Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 219

Pursuing (1)

“The punishment for him has been entrusted to the Yeongnam Association.”

Chai Ke-chang bowed his head, his expression tense. It wasn’t his first time, but facing the Hong King was still a great burden for him.

It wasn’t just because of their different positions.

Even in vast China, there were only two other martial artists who could be compared to the Hong King. How could he not respect someone who had reached the pinnacle among so many Chinese martial artists?

Even if the Hong King was a wild man with no connection to martial arts, Chai Ke-chang’s respect would not have diminished in the slightest.

“Yeongnam Association?”

“It is currently the largest organization in Korea.”

“The largest organization…”

The Hong King leaned back on his throne and spoke indifferently.

“Is that the only place we have extended our reach?”

Chai Ke-chang pressed his head closer to the floor.

“I apologize, but there were limitations to extending our reach to smaller countries while keeping the other kings in check.”

“I am not blaming you.”

Chai Ke-chang swallowed hard.

The Hong King said he wasn’t blaming him, but Chai Ke-chang was not one to miss the brief disappointment in his tone. Right now, the Hong King was expressing his dissatisfaction with his response.

‘Why?’

Just one person.

It’s just one person!

He could understand if it was about destroying the Martial Arts Assembly, the organization representing Korea. But mobilizing the Yeongnam Association to capture and kill just one person in that small peninsula was, no matter how he thought about it, excessive.

And yet, he’s disappointed?

Why?

Chai Ke-chang slightly raised his head to look at the Hong King on the throne. He couldn’t tell anything from the Hong King’s face, who had his eyes closed as if he were drowsy.

“Chai Ke-chang.”

“Yes!”

The Hong King slowly opened his eyes. Chai Ke-chang, who met the Hong King’s gaze, felt as if his soul had frozen.

It was like looking into the eyes of a tiger.

Why would someone with such eyes be wary of a martial artist from a small country?

“Have you ever seen a Demonic Being?”

“…Did you say a Demonic Being?”

“Yes.”

Chai Ke-chang organized his thoughts for a moment before speaking.

“I have met them. But most of the Demonic Beings I met were not of sound mind. Their minds were unstable, so I felt that most of them couldn’t even properly demonstrate their martial prowess.”

The Hong King slowly nodded.

“That’s right. Most Demonic Beings are like that.”

The Hong King continued slowly.

“Demonic Arts trigger a person’s latent potential and allow them to increase their martial prowess in a short amount of time. But anything that is rushed always has side effects. The current Demonic Arts are no different from poison, as they increase martial arts in a short time but cause the accumulation of crude inner energy and rob a person of their sanity.”

“I am aware of that as well. If one can learn proper orthodox martial arts, there is no reason to resort to Demonic Arts.”

“That’s right. But you see…”

The Hong King paused, and Chai Ke-chang raised his head to look at him.

“If Demonic Arts were just that kind of martial art, would it have been passed down for generations until now?”

Chai Ke-chang couldn’t help but ponder.

Why would a martial art that everyone shuns, and whose mastery is almost guaranteed to lead to the practitioner’s destruction, have been passed down until now?

“I have not thought that far.”

“Hahaha.”

The Hong King laughed softly, as if he was pleased with Chai Ke-chang’s answer.

“Indeed, Demonic Beings are just trash. But… a true Demonic Being is different from the Demonic Beings you know.”

“Did you say a true Demonic Being?”

“Yes.”

The Hong King slowly pulled back his waist and straightened his body. The languid appearance from just a moment ago had disappeared, and a spirit that seemed ready to conquer the world slowly began to envelop him.

“A true Demonic Being who has mastered true Demonic Arts is someone who should never be taken lightly. Looking back at the history of the martial world, there have been more than a few times when the world was turned upside down because of them.”

Chai Ke-chang quietly looked at the Hong King before speaking.

“Does the Hong King think that the Kang Jin-ho in Korea is a Demonic Being who has mastered true Demonic Arts?”

“It could be, it could be.”

There was no certainty in the Hong King’s voice. Even for the Hong King, it was impossible to discern the origin of an opponent’s martial arts just by looking at the traces of their techniques.

“It shouldn’t be, but if such a thing has happened…”

The Hong King spat out the words.

“Those who face him will probably understand what it means to have their souls torn apart.”

Chai Ke-chang felt a chill run down his spine.

“Kueh?”

The Outlaw’s body began to tremble.

No, it wasn’t trembling, it was shaking. The body of the madman, who had nothing to fear in the world, was shaking like a puppy in front of its angry owner.

“Haaack!”

Like a cornered beast that couldn’t find a place to escape and was threatening its opponent, the Outlaw lowered his body and bared his teeth at Kang Jin-ho.

Kang Jin-ho looked at the scene and chuckled softly.

But his laughter was somehow twisted.

It felt like seeing his fallen hometown.

He couldn’t know exactly what historical flow had caused Demonic Arts to fall to this point, but the Outlaw’s appearance clearly showed the reality that modern Demonic Arts faced.

Kang Jin-ho was not obsessed with Demonic Arts.

He had not learned Demonic Arts from the beginning. He didn’t think that Demonic Arts were his everything, nor did he revere the martial art itself.

But….

