Episode 144: Return to the Demon Sect
The door swung open with a bang, and Yosin, the leader of the Assassination Squad, rushed in with a look of urgency.
Soraehyang, who was not easily rattled, felt a sense of foreboding.
“What’s going on?”
“It’s a disaster.”
Soraehyang’s expression twisted slightly.
Lately, nothing seemed to be going right.
She asked again, her voice tinged with irritation.
“Could you please tell me what happened?”
“Our secret outposts have been wiped out.”
“The secret outposts?”
“Yes, this incident will significantly weaken our influence.”
“Don’t be so dramatic. Just because one outpost is destroyed doesn’t mean we’re finished….”
“It’s not just one!”
“Then…?”
“Three of them.”
Soraehyang flinched and looked at Yosin.
She confirmed again.
“Three at the same time?”
“Yes. It seems they planned and attacked all at once.”
“How did the Justice Alliance find out about our secret outposts? And three of them, no less….”
“We haven’t figured that out yet.”
“How could this happen… What’s our response?”
“I’ve just received the news myself, so I’m not sure yet. However….”
“However?”
“After the death of the previous leader, there was talk of negotiating with the Justice Alliance. So this time….”
“We might attempt negotiations with the Justice Alliance?”
“That’s just my thought.”
“But would they even consider negotiating? They probably think this is their chance to crush us.”
“However, ever since Gu Yun took control, they’ve been more moderate. Plus, there seems to be some internal strife.”
“Greedy people are everywhere, aren’t they?”
Soraehyang said with a self-deprecating smile.
Wasn’t she the same?
She sighed lightly and gazed out the window.
“What about Salmak?”
“No news.”
Soraehyang frowned.
Salmak had vanished.
Yet Sabigang was thriving.
In the end….
“Even Salmak didn’t work?”
She bit her thumbnail lightly.
“Perhaps we’ve really underestimated our opponent.”
Looking back, Sabigang was at the center of this entire conflict.
From start to finish.
Yet hardly anyone knew that.
The fact that the Justice Alliance awarded Sabigang a plaque of gratitude suggests they’re unaware of his true role.
Or perhaps only a select few know the secret.
**
A brush soaked in ink glided over the rice paper.
His emotions seeped into the forceful strokes.
Anger, frustration, shame, and despair.
The letter declared his intention to resign from all duties and retreat to a quiet life.
But halfway through, his tangled emotions erupted.
Crack!
Ink spread across the paper, and the brush snapped.
Once his emotions burst forth, they were hard to control.
Crack! Crack! Bang! Crash! Boom!
The brush in his hand shattered completely, and blood dripped from his hand, pierced by the splinters.
The paper was torn beyond recognition, and the table was stained with blood.
“Aaaah!”
He suddenly screamed and hurled the broken brush.
Clang!
The brush hit the window and fell limply.
Ryu Yeo-jung stood there, trembling, his breath ragged.
Tears streamed down his cheeks.
Where did it all go wrong?
Everything was going smoothly.
Just a little further, and he would have reached the summit.
But then… then….
“Gu Yun! Gu Yun! Gu Yuuuun!”
Ryu Yeo-jung shouted the name with a voice strained to the breaking point.
His eyes were bloodshot, as if he might weep tears of blood.
That’s how bitter and unjust it felt.
As soon as Gu Yun took control of the Justice Alliance, everything tilted.
It all started with the death of Akcheon Goe.
And it happened in an instant.
If Gu Yun orchestrated all this, he was truly an opponent Ryu Yeo-jung couldn’t hope to match.
Never in his life had he felt such despair because of someone.
That unfamiliar sense of inferiority made Ryu Yeo-jung shudder.
Three secret outposts of the Blood Demon Sect fell in a single day.
The morale of the warriors, already low, was now plummeting underground.
“Damn it!”
Ryu Yeo-jung slammed the table again.
The pain in his throbbing hand was a small relief from the mental anguish.
At that moment.
“Retreating and running away are entirely different.”
A voice emerged from the shadows.
He looked up quickly to see a figure approaching.
Moonlight streaming through the window partially illuminated the figure’s face.
“Master…!”
Ryu Yeo-jung immediately knelt.
The sect leader, Heomu-geuk, walked to the window.
“Stand up. Kneeling is not something to do lightly.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
“For losing three of our secret outposts….”
“Heh. That’s not your fault.”
“But…!”
“Your fault is trying to run away without taking responsibility.”
Heomu-geuk picked up a splinter of the broken brush from the floor.
In the next moment.
Ping!
Whoosh! Thud!
The splinter flicked from Heomu-geuk’s fingers grazed Ryu Yeo-jung and struck the wall.
