Episode 105: Return to the Demonic Sect
Swish, rustle! Rustle!
A shadow darted swiftly through the dark forest.
It was Heuksagwi, the left hand of the Black Heaven Society’s leader.
He couldn’t comprehend the current situation.
A stranger, someone he’d never seen or heard of, had appeared and turned the Black Heaven Society into chaos in no time.
The leader was dead!
Even after witnessing the leader’s death right before his eyes, it was hard to believe.
Wasn’t his name “Gadeuksam”?
Nonsense.
If he was such a master that he could bring them to this state, they would have known about him by now.
Unless he was a secret expert supported by the Justice Alliance.
The name was surely an alias.
“Damn it!”
Even so, how could one person take on thirty men alone?
He was the only survivor among the Black Heaven Society’s warriors.
Right after he gave the retreat order, Sabigang moved like a flash, killing his subordinates in a single blow.
He couldn’t believe a person could be that strong.
He had always prided himself on not being outmatched in martial arts wherever he went.
Where did such a monster come from?
His breath grew more labored.
His side was sticky.
Blood was seeping from the wound where a broken sword fragment had struck him.
He had tried to stop the bleeding, but using his lightness skill so intensely had caused it to start again.
“Damn it!”
Just as he was about to push off a tree branch.
Snap, crack!
The branch broke helplessly.
With it, Heuksagwi’s body plummeted to the ground.
“Gah!”
He quickly used his body technique to avoid falling, but the burning sensation in his side intensified.
He had run mindlessly to the lakeside.
“Something to ride…!”
He frantically searched the area but found nothing useful.
“Damn it!”
If his body were in good shape, he would have tried to run across the water, but in his current state, it was impossible.
Just then, two more figures descended to the lakeside.
Sabigang and Maeseollan.
“Heh, you ran quite far.”
Sabigang remarked with an impressed expression.
But Heuksagwi knew.
If his pursuer had wanted, he could have overtaken him much earlier.
Like a well-fed predator enjoying the hunt, Sabigang had leisurely chased him.
The young man who called himself Gadeuksam was undoubtedly a master beyond the pinnacle.
Even among those at the pinnacle, a paper-thin difference could be immense.
Moreover, he was injured.
The odds were slim.
“Who the hell are you people?”
Heuksagwi shouted in frustration.
Sabigang looked at him calmly and slowly raised a hand to his face.
“You’re that curious, huh? Well, I suppose I can satisfy your curiosity before you die.”
With that, he began to peel off his face.
As the mask came off, Gadeuksam’s face disappeared, revealing Sabigang’s true visage.
“So, you were using a fake name all along!”
“Yeah, something like that.”
Sabigang shrugged and approached.
Heuksagwi slowly backed away.
“What do you want?”
“Your life.”
“Are you from the Justice Alliance?”
“Who knows? Maybe you can find out in the afterlife.”
Sabigang wasted no more time.
Whoosh!
Using blink magic, Sabigang moved in the blink of an eye to stand before Heuksagwi.
It felt like a bad dream.
How could someone move so quickly?
It wasn’t just speed.
He was also a master at the pinnacle.
He could tell the difference.
This was simply teleportation.
“This is ridiculous…!”
Crack!
Sabigang’s hand clamped around Heuksagwi’s throat.
“Ugh…!”
Heuksagwi’s face turned crimson.
Sabigang’s eyes were as cold as moonlight.
His voice was low and steady.
“Heuksagwi, for all you’ve done and all you would do, you’re a hindrance to the harmony of the martial world. You’d assault women and kill children without a second thought. You’re not worth keeping alive.”
“Ugh…!”
Even as he was dying, Heuksagwi couldn’t understand what Sabigang was saying.
He was just amazed that his opponent knew so much about him.
Finally, Sabigang murmured coldly.
“Go.”
In the next moment.
Whoosh!
“Aaaah!”
A sudden blaze erupted, engulfing Heuksagwi’s entire body in flames.
Heuksagwi, who had been struggling in Sabigang’s grip, finally turned into a pile of black ash and went limp.
It was flare magic.
Maeseollan, who had been watching, approached Sabigang.
“Is it over now?”
“Not yet.”
“Then what else…?”
Sabigang picked up Heuksagwi’s fallen sword and suddenly hurled it behind him.
Whoosh!
The sword sliced through the darkness like an arrow.
A dull, faint sound soon followed from the forest.
“A presence…!”
Only then did Maeseollan sense the presence emanating from the forest.
The sudden attack must have disrupted the opponent’s energy.
They were likely injured.
Thud!
Sabigang quickly leaped off the ground.
Using blink magic, he moved instantly to a tree branch in the forest.
There, the sword he had thrown was deeply embedded in a tree trunk.
The bloodstains on the blade confirmed that he had injured the opponent.
Maeseollan, who arrived a moment later, frowned slightly.
“They got away.”
“No. This is enough. We’ve laid the groundwork.”
Sabigang murmured with a meaningful smile.
**
Rumors spread like wildfire across the martial world.
A young man named “Gadeuksam” from the Sea Heaven Sect had obliterated a secret gambling den called Hotujang.
Moreover, it became public knowledge that the owner of Hotujang was the leader of the Black Heaven Society, and that the Black Heaven Society was affiliated with the Blood Demon Sect.
The Black Heaven Society’s leader, driven mad, had run through the villages, exposing himself, which quickly revealed his identity.
Martial artists gathered in groups, endlessly discussing the tale.
“I heard the Black Heaven Society’s leader was a master at the pinnacle… How did this ‘Gadeuksam’ manage it?”
“They say he just scolded him. Told him to reflect. That one word drove him mad.”
“Come on, that can’t be true.”
“Believe it or not, it’s a fact. And it wasn’t just the leader. They say he killed the leader’s brother, the tyrant, with a mere gesture!”
