Descent of the Demon Master

“...!”

Zhang Dajing grimaced and squeezed his thigh tightly.

He could hear the unmistakable sound of a person sobbing.

Kang Jin-Ho hadn't bothered to block out the noises by casting a qi barrier. As a matter of fact, he didn't seem to care whether others could hear him or not. Regular, powerless people might have trouble eavesdropping due to how muffled his voice was, but other martial artists should be able to hear... Well, absolutely everything he said.

As such, Zhang Dajing had no choice but to listen. Which included Guo Liqin's sobbing, too.

Zhang Dajing couldn't say anything. Nervous tension ran riot in his veins. This tension was so taut that his muscles began aching, yet he dared not relax.

He did imagine how this torture session might unfold. He had some inkling of how Kang Jin-Ho would resort to unthinkable means to torment that poor bastard inside the bathroom.

However, the response coming from there exceeded Zhang Dajing's anticipation. Judging from all the noises coming from there so far... It didn't sound like Kang Jin-Ho had physically attacked the poor bastard yet. In that case, why was that man sobbing like that?

That man's name was... Guo Liqin, wasn't it?

Zhang Dajing was aware of his situation. If Kang Jin-Ho hadn't dragged that poor bastard in here, Zhang Dajing would've never dared to look Guo Liqin in the eye.

Even if their factions had been different, there was a gulf of status between Guo Liqin, a man tasked with handling 'duties' for his organization, and a measly overseas information-gathering agent like Zhang Dajing that could never be overcome.

If the two of them had been in the same organization, Guo Liqin could've beaten Zhang Dajing to death for being an annoying bastard, and no one would've punished him for it.

Zhang Dajing's low status was partly to blame in that scenario, but there was another factor to consider. Martial artists tasked with handling matters related to the surface world were deeply trusted by their organization. Such people were guaranteed a fast track to success.

Countless martial artists called this vast land, China, their home. However, only a handful of such people were on the fast track to success. It really was a small handful of elites. Guo Liqin happened to be one such martial artist. And someone like that... was sobbing like a little kid.

Zhang Dajing just couldn't wrap his head around this situation. How was something like that even possible? All Kang Jin-Ho said to Zhang Dajing was to confine that poor bastard in a dark place somewhere. That was all. However, something that simple could produce such an effect? How?

Just as Zhang Dajing's thoughts reached this far...

Vator suddenly grabbed Zhang Dajing's shoulder.

“...Ah!” Zhang Dajing gasped loudly, all tension suddenly leaving his body.

Vator grunted. “Hmm... Zhang Dajing, you almost hurt yourself just now.”

“M-my apologies, sir.”

“No need to apologize. Things like this can happen, anyway.” Vator chuckled as if there was nothing to worry about here.

Zhang Dajing failed to hold back his curiosity and cautiously asked the big man. “Sir Vator, I... I can't comprehend this situation.”

“Don't bother, Zhang Dajing.”

“I'm sorry?”

Vator slowly shook his head. “You will sometimes encounter things that defy your logic. And some situations would be more painful to martial artists like you or me. However, no need to pay attention to what's going on in there, Zhang Dajing. Why don't you go and buy us some beer in the meantime?”

“...Understood, sir.”

Vator silently tutted while watching Zhang Dajing stagger to his feet and slowly shuffle out of the hotel suite.

For a martial artist, Zhang Dajing was a little too timid for his own good. No, 'timid' wasn't quite the right word to describe him. Didn't he stand up to Kang Jin-Ho in order to save Vator's life? Who would dare call him timid after that display of courage?

It was more like Zhang Dajing was too... kind-hearted to survive as a martial artist. On the other hand...

Vator glanced at the firmly-shut doorway to the suite's bathroom and silently shook his head.

***The latest_epɪ_sodes are on_the N(o)vᴇl(F)ire.nᴇt

Guo Liqin once felt this indescribable chill before. Just once, way back in the past.

Even when he first witnessed death, even when he first killed someone with his own two hands, even when he watched others writhe in pain as life left their bodies... Guo Liqin's heart remained firm and unmoving. Yet, he still felt scared to death that one time.

It happened during his attempt to retrieve the corpse of someone he had buried alive. The client wanted the target to be shoved inside a tightly-sealed sarcophagus and buried six feet under, then the corpse recovered some time afterward.

