Descent of the Demon Master

"Are the preparations finished?" Lee Hyeon-Su pensively asked.

"Yes. The ship has reached the designated location and is waiting for their arrival," Lee Hyeon-Ju replied.

"I see. Confirm their location one more time."

"Branch director Lee, I've already confirmed..."

"Yes, I heard you, so shut up and do as I say!"

Lee Hyeon-Ju clamped her mouth shut.

Today's Lee Hyeon-Su was behaving starkly differently from the man she usually dealt with. He seemed to have morphed into an impatient man who didn't know how to handle his taut nerves, constantly teetering on the knife edge as he sat in his office.

She nodded slightly. "I'll confirm right away."

Lee Hyeon-Su narrowed his eyes. "While doing that, confirm if anyone has been trying to approach the ship, too!"

"Understood," Lee Hyeon-Ju nodded again, this time with a little more force.

'It's better not to get on his nerves right now...'

Obviously, Lee Hyeon-Ju had eyes. Anyone with a functioning brain should be able to tell that provoking Lee Hyeon-Su right now would not lead to a nice conclusion.

In short, Lee Hyeon-Su was as pissed as a little kid whose Christmas gift had been taken away.

'Which doesn't surprise me.'

Lee Hyeon-Ju nodded in understanding. It made sense why Lee Hyeon-Su was on edge. What he and Kang Jin-Ho were trying to pull off carried such a high degree of danger, after all!

When Lee Hyeon-Su first told her what their plan was, didn't Lee Hyeon-Ju surmise her feelings concisely with four simple words?

"You are all crazy."

She wouldn't deny the accusation of mutiny if someone wanted to punish her for it, but no other words seemed suitable to express her sentiment, which was disbelief... During the moment, at least. And Lee Hyeon-Su himself didn't bother to deny that the plan was, simply put, insane.

He could only chuckle sheepishly to mask how embarrassed he was!

To think the plan was to get a ship in the international waters, then let the evacuees swim toward it!

'That's easier said than done, you know!'

Anyone could say it was possible to go to Mars, kick some football around and come home. What mattered in this case wasn't just talking about the plan but actually making it happen.

There were way too many hurdles to clear for the plan Lee Hyeon-Su and Kang Jin-Ho had cooked up to actually work. Moving one or two people that way might be possible since the evacuees were martial artists, not some random dudes off the street. However, the odds of realistically pulling this plan off dropped to near zero when the evacuees numbered almost ten thousand!

'Ten thousand might not sound much, but in reality...!'

Such a number could fill up most smaller-sized football stadiums. Avoiding attention would be impossible with so many people gathered in one place.

The Chinese martial society might be able to pull that off, though. Their influence even reached China's Public Security, after all. However, the demonic cultivators didn't have the political connections or financial power to do so. Which meant they had no choice but to throw themselves at the problem.

'Well, there is one small saving grace here, and that is... Even if they clash with China's Public Security, no one will lodge an official complaint to the Korean government...'

Unfortunately, Lee Hyeon-Ju's current situation was far too precarious to draw any solace from that small saving grace!

"Fuu-woo...!" Lee Hyeon-Ju sighed while holding her phone. Once the call got through, she quickly confirmed the situation. After ending the call, she turned her attention back to Lee Hyeon-Su. "Branch director. The ship's coordinates have been confirmed. It matches the GPS location reading we're getting this side. And no unknown parties have tried to approach the ship yet."

"Really?" Lee Hyeon-Su grimaced, his anxious eyes glancing at his phone. 'In that case, someone should've contacted me by now!'

If the demonic cultivators had jumped into the ocean without a problem, someone should have called Lee Hyeon-Su to let him know. So, the lack of contact obviously signaled they had run into some kind of obstacle.

Lee Hyeon-Su's faith in Kang Jin-Ho was absolute. He believed nothing could pose a serious problem as long as Kang Jin-Ho was there. Even if they ran into a truly inconceivable variable, at least Kang Jin-Ho should not have an issue extricating himself from trouble.

Even so...

'Why am I so nervous?'

It felt like he was standing on an iron plate that was steadily getting hotter. Lee Hyeon-Su tried hard to relax, but his body didn't want to listen. His heart was racing madly out of control. An unexplainable pressure tightened around his torso, and Lee Hyeon-Su just couldn't settle down.

He quietly muttered, "How about..."

"Please calm down, Branch Director Lee."

Lee Hyeon-Su shifted his head to stare at Lee Hyeon-Ju.

"If you can't calm down, please go and have a smoke break outside. You getting jittery here won't ensure the safety of our people on the other side, you know? If you're still worried, why don't you think of another way to help them?"

"...Dammit," Lee Hyeon-Su grimaced.

