Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1125. Delivered (5)

Wiggins cautiously asked, “E-Elder Chang...?”

“My answer is still a no.”

“If you could just give me a discount of sorts...”

“Uh-huh!”

Chang Min remained adamant with his decision.

The dignity befitting the grand elder of the demon cult oozed out from every one of his pores. So much so that even the one-and-only Wiggins momentarily cowered at its impressive aura!

‘Then again, that makes sense.’

No matter how great the Master was as a human being, and regardless of how everyone evaluated Wiggins as a genius, they were still no different from wet-behind-the-ears brats to Chang Min.

Not only was Chang Min’s martial prowess greater, but he also had the experience and wisdom from leading the demon cult for who knew how long.

The dignity of a leader bursting forth from years of accumulated wisdom gave Chang Min all the confidence he needed to shout triumphantly.

"I’m not giving you any discount!”

Wiggins’ expression crumpled immediately.

‘Seriously? Bloody hell!’

“How dare a man calling himself a proud martial artist be so obsessed with worldly goods! A martial artist only needs three cups of rice a day and some straw to cover their body! That is all!”

Wiggins almost blurted out, What on Earth are you on about?! I saw you going out in the evenings to have fun while dressed like a millionaire several times!

What was that about worldly goods?

A man should have morals, no? Morals!

As it turned out, surviving for over a century had helped the grand elder goblin develop a very thick skin!

“E-even so, Elder Chang! How can I give up my entire fortune...!”

“All you need is desperation. Desperation to keep going!”

“...?”

Why did that so-called advice sound so familiar? As if Wiggins had heard it somewhere already?

“Hold on, now. That sounds oddly like a fake religious cult’s...”

“Say what now!” Chang Min scowled deeply.

“Are you going to argue that it doesn’t sound that way? Only a fake religion would say...”

“Hold your tongue!”

Wiggins silently stared at Chang Min, his expression conveying how unimpressed he was.

‘Yup, this is a scam. A fake religion scam!’

Wasn’t the ‘We will give you something, so hand over all your savings’ the favorite line uttered by practically all the cults around the world?

To think that an elder of a storied organization would spout such a scummy line of a scammer!

“Elder Chang! How can a religious organization extort money from others!”

“Extort?!” Chang Min glared sharply at Wiggins, prompting the Englishman to hurriedly look away.

“My apologies. That was a slip of my tongue. Not extortion, but...”

“You brat! Do you know what the difference is between extortion and donation?”

“...I beg your pardon?”

“One is voluntary, while the other is not!”

“...”

“Besides, you don’t have anything to worry about. Because I won’t spend a dime of your money for myself!”

“In that case, why do you want my wealth?”

Chang Min sighed grandly. “Whether it's South Korea or China, springs and autumns are getting shorter, while summers and winters are getting longer. Soon, it will be winter, you see? So, I was thinking of buying appropriate winter clothes and electric blankets for the cult members going through so much hardship in a foreign land. Which I need the money for.

“Unfortunately, where will I get that money from? And I certainly can’t keep asking for handouts from the Assembly, too...”

Wiggins suddenly glared murderously at Lee Hyeon-Su. “Chief Lee?”

“...Yes, master?”

“Why can’t you support the demon cult properly!”

“...”

Wiggins glared so much that flames were threatening to shoot out of his eyes. "The Assembly is flush with cash, so how can you let the situation stagnate to this point! Pull your socks up properly!”

Lee Hyeon-Su nearly fell out of his seat.

‘What the hell! Since when did you start caring about demon cult members and their welfare?! Even though you viewed them as total party-poopers until now!’

Wiggins hurriedly turned his head away. “Elder Chang!”

Lee Hyeon-Su inwardly tutted.

‘Look at how ardent he is! Look! He's so desperate, isn't he?'

“Elder Chang, let me deal with that issue. Since that’s the case, do you mind...”

“Oh, you will?” Chang Min grunted, still not impressed. “Then, cough up half.”

Wiggins clutched at his chest. “...Urgh!”

“If you’re desperate enough, you will do it.”

Of course Wiggins was desperate—indescribably so, too! However, this situation still felt like he was getting scammed, didn’t it?!

Chang Min cackled insidiously. “Acquiring cultivation techniques is not a cakewalk, you brat. Which sect would gladly offer up cultivation knowledge on a silver platter to an outsider? No one, that's what! And I belong to the demon cult. We have a custom of never allowing outsiders to take a peek at our cultivation techniques.

“However, I'm trying to make an exception here on account of you being an acquaintance. The compensation I'm asking for should be considered cheap. Cheap, I tell ya!”

Chang Min was technically correct. No self-respecting clan or sect would reveal the secrets of their cultivation techniques to those who weren’t even their disciples.

