Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 462

“……You gave them demonic martial arts?”

“Yes.”

Watching Kang Jin-ho answer so nonchalantly, Bang Jin-hoon frowned.

‘Demonic martial arts, huh.’

There’s a big difference between knowing something and experiencing it. He already knew that Kang Jin-ho was a demon, but when that fact hits him so directly, he can’t help but feel a sense of alienation.

Kang Jin-ho’s usual demeanor is completely opposite to the image of a demon, so he keeps forgetting that Kang Jin-ho is a demon.

“Is that alright?”

Bang Jin-hoon’s voice was laced with concern.

Of course, he didn’t think that Kang Jin-ho would give them demonic martial arts without any countermeasures. The Kang Jin-ho he knew wasn’t that reckless. Although his actions were often impulsive, there was always a calculation behind them.

“It’ll be fine.”

Kang Jin-ho answered calmly, but Bang Jin-hoon’s anxiety didn’t subside easily.

‘Demonic martial arts.’

The demonic martial arts he knew were a martial art that drastically increased one’s power but robbed them of their humanity. If it weren’t for Kang Jin-ho, he wouldn’t have even acknowledged demonic martial arts as a legitimate martial art.

And now, he was going to have the children learn such a thing….

“Please reconsider.”

Bang Jin-hoon spoke seriously.

“I know that learning demonic martial arts makes one stronger. But the children won’t be able to maintain their current lives.”

“They’ll have to endure it.”

“Kang Jin-ho!”

Bang Jin-hoon’s eyes narrowed.

Since he met Kang Jin-ho, this was the first time he had so strongly opposed Kang Jin-ho’s opinion. This was a matter he couldn’t back down on.

“You’ve seen what happens to those who learn demonic martial arts, haven’t you?”

“At least, I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone who has learned demonic martial arts in Korea.”

“What are you talking about…? As far as I know, you’ve already clashed with the demon that Kim Seok-il was raising. Do you want the children to end up like that?”

“I would have told you.”

Kang Jin-ho said firmly.

“I have never seen anyone who has learned demonic martial arts in Korea.”

“……Huh?”

Bang Jin-hoon stared at Kang Jin-ho with a dumbfounded expression. The fact that Kang Jin-ho had beaten Kim Seok-il’s demon to a pulp was well-known among those who knew. So why was he saying this?

‘He’s not just being stubborn.’

Bang Jin-hoon, judging that there was a hidden meaning in Kang Jin-ho’s words, racked his brain.

“……You mean that guy wasn’t a true demon.”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho reached out and picked up his cup. After taking a sip of coffee, Kang Jin-ho smiled and said,

“Calling a guy who learned such a crude piece of trash a demon is an insult to demonic martial arts.”

Bang Jin-hoon stared at Kang Jin-ho blankly.

“Are you saying there’s a separate, real demonic martial art?”

“Saying ‘real demonic martial art’ is a bit strange. It’s not like there’s a real and a fake. To be precise, it’s a matter of how much of it has been lost.”

“Lost?”

“It’s not just demonic martial arts. It seems that much of the martial arts that the Clan Lord [referring to Bang Jin-hoon] is currently practicing has also been lost. I don’t know if it’s just in Korea or if it’s the same elsewhere, but it’s certain that a lot of the martial arts that Koreans are practicing have been lost. And the demonic martial arts that that guy learned back then were also crude and not worthy of being called martial arts.”

‘Lost, you say?’

He had never thought of that before. His martial arts had been passed down from his master’s generation.

“Then, are you saying that the martial arts I’ve learned are also lost?”

“Yes.”

“How do you know that? You haven’t even seen my secret manual.”

“There’s no need to see it. I can see the empty parts.”

Bang Jin-hoon realized once again that judging Kang Jin-ho with common sense was meaningless.

The world this man sees and the world he sees are vastly different. He would see all the parts that he couldn’t see.

Just as the world a three-year-old sees is different from the world an adult sees, the world Kang Jin-ho sees and the world he sees are as different as heaven and earth.

‘Let’s stop.’

A child can’t point out what an adult is doing. In the end, there was only one thing he had to do.

“What are the side effects?”

Bang Jin-hoon cleared his throat.

“Of course, I know that the demonic martial arts that Kang Jin-ho gave the children are different from the previous demonic martial arts… or, as Kang Jin-ho put it, the lost and crude demonic martial arts. But given what I’ve seen, I can’t help but suspect side effects. I hope you understand.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded.

Such a question was natural.

“Well, there might be a bit of violence and a craving for martial arts. There will be other minor issues, but there won’t be any major problems.”

Bang Jin-hoon made a slightly displeased expression. He couldn’t not believe Kang Jin-ho’s words, but he still looked unconvinced.

‘It’s strange.’

Why do they believe that demonic martial arts are bound to have serious side effects?

If you think about it logically, if demonic martial arts caused such side effects and turned people into demons, then the Demonic Cult wouldn’t have been able to exist. It’s impossible for mentally ill people who are obsessed with human blood and flesh to form a group and live together.

According to their image, those crazy psychos would gather in one place, maintain order, and follow the orders of their superiors….

‘That’s a fantasy.’

