Descent of the Demon Master-Chapter 1406. Released (1)

“Mister Kang, do your best to abide by the law so that you don’t come back here again,” said the guard.

Kang Jin-Ho nodded. “I will.”

“I’m sure you feel hard done by this situation, but it’s how our world operates, unfortunately. That’s why avoiding trouble in the first place is the ticket to having a good life.”

The clueless guard looked at Kang Jin-Ho with genuine pity.

All Kang Jin-Ho could do was reply quickly or just nod away like a lexically challenged person. He had committed numerous crimes in the past, but the reason for his incarceration this time was something else. Of course, he couldn’t tell the guard about what happened, now could he?

“You went through a lot, Mister Kang. Go home and get some rest now.”

“Oh, uh... Thank you.”

Creeeeak!

Clang!

Kang Jin-Ho stepped past the prison’s foreboding front gate and stepped outside.

Why are things moving so fast?

Less than a day after Yi Jong-Wuk’s visit, Kang Jin-Ho got his freedom back. Even though he didn’t have any plans of leaving right away!

However, what choice did he have when the prison told him to go? He certainly couldn’t refuse, now could he?

“Son! Jin-Ho! Over here!”

Kang Jin-Ho turned his head at the familiar voice calling out to him. His mother, Baek Hyeon-Jeong, was rushing toward him from some distance away.

“Mother?” Kang Jin-Ho hugged his mother and gently smiled. “How did you know I’ll be out today?”

“We got a call from someone. He said the authorities would be letting you go today.”

“...Really? Even I didn’t know until not too long ago, though?”

“They called us this morning, son.”

Kang Jin-Ho scratched his head. His father, Kang Yu-Hwan, walked up and gently patted his son’s shoulder, a content smile etched on his face.

“Welcome back, son. It must’ve been hard for you in there.”

“Not at all, father. Rather than me, it must’ve been much harder on you.”

Kang Jin-Ho wasn’t paying lip service here. He really didn’t have a tough time inside.

Despite his temporary residence being a fearsome prison, Kang Jin-Ho’s stay had been completely trouble-free. Although the act of voluntarily confining himself in a place he could easily walk out of proved surprisingly torturous, he wasn’t mentally weak enough to crumble from something like that.

Kang Eun-Yeong pushed something to Kang Jin-Ho. “Here, oppa.”

Kang Jin-Ho blinked his eyes. “Eh?”

“It’s raw tofu. Take it.”

Kang Jin-Ho naturally furrowed his brow. “Why? Wait... You want me to eat this now?”

“Of course. What, you want to throw it away instead?”

“No, but shouldn’t we eat this at home? After cooking it first?”

“Can it and just eat it already, will ya? Don’t you know this is a long-standing Korean tradition?”

Although Kang Jin-Ho wasn’t sure for how long this tofu-eating-after-leaving-prison thing had been a tradition, he felt compelled to comply after powerful, expectant gazes from his mother and little sister burrowed into his face.

The mood strongly advised him to consume this raw tofu, or else!

“I’m not into raw tofu, though...”

Kang Eun-Yeong rebuked him immediately. “You’re too old to be picky about food, okay!”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong also chimed in. “Eat it, son. So you will never come back here as long as you live.”

“...Of course.”

Kang Jin-Ho sighed softly before breaking the tofu in half and dumping it in his mouth. At least chewing on this tofu helped him appreciate the fact that he was no longer in prison.

Baek Hyeon-Jeong asked hopefully. “It’s over now, right? Son?”

“I’m not sure yet, mother,” Kang Jin-Ho replied, hoping to sound as vague as possible. “They said the investigation will continue, but I won’t be in prison while they do so. But I don’t know how it works. They did explain the nuances to me, but all the legal terms were... You know.”

His release had no relation to actual legal proceedings. Indeed, this was merely the case of the higher-ups of the Korean government releasing him as quickly as possible to avoid getting on Kang Jin-Ho’s nerves. Besides, keeping him locked up behind bars wouldn’t help them out, anyway.

Even though that had been the case, even Kang Jin-Ho was taken aback by how quickly they let him go.

A subtle smirk formed on his lips. The act of leaving this place wasn’t anything to be amazed by. In his view, what mattered this time was achieving victory without resorting to his strength. In other words, he didn’t have to be violent to win this fight.

“Son, let’s go home. I’ve prepared a feast for you,” said Baek Hyeon-Jeong.

Kang Jin-Ho chuckled. “Even though it’s fine to eat out in a diner or something?”

“That won’t do! Staying in there must’ve been bad for your health, son! And the best cure is enjoying a warm meal at home. Aigoo, my son, look at you! You’ve lost so much weight!”

Kang Jin-Ho helplessly chuckled at that. Even though he was the same as before?

For some reason, though, he felt warm and fuzzy inside. Watching his mother keep wiping her tears away from her eyes compelled him to say something, but then, he turned his head to the side.

That was when he spotted a person’s head peering around the distant corner of the prison wall hurriedly ducking for cover.

“...”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong tilted her head. “What’s the matter?”

“It’s... uh, nothing?”

