Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 717

“Oh, Great Demonic Lord!”

Kang Jin-ho pressed his fingers into his eye sockets.

‘This is stress.’

Since returning to the modern world, he hadn’t really experienced any stress. It wasn’t that there were no problems, but most of the issues he had faced so far were the kind that he could ultimately resolve with his own will.

However, could he really solve the situation of a 180-year-old subordinate kneeling before him, tears streaming down his face, with just his will?

“…Jang Min.”

“Yes, Great Demonic Lord!”

“Before you say anything, could you please refrain from the habit of bowing your head to the ground first?”

“Yes? But, Great Demonic Lord, isn’t this a tradition of the Demonic Cult? Raising one’s head before the cult leader signifies a challenge.”

“…Is that so?”

No wonder no one ever raised their head before. When talking to people, he thought they didn’t even know what manners were since they didn’t make eye contact.

‘Looking back, I was pretty clueless too.’

If there was something strange, he could have just asked, but he simply accepted it. Perhaps because he had the basic mindset that that world didn’t suit Kang Jin-ho, he gave up rather than trying anything.

The current Kang Jin-ho would be different from the past Kang Jin-ho if he were to go to the Central Plains [a region in China often used as a setting for martial arts stories].

“Alright, lift your head and talk. No, better yet, sit over there.”

“But, Great Demonic Lord! This is the tradition and history of the Demonic Cult passed down through generations…”

“I am the tradition and history of the Demonic Cult.” Jang Min became speechless and raised his head.

That was true.

If someone else said those words, it would be an expression of arrogant confidence, but when Kang Jin-ho said it, it was simply a fact. Kang Jin-ho was someone who had emerged from history and had led the Demonic Cult to its golden age.

How futile it was to discuss tradition in front of him.

“Th, then.”

Jang Min slowly got up. In truth, he was also reluctant to roll his old body on the floor.

“From now on, get rid of all unnecessary formalities. What age are we living in?”

“H, but Great Demonic Lord, respect comes from formality. People establish relationships through formality. If you get rid of all formalities, there will be those who cross the line.”

“Then let’s go to the level of a regular company.”

“I’ve only done this my whole life, so…”

“Huh?”

When Kang Jin-ho asked what he meant, Jang Min smiled awkwardly.

“I’ve never had a job, so I don’t really understand what you mean.”

Kang Jin-ho stared at Jang Min with a blank look.

Come to think of it…

This old man was born in the Demonic Cult and had lived in the Demonic Cult his entire life. He was a lifelong unemployed person who had lived idly for 180 years.

‘In a way, that’s admirable.’

Jang Min’s excessive politeness might not necessarily be due to his old age. If everything he had seen in his life was from the Demonic Cult, he might have felt it was natural.

‘Should I send him on an internship somewhere?’ Kang Jin-ho couldn’t help but laugh.

He couldn’t help but laugh at the thought of a dapper, white-haired gentleman with a two-block haircut carrying a briefcase and going to work as a new employee. Come to think of it, it was strangely fitting.

“So, what’s the problem this time?”

“Great Demonic Lord.”

Jang Min hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“It is not that I question the Demonic Lord’s orders. I also believe without a doubt that everything the Demonic Lord says is the will of the cult.”

“Skip the preamble and get to the point.”

“Great Demonic Lord, I have watched over the cult for a long time. I have wished for the cult to be eternal and prosperous, but with my abilities, I could not achieve that dream. But now that the Demonic Lord has descended and is leading the cult, I have no regrets even if I die right now. However…”

Jang Min spoke softly with a voice full of resentment.

“The children of the cult do not understand the Demonic Lord’s majesty. They do not know who the Demonic Lord is. They only know that someone new has appeared above them.”

“So?”

“To tell those children to abandon their current foundation and follow the Demonic Lord… Great Demonic Lord, there are still many faithful cultists who follow the Demonic Lord. But there are also many foolish and lowly ones who cannot understand the Demonic Lord’s nobility. They are also members of the Demonic Cult, they too have accepted the Demonic. If the Demonic Lord, the master of all demons, would show just a little, a very little bit of mercy…”

“Jang Min.”

Jang Min’s body trembled at Kang Jin-ho’s low voice.

Jang Min prostrated himself on the spot, his head touching the ground.

“Forgive me! This lowly one has dared to overstep his bounds!”

Kang Jin-ho pressed his fingers into his eye sockets.

‘Is there a magnet attached to the floor?’

Why does he prostrate himself whenever something happens? If he took Jang Min to Korea like this, and he prostrated himself in a crowded place?

He would instantly become a nationally famous ‘unfilial son’ at Gangnam Station [a busy area in Seoul, South Korea]. There would be no room for excuses, he would most likely be seen as a madman. He had to correct that behavior somehow.

“For now, get up.”

“Yes, Great Demonic Lord.”

Perhaps because he had said something, Jang Min got up this time without saying anything.

“I wish you would get rid of the fixed idea that I’m going to get angry whenever I open my mouth.”

“I, I have never thought that.”

Even as he said that, Jang Min kept glancing at Kang Jin-ho.

His expression clearly said, ‘I know you have a terrible temper, you bastard.’

“Why do you think I get angry?”

“That’s…”

“Huh?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyebrows twitched.

It was just a casual remark, but Jang Min’s reaction was unusual. It meant there was something.

“Tell me.”

