Episode 112: Return of the Demon Sect
Thud!
“Gah!”
A martial artist clutched his throat and collapsed.
It all happened in the blink of an eye.
Sabigang, who had been standing several meters away, suddenly appeared in front of the warrior and slashed his throat with a swift stroke of his sword.
Yuk Giju ground his teeth in frustration and shouted, “Attack!”
The martial artists launched themselves at Sabigang in unison.
At that moment—
Whoosh!
An arrow sliced through the air, aimed at the back of one of the warriors.
Clang!
But once again, the arrow was deflected by Yuk Giju’s defense.
“He’s not alone! Attack while staying alert!” Yuk Giju barked.
No sooner had he given the order than five warriors turned toward the direction from which the arrow had come, while the rest charged at Sabigang.
Their coordinated attack was seamless, each movement precise and calculated to avoid clashing with one another. It was clear they had honed their skills over many years.
Sabigang parried the attacks with his sword, retreating slightly.
‘Fool! You think you can take us on alone? Your arrogance will be your downfall!’
Yuk Giju was confident of their victory. Sabigang was indeed a formidable opponent, but he had made the grave mistake of entering enemy territory alone.
The guards under Yuk Giju’s command were unmatched in their cooperative combat techniques.
Swish!
Clang!
Whoosh!
Thud!
The guards’ attacks were fierce and well-coordinated, like a single, unified organism. Anyone watching from above would have been awestruck by their precision.
Their synchronized movements were like a flower bud closing and then blooming as they attacked and retreated.
‘Impressive. They’re not to be underestimated,’ Sabigang admitted to himself.
But he had no intention of merely defending and retreating.
In an instant, his movements changed. Instead of continuing to evade, he charged forward aggressively.
Caught off guard, a warrior twisted his sword to defend himself, but Sabigang deftly grabbed his wrist and hurled him into another approaching warrior.
Whoosh!
Thud!
“Gah!”
The warrior, struck by his comrade’s weapon, fell to his knees, eyes wide in shock.
In a flash, Sabigang kicked the sword from the fallen warrior’s hand.
Thud.
Whoosh!
Thud!
The sword flew through the air, embedding itself in the chest of another warrior who was closing in.
“Aagh!”
The once-perfect coordination of the guards began to falter.
Yuk Giju’s eyes widened in disbelief.
‘How is he moving like this?’
Sabigang was moving with such speed and unpredictability that it seemed as if he was everywhere at once.
Despite not being a battle of attrition, Sabigang managed to exploit the gaps in their formation, taking down one warrior after another.
Dodge, thrust, twist, and strike.
His movements were almost supernatural.
In no time, six warriors lay defeated.
Yuk Giju was shaken.
‘What is this monster? Where did he come from?’
Grinding his teeth, he shouted, “Go for the kill!”
The warriors hesitated for a moment, then their eyes hardened.
The order to “go for the kill” meant focusing solely on eliminating the enemy, disregarding their own safety. They were prepared to sacrifice themselves if it meant taking down their opponent.
“Hyah!”
“Hah!”
With a unified battle cry, the warriors charged at Sabigang.
Even those who had been on alert for arrows now turned their focus entirely on him.
They attacked with no regard for defense, intent on ending his life.
Leading the charge was Yuk Giju, his sword slicing through the air toward Sabigang’s neck.
Whoosh!
But there was no resistance.
‘An afterimage!’
Sabigang had moved so swiftly that only an afterimage remained in Yuk Giju’s sight.
As he turned in shock—
Thud!
Sabigang’s kick landed squarely on his chest.
“Gah!”
Yuk Giju spat blood as he was sent flying.
Meanwhile, the other warriors descended on Sabigang like a torrential downpour.
“Die!”
“This is the end!”
But then—
Whoosh!
Fwoosh!
An immense blaze erupted around Sabigang, swirling like a storm.
The warriors, caught in the fiery whirlwind, were scorched and thrown back.
“Aaagh!”
“Ugh!”
The searing pain was unbearable, and those engulfed in flames flailed helplessly before succumbing to the inferno.
“What… what is this…?”
Yuk Giju, lying on the ground, couldn’t comprehend the scene before him.
Even with the highest level of internal energy, conjuring such a fiery storm was unheard of.
Perhaps a master of the highest order could manage a small flame, but this was an inferno that had incinerated everything within a radius of several meters.
To Yuk Giju, who knew nothing of magic, it felt like a nightmare.
Step by step, Sabigang approached Yuk Giju with a cold expression.
Yuk Giju stammered, “Who… who are you?”
“Me? I am…”
Sabigang glanced toward the carriage.
In front of it, Bok Lichu stood, staring in disbelief at the scene unfolding before him.
The events were too surreal for despair or hopelessness to take hold.
“I am Bok Lichu.”
