Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1397. Making A Deal (2)

Kang Jin-Ho crumpled the newspaper and threw it in the corner of his cell.

He pressed his forehead against the wall and closed his eyes.

You were being foolish...

The discarded newspaper had an article about Choi Yeon-Ha. The cultural impact from that incident must’ve been earth-shattering, considering that the news article took a prominent spot in the society pages instead of the entertainment section.

Since traditional newspapers were usually more conservative than their online counterparts, her bombshell declaration must've raised one hell of a fuss on the outside.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled helplessly. This event reminded him of how isolated he had become from the rest of society. Things must be in utter chaos right now on the outside, yet in here, everything seemed so peaceful.

“My lord. It’s not looking good.”

“We’re doing our best, Assembly Master, but it’s not as easy as we thought it’d be. Maybe we... No, don’t mind me, sir.”

“Jin-Ho, are you okay?”

Faces and voices of the people who came to see him in this prison flitted in and out of his mind.

“Don’t worry about it and just focus on getting out of here, Mister Jin-Ho. But... But even if you can’t get out of here soon, you still have nothing to worry about. Finding another guy who will meet my standards will be nearly impossible, after all.”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t get the memories of Choi Yeon-Ha forcing a smile on her stiff face out of his mind.

His fingers dug into the floor. The reinforced concrete acting as the cell’s floor let out an eerie cracking noise as it broke apart like clay. After scooping out a small handful of the floor, Kang Jin-Ho stared at the concrete breaking apart like dust.

Am I truly imprisoned in here?

Really? The one and only Kang Jin-Ho is?

Imprisoned by this... this flimsy concrete?

A hollow chuckle left Kang Jin-Ho’s lips. He turned his head to stare at the far wall, then slowly got up. He walked up to this wall and pressed his hand against it.

What am I even doing here?

What is it all for?

The only reason why he had endured it all until now was because he wanted to avoid harming the people in his life. No, to be more correct, he wanted to live with them. To be among them.

However, if his reward for being patient was being isolated from society and forced to be separated from his acquaintances... What was the point of it all?

If he couldn’t maintain this lifestyle, then maybe...!

Kang Jin-Ho bit his lower lip. His hand pressing against the wall dug a little deeper.

However, before anything could happen...

“Mister Kang! You have a visitor! Please come to the entrance.”

Kang Jin-Ho turned around to stare at the cell’s exit. Distinctive metallic noises came from beyond the steel door before the lock was undone. A guard stepped in through the open doorway and stared at Kang Jin-Ho.

Kang Jin-Ho sighed under his breath and walked up to the guard. “Who is my visitor this time?”

“Unfortunately, I can’t tell you that yet.”

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly nodded, then followed the guard outside the cell. Soon he realized that the path the guard led him down was different from the ones he used until now.

As a matter of fact, this was the same route he used to meet his first-ever visitor as an inmate of this prison. Indeed, back when his visitor was South Korea’s Prime Minister, Kim Myeong-Chan!

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression grew colder when he figured out the current situation. Sure enough...

After passing through two more solid steel barriers, he arrived at the same office he used to chat with Kim Myeong-Chan. Unlike the first time, though, Kim Myeong-Chan was already sitting inside, waiting for Kang Jin-Ho’s arrival.

“Welcome, Assembly Master.”

Kim Myeong-Chan got up, then gestured at the guard, prompting the latter to bow slightly and leave the office.

Kim Myeong-Chan approached Kang Jin-Ho with a face full of smiles. It was clear from his body language that he wanted a handshake.

That was when Kang Jin-Ho curtly muttered, “Don’t come any closer.”

“I’m... sorry?”

“If you do, I might just kill you.”

“...”

Kim Myeong-Chan’s expression froze stiff just then.

Other people saying that would’ve done so with the intention of being menacing. Threatening. But not Kang Jin-Ho. He had no need to threaten anyone.

That only made him more intimidating, however.

Kim Myeong-Chan promptly gave up approaching Kang Jin-Ho and bowed toward the latter from where he stood. “How are you? Any problems during your stay?”

“...” Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly walked up to the table, pulled out a chair on the opposite side to the Prime Minister, then settled down on it.