His cheek stung where the splinter had grazed it.
“A scar on the cheek adds character to a military leader.”
“Master….”
“I’ll forgive you for trying to run away.”
”……!”
“See it through to the end. Don’t look for a time to run, look for a time to retreat.”
“I’ll remember that!”
“We’re just taking a step back for now.”
“I’m sorry.”
“What are you sorry for?”
Ryu Yeo-jung’s expression returned to its usual calm.
“For not recognizing the time to retreat.”
Heomu-geuk nodded.
“Then convey our intentions to the Justice Alliance.”
**
The martial world was in an uproar.
News of the Blood Demon Sect’s three secret outposts being completely destroyed spread like wildfire.
This event shook the balance of the ongoing conflict more than when Sabigang killed Akcheon Goe.
In inns, tea houses, and marketplaces, people gathered in groups, discussing the news.
“Could this be the end of the Blood Demon Sect?”
“Oh, come on. The Blood Demon Sect is practically the Demon Alliance. They won’t fall that easily.”
“But the Justice Alliance has the upper hand in this fight.”
“Still, it’ll take three or four more years. The stench of blood doesn’t fade quickly.”
These debates weren’t limited to the general public.
Even within the Justice Alliance’s main hall, heated discussions were taking place.
“Why hesitate now? We should use this momentum to wipe them out completely!”
Deung Wang-pae raised his voice.
His supporters nodded in agreement.
“Exactly! We should strike their main outposts and even their headquarters to root them out!”
“With morale this high, the Justice Alliance is unstoppable!”
But there were strong opposing views as well.
“The Justice Alliance may move with morale, but the Demon Sect moves with malice!”
“Indeed! The Blood Demon Sect’s morale may be low, but their malice is at its peak. We must be cautious.”
“Acting rashly when things are going well can lead to mistakes.”
In the past, no one would have dared to oppose Deung Wang-pae’s stance.
But after the defeat at Hojak-gok, his influence had waned.
Finally, Gu Yun spoke in a calm voice.
“Above all, it’s crucial that the Alliance suffers no further losses. It’s time to consider dialogue with them.”
His words brought silence.
Many believed Gu Yun was the one who turned the tide in their favor.
Only Deung Wang-pae remained defiant.
“Hmph! As long as the Blood Demon Sect exists, how can we prevent further losses? They started from nothing and rose to this point. Do you think losing just three outposts will faze them? If we propose dialogue now, we’ll only embolden them.”
“Having risen from nothing, they understand the value of what they have. They might choose to protect it.”
“They’ll fight even more fiercely to protect it.”
“Or they might bend to protect it. I suggest we wait and see.”
“Ha! The Blood Demon Sect bending? Do you know who they are? They’d never propose to us first. Don’t entertain such false hopes….”
Just then, the door to the main hall opened, and a warrior rushed in.
He knelt before the platform, offering a salute.
“Urgent news!”
Neung Un-pa nodded.
“Speak.”
“A letter from the Blood Demon Sect.”
The warrior held up a red scroll with both hands.
The leaders exchanged glances, murmuring.
Gu Yun, after a moment’s hesitation, stepped forward to take the letter and unrolled it.
As he read, his eyes gleamed.
“The Blood Demon Sect has proposed a ceasefire negotiation.”
Gasps filled the room.
Meanwhile, Deung Wang-pae’s eyes twitched.
For him, it was the worst-case scenario.
Neung Un-pa laughed heartily.
“Everything seems to be unfolding just as the General planned. I’m impressed by your foresight.”
“Indeed. The General’s vision is truly remarkable.”
“Since the Blood Alliance made the first move, all the terms will favor our sect.”
Praise flowed from all sides.
At this point, Deung Wangpa found himself at a loss for words.
“Damn it…! All because of that fool, Lee Sahum!”
Neung Unpa spoke up. “So, General, are you planning to form a negotiation team?”
“I’ve already thought of the team members,” Gu Yoon replied.
As soon as he finished speaking, Hyesung Pavilion’s aides distributed papers with the list of names to the leaders.
Deung Wangpa took one without thinking and immediately looked for his own name.
“Of course, I should be on it.”
He had been on edge, worried he might be excluded from such an important role.
But then…
“Hmm? Who is this…?”
Deung Wangpa frowned deeply and looked up.
“Why is Instructor Sabi Kang on the negotiation team list?”
“He is also expected to be part of the team.”
“But he’s not even a member of our sect, is he?”
“We’ve received considerable help from him, so think of him more as an advisor than an official member of the negotiation team.”
Gu Yoon smiled gently.