Episode 125: Return to the Demon Sect
Seoraehyang furrowed her brow.
First, she was surprised that Sabigang had detected the poisoning, and then she was doubly shocked by how calmly he was handling it.
With a sly grin, Sabigang pulled out a small pill from his pocket and waved it in the air.
Seoraehyang flinched.
“The Poison Repelling Pearl!”
“Of course, with your expertise in poisons, you’d recognize it immediately.”
The Poison Repelling Pearl is a temporary antidote that grants immunity to toxins.
“But a regular pearl wouldn’t…”
“This isn’t just any pearl. It was crafted by Tang Yi-hyeop.”
“Tang Yi-hyeop…!”
Only then did Seoraehyang fully grasp the situation.
When it comes to poisons, the Sichuan Tang Clan is unparalleled. If they made this pearl, it might as well be called ‘impervious to all poisons.’
If Sabigang had already taken it, her poison would be useless.
“In that case…!”
In a flash, Seoraehyang’s figure darted toward Sabigang, her dagger poised to strike.
But then—
Crack!
“Ugh!”
Sabigang’s hand shot out, gripping her jaw with surprising strength. Somehow, her body went limp, and she found herself dangling from his grasp.
His hand was as hot as a burning coal.
‘Ugh…!’
Their eyes met, and she felt a chill run down her spine, as if she were staring into the eyes of a ghost.
Sabigang had been keeping the pearl in his mouth ever since meeting Tang Yi-hyeop, ready to counter any poison.
Shortly after entering this place, he felt his mind growing hazy and immediately took precautions, biting down on the pearl.
Sabigang spoke coldly.
“I won’t kill you today. Leave quietly.”
With a swift motion, he tossed Seoraehyang across the room, where she crumpled against the wall.
Despite their current enmity, Seoraehyang would later become an unexpected ally to the Central Plains during the demonic invasion.
Though they met as foes today, she could be a valuable asset in the future.
‘Too valuable to kill. And who knows, she might bring me what I need.’
Even after Sabigang left, Seoraehyang remained motionless for a long time.
**
“Why are you so late?”
Maeseollan glared at him with a playful pout.
Sabigang chuckled, “Sorry, sorry. The conversation took longer than expected.”
“Did it go well?”
“Well enough. She’ll be useful to me in the future, so I sweet-talked her.”
“Sweet-talked?”
“Something like that. Anyway, how about a drink?”
Maeseollan thrust a cup toward him. “Pour me one first. I have a lot to complain about today.”
“Sure thing.”
Sabigang picked up the bottle, and the two settled by the window, sharing drinks and conversation.
Just then, a woman appeared at the top of the stairs.
It was Seoraehyang.
She glanced at Sabigang, biting her lip.
‘That woman…!’
Even as a woman herself, she couldn’t deny her beauty.
‘Damn, no wonder my charms didn’t work.’
Her frustration only grew.
‘Sabigang… you’ll regret letting me go today!’
With a scowl, Seoraehyang descended the stairs.
Meanwhile, Sabigang, still sipping his drink with Maeseollan, watched her leave with a faint smile.
‘Do your best for me.’
Maeseollan interrupted his thoughts, “What are you staring at so intently?”
Her speech was slightly slurred from the alcohol.
Sabigang chuckled, “Someone who might bring me a secret organization.”
“What are you talking about?”
“Just something like that.”
He brushed it off, refilling their glasses.
**
The weather had turned quite chilly.
The season of harvest was ending, and soon, the harsh winter would arrive.
In the nearby city of Sangcheon, there was a large lake.
Maple trees lined the shore, and there were plenty of rocks and wooden benches for people to rest.
The local magistrate had invested a lot in developing the area as a tourist spot.
Despite the cold, the scenery was beautiful, and many people still visited.
Boats glided silently across the lake’s surface.
On one of them sat Sabigang, opposite a man wearing a deep-brimmed hat.
His skin was so smooth that at a glance, he could be mistaken for a woman.
This was Gu Yoon, the chief strategist of the Justice Alliance.
Sabigang gazed at the fallen leaves on the shore with a bored expression.
“Boating with a man isn’t really my thing…”
“Nor mine,” Gu Yoon replied, frowning slightly.
He quickly got to the point.
“If you hadn’t assured me, I wouldn’t be here. But it’s been over eight months since we met. The year you promised is now down to three or four months.”
“Time flies, doesn’t it?”
Gu Yoon’s frown deepened.
“You haven’t forgotten, have you? Ending the war within a year.”
“Of course not.”
“Are you sure everything’s alright? The Blood Alliance’s influence is growing too much. If we’re not careful, it could reach fifty percent. A prolonged war would be inevitable.”
As Gu Yoon said, the Blood Alliance was expanding rapidly.