Just as one would feel regret when seeing a grand castle crumble with time, regardless of its style, the feeling of seeing the martial art of Demonic Arts, which once dominated the world, completely collapse was naturally unpleasant.

Demonic Arts are simply martial arts that pursue strength. No matter the method, the result of a mad obsession to become stronger and reach higher places is Demonic Arts.

But what was in front of him was a mere murderer who couldn’t even be called a Demonic Being.

It wasn’t a sense of justice that he couldn’t forgive a murderer. There was no way Kang Jin-ho would have such a thing.

The driving force behind his actions now was just a shallow emotion.

It was an irrational, twisted hatred for the half-baked Demonic Being in front of him.

And that was enough.

Why he was angry, why he was furious.

Such reasons were not important. What was important was that he had decided to obliterate the being in front of him.

Crack.

The sound of bones colliding echoed from his clenched fist.

And that was the signal.

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes turned red. Then, with a ferocious momentum, he began to rush towards the Outlaw.

The Outlaw screamed and rushed towards Kang Jin-ho.

The distance between them quickly closed, and as they came within striking distance, the Outlaw swung his right hand wide, aiming to strike Kang Jin-ho’s head.

Crude.

There was not a trace of martial arts in each of his movements. But that was enough for Demonic Arts. That crude strike would tear through steel like paper and dig through concrete like mud.

If the opponent had reason, they would not aim directly at a Demonic Being. Those who had learned martial arts could easily avoid their attacks and gain an advantage.

That was why modern Demonic Arts, despite endlessly amplifying the practitioner’s power, could not defeat those who had mastered orthodox martial arts.

Kang Jin-ho bared his teeth as he watched the Outlaw’s hand coming to strike his head.

“Heh heh.”

A suppressed laugh escaped. He couldn’t hold it back, even if he tried.

He had endured for too long.

Since returning to the modern era, he had never once been able to unleash his full power. The enemies he had to fight to the death were too weak, and those who could withstand his power to some extent were all people he couldn’t kill.

But today, for the first time, an enemy he could freely use his hands on had appeared before Kang Jin-ho.

The desire that had been piling up and felt like it was about to crush him was released in an instant. Releasing the power he had been consciously suppressing, Kang Jin-ho trembled with joy.

Kang Jin-ho threw his fist up like lightning towards the incoming hand.

Kang Jin-ho’s fist and the Outlaw’s hand collided in mid-air.

Bang!

The sound was too loud and heavy to be made by flesh and blood colliding.

“Kuaaaaaaack!”

The Outlaw’s right arm was flung backward faster than it had flown forward. In an instant, all the bones were crushed, and blood gushed out like a fountain from the torn flesh.

The Outlaw’s face contorted in shock and pain.

How could this be….

But the Outlaw’s thoughts could not continue.

As Kang Jin-ho, who had deflected his arm, retracted his left hand, he swung his right elbow and struck the Outlaw’s jaw.

Bang!

A person’s body flew into the air.

The Outlaw’s body floated up like a strongly kicked ball, then bounced and crashed onto the floor several times.

“Kueuk.”

His consciousness was half gone and then returned. And then, an indescribable pain began to be felt in his jaw.

“Ugh… ahh…”

The Outlaw touched his jaw with his still intact hand.

It felt like his jaw had completely disappeared. His mouth opened involuntarily, and his half-severed tongue and the teeth that had fallen out flowed out haphazardly.

“Hee hee ick.”

The Outlaw trembled as he touched his jaw.

His mind was a mess. He couldn’t understand what was happening to him right now.

He was strong.

Not only ordinary people, but even most martial artists dared not compete with him. He had joined the Yeongnam Association because it was an easier path, not because he was afraid of others.

But….

Thud.

A low footstep.

The Outlaw’s eyes trembled.

He didn’t want to see.

He didn’t have the confidence to confirm with his own eyes the monster that was approaching him now.

But in the end, the Outlaw raised his head.

Unseen fear is several times more constricting than visible fear. Not to face the fear, but to escape from a greater fear, the Outlaw instinctively raised his head.

And then, he saw.

Kang Jin-ho, surrounded by black, swirling demonic energy, slowly approaching him with his red eyes shining eerily.

The Outlaw crawled backward on the floor.

He thought it had dried up.

He thought that emotions no longer existed in his heart. He believed that all that remained for him was the pursuit of pleasure and murderous intent.

But the Outlaw could realize it.

The emotion of fear, which had been encased in a hard shell, was slowly breaking through the shell and rising up, beginning to dominate his entire body. The human who was slowly approaching him with a blank face was making him recall fear again.

Kang Jin-ho slowly opened his mouth.

“Not yet.”

It’s not enough.

This is not enough.

I’ve only just begun.

“Get up.”

The Outlaw retreated mindlessly. Kang Jin-ho looked at the scene and twisted the corners of his mouth grotesquely.

Kang Jin-ho, who had jumped slightly and instantly closed the distance to right in front of the Outlaw, grabbed the Outlaw’s hair. Then, he lifted his head up to his face and whispered softly.

“It wouldn’t be fun if it ended like this, would it? There’s still more left, the things you have to experience.”

Kang Jin-ho laughed like a demon.