Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1270. Investigating (5)

Goh Min-Seong stared wordlessly at his own knees.

Blood-stained pants, now dried stiff, clung to his legs. Anyone plying their trade in this violent world called the martial world would experience this state of attire at least once in their life.

However, his situation this time was a bit different, because...

Until now, the blood staining his clothes was from his enemies, but not this time. All this blood had come from Goh Min-Seong himself.

He helplessly chuckled at the sight of all the blood staining his body.

A question popped up in his head just then. It was the same question that kept bugging him whenever he was conscious during the torture sessions.

‘How did I end up here?’

He couldn’t figure it out. How did they find out about him? Even though he had been so cautious!

No, that couldn’t be it.

Goh Min-Seong cackled quietly.

‘Yeah, that’s right. It was only a matter of time before they noticed.’

He knew he couldn’t hide the truth forever. After all, he knew the Assembly’s capabilities. More crucially, he knew what Lee Hyeon-Su was capable of. Even if it wasn’t Lee Hyeon-Su, someone else was bound to notice something was wrong. Someone like Bang Jin-Hun, for instance.

Actually, that wasn’t right. A matter like this wouldn’t even have gotten the executives’ attention. Because someone much lower on the totem pole would’ve figured it out first.

In that case, where did things start to go wrong? Just where?

CLUNK!

That was when the thick steel door to the torture chamber was noisily shoved open, followed by the lights coming on.

“...!”

Goh Min-Seong whimpered weakly while squeezing his eyes shut. The light suddenly burrowing into his eyes felt too painful to endure.

“Urgh...!”

The pain lessened once his eyes quickly got used to the light. While scowling, Goh Min-Seong cracked his eyes open just a little. His blurry vision caught the silhouette of a person.

Goh Min-Seong’s eyes trembled weakly. That was because he recognized the brightly smiling person before him.

“Hey, Min-Seong.”

“...!”

Goh Min-Seong quietly bit down on his lip.

Lee Hyeon-Su brought a chair from somewhere, placed it before Goh Min-Seong’s tied-up figure, and settled down comfortably on it. As he leaned slightly forward, Lee Hyeon-Su’s icy glare locked on Goh Min-Seong.

“Let’s not needlessly waste each other’s time, okay?”

“...”

“I can tell you’re not a dumb guy. And you know I’m not an idiot, too. So, you can’t expect me to believe the story of you smuggling those drugs into the country by yourself.”

Goh Min-Seong didn’t reply. He simply kept his mouth firmly shut while glaring back at Lee Hyeon-Su.

“Okay, so! Let’s see here...” Lee Hyeon-Su grunted while pulling out some documents. Then he lightly tapped on them. “We’ve looked into these, and... Apparently, that container came from Mexico. Oh, hey? I didn’t know you could speak Mexican?”

“...”

“Did you know that Mexicans speak Spanish?”

“...”

“I guess not,” Lee Hyeon-Su's glare grew colder and colder as he spoke. “So, a bastard who can’t speak Spanish and doesn’t know how to contact the Mexican cartels somehow managed to smuggle these drugs in...”

Suddenly, a strange smile bloomed on Lee Hyeon-Su’s face.

“Goh Min-Seong.”

“...”

“You’re from the Yeongnam Group, aren’t you?”

Goh Min-Seong’s hollow eyes stared back at Lee Hyeon-Su.

“That means you know about me. Know what kind of bastard I am. And also know that making you talk won’t be so difficult for me if I get serious.”

So bone-chillingly cold! Even though Lee Hyeon-Su wasn’t even making a threat!

He was simply stating facts like a newscaster here. But his calmness was even more terrifying than any threats.

Indeed, Goh Min-Seong knew only too well what kind of bastard Lee Hyeon-Su was. As a matter of fact, everyone formerly associated with the Yeongnam Group knew how vicious and heartless Lee Hyeon-Su really was.

Even then...!

“I’ll ask you one last time,” Lee Hyeon-Su calmly muttered. “Who is pulling the strings of this operation?”

Even then, Goh Min-Seong still said nothing.

Lee Hyeon-Su silently glared for a while. As seconds ticked away, the coldness in his eyes was gradually replaced by something more... emotionless. Eventually, his expression grew completely flat as if he was staring at a piece of rock.

Lee Hyeon-Su slowly stood up while nodding. “Fine, then.”