The Justice Alliance, led by the influential Deng Wangpa, was struggling to keep up.
They had won many small battles, but in the grand scheme, the Justice Alliance was losing ground.
Sabigang shrugged.
“I was thinking it’s about time.”
“What do you mean?”
“After the fall of Jeokhaseong, didn’t Jeonghumen also collapse recently?”
“How do you know…?”
“By now, the Tianan Pavilion is probably planning a new strategy.”
Gu Yoon was speechless.
How did Sabigang know all this?
Of course, Sabigang knew because he had lived through it before.
In his past life, after Jeokhaseong fell, Jeonghumen followed, prompting the Justice Alliance to plan a large-scale operation.
‘Though that plan ultimately failed…’
While some details had changed, the major events remained the same.
‘And I’ve confirmed it through the Ghost Shadow Group.’
Sabigang’s expression hardened.
“The Tianan Pavilion’s plan is ambitious, but it will fail spectacularly.”
“What? Are you hoping the Justice Alliance loses to the Blood Alliance?”
Gu Yoon’s voice was sharp with frustration.
Sabigang looked at him calmly.
“Let me ask you this.”
“What?”
“Do you think that pathetic plan will work? Do you believe it can win?”
“That’s…”
Gu Yoon couldn’t answer, his anger subsiding.
He had reviewed the Tianan Pavilion’s plan and found significant flaws, which he had pointed out.
But Deng Wangpa, who supported the plan, ignored his concerns.
It was a power struggle.
Gu Yoon had come to Sabigang because he feared the Blood Alliance would grow too powerful.
He spoke in a somber tone.
“If this plan fails, the Justice Alliance will be in real danger. We must do something…”
“No. Let the plan proceed.”
“What? Even knowing its flaws…?”
“I have my reasons.”
Sabigang smiled mysteriously.
As he rowed, he continued, “Just let me know when and where the plan will be executed.”
**
The scenery outside the carriage window passed by.
Watching the bare branches shedding their leaves, Gu Yoon felt a chill in his heart.
“I wonder if I’m chasing a foolish dream.”
Everything seemed futile.
He still didn’t understand why he trusted Sabigang.
Sabigang had simply told him to leave everything to him.
Gambling is like that, he said.
If he had decided to gamble by coming to him, he should stop thinking and just believe.
But how could he?
A strategist’s role is to think constantly.
‘Then again, when was the last time I actually did my job as a strategist?’
In the decaying Justice Alliance, his thoughts were like passing winds.
As he sighed deeply, Bi Ryeong’s voice came from the void.
“You seem troubled.”
“I’m not sure if I can truly trust him. Looking back, it feels like I was under a spell.”
What had he seen in Sabigang to trust him?
Bi Ryeong’s response was more grounded.
“Haven’t you already thrown the dice? Now all that’s left is to wait. No amount of thinking will change the outcome.”
“Yes, you’re right. That’s exactly it.”
Gu-yun nodded faintly, understanding the essence of Sabi-gang’s words. Once the dice are cast, all you can do is trust and wait. That’s the nature of gambling. The rest, whether through trickery or any other means, was up to Sabi-gang.
Gu-yun let out a small chuckle. “Yes, the dice I threw eight months ago are still rolling. It’s not over until they land.”
His eyes deepened with thought.
The bustling marketplace was alive with activity. Merchants shouted to attract customers, while buyers haggled over prices. Though the sun was setting, the market was more vibrant than it had been during the day.
In a corner of the market, an old man with a hunched back had set up a stall, selling various trinkets. A man, his face shadowed by a deeply pulled-down bamboo hat, stopped in front of the stall, his silhouette stretched long by the setting sun. He examined the items with keen interest, yet the hunchbacked old man didn’t spare him a glance, as if indifferent to whether he bought anything or not.
Eventually, the man pointed to a few items. “That goldfish-shaped earring, this rosary, that silk sachet over there, and finally, this dagger.”
An odd combination, to say the least. The old man paused in his task of gathering the items and looked up at the man in the bamboo hat, showing an unusual reaction for the first time. The man remained calm and composed.
As the hunchbacked old man packed the mismatched items, he asked, “Who are these gifts for?”
“For Sabi-gang, the first-year instructor at Yongcheon Hall.”
“And who is giving these gifts?”
“Hong-myo of the Blood Lotus, Seorae-hyang.”
“Payment in advance.”
The man handed over a pouch. The old man checked its contents—five ten-thousand nyang notes. An exorbitant amount for a few trinkets and a dagger, yet the old man showed no surprise. He simply tucked the pouch into his robe with a nonchalant expression.
The man in the bamboo hat continued in a flat tone, “If the gifts are delivered successfully, you’ll receive the same amount again.”
The hunchbacked old man bowed his head in acknowledgment.