Chapter 220: Pursuing (5)

Chapter 220: Pursuing (5)

“...Why are you at home?” Kang Jin-Ho curiously asked Kang Eun-Yeong, who was currently sitting on the living room couch.

She tilted her head. “Is it that weird to see me at home?”

“Kinda.”

“...But, this is my home too, you know?”

“And that is why seeing you here is so weird.”

Kang Eun-Yeong analyzed Kang Jin-Ho's response for a second or two, then her expression suddenly brightened. She jumped up from the couch and quickly rushed into his arms. “Orabi~! Looks like you're not angry anymore.”

“...Not angry, you say?” Kang Jin-Ho frowned slightly as his little sister clung to his arm.

“You've been making this face, you know? Anyone could tell you were 'not feeling good' from your expression,” Kang Eun-Yeong playfully replied while using her fingers to crease up her forehead.

Kang Jin-Ho groaned softly. He didn't think he had been acting that way, but he had to be wrong about it since Kang Eun-Yeong had noticed it. “I guess I'll take a break.”

“Yup, yup~! Orabi, you gotta take a break. It's all so tiring, right?” Kang Eun-Yeong's behavior suddenly got a bit too energetic as if confirming her older brother's better mood had improved hers, too.

Kang Jin-Ho lightly shook his head and asked her, “How is the TV production going? Are you doing well?”

“Yeah. It's great fun. Singing and dancing are also fun, but... You know I'm not the best singer in the world.”

“You can certainly sing, though?” NewW novels updates at novelhall.com

“Is that compared to other idols?”

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled at that. Originally, Kang Eun-Yeong was the typical case of 'good vocals, but lacking facial features.' Only after Kang Jin-Ho revised her bone structure to perform plastic surgery of sorts did she become the so-called perfect article.

Which meant her singing ability was top-tier among the idols. However, that comparison was only valid against other idols. She wasn't quite good enough to survive on her vocal chops alone in the world of trained singers full of monstrous vocal athletes.

“In any case, I think acting also suits me a lot, orabi.”

“...I'm sure that's the case.” Kang Jin-Ho nodded sagely.

How could it not suit his sister, though? She was born a sly fox, after all! Seeing how she hadn't gotten into trouble with her fellow celebrities yet despite her... 'wayward' personality, Kang Jin-Ho couldn't even begin to guess just how much pretending his little sister had been doing out there.

“I think I'm born to do this whole acting thing. It was so weird at first, you know? But I'm getting more and more used to it. Even the director says I'm really good at acting, orabi.”

“Mm. I'm sure that's the case...”

‘Indeed, my little sister. Keep doing what you normally do, and it won't be strange to see you walk away with the gong for the best newcomer category during the award season...’

Kang Jin-Ho lightly patted the back of Kang Eun-Yeong purring happily away, then headed to the bathroom.

“By the way, orabi~?”

Kang Jin-Ho stopped by the doorway and glanced back. “Yeah?”

“You know, there's something I wanna talk to you about.”

“Can we do that later? I'm kinda tired, you see.”

“...Eiii.” Kang Eun-Yeong groaned softly while watching her older brother slip inside the bathroom. 'I guess today's not the right time, either.'

However, there should be other chances in the future, now that Kang Jin-Ho was no longer upset. Kang Eun-Yeong tightly clenched her fist as the flames of ambition burned fiercely in her—the ambition to make Kang Jin-Ho a movie star!

***

After taking a shower, Kang Jin-Ho laid down on his bed.

“Fuu-woo...!”

Kang Jin-Ho sucked in a deep breath to calm his racing heart. The distance between him and the target was not increasing, so he told himself that there was no need to get agitated like this. As long as they were out of the city limits, he should be able to dash as fast as he liked.

Maybe the shadow knew what was in Kang Jin-Ho's mind because he was heading further and further toward the uninhabited area up the hills. Eventually...

The shadow stopped at a deserted, wide-open space. Rather bravely, he stood in the center, obviously waiting for Kang Jin-Ho to arrive.

Kang Jin-Ho landed on the ground and wordlessly studied the shadow. The first thing he noticed was the shadow's bizarre appearance. The so-called clothes on this man were more like rags made out of straw, while his hair was so matted and greasy that his face couldn't be seen. And then—the thick stench of blood!

