Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 311

“All cleaned up.”

Kang Jin-ho and Bang Jin-hoon, having moved to the side of the road, drank the coffee offered by the General Assembly members who had quickly arrived.

Standing next to a place where countless people had died and calmly drinking coffee might seem strange to the average person, but for them, it was nothing out of the ordinary.

“What about that bastard?”

“He’s been taken to the General Assembly.”

“…That guy is a real piece of work.”

“Huh?”

“Damn it, he wouldn’t give up his bank account password no matter what. That bastard is going to hell anyway, so why not compensate me for the car he wrecked before he goes! A person should have some conscience!”

Chun Tae-hoon stared at Bang Jin-hoon with a slightly dazed look.

‘Seriously, this guy…’

He’s practically just come back from the dead, and he’s worried about his car?

Well, I guess he would be. It’s not like it was cheap.

Chun Tae-hoon mixed pity and absurdity into his gaze.

Bang Jin-hoon, as a director-level martial artist, received a considerable annual salary from the association. Moreover, he was making a lot of money from his personal ventures.

It’s true that many martial artists aren’t interested in money, but if they wanted to make money, there were plenty of opportunities for them.

However, Chun Tae-hoon, who knew Bang Jin-hoon’s financial situation well, couldn’t help but feel sorry for him. Bang Jin-hoon had spent a tremendous amount of money to build his power while opposing the Assembly Head.

He spent everything he earned, so he was still living in a small, rented room.

Still, he had recently taken the plunge and bought a car, transitioning from a low-income earner to a car-poor individual, and now that car was gone, so his anger was understandable.

“…Couldn’t you just get a company car?”

“Hey, you!”

Bang Jin-hoon shouted.

“Hey, how long has it been since I became the Assembly Head! I’m already under scrutiny, and if I start driving around in a new company car right after becoming the Assembly Head, the old geezers will say, ‘Oh, our Assembly Head is looking fancy,’ you bastard! Think before you speak!”

“As a member, I may not understand, but as a human, I sympathize with you.”

Chun Tae-hoon shook his head, and Bang Jin-hoon spoke in a subdued voice.

“Hey, do you think… insurance will cover this?”

“The crime scene is disappearing, what insurance are you talking about?”

“…Can’t we manipulate it?”

“Are you going to submit the black box footage? They’d love that. They’ll cover the insurance if you agree to release the video.”

Bang Jin-hoon clicked his tongue.

“Please, maintain some dignity. You’re the Assembly Head now. The Yeongnam Assembly is targeting the Assembly Head. It’s a situation where a war wouldn’t be surprising, and guns were even used. There hasn’t been such a big incident in the last 10 years. In this situation, you should be thinking about how to respond, not about some car!”

“Don’t talk so carelessly just because it’s not your car, you jerk!”

“…You’re hopeless, really.”

Chun Tae-hoon covered his head.

He used to be more serious, but ever since he became the Assembly Head, it was as if his goal had disappeared, and the foolishness he usually hid was constantly popping out.

It was fortunate that there was no one else around.

“So, what are you going to do now?”

“About what?”

“You need to take action. You need to respond. Are you just going to sit still after being attacked like this?”

“No. Well, I have to respond.”

Bang Jin-hoon said, glancing at Kang Jin-ho.

He needed to think about countermeasures, but what he meant was, ‘This isn’t something I can decide on my own right now.’ Chun Tae-hoon also turned to look at Kang Jin-ho.

‘Ugh…’

Kang Jin-ho, who had washed up with the bottled water brought at Bang Jin-hoon’s request and changed his clothes, looked neat and tidy. But just looking at his neat appearance made his heart clench.

He looked normal now, but if he thought back to when he had first arrived here….

‘It would be better to see a ghost.’

He understood that Kang Jin-ho was now on their side and someone he had to serve, but the fear of Kang Jin-ho that was engraved deep in his soul wouldn’t disappear.

Just having Kang Jin-ho in his sight made his body stiffen as if the lubricant had disappeared from all his joints.

“Um…”

As Chun Tae-hoon carefully spoke, Kang Jin-ho raised his head and looked at him.

‘Ah…’

Kang Jin-ho was looking at him with an ordinary gaze, unlike his previous appearances. For Chun Tae-hoon, who had only ever seen Kang Jin-ho in combat, that look was very awkward.

But it was less burdensome, so whatever.

“What are you going to do?”

“Huh?”

“…I’m just saying, it seems like we need to respond.”

“Respond…”

Kang Jin-ho rested his chin in his hand as if pondering.

‘He looks good.’

They had asked for clothes to change into, but there was no way they could suddenly appear in the middle of the night. So, they had brought a basic black suit, which was the General Assembly’s uniform and work attire, roughly guessing his size….

‘The fit is insane.’

Of course, everyone in the General Assembly had a good physique.

They were all athletes and martial artists, so they boasted broad shoulders, lean bodies, and tall heights compared to ordinary people.

It was just that their fashion sense was so terrible that if you let them dress as they pleased, it would be a fashion disaster. But if you put them in a suit, they looked sharp. That was the nature of martial artists.

However, Kang Jin-ho was someone who looked so sharp that even Chun Tae-hoon, who was used to seeing such clean fits, was impressed. It was enough to momentarily distract Chun Tae-hoon, who would usually think of fear and terror first when it came to Kang Jin-ho.

‘What am I thinking right now?’

This wasn’t a fashion show, so what was he doing? Chun Tae-hoon shook his head to clear his mind.

