Episode 102: Return to the Demon Sect
Sabikang furrowed his brow slightly.
“Who are you?”
“You’re the one being rude! If you want to exchange names, shouldn’t you introduce yourself first?”
Sabikang, now posing as Gadeuksam, made a face of mild disdain before speaking.
“I’m Gadeuksam, proudly from the Haechunmun!”
“Haechunmun?”
It sounded vaguely familiar, yet not quite.
And for good reason.
The Haechunmun Sabikang mentioned was one of the most common sect names in the martial world. Who could say if there wasn’t some obscure sect by that name tucked away in a remote corner of the land?
“Now it’s your turn to speak!”
Gadeuksam, having claimed a victory, shouted with confidence.
Galcheonseong squinted his eyes and replied, “I’m the one in charge here. My name isn’t worth knowing. Why do you treat a defeated warrior with such disrespect?”
“I have a grudge against the unorthodox sects!”
“So you beat someone unrelated just because of that?”
“What does it matter? Those unorthodox types are all the same—backstabbers without any real strength!”
“Is it the way of the righteous to strike the back of an injured man?”
Sabikang feigned outrage and shouted, “Are you insulting our righteous sects now?”
“I’m asking you, not the righteous sects.”
“Enough! He’s from the unorthodox sect, and I’m from the righteous sect! Doesn’t that make me justice itself?”
“Good grief, you’re a stubborn one!”
“You’re the stubborn one! Ask any of the righteous sect members here! How many would disagree with me? Isn’t that right, everyone?”
Sabikang looked around at the crowd, but no one dared to respond. Even among the righteous sect members, Gadeuksam was a spectacle that made them frown.
Regardless, Sabikang, still posing as Gadeuksam, wore a smug expression, as if winning one match meant he could conquer the world.
“Where did this fool come from?” Galcheonseong muttered, furrowing his brow deeply.
“What are you all doing? The match is over, get this brat out of here!”
As the Black Heaven Society’s warriors moved to enter the arena, Sabikang raised a hand and shouted, “Wait!”
“What is it?”
“I’m not leaving.”
“What?”
“If I continue the challenge, I don’t have to leave, right?”
“Oh? You wish to continue?”
“Yes.”
“And the difficulty? You know you can’t choose the same level twice.”
“Of course, I know that.”
“Then will you choose ‘medium’? Think carefully. Just because you got lucky once—”
“Shut up! Who said I won by luck? I won fair and square with my skills!”
“Whose child is this, so hopelessly naive?” Galcheonseong shook his head in disbelief.
Voices of discontent began to rise from the crowd.
“Kid, just get down! We can’t watch this anymore!”
“Yeah, you talk big for someone who barely scraped a win!”
Sabikang’s face twisted with frustration, and he spat out words like a sheltered nobleman.
“Quiet, all of you! If I set my mind to it, I can defeat any of those unorthodox scoundrels!”
Galcheonseong, now visibly annoyed, waved his hand dismissively.
“Alright, alright. So, what’s the difficulty?”
“I’ll take the highest!”
Laughter erupted from the crowd.
“Hahaha! This guy’s lost it!”
“The highest? Did he eat something funny?”
“Now we see just how clueless he is.”
Even those who had bet on Sabikang to win were now shaking their heads, realizing they had only won by sheer luck.
Sabikang shrugged, continuing his reckless boasting.
“Honestly, the ‘low’ difficulty was too easy. They went down with just one hit. I need the highest difficulty to find a worthy opponent. After all, I’m the hope of the righteous sects!”
Sabikang, still in his Gadeuksam guise, pounded his chest with a serious expression, prompting another wave of laughter from the crowd.
Even Galcheonseong couldn’t help but chuckle at the absurdity. He thought it was a joke, but Sabikang seemed genuinely intent on challenging the highest difficulty.
Only one person had ever dared to challenge the highest difficulty, and even they had failed.
To challenge the highest difficulty, one would need to be exceptionally skilled in martial arts. But someone that powerful wouldn’t be here, fighting for a few coins like a caged monkey.
“Ah, the folly of youth…” Galcheonseong clicked his tongue and raised his hand.
A man approached from behind and bowed his head.
“Yes, Master?”
“Prepare the Overlord.”
“Are you really accepting this challenge?”
“Well, it might be a good opportunity to set the mood.”
“Understood.”
The man bowed and left.
The highest difficulty opponent, known as the “Overlord,” was a master of extraordinary skill, second only to the leader of the Black Heaven Society.
Recently, too many warriors visiting the arena had underestimated the Black Heaven Society. It was time to show them the overwhelming difference in power.
“What do you plan to do?” a charming voice asked from beside him.
Having been caught off guard by her once before, Galcheonseong answered with a measure of respect.
“If we handle these fools lightly, the arena will become a laughingstock.”
“And?”
“We can’t let that happen, can we?”
Galcheonseong’s eyes narrowed.
One strike.
That’s all it would take.
These naive youngsters only muddy the waters.
It’s time to show that the Black Heaven Society is not to be trifled with.
“But something seems off,” the voice continued.
“What do you mean?”
“That Gadeuksam fellow. He seems unusually confident.”
“Hmph, they say a little knowledge is a dangerous thing. He’s just puffed up from one lucky win, not realizing it’s tightening the noose around his neck.”
His words carried a double meaning, directed at Hongmyo as well.
Hongmyo Seoraehyang chuckled softly.
“Is that so? But when one win becomes two or three, that’s when it becomes a problem.”
