Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 702

The Art of Tea was indeed a refined hobby.

Nakata Yuji had little interest in such a refined hobby.

‘So old-fashioned.’

It was a hobby that required too much effort to be packaged under the name of tradition. The Art of Tea might seem like a hobby of drinking tea, but in reality, it was a hobby of enjoying the entire process of brewing, steeping, and savoring the aroma of tea.

If one could find peace of mind through this process, it wouldn’t be so bad, but he was naturally far removed from such pretentious hobbies.

He’d rather drink a can of beer and listen to music during that time.

The problem was his position.

Thanks to his position as the head of the Yamakawa-kai [a yakuza group], he often had to associate with those who had refined hobbies like the Art of Tea. People who insisted that a leader should have dignity and forced him to participate in tea ceremonies.

‘What era is this…’

The disconnect between the young and the old exists in every era. Even on clay tablets from four thousand years ago, there were writings saying, ‘These days, the young ones have no manners,’ so what more needs to be said?

However, recently, that disconnect felt quite severe. What would happen if he were to discuss the Art of Tea with the young ones joining the organization these days?

Wouldn’t they look at him like he was an alien?

A chuckle escaped him.

Personally, Nakata Yuji still thought of himself as young, but seeing himself naturally accepting this culture, it seemed he wasn’t so young anymore.

Pour, pour.

The tea with a green hue filled his teacup. As the tea fell into the teacup, it emitted a rich aroma.

‘A master’s touch.’

He had to acknowledge this person’s tea ceremony.

Watching the tea gently fall from the lightly extended arm, he felt a sense of peace. He could never do it himself, but appreciating the history built by others wasn’t a bad thing.

Pretense.

Yes, this was pretense.

But if this person was doing it, then he had to accept it. This person was worthy of it.

The man who handed the teacup to Nakata Yuji raised his head and looked at him.

“It seems you failed.”

“Yes, I did.”

A calm question and a calm answer.

“I think it’s a bit early to call it a failure?”

“The fact that I haven’t received any contact means it’s a failure. They are children who don’t have the ability to think and handle things on their own when there are variables. If there was even a little leeway, they would have contacted me. But the fact that there’s no contact means they failed. They’re probably all dead by now.”

“Failure…”

The old man quietly reached out and picked up the teacup. Then, he savored the aroma of the tea. The old man took a light sip of the tea and gently placed the teacup down.

“You seem quite calm for that. How about it? Will you at least take responsibility? Someone has to take responsibility for this failure.”

“If I have to take responsibility, then of course I will. But there’s no responsibility for a successful endeavor. Will you give me a reward?”

“Didn’t you say it was a failure?”

“Yes, it’s a failure. But failure is also success. My goal was to fail.”

The old man’s transparent gaze swept over Nakata Yuji.

“That’s different from what you said at first.”

“That’s how I could move everyone.”

“I understand. Means can be twisted to some extent for the sake of the goal. It seemed unlike you to advocate for war.”

Nakata Yuji wore a wry smile.

He was a pacifist.

If possible, he didn’t want to engage in war or conflict. Whether it was between forces or between countries.

“Raising your voice to gather people, then leading them into a trap to get what you want. More of a schemer than a wise man. You’re no different from a snake.”

“It was unavoidable.”

Nakata Yuji lowered his head.

But his inner thoughts were a little different from his outward appearance.

‘Who is talking about wickedness to whom? Damn old man.’

There was no way this man didn’t know his true intentions.

He had allowed it, knowing all of that. Gathering people from each organization and moving them towards a single goal was something that couldn’t be done without this man’s permission.

If this man, the head of Shin-Nichikai [another yakuza group], the largest force in Kansai [a region in Japan], hadn’t allowed it, no matter how much Nakata Yuji tried, he wouldn’t have been able to get cooperation from other organizations.

To put it nicely, he was an agent; to put it badly, he was a puppet.

But even if he was a puppet, it wasn’t bad if he could gain practical benefits.

“Unavoidable, you say…”

He raised his head and looked at Nakata Yuji.

“There are unavoidable things in the world. There are plenty of things that can be prevented with human effort. But that doesn’t mean you don’t have to take responsibility for your actions. A famine cannot be prevented by human effort, but everyone has to pay the price of a famine.”

It was heavy.

That transparent gaze was heavy.

“So… how do you intend to take responsibility for deceiving me?”

“I don’t think I deceived you. A child can’t deceive an adult.”

“These days, children are cunning.”

“Perhaps. But are they as cunning as adults?”

It was a loaded statement.

The old man was not one to miss the point. The old man smiled.

“You still haven’t answered my question.”

“I will take responsibility. Would Kang Jin-ho’s head be enough?”

“Is that possible?”

“Yes.”

Nakata Yuji said, bowing his head.