Guo Liqin was forced to face a level of fear and disgust he had never felt before while pulling the sarcophagus' lid open. 'Wretched' wasn't strong enough to describe the sight waiting for him inside.

Being buried alive meant the victim was trapped in darkness with zero light source. Judging from the state of the corpse, this individual must've shivered and trembled in pure terror before thrashing about in desperation and madness. Not a single part of the body was left undamaged. As if the individual had been ramming into the sides of the sarcophagus' walls, the various parts of the corpse were bruised, battered and burst. Meanwhile, every single fingernail was cracked and broken.

However, that wasn't all. Several of his fingers were stuck inside the victim's mouth. It seemed he failed to withstand the terror and bitten off his own fingers. And then...

There was the victim's expression frozen in death.

The terror he felt in his final moments must've been so great that an expression that couldn't have belonged to a human being was forever etched on his face.

Guo Liqin used to think his nerves went beyond the level of steeliness and into the realm of 'dead emotions'. Even then, this sight burned itself into his consciousness for all eternity, and he suffered from nightmares for several days afterward. After going through all that, he never killed another person in this manner.

He thought tearing off his victim's limbs one by one was a much more humane way to kill someone. Confining someone in darkness... That was not something a human being should do. But now...!

Guo Liqin learned something new today. And that was... There was something even worse than the confinement!

At least the victim trapped inside the sarcophagus could freely move their body and even thrash about in desperation. However, what about Guo Liqin? While stuck inside a similar environment, he couldn't even lift a single finger! In that case, what was he supposed to do?

If he had not been paralyzed, maybe Guo Liqin could've attempted to escape. However, what was he supposed to do when his paralyzed body was left abandoned within the darkness to slowly wither away?

What was he supposed to do about this frustrating terror?

The emotions washing over Guo Liqin weren't something like liberation or relief. Although he had been finally liberated from an unimaginable terror, what ruled over his thought process was even greater terror.

The terror of ending up in the same wretched state!

If he failed to satisfy the devil before his eyes, Guo Liqin would be robbed of his mobility again and left in the darkness to rot away for all eternity.

If he could avoid that outcome, Guo Liqin was willing to accept the result of his demise. In fact, he'd gladly welcome it! Death would be the release, the true escape, from this terror, after all!

“Oh, so you want me to kill you?” The devil muttered sarcastically. His voice containing absolute authority made Guo Liqin's soul tremble in terror again. “Do you think you're in any position to request or demand something from me?”

“N-no... It's... not... Not true... It's not... I'm sorry, sir... I am... sorry. My apologies... I beg of you, please forgive... me... Beg of you...”

Guo Liqin wasn't even aware of what he was babbling about. He only knew he had to beg for forgiveness and not much else.

He couldn't even get on his knees and beg... Since Kang Jin-Ho had ordered him to stand up.

A man who wasn't granted permission to assume different postures had to stand straight while desperately begging for forgiveness. He prayed this devil wouldn't take any further offense at him for some other reason!

Meanwhile, Kang Jin-Ho silently studied the sobbing and begging Guo Liqin.

The absolute last boundary line humans needed to stay within to exist as humans... had crumbled away for this man. Even if Kang Jin-Ho freed Guo Liqin now, this man would never live again as a person, never mind as a martial artist.

The thing was, though, other people experiencing the same terror wouldn't have ended up in this state. The unfortunate thing for Guo Liqin was that he had 'recognized' what Kang Jin-Ho was.

Evil usually could recognize another evil.

A villain would instinctively figure out what was in store for him after encountering an even greater evil. Since he was evil himself, such a villain knew his fate would never be pretty.

The culprit responsible for breaking Guo Liqin down like this wasn't Kang Jin-Ho. No, it was all the crimes he had committed over the years.

Certain methods worked better for villains. All Kang Jin-Ho did was use one such method at the right time. And now, he didn't need to resort to anything else.

Kang Jin-Ho quietly asked, “Tell me, then. What do I need to know?”

Guo Liqin's eyes quaked powerfully. The answer was already decided. “...Everything, sir. Everything. You... You need to know everything.”

“I see,” Kang Jin-Ho slowly nodded. In that case, he only needed to listen. “Then, speak. Speak until I am satisfied.”

