Chapter 1415. Closure (5)

Chapter 1415. Closure (5)

The Blood Demon bowed deeply.

“I pay my respect to the greatest one under the heavens.”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. “...Didn’t I tell you to stop talking like that?”

“My apologies. It’s just that I’ve gotten too used to this way of talking.”

Looking at that good-natured grin on the Blood Demon’s face roused this... inexplicable repulsion in Kang Jin-Ho’s heart. Maybe because he knew that smile was as fake as it could get?

“Were you pleased by how we handled this case, my liege?”

Kang Jin-Ho tutted. “You weren’t trying to take the credit for something you haven’t done, now were you?”

“I would never, my liege! But half of the information your government has presented to the public actually came from our side. I thought giving it to them instead of directly to you would be better. However, if that was too presumptuous of me, please punish me as you see fit.”

The Blood Demon’s silver tongue still seemed intact and perfectly functioning, then.

Kang Jin-Ho groaned under his breath. “So? What was your side’s response?”

“They wish for an alliance.”

“I see. But in reality?”

“When they are suppressing the Three Kings and their factions in the future, they hope you won’t stop them from using your name.”

Kang Jin-Ho cocked an eyebrow. “Is that all?”

“Although it might sound trivial to you, clearing this hurdle will present a significant milestone for them. If I can use something trivial to make others owe me a great debt, wouldn’t that be a profitable trade, my liege?”

“It’s not trivial.”

“I beg your pardon?”

Kang Jin-Ho explained in a somewhat unhappy tone. “Considering I’m about to forgive the ones who tried to kill me... It’s not trivial at all.”

The Blood Demon grinned strangely. “But, my liege... Have you forgiven them?”

“...”

“Or are you planning to?”

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t respond and simply stared at the Blood Demon.

The strange smile on the Blood Demon’s lips deepened until he started cackling away. “Of course not. There is no way you’d forgive them so easily. Besides, they will most certainly attack you again in the future. This deal is merely delaying the inevitable by a bit. Besides, they also know that my liege has formed an alliance with the Crimson King. Having another enemy as your alliance partner shouldn’t change the situation too much, my liege.”

“You sure love to yap, don’t you?”

“As a compensation meant to delay their demise, this deal should be more than sufficient enough, my liege. In my opinion, of course.”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed deeply again. Even he had to admit that he owed the Chinese government this time. The debt itself wasn’t enough to quell his rage completely, but that didn’t mean Kang Jin-Ho was too petty to acknowledge their help.

“Fine. Go. Tell them I’ve accepted their offer.”

Despite Kang Jin-Ho issuing a new order, the Blood Demon didn’t respond and remained bowing deeply.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled at this sight. “Also, I recognize your contribution in resolving this matter. Bring the Blood Cult over to South Korea. I’ll provide you with room and board, at least.”

“Thank you very much! My liege! Thank you!”

“However, never forget this.”

“My liege?”

“The Demon Cult accepting the Blood Cult into its midst does not mean it condones your system or the way of life. No, we will only accept the

people

of the cult. That’s it. As such, prepare to throw everything away. The moment you set foot in Korea, you shall become the Demon Cult believers, not the Blood Cult members.”

The Blood Demon nodded weightily. “Understood. We’re already prepared to do this.”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “Sounds like you are not understanding me here. Once you and your people move to South Korea, you will no longer be the cult leader but yet another ordinary cult member. And you will have someone higher than you in the pecking order.”

“No, I understand, my liege. As long as we can serve the demon emperor, we...”

“What about other people, then?”

“...?”

“I’ll at least make you an elder. However, you’ll still be lowest-ranked among the elders.”

“Uhm, by any chance...” The Blood Demon asked while sounding uncharacteristically worried. “I was wondering about something, but is the old demonic monster, Chang Min, still alive, my liege?”

Kang Jin-Ho tutted again. “He still has enough energy to live for another century.”

The Blood Demon squeezed his eyes shut.

Chang Min was a rather in

famous

figure to the people of the Blood Cult. In that case, what about Kang Jin-Ho? Or the demon emperor?

The “demon emperor” was merely a name popping up in the history of demonic cultivation. But Chang Min was different. He was a real, existing threat. And before Kang Jin-Ho’s appearance, he used to be the number one inheritor of the demonic path. In other words, he was the living legend among those who pursued demonic cultivation!