If they didn’t know about the Demonic Cult, it would be understandable, but it seems that the Demonic Cult exists in their history as well… The fact that the image of the Demonic Cult, the strongest group of demons in history, and the image of mentally ill demons coexist was something that Kang Jin-ho couldn’t understand with his common sense.

“Did you say violence?”

“Yes.”

“That’s… a bit worrying. They’re already quite rough…”

Kang Jin-ho just laughed.

Rough?

Those guys?

It seemed that this person didn’t know what rough meant. When he thought of the Central Plains [a region in ancient China often depicted in martial arts stories], where guys would draw axes and split people’s heads open just because they bumped shoulders while drinking, the young guys here were like kindergarteners who listened to their teachers.

“The kind of things you’re worried about won’t happen.”

“……Well, I trust you, Kang Jin-ho.”

‘He doesn’t trust me.’

Bang Jin-hoon’s eyes were full of distrust. Kang Jin-ho sighed softly.

‘They say they’ll follow me for now, but if there’s this much distrust, it’ll cause problems in the long run.’

Kang Jin-ho was pondering how to resolve this situation. And the solution came from someone else, not him.

“If you don’t trust him, then step aside.”

The door opened, and a person entered.

Bang Jin-hoon’s face contorted.

“Don’t you know how to knock?”

“I don’t like unnecessary formalities.”

“Formalities?”

“Isn’t knocking a process of informing the person in the room that I’m entering? You’ve been aware of my presence since I stepped into the hallway, so why should I bother knocking to let you know I’m here? That’s a waste.”

Bang Jin-hoon covered his forehead.

‘All martial artists are crazy.’

Moreover, the problem was that this guy in front of him was only half a martial artist, but he was crazier than the others.

“What is it?”

“I came to speak with Kang Jin-ho. And to ask for the Clan Lord’s permission.”

“Permission, huh…”

Bang Jin-hoon felt a migraine coming on and pressed his temples.

Once this guy starts doing something, even he can’t help but feel tense.

“Hey, Lee Hyun-soo.”

“Yes.”

Lee Hyun-soo answered with a smile.

‘That rotten bastard.’

Bang Jin-hoon couldn’t hide his discomfort. Kang Jin-ho had accepted him, so he had no choice but to accept him as well, but Lee Hyun-soo was originally working under Kim Seok-il.

Working with a former enemy was not Bang Jin-hoon’s style.

Even though they were both members of the General Assembly, and he thought that they would have to join forces someday, this was a different case from Lee Joong-geol.

During the internal strife between the General Assembly and the Yeongnam Association, how many people had suffered because of that rotten bastard?

To Bang Jin-hoon, Lee Hyun-soo was still one of the guys he wanted to kill.

‘This is also something I can’t do.’

As the one who absorbed the Yeongnam Association into the Yeongnam Division, he knew that he had to treat Lee Hyun-soo, who was now the head of the Yeongnam Division, with respect. Even though Kang Jin-ho’s charisma was suppressing them, and there was no significant opposition, Bang Jin-hoon knew that the members of the Yeongnam Division had not completely assimilated into the General Assembly.

While Kang Jin-ho was suppressing them, he had to quickly give them the sense that they were now members of the General Assembly. To do that, they needed equal treatment and policies that favored those who had held key positions in the former Yeongnam Association.

Lee Hyun-soo was at the heart of that.

‘I guess I’m not cut out to lead a group.’

Just looking at his face makes my blood boil.

“I don’t know what you want to say, but I’d like you to say it quickly and leave. I have something to say as well.”

“Yes. Don’t worry.”

Lee Hyun-soo took a short breath and opened his mouth.

“Kang Jin-ho.”

“Yes. What is it?”

“……Could you please just speak informally like before? Honestly, hearing you use honorifics with me makes me want to have a seizure. People should be consistent. Just because you act politely doesn’t mean anyone thinks you’re polite.”

Kang Jin-ho’s face subtly hardened.

At the same time, Bang Jin-hoon felt like a ten-year-old indigestion had been relieved.

‘That guy has his uses.’

“Alright. What do you want to say?”

“It’s simple. I…”

At that moment, Bang Jin-hoon’s phone rang.

“Tsk.”

Bang Jin-hoon, as if annoyed, was about to turn off the phone, but he answered it after seeing the name on the screen.

“What?”

It was a call from Cheon Tae-hoon.

“Huh?”

Bang Jin-hoon’s face became serious.

“……Alright. I’ll figure out a way.”

Bang Jin-hoon hung up the phone. Then, with an extremely complicated expression, he looked at Kang Jin-ho.

“Kang Jin-ho.”

“Yes.”

“About the secret manuals you gave the kids.”

“Yes.”

Kang Jin-ho frowned.

Was there something wrong with the secret manuals?

“Th, that… the kids contacted me saying that the secret manuals are in Chinese, so they can’t understand a word of it. What should we do?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes twitched.

“H, are you saying they can’t understand it because it’s in Chinese?”

“Yes. That seems to be the case.”

“Are Korean secret manuals written in Korean?”

“Since the language of this country is different from that of China, isn’t that obvious…?”

Kang Jin-ho was at a loss for words.

“Oh, th…”

Sweat broke out on Kang Jin-ho’s forehead as he faced a predicament he had never considered.

Should he translate it? But could he perfectly translate it into Korean?

At that moment, Lee Hyun-soo chuckled and opened his mouth.