Episode 136: Return to the Dark Sect
The shrine nestled in the forest looked as if it might collapse at any moment, its structure worn and decrepit.
The door, hanging askew, creaked incessantly in the wind, producing a grating sound that set one’s teeth on edge.
A man appeared silently before the shrine, his presence as quiet as a whisper.
Without hesitation, he stepped inside, moving to a corner where he kicked the wall lightly with the tip of his foot.
To his surprise, the floor slid open, revealing a staircase leading downwards.
The man descended the stairs with the ease of familiarity.
He walked for a long time through a dimly lit passageway, its walls embedded with glowing stones.
The underground corridor was a labyrinth, twisting and turning in complexity.
Eventually, he stopped before a heavy iron door and announced himself.
“This is Il-O of the Black Crow Division.”
The door, which had been firmly shut, opened with a metallic clank.
Inside, a man sat in a chair, shrouded in an ominous aura.
A subtle yet palpable menace emanated from him, the air around him swirling with a dark energy.
Even Il-O found himself holding his breath at times, overwhelmed by the oppressive atmosphere.
This was Mu-Sal, the master of the Assassins’ Guild.
Il-O, the leader of the Black Crow Division—a group responsible for cleaning up after assassinations—bowed his head and reported.
“The assassination failed. We lost three elite assassins and three first-class assassins.”
Mu-Sal’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.
The assassins of the guild were divided into three ranks: elite, first-class, and second-class.
Elite assassins, ranked from one to ten, could take down a supreme master if they worked together.
It was possible because they specialized in assassination, not direct confrontation.
First-class assassins, ranked from eleven to twenty, could kill a supreme master if four or more worked together.
A second-class assassin could handle a top-tier target alone.
Yet, they had sent three elite and three first-class assassins to kill just one man, Sa Bi-Gang.
And they had failed completely.
Il-O continued.
“All but one of the elite assassins were found frozen to death. The ninth-ranked was discovered downstream, dead.”
“Frozen?”
“Yes, it seems the information we received was incorrect. Sa Bi-Gang has not only mastered extreme yang techniques.”
Mu-Sal clenched his teeth, the murderous intent radiating from him growing even stronger.
Il-O, standing right in front of him, found it hard to breathe.
“What about the first-ranked?”
“Currently on a mission. If you need him, I can call him back….”
“No, that’s not necessary.”
Mu-Sal rose smoothly from his seat, his eyes sharp and piercing.
“Prepare three elite assassins and six first-class assassins. I will handle this personally.”
Il-O’s eyes widened in shock.
This meant that including Mu-Sal, four elite assassins and six first-class assassins—a total of ten—would be deployed to kill Sa Bi-Gang.
It was the largest operation the guild had ever undertaken.
**
Knock, knock.
At the sound of knocking, Seo Rae-Hyang quickly turned and responded.
“Come in.”
The door opened, and Yo-Shin, the leader of the Phantom Squad, entered the room.
Seo Rae-Hyang, observing his expression, asked anxiously.
“Any news?”
Yo-Shin knew exactly what she was referring to—the outcome of the mission they had commissioned from the Assassins’ Guild.
She had been eagerly awaiting news.
Yo-Shin’s expression darkened.
“There are four pieces of bad news.”
“Four?”
Seo Rae-Hyang frowned, her brow furrowing delicately.
Without giving her time to think, she pressed on.
“The first?”
“The guild’s initial assassination attempt failed.”
“What…! They must have been careless!”
“It doesn’t seem that way. They deployed three elite and three first-class assassins from the start.”
Seo Rae-Hyang’s expression faltered.
She knew roughly how significant that was.
Sending six assassins meant the guild had prepared thoroughly.
And yet, they failed…!
Who exactly was this Sa Bi-Gang?
“The second piece of bad news?”
“The guild is demanding an additional two hundred thousand nyang. They also want the same amount upon completion.”
“Ridiculous! How can they pass the cost of their failure onto us….”
“They’re not blaming us for the failure. It seems the information was incorrect. That’s what they’re holding us accountable for.”
“Information?”
“Yes, it appears Sa Bi-Gang hasn’t only mastered extreme yang techniques.”
“Impossible!”
“They say the assassins were mostly frozen to death during an underwater battle. It was as if he used the techniques of the Northern Ice Palace.”
Seo Rae-Hyang’s mouth fell open, unable to speak.
The Northern Ice Palace…?
She had seen with her own eyes that Sa Bi-Gang used extreme yang techniques.
But the Northern Ice Palace?
That’s extreme yin!
Could one person truly master both extremes of yin and yang?
‘Sa Bi-Gang… who is this man?’
If this was true, then they had provided completely incorrect information, and they had no grounds to refuse the guild’s demands.
Two hundred thousand nyang….
Adding the completion fee, they would owe a total of one million nyang.
An unprecedented cost.
Of course, now that the operation had begun, the guild would see it through to the end.
But if they didn’t meet the guild’s reasonable demands, the guild’s method was to assassinate the client later.
“And the other news?”
“Ak Cheon-Goe is dead.”
“The leader of the Ak Clan?”
“Yes, he was ambushed and killed while transporting prisoners after a major victory at Ho-Jak Valley.”
