Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 596

The rain showed no signs of stopping.

Jang Da-jing actually found it a bit of a relief. Thanks to the heavy rain, the sounds were somewhat muffled, and the blood that would have otherwise stained the ground was being washed away.

Lee Hyun-soo’s men, who had been surrounding the estate, rushed inside upon Jang Da-jing’s signal.

As they began to assist the panicked employees and erase any traces, Jang Da-jing spoke.

‘What on earth were they thinking, trying to oppose Kang Jin-ho?’

‘Haa…’

Bator simply shook his head.

‘Jang Da-jing.’

‘Yes, Lord Bator.’

‘Remember this.’

‘Yes?’

‘Remember this tragedy well. And keep this in mind. Humans are never rational.’

‘Humans tend to think they are rational, but they are not. They are emotional and reckless. Especially those who have left their choices to others, they will never make rational decisions.’

‘I don’t understand.’

‘Because they believe their judgment is inferior to others.’

‘Ah.’

Bator gave a wry smile, seeing that Jang Da-jing didn’t seem to fully grasp his point.

‘Jang Da-jing.’

‘Yes.’

‘I can fly in the sky.’

‘Yes?’

Jang Da-jing’s eyes widened.

What was he talking about?

‘Let’s say I told you that I recently learned how to fly. Would you believe me, or not?’

‘…I think I would believe you.’

‘Why?’

‘Because you don’t speak empty words, Lord Bator.’

‘That’s how humans are.’

Jang Da-jing seemed to understand what Bator was getting at.

Humans cannot fly in the sky.

Martial arts allowed humans to jump high and stay in the air for a while, but it never allowed them to fly.

Logically, even if Bator said he could fly, Jang Da-jing shouldn’t believe it. However, his personal experience and judgment of Bator made him believe it.

‘So, their belief in Lee Joong-gul is like that, is it?’

‘Whether it’s Lee Joong-gul or not doesn’t matter. They would have been fine with anyone who could make choices for them. Anyone they deemed wiser than themselves.’

Bator shook his head and said,

‘Don’t forget, Jang Da-jing. Choices are always your own. No matter how great someone is, they cannot make your choices for you.’

‘I will keep that in mind.’

‘It seems like things are mostly finished here.’

Bator scratched his chin.

‘It can’t be this simple.’

Lee Joong-gul, was it?

Bator never underestimated him. Even if he was just a king in a mountain where there were no tigers, if a fox had been a mountain king for decades… that fox was already a spirit [a metaphor for someone who is cunning and experienced].

There was no way such a spirit would be so careless.

‘There must be something else, but at least it’s not here. So, who won the lottery?’

‘Lord Bator?’

‘No, it’s nothing.’

Bator turned around.

‘Let’s go back.’

‘Are you going to the General Assembly?’

‘Yes.’

As Bator walked ahead, Jang Da-jing quickly followed behind him.

‘They are also unlucky. They had to face Lord Bator.’

‘Do you think so?’

‘Don’t you think so? Well, I guess dying at the hands of Lord Bator might be cleaner than facing Kang Jin-ho.’

‘Those who meet me or their master tend to die peacefully.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘The unluckiest ones are those who meet that sly one.’

‘…Yes?’

Jang Da-jing stared blankly at Bator.

* * *

‘Ugh.’

Night Wiggins scratched his ear with his finger.

‘That’s strange. My ear keeps itching?’

As Night Wiggins kept scratching his ear, Elena spoke irritably.

‘What are you doing?’

‘My ear keeps itching.’

‘Is this really the time to be talking about itching?’

‘Hmm.’

Night Wiggins had a dissatisfied look, but he seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation and didn’t voice his complaints.

‘It’s definitely not a normal situation.’

Night Wiggins began to sneer.

‘But I don’t know if these guys are smart or stupid.’

‘…Why?’

‘They’re plotting rebellion while using the same accommodations they always used. I don’t know if that’s stupid or if they’re just taking advantage of the obvious.’

‘Please, try to be a little tense, Father.’

‘I am plenty tense.’

Elena facepalmed.

The Night Wiggins she knew was a very cold and emotionless person. He was someone who wouldn’t hesitate to do anything for his goals and the Round Table, possessing both boldness and sharpness. That was Elena’s assessment of Night Wiggins.

But….

‘How did he become like this?’

Night Wiggins, who had thrown away the mask that symbolized the Round Table, seemed like a completely different person than before. It was as if he had lost a few screws.

‘No, he was always like this.’

In her old memories.

That is, before Night Wiggins became Night, he was like this. Back then, Night Wiggins was a caring and playful father.

He had changed after taking on the heavy responsibility of being Night.

There was a time when she had desperately wished for her father to return to his old self, but now that her wish had come true, what could she say….

‘Some wishes are better left unfulfilled.’

Some things are only beautiful in memories. If you try to revive those memories, you end up seeing the less beautiful aspects of them.

The Night Wiggins she saw as a child was a good father, but the Night Wiggins she saw as an adult was….

‘Please, have some dignity.’

