Descent of the Demon Master

As it turned out, problems had been piling up out of sight.

Wiggins' idea of a reform was pretty straightforward. To him, dealing with already-known issues was insufficient to earn the label of true reform.

Not just the surface dust, but even all the hidden dust, visible only after removing the furniture, had to be dealt with first before everything was put back in the best possible place for Wiggins to say this… was the reform he had been looking for.

So, Wiggins began digging through every nook and cranny of the Martial Assembly with that mindset. Lee Hyeon-Su had already gone through the Assembly once before, but something that superficial would never satisfy Wiggins’ high standards.

Like a mother who rocked up to a house thoroughly cleaned by her son and began getting the mop and tile cleaners ready, Wiggins set out to poke and prod every little part Lee Hyeon-Su had missed to extract the hidden dust.

“M-master, doing this will take too long,” said Lee Hyeon-Su.

“Too long, you say? Even though we have plenty of time?” Wiggins used his smile to respond to the timid Lee Hyeon-Su's protest. “All things have their perfect timing. Fail to do this now, and we'll never get another opportunity quite like this one. Hence, we must capitalize on this chance. Dry your laundry when it's windy, my disciple.”

“People use a tumble dryer these days, master! You have to redo your laundry if you air-dry them! You know, because of fine dust from China!”

“Should I use a tumble dryer on you, then?”

“...I’ll try my best, master.”

After the devil called Kang Jin-Ho calmed down, it was the turn of another devil, Wiggins, to start tormenting Lee Hyeon-Su. If Kang Jin-Ho was the type who blindly charged ahead and saddled his underlings with a crap ton of work in the process, Wiggins was the type to stealthily add more and more work with a gentle smile on his face!

‘In other words, the workload will never decrease with him as my boss!’

Once upon a time not too long ago, Lee Hyeon-Su used to see himself as a workaholic. However, he was proven wrong. Very wrong. Only those who enjoyed their work deserved the label of workaholic, not because they worked themselves to the bone!

Only by encountering a workload you couldn't deal with would you finally see if you were a workaholic or not. For the first time after joining the Martial Assembly, Lee Hyeon-Su had finally run into a workload he couldn't handle. And that taught him that he was yet another regular salaryman who hankered after things like knocking off on time every night and possibly some vacation time.

Unfortunately, he had to pay too great a cost to find this out!

Wiggins chuckled while patting Lee Hyeon-Su on the shoulder. “Please get a move on, my disciple. We need to participate in the upcoming Assembly-wide conference, after all.”

“And what topic would we be discussing this time…?”

At this point in his career, Lee Hyeon-Su had grown to dread the word 'conference'. That was because his higher-ups were simply too good at creating new problems during every conference!

Of course, they were merely voicing their opinions, believing their ideas could help the Assembly. But Lee Hyeon-Su had to accept those opinions not as mere opinions but as reality. To him… listening to those opinions during a conference was no different from getting bombarded with cannon shells!

“My lord has convened it, so it shouldn’t be what you’re thinking of, my hardworking disciple.”

“Well, I hope so…”

Unfortunately, Wiggins’ reassurance couldn’t put Lee Hyeon-Su’s mind at ease.

‘I wonder why Assembly Master has called for the conference.’

Lee Hyeon-Su grew tense in a different sense while thinking about the future.

***

“Everyone, we have a problem,” said Kang Jin-Ho.

Everyone in the conference venue grew tense and stared back at him.

“I'm sure all of you have realized it by now. And that is... We have a serious problem plaguing our Assembly. We need to prioritize this problem, but the time required to solve it means it's presenting us with a significant hurdle.”

After setting up the platform, Kang Jin-Ho silently scanned the participants of the conference. They were Vator, Chang Min, Wiggins, Lee Hyeon-Su, Bang Jin-Hun, Elena tagging along with her father, and finally, Lee Hyeon-Ju. One could say the central figures of the Assembly had gathered here.

Lee Hyeon-Su cautiously asked, “Assembly Master, what is this serious problem?”

Kang Jin-Ho didn't say anything and instead used his chin to point at everyone.

“...Eh?” Lee Hyeon-Su blinked his eyes in confusion.

That was when Kang Jin-Ho spoke, only in Chinese this time. “Look at that dude’s expression. Look.”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s head slowly turned, which allowed him to stare at Chang Min sitting nearby.

Chang Min pouted deeply. “My liege! I thought you were discussing a secret I’m not privy to when you suddenly spoke in Korean.”

‘Well, that’s natural. We were talking in Korean, after all… Eh?’

