Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1124. Delivered (4)

Lee Hyeon-Ju replied nonchalantly, “Sorry, but I don’t know it.”

Lee Hyeon-Su stiffened immediately. “...!”

Almost at the same time, Wiggins began glaring at his dear disciple with an expression of an ax murderer ready to decapitate someone!

“H-hang on a sec!” Lee Hyeon-Su cried out, cold sweat beads trickling down his forehead. “D-didn’t you say you inherited most of your grandfather’s cultivation techniques?”

“That I did,” Lee Hyeon-Ju replied without much care.

That only made Lee Hyeon-Su more desperate, though. “A-and your grandfather knew the Twofold Will Art, didn’t he?”

“Yes, he did.”

“T-then, how can you not know it?”

“What do you mean? The Twofold Will Art isn’t my grandfather’s or the Lee clan’s unique cultivation method, you know? You can safely file that technique under ‘extraneous stuff not worth caring about’.”

“...!”

“You think my grandfather only knew one or two cultivation techniques? Of course not. He searched for and compiled a detailed list of all martial arts found in South Korea. Meaning, he must've studied at least a hundred different techniques and arts in his lifetime. In that case, how do you expect him to master every single miscellaneous technique on top of that?

“He didn't impart the knowledge on those techniques to me, saying knowing too much can actually be worse than knowing a few. So, I only studied the clan's techniques, plus those my grandfather has acknowledged as somewhat useful.”

“...”

If this was any other situation, Lee Hyeon-Su would have applauded Lee Jung-Geol for his wisdom.

Wasn't it natural for people to want to leave behind as large an inheritance as possible for their descendants? So, to think that Lee Jung-Geol deliberately did not impart all of his inheritances to his beloved granddaughter!

One could say that he was an inspirational role model for all teachers to follow!

However, at least in this very moment, Lee Hyeon-Su was so, so resentful of Lee Jung-Geol being such a wonderful teacher.

Grab!

Wiggins silently grabbed the scruff of Lee Hyeon-Su’s neck.

And that only heightened Lee Hyeon-Su’s desperation. “C-come on, now. Think a bit harder, please? You might have studied it a bit, right? Right?”

If not, her boyfriend might become a corpse today!

“Nope, I never studied it. Although, I do know someone who did study it once upon a time...”

“W-who is that?”

“It’s Lee Seong-Hwi.”

Lee Hyeon-Su nearly tripped on his feet.

‘No, not him! Anyone but him!’

What was the point of that bastard knowing the Twofold Will Art? After all, he'd never divulge its secrets even if he got captured and tortured for days! He might actually bite his tongue and kill himself instead!

Besides, no one here knew whether he was still alive or not, anyway!

Lee Hyeon-Ju muttered disinterestedly. “But I guess bringing up Lee Seong-Hwi now is pointless.”

“That’s right, it’s pointless! T-then, what about the depository!”

“Sorry?”

“You know, the Assembly’s martial arts depository! Don’t we store secret manuals in there?”

“Oh, that place? When my grandfather was organizing the depository, he got rid of all the useless stuff he didn’t want future generations to inherit. I think he might have incinerated all the copies of Twofold Will Art back then.”

“In-in-incinerated?!”

Lee Hyeon-Su’s complexion paled even more.

‘Give us a proper answer, woman! Otherwise, you’ll witness the incineration of your boyfriend today!’

“Well, yes. It's an outdated cultivation technique nobody takes seriously, plus the original copy was badly damaged as it came from China many years ago. The copies we had were modified versions, but careless and sloppy 'amendments' turned their contents into a total mess. Even if we had surviving copies, mastering it would still have been practically impossible.”

“...”

With that, all hope was lost.

Lee Hyeon-Ju cutely tilted her head. “I’m sure you can still find it in China, though?”

“...Please say something that makes sense, okay? Please.”

The last time Lee Hyeon-Su checked, China was still ruled by the Three Kings.

Without a doubt, the Crimson King and his underlings would go absolutely crazy at the news of the Martial Assembly seeking a secret manual for an ancient cultivation method in China and do everything in their power to hinder the search.

In China, you could find willing sellers of guns, explosives, and even humans, provided you had enough money to pay for everything. Even then, no one would be brave enough to smuggle secret manuals to South Korea under the Crimson King's nose.

Not because they were afraid of death, no, but the prospect of dealing with the wrath of the Crimson King and Cai Kechang was too terrifying to take the risk.

“Does that mean...” Wiggins groaned pitifully. “It’s impossible to find it?”

“Well, not via normal means, no. It’s such an ancient technique no one uses, after all. The former directors might have...”

Lee Hyeon-Su flinched ungainly. “Don’t bring up the dead people!”

“...? In that case, why don't you ask the surviving director, then?”

Wiggins and Lee Hyeon-Su dazedly asked at the same time, “A... surviving director?”

“Yes,” Lee Hyeon-Ju replied flatly. “Director Bang Jin-Hun, of course.”

“...”