“…I cannot lie to the Demonic Lord, so I will tell you the truth. In the cult, there is a record of past Demonic Lords’ evaluations, written in preparation for the Demonic Lord’s future descent.”

“A record?”

Kang Jin-ho’s face twitched.

A record? He had never heard of such a thing when he was there.

“There’s no way there would be such a thing?”

“To be precise, it is not a record, but rather a personal record passed down from the former Chief Commander.”

“The Chief Commander’s personal record?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes flickered. The Chief Commander was Cheongma.

Cheongma’s personal record of Kang Jin-ho?

That was very interesting.

“Where is it?”

“The record has been lost. However, I have a copy that I made.”

“Where is it?”

Jang Min glanced at Kang Jin-ho.

“You have it.”

“Y, yes, Great Demonic Lord.”

“Give it to me.”

Jang Min looked at Kang Jin-ho with an uneasy expression a few times, then sighed and reached into his inner pocket. It was said to be a copy, but it looked more like a memo. What Jang Min handed over was an old memo pad.

“Hmm…”

Kang Jin-ho slowly opened the memo pad and read it.

The weather is ever-changing, and the water flows endlessly, but nothing in the world changes as diversely as the Demonic Lord’s mood.

Only three days after ordering the demon flames to be taught to the demon disciples, he ordered them to abandon the swords and teach them the sword because it was not stylish.

When the children broke the swords, my heart broke with them. It would be nice if the Demonic Lord’s precious waist would break as well.

Kang Jin-ho’s eyebrows twitched.

Wait, this bastard?

The Demonic Lord is very bold and manly. But his obsession with gourmet food is something I cannot understand at all.

If he wants to eat something hot, he can boil it with his Yang energy, and if he wants to eat something cold, he can freeze it with his Hanbing energy. But I cannot understand why he freezes perfectly good water, grinds it into snow, and then puts boiled red beans on top.

Even commoners don’t eat like this. Well, I guess I have to understand since the Demonic Lord’s origins are not that high.

“Is this bastard for real?”

Kang Jin-ho’s eyes twitched wildly.

He was wagging his tail and swearing loyalty in front of him, but he was badmouthing him behind his back? Cheongma, that bastard. I should have killed him more painfully!

When a person’s temper is urgent, they use the word ‘fiery.’ But anyone who has been by the Demonic Lord’s side for only three days would never use the word ‘fiery’ to describe a person’s temper. Because they would know what real fiery is like.

The envoy who came as a special envoy from the righteous sect was beheaded by the Demonic Lord for saying something incomprehensible. That’s understandable. Bravery and cruelty are natural virtues for the leader of the Demonic Cult. But how can one judge the act of killing a person because he did not understand the posthumous title of the former emperor?

Is this ignorance or recklessness? No, it must be ignorance and recklessness. Afraid that rumors would spread, he beheaded all the other envoys as well. Perhaps this incident will make the righteous-demonic war inevitable, but it is better to have a war with the rumor that the leader of the Demonic Cult has a bad temper than to have the rumor that he is ignorant.

I wonder if he has finished the Thousand Character Classic [a classic Chinese text used for teaching literacy]. Every time I brought him a report, he would hold it upside down and read it.

“…Heh, heh, heh…”

Demonic energy began to seep out of Kang Jin-ho’s body. There was something more written after that, but it seemed like he didn’t need to read it.

Kang Jin-ho had felt sorry for Cheongma since returning to the modern world. While he had reigned over the cult in the name of the Red Sky Demonic Lord, Cheongma had done all the cleanup. When he thought about how much he must have suffered because of the accidents Kang Jin-ho had caused, he even felt solemn.

‘Well, he’s human.’

He was human, so he could do that. Who doesn’t badmouth their boss? It’s okay as long as you don’t get caught, as long as you don’t get caught.

“But this bastard made a document?”

This was a will to resolve his grievances in posterity even if he died. Thinking about it made him even more angry.

“Great Demonic Lord?”

“Huuuuh.”

Kang Jin-ho, who had taken a deep breath, glared at Jang Min. It wasn’t that he was trying to glare, but his eyes naturally became intense. Kang Jin-ho couldn’t maintain his usual composure when it came to matters involving Cheongma.

“How many people have seen this?”

“That’s…”

Jang Min hesitated for a moment before opening his mouth.

“There wouldn’t be many who have seen the original, but most of the Demonic Lord’s legends are based on that record. They may have added and subtracted, but…”

Kang Jin-ho’s lips trembled.

“So, what they’re saying about the Demonic Lord is… that he’s like a dog, ignorant, has a terrible temper, and is an unpredictable human being?”

“It’s not quite that…”

Kang Jin-ho cut off Jang Min’s words. He didn’t need to hear the answer to know.

“Alright. So, what was it you wanted to say?”

“Great Demonic Lord, they are foolish and lowly. In order to place such people under the Demonic Lord’s mercy, you must show more of the Demonic Lord’s majesty.”

“So…”

Kang Jin-ho said with a face full of annoyance.

“I have to put on a show in front of the kids to show that I have power so they will follow me to Korea?”

“N, no, it’s not such an impious thought. It’s just…”

“Let’s go.”

“Yes?”

Kang Jin-ho jumped up from his seat.

“I was already in a bad mood, and this is perfect. I’ll show them exactly what kind of person I am.”

Watching Kang Jin-ho walk ahead with firm steps, Jang Min was filled with unease.