Guo Liqin began to talk. And then... Everything he knew freely flowed out of his mouth. Every little thing Kang Jin-Ho might be slightly interested in, even things Guo Liqin had forgotten about... His mouth spat them all out in a nonstop confession.

Rather than for his survival, it was his desire to greet a less torturous death that drove him forward. And this desire made what used to be impossible for Guo Liqin... very much possible!

He spoke, and spoke some more. He confessed and explained again... and again. He revealed everything he knew. He disclosed potential new targets for Kang Jin-Ho to direct his anger at.

Kang Jin-Ho remained still while absorbing all the information.

Guo Liqin divulged everything he knew for a long, long time. But the time for him to stop talking eventually arrived. That was because he had no more things to say. He had revealed literally everything. And now, it felt like needles had scraped off every brain cell he possessed.

Kang Jin-Ho quietly asked, “Is that all?”

“...Yes. That is... everything I know. I told you what I know. Everything...! I don't know anything else. It's the truth. I know nothing else. Please, I beg of you…” Guo Liqin muttered weakly while shielding his face with his trembling hands. Despite knowing he wasn't given permission for this action, he couldn't stop himself. “I dare not request easy death, sir... That's why I... I beg of you... Please kill me. I can only desperately beg you. Please don't... Don't abandon me in this hell again. Please... Please…”

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly studied Guo Liqin. His eyes remained emotionless, cold. Such was the coldness in his eyes that his previous boiling rage aimed toward Guo Liqin seemed to have frozen over!

“I shall give you an opportunity.”

“...I'm sorry?”

“I will give you ten minutes. And during that ten minutes... You shall prepare two things for me. One, new information. Information you haven't told me yet. Information that might pique my interest. Do you understand?"

There was nothing. He knew nothing else!

Guo Liqin had figuratively scraped the bottom and walls of his knowledge barrel for every little morsel of information. And that barrel was empty now. So... Where was he supposed to find new info?!

“The second thing is…” Kang Jin-Ho spoke as a faint smirk formed on his lips. “Repeat everything you've said to me. Do not leave a single part out. If I find the new information interesting enough, I shall humor your request. I will grant you... death!”

If he could, he'd rip his ears off and dig out his ear canals. Then, he'd not have to listen anymore. Unfortunately, he was not granted that freedom.

“If you fail, I shall grant you enough time to... relax by yourself. So that you can take your time and enjoy yourself to death. Very slowly. Do you understand what I'm telling you?”

Guo Liqin's pitifully shivering and spasming body and his expression changing dozens of times in a second... were all the proof Kang Jin-Ho needed.

“So, think carefully. Think long and hard. I've prepared so many things for you. So many that showing them all to you will be physically impossible. Death or even torture is too good for someone like you. Soon, you will learn. Learn the consequences of touching what is mine. So, you better think carefully.”

Kang Jin-Ho glared into Guo Liqin's quaking eyes before turning around to exit the bathroom.

The sound of the door knob turning accompanied the blinding rays of light pouring into the bathroom. From Guo Liqin's perspective, that light was brilliant enough to blind him. Give him hope and life.

Unfortunately for him, that light didn't remain for long. When Kang Jin-Ho closed the door behind him, Guo Liqin's world was dyed in darkness once more. Trapped in this darkness, Guo Liqin completely broke down.

Guo Liqin plopped down on the floor and began desperately scratching the floor, inaudible and incoherent muttering leaving his mouth.

Desperately... Even more desperately!

***

Zhang Dajing couldn't even put his newly purchased beer down and held his breath while listening. And when Kang Jin-Ho exited the bathroom, he could only stare in stupefaction as if he had found the evidence of the afterlife.

Obviously, he knew Kang Jin-Ho was a monster. But this...!

Who could have guessed that Kang Jin-Ho was an evil, despicable devil of such magnitude? No, wait. Calling him the devil still seemed inadequate. Wasn't he more like...

Kang Jin-Ho relaxedly walking out of the bathroom, noticed the beer in Zhang Dajing's hand and frowned slightly. He leisurely raised his voice next. “Didn't you get Cola as well?”

“...!”

That was when Zhang Dajing knew for sure. Kang Jin-Ho was... crazy. Insane. A bloody lunatic!