Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 572

“Western martial arts in external training…”

Lee Jung-gul gazed out the window, his expression bitter. Young martial artists moved with purpose among the Assembly buildings visible outside.

‘That’s what you’d call vitality, I suppose.’

Lee Jung-gul acknowledged the changes brought by Kang Jin-ho and Bang Jin-hoon.

Since they had taken over the Assembly, it had gained a new vigor. Looking back, he had to admit that the Assembly had stagnated during his tenure as head.

It was difficult and painful to confront his own mistakes so directly. But Lee Jung-gul didn’t shy away from the truth.

As proof…

There were no young martial artists who wanted his reinstatement.

Occasionally, some young martial artists expressed dissatisfaction with Bang Jin-hoon or Kang Jin-ho, but that didn’t mean they wanted to overthrow them. Even those who disliked the current changes recognized the need for some kind of change.

Even if the change was in a direction they didn’t prefer, it was better than stagnation.

That’s probably what they were thinking.

‘Change…’

Lee Jung-gul raised a hand and rubbed his eyes.

Looking back, he hadn’t truly welcomed change. Of course, it wasn’t as if he hadn’t changed at all. But the changes he had made were always focused on getting stronger to defeat the Yeongnam Assembly. He believed he could nurture martial artists while maintaining the existing system as much as possible.

He never considered that the system he had painstakingly created through countless trials and errors might have any flaws.

“It wasn’t a problem… The system at the time wasn’t bad either. If there was a problem, it wasn’t the system but the people.”

The world was constantly evolving.

Even a system that seemed perfect at one point was bound to require modifications over time. Of course, there would be some friction during the modification process, but if you constantly adapted and changed, you would eventually have a system that was far superior to the old one.

Lee Jung-gul had overlooked that.

He was relieved that he had created a system that ran smoothly after all his hard work. He hadn’t realized that the absence of friction meant the absence of change.

Until Bang Jin-hoon appeared.

And even then, there had been a chance. When Bang Jin-hoon had demanded change and immediate action, if he had accepted his opinion, things wouldn’t have escalated this far.

But Lee Jung-gul had refused to accept his opinion. He hadn’t listened to the substance of his argument, but focused on his attitude. He had seen a young director challenging him as a personal affront.

‘How foolish.’

Lee Jung-gul clicked his tongue.

If he had been open-minded enough to accept Bang Jin-hoon’s opinion as valuable advice at that time,

The Assembly would be in a different place now. And he himself wouldn’t have been relegated to the back room like this.

But the Lee Jung-gul of that time didn’t possess the tolerance he had now.

Those who are on a successful path often tend to believe that their opinions are always correct. Because they have never experienced failure. Humans learn that their opinions can be wrong through failure. But Lee Jung-gul had never had that opportunity.

That’s why Lee Jung-gul had failed.

He admitted it. It was a fact he had no choice but to acknowledge.

If he looked back on his entire life, he might be able to call it a success, but Lee Jung-gul’s end was not a glorious one.

‘Do I regret it?’

Of course, he regretted it. Of course, he regretted it.

But that didn’t mean he was refusing to accept it. He had been wrong. So it was natural to fail.

However….

Lee Jung-gul quietly looked down.

Even if it wasn’t his intention, he had eventually stepped down from the front lines of the Assembly. As he observed the Assembly from an outsider’s perspective, with his hands off the reins, he saw things he hadn’t noticed before.

Just as those who give advice can see more than those who are actually playing the game, Lee Jung-gul, having stepped down from the heavy position of Assembly head for the first time, also began to view the Assembly from a different angle.

‘This isn’t the right direction.’

Change is good. Change is always necessary.

But that change must move in a positive direction.

But what was the current Assembly?

‘It’s like me in the past.’

They were simply obsessed with getting stronger.

They didn’t distinguish between what should be accepted and what should not be accepted. They didn’t consider the long-term side effects of their current actions to gain strength.

It was a typical mindset of a successful faction.

Even if there was some risk, they had an unfounded belief that it would ultimately lead to positive results. They were pushing things forward based on that belief. Just as he had done in the past.

Lee Jung-gul tapped the window with a slightly anxious expression.

He had to stop it.

This wasn’t just for his own personal gain. It was for the long-term glory of the Korean Martial Arts Assembly.

“Not for personal gain, you say.”

“……Is that really so?”

Lee Jung-gul turned around.

“Have you come?”

His granddaughter, Lee Hyun-joo, was looking at him with cold eyes.

“You don’t look well.”

“I can’t be. You keep leaving your seat, Grandpa.”

“I also have personal matters to attend to.”

“Is that really because of personal matters?”

Lee Jung-gul’s eyes narrowed slightly.

It was expected. No matter how secretly he moved, someone would eventually notice. Especially since it was impossible to hide everything from Lee Hyun-joo, who was always aware of his movements.

She was a smart child, so she would know what Lee Jung-gul was planning.

“What if it’s not a personal matter?”

At Lee Jung-gul’s question, Lee Hyun-joo bit her lip slightly.

“Grandpa.”

“Yes, speak.”

Lee Jung-gul wore a gentle smile.

“This isn’t right, Grandpa.”

“What isn’t right?”