Lee Hyeon-Su scanned the faces of everyone in the conference hall. And they were making expressions that broadly proclaimed, ‘I think we have an idea what you said in Chinese, but we still don’t get it. And we don’t really care, either.’

That was when a lightbulb went off in Lee Hyeon-Su’s head. “...Ah.”

The problem was 'communication'. Or, how people sitting here couldn't communicate with each other! Only by having these people gathered here could Lee Hyeon-Su see the severity of the issue.

The nationalities of the folks present here were rather colorful, to say the least. A Chinese, a Mongolian, two British nationals, and the rest were Koreans…

‘What the hell. It's not like we're the UN, so how…'

Looking at everyone’s nonchalant, nay, disinterested expression amply told Lee Hyeon-Su how badly screwed up their communication was right now.

For the time being, the Assembly was being run in an… 'improvisational' manner, so this problem hadn't tripped anyone up just yet. However, what if a crisis befell them? This broken line of communication would definitely cause a significant problem.

The first person to offer a solution was Kang Jin-Ho. “How about everyone learning Korean?”

Wiggins immediately voiced his opposition. “My lord, that is a strange notion, to say the least. Yes, I understand that the Martial Assembly is a Korean faction located in Korea, but it now houses people hailing from various regions. With that in mind, I do not see a reason why it must continue focusing exclusively on being Korean. My lord! We're now living in the Global Age. We must shed such an outdated mindset.”

“Oh? Then, what do you propose?”

“Obviously, English should be the official language of the Assembly, wouldn't you say? The efficiency of relying on English has already proven itself, after all. As you can see, everyone sitting in this conference venue can… Mm? Do you not speak English?” Wiggins furrowed his brow after noticing Chang Min sitting there in sheer stupefaction.

Hell, even the older Chinese gentleman's jaw was slacking ever-so-slightly to the floor, too!

But... how was that possible? Even Vator and his mountain bandit-like countenance spoke passable English, so how could a gigolo-looking gent with some years behind him not speak it?

Kang Jin-Ho considerately translated what Wiggins said to Chang Min. Minus all the preamble, of course. “He wants you to learn English, Chang Min.”

“Huh?!” Chang Min looked disgusted as he glared at Wiggins. “What does this foreign invader think he's saying! The most spoken language in the world isn't English, but Chinese!”

Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly. “Hang on, isn't that because there are lots of Chinese people around the world…?”

“My liege! There is no need to pay attention to the words of such an untrustworthy scoundrel! You’re already fluent in Chinese, so why should you be forced into speaking English?”

“Mm, that’s… Well…”

“My liege! How good is your English?”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn’t respond to that.

Simple communication was not a problem for him, but… If the question was whether he could converse properly with Wiggins or not, the answer would have to be a resounding no.

Kang Jin-Ho's English hadn't improved beyond the level of a college prep student, after all! Since this was the best he could do even after enhancing his comprehension through cultivation, it was safe to assume that Kang Jin-Ho had no talent for picking up other languages.

“How dare a retainer not use the master’s native language but demand everyone use his own! My liege! I beg of you to punish that sacrilegious fool for carelessly running his mouth!”

Kang Jin-Ho stared at Chang Min grandly trembling in his seat, then asked while contemplatively nodding away. “Yes, yes. I got it. So, be honest with me, alright?”

“My liege! I don't know how to speak English!”

Chang Min didn't bother to hide anything. “Besides, telling a man my age to learn a new language? Isn't that elder abuse?”

“Yessir, that I agree,” Kang Jin-Ho animatedly nodded away. Of course, he was simply worried about Chang Min, who was definitely the oldest out of all the old people in the entire world! And no, it wasn't because Kang Jin-Ho hated the idea of re-learning English at his mental age!

“That is why! My liege, everyone else learning Chinese is the right way. Please don't forget that cult members aren't just a handful in numbers. For the sake of trouble-free communication with everyone, learning Chinese is a must.”

It seemed Vator was convinced by Chang Min’s argument. Maybe he also preferred sticking with the familiar Chinese language instead of learning Korean…

“My lord!” Wiggins suddenly and firmly raised his voice.

Although he didn’t understand what Chang Min said, his quick wits were enough to translate everything for him. Without such sharp wits, he wouldn’t have survived the hostile environment of the Round Table.

“Please don’t forget that Chinese is spoken exclusively by the Chinese people. How does it make sense for us to speak the same language as the insidious Crimson King’s faction? My severed arm aches every time I hear someone speak Chinese. Look, my lord! My arm cries in anguish! My lord!”

