Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 468

“He’s moved.”

Saito’s face hardened, becoming as rigid as steel.

“Destination?”

“It appears to be somewhere in the West Sea.”

“Reason?”

“I haven’t been able to ascertain it.”

“I see…”

Saito fell into thought, remaining silent. Oizumi waited patiently, without urging him. Saito was acutely aware that time was of the essence. There was no need to rush him and risk an error in his judgment.

“Moving to the West Sea without a reason… What’s the probability of it being a trap?”

“There’s no movement from the General Assembly.”

“Besides the General Assembly, are there any hidden organizations? Kang Jin-ho might have cultivated his own organization, or there might be a secret organization hidden within the General Assembly.”

“Kang Jin-ho has never cultivated his own organization. We’ve been watching Kang Jin-ho since the moment he first became involved with the Murim world [a martial arts society]. If such an organization existed, it would have already been revealed.”

“That’s valid. Next.”

“The General Assembly’s hidden organizations have already been exposed. Lee Jung-geol’s private organization and Bang Jin-hoon’s private organization revealed their identities when conflicts arose between them. There are no other secret forces beyond these.”

“Is there a possibility they’ve been hidden until the very end?”

“No. If that were the case, they would have been revealed during the conflict with the Yeongnam Association. But even then, there were no secret forces. There’s no way there would be an organization that wouldn’t be mobilized even in a fight that determines the fate of each faction.”

“Understood.”

Saito closed his eyes again.

After being lost in thought, Saito slowly opened his eyes and his face twisted slightly.

“You know, don’t you?”

“What do you mean…”

“There’s no way someone like Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t know that we’re watching him.”

“We’ve done our best to hide it.”

“Even so, he knows.”

Saito’s voice was filled with certainty.

Oizumi lowered his head without a word.

‘How ironic.’

It was Saito Genji who devised the plan to take over the vast land of Korea by eliminating Kang Jin-ho. When everyone, including Oizumi, was dumbfounded, he pushed forward with the plan, even cleanly abandoning the Japanese territories held by the Nanahoshi Group.

The plan was to throw the Nanahoshi Group’s territories as bait to other groups, and while they were vying for those territories, he would leisurely seize Korea, which was practically an unclaimed land.

Saito’s design was that if he could secure Korea in advance, other groups that were not very interested in Korea would not covet it while risking conflict with the Nanahoshi Group.

For that process, the removal of Kang Jin-ho was absolutely necessary.

The irony was that Saito was also the one who most highly valued Kang Jin-ho. The person who called for Kang Jin-ho’s removal was the one who most highly valued him. This bizarre situation was unfolding here.

“Even though he knows we’re watching him, he’s moving alone to a secluded place. And to a place where we have plenty of time. What does this mean?”

“You seem to be overthinking it.”

“Excessive thinking can sometimes lead to missed opportunities. But there’s nothing wrong with thinking too much. Even a cautiousness bordering on timidity is better than recklessness.”

“Yes.”

Saito, who had been lost in thought, sighed.

“Do we have no choice but to go?”

Even if it was a trap, they had no choice but to go. An opportunity like this would not come again.

‘If Kang Jin-ho moved after anticipating our reaction, or if someone else moved Kang Jin-ho… we won’t be able to avoid annihilation.’

If such a tempting bait was used, how massive and terrifying would the trap be?

To make them walk into a death trap even though they knew it was bait.

“Fine, we’ll go in.”

Saito rose from his seat.

To catch a tiger, one must eventually enter the tiger’s den. Whether they could survive there depended entirely on their abilities. Saito believed in the power of the Nanahoshi Group, which he had painstakingly cultivated.

“Prepare. We’re going after them.”

“Yes!”

As Oizumi rushed out, Saito slowly took out his sword from its stand. Looking at the blue blade, he felt a sense of calm.

‘It’s something we have to go through eventually.’

He would show them that in the face of an absolute difference in power, no plan had any meaning.

“They’re just Murim people from Joseon [historical name for Korea] anyway.”

Wasn’t Joseon a place they had never thought they needed to be wary of? It was just a return to the time when they ruled this land. Saito slowly slid his sword into its sheath and fastened it to his waist.

“I’ll make you regret it.”

Booooooom.

Kang Jin-ho stepped on the accelerator with force. He had been refraining from speeding on the road recently, but today he was driving without any restrictions. Kang Jin-ho glanced at the luggage placed on the passenger seat.

‘It seems a bit excited?’

It wasn’t to the point of saying he was agitated. But it was true that his heart was beating a little faster than usual.

The conversation he had with Lee Hyun-soo flashed through his mind as he stepped on the accelerator.

“The defending side has the advantage.”

Lee Hyun-soo chuckled.

“That’s wrong.”

“…”

“That kind of perception is generally widespread. That defense is easier than offense, or that the one who moves first loses.”

“Hmm…”

“That might have been somewhat valid in the past. No, in fact, I don’t think it’s correct even from a military strategy perspective. There are many countries that have fallen while defending, but not many that have fallen while attacking. There are cases like the Sui Dynasty, but that’s a very unique case. Usually, the defending side suffers several times more damage. Do you know why?”

“I don’t know.”