The light from the overhead lamp reflected on an object held in his hand. It was a... razor blade. A sharp blade that sent a shiver down the spine of anyone who looked at it was held in Lee Hyeon-Su’s hand!

“Oh, this? My bad. It’s a bit too early for this,” said Lee Hyeon-Su while taking out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket. He mouthed it, then smirked. “I’m sure this will sound weird, but... I don’t particularly enjoy the sight of blood.”

Click!

After lighting the cigarette, he placed it between Goh Min-Seong’s lips. Since both of his hands were tied, Goh Min-Seong couldn’t do anything but stare at Lee Hyeon-Su in confusion.

“It’s for you. Smoke.”

“...?”

“It’s not laced with the truth serum or some other nonsense like that, so relax. Besides, stuff like that doesn’t work on you, anyway.”

Goh Min-Seong slowly sucked in the cigarette smoke.

“...! Cough! Cough!”

Maybe because of all the injuries to his body, he reacted poorly to the cigarette smoke entering his lungs. However, he still desperately sucked on the cigarette. This could very well be the last smoke in his life, after all.

“Now, listen carefully,” said Lee Hyeon-Su in a subdued voice. “I’ll do whatever it takes to make you talk. I’m sure you already know that my methods aren’t that gentle.”

Goh Min-Seong’s gaze landed on the razor blade resting on the chair.

Of course he knew. During the Yeongnam Group days, anyone who caused trouble or an incident, or even betrayed the organization, got dragged away by Lee Hyeon-Su, never to be seen again. Their fate was far too obvious.

Goh Min-Seong’s fate, too, should be the same as theirs.

“Before we start, there’s something I was curious about...” Lee Hyeon-Su muttered, while taking away the razor blade and sitting down on the chair. He stared at Goh Min-Seong in silence for a while, then asked, “Why did you do it?”

Goh Min-Seong whispered weakly. “Do... what?”

“It’s just that I don’t understand it. Why did you get involved in drugs?”

“...”

Lee Hyeon-Su was genuinely curious. The Martial Assembly forbade its members from getting involved in drug trafficking. Goh Min-Seong should know that his punishment would be severe for breaking this rule, so why did he do it?

“Why, you ask?” Goh Min-Seong chuckled. “That’s not like you, Chief Lee. Asking such a stupid question and all. Isn’t it obvious? It’s because of money.”

A hint of ruefulness crept into Goh Min-Seong’s voice just then.

“Money?” Lee Hyeon-Su stared in dismay. “Why worry about money when the Assembly has taken over South Korea? You don’t look that stupid, so why?”

“You’re the stupid one, Chief. Why would I remain in Korea after making enough money doing this sh*t? I’d have emigrated to another country, and that would be all. Why? You think you can chase me down to South East Asia?”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s expression stiffened a little, his eyes narrowing. “Okay, so... You did this stupid thing just to make some extra cash?”

“...Some extra cash?” Goh Min-Seong smirked derisively. “Chief Lee, it sounds like you’ve made a lot of money recently. To think you’d actually mutter sh*t about making some extra cash.”

“...”

“Now I’m curious about something, Chief.”

“What?”

“When viewed from an ordinary person’s view, do you think I’ll be judged as a crazy bastard? Or will the Assembly bastards look even crazier?”

Lee Hyeon-Su was momentarily left speechless, unable to answer.

“Drugs? You say it’s stupid?” Goh Min-Seong’s smirk deepened. “You all swing around knives to stab people to death every f*cking day, so stop judging me like trash for selling some measly drugs, okay? Did I kill people or something? Or encase dead bodies in concrete and toss them into the ocean?”

Goh Min-Seong’s bloodshot eyes glared murderously at Lee Hyeon-Su.

“Why don’t you answer me, oh-so high-and-mighty Chief Lee? By the way, how many people have you killed personally until now?”

“...”

“I bet you lost count a while ago.”

Lee Hyeon-Su still couldn’t answer. Goh Min-Seong was right, after all, about Lee Hyeon-Su killing countless people until now. Some of them might have been unintentional collateral damage, but the fact remained that he wanted most of his victims dead.

In the eyes of ordinary society, Goh Min-Seong was nothing more than a drug dealer. The severity of his crime didn’t even come close to Lee Hyeon-Su the murderer’s.

