Descent of The Demon Master [EN]: Chapter 798

“It’s a mess.”

Lee Hyun-joo pulled her disheveled hair back into a tight ponytail.

The firmly tied hair stretched out behind her.

Looking at the data on the monitor, her stomach churned.

‘Why did Grandpa leave this in such a state?’

As she organized the files, she realized how pathetic the General Assembly’s operations had been. It was impossible for things to be this bad unless it was intentional.

The person who controlled the General Assembly’s finances was Lee Joong-gul. Lee Joong-gul hadn’t even given Lee Hyun-joo authority over the accounting. The only thing she was allowed to manage was small-scale departments.

That was the reason.

It was never pleasant to see the misdeeds of a relative with your own eyes. Watching the money, laundered through multiple layers, flow into the pockets of Lee Joong-gul and the elders made her sigh involuntarily.

‘He couldn’t have lasted long.’

It didn’t take long for her illusions to shatter.

Lee Hyun-joo had respected Lee Joong-gul. Although he was now just a former Assembly Head criticized by others, she believed that Lee Joong-gul deserved credit for leading the General Assembly to where it was today. However, the evidence before her eyes showed that it was all an illusion.

All of Lee Joong-gul’s achievements came from this flow of funds. He gave massive kickbacks to those he considered his allies, solidifying his power. But all this money should have gone to the members.

The typical behavior of a high-ranking official, exploiting subordinates to enrich the landlord, had been going on until recently. Even companies that had to undergo audits and prepare financial statements were careful, but the General Assembly didn’t have to worry about anyone’s scrutiny. So, how bad could it be?

With this kind of financial flow, they couldn’t last long. There was no reinvestment, and only the elders’ pockets grew fatter. The wealth Lee Joong-gul had accumulated was so vast that even Lee Hyun-joo was speechless.

‘Why, Grandpa, why?’

Ironically, Lee Joong-gul was someone who didn’t need much money.

Lee Joong-gul didn’t indulge in luxury.

He didn’t buy luxury goods, nor did he want expensive houses or cars. He wasn’t a traveler either.

It was baffling that someone who didn’t know how to spend money was so obsessed with it.

After staring at the screen for a long time, Lee Hyun-joo took off her glasses and leaned back in her chair.

‘That bastard.’

When she closed her eyes, Lee Hyun-soo’s smirking face came to mind. There must have been an intention behind him entrusting the finances to her. It was probably to shatter the illusion she still had about Lee Joong-gul.

‘You didn’t have to go this far. The illusion was already shattered, you idiot.’ Lee Hyun-joo sighed deeply.

The General Assembly was being reformed. Basically, the General Assembly was a kind of federation. It was a collection of small groups centered around masters and schools of martial arts.

When Lee Joong-gul created the General Assembly, he recognized their autonomy. Then, he brought in the strongest schools as elders and used them as a means to strengthen his rule.

That system had been maintained for decades. But stagnant water always rots.

Those who had once devoted their youth to the grand cause of the General Assembly’s development and Korea’s progress had all grown old and eventually turned into money-grubbing old geezers.

What Lee Hyun-soo was doing now was overturning this rotten system.

He was reorganizing those who were divided into schools and factions into departments of the General Assembly. Within these departments, there were no schools or factions. And he was providing the General Assembly’s martial arts to those who had learned different martial arts, creating a sense of unity.

‘A centralized system.’

It was obvious. But she knew how difficult it was to achieve something so obvious. Historically, how much blood had been shed for feudal systems to transition to centralized ones?

Yet, Lee Hyun-soo was accomplishing this process as smoothly as a snake slithering over a wall.

He was appropriately using Kang Jin-ho’s reputation, pushing Bator forward, passing sensitive issues to Wiggins, and using her, Lee Joong-gul’s granddaughter, as the financial manager.

‘A snake-like human.’

As an organization operator, Lee Hyun-soo was incredibly capable. No matter how much she tried to downplay his abilities, there was no way to do so.

What was even more annoying was that all his goals and plans had nothing to do with his own power or wealth. Despite being able to control and manipulate these vast funds, Lee Hyun-soo was strictly not touching any money except for his assigned salary. And even that salary was meager.

He was capable but lacked humanity. The worst kind of boss.

‘A clueless human.’

With his power, it would be easy for him to pressure Lee Hyun-joo. If he wanted, he could easily create funds. But when Lee Hyun-joo refused the funds he requested, Lee Hyun-soo turned away with the face of a child who had his toy taken away.

“I can’t figure him out.”

An unfathomable person was getting tangled up with clueless people and doing things, and the results were always the best. Watching it made her stomach churn.

Of course, Lee Hyun-joo was also committed to the General Assembly. It wasn’t that she was unhappy with the General Assembly’s progress. What bothered her was that something was happening beyond her comprehension, and the results were always the best.

“Damn it.”

Now she understood why her grandfather had been defeated by such a clueless person. He was the type of person you shouldn’t make an enemy of.

And then…

Bang!

The door burst open, and Lee Hyun-soo entered.

“Hey, Manager Lee. I need approval for some funds. I want to buy a car…”

“Knock before you come in, you mannerless human!”

“…Sorry.”

Lee Hyun-soo looked dejected. Seeing this, Lee Hyun-joo covered her face with her hand.

