Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 707

“Stand properly.”

Jang Min’s voice was sharp and piercing.

“You useless lot! If the Demon Lord is disappointed in you, I will personally cut off your heads! Can’t you even line up properly!”

This side of Jang Min was very unfamiliar.

Not only the young demonic cult members who didn’t know Jang Min well, but also the elders who had grown up watching and learning from him since childhood were bewildered by his anger.

Basically, Jang Min was a very benevolent person.

Despite possessing immense strength by their standards, he knew how to humble himself, and despite having the right and power to have everything, he had lived as a gatekeeper of the Asura Cave [a place of intense training or imprisonment].

He was the one who always looked at the demonic cult members struggling against the sharp blades of the world with pity.

It goes without saying that Jang Min is the reason why the Demonic Cult still maintains its lineage despite its miserable collapse. They were able to endure because Jang Min was always there, embracing them like a great elder.

But now, Jang Min was not his usual self.

“The Demon Lord is coming. Your rightful master is coming here now. Prepare to greet the Demon Lord.”

His voice was full of power. Sharp and stern.

You could feel how much he had been waiting for this moment.

Jang Min constantly checked the situation. Whether the lines were crooked, whether anyone had loosened their tension. Countless people were lining up according to Jang Min’s command.

Since they were people who usually lived without any restraint, everyone was having a hard time, but no one dared to challenge Jang Min’s charisma.

Even those who would usually grumble were now afraid to open their mouths. Anyone with a bit of sense would know that complaining to Jang Min now was asking for trouble.

Jang Min was that serious.

“Elder.”

“What is it?”

“Is the Demon Lord really coming now?”

“Yes.”

“Is the Demon Lord safe?”

“How dare you!”

Magi [spiritual energy] erupted from Jang Min’s body in streams.

“Who in this world dares to harm the Demon Lord’s sacred body! He is the only one who is noble. Don’t you know that even thinking such a thing is a challenge to the Demon Lord’s authority!”

“…I’m sorry.”

The one who spoke lowered his head.

‘Then you shouldn’t have sent support.’

When they were frantically gathering humans, claiming that someone was targeting the Demon Lord, and now they were saying such things.

“The day of light has come. After waiting for so long, the Demon Lord is finally coming to us. You must serve him with faith.”

The response was not easy.

Why wouldn’t it be?

They had never actually seen Kang Jin-ho. No matter how much they talked about the Demon Lord and faith to such people, it was just an empty echo. Who could understand the words that they had to give absolute loyalty to someone they had never seen or heard of in their lives?

Even in China, where fear of those in power still remained, it was hard to accept.

The reason they were keeping their places now was not to witness the Demon Lord’s descent with their own eyes, but because they were afraid of the old geezers with gray hair.

But looking at the current situation, even those old geezers seemed to be full of complaints.

“Elder.”

One of the elders called out to Jang Min. Although they had the same position as elders, Jang Min was special among them. Strictly speaking, he should be called the Supreme Elder, but Jang Min refused that position. That’s why he was nominally the same elder.

“What is it?”

“Is it really necessary to go this far?”

“What did you just say?”

The elder who spoke swallowed hard. Jang Min’s hardened face was very unfamiliar.

“I know that the Demon Lord is coming. And I know that he is a noble being. It must be true since you said so, Elder. But even so, doing this much is…”

The elder trailed off.

“This much? What do you mean by this much?”

Anger flickered on Jang Min’s face.

“We already have over five thousand people. Is it really necessary for so many people to give such a welcome?”

The elder turned his head.

A huge underground space.

In the underground shelter that the Demonic Cult had prepared to avoid the past war, there were now over five thousand demonic cult members lined up. It was one thing to say five thousand, but it was not easy to gather so many people in one place.

“Five thousand?”

Jang Min scoffed.

“What’s so great about gathering only five thousand? If I could, I would like to gather all the demonic cult members in the world in one place.”

“Okay, fine. That’s impossible. But what’s the problem with making those who have gathered show respect?”

“Times have changed, Elder Jang Min.”

The elder, Wei Zheyang, sighed lowly.

This was only possible in the days when Mao Zedong was alive. Even the current rulers would not dare to line up the people like this.

“This kind of mobilization will only make the children resentful. We have to adapt to the times.”

“Are you saying I’m old?”

“You know that’s not what I mean, Elder. We all respect you. If this event was for you, we would have gladly accepted it. But how can we show respect to a Demon Lord we don’t even know? How can we sincerely submit?”

“It’s okay.”

“Elder.”

“I said it’s okay.”

Jang Min waved his hand.

It wasn’t a sign of annoyance. It was a gesture of being bothered by someone who was worrying unnecessarily.

“I will take all the responsibility. I will receive all the complaints.”

“…Elder.”

“If you have even a little bit of gratitude towards me…”

“How can you say such a thing? All the demonic cult members of the Demonic Cult follow you like a grandfather.”

