Descent of the Demon Master

Chapter 932: Testifying (2)

The remaining people glanced at each other in silent awkwardness.

'What the hell is going on here?'

Bak Hak-Gi somehow managed to get a grip on his sanity before it completely slipped away. However, that didn't mean this situation had improved appreciably.

The hellish awkwardness still filled up the VIP lounge, after all!

'Besides all that!'

Was that man crazy? How could he just walk away from here?

Bak Hak-Gi was flabbergasted beyond belief. So much so that he wasn't sure what should be done next despite his years of experience.

'I mean… The Master of the Round Table came to see you, didn't he!'

Why would the Master travel all the way to South Korea? Wasn't it obviously to speak to Kang Jin-Ho face-to-face? So why did Kang Jin-Ho wait for his arrival in the lounge… Only to walk away like that?

Bak Hak-Gi reflexively craned his neck to see. He wanted to see if Kang Jin-Ho had changed his mind and was now heading back to the lounge. However, no matter how ardently Bak Hak-Gi waited…

Kang Jin-Ho wasn't coming back.

'Just what the hell is going on here?'

Kang Jin-Ho was out of control!

Common sense existed for a reason, no? People observing common sense would make everyone's life so much easier. But Kang Jin-Ho spat on that logic and even proceeded to stomp and trample on it mercilessly!

"Uh… Uhm?"

Dozens of thoughts flooded Bak Hak-Gi's head. Where was Kang Jin-Ho going? Why was Choi Yeon-Ha accompanying him? What about the Master of the Round Table? Wouldn't he feel pissed off by this development?

In that case, what should Bak Hak-Gi do? What could be the best way to fix this situation? Should he rush outside and forcibly drag Kang Jin-Ho back in here?

Before that, though, Kang Jin-Ho didn't seem impressed by Bak Hak-Gi's antics, so shouldn't that problem be fixed first?

Bak Hak-Gi's head not rupturing from all these thoughts was a minor miracle in itself. While thinking that, he slowly shifted his head to stare at Han Eun-Sol.

Choi Yeon-Ha's manager finished packing the luggage left behind his talent, then glanced back at Bak Hak-Gi. "So? May I be excused now?"

"...O-of course."

"Have a nice day," Han Eun-Sol grinned brightly and walked away, his steps noticeably cheery.

Bak Hak-Gi should have grabbed Han Eun-Sol and questioned him about the truth of Kang Jin-Ho's relationship with Choi Yeon-Ha. However, he simply did not have the leeway for that right now. With Kang Jin-Ho gone, it was now up to Bak Hak-Gi to handle the situation with the Master!

Once Han Eun-Sol left, the Master let out a lengthy groan. "...So, he left."

Wiggins smiled wryly. "My apologies, Master. Not much can interest him, you see…"

"No, it's fine, Wiggins." The Master nodded contemplatively. "This might sound strange, but I'm actually glad that man is gone. I honestly had no idea what to say to him while looking at his face."

"You have my sympathy on that, Master," Wiggins chuckled slightly. He had a fairly good idea of what the Master was feeling right now. After all, didn't Wiggins also feel the same thing in the past?

Kang Jin-Ho was not your average run-of-the-mill martial artist. It wasn't a matter of how absurdly strong he was, though. No, it was more about how the framework of his strength differed from the norm.

Demonic cultivators might have been one of the pillars of the ancient martial world, but not in the present day. There were no comparable beings in the modern era. And that was why the sight of a powerful demonic cultivator like Kang Jin-Ho, who had ascended to the True Demon realm, was such a shock to anyone who met him for the first time.

Even though Wiggins was more or less used to it by now, his heart still quivered and shrank in shock whenever Kang Jin-Ho lost his cool and got serious about something. So, how much worse would it be for the Master?

'Not to forget, my lord's strength has grown leaps and bounds since I first encountered him.'

Considering this, the Master's shock could be several times worse than what Wiggins felt back then.

"And I thought I'd have plenty of things to say, but…" The Master muttered, a wry smile etched on his face.

Indeed, the Master had plenty of things to say to Wiggins and Kang Jin-Ho. But now, he couldn't even figure out where he should start the conversation from.

"We can take our time talking about it, Master. I've cleared my schedule for the day," said Wiggins.

"Mm…"

"I also have many things to tell you about," Wiggins chuckled affably.

The Master saw that chuckle and immediately realized something new.

'Wiggins, you… You have matured.'

To the Master's eyes, Wiggins seemed relaxed.

In the past, he seemed to be perpetually missing something. And to find that something, he was always in a rush. But now, Wiggins seemed to have so much time on his hands. Time he didn't have in the past!

"Indeed, Wiggins. We do have many things to talk about."

"Very well, sir. Please allow me. The coffee you get in this country can be rather excellent, you see?"

"Mm? No, wait. I've prepared something even better. Wouldn't you agree that ale from Britain is the perfect accompaniment on an occasion like this?"