“Let’s think about it for now.”

“…For now?”

“We can’t do anything right away. It’s not like we can just grab grenades and storm the Yeongnam Assembly just because we’re angry. Right?”

“That’s true. But…”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Chun Tae-hoon as if to say, ‘Go on.’

“We need to strengthen our defenses. They’ve already crossed the line. We don’t know what they’ll do next.”

“I guess so.”

“This is just my personal opinion, but I think we need to move a little faster, even if it’s not right now. If we stay like this, we’ll just be on the defensive, constantly reacting to their attacks. Normally, it might be more advantageous to fight defensively, but…”

Chun Tae-hoon paused and pointed to Bang Jin-hoon’s G-Class, which was now a pile of black scrap metal.

“It feels like the damage will only get worse if we stay like this…”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

“And please make sure my family is careful. If those guys…”

The moment the word ‘family’ came out, Kang Jin-ho’s face slightly contorted. At the same time, Chun Tae-hoon quickly shut his mouth.

‘That crazy bastard.’

It was like he had a switch. How was anyone supposed to deal with someone whose emotions changed so drastically from moment to moment?

“Please strengthen the security here as well. Make sure the person in charge can contact me directly.”

He didn’t need to ask where ‘here’ was. He already knew.

Chun Tae-hoon, overwhelmed by Kang Jin-ho’s pressure, couldn’t even answer properly and just nodded.

“Damn it.”

Bang Jin-hoon jumped up from his seat.

“Hey, Tae-hoon.”

“Yes, Assembly Head.”

“Tell all the guys outside to come into the General Assembly. We have enough accommodations, right?”

“Yes, but…”

“There’s no point in them being outside if those bastards come at us with everything they’ve got. Even if there’s some resistance, tell all the guys to come inside the General Assembly.”

“The guys might listen, but the directors won’t.”

“Those old geezers can die.”

“…Please, keep your voice down when you say things like that!”

“The old geezers can take care of themselves. If they can’t protect their own lives, they don’t deserve the money they’re getting. Leave those guys be and protect the younger ones first. They’ll get caught up in it if they’re not careful.”

Bang Jin-hoon seemed to have regained his composure.

“And Kang Jin-ho, are you going to be okay? It seems like those bastards are targeting you. This is just the beginning. Kim Seok-il is known for being persistent. If this is the prelude, I can’t imagine what methods they’ll use next. It might be a good idea for you to stay with your family until things settle down.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

“I’m fine.”

“No, Kang Jin-ho. I don’t think this is something you should take lightly.”

“Lightly?”

Kang Jin-ho smiled slightly.

Seeing that smile, Bang Jin-hoon didn’t say anything more. His body, if not his mind, sensed the deep meaning behind Kang Jin-ho’s smile.

‘He’s more than I thought…’

Bang Jin-hoon knew that Kang Jin-ho cherished his family, but his current reaction was more intense than he had imagined.

“I’ve never taken it lightly. It’s just something I have to do.”

“Yes. Well… I won’t say anything more.”

“Thank you for your concern. Then…”

Kang Jin-ho looked at the people cleaning the road and said,

“It seems like getting to know everyone today is out of the question. Can I go back?”

“Yes. We’ll arrange another meeting next time.”

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho nodded and got up from his seat.

“Please take care of the things I asked.”

“Don’t worry.”

Chun Tae-hoon bowed deeply with extreme respect. Kang Jin-ho nodded silently, waved his hand, and slowly walked away.

“…Will he be okay?”

“What do you mean?”

“His family is in danger, but isn’t he being too calm?”

“That’s not it, you idiot.”

Bang Jin-hoon clicked his tongue.

“Then what is it?”

“He’s acting like that because he’s not calm.”

“Then wouldn’t it be better for him to be under our protection?”

“He doesn’t trust us.”

“…Us? Does he not trust us yet?”

“No, he doesn’t trust your abilities.”

Bang Jin-hoon said in a self-deprecating tone.

“For him, his family is the most important thing he needs to protect. But he’s uneasy about leaving them in your hands. So, he’s going to take action himself.”

“He did ask us to strengthen security…”

“That’s just like a martial arts alarm system. He’s not asking you to stop them, but to contact him if you find anything.”

“Ah…”

Chun Tae-hoon scratched his head.

“I hope Kim Seok-il doesn’t go so far as to harm civilians.”

“He seems half-crazy right now.”

“That’s why I’m worried.” Bang Jin-hoon narrowed his eyes.

‘If we’re not careful, there will be a bloodbath.’

Today’s events had proven it once again. Kang Jin-ho was a man who showed no mercy to those who targeted him. But what would happen if Kang Jin-ho’s family was attacked and injured by the Yeongnam Assembly?

‘Then it’s really over.’

Then, the Korean martial arts world might have to face not just a conflict between the Yeongnam Assembly and the General Assembly, but a demon named Kang Jin-ho. The aftermath was unpredictable, but in Bang Jin-hoon’s opinion, it wouldn’t simply end with the destruction of the Yeongnam Assembly.

“If you can spare any manpower, send them all to his family.”

“Assembly Head, that’s going to be difficult.”

“I have a reason for saying this. Judge carefully where you need to provide protection.”

“…Understood.”

Bang Jin-hoon looked up at the sky with a calm gaze.

‘Now, all that’s left is war.’

The declaration of war had been well received.

A war that could no longer be turned back was beginning.