Didn’t he see someone familiar over there just now? Kang Jin-Ho grinned awkwardly while turning around to face his family. Of course, his sharp senses still picked up the... peeper’s head sneakily peering over the corner again. The energy emanating from this person was way, way too familiar, too.

“Eh?” Kang Eun-Yeong tilted her head in slight confusion. “Look, over there.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong looked at her daughter. “Ng? What is it?”

“I think I saw someone very familiar peeking at us from way over there.”

Kang Jin-Ho inwardly sighed. At least she could’ve done a better job of staying behind cover or something. How should he fix this situation, though?

Before he could say something, Kang Eun-Yeong beat him to the punch.

“I think that was Yeon-Ha unnie, mom.”

“Ng? Yeon-Ha unnie? You mean, Miss Choi Yeon-Ha?”

“Yeah, her. It was only a glimpse, but she’s the only person I know with that body ratio.”

What a pair of hawk-like eyes Kang Eun-Yeong possessed!

“Where is she?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong looked around, prompting her daughter to fulfill her filial duty by pointing to where Choi Yeon-Ha was hiding.

“Over there, by the end of that wall. She’s hiding behind it.”

“Ng? Why is she hiding?”

“I guess she’s scared of meeting you like this?”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong studied the suspicious corner for a bit, her expression unreadable.

“Mm... Jin-Ho?”

“Yes, mother?”

“She must’ve heard about your release as well and came all this way to welcome you back. In that case, it won’t do for her to go home empty-handed, right? Go and ask her to join us.”

“...”

“Go on. Hurry.”

“Of course.”

Kang Jin-Ho turned around awkwardly, then slowly walked over to the corner. And when he carefully peeked around this suspicious piece of prison structure...

He spotted Choi Yeon-Ha desperately pressing herself flat against the wall.

“...What are you doing over there?”

“Heol?!” Choi Yeon-Ha jumped up in alarm and hurriedly whispered to Kang Jin-Ho. “Why did you come here! What if your family finds me?!”

But they already have? 𝙛𝓻𝒆𝓮𝒘𝙚𝙗𝒏𝙤𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝒐𝙢

What made her think that she’d escape detection like this? Besides, they weren’t in some espionage thriller or something, so why was she worried about getting discovered, anyway? It wasn’t as if she had committed a serious crime, after all!

“My mother said you should join us.”

“I, I’m sorry?”

“Instead of hiding here, she wants you to join us.”

“...They know I’m here already?”

“Yes, they do.”

Choi Yeon-Ha grandly sighed and shook her head. “I’m so dumb! Why didn’t I think about your mom and dad showing up here, too? I thought I’d be the only one, you know?”

Kang Jin-Ho tilted his head. “How did you know I’ll be out today?”

“Chief Lee called me. He said you wouldn’t be happy about seeing his face waiting for you outside, so...”

“...”

Well, Lee Hyeon-Su was right about that. Even Kang Jin-Ho had enough of seeing that dude’s mug right now.

“Aaaah!? What should I do? Speaking to your mom for the first time in a place like this is not right, you know? And, and! I haven’t prepared myself yet, either!”

Kang Jin-Ho furrowed his brow. “Then... Do you want me to tell my mother that you won’t be joining us?”

“Now is not the right time for your unfunny jokes, Mister Jin-Ho!”

“...”

Choi Yeon-Ha shot a piercing side-eye at Kang Jin-Ho before shooting up to her feet. Her hand slipped inside her handbag to retrieve a compact, then she used its mirror to fix her makeup. After fixing her appearance at the speed of light, she stood up tall and proud.

It seemed she had finished all the preparations, both physically and mentally, to the best of her abilities. Of course, she still didn’t forget to suck in a deep, deep breath.

“Fuu-woooo...!”

She nodded like a brave general about to enter a battlefield.

“Okay! Let’s go.”

Kang Jin-Ho nodded back at her. “Sure.”

“Oh, wait.”

“Yes?”

Choi Yeon-Ha narrowed her eyes at Kang Jin-Ho. “I’m saying this just in case, okay? No matter what I say or what you hear, do not ever try to help me, okay? Your idea of helping is not helpful. At all. No, you’ll only make things worse.”

“...”

“Mister Jin-Ho, you are utterly clueless in some things, so being silent can be much more helpful to others sometimes. Okay? Pretty please?”

“...Got it.”

“Very good! Let’s go.”

Kang Jin-Ho could only nod, his expression one of confusion.

Wasn’t this strange? Today was supposed to be the day of his freedom, yet rather than people congratulating him, it felt more like he got nagged on just now.

But he didn’t have enough time to formulate an answer to this quandary, since Choi Yeon-Ha abruptly pushed his back, forcing him to walk.

The duo walked past the corner and headed to where Kang Jin-Ho’s family was.

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho sneaked a quick glance to his side, and his expression rapidly turned weird. Choi Yeon-Ha usually walked around with her head held high, even when rushing to a loo. So much so that some people even compared her to a top fashion model walking down a runway.

But not this time. No, she was walking cautiously and politely like the world’s most demure person!

“...”

Choi Yeon-Ha whispered through her clenched teeth. “Stop. Looking. This. Way!”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho hurriedly turned his head and looked ahead after sensing a hint of killing intent in her voice.

