Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1371. Returning (1)

“Composed, you say...?”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly. Was that the impression he gave off?

Chang Piljae tilted his head. “Was I wrong, sir?”

“Well...”

How should Kang Jin-Ho go about defining his current mood?

“It’s more like the... calm before the storm, I guess.”

A wry smirk spread on Kang Jin-Ho’s face.

His story was not the same as Chang Piljae’s. He never thought about how the country protected him as one of its citizens.

During Kang Jin-Ho’s first life, he had been forgotten. Neglected. As for his second, it was an unending struggle for survival. What about now, though?

The ones protecting him and keeping him sane this time were his acquaintances, his family, and the Martial Assembly, not the country.

Kang Jin-Ho stared into the distance. “First thing first.”

“...?”

“The country did not throw you away. The government did. Don’t forget.”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho lazily puffed away at his cigarette. “Also... We might have to narrow that definition down even more.”

“Sir? Isn’t that, like, splitting hairs? It’s true that the country has stopped protecting me, right?”

“Has it ever protected you, though?”

“...!”

“Nothing has changed. For you, for me. In the end, every man must fend for himself. You must protect your own life. Even if your enemy is China. Or Korea, for that matter.”

Chang Piljae silently chewed on his lips. What a straightforward way of viewing things that was. Unfortunately, it didn’t do much to comfort him right now.

“I still don’t get it, sir. Maybe it’s because I’m just not as bold as you. But most normal people will probably feel the same as me.”

“That might be true,” Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged. “However, so what? How would feeling one way or the other about it change this situation?”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho continued to puff lazily away at his cigarette. The silence between the two men seemed to amplify the sizzling, cracking noises of the cigarette tip burning away.

After circulating the unhealthy smoke deep within his lungs, Kang Jin-Ho leisurely exhaled it into the air.

“All I know is this one thing. Rather than wasting your time despairing, you should keep moving forward. That will increase your odds of fixing your situation. That’s why I keep moving forward.”

Chang Piljae let out a lengthy sigh. “I can’t help but think that you’re a superhuman made of pure grade-A reinforced steel, sir. I can’t even dare imitate you.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled softly again. A superhuman made of steel, was it?

Maybe he really looked that way to Chang Piljae. But that evaluation was the complete opposite of the truth.

Someone who knew about Kang Jin-Ho intimately would say his tough exterior was, in reality, simply a collection of countless wounds that had hardened into everlasting scars.

He bled and bled until he bled no more. He got hurt and injured repeatedly until none of it hurt anymore. The pain and feelings grew numb and duller until he was locked up within the world of his own creation. That was Kang Jin-Ho’s second life.

He kept staring into the distance while addressing Chang Piljae. “Honestly, I don’t understand how you feel.”

“...?”

“That’s why I’m not interested in making you feel better.”

Chang Piljae frowned slightly. “That’s... a bit blunt, isn’t it?”

“However, I can promise you this one thing.”

“...Sir?”

The corners of Kang Jin-Ho’s lips curled up.

“If you survive the journey to South Korea, I’ll show you the sight of those who betrayed you paying the price for their actions.”

Chang Piljae urgently clamped his mouth shut. For a split second there, he felt Kang Jin-Ho was inhumanly cold. So cold that all the hair on Chang Piljae’s body stood up in an instant!

Am I lucky or stupidly unlucky?

Chang Piljae wouldn’t have found himself tangled up in this situation if he had never met Kang Jin-Ho. But getting involved with Kang Jin-Ho was the deciding factor in his continued survival so far, despite the scale of this situation.

Considering Kang Jin-Ho had this mysterious power to fix Chang Piljae’s injuries instantly, which had been severe enough to prevent him from moving freely, only a fool would doubt the capabilities of his fellow travelers.

“Assembly Master, sir.” Chang Piljae spoke up, a look of determination on his face. “With your strength, utterly ransacking the NIS should be a walk in the park for you.”

Kang Jin-Ho silently stared at Chang Piljae.

“However, the Prime Minister is still off limits.”

“...”

“The position of the Prime Minister is incredibly symbolic, sir. If you harm him, someone higher up the food chain will be forced to intervene. And that will sour your relationship with the country beyond repair. I understand why you’re pissed at them, but realistically speaking...”

“That’s what most people think,” Kang Jin-Ho abruptly interrupted Chang Piljae.

“Sir?”

“Realistically, it’s difficult. Realistically, you must hold it in.”

“...?”

A sinister smirk spread on Kang Jin-Ho’s face.

“Then, let me ask you this. From where does this reality start? And where does it end?”

Chang Piljae couldn’t readily reply, despite understanding the intent of that question.

Kang Jin-Ho drew an imaginary line on the table between him and Chang Piljae. “Every person has a line. A line they have set for themselves, one where they will never allow other people to cross. However, there will be times in your life when some people cross this line, inadvertently or not. And that will become the deciding moment.”

