to say the same thing.

“It’s… positive.”

He didn’t want to admit it, he really hated it, but he couldn’t deny it.

In any case, the fact that such a program was being aired on TV was helpful to the martial artists. It meant that people were starting to see martial artists as something other than just targets to be rejected.

The more such programs were exposed in the media, the more people would accept martial artists as close, familiar beings, not distant ones.

“The broadcasting stations are certainly fast. They’ve already produced something like that.”

Lee Hyun-soo scoffed at Bator’s words.

“There’s no way.”

“What do you mean?”

“They were fed.”

“Fed what?”

Lee Hyun-soo silently raised his hand and made a circle with his thumb and index finger.

Bator’s eyes trembled as he understood the meaning of the gesture.

“You did it?”

“No. It seems Hyun-joo took the lead this time. In terms of funding, it looks better for MK to handle it than for us to get directly involved.”

“…I see.”

Bator looked at the TV with a renewed expression. He had thought it was strangely fast for a special program to be aired less than two days after Kang Jin-ho’s announcement.

“Other countries probably won’t miss this opportunity and will be showing similar movements. I’ve already given the instructions.”

The directors nodded.

It might not be a fair tactic, but in modern society, public opinion campaigns and promotions through the media are essential. They weren’t short on money, so there was no reason not to use it.

“I didn’t expect it to be this kind of program, though.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at the TV screen with a dissatisfied expression. If they were going to spend money, they should have made a decent program. What was that?

“Anyway, although it’s a program we pushed for, we didn’t manipulate the interest. I heard the applications for the audience were filled instantly.”

“That’s a relief.”

At that moment, Bang Jin-hoon, who had been sitting on the sofa, opened his mouth with a nonchalant expression.

“Anyway, old folks.”

“…What?”

“These days, you don’t get reactions from that kind of thing. The place where the reaction is exploding right now is on the internet.”

“Internet?”

“Internet broadcasting.”

Bator frowned.

“Is that even meaningful?”

“Kids these days don’t watch TV much, they watch internet broadcasts. Young people tend to lead public opinion. Right now, the internet ‘wreckers’ [slang for online personalities who cause a stir] are going crazy trying to get our guys on their shows to get views. Some even found out the Assembly’s phone number and are calling to get the Assembly Lord on their shows.”

Bator tilted his head, unable to understand what he was saying.

“So, what did you do?”

“There’s no way the Assembly Lord would do it, so I said we’d send some of our guys instead. We’re selecting the ones who are good at talking and have good personalities and sending them out as requested.”

“Is that… okay?”

“Why wouldn’t it be? It’s a world where the Assembly Lord is on TV saying, ‘We won’t hurt you.’ What big problem could there be if a few of our guys go on internet broadcasts?”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Bang Jin-hoon with admiration.

He certainly hadn’t thought about it that way.

Feeling Lee Hyun-soo’s gaze, Bang Jin-hoon coughed awkwardly.

“Ahem, well, the Assembly Lord is working so hard, putting everything on the line… someone who hasn’t sold their face should do something.”

“You’ve worked hard.”

“Hard work? …Did I do it? The kids did.”

Lee Hyun-soo smiled wryly and continued.

“That’s true. The kids going on broadcasts will have a hard time. It won’t be easy.”

“Hard work, my foot.”

“…Huh?”

Bang Jin-hoon’s face contorted.

“No, I didn’t think I was that old, but I can’t understand these kids these days. They’re fighting each other to go on the shows.”

“What was it? They said they liked the streamers? What? They subscribed?”

“In all my life…”

Bang Jin-hoon clutched his head. Even he, who oversaw the Assembly’s martial artists, seemed to have no answer to the changes in the world.

Jang Min, who had been listening to the conversation silently, chuckled and opened his mouth.

“People naturally have a desire to express themselves when they’ve been suppressed. How could it be any different for those who have been completely avoiding the media until now?”

“I know, but…”

“When the Demonic Cult members first came to Korea, the first thing they did was walk down a bright main street.”

“…A main street?”

Jang Min nodded.

“When the Demonic Cult was ostracized in China, even that wasn’t easy. If they carelessly went outside and were caught by other martial artists, they would often be hunted for fun.”

Everyone became solemn at those words.

It was partly because of the Demonic Cult’s past situation, but also because they realized that they could have been in the same situation if things had gone wrong.

Thinking about it, they realized how great Kang Jin-ho’s actions had been this time. With just one short speech, he had completely changed the perception of martial artists.

“…I’m a person, I’m a person.”

The directors all nodded.

Even without a specific name, there was no way they wouldn’t know who they were talking about.

“Anyway.”

Lee Hyun-soo said with a determined face.

“The tide has turned. The situation outside is completely changing, and public opinion is becoming favorable to us.”

“That’s right.”

“If we miss this opportunity, we’ll have to go a long way around again. The most important thing right now is to clearly show the outside world that what the Assembly Lord said is actually happening. So, Director Bang.”

“Yes.”

“Please pay more attention to managing the kids.”

“Don’t worry. I’ve already told them that if anyone causes trouble, I’ll personally peel their skin off and sink them in the Incheon sea. And… I’m not just saying it, I’ll really do it.”

“…That far?”

“Do you think this is a joke?”

Bang Jin-hoon snorted.

“These kinds of things are ruined by one or two troublemakers. One person can mess up the lives of all the other martial artists, so they deserve to be killed a hundred times over.”

Well, he wasn’t wrong.

“…Anyway, I’ll trust you on that part, Director Bang.”

“Okay.”

“And…”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Bang Jin-hoon with a serious face.

“The transmission of martial arts that the Assembly Lord spoke of must also be carried out in practice.”

“I was already thinking about some methods…”

“Yes.”

“It seems like setting up a central center and gathering people would only be symbolic and not very effective. How about we do it properly since it’s come to this?”

“Properly?”

“Yeah.”

Bang Jin-hoon nodded and said.

“There are some kids who are tired of Assembly life. There are also kids who want to mix with the outside world openly.”

“That’s right.”

“Let’s support those kids and have them create Taekwondo dojangs in each city. If we manage them properly, there shouldn’t be any big problems, right?”

Lee Hyun-soo stared blankly at Bang Jin-hoon.

“Why?”

“Ah, no, isn’t this something that’s not so easy to think about…”

“It’s a problem because you’re thinking about it too hard.”

Bang Jin-hoon shrugged.

“The Assembly Lord said it, didn’t he? That we’re no different from other people, but the ones who think that the least are us. While we want them to believe that, we’re also subconsciously trapped in the idea that martial artists can’t mix with people, and that if we do, they’ll cause trouble.”

“I don’t think our kids are that stupid. Frankly, they might be a bit hot-tempered, but they’re not hopeless. So… let’s trust them, Chief Lee.”

Lee Hyun-soo slowly nodded.

“Okay, I understand. I’ll put it on the agenda. Let’s discuss it.”

“Good.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked around at the directors and chuckled.

“I know one thing for sure.”

“What?”

“…Something is really changing. It’s not just about hoping they’ll understand us, but we’re also becoming able to do something.”

“That’s right.”

A flow, once reversed, cannot be stopped by human power. That’s why the one who changes the flow is important.

“So…”

“Yes?”