Descent of the Demon Master

“This is great timing, actually,” said Lee Hyeon-Su. “What I wanted to talk to you about is related to that topic, you see. I'll deal with the interpretation and translation of the secret manual. However, can you do me a favor in return?”

“You want to handle that?” Bang Jin-Hun furrowed his brow in distrust. “Look here, Lee Hyeon-Su. No, my bad. Section Chief Lee, you get even one preposition wrong while reading a secret manual, and it'd totally screw up the effect of the martial technique. Instead of doing a sloppy job translating it, it might be better to not do it in the first place.”

“No, I get that, sir,” Lee Hyeon-Su responded nonchalantly.

Bang Jin-Hun scowled at that. “What I'm trying to say here is that wrong translations will only f*ck up our younger generation. Are you... willing to take the responsibility in that case?”

“Assembly Master Bang... I've already translated several secret manuals imported from China under Kim Seok-Il's orders.”

“...R-really?”

“Yes, sir. And I haven't seen any negative effects from the martial artists mastering the manuals I've translated, too. If you're still worried, you can always let Mister Kang Jin-Ho here inspect the translated copy first. My previous secret manual translations might have one or two discrepancies but, with Mister Kang Jin-Ho's help, we probably won't have to worry about any hiccups.”

“Mm...” Bang Jin-Hun rubbed his chin. 'Gee whiz. This dude can be way too competent sometimes...'

Was there anything more annoying than someone you didn't like being super-competent in basically everything? Bang Jin-Hun wasn't sure whether to rejoice or despair at the fact that he couldn't find any faults to pick with.

“In that case, let's do it,” said Kang Jin-Ho. And Bang Jin-Hun consented to this swift decision with a silent nod. Kang Jin-Ho looked back at Lee Hyeon-Su. “You asked me for a favor, didn't you? What is it?”

“Can you also include me?”

“Mm?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. Include Lee Hyeon-Su in where?

Lee Hyeon-Su clarified himself. “I'm talking about the training, sir.”

“Mm? You mean the younger generation's training?”

“Yes.” Lee Hyeon-Su fearlessly nodded.

“What the hell?! Lee Hyeon-Su!” Bang Jin-Hun freaked out and jumped up to his feet. “Listen here, dude! You got a sh*t ton of duties to attend to, yet you wanna participate in this training, too?! Who's gonna take over your duties, then!”

Whether Lee Hyeon-Su was hateful or not was a secondary problem here. The management of the Yeongnam Branch was left almost exclusively to Lee Hyeon-Su, a decision made after considering the possibility of the Yeongnam martial artists rebelling against installing people with no inside knowledge or connections in directorial positions. After all, it hadn't been all that long since the two organizations had merged.

So, Lee Hyeon-Su temporarily leaving the managerial position would create a serious void in the Yeongnam Branch.

“Don't worry about that, sir. I've already found suitable people to take over my duties in the meantime. As for the most important tasks... Well, I'll deal with them while training, sir.”

“Even if you say that…!”

“Besides, I think enough time has passed already, sir. Isn't it time for you to directly control the branch? Or you don't mind seeing the Yeongnam Branch turn into my personal faction?”

Bang Jin-Hun frowned deeply. 'Dang it. He's not wrong.'

This situation was basically Lee Hyeon-Su swallowing up the Yeongnam Branch after Kim Seok-Il's removal from the picture had created a power vacuum. Lee Hyeon-Su was installed as the branch head for practical reasons, but leaving him there for too long would eventually lead to issues later on.

'Seriously now... This whole thing can be so infuriating.'

All these problems were caused by Kang Jin-Ho blitzkrieging the Yeongnam Group and annexing it all by himself. If the Martial Assembly and the Yeongnam Group had fought in an open war, and one side had emerged as a clear victor, these kinds of issues wouldn't have surfaced. However, the merger of the two organizations was forcibly done by Kang Jin-Ho, and him alone.

Not only that, but the process had been quite unconventional as well. Which meant the Yeongnam Group managed to preserve most of its combat force. As the group had submitted to Kang Jin-Ho and merged with the Martial Assembly afterward, it became harder for the Assembly Master to command the Yeongnam martial artists.

The Yeongnam people heeded Bang Jin-Hun's orders, more or less, because he had Kang Jin-Ho backing him. However, no one knew when they would start opposing him. It seemed like only a matter of time.

Since Bang Jin-Hun was well aware of this possibility, he chose to saddle Lee Hyeon-Su with the responsibility of managing the Yeongnam Branch. However, that would lead to Lee Hyeon-Su swallowing up the Yeoungnam Branch instead of the complete merger of the two organizations.

Cutting Lee Hyeon-Su loose at the right time and regaining control of the Yeongnam Branch would be the ideal way to handle this, but this issue was much too sensitive and complicated, forcing Bang Jin-Hun to keep delaying it.

“Besides, Assembly Master... What you're concerned about won't happen,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.

Bang Jin-Hun tilted his head and stared at Lee Hyeon-Su, silently asking for an explanation.