The Blood Demon muttered meekly. “Wasn’t he already the Cult’s elder five generations ago...?”

Kang Jin-Ho casually shrugged. “And I’m sure he’ll still be an elder five generations from now.”

The Blood Demon shuddered grandly. Kang Jin-Ho’s brows twitched at this sight. Why was this demonic cultivator, who had no problem with being so cheeky in his presence, suddenly become noticeably timid at the mere mention of Chang Min’s name?

“Are you scared of Chang Min?”

The Blood Demon sheepishly replied, “N-no, it’s not that, but...”

“What is it?”

“I’m... naturally a bit weak against someone whom I can’t crack jokes with, my liege.”

“...”

Oh, so that’s how it is?

Kang Jin-Ho didn’t mind letting things slide even if the Blood Demon was cackling like a sly fox and behaving a little flippantly. However, would Chang Min do that? No. If he found anyone doing that to him or Kang Jin-Ho, he’d immediately rip that fool’s balls out to confirm if they were made of brass or not!

Ah. So that means I don’t have to do anything here.

The thing was, though, the Blood Demon’s behavior and even that fake expression of his had been getting on Kang Jin-Ho’s nerves a bit. So he was thinking of

fixing

that one of these days, but it seemed he should just leave it to Chang Min, and that should take care of this little problem.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded, then glanced at the Blood Demon again. “If you want to change your mind, this will be your last chance.”

“N-no, my liege. We will still join the Demon Cult. I’m prepared to sacrifice myself if it means a more comfortable future for my fellow cult members.”

“Good. That’s a leader-like response.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded, then leaned back. After taking out a cigarette from his pocket, he mouthed it, then flicked his fingers to light it up.

He leisurely smoked away in silence for a while before staring at the Blood Demon contemplatively.

“Blood Demon.”

“Yes, my liege.”

“Why did you approach me?”

“I... do not understand your question, sire.”

“Didn’t you appear before me because you thought I’d forgive you?”

“No, my liege. I did not.”

“Then, why?”

The Blood Demon lowered his head a little. “I know that, even now, you won’t think twice about taking my life, my liege. However, it doesn’t matter to me. Because I fervently believe that you will still guide the Blood Cult’s members to a place of safety, even after taking my life.”

“You don’t care about dying...?”

The Blood Demon grinned brightly. “Also, I had a hunch that you’d keep me alive till the conclusion of this negotiation if I continued to bring you practical benefits.”

Kang Jin-Ho slowly cocked an eyebrow. “You thought I’d prioritize benefits over vengeance?”

“Yes. Because you have the power to kill me any time you wish. Since that’s the case, you wouldn’t have a reason to rush things.”

The Blood Demon was technically correct. But that didn’t mean he was right, either.

One of the ironclad rules Kang Jin-Ho adhered to in the past was killing anyone daring to target him. But he failed to stick to that rule several times after returning to the modern era. As a result, Lee Hyeon-Su and Vator were still alive. And now, the Blood Demon would get to keep running his mouth in front of Kang Jin-Ho despite trying to kill him earlier.

What did all this mean?

Had Kang Jin-Ho gone soft compared to when he was called Heavenly Crimson Demon Emperor? Or was it more the case of him not running into people worthy of his forgiveness and camaraderie back then?

“We’ll find out soon enough,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

“...!”

The Blood Demon was about to jokingly ask back, only to stop after noticing the eerie expression on Kang Jin-Ho’s face and bowed deeply. A creepy chill ran down his spine just then.

Right. I must never forget!

The man before his eyes was the one and only Demon King, the one who stood over all things demonic and ruled over them!

***

Darkness had no place in a prison.

That was because the lights were constantly on, even deep into the night, to assist the guards with monitoring the inmates. Of course, the guards still adjusted the brightness level during the sleeping hours by turning off the lights in inessential locations, but that didn’t mean the inmates enjoyed the luxury of disappearing into the embrace of the darkness itself.

Kim Myeong-Chan motionlessly stared at the spotlights illuminating the yard beyond the steel bars of his windows before closing his eyes halfway. Although the hour was late, he couldn’t sleep.

Just how many days had it been since he last slept? During the waking hours, all he could see or hear was hell. When he tried to close his eyes, his mind was haunted by Kang Jin-Ho’s glare.

What amazed Kim Myeong-Chan was that he was still sane, somehow.

