Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 661

“What do you mean, ‘something’s up’? Why? Did some rumor spread?”

Gong Young-gil looked at Lee Myung-hwan with an awkward expression.

“No, well, I know it’s just a rumor, but…”

“Stop with the preamble and get to the point. What is it?”

“The rumors about you guys aren’t good.”

“What rumors?”

Gong Young-gil hesitated slightly, glancing at Lee Myung-hwan before sighing.

“Well… it’s just a rumor. It’s not my opinion.”

“Just spit it out, you big oaf. Why are you being so timid?”

“It’s just such a ridiculous story. People are saying you guys are obsessed with demonic arts and go around killing people every night.”

“Huh?”

Lee Myung-hwan’s eyes widened in disbelief.

“Killing people?”

“Yeah.”

“Come on, that’s just absurd. Why would we even go near a place where people live?”

“Yeah, everyone knows that. But since there’s such a rumor, I was wondering if something was up.”

“What a load of crap.”

Lee Myung-hwan’s face darkened with annoyance.

It was inevitable that rumors would spread. Humans are creatures that love to talk, and they enjoy embellishing and spreading stories that lack substance compared to their hype.

But they should at least keep the embellishments reasonable.

“They’re probably just jealous.”

“Jealous?”

“Yeah. You’re not the only ones who are resentful about you guys being taught by the Lord. And now that you’ve caused such a ruckus, they’re probably twice as envious. So, don’t pay too much attention to it.”

“…Tch.”

Despite Gong Young-gil’s consolation, Lee Myung-hwan’s expression didn’t improve.

“Are there a lot of people who resent us?”

“I don’t know. I don’t have the energy to worry about that. I’m already dying trying to keep up with my schedule.”

“Schedule?”

Gong Young-gil sighed and nodded.

“Bator made a schedule for us, saying that there shouldn’t be any sloppy training while he’s away. But it’s insane. It’s killing me.”

“…He’s strangely meticulous, that guy.”

Lee Myung-hwan subtly scanned Gong Young-gil.

‘He’s changed somehow.’

Unlike the Gong Young-gil of the past, he felt more substantial. It wasn’t just his personality or appearance; his very aura felt heavier.

‘He’s gotten stronger,’ would be an appropriate way to put it.

Come to think of it, it was only natural. Bator was a powerhouse who hadn’t been in the Assembly before. It was inevitable that he would improve under such a person’s guidance.

He was struck by how much the Assembly’s talent pool had grown.

“Don’t pay attention to such nonsense. They’re just too busy putting others down instead of trying to get stronger themselves.”

“…Isn’t the problem that there are so many of them?”

“They can’t do anything just because there are a lot of them.”

“Hmm…”

Lee Myung-hwan nodded quietly.

In truth, there wasn’t much they could do. What would change even if they actively denied the rumors? They just wanted to vent. No one would believe that they were actually bloodthirsty killers.

There was no way to stop people from wanting to complain.

“Anyway, I understand. Thanks for telling me.”

“No need to thank me. I just wanted you to know. And don’t worry about it. It’ll be resolved soon.”

“Resolved?”

When Lee Myung-hwan looked at him with a puzzled expression, Gong Young-gil gave a subtle smile.

“If we beat you guys, won’t we take the flak you’re getting? So just wait a little.”

“Ha…”

Lee Myung-hwan stared at Gong Young-gil in disbelief before curling up the corners of his lips.

“You’re so confident? Don’t come crying to me after you get beaten.”

“It won’t be long. I’m starting to think I might die from this training. If you want to be careless, go ahead. Just don’t regret it later.”

Lee Myung-hwan narrowed his eyes as he watched Gong Young-gil wave his hand dismissively and walk away.

‘How much does that weigh?’

If all those bulges were lead weights, how much would they weigh?

It wouldn’t be a weight that could be endured simply by being physically strong. Moreover, if it was a training method created by Bator, there would undoubtedly be benefits that he couldn’t even imagine. He was a smart person, despite his appearance.

Lee Myung-hwan turned around, realizing that there were people chasing after them. There was no time to be depressed. He needed to inform his colleagues about the situation and accelerate their training.

After all, he was a martial artist.

Losing was worse than death.

“There’s definitely a problem.”

“Didn’t I already say that?”

Lee Hyun-soo, who had been watching the situation from below the window, frowned.

‘This isn’t good…’

They had barely finished dealing with the double-crossing incident. It wasn’t to the point where they could say everything was over, but they had put out the immediate fire. Now, all that was left were things that required some time.

They had dug out the most rotten part of the Assembly, but before the treatment could even be completed, another part was starting to fester.

‘This is something I can’t do anything about.’

Lee Hyun-soo scratched his head.

He had thought this before, but Kang Jin-ho was someone who didn’t know how to treat people equally. The personal guards were the same. He directly taught and passed on martial arts to those who had passed the harsh tests.

As a result, a steadfast personal guard was created that wouldn’t be swayed by any external temptations.