“Heh, that won’t happen. Just watch.”
“I like your confidence.”
Just then, the man returned to report.
“The Overlord is ready. All bets have been placed.”
Seoraehyang interjected with a question.
“Did that girl place a bet again?”
She was referring to Maeseollan, disguised as Gayunok.
The man looked to Galcheonseong, who nodded.
“Yes, she bet on Gadeuksam.”
“How much?”
“Three hundred thousand nyang.”
“Three hundred!”
Galcheonseong and Seoraehyang both looked surprised.
She had bet all the winnings from Gadeuksam’s previous victory.
Galcheonseong smirked at Gayunok.
“Ha, she doesn’t even know her brother’s about to die. So naive.”
Her face was unremarkable, but her figure was quite something. If Gadeuksam died, Gayunok could be shaped into a valuable asset.
Meanwhile, Seoraehyang narrowed her eyes, gazing out at the arena.
“Something’s not right. This isn’t just bravado.”
Her eyes narrowed further.
If asked for proof, she couldn’t provide any.
It was just a feeling.
A woman’s intuition.
Cheers erupted from the crowd.
“Oh, it’s the Overlord!”
“The Overlord has arrived!”
“That foolish pup is about to get bitten!”
“Overlord! Teach that clueless kid a lesson!”
With his wild hair, unkempt beard, and piercing eyes, the man was like a beast incarnate.
In terms of martial prowess, he was second only to the leader of the Black Heaven Society.
He was also the leader’s younger brother.
As he stepped into the cage, the arena’s excitement reached a fever pitch.
“Take him down in one blow, Overlord!”
“We’ve all bet on you!”
Indeed, the odds for this match were thirty to one.
Though the gap could have been wider, fewer people placed bets than expected.
Most anticipated the Overlord’s victory, predicting only a small payout.
So many chose not to gamble, seeing it as mere entertainment.
But Maeseollan was tense, her palms sweaty.
Was it because the Overlord was terrifying?
No.
He was strong, stronger than her.
But compared to Sabikang?
For some reason, she felt Sabikang would win.
Her tension stemmed from the potential payout.
Thirty times the bet!
“In one day, nine million nyang… no, including the prize, ten million nyang. Ten million!”
She knew it was gambling, but the thought of it coming true was astonishing.
“How much does that man trust himself?”
If Sabikang won, she’d have ten million nyang.
She’d never seen such a sum in her life, and the thought was both thrilling and terrifying.
A small laugh escaped her lips.
“Afraid of money more than people…”
Perhaps that was the truth.
Meanwhile, the fight began in the arena.
The man known as the Overlord bared his teeth in a sinister grin.
“Hey, kid, got any last words before you meet your end?”
“I’ll take you down in one blow with my Earth-Shattering Invincible Fist!”
Sabigang shouted with a booming voice.
The Overlord furrowed his brow slightly, then burst into laughter.
“Hahaha! What kind of flashy technique is that? You’re an amusing one. I’ll grant you a swift, painless end.”
“You’re full of bluster!”
“Whether it’s bluster or not, you’ll find out soon enough.”
Sabigang’s expression shifted as he gazed steadily at the Overlord.
Then, he said something that left everyone in shock.
“Fine. I’ll let you have the first move. Go ahead, try to take me down in one strike!”
“What?”
“I’ll let you throw ten moves first. I won’t attack at all during that time.”
The room fell into a stunned silence.
People seemed too bewildered to even laugh.
The Overlord, too, looked at Sabigang with disbelief before breaking into laughter.
“Hahaha! You’re insane. Truly insane. Alright, if that’s what you want, I’ll oblige. But you won’t need ten moves. You’ll be dead in one.”
“Haha, more bluster! But my Earth-Shattering Invincible Fist is—”
“Enough with the nonsense. Just die already!”
In an instant, the Overlord lunged at Sabigang.
Thud!
With a dull sound, Sabigang’s body flew through the air.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Crash!
Sabigang slammed into the iron bars and collapsed.
Maesullan almost screamed.
Everyone watching swallowed hard.
The Overlord, having delivered the blow, took a deep breath and smirked at Sabigang’s fallen form.
“Heh… At least I sent you off without pain…”
But then, the Overlord’s eyebrow twitched.
‘Did I see that right?’
No mistake.
Sabigang, who had been lying still, was definitely moving.
Moments later.
“Oww! That hurts!”
Sabigang sprang to his feet, rubbing his cheek and groaning.
The spectators’ jaws dropped in disbelief.
Maesullan, who had been watching anxiously, felt her tension melt away.
No one was more shocked than the Overlord.
He massaged his throbbing right fist, his eyes twitching.
‘How…?’
He had put all his strength into that punch.
Yet the kid seemed far too unscathed.
Sabigang shouted at the Overlord.
“Your punch is impressive, I’ll give you that! But it’s not enough!”
“You…!”
The Overlord gritted his teeth in frustration, then took a deep breath.
No need to get worked up.
The kid’s inner strength might be deeper than expected, but he was definitely affected.
‘Fine, I’ll make sure you can’t run your mouth anymore!’
The Overlord clenched his fist tightly.
“Heh. I admit I underestimated you. Now I’ll take you seriously!”
“Bring it on! My Earth-Shattering Invincible Fist can withstand any attack—”
“Enough! Save the rest for the afterlife!”
With a swift motion, the Overlord launched himself at Sabigang once more.
Whoosh!
His fist gathered energy as it flew through the air.