What was it all for, though?

Now, everything meant nothing to him. Just a bunch of empty shells.

Things he tried to protect betrayed him. His family spat on him before turning their backs on him. His comrades stabbed him in the back with the sharpest, cruelest knives imaginable.

The honor and glory he worked his entire life to earn were destroyed mercilessly. And his name now had become synonymous with corruption. Everyone who knew him denied his very existence and worked furiously to sever their ties with him.

Yet

I’m... still alive.

Indeed, Kim Myeong-Chan was still alive. But it’d be more correct to say he was barely clinging on. His body might still breathe and keep living on that way, yet all the important things that made up his

life

lay in tatters, trampled into the dirt and ruthlessly spat on.

It felt like his soul had burned to ashes.

Kim Myeong-Chan never entertained the thought of taking his own life until now. As a matter of fact, he inwardly despised all those who killed themselves as idiots and weaklings with frail willpower.

But now, Kim Myeong-Chan had learned the truth. He now knew that the ones making the ultimate choice were not actually weak-willed at all.

No, it was because they couldn’t

see.

Those stuck in a situation that could be overcome through sheer effort and willpower would never think about committing suicide. However, when a person began thinking that no matter what they did, they would never escape from this torment, this hellish situation... That would be when they would resort to another, more extreme, method to escape.

...And that would be death.

If he could escape from this torment by hanging himself, Kim Myeong-Chan would have done so already. But he couldn’t do it. Because the torment... would still be there!

Indeed, this torment would remain even after his death. Committing suicide would turn all the suspicion crushing him right now into “truth”, after all!

This inescapable trap would become complete the moment he killed himself.

𝑓𝘳𝑒𝑒𝓌𝘦𝘣𝘯ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝑚

No one approached Kim Myeong-Chan’s cell at night. Even though the guards were supposed to regularly check the well-being of inmates stuck inside solitary confinement, like Kim Myeong-Chan, they merely turned back and left after reaching his cell.

Maybe that was what they were wishing for? For him to take his prison uniform off, tie it around the steel bars, then wrap it around his throat to end it all?

In a way, that might really be the only solution to this situation. Since it would be the best method to...

satisfy

the living and the dead, after all!

However, Kim Myeong-Chan remained alive. He spent each night with his eyes wide open. Even as pain worse than getting burned alive wrecked him, even after he had scratched his face until his skin broke and fresh blood stained his uniform, he...

“No... It’s too early. Not yet!”

He still had one unfinished business left. He needed to see this through till the end, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to rest even after death!

A sob-like whisper kept leaking out of Kim Myeong-Chan’s cracked lips.

“I... I can’t go yet. I... Not... yet. It’s too early.”

He could feel himself going progressively insane every day.

First, it was a series of auditory hallucinations. They came and went every now and then. And then, there were even visual hallucinations trying to confuse him, too.

Unfortunately, his always-objective mind couldn’t even grant him the relief from going crazy. In fact, it only made him acutely aware of the encroaching insanity instead!

This was a different type of torment, and it was just as hellish to endure.

He didn’t have much time left. Soon, Kim Myeong-Chan wouldn’t be able to maintain any semblance of rationality. Even now, madness was voraciously eating away at his mind.

In a way, this should be seen as a minor miracle. He should have gone insane by now, anyway.

Even so, he still clung to his sanity because... Because he still had someone he needed to speak to!

Kim Myeong-Chan suddenly opened his eyes and scanned his surroundings. Why was it so dark in here?

This pitch-black darkness had filled his cell. He turned his head toward the window, but no light from the yard outside entered the cell.

Even though the prison still had its lights turned on?

Lights going out like this without some commotion should be impossible, though?

“Have I finally gone insane, then?”

Kim Myeong-Chan muttered. If he could see such a vivid hallucination while still in a lucid-enough state, then...

“...No.”

That was when a low, cold voice suddenly stabbed Kim Myeong-Chan’s hearing. He instinctively shuddered in dread.

That voice sounded like sharp claws scraping against metal. Even then, it bizarrely remained low-pitched.

Kim Myeong-Chan’s head slowly turned toward that voice.

There, by the far corner of the cell! Where only the purest form of darkness had taken root...!

In the space where darkness had consumed everything, a pair of crimson flames began flickering into life.

“You are not insane. Not yet.”

Indeed, not yet!

The devil was slowly rising up from the darkness.