"...Well, I'll be!" Wiggins' brows rose up as a massive smile bloomed on his face. "On value alone... I'm not sure how to repay you for this gift, Master. How about sharing some ale with me to wash away the fatigue from the long journey?"

"Hahaha…! Now that's a plan I can get behind! Let us get going, then."

While chuckling away, Wiggins and the Master left the lounge. They were swiftly followed by the Master's entourage.

In the proverbial blink of an eye, Bak Hak-Gi was left all alone in the desolate VIP lounge.

"...What the hell?" Bak Hak-Gi muttered in stupefaction.

The NIS agents cautiously entered the lounge and discovered their boss standing there like a statue. One of them cautiously asked, "W-what should we do now, sir?"

Bak Hak-Gi dazedly glanced at this subordinate. "About what?"

"W-who should we go after? I, I mean… The party splitting into two wasn't in our plan, so…"

"Urgh…" Bak Hak-Gi hurriedly rubbed his face, hard. After finishing that sudden dry face wash, he yelled loudly in irritation. "Go after Kang Jin-Ho!"

"Yes, sir!"

"N-no, hold on! Don't go after him!"

"Huh? Sir?"

"Let him go, okay?" Bak Hak-Gi muttered while biting his lip. He and his team had already made a huge blunder, anyway. He couldn't afford to make another one at this stage.

The truth about the NIS tailing martial artists was that it couldn't even be called tailing in the first place.

It didn't matter what the agents did, as they could never escape the extraordinary senses of the martial artists. So, it was safe to say those people knew all about the agents following them around.

As for the agents, they desperately had to convey the message, "We're tailing you because our higher-ups ordered us to, and we don't have any say in the matter. However, we won't get any closer than this, and we definitely will not enter sensitive areas for you guys, so please be gracious and let us tail you from this distance. Please!" while following the martial artists!

However, Kang Jin-Ho should be in a net-negative mood toward the government agents right about now. Tailing him for no good reason now could worsen the situation considerably.

"Tell everyone to give up. Even the guys assigned to follow him around… Tell them to back off!"

"S-sir? But…"

Bak Hak-Gi yelled back. "Do as I say, you dipsh*t! If it was you going on a first date in who knows how many months, would you be happy to see our mugs?!"

"No, sir. We'll withdraw our agents right away."

"Huff, huff!" Bak Hak-Gi panted and huffed angrily before tearing into his hair. "Uwaaaah! Dammit all to hell! Those motherf*cking sons of b*tches! Why haven't they told us about Choi Yeon-Ha's relationship with Kang Jin-Ho before today! Why! Those… Those goddamn parasites!"

Of course, Bak Hak-Gi had seen the reports about this several times in the past. However, how was he supposed to know that their relationship would be this "involved!"

"N-no, hold on. Even if it's true, there's status and whatnot, right? Kang Jin-Ho wouldn't…"

Just before Bak Hak-Gi could finish his train of thought…

"Excuse me… Chief?"

"What?!"

"Someone from the Martial Assembly is on the phone, sir."

"...Who is it?"

"He said his name is Lee Hyeon-Su. Chief Lee Hyeon-Su."

Bak Hak-Gi's eyes powerfully quaked just then. Lee Hyeon-Su was phoning him?

'B-but, why?'

The unique nature of his duties meant Bak Hak-Gi had to get in touch with the Assembly's people. His job ostensibly entailed monitoring the Martial Assembly and the Korean martial society, but "monitoring" didn't mean he should be at odds with the martial artists, now did it!

It was similar to how the detectives in the organized crime unit regularly "chatted" with the gang members. In that sense, Bak Hak-Gi simply had no choice but to stay in touch with Lee Hyeon-Su, the manager of the Assembly's operations.

Even though that was the situation…

'Urgh! That leech-like bastard!'

Ironically enough, the one martial artist Bak Hak-Gi didn't want to talk to happened to be Lee Hyeon-Su, too! Just the mere thought of talking to that snake-like bastard was tightening Bak Hak-Gi's family jewels.

"Why is he calling me all of a sudden?"

"I don't know, sir. He said he wanted you on the phone and not much else."

Bak Hak-Gi groaned grandly. "Fine. Fine! Gimme that phone."

"Sir!"

After receiving the phone, Bak Hak-Gi left the lounge to enter the nearby corridor. He dissuaded his subordinate from following him with a brief flick of his hand, then pressed the phone to his ear before whispering quietly. "This is Bak Hak-Gi speaking."

-What the f*ck is the matter with you?!

"I'm sorry?"

-I said, what the f*ck is wrong with you!

Bak Hak-Gi's shoulders shrank pitifully.

All relationships in this world clearly defined who was in charge. One had to figure out first whether they held the reins or not before deciding on how to address the other party. In that regard… It was all too clear who was in charge between Lee Hyeon-Su and Bak Hak-Gi.

Lee Hyeon-Su could claim to be the second-in-command of the Martial Assembly. Even though he wasn't really that high up the food chain. There were other individuals with even greater say in the Assembly's operation, after all.

