Descent of the Demon Master

“Aigoo… I’m dying…”

Bang Jin-Hun sagged into the couch.

‘Why the hell was that so tiring?’

Even if live streaming took a lot out of the streamer, Bang Jin-Hun was a martial artist. Even non-martial artists could record nonstop for twenty-four hours straight, so it made no sense for Bang Jin-Hun to feel this exhausted.

‘At least, that’s what logic says, but…’

It felt like he had just finished a three-days-long intense training session. His body felt heavier than a ton of lead.

“T-Tae-Hun… How about a cup of… coffee…”

Bang Jin-Hun scanned his office to look for his disciple, only to clamp his mouth shut. He could see Cheon Tae-Hun sagging on the office’s desk.

‘Am I looking at a squid or a person?’

Cheon Tae-Hun sagging lifelessly like that reminded Bang Jin-Hun of a freshly killed squid on display. However, if Cheon Tae-Hun was left alone for a little bit longer, he might really switch his species to an actual octopus!

“Kkeuh-euuuh…”

Cheon Tae-Hun pushed himself off the desk like a stiff zombie. His joints noisily creaked to protest against the attempts to move his body.

“D-did you say… coffee, master?”

“No, don't worry about it, man,” Bang Jin-Hun muttered, then shook his head to dissuade his disciple. Even he had some semblance of morals left. Ordering a kid who was practically half-dead to brew some coffee seemed like a cruel joke. “Forget about coffee and come sit over here.”

Cheon Tae-Hun dragged his unmoving feet toward the couches and plopped down on one.

Bang Jin-Hun watched his disciple sag into the cushion, then sighed loudly. “Okay, so… We don’t have to do another livestream for a while, right?”

“Yes, sir,” said Cheon Tae-Hun. However, he decided to omit the follow-up sentence.

‘...As long as we don’t have to offer supplementary lessons, that is.’

However, would things stay that way?

Bang Jin-Hun hadn't seen his performance yet. However, if he did, he'd go absolutely mental with foam bubbling from his mouth and demand that they either shoot supplementary videos or just reshoot everything from the beginning!

It wasn't as if Bang Jin-Hun was passionate about capturing the perfect footage. However, if a lecture was filmed sloppily, shouldn't he strive to fix that? Or, at the very least, add supplementary lessons?

“I haven’t done anything major, so why am I so pooped out?” Bang Jin-Hun groaned while using his sleeve to wipe away the beads of sweat still forming on his forehead. Even though the stream had ended a while ago, his nervousness didn’t want to let up at all.

“Those f*cking bastards…” Cheon Tae-Hun growled. He was also riled up, although it was for a good reason.

Bang Jin-Hun had no idea since he wasn't watching the monitors, but all those damn balloons popping up in the latter half of the stream must've severely interfered with the lecture.

Cheon Tae-Hun should have systematically blocked the viewers' ability to gift balloons before the stream began, but his lack of experience meant he didn't know how.

“Insane bastards… You got enough money to throw around, huh? Is that it?!”

Even though Cheon Tae-Hun growled unhappily, he knew he shouldn't be surprised by the younger-generation martial artists' robust financial situation.

These Assembly members lived most of their lives holed up in this nameless mountainside, their sole focus on improving their cultivation. That might not sound all that extraordinary, but when their monthly 'salary' was added on top…

Yes, the amount received each month by a martial artist in their early-to-mid twenties couldn’t be all that high, but it was still a lot compared to their peers out in the surface world who had expenses such as university tuition fees to worry about.

Most people broke their backs trying to make enough money to live, yet these younger-generation martial artists saw their bank accounts continue to swell month after month, even though all they did was diligently cultivate.

No wonder they had enough money to throw around as they wished. To make matters even more complicated, these martial artists were told repeatedly to be frugal from a young age. Which meant they were also not very good at the art of spending money, either!

Cheon Tae-Hun glanced at Bang Jin-Hun. “...By the way, master. Do you mind if I ask you something that I think is weird?”

“What is it?”

“Why do the Assembly's older experts obsessively emphasize being frugal and saving money?”

“That’s because they were dirt-poor.”