"If you can't do that either, you need to calm yourself down somehow. Only then will you be able to respond properly when you finally receive the call."

Lee Hyeon-Su deeply sighed, knowing Lee Hyeon-Ju had made a valid argument. "Yes, you're right."

Obviously, Lee Hyeon-Su knew all that. Still, having someone remind him did the trick, and it felt like a large lump sitting on his chest had loosened up a little.

"Okay. What about the dock on our side?" Lee Hyeon-Su asked, his voice sounding a lot calmer.

"Don't worry, it's been taken care of."

"Mm..."

They had already finished what they could do on this side. Objectively speaking, this matter was no longer in Lee Hyeon-Su's hands. And now, all he could do was sit here and pray that everything would be alright. As for other matters requiring his attention... They were also taken care of.

'Yup, I'm never letting the Assembly Master out of the country ever again!'

Lee Hyeon-Su got a good lesson on how nerve-racking it was to send one's king to a land his influence didn't reach.

Lee Hyeon-Ju sighed. "Please don't worry like that. You know Mister Jin-Ho is strong."

"Yes, he indeed is."

"You see? Knowing that, why are you so worried about them? You're not the type to care about demonic cultivators, anyway. Which means you're worried about Mister Jin-Ho, but should you be worried about him?"

"...Well, no. At least when we're in Korea, that is."

"...I'm sorry?"

"We're talking about China here. Even Mister Jin-Ho doesn't have any guarantees in that place. Dragons exist in that country, after all."

"...Dragons?"

"I'm sure that might not happen, but..." Lee Hyeon-Su sighed deeply while leaning back against his chair. 'Please come back without any problems.'

It seemed no one felt Kang Jin-Ho's absence as badly as Lee Hyeon-Su in this organization.

***

"Keep running! Hurry!"

Zhu Gang was running as fast as he could. His lungs felt like they were on fire.

Even though he was a martial artist, his stamina wasn't infinite. Yes, he could run faster and for longer than regular people. But that was when he was conserving his strength.

If Zhu Gang were to run at full tilt, he'd be several times faster than non-martial artists. However, the length of time he could keep that up would be no different than regular, non-martial artist athletes. No wonder he was getting fatigued now.

His legs were shaking weakly. It felt like his vision was turning gray and colorless. Even so, Zhu Gang kept running without a single complaint. And he didn't even stop for a second to take a breather.

A strange emotion was bubbling up within his heart.

'He... He's not human!'

Zhu Gang witnessed with his own two eyes. As for what he had witnessed? Of course it was the demon emperor's display of godly power.

What he saw earlier, while acting as a chauffeur, was not the full extent of the demon emperor's powers. As it turned out, the demon emperor was far stronger than Zhu Gang had imagined!

Indeed, he was a powerful cultivator. Cruel, indiscriminate, and heartless, too! Quite literally, he was a demonic cultivator!

Zhu Gang was also referred to as a demonic cultivator. After watching Kang Jin-Ho go on a rampage, though... He now hesitated to call himself that.

As a matter of fact, how could anyone dare call themselves demonic cultivators after witnessing that demonstration?

'Can I become as strong as him?'

Zhu Gang couldn't even imagine it. Even if he died and reincarnated hundreds, no, millions of times, he still wouldn't become as strong as Kang Jin-Ho. He should just accept that fact and move on.

Even then... What about one one-hundredth of Kang Jin-Ho's strength?

Zhu Gang wasn't hoping to reach a realm where the world would start recognizing him as a Demon King. Even so, couldn't he reach a realm where he'd have no problem standing proudly before Kang Jin-Ho and calling himself a demonic cultivator?

Zhu Gang bit down on his lip.

'Yes, it's possible!'

It should be doable. The demon emperor said so himself, didn't he? He promised to make them stronger as a reward for going through this Hell.

That was why Zhu Gang knew he only needed to escape this country. As long as he jumped into the ocean in the distance and swam to the coordinates, Zhu Gang would reach South Korea. Once there, the demon emperor would mold him into a true demonic cultivator!

Knowing that, how could Zhu Gang not stay patient here? He was confident of not stopping and running toward his destination even as his lungs screamed for more air and his heart pounded fast enough to explode.

Zhu Gang finally learned how hope could keep people going. He had grown weary of life without a future. Obviously, he never had a chance to feel this energetic before!

How ironic it was for him to regain hope after the Demon King went on a rampage! Even so, Zhu Gang could see bright rays of hope emanating from Kang Jin-Ho's martial prowess.

"Don't look back!"

"The great and noble demon emperor is supporting you from the rear! So, keep running! Run until you're out of breath!"

