Descent Of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 659

‘She must be in that much of a hurry to get here.’

Zhang Xiang sighed and handed the phone to the assistant director.

“How did it go?”

“She said she’s on her way.”

“Really?”

Assistant Director Jo looked at Zhang Xiang, surprised.

“Why? Is it strange that she’s coming?”

“It is strange. Even a normal actor would be upset, but it’s Choi Yeon-ha we’re talking about. She threw a fit at the director… Ahem, anyway, isn’t it strange that such a hot-tempered woman would agree to come so readily? I thought she would get angry and hang up.”

“…I guess so.”

This was one point Zhang Xiang couldn’t argue. He had called, thinking he would be humiliated, hoping to grasp at any straw. But he hadn’t expected such an immediate response.

“She said that a project is a collaborative effort, and if there’s a problem, actors should work together to solve it. She said this project isn’t just the director’s.”

“…That’s a textbook answer. But it’s not an easy one to follow.”

“Right.”

Zhang Xiang clicked his tongue.

He was newly impressed by Choi Yeon-ha’s professionalism. What if their positions were reversed? If Zhang Xiang were the actor, after a fight a few days ago and what happened yesterday, would he head straight to the set just because the director was in trouble?

‘I wouldn’t.’

Zhang Xiang would have hung up to spite the director. Or, he might have faked an illness and stayed in bed until Ryu Wei showed up.

He would have tried to screw over the director any way he could. He would have had enough reason to. Who could blame her for acting that way? Zhang Xiang had given her a hard time just yesterday.

Seeing this small-time actress act like a true leader made Zhang Xiang realize how petty he had been. His face flushed.

Come to think of it, it was impressive that an actress on an overseas shoot was holding up so well. He had been taking it for granted because she was so natural during filming.

‘I need to pay more attention.’

She had an outstanding look, great acting skills, and a professional attitude towards filming. How foolish was it to mistreat such a talent?

“I’m just making myself look bad,” Zhang Xiang clicked his tongue.

“Shall we prepare then?”

“Yes. Change the schedule and film Choi Yeon-ha’s scenes first. It’s an overlapping scene anyway, so it shouldn’t matter.”

“Yes. I’ll prepare accordingly. But the filming schedule will be tight, will that be okay?”

“It should be fine if she gets here quickly…”

A hint of anxiety crossed Zhang Xiang’s face as he checked his watch. But this was the best he could do for now.

“Prepare so that she can start filming right after makeup. We just have to hope she gets here quickly.”

“Yes, Director.”

Zhang Xiang sighed as he watched the assistant director rush out.

‘Thirty minutes… I’m asking for too much.’

Zhang Xiang gave a wry smile as he checked the script.

But he didn’t know.

Choi Yeon-ha’s words weren’t just an expression of her will to get there quickly.

“Aaaaaaaah! I’m gonna die! Oooooooo!”

“Shut up, you!”

“I’m, I’m gonna die… Aaaah! I’m gonna die! Sis! Sis! Stop that crazy man! Oooooooo!”

Choi Yeon-ha looked at Han Eun-sol with a disgusted expression.

“Hey, how can you be such a scaredy-cat as a man?”

“Man? Man? Does that mean a man doesn’t die when he’s thrown around? Does it?”

Han Eun-sol was spouting incomprehensible dialect with bloodshot eyes.

It was a rather pathetic sight. But if anyone knew what Han Eun-sol was going through, no one would blame him.

From ancient times, Sichuan was known for its treacherous roads. [Sichuan is a province in southwestern China known for its mountainous terrain.]

The saying ‘Shu Road’ didn’t come from nowhere. [Shu Road refers to the difficult mountain roads in Sichuan.] Even in modern times, although the roads have improved with paving, there were still many rough roads outside the city.

Moreover, the filming location for the drama was on a mountaintop. To get there, they had to pass through a dangerous road where even a slight mistake could send them tumbling down a cliff.

Locals usually slowed down and drove with a prayer when passing through this area. But now, Kang Jin-ho was driving a large van on that treacherous road. And he was going over 80 km/h.

“He’s crazy! Oooooooo!”

Han Eun-sol could only scream as he saw the sheer cliff through the car window.

Going up this road at this speed? This road?

‘Even Schumacher wouldn’t do this.’ This was beyond reckless. [Michael Schumacher is a retired German Formula One racing driver, known for his exceptional driving skills.]

It was suicidal.

“Kang Jin-ho! Aaaah! Kang Jin-ho!”

“Be quiet!”

“How can I be quiet right now!”

Choi Yeon-ha kept hitting him on the back, but Han Eun-sol couldn’t even feel the pain. Was pain the problem now? He wouldn’t feel pain if he died.

Before they left, he should have ignored Choi Yeon-ha’s words and taken the wheel. He should have checked if she even had an international driver’s license. He should have found any excuse to drive.

Who would have known that the seemingly normal man would turn into a different person behind the wheel?

He was still within the bounds of a reckless driver on the national highway, but as soon as they entered the unpaved roads on the outskirts, he seemed to have shed his human skin and was stepping on the gas.

“You won’t fall.”

“How do you know that!”

“Ha, seriously.”

Choi Yeon-ha looked at Han Eun-sol with a displeased expression, then turned her head back to Kang Jin-ho.

“Are you okay?”

“But is this the right way? I’m just going where you told me to…”

“Just follow this road, and you’ll get there.”

“Then I’ll speed up a bit more. We’re in a hurry.”

“Okay.”