“A mere gesture? This must be some extraordinary master.”
“Well, the Black Heaven Society was part of the Blood Demon Sect. Maybe the Blood Demon Sect isn’t all that after all?”
“Hey, watch your mouth. The Blood Demon Sect isn’t to be underestimated. At this rate, they might become the leading sect of the unorthodox factions. That means…”
“A war between the orthodox and unorthodox.”
“Anyway, since ‘Gadeuksam’ is from the orthodox faction, the Blood Demon Sect has a new headache.”
And there was someone listening to their chatter without any expression.
An old man seated quietly on the second-floor balcony, eating his meal.
His graying hair, neatly trimmed beard, and sharp eyes that belied his age exuded an air of authority.
Another notable feature was his unusually thick knuckles, giving his hands a peculiar appearance.
This was due to the martial art he practiced, known as “Ghostly Claw Technique.”
Indeed, he was the Vermilion Bird of the Blood Demon Sect, Akcheongoe.
As he finished his meal and took a sip of water, a woman clad in black armor approached, her face hidden beneath a bamboo hat.
“You seem quite at ease.”
Akcheongoe replied without looking up.
“Have a seat.”
The woman in the bamboo hat sat across from him.
Only then did Akcheongoe smile gently and look at her.
She was none other than Hongmyo Seoraehyang.
“Everything is going smoothly, so there’s no reason not to be at ease, is there?”
Seoraehyang frowned.
“You must have heard about the Hotujang incident?”
“That’s not my concern.”
For a moment, Akcheongoe’s gaze turned icy.
His expression carried unmistakable reproach and criticism.
Seoraehyang bit her lip slightly and spoke.
“I warned them enough. The Black Heaven Society’s leader acted on his own…”
“If you can’t manage your subordinates properly, how can you be trusted with anything?”
“But after the leader’s brother died, he wouldn’t listen at all…”
“That’s a poor excuse. If you can’t manage them properly, you should have considered managing them in other ways.”
Akcheongoe’s eyes roamed over Seoraehyang’s body with a lecherous gaze.
Seoraehyang stood up abruptly.
“How dare you…!”
“Ah, calm down. It’s this kind of emotional reaction that leads to such mistakes.”
Seoraehyang gritted her teeth but said nothing more.
Akcheongoe was not someone to be trifled with.
He was on a different level from the Black Heaven Society’s leader.
Especially since he had the absolute trust of the Black Dragon.
Akcheongoe took another sip of water before continuing.
“The loss of a financial source is a significant blow to the Blood Demon Sect.”
”…”
“Well, there’s no point in arguing. The Black Heaven Society was under your jurisdiction.”
“Get to the point.”
“Don’t worry too much. Fortunately, our other operations are proceeding well. We can secure urgent funds through the Seven Star Sect.”
“But that alone won’t be enough.”
“So, I’m still hard at work. Ah, hold on a moment.”
Akhyeongoe suddenly raised his hand, focusing intently.
It seemed he was receiving a telepathic message from someone.
Sure enough, he soon broke into a bright smile.
“Just got word. We’ve taken over the Yellow River Merchants. This should be more than enough to replace the Black Sky Society.”
“The Yellow River Merchants?”
Seoraehyang’s expression faltered.
The Yellow River Merchants were a group of traders centered around the Yellow River, one of the top ten trading guilds in the martial world. Even when the Justice Alliance ruled the central plains, they maintained their independence.
Acquiring them was indeed a remarkable achievement.
‘No wonder the Black Dragon favors him.’
As much as she hated to admit it, she had to acknowledge his prowess.
Whenever he got involved, things progressed swiftly.
Outside, children were noisily playing, their laughter echoing through the air.
In their reckless frolicking, they inevitably caused trouble.
They collided with a gang of ruffians loitering around the village.
The gang bullied the children, snatching their pocket money with sneers.
Seoraehyang, snapping out of her thoughts, asked Akhyeongoe, “How exactly did you manage to take them over?”
Akhyeongoe, watching the tearful children leave, muttered to himself, “Fear is the quickest and most reliable human instinct.”
With a flick of his fingers, three gusts of wind shot out.
Moments later, screams erupted from the main street.
The three ruffians had suddenly collapsed, dead.
Seoraehyang immediately knew it was Akhyeongoe’s doing.
She frowned slightly.
‘An incomprehensible man.’
Sometimes he would mercilessly kill women and children, yet now he avenged these kids?
No, that wasn’t it.
He hadn’t avenged the children.
He simply disliked the ruffians’ behavior.
Their actions, ignorant of their place in the pecking order, had irked him.
He was the kind of man who could kill for such a trivial reason.
Akhyeongoe turned back with a sly smile.
“Well, I’ve solved your problem. Now, what will you do for me?”
His leering gaze swept over Seoraehyang.
“I already belong to the Black Dragon…”
“Just so you know, I’m well aware of how the Lord regards you.”
Seoraehyang bit her lip.
The title “Black Dragon’s woman” she had used with the Black Sky Society leader wouldn’t work here.
Akhyeongoe knew the Lord didn’t think much of her.
A seductive smile slowly spread across Seoraehyang’s lips.
“I’ll give you what you want.”
“Good, very good.”
“But I have one more request.”
“Hmm, what is it?”
“I want to find someone.”
“I think I know who.”
“Yes. Please find out about him.”
“However, trusting the Sea Heaven Gate’s ‘Gadeuksam’ is…”
“I know his real face. The one hidden behind the mask. I focused on him, so I remember clearly.”
“Then it should be doable.”
At Akhyeongoe’s response, Seoraehyang’s smile turned icy.
That night, the wound on her shoulder, grazed by his blade, throbbed painfully.
‘I will find you!’