Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 497

Vroom.

Kang Jin-ho glanced over at Jo Gyu-min. Seeing Jo Gyu-min driving with a ‘whatever happens, happens’ look on his face, he couldn’t help but smile.

“I don’t know how long it’s been since I’ve ridden in the passenger seat like this.”

“That’s right. Come to think of it, I used to drive you around a lot, but ever since you got into driving, you’ve never ridden in my car.”

“In the end, I’m just putting you through trouble.”

“It’s no trouble at all. Driving Mr. Kang Jin-ho around is just an extension of my work. To be honest… it was the best time to skip work legally under the guise of doing something with Mr. Kang Jin-ho. I can’t do that anymore, though.”

Seeing Jo Gyu-min looking somewhat wistful, Kang Jin-ho burst out laughing.

“Should I sell my car?”

“You don’t have to go that far.”

If he said yes, even as a joke, Kang Jin-ho would really sell his car without any hesitation. That’s the kind of person he is. To prevent that terrible situation, Jo Gyu-min put on a serious face for the first time in a while.

“Speaking of cars…”

“Yes?”

“My Goldie was completely wrecked during the last incident.”

“Ah, that’s right.”

“I tried to find something similar on my own, but I couldn’t… I’m sorry, but could you order another one just like it?”

“Goldie?”

“Yes.”

That’s right. It was a bicycle. A bicycle…

Jo Gyu-min’s head started to throb.

When Kang Jin-ho first named that bicycle Goldie, it was still something that could be called a bicycle. But as time went on, it began to transcend the concept of a bicycle.

Modern bicycles had ceded their position as a means of transportation to bikes, and were now used for commuting and leisure. Ultimately, how efficiently it could travel far with the same amount of power determined the identity of a bicycle.

But Goldie was a bicycle that directly rejected the paradigm of modern bicycles. When the pedals kept breaking every other day due to Kang Jin-ho’s intense pedaling, they eventually focused on making pedals that wouldn’t break, regardless of weight.

After the frame and everything else were gradually modified in the same direction, Goldie, which had started as a super-lightweight bicycle with a frame costing over ten million won [approximately $7,500 USD], became heavier than a rice delivery bike.

‘Maybe it would be better to just have one custom-made?’

For the average person, the process of making a bicycle lightweight is necessary. No matter how sturdy it is, if a bicycle is heavier than a car, no one would ride it… no, they wouldn’t be able to.

But Kang Jin-ho is different. If the bicycle doesn’t break, he’s the kind of person who would ride a bicycle heavier than a car just fine.

‘I should talk to Jae Kyung Heavy Industries and have them make a prototype. I’ll tell them I have something to use for testing, and that it doesn’t matter how heavy it is, just make a bicycle that will never break or be damaged…’

But at that point, could it even be called a bicycle?

Jo Gyu-min couldn’t help but be tormented by the sudden conceptual confusion.

It’s all because of this guy.

Jo Gyu-min glanced at Kang Jin-ho with a slightly resentful look.

He was burning up inside because of what Kang Jin-ho had said, but here he was, talking about bicycles so casually. What was so important about that right now? Jo Gyu-min answered with a hint of anger.

“I’ll look into it.”

“Thank you.”

“…Yes.”

Jo Gyu-min stared blankly at the road.

Suddenly, he felt a little sad.

“But what’s the story with Chairman Hwang Jung-hoo? What does this have to do with Chairman Hwang Jung-hoo?”

“Wouldn’t it look good if he were appointed as chairman of the board?”

“C-Chairman of the board?”

Jo Gyu-min was surprised and turned to look at Kang Jin-ho.

“I-Is that how it works? No, Chairman Hwang isn’t really interested in that kind of thing. He did briefly serve as chairman of the board because of Mr. Kang Jin-ho before, but that was nothing more than a show.”

“I know.”

“But the position of chairman of the board?”

Kang Jin-ho smiled lightly and said,

“No matter what direction a person pursues, they will eventually hit a wall.”

The same was true for martial arts.

Whether one mastered orthodox martial arts or demonic martial arts, at some point, a person would encounter a wall. A wall that they could never overcome, no matter how hard they tried. Many martial artists failed to overcome that wall.

Some eventually settled there, while others continued to try to overcome the wall until they became crippled.

What Hwang Jung-hoo was facing now was probably a similar wall.

In the end, there were only two ways to overcome a wall. One was to never give up. Even if one fell off a cliff, if they climbed again and again, they would eventually reach the end of the wall. Although the process was very difficult and painful.

The other way was to get a hint from something other than martial arts.

That’s why martial artists sometimes secluded themselves in the mountains to enjoy fishing, or committed strange acts. It wasn’t just because martial artists were eccentric.

In the end, martial artists were so engrossed in martial arts that they devoted their entire lives to it. And those who had mastered martial arts and hit a wall often neglected everything else.

As a result, their common sense was often lower than that of others. They had not experienced even half of the things that ordinary people experienced in their lives.

Naturally, their extremely narrow perspective hindered their deep understanding of martial arts. Only after hitting a wall did they realize this, and they tried to make up for the lost time by engaging in bizarre activities.

It seemed like a very foolish method, but in fact, it was the right thing to do. If one couldn’t overcome a wall because their understanding was lacking due to not experiencing the things they should have, then the only option was to improve that understanding.

“If a person who has only lived looking at one thing hits a wall on that path, then looking at another path is one way to go.”