Kim Myeong-Chan cautiously took up his seat again.

“Why are you here?”

When Kang Jin-Ho coldly asked that, Kim Myeong-Chan sneakily pushed his glasses up his nose, his eyes studying his opponent’s mood.

“I did tell you that I’d be back soon. I would like to hear your decision, Assembly Master. Hopefully, you have given my proposal a thorough consideration in the past few days.”

“The one about obediently rotting away in here until you sort everything out for me? That one?”

“Yes, that one.”

Kim Myeong-Chan had to fake-cough and clear his throat just then. Even someone like him found the task of sitting before Kang Jin-Ho and saying these provocative things incredibly taxing on his mind. His coarse skin and dark circles below his eyes from the lack of sleep amply proved that.

With his paler-than-usual skin on full display, Kim Myeong-Chan spoke in a voice much more subdued from when he greeted Kang Jin-Ho.

“I’m sure you’ve heard about it already, but the situation outside isn’t going favorably for you, Assembly Master.”

“Yes. Nice work.”

“Thank you. We’re desperate, after all.”

Kim Myeong-Chan spoke truthfully. Why would he try to hide how desperate his side was, anyway?

He exercised the authority granted to him by his position as much as possible. Not stopping there, he even bent the rules a lot to suppress and pressure Kang Jin-Ho’s acquaintances and surroundings.

He was doing his absolute hardest to prove in real time that when the government got serious about crushing someone, it’d not stop at anything to get what it wanted.

“There is no escape for you.”

“...”

“Assembly Master, it’s time you make your decision. Despite going this far, we’re still seeking your cooperation because we recognize the necessity of your existence for our nation. We wish to seek a way to co-exist. That’s why I can only ask you to be more...”

“Get out of my sight,” said Kang Jin-Ho while abruptly getting up.

“Assembly Master!”

“I’m not negotiating with you. We’re done.”

Kim Myeong-Chan chewed on his lips before shooting up to his feet. “Do you wish to go all the way, then?”

“All the way, you say?”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly turned his head and glared at Kim Myeong-Chan. All the strength from Kim Myeong-Chan’s legs abandoned him when that glare slammed into him, and he almost collapsed on the chair.

“This will be your last time running your mouth as you feel like it. I might not be the smartest person in the world, but I do know this one thing. It’s fine to negotiate with some people, but some others are not. You happen to be in the latter category.”

“You are not negotiating with me, Assembly Master. No, it’s the...”

“It doesn’t matter,” Kang Jin-Ho cut Kim Myeong-Chan off and muttered quietly. “This is the last time I’m letting you go. Next time we meet, you die.”

“...”

“Whether I lose my patience, or some other methods are found... Whatever it is, you will die. That I promise. You will experience the most wretched death you can imagine.”

Kang Jin-Ho coldly muttered, then walked up to the office’s door. He then banged on it.

“Open up!”

The guard opened the door, allowing Kang Jin-Ho to leave the office without a moment’s hesitation.

Now left alone, Kim Myeong-Chan finally plopped down on the chair. His faltering hands weakly grabbed on to the edges of the table.

Drip...

Cold sweat fell from his face like raindrops.

It’s all a bluff. That’s all!

It felt like he was walking on a tightrope. One suspended over a bottomless chasm between two distant cliffs, with no safety net in sight!

Kim Myeong-Chan bit his lip as determination, nay, hints of madness, began filling up his eyes.

“Fine. If you don’t want to negotiate...! You leave me with no choice.”

Now he had his answer. Regardless of who would get destroyed first, he must go all the way till the end now.

***

CLUNK!

The sound of the metal door closing shut came from behind him. Kang Jin-Ho didn’t pay it any mind and coldly stared at the cell wall.

The closing of that door signaled his isolation from the rest of society. A wall of his own making, and not these concrete walls, imprisoned him once more.

Negotiations? What a laughable notion that was.

There was no negotiating with Kim Myeong-Chan. That had been decided already. However, Kang Jin-Ho was no fool. He knew.

