Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 616

The Assembly was in a chaotic flurry.

It was always harder to clean up a mess than to make one. The aftermath of last night’s battle was more significant than anyone had anticipated. The number of injured was staggering, and there were many fatalities.

Cleaning up was no easy task.

And, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, the responsibility fell on one person.

‘I’d rather die than suffer like this! I’d rather die!’

Lee Hyun-soo was already regretting it. Why had he started this mess? In the end, he was the one who had to clean it all up.

‘We’re short on beds.’

‘Damn it, you idiot! How long ago did I tell you to secure beds, and we’re still short! Are there no other hospitals?’

‘We’ve mobilized all the hospitals with connections. If we send them to regular hospitals, they’ll report us.’

‘What about doctors? Can’t we just get some quack doctors to treat them?’

‘Get a grip, Chief. They’re alive because they’re martial artists. If they didn’t have the tenacious vitality of cockroaches, they’d all be dead.’

‘Ah…’

Lee Hyun-soo rubbed his face. The injured, those damn injured.

Lee Hyun-soo now fully understood why ankle mines were used. He had always wondered why they didn’t just kill people outright instead of just blowing off their ankles, but now, seeing the sheer number of casualties, he understood. It was a real eye-opener.

Injured people were the best way to cripple an organization. The manpower required to care for just one injured person was no joke.

‘If it gets too bad, send them to the Yeongnam branch. They have hospitals with connections there too.’

‘Transportation won’t be easy. Some of them are in critical condition.’

‘I’ll provide medical helicopters. For now, send all the minor cases that can be moved by ambulance down there immediately.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Lee Hyun-soo sighed deeply.

‘Okay, the injured are one thing, but has anything been exposed to the media or the public?’

‘We’re constantly monitoring social media and online communities. So far, it seems like nothing has been discovered.’

‘That’s a relief.’

Lee Hyun-soo breathed a sigh of relief.

‘It’s a tough world to live in.’

He didn’t have to worry about these things in the past. If a photo was taken, they could just claim it was a composite or a ghost photo. If that didn’t work, they would use money and power to make the photographer confess that they had fabricated it.

But times had changed.

From smartphones to dashcams and CCTVs… the world was overflowing with cameras. It had become too difficult to live in hiding.

If they were ever caught on camera, it would spread like wildfire across the internet. Back when he was in the Yeongnam Assembly, a drunk guy was once caught on camera using his martial arts in a busy street. He had sweated bullets trying to clean that up.

Ah, of course, that guy had bled, not sweated. A lot.

Anyway, it seemed like they hadn’t been caught on camera this time, thankfully.

‘It’s becoming too large-scale, that’s the problem.’

When they moved and fought in small groups, it wasn’t something they had to worry about much. But with large-scale battles happening frequently, they couldn’t help but worry.

‘My head is going to explode, seriously.’

Lee Hyun-soo sighed deeply.

‘Thank goodness, really.’

It was a relief that things were this troublesome. If things had gone wrong, he wouldn’t even be able to complain like this. It had turned out for the best, so it ended at this level.

‘Have you secured Lee Hyun-joo?’

‘Yes. She was at the mansion.’

‘How did you handle it?’

‘We’ve detained her for now.’

‘Detained?’

‘Yes. Since she’s Lee Jung-gul’s granddaughter, we don’t know what she might do.’

‘Release her.’

‘Huh?’

‘I said, release her, you idiot. What is this, the Joseon era [Korean dynasty from 1392-1897]? Are you going to apply guilt by association?’

‘Well, still…’

‘Wasn’t she locked up there too? Have you ever seen someone who cooperated get locked up?’

‘…I’m sorry.’

‘She needs to attend Lee Jung-gul’s funeral. Even if the disciples act as chief mourners, she needs to participate. Release her immediately. No, bring her here. I need to apologize to her.’

‘Is it really necessary to go that far?’

‘Even a fallen clan is still a clan, you idiot. Even so, being Lee Jung-gul’s granddaughter is something that appeals to the elders. She won’t be able to act recklessly again, but that doesn’t mean she’s cooperative. We need to appease her.’

‘Understood.’

Lee Hyun-soo sighed.

‘It’s complicated, complicated.’

Nothing in this world was easy.

In the past, Lee Jung-gul’s faction held more than half of the Assembly. Even now, after merging with the Yeongnam Assembly, they still made up nearly 30%.

They couldn’t just kill all those people.

They had eliminated the key figures, detained others, and turned some into cripples.

Now that the central figure was gone, they would slowly be absorbed into their side and eventually fall apart.

‘The show of force was enough too.’

Bator and Knight Wiggins had performed better than expected. Those who witnessed their fight were in shock and spreading rumors. With this, no one in the Assembly would be able to question their power.

As for the elders who would act like stubborn old men, Director Jo Nam-pyeong would handle them with his smooth-talking skills. That was why they had recruited him in the first place.

‘Whew, it’s finally over.’

‘You have a meeting to attend.’

‘…Has it already gotten that late? Has Kang Jin-ho arrived?’

‘Yes. He has arrived.’

‘I’m going. Please finish up here.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Lee Hyun-soo hurriedly got up from his seat and rushed to the meeting room.

‘You’re late, you bastard!’

Inside the meeting room was Bang Jin-hoon, looking like a wild boar that had been struck by lightning.

‘I apologize.’

‘You, you bastard… you shouldn’t do that. How can a person be like that? You give support to everyone else and send them to important places, but you dump all the grunt work on me? You’re doing this because you have a grudge against me, right?’

‘Absolutely not, Assembly Head.’