“I know I’ve done something presumptuous. But that man was someone who had to be killed for the sake of the Greater East Asia [a concept of a unified East Asia under Japanese leadership during WWII]. But if I tried to kill him directly, the damage would be too great. If possible, I wanted to use a proxy kill. It’s a shame I can’t present his head pickled.”

Nakata Yuji swallowed hard and continued.

“Considering the sacrifices that would have to be made to bring his head, I think this is the right way.”

“I see.”

The old man quietly nodded.

“You’re right. If we were to kill him with our own hands, the sacrifices would be considerable.”

“Yes.”

“Besides, if that guy dies, it means Joseon [historical name for Korea] becomes a no-man’s land. As much as the attention is focused, there will be a free-for-all to take over that place. Isn’t that what you were worried about?”

“That’s right.”

His mouth felt bitter.

‘It feels like I’m showing everything.’ It was impossible to hide anything from this man.

“If China steps in and kills Kang Jin-ho, it will be difficult for us to show any active movement. Some amateurs might step up, but Joseon would be able to handle that much.”

“Yes.”

“Indeed, we are too divided. It would be nice if we could be a little more unified.”

Nakata Yuji didn’t bother to answer the man’s soliloquy.

‘It’s bound to happen eventually.’

Compared to Shin-Nichikai, the Yamakawa-kai was nothing more than a neighborhood gang. If Shin-Nichikai wanted to, unifying Kansai wouldn’t even take ten days.

Yet, they didn’t move.

Like a dragon coiled deep in a lake, this old man didn’t move. He knew best what it meant for him to move.

“Is the elimination certain?”

“There is no perfect thing in the world. There is nothing that can be guaranteed perfectly. We are just increasing the probability. I am moving in the most certain way to eliminate him. If there are no variables, he will be buried in China. That place is not an easy land.”

“That’s right. The continent is the continent.”

The old man quietly closed his eyes.

Perhaps their history was a history of struggling to advance to the continent.

To one day reconquer the land they had crossed.

It was the desire of this land since ancient times.

“But let me give you some advice.”

“Yes.”

“The world doesn’t work in your head.”

The old man’s words were firm.

“Those who make history are not those who make plans. They are those who read the times. There is a flow to everything. Those who can feel that flow are the ones who accomplish great things. Those who trust their own minds and try to control the flow will eventually meet a miserable end.”

“May I ask you one question?”

The old man quietly nodded.

“If that flow, the flow of history, rejects the leader… would the leader accept that flow?”

The old man quietly closed his eyes.

After what seemed like a long time of contemplation, the old man opened his eyes and said in a steady voice.

“That will not happen.”

“Because I am already riding the flow. This long wait exists for that one moment. If the heavens are watching over this land even a little, they will give me a flow before my life ends.”

“What if the heavens turn a blind eye to the end?”

“This is the land of the sun.”

The old man smiled.

“Darkness is eventually pushed back by the rising sun. I am waiting for that sun to rise. I will give you the answer you want. If the flow rejects me, I will reverse that flow. I have no intention of passing this heavy burden onto future generations.”

“Thank you.”

Nakata Yuji bowed his head deeply.

“I am just creating the flow. If I don’t have the desire to become the protagonist of history, wouldn’t that be okay?”

“There is such a way of life.”

The old man quietly nodded.

‘It’s over.’

Nakata Yuji confirmed the end of this conversation. Then, his strength gave out, and his whole body was soaked in sweat.

If even one part of the conversation had gone wrong, he wouldn’t have been able to leave this place alive.

He had succeeded in walking a tightrope with his life on the line.

“I will trust you. Don’t fail me.”

“Yes.”

“Then, I will get up first.”

The old man got up from his seat, but Nakata Yuji didn’t relax his posture. The old man, who was slowly walking out, stopped.

“Ah, and…”

“Yes. Please speak.”

“Leave one finger behind.”

The old man said it as if it were nothing important.

“Didn’t I say that the word ‘unavoidable’ doesn’t exist to avoid responsibility? If you turned five hundred lives into vengeful spirits, you should at least take some responsibility. Isn’t one finger for five hundred lives a good deal?”

“That’s right.”

“This time it’s a finger, but next time it won’t end with a finger.”

As soon as the old man left, the door opened.

A woman in a kimono came in with a cutting board and a knife. Seeing the hemp cloth covering it, his teeth clenched involuntarily.

‘Isn’t one finger a cheap price to pay?’

Yes, of course, it is.

But why is the responsibility only his? He was also the one who agreed to send a thousand warriors to China.

Looking at the finger-cutting tool placed in front of him, Nakata Yuji gritted his teeth.

‘In the end, those with power bear no responsibility.’

The reason he had to cut off his finger now was because he had no power. Feeling that harsh reality, Nakata Yuji grabbed the knife with one hand.