Even in the Martial Assembly, probably the most 'liberal' and accepting of all martial art-related organizations in the world, one would have to face death in case their attempt to impart cultivation techniques to outsiders was exposed.

So, Chang Min was correct, indeed. Very much so. However...!

‘What the hell?! It’s not even yours, to begin with! You said you stole it!’

Since when did the Twofold Will Art become a part of the demon cult’s martial arts inheritance?

If any Wudang members heard that, they might vomit blood before rushing here to set the records straight. Even if the current-day Wudang existed in name only, and its site had turned into a tourist attraction these days, it still boasted a proud history, didn't it!

What Chang Min did was akin to perverting history!

Although Wiggins had so many things he'd like to say right now, the one holding all the cards was undoubtedly Chang Min. Carelessly pointing out the fault in his logic could only lead to the demon cult's elder throwing a tantrum and walking out of here disgruntled!

“Y-yes, you’re absolutely correct,” Wiggins animatedly nodded with the level of obsequiousness he’d never display again for the rest of his life.

“That’s why let’s stop all this back and forth and get it over with! Like men, I say! So, cough up half of everything you own!”

“Give me a break,” Vator finally broke his silence and chuckled hollowly. “I didn't know you were a con man too, old fart! Oii, where did you forget your dignity? The dignity of an elder statesman! Do you honestly want to keep doing this to someone young enough to be your grandson?”

Chang Min loudly tutted. “Financial matters must always be handled strictly even when it’s with your grandkids!”

He certainly knew how to pick the right thing to say, didn’t he?

Chang Min wasn’t done, however, and kept shouting triumphantly. “And that’s why! I won’t give you any discount whatsoever! Hell, I’ll even hire accountants to dig into every facet of your finances, so you better forget about deceiving me! I will uncover everything, and...!”

Before he could finish his rant, however...

Creaaaaak...

The door to the office slowly opened as a somewhat spooky noise came from its hinges.

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho was behind the open door. His expression was flat, and his withdrawn gaze was locked on Chang Min and no one else.

Understandably, Chang Min’s complexion was drained of all color in an instant. “M-my liege! I, I can explain...”

“No, hold on.” Kang Jin-Ho stopped Chang Min, then beckoned at the demon cult elder as a strange smirk crept up on his face. “I want to talk to you for a sec.”

“...Of course, my liege.”

Chang Min meekly got up, his shoulders sagging. Without saying anything else, he followed Kang Jin-Ho outside the office. Even a cow being dragged into an abattoir would have been more lively than him!

Vator tutted quietly at this sight. “Tsk, tsk... That’s why you should be nice to people.”

Unfortunately for someone, that advice came a little too late.

***

Although Kang Jin-Ho said he only wanted to talk to Chang Min for ‘a sec,’ the demon cult elder needed a bit more time than that to return to the office.

He showed up after enough time for a cup of piping-hot tea to cool down. While making the face of a man who had lost everything, Chang Min stared lifelessly at Wiggins and nodded weakly. “I’ll give it to you.”

“...Why, thank you very much.”

Wiggins' reply was somewhat half-hearted.

If only Chang Min behaved himself and imparted the cultivation technique sooner! He'd have received Wiggins’ genuine gratitude, but it was too late. Any semblance of gratitude was long gone by now.

Chang Min sheepishly asked, “You know I was merely kidding, right?”

“Oh, of course, Elder Chang. I’m sure you were.”

Wiggins replied sarcastically, but Chang Min couldn’t even rebuke him for it. All he could do was fake-cough a couple of times to hide his embarrassment. Since he had some morals left, he wouldn’t dare say anything about that right now!

“A-anyways... What about your promise to support the demon cult members?”

Wiggins tutted. “I honor my promises, Elder Chang. In fact, I’d have done something about it already if you told me about it earlier.”

He had no problem with helping out the demon cult since this was this and that was that.

“If you find talking to Mister Lee uncomfortable for some reason, please come find me from now on. I’ll deal with your requests appropriately.”

“...I see. Thanks,” Chang Min nodded, then began reciting the cultivation sutra to Wiggins.

After reciting it perfectly from the start to the end, Chang Min loosened his collar a little.

“Now then, let me recite it one more time.”

Wiggins shook his head. “No, no need. I’ve already memorized it.”

“Ehng? Already? Even though I only recited it once?”

“Yes, once is enough for me.”

Chang Min peered closely at Wiggins in barely disguised suspicion before nodding slightly. “Well, I guess you have. It’s not like you’re an incompetent idiot, anyway. So, there it is. Recite that sutra and master it. If you get stuck, I’ll try to...”

“H-hold on, Elder Chang?” Wiggins hurriedly stopped Chang Min, clearly flustered. “I have memorized it, yes, but how am I supposed to master a bunch of random words?”

“Huh?” Chang Min blinked his eyes and stared at Wiggins in total confusion. “What do you mean? I’ve told you the sutra, no?”