Bang Jin-hoon glared at Lee Hyun-soo with eyes like knives. Lee Hyun-soo flinched and turned his head away.

‘What do you want me to do?’

Of course, Bang Jin-hoon was an important asset. But with Knight Wiggins and Bator joining, his position had become somewhat ambiguous. In terms of raw power, no matter how hard Bang Jin-hoon tried, he couldn’t match them. In the end, the only area where Bang Jin-hoon could excel was leadership.

That was why Lee Hyun-soo had assigned Bang Jin-hoon to lead a faction and tie down the Yeongnam branch’s forces. He had told him to avoid conflict as much as possible and just keep them tied down, but it seemed he couldn’t control his temper and had beaten up a few of them.

‘There was no one else who could do that job but you, Assembly Head. Really.’

‘Whatever, you idiot. I’m sulking.’

‘Wow…’

Kang Jin-ho chuckled.

Lee Hyun-soo was relieved to see Bang Jin-hoon like that.

‘He seems to be in a better mood.’

Yesterday, when he left after eliminating Lee Jung-gul, he had looked very down. It seemed he had recovered his energy in the meantime. It was the first time Lee Hyun-soo had seen Kang Jin-ho’s face clouded with gloom.

‘Everyone worked hard last night.’

At Kang Jin-ho’s words, Bang Jin-hoon sighed and said,

‘Kang Jin-ho.’

‘Yes.’

‘Just speak informally.’

‘Huh?’

Bang Jin-hoon glanced around and said,

‘It seems like I’m the only one here who uses honorifics with you, and it makes me uncomfortable, so just speak informally.’

‘No, that’s…’

‘I’m also uncomfortable being treated with respect by elders who are much older than me.’

‘Who are you calling an elder?’

‘Oh, you’re getting worked up?’

A vein popped out on Kang Jin-ho’s forehead.

An elder!

‘What’s the point of being young if your mental age is that of an elder? Just accept it and speak informally.’

‘No. Still…’

‘Then can I call you an elder?’

‘I’ll speak informally.’

It was impossible to reason with him.

‘Um, so…’

Kang Jin-ho sighed and continued,

‘Everyone worked hard last night.’

‘It was nothing.’

‘It was our duty, Lord.’

‘Let’s not waste time and get to the important matters. Lee Hyun-soo.’

‘Yes, sir.’

Lee Hyun-soo quickly began his briefing.

‘The elders we brought from the Yeongnam branch and the elders we captured at Lee Jung-gul’s house yesterday are all detained.’

‘What about the injured?’

‘We’re securing hospitals, even in the Yeongnam branch, because we’re short on beds.’

‘Okay.’

Kang Jin-ho nodded quietly.

‘Are… the kids okay?’

‘Minor injuries. They’re fine.’

Kang Jin-ho answered casually, as if it were nothing.

‘Is that what he calls minor injuries?’

Did that man misunderstand the meaning of ‘minor’?

Normal people would be in the ICU [Intensive Care Unit], right?

Even if they were martial artists, could that really be called minor injuries?

‘It’s the end of days, the end of days.’

It wasn’t the fact that such a person existed that made it the end of days, but that such a person was talking about welfare foundations.

‘Should I get the kids to stage a protest?’

It was clear that in Kang Jin-ho’s mind, martial artists were not the subject of welfare. This was blatant discrimination against martial artists.

But what could he do?

He had no power, so he had to keep his mouth shut.

‘First, we need to deal with Lee Jung-gul’s funeral.’

‘Funeral?’

‘Yes. Lee Jung-gul has no sons. The only person related to him by blood is his granddaughter.’

‘Granddaughter…’

Lee Hyun-joo’s image flashed in Kang Jin-ho’s mind.

‘It’s a bit awkward to have his granddaughter act as the chief mourner. The Assembly will oversee the funeral, but we plan to appoint one of Lee Jung-gul’s disciples as the chief mourner.’

‘Isn’t it a bit awkward? We killed him, and now we’re holding his funeral.’

‘That’s why we need to do it even more. Those who followed Lee Jung-gul are old-timers. They are very particular about funerals and posthumous treatment. Even if we were the ones who did it, if we treat Lee Jung-gul as a former Assembly Head and hold a grand funeral, their dissatisfaction will be greatly reduced.’

‘Hmm.’

Bang Jin-hoon nodded.

‘There’s definitely that aspect. But have you found a disciple?’

‘We’re selecting a suitable person.’

‘Forget it. I’ll do it.’

‘Huh?’

‘That’s what a director is for. If the country holds a funeral, the chief mourner is appointed by the country. Since the Assembly is holding the funeral, it’s right that I should be the chief mourner.’

‘If you would…’

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Bang Jin-hoon with a face full of joy.

‘Don’t smile, you bastard. I’ll get attached. I have no intention of getting attached to you.’

‘…You’re very firm.’

‘Tsk.’

Bang Jin-hoon changed the subject as if the matter was settled.

‘More importantly, Kang Jin-ho.’

‘Yes.’

‘It’s not yes. I told you to speak informally.’

‘Haa…’

Kang Jin-ho rubbed his forehead. Why was that guy acting like that today?

‘Let’s wrap this up.’

‘What do you mean?’

‘I’ll hand it over after the funeral, so you take over as Assembly Head.’

‘…Huh?’

‘I heard from Lee Hyun-soo. Lee Jung-gul told you to become the Assembly Head, right?’

‘I don’t want to do this either. What good is it for me to hold onto this position? I’ll just be a puppet. Let’s not make things awkward later and settle this now. I’ll give up the Assembly Head position as soon as the funeral is over, so let’s settle this cleanly. Okay?’

Okay, my ass. These guys, they never let people be.