Kang Jin-ho readily admitted his ignorance. Kang Jin-ho didn’t think he was inferior to anyone when it came to combat, but that didn’t mean he was a master of combat.

His combat relied heavily on instinct. He couldn’t predict the opponent’s movements. What he predicted was the opponent’s reaction.

That’s why Kang Jin-ho could be a tactician but not a strategist. When it came to a battle between forces, the presence of someone who could see the bigger picture than Kang Jin-ho was absolutely necessary.

“Because of what is lost due to the battle.”

Lee Hyun-soo said firmly.

“If it’s a war over land, the land becomes devastated. And in times like these, problems arise elsewhere. For example…”

Lee Hyun-soo paused slightly.

It wasn’t an intention to build up the atmosphere. It was because he was reluctant to say these words in front of Kang Jin-ho.

“Friends, family, and…”

There was no need to say more. The moment the words ‘friends’ and ‘family’ came out, Kang Jin-ho’s atmosphere changed completely. To the point where one couldn’t dare to speak.

Lee Hyun-soo was startled and waved his hand at the chilling cold that pierced his spine.

“Calm down for now.”

“Family?”

“Calm down! Calm down for now!”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Lee Hyun-soo before closing his eyes. Only then did Lee Hyun-soo feel the oppressive energy disappear and let out a deep sigh.

‘I’m going to die.’

He had seen too many sides of Kang Jin-ho. As a result, every time Kang Jin-ho unleashed his aura, he felt like his soul was being constricted.

He absolutely didn’t want to become like Kim Seok-il.

From his perspective, the presence of a leader who could firmly guide him was essential. A leader who knew how to listen to his subordinates. Kim Seok-il was not capable of that, but Kang Jin-ho was someone who could be. At least in his judgment.

But Kang Jin-ho had one more fatal flaw than Kim Seok-il.

‘He’s scary.’

It was strange and awkward for an adult man to feel ‘fear’ towards another adult man, but what could he do if that was the truth?

Kim Seok-il had persistently tormented him. He tried to instill the feeling that he could destroy him at any time, and he had made countless actual threats. And he actually had the ability and the nature to do it. He was ruthless and vicious.

But Lee Hyun-soo had never been afraid of Kim Seok-il. He had felt annoyed, but that was it.

But Kang Jin-ho was different. Kang Jin-ho had never threatened Lee Hyun-soo even once. Yet, Lee Hyun-soo was afraid of Kang Jin-ho.

He knew that there was no reason for Kang Jin-ho to be hostile to him now, but he felt an irrational fear from Kang Jin-ho.

This was a big problem.

If someone like Lee Hyun-soo felt fear, it meant that ordinary people wouldn’t even be able to breathe in front of Kang Jin-ho. Naturally, no matter how much Kang Jin-ho tried to be open, the people around him would inevitably push him to be closed off.

Because there would be very few people who had the courage to point out even if Kang Jin-ho was doing something wrong or going in the wrong direction.

So Lee Hyun-soo had to speak. He had to grit his teeth and speak.

“You’ve already experienced it a few times.”

“That wasn’t just bad luck. It was something that Kang Jin-ho-ssi brought upon himself.”

“Brought upon myself?”

Kang Jin-ho frowned as if he didn’t like the word.

“Yes. It was self-inflicted.”

Kang Jin-ho quietly looked at Lee Hyun-soo. As if telling him to explain.

“Those who are targeting Kang Jin-ho-ssi are now concrete. Kang Jin-ho-ssi himself probably has an idea of a couple of places.”

There was no answer. And Lee Hyun-soo didn’t wait for an answer either.

“Kang Jin-ho-ssi’s basic way of thinking is simple. If you attack, I’ll break you, if you touch me, I’ll kill you.”

“That’s because Kang Jin-ho-ssi has confidence in himself. Ah, of course, please don’t misunderstand. It’s not that it’s wrong. Kang Jin-ho-ssi is more than qualified to do so. But…”

Lee Hyun-soo paused slightly.

“The problem is that others also know how strong Kang Jin-ho-ssi is. In the beginning, there were those who tried to target Kang Jin-ho-ssi directly, but now they know too. That it’s a reckless act.”

“That’s why they target those around you. At least Kang Jin-ho-ssi will have a burden, even if it’s just one. Then his actions will become dull, and the possibility will increase even a little. Right now, Kang Jin-ho-ssi is giving them time to steadily target those around him.”

Lee Hyun-soo swallowed hard.

Normally, he shouldn’t be saying these words to Kang Jin-ho. He had already had the experience of burying Kang Jin-ho in a tunnel with his friend.

Reminding Kang Jin-ho of that memory would not be good for Lee Hyun-soo.

But he had to do it.

If it wasn’t now, it would be too late. He had to speak now.

It was inevitable. He was someone who pursued the best efficiency. It was right to put the organization before himself. He could endure his own disadvantages if it was for the organization to achieve the best results.

And whether he knew Lee Hyun-soo’s intentions or not, Kang Jin-ho quietly opened his mouth.

“Then what should I do, Cheongma? No…”

‘Cheongma?’

In Lee Hyun-soo’s eyes, he saw the corner of Kang Jin-ho’s mouth curl up for a moment.

“Lee Hyun-soo.”

It was the moment the conversation began.