“Y-yes, you have. I have memorized every word of it.”

“Then, why can’t you master it?”

“I’ve never studied martial arts in this way before.”

“Haaah?!”

Chang Min’s glare morphed from the one reserved for his fellow humans to that of one meant for disgusting bugs. And Wiggins’ innards tumbled from the unfairness of it all while enduring that harsh glare.

‘What the hell?! How is it my fault this time?’

Wasn’t this due to the difference between Eastern and Western martial arts?

In Western martial arts, the concept of studying a few random words to unlock the mysteries behind cultivation did not exist. As a matter of fact, when it came to common sense... The folks in the East were the real weirdos!

“Tsk, tsk! It’s not like you’re picking up cultivation techniques from a roadside stall, so why! You don’t even know the basics, either? Nothing at all?!”

“...”

“Unfortunately for you, I’m too busy to teach you everything from the ground up. In that case, who else is available to... Mm?” Chang Min scanned the faces in the office before spotting a certain someone smiling meaningfully at him.

Chang Min easily saw through the intention behind that smile and smiled right back.

“Wiggins?”

“...Yes, Elder Chang?”

“Although I don’t mind the opportunity to personally teach you, there is no reason for me to step up when it’s about teaching you something as basic as how to master cultivation techniques. Don’t you agree?”

“W-well, yes.”

That would be akin to asking a world-renowned academic to teach you the alphabet. Although the academic wouldn't have a problem doing so, it'd still be a massive waste of their time and talent.

Even without agreeing to teach Wiggins, Chang Min's plate was already full to the brim with work. It was just that he never complained or whined about his situation until now, but one must never forget that Chang Min was responsible for keeping ten thousand rowdy people of the demon cult in line.

In that case, it’d be unrealistic and unfair to rely on him for this matter.

“However, it’s not like we can assign someone of appropriately low strength to guide you as that’ll be too embarrassing for you. Even if there is no such thing as seniority when it comes to studying, we should at least keep up with appearances, no?”

Wiggins grimly nodded. “...Yes, I agree with you, Elder Chang.”

“In that case...”

Chang Min didn’t even have to reply since the volunteer had personally stepped forward with a content smirk etched on his face.

“...It seems I’m the perfect substitute, then.”

“...!” Wiggins looked back at the so-called perfect substitute as his eyes powerfully quaked.

After all, that person was none other than Lee Hyeon-Su!

“H-hold on, why are you...”

“It's about time you accept the truth, master. There is no one in the Assembly who can teach you how to recite and master cultivation sutras. Other than me, that is.”

“Urgh... Ugh!”

Wiggins didn’t want to admit it, but Lee Hyeon-Su was right.

Cultivating by reciting sutras was the basic of all basics. Even though Wiggins’ understanding of Eastern martial arts was pitiful at best, he still knew that much.

Since that was the case, he couldn’t ask one of the directors here to teach him something so basic.

What about Kang Jin-Ho, then? The only thing Wiggins would get for mentioning that name was probably Vator’s angry fist smashing into his back.

However, that didn’t mean Wiggins could ask some other random person to help him out, either. Although he didn’t care much about his ego, he still had to protect his dignity as a director of the Martial Assembly.

Even in a regular company, its director stopping a new employee in the middle of the corridor to ask ‘I’m trying to learn how to use a PC, so can you teach me how to type on a keyboard?’ would result in the company's image falling to the pits in no time at all.

That was why Wiggins must search for an appropriate tutor who was good at keeping secrets and was more or less acquainted with him. However, why...

‘Why does that have to be you!’

Why!

When this world was teeming with so many martial artists!

Lee Hyeon-Su cackled insidiously. “Fufufufu~! You have nothing to worry about, master. I’ve also memorized the sutra just now, you see? I give you my word that I’ll guide you to the best of my abilities. Besides, you’ve already shown me plenty of times how a master should guide his pupil, haven't you?”

Shown what now? Wiggins urgently tried to recall how he tutored Lee Hyeon-Su in the past.

“Why can’t you understand this? Is your head a decoration with nothing inside?”

“Even the three-month-old puppy Elena is raising is more attentive than you. Smarter, too.”

“Only the smart people can learn magic, Mister Lee. However, for you? You better give up. Why don’t you slink off over there and learn how to swing a sword around? Well, if swinging a sword requires nothing more than your imagination, that is!”

“...!”

That was when Wiggins finally saw ‘it’.

He saw the barely disguised hints of killing intent within Lee Hyeon-Su’s glare!

“I will! Teach you! Exactly! As you’ve taught me! So, you can relax now, master!”

“...”

Wiggins sneakily scanned the faces of others in the office, then nodded slowly as unwillingness began dominating his expression.

“...I will be in your care, then.”

This was why life could be so unpredictably entertaining sometimes.