Eventually, the duo reached Kang Jin-Ho’s family. And Choi Yeon-Ha demurely bowed to his parents. “It’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance, mother, father. I should have paid my respect sooner instead of greeting you like this. Please forgive me for...”

That was when Baek Hyeon-Jeong took a step forward and gently clasped Choi Yeon-Ha’s hand. Choi Yeon-Ha was taken aback by this sudden development and reflexively tried to pull her hand back.

However, she saw Baek Hyeon-Jeong’s expression and stopped herself before holding the older woman’s hands.

“Thank you so much, Miss Yeon-Ha.”

Choi Yeon-Ha couldn’t think of a reply and simply smiled back.

“Saying that on TV must’ve been so difficult, Miss Yeon-Ha. Thank you for saying all that for my son.”

“Oh... I was only speaking the truth, mother.”

“Even so, thank you.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong smiled at Choi Yeon-Ha like a proud mother.

Her son was falsely accused of being a North Korean agent, so to publicly declare her relationship in such a situation? Most people wouldn’t have enough courage or determination to do that.

Just how many fans did Choi Yeon-Ha lose because of that declaration?

Kang Jin-Ho’s sudden arrest heaped a mountain of stress on Baek Hyeon-Jeong and Kang Yu-Hwan, but to Choi Yeon-Ha, it inflicted considerable real-world harm. Knowing this, how could Baek Hyeon-Jeong not be grateful?

“Even though it felt like the whole world was coming down on us, your words gave us the strength to stay strong, Miss Yeon-Ha. It didn’t feel like we were the only people who cared about Jin-Ho’s plight, you see?”

A warm smile spread on Choi Yeon-Ha’s lips. Her face was already beautiful, to begin with, so she seemed to glow brightly with a gorgeous smile added on top.

“It wasn’t only me, mother. Mister Jin-Ho is surrounded by people who care about him greatly. They all worked so hard to get him out of this place.”

“They all must be good people. Yes, I’m sure of it.”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong wiped the tears from her eyes.

While observing this exchange from the side, Kang Jin-Ho sensed goosebumps breaking out all over his body. He’d rather fight deadly enemies or get locked up behind bars instead of... Instead of enduring this conversation with a sane mind! Even for someone like him, this was getting too torturous to endure.

He was about to butt in and end this conversation somehow, only for Baek Hyeon-Jeong to suddenly ask, “How about joining us for a family dinner?”

“...!”

Kang Jin-Ho’s eyes widened in shock, and he hurriedly looked at Choi Yeon-Ha. She must say no, she must say no...!

Choi Yeon-Ha replied in delight. “I’d love to! But won’t I be imposing on you, mother?”

“Of course not. You will always be welcome in our house.”

Kang Jin-Ho shuddered as this clogging feeling rapidly filled his lungs.

Thankfully, though, a savior suddenly appeared before he could faint on the spot.

“Eiii~, mom~!” Kang Eun-Yeong playfully chimed in. “You can’t do that. Let the kids enjoy a date on their own, okay? Unnie is gonna have indigestion while in your company, okay?”

Choi Yeon-Ha tilted her head. “What do you mean? I’ll be fine, you know?”

“You can’t fool me, unnie. I know you’ll feel better without us around,” Kang Eun-Yeong smirked. “Besides all that~! You’re so devoted, aren’t you? Everyone on social media was raising a huge fuss about you coming here every day after that bombshell declaration, you see? Yet you’re here today, too.”

Choi Yeon-Ha faltered slightly. “O-oh, that... Well, I had a lot of time to kill, so...”

“Really? Someone as busy as you have time to kill?”

“No, I’m being serious. I had a few ad campaigns lined up, but they all canceled on me, you see...”

“Oh...”

Although Choi Yeon-Ha merely thought of that as an excuse, others suddenly grew somber when they heard her.

She quickly realized what just happened and covered her mouth. “Ah, please don’t mind me. It’s not as serious as it sounds...”

That was when Kang Eun-Yeong shot a glare at her older brother. “Seriously! How could you do this to your girlfriend, oppa!”

“Yes, your sister is right, son!”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho could understand his little sister criticizing him, but why was his mother joining in, too? He felt deeply wronged about this situation, but knew enough not to open his mouth right now.

“Then...”

Baek Hyeon-Jeong glanced at Choi Yeon-Ha.

“It can’t be helped, then. Please take care of my son for today. Have fun, Miss Yeon-Ha. Just promise us that you won’t stay out too late.”

Choi Yeon-Ha blinked her eyes in a fluster. “N-no, that’s not right, mother! Mister Jin-Ho should go home with his family!”

“No, no. It’s fine. You have my permission,” said Baek Hyeon-Jeong with a gentle smile.

That was when Kang Yu-Hwan broke his silence and finally joined this conversation. “Honey, I think...”

“Stop right there. Don’t you dare say anything. A man should know when to speak and when to keep quiet! Especially in front of Miss Yeon-Ha!”

“...”

Kang Jin-Ho watched his father getting crushed in an instant and inwardly praised himself for keeping his mouth shut.