Yuk Giju’s eyebrows twitched at Sabigang’s response.
“What? What nonsense is this? Are you trying to impersonate Master Bok?”
At that moment—
“Excuse me.”
Bok Lichu’s voice broke the tension.
Turning, they saw Bok Lichu hesitantly approaching, his steps faltering.
“What… what do you want? If it’s money, I’ll give you as much as you want. How much? A hundred thousand? Two hundred? No, a million? Just name your price.”
Never in his life had he been so desperate.
But he had no choice.
He had never seen the guards defeated so thoroughly.
He sensed that his life could end here if he didn’t act.
“Just tell me. How much do you want?”
Sabigang chuckled.
Yuk Giju despaired.
‘This man doesn’t want money.’
Sabigang spoke dismissively, “No matter the amount, what I seek in the Red Fortress is worth more than any sum. In other words, it’s not something money can buy. So no matter what you offer, I’m not interested.”
“What? Are you saying there’s something of such value in the Red Fortress?”
Yuk Giju looked at Sabigang with trembling eyes.
He had never heard of anything in the Red Fortress that couldn’t be bought with money.
“It seems you’re mistaken…”
“The one mistaken is you.”
“What?”
“You think money can solve everything. But sometimes, it can’t. And now, you’re learning that lesson at the end of your life. Not a bad lesson, all things considered.”
“What… what? Wait, now that I hear it, your voice…”
Bok Lichu’s mouth fell open.
In his desperation to survive, he hadn’t noticed.
But now he realized the voice was identical to his own.
It was a magical technique known as “Copy Voice,” which perfectly replicated another’s voice.
Sabigang grinned.
“Finally noticed? I told you, my name is ‘Bok Lichu.’ Now, I’ll be borrowing your face as well.”
“What…!”
Bok Lichu stepped back in shock.
“Die!”
Yuk Giju, using the last of his strength, lunged at Sabigang with his sword.
Whoosh!
Thud!
Yuk Giju’s eyes widened.
He looked down slowly at his chest.
A sword had pierced through him.
“Damn it…”
Thud.
Yuk Giju collapsed, lifeless.
Meanwhile, the sword continued to absorb the blood flowing from his chest.
“Damn it!”
Bok Lichu stumbled back, cursing.
He turned and shouted, “What are you doing? Attack him! I’ll give a hundred thousand to whoever kills him!”
But the workers had no intention of stepping forward.
Instead, they scattered, fleeing after witnessing the guards’ annihilation.
“You fools! Get back here…!”
Whoosh!
Thud!
”… Huh?”
Bok Lichu stared at the arrowhead protruding from his chest.
“Damn…”
He, too, collapsed on the spot.
Moments later, three figures approached the halted caravan.
They were Jo Muntak, Dan Lijeong, and Dang Ihyeop.
Dang Ihyeop surveyed the scene around him and shook his head in disbelief.
“You really made quite the spectacle.”
“They came at us in droves, so I had no choice. Still, there are a few faces left intact, right? The important ones are Bok Richu and Yuk Giju. We can be less picky about the third.”
“Alright, I’ll get started right away.”
“Yes, please make it as precise as possible.”
Having said that, Sabigang turned to look at Dan Lijeong and Jo Muntak.
“From now on, you two are members of the guard. Muntak, you’ll take on the role of Yuk Giju, and Jeong, you’ll be the deputy.”
“Understood.”
The two responded with determined expressions.
“Stay sharp. This is all for the gifts I promised you.”
“Uh… if it’s too much trouble, you really don’t have to… hehe.”
Jo Muntak scratched the back of his head, grinning sheepishly.
In truth, it was the two of them who had pestered Sabigang for a reward in the first place, after their impressive performance at the inn last time. But seeing the grim situation at Jeokhaseong had made them reconsider. It looked far too dangerous.
Sabigang clicked his tongue.
“What are you talking about? A promise is a promise. Your growth benefits me in the end.”
“Stop right there!”
The guards at the city gate shouted sharply.
The caravan halted as it approached the gate, and Yuk Giju, mounted on a horse, stepped forward confidently. Of course, it was actually Jo Muntak wearing Yuk Giju’s disguise.
“We’re here to escort Manhaean.”
“The Yellow River Merchants? Hmm.”
The guard squinted, scrutinizing them closely. Just then, he approached the carriage.
“Why is this taking so long? Don’t you know time is money?”
With a sharp voice, the carriage window swung open.
The guard quickly bowed his head as their eyes met.
“Greetings, Master Bok. We’ll guide you inside the city.”
“Hmph! You should’ve acted faster.”
Bok Richu scoffed and shut the window. Naturally, it was Sabigang in disguise.
Finally, the gates opened, and Sabigang’s group, masquerading as the Yellow River Merchants, began their entry into Jeokhaseong.