Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1078. Discovered (3)

Lee Hyeon-Su silently studied Prime Minister Kim Myeong-Chan.

‘This old man is no joke.’

He could feel his muscles tense up all on their own. Even though the Prime Minister wasn’t issuing veiled threats, and the two of them were merely chatting away, the one and only Lee Hyeon-Su still got tense from this exchange.

‘This feels eerily similar to when I first met Chairman Hwang Jeong-Hu.’

Of course, the Prime Minister didn't ooze the same level of competitive spirit as Chairman Hwang. However, the two men were still quite similar in their ability to overwhelm and pressure others with their mere presence alone.

‘Seok Dong-Su is a small fry compared to this man.’

Lee Hyeon-Su thought Minister Seok exercised impressive political clout, but compared to Kim Myeong-Chan? That fool was nothing more than a little punk. A genuine small fry! Relatively speaking, of course.

“Prime Minister, sir! We do not have any intentions of doing that,” said Lee Hyeon-Su as firmly as possible. “However, the situation this time meant we had no choice.”

Kim Myeong-Chan narrowed his eyes. “You said your name was Mister Lee Hyeon-Su, yes?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Do you know what the politician's most commonly used lie is?”

“...No, sir.”

Kim Myeong-Chan suddenly grinned cheerily. “It’s... They had no choice. That it couldn't be helped.”

“...!”

Lee Hyeon-Su was left speechless just then.

“Mister Lee, there is no such thing as an event that gives you zero choice. There are always other ways to handle it. It’s just that those ways are potentially more annoying and time-consuming for you. That’s all.”

“...Yes, that's true.”

“When someone says they had no choice, it actually means they couldn't be bothered and took the easy way out.”

Lee Hyeon-Su couldn’t deny it even if he wanted to. After all, he and the Martial Assembly could have found a different solution to the Seok Dong-Su issue.

Didn’t Lee Hyeon-Su already know what might happen once Kang Jin-Ho stepped up? He chose to go along precisely because this method would be the simplest and most efficient.

“Many events throughout history that rocked humanity all began with the simple phrase, we have no choice. For instance... Since the country is in turmoil, we have no choice but to overthrow the government. Like General Yi Song-Gye ordering the famous Wihwado Retreat since leading his army into China would no longer be possible?”[1]

“Oh...”

Kim Myeong-Chan casually shrugged. "Yes, it's possible that you genuinely didn't have a choice this time. However, the crux of the issue is that things don't end there. Even if you stage a coup, people might treat you as a hero if you let the new government form democratically. Had General Yi retreated from Wihwado to protect Goryeo, he would've been recorded as a loyal servant of the country. But that's not what happened, now is it?

“So, yes. The problem is that things don’t end after you say you didn’t have a choice, Mister Lee.”

The cheery grin instantly disappeared from Kim Myeong-Chan's face, replaced by a sharp gaze that studied every subtle change in Lee Hyeon-Su's expression.

“Tell me, Mister Lee. What will it be with the Martial Assembly? Will you end the matters at the ‘We didn’t have a choice’? Or go even further?”

Lee Hyeon-Su nervously gulped his saliva.

‘It feels like I’m being chopped up by razor blades.’

He finally got to understand what people meant when they said the politics were brimming full of monsters.

Every word uttered by Kim Myeong-Chan stabbed and cut Lee Hyeon-Su, and the latter couldn’t even argue back.

Lee Hyeon-Su sighed deeply. “Prime Minister... Honestly, I can’t give you a straight answer on this topic. This matter with Minister Seok wasn’t a result of a lengthy discussion on our side, you see.”

“In other words...” Kim Myeong-Chan asked, his gaze locked on Lee Hyeon-Su. “Are you implying that the Martial Assembly is not governed by logic and benefits and will change its stance at the snap of a finger on the boss's whims?”

“No, that’s not what...”

Lee Hyeon-Su hurriedly clamped his mouth shut.

‘Dammit, I’m such an idiot!’

If he could, Lee Hyeon-Su desperately wanted to punch himself in the face right now. To his knowledge, he had never been one-sidedly cornered in a conversation like this. Yet here he was, being toyed around by Kim Myeong-Chan.

Even though the meeting only started five minutes ago, it felt like Lee Hyeon-Su had already been taken to the cleaners.

“Sir, I assure you, it’s not what you think.”

“Let me rephrase myself, then...” Kim Myeong-Chan muttered, his expression getting more withdrawn. “Regardless of what we discuss in this room, it won't matter a jot if the Assembly Master is not happy with the outcome. And he will toss everything inside a nearby trash can. Is it safe to assume that, Mister Lee?”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s facial muscles cramped up.

“No need to make that face, Mister Lee. Such stories are more common than you think, you see? If only you knew how South Korean corporations were run like dictatorships! You wouldn’t be this embarrassed about your own situation. I promise you, those places are the true devil’s dens.”