“……What you’re doing now.”

“I don’t quite understand what you mean by what I’m doing.”

“Shall I call it a coup?”

“Or shall I call it a rebellion?”

“Hyun-joo.”

“Don’t say you’re just taking back what’s yours. The Assembly doesn’t belong to you, Grandpa. This isn’t a monarchy anymore.”

“Hyun-joo!”

Lee Jung-gul’s face contorted.

“You can curse me all you want. But please know that I’m not doing this for selfish reasons. What glory would I gain at this age, that I would be blinded by power and try to overturn the Assembly?”

“Can you really say that’s not the case?”

The two’s gazes collided in the air.

“If you really don’t have such intentions, Grandpa, you don’t need to do things this way. You can just go and talk to them. Kang Jin-ho isn’t someone you can’t talk to. Head Bang Jin-hoon will also respect your opinion.”

“You don’t know.”

Lee Jung-gul said firmly.

“You don’t know men. You don’t know the kind of people martial artists are.”

Lee Jung-gul spoke with conviction.

“They might listen to the story. They might understand and accept it. But the direction won’t change.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Let’s put it the other way around.”

Lee Jung-gul opened his mouth, looking at Lee Hyun-joo with a stern face.

“If I were to tell them now to remove the foreign influence and revive the Assembly with only Korean traditions, what do you think they would do?”

Lee Hyun-joo couldn’t answer easily.

Lee Jung-gul said as if to say, ‘See?’

“You don’t want me to persuade Kang Jin-ho and the others. You want me to be convinced while talking to them. Isn’t that right?”

“Grandpa…”

Lee Hyun-joo sighed and said.

“The world has changed. We can’t just cling to the old ways anymore.”

“You’re wrong.”

“……Huh?”

“What I want is not to stick to tradition. I don’t want that. The tradition I’m talking about would be pathetic in the eyes of the old masters. They would say, ‘What kind of tradition is that?’”

Lee Hyun-joo nodded.

“I don’t want to protect that kind of thing. What I want to protect is the Assembly. Do you think the Assembly can be maintained as it is?”

“Why not?”

“Change is necessary. But that change shouldn’t be like that. That change will inevitably create conflict. In a situation where two unmixed forces, the Assembly and the Yeongnam Assembly, already coexist, what are those who have dedicated themselves to the Assembly supposed to do if outsiders infiltrate the leadership like that?”

Lee Hyun-joo couldn’t answer.

That’s because Lee Hyun-joo was also among those who had dedicated themselves to the Assembly.

She admitted it.

It was sad.

In the past, Lee Hyun-joo was one of the core members of the Assembly. Although her voice wasn’t that loud, she worked hard for the Assembly as a representative of the young martial artists.

But since Kang Jin-ho and the others took over, her presence had diminished.

Even those who used to look at her with admiration now paid little attention to her.

It was a sad thing.

However, Lee Hyun-joo was able to accept all of this. It was because she admitted that she had been overvalued not because of her abilities but because of her grandfather’s influence.

But what about the others?

Could everyone accept their situation like Lee Hyun-joo?

Probably not.

When they lose something, not many people can blame themselves. Most people tend to find external factors or excuses. If not, they will think that someone has taken it from them.

How many people in the Assembly and the Yeongnam faction would think that their position had been taken away? They were just suppressed by Kang Jin-ho’s charisma, but beneath the surface, dissatisfaction was simmering.

“Grandpa, but that’s the flow.”

“They have done their best. They are the ones who created the current Assembly. But are you going to create a world only for the young ones without showing them any reward or respect? I can’t accept that.”

“In the end, it’s just your desire to regain power, isn’t it?”

Lee Jung-gul’s face contorted.

“There must be a reason. Yes, there is a reason for everything. The important thing is whether that reason is justifiable, isn’t it? You said it yourself, Grandpa. That you thought too much alone, that you didn’t talk… You’re doing the same thing now. Problems that can be solved through conversation…”

“Conversation?”

Lee Jung-gul growled.

“You’re being naive. There are no problems in the world that can be solved through conversation. Especially in this world. Did Kang Jin-ho take over the Assembly through conversation? Did Bang Jin-hoon become the head through conversation?”

“Those who have risen to power through force will not give it up through conversation. To take back a position that was taken by force, we have no choice but to use force as well.”

“You know it’s impossible.”

“Hyun-joo.”

Lee Jung-gul smiled quietly.

“You don’t know who I am. Why I am Lee Jung-gul.”

“Now everyone will remember again. Why I am Lee Jung-gul, how I have ruled the Assembly all this time. If they don’t remember, I will make them remember. I will! And…”

Lee Jung-gul chuckled and shook his head.

“It’s no use talking to you. It’s better for you not to come to the Assembly for a while. Go back home.”

“Grandpa!”

“Take this girl away and lock her up.”

As soon as Lee Jung-gul finished speaking, the door opened, and sturdy middle-aged men came in and grabbed Lee Hyun-joo’s arms.

“Grandpa! It’s not too late yet! Grandpa!”

Lee Jung-gul, who was watching Lee Hyun-joo being dragged out the door, turned around and looked out the window.

“It’s already too late.”

It was irreversible now.

Everything had already begun.