The effectiveness of this was clearly demonstrated during the double-crossing incident. Everyone was surprised. It was obvious that Kang Jin-ho’s power was growing, but who would have thought that those who had only been taught by Kang Jin-ho for a short time would play such a central role?

Even Lee Hyun-soo hadn’t predicted it.

Kang Jin-ho had proven that his choice was right with this incident. However,
where there is light, there is darkness. Thanks to this, the sense of deprivation among those who were not chosen had grown even larger.

It was just a small crack now, but if this continued, the young martial artists would split, just like the old conflict between the Lee Joong-gul faction and the Kang Jin-ho faction.

At least those who were chosen by Bator or Knight Wiggins could have hope. But among the many young martial artists in the Assembly, only a few were chosen by the three of them.

The rest were being neglected without anything changing.

“We need to come up with a solution…”

Lee Hyun-soo looked at Knight Wiggins with pleading eyes. However, Knight Wiggins just shrugged his shoulders.

“I don’t think there’s anything I can do to help?”

“If the Lord was here, I could consult with him, but there’s no one I can get advice from right now.”

“Even if the Lord was here, there wouldn’t be a clear conclusion. After all, that’s how people are. The world is led by a few geniuses. Those with ability lead those without. In the past, everyone took that for granted. But not anymore.”

“Hmm…”

“In the end, the problem is simple. Those who don’t have the talent or skill want to be treated the same as those who do. That’s not really an organizational problem, but an inherent one. How can you solve that? Even if the Lord tried, could he make those who can’t even learn and control demonic arts as strong as them?”

“But we can’t just leave it like this.”

“That’s true.”

Knight Wiggins picked up his teacup and slowly savored the aroma. A gentle smile spread across his lips, as if he was pleased with the scent of the black tea imported from England.

“Why don’t you just give them what they want?”

“What they want, you mean…”

“What do you think they want?”

Lee Hyun-soo narrowed his brow.

“Is it respect?”

“Absolutely not. That’s a very complacent answer. It’s a bit disappointing, Mr. Lee.”

“…I’m sorry.”

“Think about why those who are learning under me and Bator no longer antagonize those who are learning under the Lord. What the majority of young martial artists need is hope.”

Lee Hyun-soo listened quietly to Knight Wiggins’ words.

He could be a rational manager, but he was a bit lacking as a martial artist. So, he couldn’t accurately grasp their psychology. In that sense, Knight Wiggins, who was both a manager and a martial artist, could be a good advisor for him.

“What they want most? It’s to improve their skills. But that can’t be achieved immediately. So, at least they need to have the hope that ‘if I work hard, I can become stronger than them.’ Hope is like a painkiller. It makes you forget the bitterness of reality.”

“But isn’t it bad to just live on painkillers?”

“Nonsense. If the result is the same, isn’t it better to not have pain?”

“If you’re so worried, don’t just give them hope, but help them create results. Provide a way for them to achieve results if they work hard. Then, those who can gain hope will gain hope, and those who can achieve results will achieve results. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

“Then what is that way…?”

Knight Wiggins gave a subtle smile.

“That’s for you to figure out.”

Lee Hyun-soo sighed.

Knight Wiggins had probably already thought of that way. But he never revealed everything until the end. He made Lee Hyun-soo think for himself, as if he were teaching a disciple.

It was a good method of training. But being trained by someone at this age wasn’t a pleasant experience.

“And there’s no point in us discussing it among ourselves.”

“Huh?”

Knight Wiggins leaned back on the sofa.

“The Lord probably already has something in mind. He’s a responsible person. If he hadn’t taken the position of Lord, it would be different, but since he has, he’ll be thinking of a solution. I think his trip to China is part of that.”

“…Surely not.”

“Hahaha, you still don’t know the Lord very well. He’s overly responsible. He’s the type of person who will do whatever it takes to accomplish what he thinks he’s responsible for. From the moment he accepted the position of Lord, all of his focus will be on making the Assembly prosperous. I guarantee it.”

Lee Hyun-soo couldn’t help but tilt his head.

What did Kang Jin-ho’s trip to China have to do with this?

“If that’s the case, then that’s a relief, but…”

Knight Wiggins chuckled.

“Otherwise, why would he go to China? It’s not like he has a woman hidden there.”

Knight Wiggins’ face stiffened slightly at Lee Hyun-soo’s subtle expression.

“Is there a woman there?”

“…Really?”

When Lee Hyun-soo looked out the window without answering, Knight Wiggins looked towards the west, where China was, with a troubled expression.

“Well, um… it’s kind of…”

Knight Wiggins’ face, which had been somewhat uneasy, brightened up.

“No, there’s no reason to doubt him. Even if there was, what does it matter? It’s not like the Lord would go all the way to China to run errands for a woman. Don’t worry. There must be a deeper meaning behind it.”

“…”

Lee Hyun-soo quietly closed his mouth.

‘It’s better not to say anything.’

He was hearing about what Kang Jin-ho was doing through Jang Da-jing, but Lee Hyun-soo had decided to keep quiet for the peace of the Assembly and the honor of Kang Jin-ho.

A good subordinate knows how to hide their superior’s flaws at times.