‘I said I would.’

Seeing Night Wiggins’s mouth twitch, Elena sighed.

She didn’t want to scold her father either.

If only the situation wasn’t like this.

Elena looked up at the martial artists of the Gi Baek [a faction within the General Assembly] who were surrounding them.

‘…That’s why I said we should be careful when entering.’

‘No…’

Lee Hyun-soo, that guy…

Night Wiggins scratched his cheek.

The place where he and Elena were now was the former site of the Yeongnam Association. It was the former site of the Yeongnam Association, which had become an abandoned building after Kang Jin-ho and the General Assembly had overthrown it.

After the Yeongnam Association and the General Assembly decided to merge, Lee Hyun-soo had gradually moved the members of the Yeongnam Association to the General Assembly and closed the Yeongnam Association.

However, providing accommodations for the high-ranking members was not a problem that could be solved quickly, and many of the high-ranking members were still using the company housing attached to the Yeongnam Association.

And they had boldly formed a faction within the Yeongnam Association to support Lee Joong-gul.

‘They’re so bold.’

Elena shook her head, seeing Night Wiggins grinning.

‘I really can’t trust him.’

Now she understood why Night Wiggins was so eager to catch her whenever he saw her.

She had never doubted her father’s love. Night Wiggins was someone who cherished Elena more than anyone else. But when it came to work, Night Wiggins pathologically distrusted Elena.

She couldn’t understand the reason at all, but now she felt like she was finally understanding it.

‘It’s self-loathing.’

Night Wiggins’s current behavior was similar to hers. No, to be precise, her behavior was similar to Night Wiggins’s.

Seeing her own behavior in front of her like a mirror made her feel incredibly annoyed. Along with that, her trust in him was plummeting. No wonder there was so much distrust when it came to work!

‘What are you going to do?’

‘Hmm, well… what should I do?’

Night Wiggins pulled at his beard.

‘I originally wanted to handle this quietly, but if things are going to be like this, it’s going to be a bit noisy.’

‘Are you going to do it?’

‘I have to earn my keep.’

‘Okay. Then I’ll just hide… I want to…’

Elena looked around and sighed.

‘There’s nowhere to hide. We’re completely surrounded.’

‘Just watch from here. Do you think I can’t protect you?’

‘Hmm.’

Although she looked unconvinced, Elena nodded.

‘I can’t trust his personality, but…’

She couldn’t help but trust his skills.

No matter what anyone said, her father was Night Wiggins.

Night Wiggins shrugged and stepped forward.

‘Is there a representative?’

There was no response.

Did they not want to talk?

But soon, a slightly different response came back.

‘What is that guy saying?’

‘Is there anyone here who can speak English?’

‘That foreigner is speaking English in Korea. How annoying.’

When he didn’t get the answer he wanted, Night Wiggins turned to Elena with a disgruntled look.

‘I don’t want to be a bother, but it seems like I need a translator?’

‘…Yes.’

‘In this age of globalization, there isn’t a single person who can speak English among all these people. I should probably tell the Lord to open a language class.’

‘It seems like Korean martial artists pathologically hate studying.’

‘That’s a big problem, a big problem.’

Night Wiggins opened his mouth, worrying about the future of the General Assembly.

‘I am Wiggins. I have come under the orders of Kang Jin-ho. Is there a representative among you who would like to speak with me?’

As Elena translated, the people’s gazes turned to one side. The person who received those gazes slowly stepped forward.

‘I wouldn’t call myself a representative, but…’

An old man opened his mouth with a subtle smile.

‘It seems like you can talk to me.’

‘Your title?’

‘I am Choi Sang-mu. It doesn’t seem like we need to introduce ourselves properly.’

‘Very well, Choi Sang-mu.’

Night Wiggins opened his mouth with a friendly smile.

‘My Lord has sent me to you. There was intelligence that you were showing some rebellious movements.’

‘Rebellious…’

Choi Sang-mu chuckled.

‘What is rebellious about it?’

‘I don’t want to argue. If you want to prove your innocence, give up your resistance and come to the General Assembly. As you know, the Lord is not someone who doesn’t listen. If you explain it well that it was a misunderstanding, he might even apologize.’

‘Hahahaha.’

Choi Sang-mu laughed as if he was dumbfounded.

‘This foreigner is making fun of us.’

‘It’s not good to use racial slurs every other word. If you have to, please call me a white guy instead of a foreigner.’

‘…What is he saying?’

Elena facepalmed after finishing the translation.

Where did he hear the term ‘white guy’? He’s been hanging out with the young Korean martial artists in the curriculum, and his condition seems to be getting worse.

‘You’re not planning to surrender?’

‘We have to do something wrong to surrender. We’re just trying to reclaim our positions, how is that wrong? Don’t you think so?’

At Choi Sang-mu’s words, the people surrounding them responded in unison.

Night Wiggins, who had been quietly watching the scene, opened his mouth with a subtle smile.

‘Well, I guess you guys prefer fists over words.’

As Night Wiggins stretched his hand to the side, the space began to distort.