Han Eun-sol’s face trembled as if it was buffering.

What?

Speed up what?

Vroooooooom!

The feeling of the accelerator being pressed down was transmitted throughout his body. Even as the car bounced over the rocks, the feeling of increasing speed was clear.

“You crazy bastards! Aaaaaaaaah!”

Han Eun-sol screamed and screamed with despair and anger. Han Eun-sol screamed his lungs out, but the speed of the van racing along the cliff didn’t slow down at all.

“Is that… that?”

The assistant director pointed somewhere with a slightly surprised look.

“What?”

“Isn’t that Choi Yeon-ha’s van?”

“Huh?”

Zhang Xiang turned his head to look where the assistant director was pointing.

“Huh?”

The director’s eyes widened.

“What? Why is she already here?”

A dusty van was hurriedly entering the filming location. It was definitely Choi Yeon-ha’s van. There weren’t many people who drove vans here. Others usually preferred black vans, but Choi Yeon-ha uniquely drove a white van. It was easy to distinguish at a glance.

But how?

It would take at least an hour and a half to drive from Choi Yeon-ha’s accommodation to here. But she was arriving here in less than 30 minutes?

‘Was she waiting down below?’

No way.

No matter how bored Choi Yeon-ha was, she wouldn’t do that. Even if she had predicted that Ryu Wei wouldn’t show up, there was no need for her to wait below.

Then?

“Maybe she was just hanging out nearby?”

“Maybe that’s it…”

It was at that moment.

The van stopped. Then, before the wheels had even completely stopped, the door was hurriedly opened.

‘Why the rush…’

But the person who jumped out wasn’t Choi Yeon-ha.

“Uwaaaaaaaah!”

A man jumped out of the back seat as if he was throwing himself out, then grabbed the ground and started throwing up.

‘What kind of situation is this?’

Zhang Xiang was bewildered by the incomprehensible situation.

“That… that looks like Choi Yeon-ha’s manager?”

“Right?”

Zhang Xiang didn’t pay much attention to staff not related to filming, but he was familiar with Choi Yeon-ha’s manager. As a director who always had to communicate with the lead actors, he couldn’t not recognize someone he had worked with for months.

“Why, why is that guy like that?”

“…Maybe he’s carsick?”

“Carsick?”

“Yes.”

Cold sweat broke out on the director’s forehead.

‘No way, did they really cover that distance in 30 minutes?’

That was something no human could do. It wasn’t just a matter of driving skills. The road up here was a treacherous path built along a cliff, and even the guardrails weren’t properly installed. How much trouble had they gone through to move the equipment along that road?

And they were speeding on that road?

It was impossible unless you had ten lives. But…

“Ugh, disgusting!”

Choi Yeon-ha frowned as she got out of the car.

“How can you throw up at the filming location! You idiot!”

Choi Yeon-ha grumbled and took out a pack of wet wipes from the car. Then, she held the wet wipe with her thumb and index finger and handed it to Han Eun-sol.

Han Eun-sol turned to Choi Yeon-ha with venomous eyes.

His eyes looked quite menacing, but the state of his nose and mouth was indescribable, so he didn’t look particularly scary.

“A, like a demon…”

“Shut up, you.”

“Almost died… Ugh.”

Choi Yeon-ha shook her head and threw the whole pack of wet wipes at Han Eun-sol’s head. Then, she walked towards Zhang Xiang.

Zhang Xiang was overwhelmed by the sight and couldn’t say anything.

“I’m here.”

“Ah…”

It was only when he saw Choi Yeon-ha speaking calmly as if nothing had happened that he came back to his senses.

“Can we start with the scene we were supposed to film in three days?”

“Yes, that’s right. That scene.”

Choi Yeon-ha nodded.

“Then I’ll get my makeup done quickly. And please come in while I’m getting my makeup done. There’s a part in the script that I don’t understand emotionally. It seems like the director and I have different interpretations.”

“Which part?”

“Let’s talk about it while I’m getting my makeup done. See you then.”

Choi Yeon-ha turned her body, then stopped in her tracks without moving her feet.

“Ah, and…”

“Yes?”

“I came straight here from my vacation, so you have to compensate me for this later. It was my first vacation.”

“Of course, I will! Of course!”

“Okay then.”

Choi Yeon-ha turned around simply without saying anything else, and Zhang Xiang sighed.

If Choi Yeon-ha had nagged him about this, his guilt might have been lessened, but Choi Yeon-ha didn’t bother to mention her hardship. This made Zhang Xiang feel even more sorry.

‘I need to increase her screen time.’

I need to revise the ending process as well.

If you compare Ryu Wei, who doesn’t even properly participate in filming and can’t act, with Choi Yeon-ha, it’s obvious who should have more weight.

While the director was reviewing the script he needed to revise in his head, Choi Yeon-ha patted Han Eun-sol, who was still throwing up, a couple of times on the back and headed to the driver’s seat of the van.

“Thank you.”

“I didn’t really do anything.”

“And Kang Jin-ho.”

“Yes.”

Choi Yeon-ha whispered softly.

“But if Ryu Wei keeps not showing up, I’ll be in trouble… I’m just asking, but can you bring that guy back?”

It was an absurd request.

How could he find someone in this vast land of China? Especially Kang Jin-ho, who had just arrived in China.

But Choi Yeon-ha’s eyes didn’t hold a hint of doubt.

She was confident that this man would bring him back as if it was nothing.

And with that confidence, Kang Jin-ho replied calmly.

“Do you want me to bring him now?”