Episode 141: Return of the Demon Sect Leader

The sudden turn of events left the assassins in disarray.

They almost failed to recognize their own leader.

His face was so swollen and bruised, it was unrecognizable.

Even as he was supported by Osal and Palsal, the leader remained unconscious.

Ilsal glared at Sabigang with a hardened expression.

“The headquarters have been compromised…!”

This was the worst-case scenario.

He shouted at the assassins who stood around, bewildered.

“What are you idiots doing? Kill him, now…!”

Ilsal couldn’t finish his sentence, swallowing his words in shock.

“Gah!”

Sabigang was standing right in front of him, as if by magic.

With a sinister grin, Sabigang reached out.

“Ugh!”

Ilsal’s face twisted in pain as Sabigang’s grip tightened around his throat.

Veins bulged on his neck.

Sabigang spoke coldly.

“Do you plan to kill everyone here?”

“Shut… up…! Ugh!”

“Seems like talking won’t work with you lot. I’ll have to use force…”

At that moment.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Other assassins hurled their weapons at Sabigang.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The projectiles were deflected by an invisible shield, leaving the assassins stunned.

It was unlike any protective energy they had seen before.

If it were a typical defensive technique, it couldn’t have been deployed so swiftly and effortlessly.

“Haah!”

Ilsal drew a dagger from his waist and swung it at Sabigang’s neck.

Whoosh!

Sabigang narrowly dodged, then flung Ilsal into a corner of the room.

Crash!

Ilsal smashed into the corner, breaking furniture, but quickly got back on his feet.

Blood trickled from his mouth, but he ignored it.

“So, you’re Sabigang.”

“Heh. Even in this situation, you assassins always confirm your target first, don’t you?”

“How did you find this place?”

“Well, I could ask your leader once he wakes up.”

Sabigang gestured towards the unconscious leader.

“He was surprisingly cooperative. Oh, and don’t misunderstand—his current state is from what happened afterward.”

Indeed, after losing the battle in the valley, the leader had revealed the headquarters’ location without much resistance.

But when he attempted another assassination, Sabigang had beaten him into unconsciousness.

“Turns out, he wasn’t as strong-willed as I thought. I didn’t expect him to give up the location so easily. Especially for someone leading an assassin’s den.”

But Ilsal wasn’t fooled by Sabigang’s taunts.

The leader wasn’t weak-willed.

He had revealed the location for a different reason.

‘He planned to deal with Sabigang here.’

When it became difficult to eliminate Sabigang, they decided to lure him into their lair to kill him.

However, there was a slight problem.

Sabigang was far stronger than they had anticipated.

‘But… it’s not over yet. There’s still a chance!’

Ilsal narrowed his eyes.

At least the fact that this was their lair hadn’t changed.

He signaled the assassins continuously, though it seemed like he wasn’t moving at all.

Only the assassins of the den could understand the signals—eye movements, the direction of his toes, and subtle gestures all formed a communication system.

‘The atmosphere has shifted.’

Sabigang scanned the assassins with calm eyes.

He didn’t know their signaling system.

But he sensed their intent through their eyes, their killing aura, their breathing, and the change in atmosphere.

Something was different.

A sense of resolve, perhaps?

The assassins moved cautiously, reorganizing their formation.

Meanwhile, the injured Ilsal slowly retreated towards the exit.

Sabigang’s eyes gleamed.

‘So that’s your plan?’

Then.

“Die!”

The assassins charged at Sabigang all at once.

Simultaneously.

Click! Click! Click!

Hundreds of holes appeared in the walls.

Whoosh!

Dark smoke poured into the room.

‘Poison?’

Despite the chaos, the assassins didn’t relent in their fierce attack.

Sabigang let out a battle cry and swung his sword in a wide arc.

“Haah!”

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The force sent the assassins flying back, creating some distance.

In that fleeting moment.

“Ugh!”

Sabigang clutched his throat, eyes wide.

The assassins’ eyes gleamed with anticipation.

Sabigang glared at them, gritting his teeth.

“You bastards…! What have you done…!”

Finally, Ilsal, who had retreated to the exit, stepped forward slowly.

“Heh. You should have expected this when you walked into the tiger’s den.”

“You cowardly scum…!”

Sabigang fell to his knees, struggling to speak.

Ilsal replied with a cold expression.

“It’s Black Mist Poison. Soon, your bones will melt away.”

“Ugh…!”

Sabigang glared at Ilsal with all his might before collapsing.

Ilsal nudged Sabigang’s motionless body with his foot.

Sabigang didn’t move, as if he were dead.

They should have used this method from the start.

The only downside was that all the assassins had to use their precious antidotes.

Ilsal ordered the assassins.

“Clean up. Ensure the leader’s safety.”