“If you want a... 'better' shackle, then me being put through my paces under Mister Kang Jin-Ho should be more reassuring than me managing the Yeongnam Branch.”

“Mm...” Bang Jin-Hun groaned softly. What Lee Hyeon-Su said made sense.

“And also... the fear of Mister Kang Jin-Ho in the Yeongnam Branch is far worse than you can imagine, sir. As long as he's not an enemy to the Martial Assembly, that side won't start a mutiny or disobey your orders, so you can stop worrying about that.”

Bang Jin-Hun slowly nodded. “I see. I understand what you're trying to say.”

Since Lee Hyeon-Su said all that, it'd be wrong to keep tripping him up and argue back using excuses related to the branch's management. Although details still needed to be hashed out, those could wait. Kang Jin-Ho wouldn't want to hear about all this boring stuff, anyway.

“Besides all that... You also want to train under Mister Jin-Ho? Can you clarify that for us?” Bang Jin-Hun asked while tilting his head.

“It's exactly as it sounds, sir. I want to join the younger generation and train.”

“But... Why only now?”

Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled bitterly at that confused question. “Sir, if we're talking about my age, I'm still in my early thirties, you know? That alone gives me the right to join the training. And I'm probably several times stronger than the younger generation, too. It's just that I usually deal with absolute monsters of martial arts, and that kinda makes me look like a weakling most of the time, but... Let me be honest here, sir. I'm one of the strongest among the younger generation.”

“Well, yeah. That's true...” Bang Jin-Hun smacked his lips.

Although Lee Hyeon-Su's assertion was correct, Bang Jin-Hun still couldn't get over the feeling that this was a waste of talent.

Bang Jin-Hun personally wasn't a fan of Lee Hyeon-Su. However, he certainly trusted the latter's capabilities.

If some kind of emergency fell upon the Martial Assembly, Bang Jin-Hun had only two subordinates he trusted enough to discuss it with—Cheon Tae-Hun and Lee Hyeon-Su. And, if he was to choose between the two... Well, he'd have to pick Lee Hyeon-Su.

Bang Jin-Hun obviously trusted Cheon Tae-Hun like his own limb, but Lee Hyeon-Su was simply better in terms of capabilities. Bang Jin-Hun had no choice but to trust those capabilities as the Assembly Master.

“Lee Hyeon-Su, your specialty isn't martial arts, am I right? Even if we are an organization full of muscle-brained fighters, we still need capable administrators to oversee the management. I'm sure you're fully aware of that, Lee Hyeon-Su.”

“...Yes, sir. I used to think that way, too.” Lee Hyeon-Su slowly shook his head. “But not anymore. This is an organization of martial artists, sir. And I've experienced what it's like to be treated like a convenient smartphone app no matter how much I give for the sake of the organization. Painfully so, if I might add. If not for that first-hand experience, I wouldn't have abandoned Kim Seok-Il and sided with you.”

“...You okay with sharing your dark history with us?”

“It's not something I can hide even if I try, anyway,” said Lee Hyeon-Su, his expression remaining calm and unperturbed. “If you don't mind, I'd like to say no to the role of a helper robot who drops nice little hints at perfect timing. To be frank with you... I finally learned the truth the hard way, sir. In our line of work, everything else is secondary. One needs strength for his schemes to work, after all. I mean, I've already experienced all my schemes get smashed to bits through nothing but sheer strength by this gentleman over here…”

“Urgh...” Bang Jin-Hun held his head. 'This so-called gentleman sure has spoiled far too many people until now...'

Not too long ago, Lee Hyeon-Su behaved somewhat like a businessman, but now...! The only thing people talked about after encountering the absurdity named Kang Jin-Ho was strength this, power that!

'I sure am getting sick of hearing this...'

However, what could Bang Jin-Hun say about it when he also admitted that this could be the correct path for a martial artist?

Kang Jin-Ho finally broke his silence and addressed Lee Hyeon-Su. “Do what you want.”

“Are you giving me your permission?”

“Well, you've already passed my test, anyway. Retrieve the secret manual and translate it as soon as possible, then send it to me.”

“Understood, sir. I'll finish it as quickly as humanly possible.” Lee Hyeon-Su deeply bowed his head.

Kang Jin-Ho narrowed his eyes. “However...”

“Yes, sir?”

“Even if you're stepping away from your current duties, you will continue advising the Assembly Master.”

“Of course. I can certainly do...”

“Nope,” Kang Jin-Ho abruptly cut Lee Hyeon-Su off. “I'm not talking about the matters involving the branch only. From this moment on, you'll have to deal with gathering information for the whole of the Assembly.”

“Sir, that might be a little too early for me,” said Lee Hyeon-Su as his expression stiffened. He also glanced cautiously at Bang Jin-Hun.

The issue wasn't with his capabilities but with trust. Did Bang Jin-Hun trust Lee Hyeon-Su enough to handle something that sensitive?