“Oh... Right. There’s him, too.”

Wiggins’ expression grew unreadable.

***

And then, Wiggins’ expression grew somewhat stupefied as he stared at Bang Jin-Hun.

‘How did things end up this way?’

He watched in silence as Lee Hyeon-Su desperately explained the situation to Bang Jin-Hun. His emotions, however, were quite complicated, to say the least.

Bang Jin-Hun saying he didn't know would be a huge disappointment, indeed. However, even if he did know it, Wiggins still wouldn't be too happy about it, either.

Although he didn’t want to admit it... Wasn’t Bang Jin-Hun the trigger that set off Wiggins’ obsession to grow stronger? So, what if Bang Jin-Hun indeed possessed the Twofold Will Art?

‘Doesn’t that mean I must learn under Bang Jin-Hun as his... his disciple?!’

Wiggins sensed this subtly strange feeling wash over him. And that feeling was none other than subtle humiliation!

However, there was no such thing as a shortcut or an easy way in the path of martial arts.

If a cultivator was genuine about pursuing strength, they should not hesitate to chew on manure and roll around in mud.

If Bang Jin-Hun knew this Twofold Will Art, Wiggins would gladly ask for his help and follow all the instructions to the letter. That was a given, but...

‘But, why am I still so unhappy?’

This situation was quite complicated, indeed!

After sitting through the desperate explanation, Bang Jin-Hun subtly glanced at Wiggins. The Englishman had to work extra hard to loosen his stiff, cramped face.

Bang Jin-Hun broke his silence. “Let’s cut to the chase, because...”

Wiggins clamped his mouth shut in anxiety. As a matter of fact, his whole body stiffened up from the dread of anticipation.

“...I also don’t know it.”

“Fuu-woo...” Wiggins reflexively sighed as tension immediately abandoned him.

Although this outcome was unfortunate... At least it was the more ‘preferable’ unfortunate outcome.

“T-then, do you perhaps know someone who might?”

Bang Jin-Hun shook his head. “I don’t recommend it, Mister Wiggins.”

“May I ask why?”

“The version of Twofold Will Art floating around in South Korea is not worth your time, you see? Maybe because it came from China, so much of it has been altered over the years by the Koreans, and most of its original, uh, effects are now lost as a result, Mister Wiggins. I hope you get what I’m saying.”

“...”

“I took a gander once out of curiosity many moons ago, you see? But even I could tell that crap was worthless. Even if you find someone who knows it and learn from that person, you won’t get the desired effect, so...”

“Oh...” Wiggins’ expression crumpled deeply.

The path he thought had finally opened up became closed off again. Judging from what Bang Jin-Hun said, his pursuit would be pointless unless he got his hands on the original copy of the Twofold Will Art.

However, such a thing could only be found in China, which was one place completely off-limits for them at the moment.

“How did things...” Wiggins groaned deeply in defeat. Still, he glanced at Vator while holding on to the faintest of all faint hopes.

Vator’s expression grew cramped. “Obviously I wouldn’t.”

“...Indeed. You wouldn’t.”

There was no need to hear the rest of Vator's reply. Considering his inclinations, the big man would never spare a second glance at something like the Twofold Will art. Rather than waste time studying a miscellaneous cultivation technique like that, he'd probably choose to train his physical body a little more instead!

With that, all hope was genuinely lost.

Lee Hyeon-Su frowned while scratching his head. He didn't feel so good at the sight of his master's slumped shoulders since he knew how excited Wiggins was earlier after learning about the potential clue.

If he knew this might happen, he wouldn't have tortured Wiggins with unrealistic hope in the first place.

That was why Lee Hyeon-Su tried to console Wiggins somehow. “I’m sure there must be a way to acquire the technique, master.”

However, that only prompted Wiggins to snap his head at his disciple and glare in anger. “Must be a way? Like what?”

“...”

Wiggins usually would have realized that his disciple was trying to comfort him and nodded back in appreciation, but not this time. His response could only be described as out of character for him.

Judging from how crazed his eyes looked, he might really kill someone at this rate!

Lee Hyeon-Su sheepishly replied, “N-no, I mean, well... Uh, I will speak to some people in China, see if we can find the original copy.”

“Oh, really? And you think the Chinese will just hand it over?”

“...”

Of course they wouldn’t.

This situation had certainly gone down the toilet, so to speak.

Forget not finding a source of water when you’re literally dying of thirst, this situation was more like you spotting an oasis in the distance, which turned out to be a mirage!

Despite knowing it’s a fake, giving up wasn’t an option. Why? Because there was a one in a thousand, nay, a one in a million chance that this oasis was real!

So, you’d chase after this mirage at the expense of what little stamina you had, only to die of thirst eventually.

That pretty much described Wiggins’ situation.

He could have maintained some semblance of composure had he not known about the Twofold Will Art's existence. However, how could he do that now? When he finally discovered a way to overcome the wall that prevented him from getting stronger for over ten years and made him taste the bitterness of despair until he had to give up?