Kim Myeong-Chan expertly pulled and pushed Lee Hyeon-Su around.

Lee Hyeon-Su would have chuckled like a hapless fool just then, but all the muscle-cramping tension saved his bacon this time.

He reflexively wiped the sweat off his forehead. Although doing so would put him at a psychological disadvantage, it'd still be better than the sight of sweat strands trickling down his face.

Kim Myeong-Chan quietly tapped on his desk. “That’s why, I was thinking...”

“Yes, sir?”

“Is it possible for me to directly speak to the Assembly Master?”

“...With the Assembly Master?”

“Yes, him.”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s brain urgently kicked into a higher gear.

Kim Myeong-Chan saw the look on the face of the Martial Assembly's representative and quickly spoke up. “Hold on, Mister Lee. If meeting him directly is out of the question, I don't mind talking to him over the phone.”

“You want to call him, sir?”

“Yes. I wanted to hear the truth straight from the horse’s mouth, you see? Since your organization seems to make its decisions based on your boss’s whims, I figured not getting the assurance directly from him would be a waste of time for both of us.”

Lee Hyeon-Su nodded once. He figured out what the Prime Minister wanted. “May I be excused for a second, sir? I need to call the Assembly Master first, you see...?”

“Yes. Take your time.”

Lee Hyeon-Su briefly bowed, then got up from the couch. He then left the office without saying anything else.

Kim Myeong-Chan glanced at the cup of cold coffee and smiled wryly.

‘Oops. I forgot to offer him refreshments.’

Even though Kim Myeong-Chan put on a facade of a man in control, he was just as tense as Lee Hyeon-Su during this exchange. Then again, how could he not be? After all, his opponent wasn’t this young man named Lee Hyeon-Su but the terrifying monster called the Korean Martial Assembly.

Depending on what Kim Myeong-Chan said and did today, the future of South Korea could be reshaped for the better or worse.

There might not be any discernible problems for the foreseeable future, but what about several decades after this small seed had a chance to germinate? Who could predict what might happen then?

Knock, knock...

“Come in,” said Kim Myeong-Chan.

Lee Hyeon-Su opened the door and stepped inside. “Sir. The Assembly Master said he's free to talk on the phone right now. However, you will have to make an appointment if you wish to speak to him face to face. If you don't want to wait...”

“I don’t think it’s necessary to do that. Being in the same room isn’t important, after all.”

“I see. Then, I’ll call him right now.”

“Please do.”

Lee Hyeon-Su turned around and began tapping on his phone's screen.

‘So, Kang Jin-Ho, is it?’

Kim Myeong-Chan nervously swallowed his saliva.

The dread that name roused in his heart was far worse than he thought. And no, it wasn’t all because of this matter with Seok Dong-Su. The “problem” had already begun way before that.

‘Right. Back then, I didn’t expect to get a call like that.’

It was true that the Korean government kept a watchful eye on Kang Jin-Ho. However, it perceived that he only posed the same level of danger as Lee Jung-Geol.

But then, Kim Myeong-Chan's thoughts had to be changed when his counterpart in England contacted him out of the blue.

‘To think they wanted to deepen our friendly relationship...’

Despite nothing of note happening at that time, the office of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom called Kim Myeong-Chan's office and expressed their intentions to improve the relations between the two nations.

Although South Korea and England weren't in a hostile relationship, it was also true that the two countries were largely disinterested in each other's businesses until now. Considering that situation, Kim Myeong-Chan thought he'd soon become involved in a historic moment for both countries.

He had been ecstatic about it, of course—until the Brits directly mentioned the name “Kang Jin-Ho.”

‘Who would’ve thought that Kang Jin-Ho was such a big shot? I certainly didn’t.’

It felt like only yesterday that he was mocking all those countries under the thumb of their martial societies. Before he had noticed it, though, the pitch-black growth in his guts had grown large enough to spill outside now!

And it was time Kim Myeong-Chan confronted the core of this darkness.

“Prime Minister? He's waiting for you,” said Lee Hyeon-Su while putting down his phone on the desk. It was on speaker mode for ease of communication.

Kim Myeong-Chan sneakily glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su before fake-coughing to clear his throat. “Kuh-hum. Good day to you, I’m the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea, Kim Myeong-Chan.”

He usually preferred leaving out his job title when introducing himself. Even then, he made sure to bring it up this time. He instinctively realized he must not give his opponent the initiative in this discussion.

-Hello. I’m Kang Jin-Ho.

“...Hello.”

Unfortunately, the reply was rather straightforward. That was when Kim Myeong-Chan knew he was already on his back foot.

Even though he revealed his official title, the other person disinterestedly offered only his name. This moment clarified who was more conscious about their opponent in this conversation.

However, said conversation had only just begun. He still had time to turn things around.