Unsurprisingly, Bang Jin-Hun's expression couldn't be described as ‘convinced.’ He cleared his throat and addressed Kang Jin-Ho. “Mister Jin-Ho, since this is not an urgent matter... Shouldn't we take our time thinking about this?”

“It's not an urgent matter, you say?” Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. Bang Jin-Hun hurriedly clamped his mouth shut at the weird tone of that question. Kang Jin-Ho slowly shook his head. “It sounds like your sense of danger has waned a little, Assembly Master Bang. Even if the Assembly is now under one banner, our work is not over yet. Far from it. Don't forget the conflict with the Japanese, for instance.”

“Oh...”

“Since things have been far too quiet for this long, a crisis will happen quite soon. No, let me correct myself. Problems must be already rearing their heads as we speak. Except that we haven't noticed them yet.”

“Mm…” Bang Jin-Hun weightily nodded. Kang Jin-Ho was right. Those persistent Japanese bastards wouldn't back off like this. Them keeping a low profile could only mean they were scheming something monumental in scale. “Yes, you have a valid point.”

“Also... A group of strange foreigners has entered Korea as well.”

“Eh? What do you mean?” Bang Jin-Hun blinked his eyes and asked in confusion. Kang Jin-Ho proceeded to explain what happened in the airport, and Bang Jin-Hun began frowning deeply after listening to the story. “Mm...! That sure sounds like something we can't overlook…”

Lee Hyeon-Su broke his silence and spoke up. “The biggest problem facing us is our lack of information network. Other countries usually don't mind sharing information with each other, but Korea somehow is not included in that network, sir. The lack of info shouldn't hurt us when dealing with domestic issues, but our limitations will be badly exposed when international foes are thrown into the mix.”

“Mm. I agree,” said Bang Jin-Hun.

“And... Let us not forget that most of our future opponents will be from other countries. That is the natural flow of things, after all. As such, I believe the Martial Assembly needs to collect information on our international neighbors.”

“That's easier said than done, though,” Bang Jin-Hun groaned and shook his head. “Other countries have information-sharing networks going back decades, but we've never been in the position to pay attention to the on-goings of our neighbors until now. Setting up something like an intelligence bureau and dispatching agents overseas is just too unrealistic for us.”

“Yes, I agree, sir. That is why...” Lee Hyeon-Su turned his head and stared at Kang Jin-Ho. “...We should get in contact with the other side.”

“...Contact the other side?”

“Yes, sir. One of the basics in The Art of War is befriending distant nations while antagonizing our neighbors. Obviously, China or Japan won't give us the information we need. We're in a hostile position with Japan, while the sole connection to China was lost when the Yeongnam Group was taken down,” Lee Hyeon-Su crossed his arms in front of his chest as he furrowed his brow. “Which means we need to get friendly with a third party that is not affiliated with either China or Japan. A party who knows all there is to know about East Asia and has no reason to wage war with us.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin while recalling a face of a certain woman. '...Mm. What was the name of that place again?'

That blonde woman brazenly invaded Kang Jin-Ho's personal space and mentioned something about Europe, didn't she?

Lee Hyeon-Su noticed Kang Jin-Ho's mulling and cautiously asked. “Can you think of anything, Mister Kang Jin-Ho?”

“...Mm, well, yes. I'll have to think about it, though. I'm kinda scared of brazen, spunky women, you see.”

“I'm sorry?”

“...! Don't mind me. It's nothing.” Kang Jin-Ho panicked slightly and urgently shook his head when his inner thought jumped out of his mouth without a warning. “Cough. I do have an idea of what to do about this problem, so let me handle it. However, it might not work out as intended, so I'd like you two to come up with alternatives just in case.”

“Of course, sir.” Lee Hyeon-Su nodded.

“Understood,” Bang Jin-Hun also nodded while thinking that they finally had a proper meeting worthy of the top leaders of the Martial Assembly. 'This is why I can't underestimate Lee Hyeon-Su...'

If it had been Kang Jin-Ho and Bang Jin-Hun shooting the breeze under the pretext of having a meeting, they would've failed to think about stuff like this until it was too late. Bang Jin-Hun gained a renewed appreciation of the importance of having a street-smart individual acting as the brain of the operation.

Lee Hyeon-Su narrowed his eyes. “However, Mister Kang Jin-Ho...”

“Yes?”

Find the original at "pawread dot com".

“Japan and Korea have already crossed the line of no return, sir. Regardless of information sharing and whatnot... Those bastards will definitely come after you.”

The corner of Kang Jin-Ho's lips suddenly curled upward. Lee Hyeon-Su clamped his mouth tightly at that creepy, chill-inducing smirk, his fingers digging into his trembling thigh. 'Yes, this is what I'm talking about!'

This was the true 'Kang Jin-Ho' Lee Hyeon-Su wanted to see. And this sight left him deeply curious.

As an enemy, Lee Hyeon-Su had already fully 'experienced' Kang Jin-Ho's terror. And now, he'd get to experience what it was like to fight alongside this terrifying monster. What would that feel like? He couldn't wait to find out.

And that opportunity came sooner than Lee Hyeon-Su anticipated.