As the assassins hurried to deal with Sabigang’s body.

“Huh!”

One assassin sensed something amiss and gasped.

At that moment.

Whoosh! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Sabigang’s hands moved with ghostly speed, striking the assassins’ pressure points.

Tap, tap, tap!

Sabigang’s figure vanished and reappeared, targeting the assassins’ vital points one by one.

Finally, Sabigang appeared behind Ilsal.

Tap, tap, tap.

“Ugh!”

Ilsal’s body froze instantly, his eyes filled with disbelief.

‘How…!’

Sabigang seemed to answer his unspoken question, showing him the antidote.

“The leader and the other assassins each had one. I took them just in case.”

Ilsal’s expression twisted in horror.

Sabigang continued with a cold smile.

“I knew when you moved towards the exit. If this attack failed, you’d seal the door and have all the assassins self-destruct.”

Ilsal’s eyes widened in shock.

Sabigang’s deduction was spot on.

He hadn’t retreated out of fear of death.

It was for the survival of the organization.

With the leader and Isal incapacitated, he had to survive to keep the den running.

Sabigang had seen through his plan.

What the den feared most.

The disappearance of an organization that had survived in the martial world for so long.

Sabigang pulled out a pouch from his robe.

He took out a red, glowing pill.

With a flick of his fingers, the pills flew into the assassins’ mouths.

With their pressure points struck, they had no choice but to swallow the mysterious pills.

Sabigang personally fed one to Ilsal.

“It’s called the ‘Hypocrite’s Tongue.’ It won’t taste good.”

As Sabigang released Ilsal’s pressure point, curses spilled out.

“You bastard…! What did you feed us?”

“I told you. But seeing is believing, right?”

Sabigang reached out, and the unconscious leader flew into his grasp.

Smack!

Sabigang slapped the leader’s face.

“Hey, wake up.”

The leader groggily opened his eyes, taking in his surroundings.

“Ugh…!”

Seeing the frozen assassins and Ilsal, he realized things hadn’t gone as planned.

Either they hadn’t managed to self-destruct, or it hadn’t worked.

With an opponent as unpredictable as Sabigang, he couldn’t even guess what had happened.

Sabigang casually asked the leader, who wore a devastated expression.

“I’m giving you one last chance. Will you submit to me, or die here?”

“Just kill me.”

“Stubborn as ever.”

Sabigang clicked his tongue and tossed the leader aside.

Crash!

The leader hit the wall and collapsed.

Sabigang began muttering in an incomprehensible language.

It was the language of the demon realm.

Then, moments later.

“Ugh! Aaaah!”

The leader suddenly convulsed, screaming in agony.

Finally.

“Aaaah!”

Boom!

With a final, desperate scream, the leader’s body exploded into pieces.

”…!”

Ilsal and the other assassins in the room widened their eyes in horror.

Blood and flesh splattered everywhere, making it impossible to recognize the body.

Even for those accustomed to killing, this was the first time they had witnessed such a gruesome death.

Ilsal’s eyes trembled with rage.

“You monster… what have you done…!”

“As you can see, he begged me to kill him. If you ever feel the same, just say the word.”

A suffocating aura of menace radiated from Ilsal’s entire being.

Sabigang chuckled softly.

“The poison you just ingested is called ‘Hypocrite’s Tongue.’ As you can see, your lives are now in my hands. I can end you whenever and wherever I choose. Think of it as something akin to the cursed poison from the Central Plains.”

“I’ll… kill you!”

“Ah, that might be a bit tricky. If I die, the ‘Hypocrite’s Tongue’ you’ve taken will explode. In other words, the moment I die, you all die too.”

Ilsal furrowed his brow deeply, grinding his teeth in frustration.

Sabigang’s expression turned icy cold.

“I won’t drag this out. If you want to live—or rather, if you want to keep your organization intact—follow me. Obey me completely, and I’ll let you live. But if you prefer a pointless death, I can arrange that too.”

Sabigang glanced over to where the leader had stood.

There’s no intention to negotiate or bargain.

These are ruthless people.

Loyalty born from genuine respect is rare, and even money can’t buy their allegiance.

So, to control them, this is the only way.

Refuse?

Then they die.

Simple as that.

If it comes to that, it was never truly his organization to begin with.

Sabigang approached Ilsal, who glared at him as if ready to pounce.

“If you obey me, whether it’s ten years from now or twenty, I promise you freedom. Once everything I’m preparing is complete, I’ll give you the antidote.”

“And what exactly are you preparing?”

“It’s a long story. All you need to do is live as you have been, without a care. Did you ever consider what your victims thought when you killed them? Just continue living like puppets, following my orders. Turn off your thoughts.”

Sabigang jabbed his finger into Ilsal’s temple, emphasizing his point.