“I don’t understand...?”

“Some people will fiercely object to their line being crossed. But some won’t. They will be more understanding, saying it was merely a mistake the other side made. Once or twice can be forgiven, etc, etc. After weighing all the options and considering the situation, they will graciously hold their unhappiness in. However, what about the other side? How will they view this interaction?”

“Huh? That’s...?”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded away. “The ones crossing the line will think they haven’t crossed any lines yet. So, they keep crossing the line over and over again. They trample on the territory, my territory, with their mud-stained boots and nonchalantly try to re-establish the line somewhere else. Even though I’m already at the limit of my patience at their intrusion.”

Chang Piljae bit his lower lip.

“When you finally lose your cool and rebuke the intruders, do you know what they will say? They’ll criticize you and say, why are you getting angry at us now? When we’ve already crossed this line many times before?”

Chang Piljae had to admit that Kang Jin-Ho’s words were persuasive.

“Once trampled on, one’s line cannot go back to its original position. And I’ll be giving up on my territory instead.”

Chang Piljae weakly muttered, “The line...”

“Yes, we must protect it. And make sure they will think twice before crossing it. We must let them know that the moment they dare cross this line, we will utilize every means at our disposal to punish them.”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled while reclining against the back of this cheap plastic chair.

“As for me, I merely go slightly further than that. By personally teaching them what the price of trampling on my line is.”

Chang Piljae sighed softly. Of course, he understood why Kang Jin-Ho told him all this. The Assembly Master was trying to explain that his reason for punishing the Prime Minister was not simply “personal” in nature.

This was a matter of principle, in other words.

“Sir, it means there is no room for negotiations, doesn’t it?”

“Sure. I’ve never done that before, you see?”

Chang Piljae slowly shook his head.

Considering he hadn’t known Kang Jin-Ho for long, it was rather strange for Chang Piljae to think this way, but... He couldn’t help but think that this way of thinking suited Kang Jin-Ho so perfectly.

When Chang Piljae thought about his situation some more, he found it weirdly funny, too.

If something similar had happened to any other person on this planet, they would be too busy trying to survive to worry about anything else. Yet, here was Chang Piljae, already worrying about the aftermath.

That could only mean that he subconsciously believed the Prime Minister and his office could never deal with Kang Jin-Ho’s fury.

That was when Chang Piljae realized he was currently sitting around a table belonging to some cheap cafe with an incredible individual.

As their conversation entered another lull, the cafe’s server brought out a tray with cups of coffee on it. The two men accepted their drinks and began sipping away in silence.

Before the bottom of the coffee cup revealed itself, though, Lee Hyeon-Su showed up again, this time with a large backpack slung behind him.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at the backpack. “What’s in there?”

“Simple foods, water, first-aid supplies, and...” Lee Hyeon-Su grinned while pulling out a small, black device. “A GPS, sir.”

“What’s that for?”

“Sir, do you think you will find your way in North Korea? When you sometimes get lost in the middle of Seoul?”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t refute that and sneakily avoided meeting Lee Hyeon-Su’s critical gaze.

“This is why I must assist you, sir. Without me, you’d probably end up in Gangwon Province for some reason instead of Gyeonggi Province. Or, when you think you’ve finished crossing North Korea, find yourself right back at the Yalu River instead.”[1]

“I can differentiate between north and south, at least,” Kang Jin-Ho replied testily.

“It’d be nice if that was true.” Lee Hyeon-Su casually shrugged. “I’ve procured a satellite phone as well. We can now contact Mister Wiggins and other directors while traveling through North Korea.”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “How did you get one so fast?”

“Actually, I requested the cult believers earlier, you see? As expected of folks living in the shadows of society, they were super fast with procuring all these items. They even said they could get us firearms, but I rejected their kindness.”

“...Firearms?”

“Yes, sir.”

“I didn’t know guns were legal in China?”

“Eiii~, of course not.”

Kang Jin-Ho stopped asking any more questions. Maybe not knowing would be better for his mental health!

“Oh, and this, as well.” 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

Lee Hyeon-Su pulled out a large map from the backpack next. It depicted the borders of North Korea.

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head again. “What’s this?”

“Usually, it’s the route the people smugglers use to get their clients out of North Korea. I was thinking of using it to get into the country instead.”

“...And where exactly did you get this?”

Lee Hyeon-Su grinned brightly. “This entire city is teeming with people smugglers and their brokers, sir. And the Public Security agents from China and North Korea are everywhere to arrest any defectors they find, too. Procuring a map like this can be done quite easily. It’s just that you’d need a considerable sum of money for it.”

Well, if Lee Hyeon-Su said so, it must be true. Even if something still didn’t feel right about this.

