Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 614

“It’s collapsing.”

Lee Jung-gul stood on his spear, observing everything.

Collapsing.

Everything he had built was collapsing.

He didn’t feel particularly wronged.

Just moments ago, he was struggling with rising anger, but at some point, it vanished as if washed away.

When he thought about it, that’s how life was. It takes constant effort and a lot of time to build something up, but it can collapse in an instant.

He had thought that moment of collapse wouldn’t come, that it was a story that had nothing to do with him.

But life gives equal pain to everyone. Lee Jung-gul’s mistake was not knowing that fact in advance.

‘It’s almost refreshing.’

It was collapsing so miserably.

Of course, those who received Kang Jin-ho’s warning had escaped this place. More than half had escaped, so it was only natural that they couldn’t face them with this force.

But he didn’t think the situation would have changed much even if they had stayed. That’s how overwhelming the abilities of those Kang Jin-ho had brought were.

If he had known that they had that level of ability in advance, Lee Jung-gul might have given up everything and lived in seclusion.

‘No, that’s impossible.’

Lee Jung-gul chuckled.

He knew himself well.

Just because he lived in the mountains didn’t mean he was a person suited for seclusion. He was ultimately a human being made to endlessly crave power.

If Kang Jin-ho’s ability was beyond his expectations, he would have struggled to find a way to capture Kang Jin-ho.

That was Lee Jung-gul’s way of life.

“It would have been better if you had done it moderately.”

Lee Jung-gul turned his head. The elders were standing there, looking at him.

“You should start preparing soon. They’ll be here soon.”

“What is there to prepare?”

Lee Jung-gul shrugged his shoulders.

“You need preparation to live, but you don’t need preparation to die. I don’t know what happens after death, so what am I going to prepare for?”

“At least call your granddaughter.”

“No need.”

Lee Jung-gul chuckled.

“I hate melodramas. Besides, I want to remain a strong grandfather to her. I couldn’t do that for my children.”

“Are you still holding it in your heart?”

“Enough.”

Lee Jung-gul shook his head. It was a useless story now.

What did the past matter?

“I should have stored more wild ginseng wine. I didn’t even get to rinse my mouth.”

“It’s soju, you know.”

“Think of it as wild ginseng wine. And I don’t know which of you drank it all, but I’ll find the culprit even in the afterlife.”

Lee Jung-gul gritted his teeth.

“You’re so petty.”

The elders’ expressions were bright.

‘They’re just pretending to be okay.’

Who could be indifferent to death?

No one could. They were just desperately holding on.

It wasn’t just death.

Those who were falling under their blades were their sons and disciples. How could they be at ease when their loved ones were falling so miserably?

“You’re such a cruel person.”

Lee Jung-gul sighed softly.

Kang Jin-ho was strong.

And cruel.

He was the most troublesome type to have as an enemy. It wasn’t that he didn’t know that, but now that the situation had come to this, he realized it again. Who he was dealing with.

“Well, straighten your shoulders. It seems they’ve arrived.”

Bang!

No sooner had Lee Jung-gul finished speaking than the door was kicked open. Then, those who were emitting demonic energy poured in.

“Krrr!”

The demonic beings, who seemed to barely maintain their sanity, exploded with killing intent as soon as they found Lee Jung-gul and rushed at him.

“Get back!”

Lee Jung-gul’s roar erupted.

The demonic beings flinched at the lion’s roar, which was filled with inner energy [a martial arts technique using internal power to amplify the voice].

‘Even with a lion’s roar that has the power to dispel evil, I can’t completely push them back.’

Even Lee Jung-gul, who could be said to be the legitimate successor of Korean orthodox martial arts, couldn’t restore the minds of those demonic beings. The best he could do was make them retreat as if they had seen something unpleasant.

“This is not your place. Bring Kang Jin-ho.”

The demonic beings visibly wavered at the mention of Kang Jin-ho’s name.

“Hoo…”

Lee Myung-hwan rubbed his face. With his hands covered in blood.

“Calm down. He’s right. Our role ends here.”

At Lee Myung-hwan’s words, the demonic beings took a breath. The demonic energy that had been pouring out slowly receded, and their eyes returned to normal.

“Ugh.”

“I’m going to die.”

Groans escaped their lips.

They couldn’t have been unharmed after dealing with that many people. Half of the blood that soaked their entire bodies was their own. Once the demonic energy was removed, their minds became clear, and the pain intensified.

“Tsk, tsk, foolish things.”

Lee Jung-gul clicked his tongue softly.

“Martial arts that are not orthodox will always leave a burden on the body. Right now, you’re just intoxicated by the fact that you’ve become stronger, and everything feels good, but soon you’ll realize that you’ve made the wrong choice. There’s a reason why our ancestors rejected demonic arts.”

The answer came from elsewhere.

“Thanks for the advice.”

Kang Jin-ho slowly walked in.

“But that’s a problem for the living to solve, not something for someone who’s about to die to worry about.”

“Hahaha, that’s true.”

Lee Jung-gul smiled as he looked at Kang Jin-ho.

‘It’s a strange feeling.’

He should hate him.

He should want to chew on Kang Jin-ho’s flesh. But strangely, he didn’t feel any hatred.