So, how dare Lee Hyeon-Su rebuke Goh Min-Seong for his crimes? Even a passing stray might guffaw at the irony of this situation.

Lee Hyeon-Su knew this, and that was why he couldn’t find any words to argue back.

In the meantime, Goh Min-Seong continued his ranting. “What’s so f*cking strange about selling drugs for money?! Why did you kill people, then? Huh? Were you acting on some kinda noble ideal or something? Do you think you are a freedom fighter? Is that it?”

“That’s enough, you fool.”

“Enough?! What’s enough?!”

Goh Min-Seong’s eyes grew even more bloodshot.

“You think I’m the stupid one?! You really think I’ve lost my goddamn mind?! Don’t f*cking make me laugh, you sons of b*tches! You’re the crazy ones, okay! Look at the surface world! People will even sell their families to make a buck these days! I’m not the crazy one, you are! You think sane people will confine themselves in some f*cking mountainside and swing knives around while barely making enough not to starve to death?! That’s not f*cking normal, okay!”

Lee Hyeon-Su deeply furrowed his brow as Goh Min-Seong roared loudly.

“Who cares if you have the power?! Goddamn it! Cops or whatever can’t catch me if I get serious about this sh*t, so why should I hold myself back!? When I can be as rich as I want! With money, I can live like a king! Buy everything I want, and get any woman I desire! And do whatever the f*ck I feel like! So why! Why should I rot away in this goddamn place?!”

Spittle flew out of Goh Min-Seong’s mouth. His whole body rocked back and forth precariously to convey how agitated he was right now.

“F*ck! Every f*cking person here knows that the Assembly makes more money than it knows what to do with! Where does all that f*cking money go, you f*cking son of a b*tch! Maybe you and your chums all pocketed it? You lord over the Assembly to enrich yourselves, yet you want us to hide in this mountain and fill our bellies with grass?! And train till the end of my days, going nowhere fast?! Don’t f*ck with me!”

Madness was clearly visible in Goh Min-Seong’s expression as he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Lee Hyeon-Su stared at Goh Min-Seong before chuckling slightly. “Okay, so... You wanted to make money. That’s it?”

“Yeah, that was it! Why? Wasn’t I allowed?” Goh Min-Seong cackled insidiously. “Ohh, I’m so f*cking sorry, Chief! I’m not as noble and righteous as you think I am. Sorry for laughing like this in front of you, but what can I do? When I can’t help it? Oh, by the way? How many people did you kill last time?”

“...”

“I forgot, how many Japs died trying to invade Korea, again? Wasn’t it something ridiculous? Like, in the thousands? Did I get that wrong? It’s funny, right? Bastards who kill people in the thousands getting all pissed off about little ol’ me selling some measly drugs and sh*t. I can’t help but laugh when you treat me like the worst scum in the history of mankind!”

Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled while picking up the razor blade. “Sure, sure. Talk as much as you want. It’s fine, after all.”

While staring at Goh Min-Seong, Lee Hyeon-Su cocked his head to the side.

“However, I still want to hear the answer to my question from earlier. It’d be nice if you tell me that first.”

“Try it, as*hole! You think I’m scared?! F*ck it! I’m gonna die, anyway, so why do you think I’ll cooperate with you?! You say I’m stupid?! Listen here, you son of a b*tch! Things were so much better when Lee Jung-Geol was still the Assembly Master! At least he didn’t drive the members into a dead-end while getting fat from our juices, okay?! I don’t give a sh*t what you do to me! Try it, you f*cking bastard! Uwaaaaaah!”

Lee Hyeon-Su frowned as Goh Min-Seong crazily shouted and struggled against his restraints. However, just as he got ready to use the razor blade and split open Goh Min-Seong’s mouth...!

CLUNK!

The thick metal door behind him noisily opened. Lee Hyeon-Su and Goh Min-Seong’s gazes automatically shifted to the doorway.

Clomp, clomp!

That was when they saw the expressionless Kang Jin-Ho leisurely entering the chamber.

Goh Min-Seong’s complexion paled instantly.

“Ah...!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s gaze locked onto Goh Min-Seong’s eyes, and the corners of his lips curled up.

“You’re accusing us of some amusing things,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Step, step!

Kang Jin-Ho approached Goh Min-Seong, his steps leisurely but firm.

“Go on. I want to hear more.”