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “But do we need to do that? Can’t we just cross the river into the country?”

“Unfortunately, no. The North Korean bastards have planted countless mines along the border to stop any would-be defectors. I’m sure you’ll be fine, but I’d like to avoid watching my ankles get blown off, sir.”

Chang Piljae animatedly nodded to indicate his complete and utter agreement.

Kang Jin-Ho’s frown deepened. “Mines?”

“Yes, sir. Please, don’t try to analyze the North Korean bastards logically. You mustn’t forget that while we’re traveling through North Korea, as well. In that country, things like common sense are unheard of. Anything can happen in there.”

Kang Jin-Ho contemplatively nodded. He suddenly recalled the discussion about how similar North Korea was to the demon cult of the past. Listening to Lee Hyeon-Su reminded him of that.

In the past, the people of Zhongyuan viewed the demon cult in the same way as the modern-era people viewed North Korea. They viewed the cult as a place where logic didn’t exist and anything could happen.

Their misgivings weren’t entirely misplaced, but some of them were definitely incorrect, too. Since that had been the case back then, the story within North Korea must be similar, too.

“Then, is that the end of our preparations?”

Lee Hyeon-Su nodded. “Yes, sir. We’re done.”

“Got it. Let’s get going right away.”

Kang Jin-Ho unhesitantly got up to leave. However...

“H-hold on a second, sir!”

It seemed Chang Piljae hadn’t steeled his resolve yet.

“W-wait for me, please. My legs are still, you know, shaking a bit.”

Kang Jin-Ho tutted. “Feeling a bit timid, now are we?”

Lee Hyeon-Su nodded. “It seems that way, sir.”

Chang Piljae almost blurted out, You are the weirdos here, not me! Not me!

Too bad for him, though, his internal monologue had to stay internal. It never got the chance to transform into a part of the surrounding soundscapes.

Then again, what could he even say to people who treated the dangerous journey into North Korea as a school field trip?!

Chang Piljae desperately asked, “A-are we really gonna be okay like this?”

Lee Hyeon-Su cocked an eyebrow. “What more can we do?”

“N-no, I mean, like a plan or something...?”

“We don’t know anyone in North Korea. And we certainly can’t predict what might happen once we’re in there, so what plan are you even talking about?”

“W-what if the North Korean army finds us?”

“Well, we’ll just kick their asses and flee.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded in agreement. “Mm!”

But Chang Piljae began pounding his chest in frustration instead. That was their plan?! Seriously? Besides all that, why was Lee Hyeon-Su speaking so casually to him, anyway?[2]

“Mister Chang,” Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled and called out to Chang Piljae. Judging from his expression, it seemed he had seen through what was in the latter’s mind.

“Yes?”

“What’s the worst that can happen if things go south? It’s death, right? Aren’t you an NIS agent? Where is your courage, man?”

“Since when did an NIS agent come equipped with an extra life?”

“You’ll still die if you stay here, right?”

“Hah...!”

Chang Piljae gave up. Because Lee Hyeon-Su was right.

If Chang Piljae chose to stay here alone, China’s Public Security Bureau or the People’s Liberation Army would inevitably catch up to him. And he’d get executed for his troubles. The other alternative was getting on a smuggler’s ship bound to South Korea, only to welcome a watery grave instead.

Considering all that, the best bet for his survival right now was to tag along with these two insane people.

“Sure... sure. Let’s go, then! I’ll only die once, right...! Bloody hell.”

Chang Piljae shot up to his feet, then dumped the still-remaining coffee down his throat.

“...?! It’s still hot?! Sh*t!”

Chang Piljae urgently spat out the coffee and viciously coughed away while doubling over.

Kang Jin-Ho and Lee Hyeon-Su watched this scene in silence, their eyes gradually narrowing.

“Sir, should we just leave him behind here?”

“But we went to all that trouble to bring him this far, though...?”

“Hah... Seriously.”

Lee Hyeon-Su shook his head helplessly, then grabbed Chang Piljae’s arm before leading the way. Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly followed, but his expression grew progressively colder and withdrawn.

You must still have your feet up, don’t you?

Soon, they would learn.

They would learn what it meant to provoke Kang Jin-Ho like this. And he’d make them remember it through their bodies.

I’ll be seeing you soon.

Kang Jin-Ho was already curious about the kinds of expressions those people would make after finally coming face to face with him.

1. Gangwon is a province in the north-east of South Korea and borders North Korea. Sokcho, the city that hosted the 2018 Winter Olympics, is located here. Meanwhile, Gyeonggi is the province with Seoul in it, to the west of Gangwon. The Yalu River serves as a border between China and North Korea. ☜

2. Lee Hyeon-Su had been addressing Chang Piljae with a hint of polite speech until this chapter. ☜