He even felt a little glad.

What should he say…

‘Yes, maybe that’s it.’

A successor.

Kang Jin-ho wouldn’t admit it, and he couldn’t openly talk about it either. But circumstantially, Kang Jin-ho was Lee Jung-gul’s enemy and successor.

He had taken everything from him. But he was also the one who would inherit everything he had built. Lee Jung-gul chuckled at the dual emotions he felt towards Kang Jin-ho.

“You’ve come a long way.”

“It wasn’t particularly difficult.”

“Yes, it would be.”

There wasn’t a single drop of blood on Kang Jin-ho’s body. It meant he had barely used his hands.

‘Did everything collapse with just a hundred or so people?’

The saying ‘a castle built on sand’ had never felt so real.

No, that couldn’t be.

What he had built was not something that could be dismissed as a sandcastle. It wasn’t that his power was weak. It was that they were strong.

Beyond his expectations.

“Now, Korea will be entirely in your hands.”

Kang Jin-ho looked at Lee Jung-gul without answering. The two men’s gazes met in the air.

“Now that you’ve achieved what you wanted, how do you feel?”

“It’s not what I wanted.”

“Really?”

Lee Jung-gul looked at Kang Jin-ho with a subtle expression.

“I thought so too. That you were soft. If I were you, I would never have let me live. But you let me live. I thought then, this person isn’t as strong-willed as he seems. But…”

Lee Jung-gul laughed as if he was dumbfounded.

“You’re a human butcher.”

“The result of those who have opposed you so far has been one of two things. Either they die, or they become your dogs. A very simple choice. But there are only two who have escaped that. Do you know who they are?”

Kang Jin-ho didn’t answer. Lee Jung-gul didn’t particularly expect an answer from Kang Jin-ho either.

“It’s me and Kim Seok-il. Let’s say Kim Seok-il was an accident. No, that guy suffered a fate worse than death. He was tortured so much and then let go, so I guess that’s understandable. But I’m different.”

Lee Jung-gul said in a self-deprecating tone.

“You acted like you needed me. But you didn’t try to use me. Just like I had no intention of cooperating with you, you had no intention of accepting me from the start. Isn’t that right?”

Lee Jung-gul’s voice became more and more agitated.

“I’m like that, a bait placed in a nest of bugs. Just by leaving it there, bugs will gather. And if you spray insecticide on the gathered bugs, the house will be clean. Isn’t that right?”

Kang Jin-ho, who had been listening quietly, opened his mouth.

“So?”

“Does it make you feel better if I say that?”

“I just want to know the truth.”

“There’s only one truth.”

Kang Jin-ho’s face was still calm.

“If you were satisfied with the given situation, this would never have happened. I never asked anything of you. You interpreted the situation as you pleased and made plans. It’s not right to blame others just because it didn’t work out.”

“Blame others…”

“Yes, blame others. Should I make it clearer? If you were dissatisfied with that, you could have just come to me. If you had just said one word that you wanted to be in charge of something, it would have been resolved. But you didn’t. Because what you wanted was only possible if I was gone.”

Lee Jung-gul smiled bitterly.

“In the end, we were incompatible.”

“It was possible. If you had given up your greed. But you didn’t. That’s the cause of everything.”

“Greed…”

Lee Jung-gul sighed.

“There’s a lot to say. There are a lot of things I want to say. But what’s the point now? We’ve come this far.”

“Any last words?”

“Listen, Kang Jin-ho.”

Lee Jung-gul looked at Kang Jin-ho quietly and said.

“Don’t act like everything is over. I’m still a martial artist. I don’t think I can beat you, but I don’t intend to give up my neck so easily.”

“I know. But I should still listen to your last words. This is the last courtesy I can give you.”

Kang Jin-ho acknowledged Lee Jung-gul.

Those who have not led an organization of this size do not know how difficult that position is. If he didn’t acknowledge Lee Jung-gul, who had climbed from the bottom to create and run the Assembly, who would he acknowledge?

Not as a martial artist.

He was acknowledging Lee Jung-gul as a human being.

Although they had come this far because their paths were different, he didn’t have any particular ill feelings towards Lee Jung-gul.

“…My granddaughter is innocent.”

“I understand.”

Kang Jin-ho nodded plainly. From that attitude, Lee Jung-gul could be sure that Lee Hyun-joo would not be discriminated against.

‘Then that’s enough.’

What more could he ask for?

It was enough to have enjoyed this tumultuous world. There was no way to avoid death. Kang Jin-ho was not the type of person who would spare him just because he cried and begged. Rather, he was the type of person who would cut his throat more decisively.

And he himself had no intention of doing that either.

“Come on. Forget about status and all that. I want to die as a martial artist in the end. You are the best martial artist in Korea right now, no matter what anyone says. Yes, it would be an honor to die at your hands.”

Kang Jin-ho clenched his fist.

From his clenched fist, ink-like demonic energy began to flow out.

“There’s no honor in death. Death is just death.”

“…Is that so?”

“Don’t worry. I’ll kill you for sure. So that you won’t have any regrets left.”

With those words, the two men began to approach each other. The air in the room grew cold.