Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 573

‘Your granddaughter has quite the spirit.’

‘Hoo…’

Lee Jung-gul offered a wry smile as he looked at the person entering the room.

‘Indeed, she does.’

‘Even for the Assembly Head, it’s impossible to sever ties with one’s own flesh and blood.’

It was a subtle provocation.

It implied that he was, in the end, just a man swayed by his own family.

Lee Jung-gul was someone who could take such provocations in stride. In a stable world, loyal dogs were needed, but in these chaotic times, a wolf with its fangs bared was more helpful.

‘There’s no need to worry. I’m not someone who will be swayed by family. You know that well, don’t you?’

Director Cho nodded silently.

Indeed, Lee Jung-gul was not one to prioritize family. He knew well how his own son had died.

‘I spoke out of turn. My apologies.’

‘There’s no need to apologize. If it were the old me, I would have found your words very offensive, but I now know that my downfall was due to taking such words to heart. So, I must accept them. Sweetly, that is.’

Lee Jung-gul now understood.

The type of food one ate did not determine the value of the meal. The best meal was one eaten while looking at the corpses of defeated enemies.

Even a fistful of dirt-covered rice would taste like a feast from heaven.

‘What’s the reaction?’

‘They’ve leaned towards us.’

‘Hmm…’

A smile bloomed on Lee Jung-gul’s lips.

‘It was just as you said. Giving them time seems to have been the right answer. Most of them are now in agreement with us. There are a few whose movements are not entirely clear, but we’ve placed them under surveillance, so there shouldn’t be any problems.’

‘Comradeship is important.’

Lee Jung-gul reached out and lightly tapped the glass.

‘Solidarity is like glass. It breaks too easily if you apply too much force, but it’s surprisingly tough when you try to break it. You have to manage the pressure appropriately so it doesn’t shatter.’

‘You are absolutely right.’

‘Anything else?’

Director Cho cleared his throat slightly and began to speak.

‘I must apologize first.’

‘Hmm?’

‘…It was a bit ambiguous to report and then act, so I took the liberty of contacting the elders of the Yeongnam Assembly [a regional branch of the larger Assembly] first.’

Lee Jung-gul’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Director Cho bowed his head deeply.

‘I apologize.’

‘It’s good to be proactive. But making your own decisions means you take responsibility for them. You knew that when you did it, right?’

‘…Of course.’

‘Good, good. Director Cho, neither you nor I are the same as before. I have to let go of what I must, and you can’t just follow orders like before. It’s a good change. However…’

Lee Jung-gul’s voice flowed out calmly.

‘Be careful. You must be careful. We are in a position where we must be cautious with every single move. If your mistake ruins the plan, I don’t think I’ll be able to forgive you.’

Cold sweat beaded on Director Cho’s forehead.

Calm.

But it was that calmness that made it even more frightening.

Kang Jin-ho?

Of course, he was scary.

But the reason he was scary was because he was strong. Why would the elders follow Lee Jung-gul when they had the powerful Kang Jin-ho?

Just to regain their former glory?

Absolutely not.

They all knew.

How tenacious Lee Jung-gul was.

If that tenacious man was hiding behind the scenes, planning, how thorough would that plan be?

‘So, what was the reaction?’

‘Positive.’

‘It’s something we had to do eventually. It’s better that it happened now. But we must constantly monitor whether the secrecy is being maintained.’

‘I will keep that in mind.’

Lee Jung-gul nodded silently.

‘Things are progressing step by step. That’s how things always are. When you start, it’s so slow that it frustrates you, but once you pass a certain point, it becomes so fast that it’s hard to keep up.’

‘Are you finding it difficult?’

‘A little. I’m not getting any younger. But what can I do?’

Lee Jung-gul stroked his beard.

‘It’s about facing Kang Jin-ho, so it shouldn’t be easy. If it were easy, something would be wrong. This is just right.’

‘There are questions about that part.’

‘Questions?’

‘Yes.’

Director Cho spoke with a stiff expression.

‘Everyone agrees that the current Assembly cannot be left as it is. But… they have questions about how the Assembly Head will face Kang Jin-ho. Moreover, recently, even others have joined Kang Jin-ho’s side, haven’t they? That Bator and Knight Wiggins…’

Lee Jung-gul’s face filled with disdain.

‘He’s bringing in all sorts of useless foreigners.’

‘Bator and Knight Wiggins are not people you can call useless. Frankly, among the martial artists in Korea, Kang Jin-ho is the only one who can face them.’

‘Yes, maybe so. But they’re still useless.’

Lee Jung-gul turned to look at Director Cho.

‘People often make a mistake. They say that the martial world is ruled by strong martial artists. But that’s not true. Did I rule the Assembly because there was no martial artist stronger than me in Korea?’

‘Everyone was curious about who would win if I and Kim Seok-il were to fight. It’s a foolish thought. Why would I ever fight Kim Seok-il? Are there soldiers who put down their guns and start fist-fighting?’

