Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 328

“What on earth is going on?”

Choi Yeon-ha, who had barely escaped her panic, asked in a trembling voice. Considering her personality, Kang Jin-ho had expected her to get angry or yell, but surprisingly, she didn’t show such a reaction.

Instead, she looked terrified, which was unlike any of her previous appearances.

‘I guess that’s to be expected.’

For Kang Jin-ho, this was just part of his daily life, but for Choi Yeon-ha, it was something she had never experienced before. There was no way a normal person could remain calm after going through something like this.

“It’s nothing serious.”

“No, those people…”

Choi Yeon-ha bit her lip.

Kang Jin-ho liked this about Choi Yeon-ha. She must have sensed the unusual energy. She had never experienced seeing people with murderous intent head-on, especially not multiple people at once.

But since nothing had actually happened, she kept quiet. She knew that making a fuss about something uncertain would only cause unnecessary trouble.

If the other party intended to speak, they would have already done so. And if they planned to speak later, he could just wait. If they didn’t intend to speak, no matter what he said, Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t open his mouth. She understood that.

Ssshhh.

Kang Jin-ho pressed down hard on Geumdong’s pedal.

‘This is troublesome right now.’

If Kang Jin-ho were alone, he wouldn’t have chosen to flee. He could just wipe out all those who came to get him.

But if Choi Yeon-ha was with him, the situation changed.

There was no guarantee that they wouldn’t use guns again, and protecting Choi Yeon-ha from being hurt while that many people were firing was not an easy task for Kang Jin-ho.

‘This is the difference between the modern world and the Murim [Martial Arts World].’

In the past, even martial artists found it difficult to deal with armed soldiers. If ten thousand soldiers shot arrows at once, ten thousand arrows would fly.

Ten thousand arrows was not just a number; when ten thousand arrows were fired, the sky would be completely covered.

It was something that those who hadn’t seen it could not imagine.

Those who had reached a certain level could deal with it, but those who hadn’t could not cope with the arrows raining down from the sky. That was why the government had not completely lost control over the Murim.

But in the modern world, a single rifleman could do what a hundred archers could do. To protect a civilian who had not learned martial arts from bullets pouring in from all directions, one would have to cover all three hundred and sixty degrees at once.

Kang Jin-ho could cover three hundred and sixty degrees around himself without difficulty, but he couldn’t guarantee that he could perfectly block everything within the range that included Choi Yeon-ha.

Moreover….

‘If only I had Jeokru [a specific sword].’

The modern world was not favorable to him.

It was nearly impossible for him to always carry Jeokru while living in the modern world. Although it wasn’t difficult to possess a sword with a sword permit, carrying a sharpened sword around was too likely to cause problems.

That was why Kang Jin-ho chose to flee.

He didn’t feel any particular burden in choosing to flee. Those fools who insisted on fighting to the death and never backing down, they were as likely to die as their will was strong.

Even before joining the Demonic Cult, Kang Jin-ho was a public enemy of the Jianghu [Martial Arts World], and he was constantly chased by the righteous sects. If he had chosen to fight every time, he wouldn’t have lived past twenty in his second life.

So, he didn’t feel any regret in choosing to flee. Except….

Grind.

Kang Jin-ho quietly gritted his teeth.

It felt different to run away from an enemy he couldn’t face and to run away from an enemy he could face because the situation wasn’t favorable. Kang Jin-ho, who had never turned his back on anyone because someone else bothered him in the Murim, was now doing just that.

Kang Jin-ho gritted his teeth as he felt something boiling up inside his chest.

“Why, why are you doing that?”

Choi Yeon-ha asked cautiously, having heard him grinding his teeth. Hearing her voice, Kang Jin-ho’s shoulders relaxed.

‘No.’

Kang Jin-ho shook his head.

The reason he was running away now wasn’t because Choi Yeon-ha was a burden. It was because he wasn’t strong enough to fight while protecting Choi Yeon-ha.

If he were the Heavenly Demon, he wouldn’t have needed to turn his back here. Whether the Heavenly Demon would have fought while protecting Choi Yeon-ha was another matter.

‘Blame your own shortcomings before blaming others.’

Kang Jin-ho, having calmly assessed the situation, slowly reduced his speed.

Clutch.

Only then did he feel it.

Choi Yeon-ha was holding onto his waist with all her might. She was riding on a bicycle that was moving at a speed that would scare even a normal person, and she hadn’t once asked him to slow down. She had just held on, her lips turning blue from the effort.

“Hoo.”

Kang Jin-ho took a deep breath. It seemed like too much blood had rushed to his head. He couldn’t see his surroundings.

“You can relax now.”

But Choi Yeon-ha just trembled, unable to easily let go of his waist.

“Nothing will happen now, so don’t worry and relax your hands. You’ll get hurt if you keep holding on like that.”

Choi Yeon-ha, understanding that the bicycle wasn’t going as fast as before, slowly nodded and relaxed her hands. But because she had been holding on so tightly, Kang Jin-ho could feel her hands shaking.

‘My vision narrowed.’