“...Yes, yes. I hear you.” Kang Jin-Ho frowned again. Why was Wiggins saying that? Making things rather uncomfortable for him and all!

Wiggins repeatedly pointed to the empty sleeve as if to remind Kang Jin-Ho and everyone in the room. Of course, Wiggins could speak simple Chinese phrases. However, he couldn't talk like a native speaker, which was necessary to communicate trouble-free with these people.

That meant Wiggins would have to start learning Chinese from the beginning, but the prospect of learning a new language was something he wanted to vehemently decline. Especially at his age, no less!

“English is the right way, my lord!”

“Chinese! My liege! We must stick to Chinese!”

That was when Bang Jin-Hun, who had been silently observing the situation, leisurely raised his hand to draw attention to himself.

“Mm…!” Kang Jin-Ho nodded.

After getting permission, Bang Jin-Hun calmly spoke up. “Sir. Where are we right now?”

“...Ng?”

“We are in South Korea. Or am I wrong?”

Bang Jin-Hun snorted derisively. “The Assembly accepting bastards from China and Europe? I don’t mind that. Since that’s the sign of the times, I should be open-minded and accept it all. However, the last time I checked, we’re still the Korean Martial Assembly, not international peacekeepers. In that case, why are we being forced to learn another language to communicate with the others? Why?”

Bang Jin-Hun’s expression was obviously filled with unabashed patriotism.

“You know how irritating it can get when tourists stop you in the middle of the street and start asking all sorts of things in English. Can you imagine going to America and asking the citizens there in Korean? How would they react to you? Getting flustered by foreign tourists in Korea is already annoying enough, yet we must speak foreign languages in the Assembly, too? I’m sorry, but I can’t do it. No, let me revise that. I won’t do it!”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded slowly after seeing the point behind Bang Jin-Hun’s arguments.

“In Korea, you must speak Korean! Don’t you agree that’s the right way! We must not lose our identity! Be more patriotic, Assembly Master!”

“Director Bang?” Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head, his eyes narrowing.

“Yes, Assembly Master?”

“Can you even speak English?”

(English) “..U-uhm, h-hello?”

With that, Kang Jin-Ho figured out what was what. It didn't matter which language they went with, it'd still be hell for Bang Jin-Hun either way!

Kang Jin-Ho shifted his attention over to Lee Hyeon-Su. “So? What do you think?”

In the end, Lee Hyeon-Su was still saddled with the power to influence this all-too-important decision. Then again, he was the only person here with remarkable fluency in both Chinese and English, anyway!

Lee Hyeon-Su pondered for some time before breaking his silence. “I don't have any desire to get swept up in misdirected and immature nationalism, but… If we must choose, Korean should be the common language.”

“And why is that?”

“That's because we're based in South Korea. Setting Chinese or English as the standard language means people here will still experience a breakdown in communication outside the Assembly. Even if we're martial artists, we can't build a wall between us and the outsiders for the rest of our lives. For everyone to stay in Korea without a problem, they must learn Korean.”

Kang Jin-Ho smiled brightly. “I think you have a good point there. Okay, everyone, you heard him. Learn Korean.”

“My lord!”

“Master!”

Chang Min and Vator desperately cried out, but…

“I won't hear any more excuses,” said Kang Jin-Ho, his tone unyielding. “Everyone will speak Korean from now on. However, I will grant you a grace period. In return, you will learn Korean as fast as you can. Understand?”

“Yes, we do…”

Since Kang Jin-Ho had made his decision, others couldn't oppose it anymore. Bang Jin-Hun looked rather content about something. As for Chang Min and Vator, they looked distraught. Helpless.

However, Wiggins…

‘Heeeeiiik?!’

Lee Hyeon-Su flinched after realizing that Wiggins was glaring murderously at him. With his face alone, Wiggins had become an antagonist in a hard-boiled thriller. An R-rated noir where everyone dies a gruesome death!

As a matter of fact, Wiggins might say, ‘I will find you. And I’ll kill you,’ any moment now!

“Well, then. Let’s do that, everyone,” said Kang Jin-Ho while getting up to leave.

It looked as if this problem had been neatly sorted out, but Kang Jin-Ho had no idea what kind of a mini-storm this decision would bring to the Martial Assembly.

“Are you going somewhere, Assembly Master?”

“Mm,” Kang Jin-Ho briefly nodded while stepping outside the doorway. “There’s someone I wanted to see. It’s been a while, you see?”

Kang Jin-Ho's expression as he left the conference venue was... "Airy", for a change.

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