But now, he must give up again due to practical reasons this time? That would drive most people insane.

Even Vator and Bang Jin-Hun wisely decided to keep quiet, even though their usual schtick would have seen the big man cackle in amusement and the former Assembly Master casually tossing around snide remarks. That was because they were also martial artists. They could easily guess what Wiggins was going through.

Bang Jin-Hun, unable to suppress his pity, cautiously asked, “How about... I look for a modified version of the Twofold Will?”

Wiggins’ eyes opened wider. “Do you think you can find it?”

“Well, if I search thoroughly, we might find someone who might still have a copy lying around. If that doesn’t work, we can always contact well-known clans around the country and ask them to raid their depositories.”

“What do you think, Mister Bang?”

“Sorry?”

Wiggins intently asked, “Do you think mastering that version can help me?”

Bang Jin-Hun sighed deeply. “As I've said before, I honestly think you'll be wasting time. You'll probably have to see what's been modified and try to revert it to its original state, somehow. But that's no different from creating a brand-new cultivation method, so...”

“Mm...!”

“Even a grand master-level expert will have trouble doing something like that. Only someone on the level of our Assembly Master has a shot at making it happen, but... As you know, he's basically clueless in orthodox cultivation techniques.”

“Urgh...”

Wiggins groaned in pain. So, in summary, there was no realistic way to master the Twofold Will Art.

‘Do I have to give it up, then?’

His heart ached. It ached so painfully.

At this point, not knowing would have been better. The thought of the clue he finally stumbled onto getting snipped at the bud before it could bloom pained him as much as his intestines getting ripped out of his gut! Despite the pain, though, rationally speaking...

“Thank you all for trying your best, everyone,” Wiggins sighed deeply. “But, what can’t be done can’t be done, I suppose. I should try to find a different way, then.”

“Mm...”

Others in the office also sighed in pity and sympathy. However, that was when...!

Clack!

The door suddenly opened without warning, and a familiar figure triumphantly waltzed inside.

Wiggins blinked his eyes. “Mm? Elder Chang Min?”

The uninvited guest, Chang Min, haughtily scanned the office before fixing his gaze on Wiggins. “So, it’s you?”

“...I beg your pardon?”

“I’m asking if the fool searching for the Twofold Will Art is you or not.”

“T-that is indeed me.”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk!” Chang Min tutted as if he was disappointed about something. “A weakling like you still hasn’t learned his lesson and is now trying to get his hands on another useless trick! Look here, you brat! You’ve fed yourself too much crap to the point of indigestion, yet you want to devour even more crap!”

“...”

“Tsk, tsk, tsk! No wonder my liege told me to stop by and take a look at you! Very well! So, you wish to master the Twofold Will Art and straighten out the mess you got yourself into?”

“Well, yes, that’s the plan...”

Chang Min stared openly in displeasure at Wiggins before groaning loudly. “Fine. Fine! So, what will you offer me in return?”

“I beg your pardon?”

Chang Min unhesitantly strode toward an empty couch and settled comfortably on it. After arrogantly crossing his legs and reclining against the cushion, he glanced at Wiggins again. “Since you want something from me, isn’t it obvious you must offer something else in return? So? What will you offer in exchange for the Twofold Will Art?”

“Heok?!” Wiggins gasped in shock. “A-are you saying you...?!”

“That I am!” Chang Min smirked. “I have memorized the sutras of that Twofold Will Art, the one you’ve been searching for.”

Wiggins’ eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. Why did Chang Min know something like that? After all, wasn’t he an elder in the demon cult? So how did he get his hands on an orthodox cultivation method?

“Are you being serious, Elder Chang?”

“Yes. When Wudang was crumbling into oblivion, I sneaked into their treasury and relieved them of some of their treasures.”

“...”

“If you know your enemy and yourself, you will win all your battles. So, I wanted to know more about the enemy’s cultivation techniques. I think the demon cult’s depository stores more orthodox cultivation methods than orthodox bastards themselves! So, let’s get down to business. What are you offering?”

“W-what do you want from me, Elder Chang?”

“Huh-uh? Will you listen to this brat? Why are you asking the obvious? You think something like the Twofold Will Art falls out of the sky every day? If you want to buy something like that, you better be ready to cough up an equally impressive compensation. So, give me what you treasure the most.”

What Wiggins treasured the most?

‘What do I treasure most? What is it again?’

Wiggins desperately racked his brain, and the answer he eventually arrived at was...

“E-Elder Chang, you can’t be asking for my daughter’s hand in marriage?!”

“What the f*ck is this dumbass even saying!” Chang Min yelled in irritation before stretching his hand in Wiggins’ direction. “Hand it over!”

“W-what should I hand over?”

“Obviously, your money!”

“...”

Chang Min’s eyes dangerously gleamed. “Cough up every penny to your name. And I do mean every. Single. Penny.”

“...”

For a brief moment there, Wiggins seriously pondered if he should give up on martial arts altogether!