He was so focused on the situation that he hadn’t paid any attention to the person next to him, who was so terrified. This was a reflection of the current Kang Jin-ho. He thought he was paying enough attention to others now, unlike before, but as soon as something intense happened, he reverted to his old self.

Squeak.

Kang Jin-ho stopped Geumdong and lifted Choi Yeon-ha off the bicycle. Choi Yeon-ha was startled when his hands suddenly came under her armpits, but she seemed relieved when Kang Jin-ho put her down on the ground, and she looked around.

“Show me your hands.”

“Huh?”

“Your hands.”

“Ah…”

Choi Yeon-ha silently held out her hands. Kang Jin-ho gently massaged Choi Yeon-ha’s hands with his energy-infused hands.

“Ah!”

Choi Yeon-ha groaned as a warm and cool sensation flowed through her hands. The feeling in her numb hands returned clearly.

‘There’s no problem.’

Kang Jin-ho, having released the blocked energy, let go of Choi Yeon-ha’s hands.

“It’s nothing serious, so don’t worry too much.”

“…Yes.”

Choi Yeon-ha lowered her head.

‘I think I was being stubborn for no reason.’

She couldn’t shake the thought that this had happened because she had come to find Kang Jin-ho. Of course, the truth was completely different, but she had no way of knowing the circumstances, so she couldn’t help but think that way.

‘They’re being aggressive.’

He had expected them to do anything. However, he thought they might be a little more cautious since Japan was involved, but it seemed that because Japan was involved, they had decided to eliminate Kang Jin-ho more decisively.

‘Well, yeah.’

Even if Kang Jin-ho were in their position, he would have tried to quickly eliminate the opponent and unify the general assembly. It was the most orthodox method and the most effective one.

“They’re making a fuss.”

“Yes?”

“No, it’s nothing.”

Kang Jin-ho got back on Geumdong.

“Get on.”

“…Again?”

“I won’t go fast this time, so don’t worry.”

Choi Yeon-ha looked around with uneasy eyes.

‘Should I just call a taxi?’

The thought of having to ride that bicycle again made her feel anxious. Remembering the speed of the bicycle that had been distorting the surrounding scenery just a moment ago made her legs tremble.

These days, it was an era where apps could find you, so it wouldn’t be difficult to call a taxi even in this secluded place.

Having thought that far, Choi Yeon-ha got on the bicycle without another word.

“Let’s go.”

It wouldn’t be difficult to take a taxi, but if she took a taxi, Kang Jin-ho would have to ride his bicycle alone. He couldn’t go back to where they had been, so he would have to take a long detour, and she couldn’t bear to see that.

It might be a nuisance to ride on the back of his bicycle like this, but since Kang Jin-ho was acting this way, it was her duty to ride with him until the end.

“B-but you have to go slowly. I almost had an accident in my pants.”

“…I’ll go slowly.”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t want such a disaster either. After confirming that Choi Yeon-ha was on the back, he gently stepped on the pedal. Even with a slight push, Geumdong moved forward smoothly.

Maintaining a speed that wouldn’t make Choi Yeon-ha feel fear was more nerve-wracking than he had thought.

“Kang Jin-ho.”

“Yes?”

“You seem a bit strange today.”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Choi Yeon-ha nodded quietly.

“You don’t usually feel like this, but today you feel a bit distant. I even wonder if you’re the Kang Jin-ho I know.”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t answer.

Perhaps she knew. Because she was an actress. She knew that Kang Jin-ho’s usual appearance was a result of suppressing many things.

“Nothing is different.”

“Really?”

“Yes.”

“Okay, then it’s fine.”

Choi Yeon-ha quietly leaned her head against Kang Jin-ho’s back.

“I’m not feeling well, and I’m exhausted. I’ll just stay like this for a bit.”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t particularly stop Choi Yeon-ha. Even the insensitive Kang Jin-ho knew that what she had experienced today would be overwhelming for a normal person.

‘I need to be careful.’

If the Yeongnam Association was going to act like this, it could cause problems for his future activities. If they attacked without thinking, his acquaintances could also be harmed.

‘Maybe…’

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes darkened.

It wasn’t his style to just take the attacks that came his way. Wasn’t his way to go straight to the source of the problem and deal with it?

Kang Jin-ho thought that he should contact Bang Jin-hoon after taking Choi Yeon-ha home, and he quietly drove Geumdong.

“Is it okay to go on the road?”

“There are no cars.”

“But it could still be dangerous.”

“Just past there.”

Choi Yeon-ha raised her head. A tunnel with orange lights was visible ahead of the road.

“Ah, I see.”

There were sidewalks on both sides of the tunnel, but they were so narrow that if there were people passing by, they would have to carry their bicycles over their heads to get through.

“We’ll be through soon, so don’t worry.”

“Okay.”

Kang Jin-ho shook his head to clear his complicated thoughts.

‘Let’s discuss it and decide.’

He wanted to rush into the Yeongnam Association right away and cut down everything that bothered him, but that would make the aftermath difficult.

First….

And at that moment.

Kang Jin-ho widened his eyes and raised his head.

KWA-AAAAANG!