While Ak Cheon-Goe’s death wasn’t entirely bad news, it did mean the Blood Demon Sect’s power was diminished, which was concerning.
“That old man is really dead….”
It was hard to believe.
“Who killed him? Who ambushed him?”
“That’s the fourth piece of bad news.”
”……?”
“Sa Bi-Gang.”
“Sa Bi-Gang…!”
“Yes, he led his students in an ambush in the gorge. There were no survivors.”
Sa Bi-Gang again!
‘Who exactly is this man?’
If all these reports were true, Sa Bi-Gang would become a renowned figure in the martial world overnight.
If he had been moving in the shadows, unnoticed by the righteous alliance, now was the time he would emerge into the light.
Which meant he had to be killed, and soon.
The answer was clear.
Seo Rae-Hyang spoke with a determined expression.
“Give them the two hundred thousand nyang they asked for.”
“Understood.”
**
The martial world was abuzz with two shocking pieces of news.
First, the righteous alliance had suffered a crushing defeat in a battle they had initiated against the Blood Demon Sect.
Moreover, the capture of key leaders like Lee Sa-Heum was a shocking blow to the martial artists.
The alliance’s operation, codenamed “Rat Hunt,” had failed.
Stories of the failed operation were now a common topic in taverns.
And naturally, these conversations led to another topic.
Rumors spread that the instructors and students of Yongcheon Academy had rescued the captured leaders of the alliance.
If the failed operation was discussed for half an hour, the story of the rescue was talked about for half a day.
It was an incredible tale.
Moreover, it had salvaged the reputation of the righteous sects, which had been on the verge of collapse, so people couldn’t help but praise the academy’s instructors and students.
And that wasn’t all.
“Did you hear? That instructor, Sa Bi-Gang, not only rescued the alliance leaders but also killed Ak Cheon-Goe, the leader of the Blood Demon Sect’s Vermilion Bird Division!”
“Ak Cheon-Goe was one of the biggest threats to our sects, wasn’t he?”
“Exactly! He was known for his formidable martial arts and his ruthless, cruel nature!”
“I heard he was a key figure in this conflict.”
“Killing such a person is an incredible feat, isn’t it?”
In taverns and tea houses, people couldn’t stop singing Sa Bi-Gang’s praises.
Among the prestigious sects, Sa Bi-Gang quickly became a prominent figure, recognized as a key player in the ongoing conflict.
It was also revealed that he had previously destroyed a secret branch of the Blood Demon Sect, further proving that his achievements were not just a matter of luck.
As a result, the main branch of the righteous alliance formally invited Sa Bi-Gang.
Had the alliance leaders remained captives, the alliance would have faced a significant crisis in the martial world.
To honor him as a benefactor who had averted such a dire situation, and to commend him for killing the enemy leader, they extended the invitation to Sa Bi-Gang.
Of course, Tang Yi-Hyeop and Mae Seol-Ran, who had been with him, were invited as well.
“Wow, this place is magnificent! Compared to this, the buildings at Yongcheon Academy look like nothing!”
Sa Bi-Gang exclaimed as he entered the outer grounds of the alliance, his eyes darting around in awe.
He had been here once in a past life, but that was years ago.
Now, returning after so long, he felt a renewed sense of wonder.
Mae Seol-Ran whispered in his ear.
“Can’t you at least pretend to be dignified at times like this?”
“Hmm? Why? Are you embarrassed by me?”
“No, it’s not that….”
“Seol-Ran, you haven’t seen sights like this often, have you? And you, Yi-Hyeop?”
“Yes, it’s truly vast and splendid.”
Tang Yi-Hyeop nodded in agreement.
Sa Bi-Gang continued to marvel at the surroundings, his admiration unabated.
The guide leading the three of them wore a proud expression.
It was just as they were about to move from the outer courtyard to the inner one.
Sabi Kang caught sight of the fountain in the inner courtyard and couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.
“Wow, a fountain! It’s been ages since I’ve seen one this grand.”
In the demon realm, fountains were often found in the center of plazas. But he hadn’t expected to see something similar here in the Central Plains.
In his previous life, when he had visited this place, part of the main headquarters of the Justice Alliance had been in ruins, so he hadn’t had the chance to see this sight.
The guide, filled with pride, explained, “It was designed by the most knowledgeable person in the martial world when it comes to mechanical formations. When the water shoots up, it sets that large stone sphere over there in motion.”
“Impressive. But it’s a bit of a waste to use such expertise just to build a fountain, don’t you think?”
The guide’s face fell slightly at the pointed remark.
Tang Yi-hyeop chuckled quietly, while Mae Seol-ran gave an awkward smile, feeling a bit sorry for the guide.
The main headquarters of the Justice Alliance was truly vast.
If one were to explore it thoroughly, it would take at least half a day, given its complexity and size.
According to the guide, the intricate layout was intentionally designed to defend against enemy invasions.
Sabi Kang found this reasoning somewhat convincing and didn’t argue the point.
After walking for quite some time, they finally passed through the inner courtyard and entered the main hall, where the grandeur of the interior immediately caught their eyes.
There, a large gathering of the core members of the Justice Alliance awaited them.