“...I’m sorry?”

Bang Jin-Hun calmly repeated himself. “Because they were poor, man.”

Bang Jin-Hun noticed the stupefied look on his disciple’s face and smirked softly. “Why would they keep telling people to be stingy if they were rich? It’s because they needed money but never had enough.”

“But, sir. Don’t we have enough now…?”

“Well, yeah. These days we do.”

It was true that the Assembly’s martial artists were financially well-off. This was one of the motivating factors for the younger generation to cultivate their butts off. That was because the odds of succeeding in the martial world and making enough money to live in comfort were so much higher than in the surface world.

“But that wasn't always the story in the past, you know?” Bang Jin-Hun tutted softly. “Think about it. Where would martial artists make money from in the old days? Back when people openly walked around with weapons and cut heads off for fun, strength was the only thing that mattered, right? If you have the strength, you can also have all the power in the world. And money will naturally fall on your lap, too. But did you forget what era came before our current one?”

“...It was the Joseon dynasty.”

“Yup, that one. I hear it was really tough to make a living as a martial artist in those days. If they caught you walking around with a sword, the whole platoon of law enforcers would supposedly chase after you.”

Cheon Tae-Hun dazedly nodded away.

That story didn’t sound so far-fetched. During the Joseon era, the system of mercenaries had been abolished, and only the central government could enjoy the services of an army, after all!

The military dictatorship during the last years of the Goryeo dynasty meant distrust toward martial artists was at an all-time high at the start of the Joseon dynasty.

Not to forget, the founder of the Joseon dynasty, Taejo Yi Seong-Gye, came from a martial arts background. Fearing that the same fate was in store for him, Taejo grew extremely wary of other martial artists. And, with Confucianism being accepted as the official national philosophy, it became fashionable to hold martial arts in contempt during the Joseon era.

Bang Jin-Hun lazily waved his hand in the air. “Those old folks used to call deep mountainsides their home. They tilled the land and hunted game to fill their tummies, didn't they? Of course they would tell you to be frugal over and over again until you start bleeding from your ears. Isn't it funny when you think about it, though?

“What's the point of telling people who don't have a choice about being poor to be more frugal? Save those sermons to someone who spends their money willy-nilly, I say!”

Cheon Tae-Hun slowly nodded after coming to terms with what he learned. “So, in short… That mindset was passed down until being miserly became a virtue in the South Korean martial society.”

“Virtue, my ass,” Bang Jin-Hun chuckled dismissively. “I told you, didn't I? Being miserly can only be a virtue to people who don't have to worry about where their next meal would come from. Poor folks have no choice but to be frugal.

“Tell me, man. Has any elder who loves to yap on about being frugal and modest and how martial artists shouldn't drool over material things… do as they preach after coming into some money?”

“…”

“Gee, whiz… Sometimes, I wonder if I've mistakenly wandered into a German luxury car showroom when I arrive at the Assembly's parking lot. Not a single one of these elders drives a local-brand car, now do they? They yap on and on about living modestly, yet they all own luxury cars, man. Not to mention how huge and impressive their homes are, too! And they also have holiday villas in the countryside, don't they?”

“Master, you also drive an expensive car.”

“I know. But I’ve never told you to be frugal, right? What I did say was that you should try to become rich. That’s it.”

“...Yes, you’re right, sir.”

“A man needs to act as he preaches. A dude busy telling his disciple off for using expensive training tools goes home in a chauffeur-driven luxury sedan. Don’t you think that’s laughable? Hypocritical? So, who the hell are they to tell us to save up? Be frugal? Really? Gimme a freaking break.”

Bang Jin-Hun tutted loudly while shaking his head.

“Tell them to mind their damn business. That’s what I’d do.”

Cheon Tae-Hun could only smile awkwardly at this outpouring of criticism. When he combed through his memories, though… What Bang Jin-Hun complained about happened quite often.

The so-called masters wouldn’t hesitate to skimp on stuff as essential as meal expenses of the people under them, yet they would wrap themselves in all sorts of luxury.