Still, if the foreigners who couldn't communicate with the surface world in official capacities were excluded from the ranking, and only the born-and-bred-in-Korea were looked at, Lee Hyeon-Su and Bang Jin-Hun had all the qualifications to call themselves left and right arms of Kang Jin-Ho.

If his position was defined in terms of government posts? Lee Hyeon-Su would be… the Prime Minister?

'Nah. More like the Chief of Staff, I think?'

Obviously, it was absurd to compare the Martial Assembly to the Korean government. However, even if the comparison was readjusted to another type of organization… Lee Hyeon-Su still would occupy the rung in the hierarchy that someone like Bak Hak-Gi would never dare speak casually to!

At the very least, only someone in the directorial position within the NIS's various departments was qualified enough to speak to Lee Hyeon-Su on equal terms.

Bak Hak-Gi carefully whispered into the phone. "I-is there a problem, Mister Lee?"

-Problem?! Did you just ask me if there's a problem?! Hey, you dipsh*t, where the hell are you right now?!

"…"

Did Lee Hyeon-Su ask that because he didn't know? Wasn't it obvious Bak Hak-Gi would be at the airport, so why…?

"Kuh-hum. Mister Lee, maybe you could tell me what's the…"

-Tell you? Did you really ask me to tell you?! Holy sh*t, you are f*cking stupid, aren't you? Who the hell do you think you are, causing a f*cking scene when our Assembly Master is trying to welcome someone back to the country?!

"…"

-Didn't I tell your people to not cause any goddamn problems since our Assembly Master will be at the airport?! Are you too f*cking stupid to understand Korean now? Is that it?!

'Listen here, you little dipsh*t!'

Bak Hak-Gi's lips twitched, and he almost blurted that out. Anyone who heard that kind of warning would obviously be under the impression that Kang Jin-Ho was planning to greet the Master of the Round Table!

Who in their right minds would even entertain the possibility of Kang Jin-Ho welcoming some random woman when a super VIP was entering the country at the same time!

-Hah, you thoughtless, mindless motherfu… Arrrgh!

Various grunts and insults flying out of the phone's speaker morphed into deadly blades stabbing into Bak Hak-Gi. Lee Hyeon-Su's reaction on the phone proved that Bak Hak-Gi's life was basically finished.

-Dammit, man! Our Assembly Master already doesn't hold a favorable impression of government officials, so I was trying so bloody hard to turn him around on that! But you! You f*cking…! Instead of helping me out on this one, you f*cking did what?! You are finished! You are… No, wait. Why am I even wasting my breath yelling at you? I'm gonna call Yu Myeong-Hak now, so you talk to him later, okay?

Bak Hak-Gi froze stiff on the spot when his superior's name was brought up.

'N-no! You can't!'

He couldn't afford to let that happen. His career would be effectively over if Yu Myeong-Hak somehow got wind of Bak Hak-Gi's blunder.

Which wasn't surprising, considering this department's reason for existence was to deal with Kang Jin-Ho and the Martial Assembly. In that case, how would Bak Hak-Gi get promoted after getting on Kang Jin-Ho's bad books?!

"M-Mister… No, Chief Lee!"

-What do you want?!

"A-allow me to fix this situation, sir! I know I can do it. I beg of you to hold back on that phone call."

-What do you think you can fix here, Mister Bak?! Even I can't do anything about this, you know!

"I-I can speak to Miss Choi Yeon-Ha and resolve this misunderstanding! Trust me, I can do this, sir!"

-Hah, listen to yourself, you stupid moron.

A brief bout of silence suddenly ensued before Lee Hyeon-Su growled menacingly.

-Chief Bak.

"Yes, sir!"

-Twenty-four hours. If you don't fix this situation in twenty-four hours, I might show up at your offices and cause a terrible scene for you. Do you hear me?

"I, I'll engrave that to my heart, sir!"

-You're all supposed to be goddamn intelligence operatives, so why do I have to feed you every piece of information? And you didn't even know about Miss Choi, too… Tsk, tsk.

That was where the phone line went dead.

Bak Hak-Gi urgently wiped all the sweat strands off his forehead with his sleeve, then desperately racked his brain.

"...Hey, you!" Bak Hak-Gi pointed at one of his subordinates.

"Yes, Chief!"

When the subordinate rushed toward him, Bak Hak-Gi firmly yelled at him. "Go and find out… What Choi Yeon-Ha likes!"

"...I'm sorry?"

"Are you deaf?! I said, go and find out what Choi Yeon-Ha likes!"

"S-Sir! Yessir!"

"Get everyone on the case, right now!"

"Sir!" The subordinate nodded before rushing outside at the top speed.

Bak Hak-Gi groaned while leaning against the nearby wall. "How did things end up this way…?"

As it turned out, the real VIP had been someone else. And not knowing that ahead of time was Bak Hak-Gi's mistake!