“But he won’t want to do it himself.”

“That’s a problem I have to persuade him about.”

“Hmm…”

What could he say when the person himself said he would take care of it?

Jo Gyu-min looked ahead with a slightly stiff face.

‘Now that it’s come to this, the only people I can rely on are those guys.’

He could no longer stop Kang Jin-ho. If that was the case, then he had no choice but to go to the people who could stop him. Jo Gyu-min gritted his teeth as he watched the road leading further away from the city.

‘I trust you!’

“What’s the matter, all of a sudden?”

“I came because I have something to say.”

“…I always feel this, but in terms of action, you’ve really reached max level.”

Bang Jin-hoon sighed deeply.

From his perspective, Kang Jin-ho was that kind of person. He was someone who usually rolled around without anyone noticing, but the moment he was sure he had to do something, he would run straight ahead without considering anything around him.

It was the same during the war with the Yeongnam Association, and it was the same when he crushed the Nanahoshi Gumi recently. Even the day before, Bang Jin-hoon had no idea what was going to happen.

He had a feeling that something similar was happening this time as well.

‘Having the ability to act is a good thing, but…’

He wished that at least the people around him could keep pace and run with him. It wasn’t that difficult of a request.

The only saving grace was that Lee Hyun-soo was by his side. Unlike him, Lee Hyun-soo was someone who could pick up on Kang Jin-ho’s subtle movements.

It was ironic that he could feel relieved because Lee Hyun-soo, who used to be the most hated person, was there, but it was inevitable when dealing with an unpredictable person like Kang Jin-ho.

Just as he was about to ask, ‘What are you talking about?’, Bang Jin-hoon noticed something strange.

‘Why is that guy like that?’

Jo Gyu-min, who had come with Kang Jin-ho, had a very earnest expression. The problem was that his earnest gaze was directed at Bang Jin-hoon. Until now, Kang Jin-ho and Jo Gyu-min had never visited the General Assembly together. He had seen them briefly on the bus before going to fight the Yeongnam Association, but this was the first time they had come to the General Assembly like this.

Jo Gyu-min’s sudden first visit to the General Assembly, and that earnest expression. Just those two things were enough to tell him that something unusual was happening. If he couldn’t even figure that out, he should give up his position as the head of the General Assembly and go farm.

Bang Jin-hoon took a deep breath.

Something unexpected was about to happen, but it had already started. He had no choice but to brace himself.

Bang Jin-hoon, who had made up his mind, asked cautiously,

“So… what is it that you wanted to say?”

“…A foundation?”

“Yes.”

“A foundation?”

“…Yes.”

“A foundation?”

Jo Gyu-min felt like applauding. Without any calculation, Bang Jin-hoon was sending Kang Jin-ho’s mentality far into space with just a dumbfounded expression and three repetitions of the question.

‘Oh, how satisfying.’

It was like the taste of sesame salt [a common Korean condiment]. It was like a rain of sesame salt falling from the sky. Kang Jin-ho seemed flustered and hesitated. Seeing that, Jo Gyu-min’s heart was filled with a waterfall of cider [a metaphor for a refreshing feeling].

‘That guy needs to experience it too.’

He needed to experience how much the people around him suffered and struggled because of the things he said without thinking. Jo Gyu-min applauded in his heart, seeing Bang Jin-hoon playing an unexpected role.

“Oh, um, that’s quite unexpected. A foundation…”

Bang Jin-hoon knew that Kang Jin-ho had some connection to orphanages, but he had never thought that Kang Jin-ho would seriously get involved in this area.

That was inevitable, because in Bang Jin-hoon’s mind, Kang Jin-ho was closer to a bloodthirsty killer. A welfare foundation run by a murderer.

“Yes. Well, I understand. I understand, but…”

Bang Jin-hoon asked, still unable to hide his bewilderment.

“I don’t understand the connection between that and your sudden visit here at this time. What do you want from me, and from the General Assembly?”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Bang Jin-hoon calmly and asked,

“I came to find out how much support the General Assembly can provide for this.”

“Support?”

“Yes.”

“What kind?”

“Financially or in terms of manpower.”

Bang Jin-hoon’s face stiffened slightly. This was a very sensitive issue. To put it simply, it meant asking to quantify the influence Kang Jin-ho had on the General Assembly and how much of the General Assembly’s resources could be allocated to Kang Jin-ho.

Whether he knew it or not, it was not something Bang Jin-hoon could easily consider.

And…

In the end, there was only one thing Bang Jin-hoon could say.

“I don’t know how much support I can provide. To be honest, I’m the head of the General Assembly, but I’m a bit weak in those numerical aspects. You should discuss these things with Lee Hyun-soo, and there seems to be one issue that I need to decide on… If I were to answer that part…”

Bang Jin-hoon moistened his lips.

Bang Jin-hoon, who had lowered his head as if he was being tortured, raised his head again and looked straight at Kang Jin-ho.

“Regardless of my personal preferences, if Mr. Kang Jin-ho has something he wants to do, the General Assembly will provide all possible support. If there is something you want, do it. I will help you even if it costs me my life.”

Jo Gyu-min looked up at the ceiling with a face as if the world had collapsed.

‘I’m doomed!’

That guy has no sense.

And so, in the head of the Korean Martial Arts General Assembly, a scene that crushed Jo Gyu-min’s heart was unfolding.