“My apologies for contacting you out of the blue like this,” said Kim Myeong-Chan.

-No, it's fine. Since I don't want to keep someone as busy as you from work for too long, shall we get to the main topic?

Kim Myeong-Chan quietly wet his lips.

Was it because of the difference in their style of approach? Kim Myeong-Chan found it much trickier to talk now than when he was facing off against Lee Hyeon-Su. Maybe it had more to do with the fact that he was subconsciously cowered by the knowledge of Kang Jin-Ho's existence.

“I’d like to speak to you about Minister Seok Dong-Su’s situation.”

-I see.

Kim Myeong-Chan knew he must not let the other side dictate the pace of the conversation. Since Kang Jin-Ho didn't want to beat around the bush, he'd get to the meat of the matter, too!

“I apologize for Minister Seok Dong-Su unwisely inconveniencing you. Having said that, I can’t help but be worried about the precedence being set. After all, Minister Seok Dong-Su is a minister of a country. Even if he made an unwise choice, subduing him via extralegal means is not something a citizen of Korea, never mind its Prime Minister, should allow.”

-I see. Please continue.

“We’ll designate this matter as unavoidable, that it couldn’t be helped. However, something like this must not happen again, Assembly Master. This is what I wanted to speak to you about. I wanted to hear your thoughts on this matter.”

Kang Jin-Ho didn't respond right away. But that was for the better. This pause gave Kim Myeong-Chan enough time to ponder if he had made a mistake during his rant-like speech.

-Mm. It seems there’s been a slight misunderstanding here...

“...Misunderstanding, you say?”

-You're not the only one who doesn't want us to get involved in politics, Prime Minister. I also do not want that to happen. I give you my word that once this matter is wrapped up, we won't butt into the political scene again. What you're worried about won't happen.

“Are you sure about that?”

-Unfortunately, nothing in life is 100% certain. However, for now, this is my intention.

“Mm...!”

-As long as we are not provoked first, I promise you that our side won't start anything.

‘Not provoked first, huh...?’

In that case, where should the lines be drawn?

Although Kim Myeong-Chan still had a ton of questions burning a hole in his brain, continuously querying about this topic would be too risky.

Now that the Assembly Master gave his word, Kim Myeong-Chan had no choice but to back off. Digging deeper would only lead to the snake hiding in the bushes to rear its head instead.

Kim Myeong-Chan still didn’t get the promise of “full separation” between the two sides like he wanted. Even so, he should pat himself on the back for delaying the inevitable.

“Understood. I’ll take your word for it, Assembly Master.”

-To maintain our amicable relationship, we will assist you to the best of our abilities on matters we can assist with. Before we do that, though, there is something your side must do as well.

“I don’t follow?”

-Please consult Chief Lee for more details. You can consider what he says from now on as coming directly from me.

“...I see.”

-Then, goodbye.

Lee Hyeon-Su smartly retrieved his phone.

Despite knowing he shouldn’t, Kim Myeong-Chan still sighed deeply in relief.

‘Well, at least he can be reasoned with.’

Unlike the public image he had cultivated, Kang Jin-Ho seemed... unexpectedly mild-mannered? Of course, it was too premature to decide on such a thing over a brief phone call.

Kim Myeong-Chan glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su. “What is this thing we must do?”

Lee Hyeon-Su opened his briefcase and placed a stack of documents on the Prime Minister's desk. Then, he cheerily pushed the stack toward Kim Myeong-Chan.

“This is the list of the pro-China faction members we’ve compiled, sir.”

“...!”

“The Assembly Master wishes for a speedy removal of these people.”

Kim Myeong-Chan squeezed his eyes shut.

‘Dammit, you devil!’

It was clear what this list represented. For the price of staying out of Korean politics, Kang Jin-Ho wanted people he didn’t like gone. Unfortunately, Kim Myeong-Chan had no say in this matter.

“Mister Lee. You know we can’t purge everyone on this list.”

“Yes, that we do. However, we'll deal with those who can't be purged easily."

“Look, Mister Lee. You can’t just...”

“You don’t have to worry, sir. We won’t resort to extralegal methods, as you’ve put it.”

Kim Myeong-Chan sighed under his breath after noticing that Lee Hyeon-Su had regained his relaxed demeanor and was grinning brightly.

‘Am I doing the right thing, I wonder?’

Too bad, he had come too far to back off now. Kim Myeong-Chan squeezed his eyes shut again while accepting the list.

1. “Wihwado Retreat” or “Turning back the army from Wihwa Island” refers to the 1388 episode in which General Yi Song-Gye of the Goryeo dynasty was ordered to march north with his army to invade the Liaodong Peninsula of northeast China. It was under the control of the Ming dynasty at the time. However, the general instead chose to turn back and staged a coup d'etat. In Korea, this tale is often used as an analogy for an army marching toward the capital to stage a coup. ☜