Unfortunately, everyone thought this was how things were supposed to be. In Cheon Tae-Hun’s POV, it wasn’t the others being corrupted but his master being a weirdo.

“Wow. Now that I think about it, you really do lead a modest life, master.”

Bang Jin-Hun tutted loudly. “What the hell… Hey, man. What have you been listening to?”

Cheon Tae-Hun tilted his head. “...Huh? I’m sorry?”

“I’m not being modest here, okay! It’s just that I’m dirt poor!” Bang Jin-Hun yelled, his expression crumpling hideously.

On the other hand, Cheon Tae-Hun’s head tiling intensified. “Huh? Master? Why are you poor? That makes no sense!”

“You dumbass! Why do you think I'm loaded? I might have some say in the Assembly back then, but unlike other directors, I used to have a lot of expenses to cover, you know! Where do you think the funds that gave you guys a cushy life came from? Ah? And do you think it was my manly charm that won over other folks to our side? Obviously not!”

“…”

“That’s where all my money disappeared to, okay! I was spending more than I could earn. I even emptied out my savings! That’s why I haven’t gotten married yet…”

That was when the office door was suddenly shoved open. Lee Hyeon-Su and Kang Jin-Ho strode inside.

“Oh, you’re here?” Bang Jin-Hun raised his hand and waved.

“I greet the Assembly Master,” said Cheon Tae-Hun with a deep bow.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded to greet the duo back, then smirked slightly. “Director Bang. I enjoyed your stream.”

“...Huh? You were watching that?” Bang Jin-Ho frowned slightly.

“Yeah. You did pretty good, actually.”

Bang Jin-Hun groaned loudly and tried to downplay what happened. However, Cheon Tae-Hun's reaction was markedly different from his master's. As a matter of fact, his face quickly grew red after locking his gaze on Kang Jin-Ho's mug.

A flood of dissatisfaction wanted to break out, but he was holding it in. Of course he wouldn't dare unleash his dissatisfaction toward Kang Jin-Ho! So, he did the next best thing by sneakily getting up and shuffling toward Lee Hyeon-Su.

“What now?” Lee Hyeon-Su cocked an eyebrow in confusion.

Cheon Tae-Hun quietly whispered. “The Assembly Master was gifting balloons earlier, wasn’t he?”

“Oh, that? Yeah, I showed him how to do it.”

“Why, though? Everyone went mad and started gifting balloons nonstop after they saw the Assembly Master doing the same! You should’ve stopped him, you know!”

“Stop the Assembly Master? Who? Me?”

“...Oh.” Cheon Tae-Hun clamped his mouth shut at Lee Hyeon-Su’s flabbergasted expression.

‘That’s right. Who can stop our Assembly Master?’

Cheon Tae-Hun quickly realized he had spoken utter nonsense and slowly shook his head in defeat.

In the meantime, Kang Jin-Ho settled down on the seat of honor and waited until everyone else took their seats. Then, he got the meeting started.

“I think this format has potential. I enjoyed it a lot.”

Rather than verbally responding, Bang Jin-Hun glanced at Cheon Tae-Hun. He was silently implying, I don’t know what to say here, so you handle all the answers.

“Thank you for your kind words, sir,” said Cheon Tae-Hun without skipping a beat.

“Any issues to worry about?”

“Nothing too major to worry about, sir. Not every member logged in on time to catch the stream, but everything has been recorded in full. We’ll upload it online, so everyone will be able to watch it sooner rather than later.”

“Mm…!”

“It's just that… From now on, we are planning to upload all the lectures to the Assembly's dedicated website, sir. However, the number of episodes is higher than we anticipated, and all of them will be shot in ultra-high-definition, so they will eat up a lot of storage, sir.

“Whether we're doing another live stream or letting the members download videos to their devices, we can assume the traffic will be insane when everyone tries to log in at once. Which means we will need our own servers.”

Kang Jin-Ho grinned brightly at this explanation. “I see.”

Cheon Tae-Hun weightily nodded. “Yes, sir.”

“So? What should we do about it?”

Kang Jin-Ho’s job was to listen. As for the thinking part… Now that was someone else’s problem! What would Kang Jin-Ho even think about when he simply had no idea? Even after someone explained to him?