The stench of blood so heavy that it clogged up one's nose wafted off from that man's body. Just how much did one need to bathe in blood to have such a stench deeply embedded in their body?

Even from his outer appearance alone, anyone could tell that this man was insane. However, Kang Jin-Ho's eyes were looking past the man's appearance. What agitated him right now was a certain aura. A thick, cloying aura was completely enveloping that man from head to toe. An aura Kang Jin-Ho was intimately familiar with!

“...A demonic arts cultivator, is it?” Kang Jin-Ho quietly muttered.

The monstrous-looking crazy man instantly responded to Kang Jin-Ho's mutter, “Demonic? Arts cultivator? Ke? Kekeke.”

The crazy man's head slowly tilted to the side until it was touching his shoulder. “Demonic arts cultivator, you say? But? What's that? What's a cultivator? Kekeke, I'm not a cultivator. I am... Me? Who am I?”

Kang Jin-Ho couldn't stop his expression from crumpling up. This demonic arts cultivator was completely corrupted by bloodlust and wickedness.

'Is this how far the demonic arts have fallen?'

It was true that cultivating demonic arts would stimulate one's murderous impulses. However, such an impulse was already an ingrained part of human's true nature. As proof, look no further than 'regular' people killing others and going on a rampage despite not being demonic arts cultivators.

However, this cultivator's situation wasn't as simple as that. No, he went well beyond that. Even his rational mind had long been devoured by the demonic energy, leaving not much behind.

If the incomplete demonic cultivation methods were handed down to the modern era, the side effects of mastering them would be unimaginable. Kang Jin-Ho recalled hearing about how similar events happened fairly regularly before the demonic cultivation methods were regrouped under the demon cult's banner.

“Are you the Fallen?” Kang Jin-Ho quietly asked.

The crazy man's eyes opened wider in surprise. “The Fallen? Sure, I am the Fallen. No, wait. I'm not fallen. Fallen?”

Insane. Utterly insane. That was the only fitting description for this man. The demonic energy had completely eaten away at his brain, and he was beyond the point of no return. Even if he still wasn't beyond that point, Kang Jin-Ho had no desire to save this crazy bastard in the first place.

Kang Jin-Ho wordlessly stared at the Fallen while tightly clenching his fists. He was instinctively sure about it. This crazy man was the Fallen, a monster who couldn't control his impulses and recklessly slaughtered other people.

“It doesn't matter either way...” Kang Jin-Ho muttered.

Whether this crazy man was the Fallen or not, he didn't care. No, all he cared about right now was this crazy bastard would definitely kill again if he wasn't stopped right here, right now.

Since time immemorial, there was only one way to deal with a demonic arts cultivator who had lost themselves to the demonic energy.

Grit...!

Kang Jin-Ho tightly clenched his fists. The Asura Qi stored in his dantian circulated rapidly throughout his body until reaching his fists.

“Let me ask you something,” Kang Jin-Ho asked quietly, even though the Fallen wouldn't really understand him. However, he still had to ask. “Have you killed a woman recently?”

“...A woman?” The Fallen suddenly cackled. “Which woman? A young woman or an old hag? A pretty girl? Or...”

His maddened cackle echoed within the open space.

“No need to choose, I just kill everyone! Every! One! Ones I can see, ones I like! All the women!”

“I see...” Kang Jin-Ho nodded, the corners of his lips curling up. His white fangs revealed themselves from his slightly parted lips. “In that case, it's fine.”

‘Because, that answer took care of my last remaining qualms, you see?’

A flood of dark aura began gushing out of Kang Jin-Ho's figure like a terrifying illusion. Was there any sense of kinship toward his fellow demonic arts cultivator? Did he hold any pity toward someone who couldn't master the demonic cultivation properly and ended up in this wretched state?

Of course not. No one would have forced the Fallen to master the demonic cultivation technique. Which meant everything was his responsibility. And if he was unwilling to admit his responsibility, then well...

Kang Jin-Ho would make sure to hold him accountable.

“Allow me to show you,” Kang Jin-Ho growled menacingly as a storm of demonic energy was unleashed from his figure. “...What a true demonic arts cultivator is.”