Descent of the Demon Master - Chapter 857

“Hmm...”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned softly at the figure of Bang Jin-Hun on his phone screen.

‘This is so weird.’

Seeing an acquaintance on a screen wasn't a novel experience for Kang Jin-Ho. After all, he had already seen his little sister on TV. And Choi Yeon-Ha's work could be seen on small and big screens, too. Not to forget, Park Yu-Min's face could also be seen now and then on various TV and online broadcasts.

For a person who wasn’t even a celebrity, the frequency of Kang Jin-Ho’s acquaintances showing up on TV screens seemed extremely high. That was why he shouldn’t have been mystified by someone he knew showing up on a livestream like this.

What did mystify him, though, was how this person had become as stiff as a block of wood!

“This... really doesn’t suit him,” Kang Jin-Ho muttered quietly.

“Yes, I totally agree,” said Lee Hyeon-Su as he entered the office. He wiped the sweat off his forehead while plopping down on an empty spot on the couch. “This is my second time seeing someone this terrible in front of a camera, sir.”

“Second time?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head.

“Yes. However, I'm not sure if it's safe to mention who the first person is. I don’t want my salaries reduced, you see?”

Kang Jin-Ho gently put down his rising curiosity. He figured that asking for clarification could be a mistake. “So... Any problems with the stream?”

“I'm sure you can guess, sir,” Lee Hyeon-Su chuckled while glancing at Bang Jin-Hun's stiff mug on the phone screen. “Of course, there seem to be some issues with the lecturer, but that’s not something I can do anything about. And Cheon Tae-Hun is already doing an excellent job dealing with most problems, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho rubbed his chin. “Still, there must be issues with trying to impart martial arts through live broadcasts.”

“We won't do that via live streaming, sir. Today is just a trial run. To see whether live streaming is viable or not. We've already started filming the lectures and have three episodes or so in the can. Although, we still have about... a hundred or so episodes to go.”

“A hundred? Will that will be the end?"

“No. That’s just the basics, sir.”

Kang Jin-Ho’s eyes subtly quaked just then. Basics? Filming one hundred episodes would only cover the basics?!

Lee Hyeon-Su could only smile wryly at Kang Jin-Ho’s reaction.

He recalled Bang Jin-Hun's face when he was told that a hundred or so episodes would only cover the lectures on the basics of the new martial art.

Not even the expression of a man who belatedly remembered the winning lottery ticket in the pocket of his pants inside the currently running washing machine would've been as devastated as Bang Jin-Hun's!

‘Yeah, even I think that number is a bit ludicrous...’

However, when Lee Hyeon-Su thought about it, that number didn’t seem so over the top anymore. That was because...

As an example, the online lectures the civil servant exam takers could watch to help them study often numbered well over the one-hundred-episode mark. However, that number was only for one subject of the exam. And the Korean civil servant exams covered multiple subjects.

Three years of intense studying decided whether one could pass the civil servant exams or not. But martial arts required a lifetime of training and cultivation. Even a moron should be able to see which of the two had more stuff to learn.

An average martial artist in a master-apprentice relationship required a minimum of five years of intense training every day to confidently say they had covered everything. That was how vast and profound martial arts could get.

“Sir. Even if we’re talking about one hundred one-hour-long episodes, ten hours of studying every day means you only have ten days’ worth of material,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded with a frown on his face. “...Well, yeah. You’re right about that.”

“Sir, can you estimate how long you would need to impart the contents of our martial art to another person?”

Young people might be the ones leading the world into the future, but the power controlling the world itself still belonged to the older generation. And this situation was much more pronounced in the martial world.

The movers and shakers of the surface world only enjoyed financial and political power. The era of using violence to get what one wanted was long over, after all.

However, in the martial world? Those in power had everything. Political power? Incredible wealth? And physical strength? Yes, they had it all! And on top of them, they also wielded the power to completely shut out the younger-generation martial artists, too.

People like that would obviously be unhappy with the changes reshaping their world.

‘Since time immemorial, the ones at the top are destined to get corrupted by the power they wield.’

This was true back in ancient Zhongyuan, too. Since Gangho was a land of untamed, unruly people, one might assume things were much more 'free' than the regions governed by the central government. But the reality was anything but.

Thanks to the smoldering enmity under the surface between the powerhouses, Gangho was ripe with various deadly machinations and underhanded schemes meant to secure one party's superiority over the others.

The top experts literally shed their blood, sweat, and tears to reach the pinnacle of society. Obviously, they would never relinquish their positions of power without a fight.

That was simply how human nature worked.

Kang Jin-Ho glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su. “Then... Are you saying there will be some untoward movements?”

“Not yet, sir,” said Lee Hyeon-Su, a bright grin etched on his face. “Even if foxes are drooling with greed, they would never willingly waltz inside a tiger’s den.”

“Dissatisfied and disgruntled... but won’t do anything about them? Is that it?”

“Yes. For now.”

“Hmm...” Kang Jin-Ho mulled over something, then chuckled slightly. “Nothing will change even if they resist.”

“I agree, sir.”

“You will get left behind if you don’t keep up with the changing times. If someone wishes to remain the same as before out of greed or whatever... We will just abandon them and move forward on our own.”

“Abandon them six feet under, sir?”

“Nah, I don't want to be that extreme. As long as they aren't hostile toward me, those people can do whatever they feel like. They can even quit the Assembly for all I care.”

“Will that be fine, though? Those people exercise considerable influence in our society. For instance, all the people they command are...”

“Don’t worry. They won’t follow those being left behind.” Kang Jin-Ho used his chin to point at his phone resting on the desk. Bang Jin-Hun could be seen explaining something as cold sweat caked his face.

Kang Jin-Ho continued to explain. “Those old folks could exercise absolute control over their disciples primarily because they have a stranglehold on the martial arts being passed down. But now... Disciples don’t need to force themselves into learning those martial arts.”

Kang Jin-Ho’s smirk hinted at how refreshed he was inwardly.



“We’ve made something even better, and you can have it for free. Why would anyone choose the old, outdated model?”

“I see...! As expected!” Lee Hyeon-Su nodded as many thoughts swirled in his head. He stared at the phone’s screen with renewed interest.

‘Director Bang must’ve thought of this as well.’

Bang Jin-Hun had been making vocal arguments for a unified martial art bearing the Martial Assembly's name for quite some time now. And he also insisted the Assembly take the lead in teaching this martial art.

There was a reason why Lee Jung-Geol had failed to completely unite the Assembly. The younger generation learned martial arts from their masters. Once their realms reached a certain threshold, they needed to move on to the