Cheon Tae-Hun tried to keep a straight face as he replied, “I’ll discuss with Elder Chang Min and figure out a way, sir. However, buying and operating servers will cost a considerable sum. We need your permission to spend the necessary funds, sir.”

“I see, I see. Permission granted.” Kang Jin-Ho unhesitantly replied, then glanced at Lee Hyeon-Su next. “You heard everything, right?”

“...I’ll speak to accounting.”

What could Lee Hyeon-Su say in this situation when he also had no idea? At least Cheon Tae-Hun and Chang Min weren’t the type to defraud the Assembly, so entrusting them didn’t seem like much of a risk.

Kang Jin-Ho shifted his attention to Bang Jin-Hun next. “That’s sorted out, then. So, how was it? Is it doable, Director Bang?”

“It's killing me, sir,” Bang Jin-Hun waved his hands in defeat. “Argh… This whole standing-before-a-camera thing is so much more stressful than I thought, sir. I used to think those celebrities on TV were making a killing even though they were just messing around, but no more. I will never say that again. And they say you gotta experience something first to appreciate it later…”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled affably when Bang Jin-Hun held his head in despair. “So? You think you can continue?”

“Well, I have to, don’t I?” Bang Jin-Hun replied resolutely, even though his expression was close to being tearful. “This situation makes sense, though. Wouldn’t you say? If we resorted to the old method and taught all those kids at once, I would’ve repeated the same lecture at least twenty times. But we’re covering that with one live stream. No wonder it’d be twenty times as tiring.”

Bang Jin-Hun groaned and scratched his head. But then, a subtle grin formed on his face subconsciously.

“Yes, I'm definitely not used to this way of doing things. And it's tough as heck, but… It feels like this method could change things down the line, sir. Although it's just a vague feeling for now…”

“No, I agree. I also think that way,” said Kang Jin-Ho. He got ready to wrap the meeting up, but then...

Bang Jin-Hun pouted. “It’s just that, this whole thing is kinda embarrassing to do, so…”

“…! Kek…!” Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly covered his mouth after barely keeping his laughter in. That was because he just recalled Bang Jin-Hun stiffly moving like a seizure patient during the stream.

Kang Jin-Ho could swear that he’d never seen a martial artist paralyzed by nervousness to that degree before!

After swallowing his laughter back, Kang Jin-Ho grinned at Bang Jin-Hun. “Yes, I saw. It looks like you have a tough road ahead of you, Director Bang.”

“And it’s killing me, sir. I won’t last for long at this rate.”

“Don't worry. You'll eventually get better at this,” said Kang Jin-Ho with a casual shrug. He got ready to get up, but then…

Lee Hyeon-Su suddenly raised his hand. “By the way, Assembly Master?”

“Yeah?”

“What is your honest opinion on this method of teaching?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head, wondering why Lee Hyeon-Su would ask that question now. He cocked an eyebrow but still replied honestly. “Although there are some teething problems, I believe this way of doing things shows we're making progress. As for those minor issues, we can iron them out over time.”

“Do you think this method is something we can keep relying on? With the whole of the Martial Assembly in mind?”

“Mm… We can’t completely abandon the traditional master-disciple method. So, we should rely on both methods at the same time.”

“I see, I see…” Lee Hyeon-Su nodded weightily as the corners of his lips suspiciously curled up. “To summarize… That means we can start filming lectures and distribute them for the sake of the Martial Assembly members’ future. Isn’t that right, sir?”

“...Uh? H-hold on.”

Lee Hyeon-Su didn’t respond to Kang Jin-Ho and stared at Cheon Tae-Hun instead. “Prepare another filming studio.”

“I’m sorry?”

“We’re about to open a new online course, that’s why. And it’ll be called… the Introduction to the Basics of Demonic Cultivation!”

Lee Hyeon-Su wasn’t done, however. He even landed the finishing blow, too.

“Assembly Master, a man should never go back on what he said. Wouldn’t you agree?”

This was the historical moment when the number of the Martial Assembly-affiliated streamers jumped up to two.