‘The timing is the worst.’

Why does this guy always come in at times like this?

Lee Hyun-joo took a deep breath to calm herself and opened her mouth.

“Why do you need a car?”

“I have to go out for work sometimes, and it’s often difficult without a car.”

“Don’t you have a personal car? We can just provide gas money.”

“I don’t have one?”

“…Huh?”

“I don’t have a car.”

Lee Hyun-joo’s eyes twitched.

“Why don’t you have a car? How do you get to work?”

“I live in the dorms, so why would I need a car?”

An unfathomable human.

That assessment was spot on.

“Are you asking for a company car?”

“Is it difficult?”

“What kind of car do you want?”

“Anything that runs is fine.”

Lee Hyun-joo’s forehead veins popped.

“Tell me properly. What kind of car do you want?”

“…A compact car would be fine.”

Lee Hyun-soo stepped back, looking slightly scared.

‘Why is she getting angry again?’

Honestly, Lee Hyun-soo wasn’t that afraid of Bator or Kang Jin-ho. Because he could communicate with them. Even if he got yelled at or scolded, there was a reason. So, there was nothing to be afraid of.

But Lee Hyun-joo was different.

She would find fault and get angry for reasons he couldn’t understand. So, it was difficult to deal with her.

“A compact car?”

See? There she goes.

He just asked for a compact car, a company car at that, and she was already popping veins on her forehead.

He couldn’t understand why she was getting angry. To Lee Hyun-soo, Lee Hyun-joo was an unknown entity.

“Did I do something wrong again?”

“Is it okay for the head of the General Assembly to drive a compact car?”

“…Is it not?”

“People’s authority comes from their appearance. If the head of the department drives a compact car, people will look down on him. Then the Assembly Head’s authority will also fall!”

He wanted to argue.

His mouth was itching.

Authority comes from a car? How outdated was that idea? Frankly, if Kang Jin-ho rode a bicycle… no, a tricycle to work, would anyone in the General Assembly look down on him? A car was just a means of transportation. There was no need to divide vehicles by rank.

“…That’s what you’re thinking, right!”

“…Huh?”

Lee Hyun-joo pointed directly at Lee Hyun-soo and said,

“You probably have a valid reason in your head. But there’s something you’re not considering.”

“What?”

“It doesn’t matter if you’re right or not. If you go to a town where three-eyed people live, two-eyed people are treated as disabled. If other people are using cars to show their authority, it’s useless for me to say it’s not true. Do you understand what I’m saying?”

“Uh… well, kind of.”

“I’ll get you a sedan. Drive that.”

“The answer?”

“Y-yes, thank you.”

Lee Hyun-soo nodded, bewildered.

Lee Hyun-joo turned off her computer and stood up.

“You don’t have anything else to do, right?”

“Huh?”

“Your work is done, right? It’s getting late.”

“Ah, well, I just need to do a little more…”

“Postpone the rest for tomorrow.”

“…Huh?”

Lee Hyun-joo frowned.

“Let’s postpone the rest for tomorrow. I have something to discuss with you.”

“Discuss…”

It would be better to do that during meeting hours.

Lee Hyun-soo tried to respond vaguely, but Lee Hyun-joo didn’t let him go.

“We also need to discuss the car model and color, so let’s have dinner together.”

“…Huh?”

“Let’s have dinner together. Is there something wrong with that?”

“Ah, no, I… I already ate.”

But the atmosphere was not right to say that. If he told her to go alone, Lee Hyun-soo might end up going to the afterlife alone.

Lee Hyun-soo had at least some sense to read the atmosphere. So, he tried to vaguely deflect…

“The restaurants might be closed?”

“Who said anything about going to the cafeteria? We’re going out to eat.”

“Outside? But I don’t have a car.”

“I have a car.”

She was thorough.

Unable to find a way out, Lee Hyun-soo finally surrendered.

“Okay, then.”

He could just go eat, right?

What was so special about having a meal? He could just eat, right?

Dejected, Lee Hyun-soo turned around. Lee Hyun-joo matched his pace and started walking with him. It felt a bit strange when it was just the two of them. It was awkward and a bit burdensome.

She probably didn’t like being alone with him either, so why did she keep asking to have dinner together?

But why was she sticking so close?

Uh…

“Um…”

“What?”

“Your arm…”

“What?”

“Never mind.”

Feeling Lee Hyun-joo’s hand grab his arm, Lee Hyun-soo walked stiffly.

It felt like his left arm and left leg were moving together, but he was afraid that twisting his body would make it more awkward, so he just kept walking.

Lee Hyun-joo slightly raised her head and sighed, seeing Lee Hyun-soo’s pale face.

‘The worst.’

He was clueless, lacked sense, had no charm, and was just impossible to deal with.

But still, what could she say?

‘Grandpa, I don’t think I can do it.’

He was so foolish that she kept looking at him.

And that made her even more annoyed.

“Manager.”

“…Yes?”

“Never mind.”

“Huh?”

“It’s nothing.”

“…Yes.”

Lee Hyun-joo chuckled lightly at Lee Hyun-soo’s dazed reaction.

As the two of them left the General Assembly arm in arm, countless gazes were fixed on their backs.

And the sighting became a rumor that spread through the General Assembly in an instant.

The stamp was sealed.