One might wonder if these demonic cultivators would have enough energy to swim the long distance after exhausting themselves this much. Despite that worry, the demon cult elders continued to urge their fellow believers as if... As if they were being chased by something.

Others might not be aware, but Zhu Gang knew the reason for this urgency.

'This situation can change at any time!'

For now, the demon emperor had been dictating the show like a wolf pouncing on the flock of sheep. However, rats driven to a dead-end would inevitably start biting the cat back. There was no guarantee how long the other side would remain docile.

No matter how strong the demon emperor was, how could he protect all these demonic cultivators if the enemy decided to pounce on them? When they had shown up with a sizable force of their own? In that scenario, the enemy camp should suffer tremendous loss, but the demonic cultivators would experience near-extinction-level destruction and death.

That was why they should escape from here as quickly as possible... Before Zhu Gang's worst fears could become a reality!

"Hurry up! Run!"

Zhu Gang clenched his teeth and ran. He was just as anxious as the elders. They only needed to get out of here. That was all! As long as... As long as they could leave the country...!

Soon, the pier became visible in Zhu Gang's view.

"Huff, huff! Huff!"

It felt like the sight of the distant pier gave Zhu Gang his second wind. And now, all he had to do was get to the pier with its concrete docks stretching toward the ocean... Then jump right into the water. With that, a brand-new life would open for...

That was when Zhu Gang's eyes spotted something a bit out of place.

'Huh? What's that?'

Something... or someone, was standing at the end of the pier.

'Is that a person?'

Indeed, Zhu Gang's first instinct was correct. A man in impressive crimson attire was standing at the end of the dock. No, Zhu Gang was mistaken—that crimson attired man was leisurely walking toward the fleeing demonic cultivators.

Something didn't feel right about this scene. Inexplicable weirdness, this feeling of something being out of place, washed over him in an instant. Zhu Gang couldn't put a finger on what this emotion was.

How should he describe what he was feeling? Although Zhu Gang wasn't sure this emotion boiling in his blood could be, he did figure out why something felt off.

That crimson-attired man was... approaching the demonic cultivators? With leisurely steps, no less?

That might not sound all that strange, but that man was walking toward a madly surging flood of demonic cultivators almost ten thousand strong. What would it feel like to watch that come barreling toward you?

It must be similar to seeing a horde of rampaging water buffaloes charging right at you. The usual reaction would've been to run away to safety. However, that man was still closing the distance. With steps as leisurely as a man on a Sunday stroll!

'Just what... is going on?' 𝔣𝔯𝖊𝔢𝖜𝔢𝔟𝖓𝖔𝔳𝔢𝖑.𝔠𝖔𝔪

Zhu Gang's question was soon answered.

The crimson-attired man slowly extended his hand toward the incoming demonic cultivators. His movement was unhurried and relaxed. Still, it looked as futile as trying to stop a typhoon with a bare hand.

That was when Zhu Gang heard a voice. And it registered in his hearing as vividly as a human voice could!

"You bunch of rat bastards...!"

Blinding rays of light suddenly began bursting out of the man's hand. Zhu Gang hurriedly shielded his eyes before the brilliant light could blind him forever!

"Aaaaaaahk!"

A horrified scream exploded out of Zhu Gang's mouth. Even though he only gazed into the light for a brief moment, the pain he felt was akin to his eyeballs melting! Tears began streaming down his face nonstop.

KA-BOOOOOOOOM!!!

That sounded like the entire world had exploded!

The demonic cultivators, deafened and blinded now, stopped running and hurriedly ducked for cover.

How much time passed by after that? It felt like an eternity for Zhu Gang, but it couldn't have been all that long by the time he cautiously forced his eyes open.

'What the f*ck just happened?!'

Zhu Gang's vision remained clouded. He focused all of his energy and stared at the mysterious man. And then, his vision was rewarded by the sight of...

A robe so crimson that it must've been made of blood! His black hair stretching out like a lion's mane! And a short beard covering the lower half of his face! All these factors combined, this man oozed the aura befitting the embodiment of supreme might!

Zhu Gang felt lightheaded the moment he laid his eyes on this crimson-robed man.

For sure, what he felt right now was different from when Zhu Gang saw the demon emperor back then. However, the level of pressure crushing down on him was practically the same!

Zhu Gang's knees buckled as if to force him to kneel. He desperately resisted, but his body still screamed and struggled against him to submit to the individual before his eyes.

Just who...

Just who was this man that Zhu Gang must...!

That was when he heard a pained gasp coming from somewhere behind him.

"The Crimson... King!"

One of the Three Kings ruling the vast land of China, the embodiment of sheer martial might...!

The Crimson King had finally descended to this chaotic battlefield.

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