Unless he came to some kind of agreement with Kim Myeong-Chan, that steel door would never open again. The Martial Assembly and his acquaintances outside could try everything in their power, but it’d all be useless in the end.

After all, only the government and the courts wielded the power over that door.

Kang Jin-Ho would never get out of here unless the court made a fair and rational judgment. In order to do that, however, it’d have to be fully independent of the government, but the odds of that happening were close to nil.

Worse still, he’d need several years at least to clear his name, even if the court and the judges involved were not influenced by external pressure. His life would be in tatters by then.

Then...

Why am I hesitating?

If his life was destined to be ruined either way, what was stopping him from breaking out of this place?

Shouldn’t he break this wall down before Kim Myeong-Chan got too far away? And tear that bastard’s head off? That should be the right thing to do, no?

Unless Kang Jin-Ho drank that man’s blood and listened to his despairing cries, this intense flame burning deep inside his chest would never be quelled.

If I...!

Kang Jin-Ho slowly reached out and grabbed the steel bars.

He only had to look the other way once. Just once. As long as he destroyed this wall and snapped these slender steel bars apart, he’d regain his freedom.

Things like the rules and regulations governing the surface world? Relationships and connections he had created until now? Such things could be rebuilt from the ground-up even if they got ruined and destroyed. But by doing so, he’d gain the freedom that was truly unfettered.

In that case, what was he waiting for?

Kang Jin-Ho’s grip on the steel bars increased, only for him to let go a few moments later.

Was it because he got cold feet? Too scared of the consequences? Of course not.

While staring outside the window, Kang Jin-Ho quietly muttered, “Didn’t I say I’ll kill you when we meet again?”

From the darkness enveloping his cell, an indistinct silhouette quickly materialized before taking on the shape of a person. This silhouette, once fully materialized, prostrated toward Kang Jin-Ho.

“This sinful one pays his respect to the great Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor.”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly turned around. “It seems my warning was not sufficiently scary enough, then.”

“Not at all. This one is still terrified right down to his soul. However, I have a way to quell your rage if you’re interested.”

Kang Jin-Ho’s expression grew even colder. Looking at the good-natured smile plastered on the face of the intruder strongly triggered Kang Jin-Ho’s desire to tear this man’s head off.

However, he didn’t act on his desire and gave the man a chance to make his case instead.

“Fine. Talk. However, I’m warning you. I’m not in a good mood right now. If you’re thinking of telling me useless nonsense, you better give up leaving here with your life intact.”

“Of course, oh the demon emperor.”

The man, the Blood Demon, smiled smoothly and confidently.

“Sir, I heard that your situation has not been looking too good lately.”

“All thanks to you.”

“The organization I’m a part of wishes to propose a trade with you.”

“A trade, you say?”

The Blood Demon cautiously nodded. “We heard that the only reason you remain in this flimsy place is to resolve this situation through legal channels instead of brute strength. Is that information correct?”

“Not sure who told you that, but you’re free to imagine whatever you want. No one’s gonna stop you. So? What do you want?”

“We have a way to fix this.”

“...?” Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow in puzzlement. “Really now? Then, tell me.”

“Sir, please allow us to join hands with you. We will give everything you want. We shall destroy your enemies, and they won’t be able to fight back. We have the power to let their screams of agony echo throughout the land.”

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

“So... You want me to negotiate?”

He took a step forward. Blood Demon planted his forehead again on the floor, and Kang Jin-Ho slowly placed his foot on the back of the prostrating man’s head.

“You dare demand me to compromise with you, Blood Demon?”

“Sir!”

Despite his forehead digging into the reinforced concrete, Blood Demon didn’t even gasp in pain.

“I would never dare! This isn’t a demand to negotiate, but an attempt to express our awe, our desire to worship! Please grant us this opportunity to serve you. Then we will give you everything you desire.”

A demonic smirk gradually spread on Kang Jin-Ho’s face. “How... interesting.”

Kang Jin-Ho took his foot away from the Blood Demon’s head, then leaned against the cell wall while sitting down.

“Explain yourself. I’m all ears.”

“Thank you, sir. You will not be disappointed, that I swear.”

The Blood Demon smiled brightly.