“Yes. Then, for this time, do as I wish. You too will soon realize that my stubbornness was justified.”

Wei Zheyang sighed.

If Jang Min said this much, there was no other way.

“I understand. But please consider this part.”

“I understand.”

Jang Min looked around.

His powerful voice, filled with inner energy, spread in all directions.

“Everyone, listen!”

Five thousand pairs of eyes followed Jang Min.

“I know that you think what you are doing now is useless. I know that it’s annoying and frustrating.”

Jang Min’s sincere voice calmed the irritation.

“It won’t be long. The Demon Lord will arrive soon. After he arrives, you can do as you please. So, for now, I ask you to follow my will. I beg you.”

The oldest member of the Demonic Cult.

A man who had been an elder of the Demonic Cult even before they were born, or even before their fathers were born.

A man who had always lived in a low position, thinking only of the Demonic Cult. There was no demonic cult member who could refuse such a request.

But at this point, they became curious.

What is the Demon Lord?

What kind of person is he that Elder Jang Min would lower himself so much?

The irritation that had disappeared began to be replaced by curiosity.

At that moment, someone shouted.

“Elder!”

Jang Min’s head turned sharply.

“What is it?”

“The Demon Lord! They say the Demon Lord has arrived. He is coming this way now.”

“Oh, finally!”

Jang Min’s eyes trembled with excitement.

“Prepare. He is coming.”

A tense atmosphere swept through the space. Those who knew who the Demon Lord was, and those who didn’t, dared not open their mouths. They could only tense their bodies and stand stiffly.

They looked ahead with nervous eyes.

The entrance was behind them.

In this position, they could not see the Demon Lord entering from behind. But no one dared to turn their heads.

All they could see was the huge throne installed at the very front, on the platform… and Jang Min standing below the throne.

Soon.

Creak.

The sound of the iron gate, like a ghostly cry, pierced their ears. The iron gate was opening with a loud noise.

‘He’s coming!’

They didn’t know why this noisy event was necessary, but the time had come for their preparations to shine.

“Demon Lord, master of all demons,

The servants of the Demon Lord worship the Demon Lord!”

Jang Min prostrated himself on the spot.

His loud voice echoed through the space.

The voice that echoed in the huge underground space reverberated like an echo.

And after that loud shout subsided, a clear sound could be heard.

Thud.

Thud.

Footsteps.

It was a slightly unfamiliar sound to the martial artists.

Martial artists do not make their presence known. Footsteps, the sound of sleeves brushing… it was basic to kill all those sounds.

They didn’t know when it started.

They didn’t even know if everyone was like that.

From some point on, they had become accustomed to living while holding their breath. To them, those footsteps were so unfamiliar and shocking.

He didn’t hide his presence.

He didn’t hide that he was walking.

Even without deliberately revealing it, they could understand from those footsteps how arrogant the Demon Lord was.

Thud.

Thud.

The low footsteps constantly echoed through the space.

And they saw it.

The back of a man passing by them.

A man who was not particularly tall was slowly walking towards the throne. At a pace that was neither fast nor slow.

‘Is that it?’

Those who saw his back for the first time couldn’t help but feel puzzled.

Is that the Demon Lord?

That ordinary person?

You couldn’t tell what kind of person he was just by looking at his back, but at least from what they had seen so far, there was nothing particularly special about him. He was just the back of a young man you could see anywhere.

Thud, thud.

A little disappointment.

And a little regret.

It was an emotion that passed through the hearts of those filling the space.

But their regret quickly changed to another emotion.

‘What is that?’

A fixed gaze.

A strange sight began to appear in their field of vision, which was fixed forward and could not move.

Something black and blurry.

At first, they thought it was a mistake. But even after blinking their eyes several times, the blurry shape did not disappear.

‘That is?’

Black magi was swirling behind the Demon Lord’s back.

Black magi, as if it were burning.

The magi, which was blurry at first, gradually changed to become darker and more intense.

Black flames.

That was what it should be called.

And the moment they saw the black flames of magi, the magi that had been dormant in their dantian [energy center in the body] began to surge.

‘What the…?’

The space inside grew cold.

Chill.

It felt like the air had suddenly cooled down, even though nothing had changed from a moment ago. Goosebumps rose all over their bodies.

Only then did they understand.

Why that person was called the Demon Lord.

Why that person was the rightful one to rule over the demons.

Thud.

Thud.

The Demon Lord slowly ascended to the throne. Reaching the throne, he slowly turned his body and scanned the demonic cult members lined up below.

Then, with a slow movement, he sat on the throne and crossed his legs.

Slowly, his mouth opened.

“I am Kang Jin-ho.”

A simple introduction.

As if he thought it was too short, the Demon Lord added quietly.

“I guess I should say that to you. I am the one who was called the Red Demon, the Red Heavenly Demon Lord.”

After what should be called an eternity…

Finally, the Red Heavenly Demon Lord had returned to the Demonic Cult.