‘There wouldn’t be such soldiers.’

‘It’s the same. In the end, it’s the organization that wins. I knew that early on, so I sacrificed my training time to build an organization. What difference would it make if there were one or two strong martial artists among all these martial artists?’

‘But…’

Director Cho looked at Lee Jung-gul, as if he couldn’t understand.

‘In the end, wasn’t it because of that one strong martial artist that we were defeated by the Fang Assembly?’

‘It wasn’t because of one strong martial artist. It was because the calculation of our forces was wrong. If I had known a little earlier that Kang Jin-ho could come for me, the situation would have been different. Not knowing that was my mistake.’

Director Cho looked at Lee Jung-gul with slightly uneasy eyes.

He knew what Lee Jung-gul meant. But the thought of Kang Jin-ho still sent a chill down his spine.

‘Don’t you understand?’

‘…If I had a brain like the Assembly Head, I wouldn’t be under you.’

‘That’s a subtle thing to say.’

Lee Jung-gul walked inside and sat on the sofa. The way he sat with his legs crossed exuded experience.

‘Kang Jin-ho was a variable for me. It was a mistake not knowing about the arrow flying from behind. But now the situation is reversed. I’ve already been defeated by Kang Jin-ho once. And Kang Jin-ho won’t think that someone who has been defeated by him can come at him again.’

‘…Ah!’

‘That’s the kind of person he is. In a way, he’s a thorough competitor and a martial artist. He’ll think I can challenge him, but he’ll believe that the method of that challenge will be different.’

Director Cho nodded.

It certainly seemed like that would be the case.

‘So, I can prepare to stab him in the back step by step. That’s why I keep emphasizing secrecy to you. This is the perfect place. Under the lamp, so to speak. If we don’t make a sound, he won’t know that I’m sharpening my knife here.’

‘That’s right.’

‘What I need to do is sharpen a sharp knife. And keep watching him. Then, create an opening. After that, all that’s left is to stab the knife in well.’

‘Then that knife…’

Lee Jung-gul chuckled.

‘There are too many who want to be that knife. Kang Jin-ho has made too many enemies in a short time. He may believe that he can solve everything with his strength, but he will soon realize how powerless individual strength is, and how terrifying an organization can be.’

Director Cho bowed his head silently.

He didn’t know.

Even after hearing all this, he couldn’t predict who would win this fight. To him, Kang Jin-ho was like an unknown entity that couldn’t be measured.

All he could do was trust and follow Lee Jung-gul.

‘There will probably be a move from their side first.’

‘Yes?’

‘They’ll try to appease the elders who are shaken by the recent changes. They’ll try to give them candy, saying, ‘We’re not taking away your share,’ and ‘The Assembly will not change.’ Someone will think of that. If not, they’re just idiots. They’re not that stupid, so someone will definitely make a move.’

‘So, we should pretend to be convinced and reassure them? Like, ‘We’re naturally on your side’?’

‘You’re an idiot.’

Lee Jung-gul’s face contorted.

‘Curse and shout. Be forceful.’

‘Yes?’

‘They’ll think there won’t be any problems as long as we openly voice our complaints. They’ll be relieved that we’re moving within their predictions. So, move predictably. Shout at Bang Jin-hoon appropriately, and when Kang Jin-ho appears, pretend to cower.’

‘…That’s difficult.’

‘It’s not difficult. It’ll happen naturally. Or are you going to try to fight Kang Jin-ho?’

Lee Jung-gul smiled bitterly as he watched Director Cho shut his mouth.

‘This is reality.’

They complained about wanting to regain their authority, their rights, the future of the Assembly, and their positions, but they weren’t prepared to fight the very person who was the cause of it all. Those who followed Lee Jung-gul were just at that level.

Of course, Lee Jung-gul didn’t trust them.

The more cards you have in your hand, the better. But it’s foolish to bet everything on those cards. In the end, he had learned the hard way that the only person you could trust was yourself.

‘They’re soft.’

If he were Kang Jin-ho, he would have killed Lee Jung-gul the moment he took control of the Assembly. You shouldn’t leave any loose ends. Kang Jin-ho’s leniency had created the current situation.

And Lee Jung-gul also knew.

There would be no second chances.

If he failed this time, he would not survive.

So….

‘I’ll use every means available.’

He wouldn’t hesitate to cling to their pant legs or throw himself into a pit of filth. He didn’t care if he was called a coward or cursed. What he needed to create was a result.

If he could drink a cup of bitter coffee on a victory stage stained with blood and filth, he wouldn’t ask for anything more. Everyone’s finger-pointing would become praise.

‘Now, it begins, Kang Jin-ho. You’ll now know how terrifying a knife flying from behind is. Just like I felt.’

It was the moment the cunning fox revealed his teeth.

Those who wanted to move, those who wanted to use others, and those who knew nothing….

People with different thoughts were heading towards a catastrophe.