Episode 163: Return to the Demonic Sect
The suddenness of the situation left everyone frozen, as if time itself had stopped.
Not a single person dared to speak.
Even Deung Wangpa was struggling to make sense of the unexpected appearance of Tang Yi-hyeop and Mae Seol-ran, his mind a whirlwind of confusion.
It was only after a long pause that Gu Yun finally broke the silence.
“Ahem, ahem. Could someone explain what exactly is going on here?”
His voice trembled slightly as he posed the question.
Sabi Kang.
Known as the eccentric instructor from Yongcheon Hall.
Gu Yun had placed a bet on him.
He thought that if anyone could shake up the corruption-riddled Justice Alliance, it would be someone as unpredictable as Sabi Kang.
Some called him a troublemaker, a disruptive force in Yongcheon Hall, while others saw him as a visionary who heralded change.
Regardless, his actions were always nothing short of shocking.
Gu Yun was captivated by this unpredictability.
But now…
“Isn’t this a bit too much?”
Gu Yun took a deep breath.
His fate would be determined by Sabi Kang’s response.
Why was there never a moment of peace?
He began to doubt whether his choice had been the right one.
“No, I must see this through. Let’s hear him out first.”
With a deep breath, Gu Yun spoke again.
“Sabi Kang, could you please explain the current situation?”
Sabi Kang stepped forward with a sly grin.
“The herb in question is ‘Choo-oh,’ specially processed to remove its smell and taste. However, it’s highly toxic and can lead to death if consumed continuously.”
A murmur began to ripple through the crowd.
Sabi Kang paused before continuing.
“Despite being unnecessary, this herb was consistently included in the leader’s medicinal decoctions. The ones responsible for this are those two individuals.”
“What?”
“You scoundrels! Is this true?”
The leaders erupted in anger, their fury palpable. The two accused, overwhelmed by the murderous intent directed at them, seemed on the verge of fainting.
“These two work in the apothecary. They’ve already implicated Jeon Tae-soo as the mastermind.”
“This can’t be…!”
“We also found the Choo-oh in Jeon Tae-soo’s office.”
The room buzzed with disbelief.
Even Gu Yun, despite having received the report, found it hard to believe.
He glanced at Neung Un-pa, who usually wore a gentle expression. But now, deep lines of anger were etched into his brow.
For once, he was visibly furious.
“Answer me, you two. Is this true?”
A dangerous aura emanated from the leader’s eyes.
The two men fell to their knees, their foreheads hitting the ground with a thud.
Blood flowed freely from their foreheads as they cried out.
“We have committed a grave sin! Leader, please forgive us! We only did as we were told! If we refused, we would have been silenced immediately! Please understand it was not our intention!”
“Who ordered you?”
“It was Jeon Tae-soo. He came to us one day and instructed us to add Choo-oh to the decoctions… We have sinned!”
“Confess everything you know.”
“That’s all! We truly know nothing else! Please believe us!”
They repeatedly banged their heads against the floor.
Neung Un-pa clenched his fists, trembling with rage.
His voice was cold as he spoke.
“Execute them immediately.”
“Leader, please!”
Their cries were in vain as other warriors entered and dragged them away.
The atmosphere in the hall turned icy.
Deung Wangpa, who had been observing, cautiously stepped forward.
“However, isn’t it hasty to judge Jeon Tae-soo based solely on their words? Moreover, isn’t the Inspection Bureau not yet an official body?”
“What do you mean? The Inspection Bureau has been official for ten days now. Only the student-led inspection team was pending verification. The rest of the organization has been functioning normally.”
“Then isn’t this a targeted investigation?”
“A targeted investigation?”
“Yes. How did you know Jeon Tae-soo was plotting such a scheme without any tip-off?”
Deung Wangpa’s insinuation was clear: was this a setup from the start?
In truth, Sabi Kang had already lived through this future once.
He knew Jeon Tae-soo was involved in the leader’s poisoning.
Thus, his first act as head of the Inspection Bureau was to deal with Jeon Tae-soo.
He had him executed immediately because he was certain of his guilt.
There was no point in keeping him alive and following procedures, only to have the anti-leader faction, led by Deung Wangpa, find a way to save him.
It was better to make an example of him in front of everyone.
Given this, it was understandable why Deung Wangpa suspected a targeted investigation.
Though Jeon Tae-soo couldn’t be brought back to life, Deung Wangpa wanted to challenge the execution to weaken the Inspection Bureau’s authority.
Sabi Kang chuckled softly.
“Of course, there was a tip-off.”
“What? Who?”
“She’s standing right over there.”
Sabi Kang pointed to a corner of the hall.
All eyes followed his gesture.
“Isn’t that…?”
“Isn’t she Hong Myo of the Blood Lotus?”
“Is she the informant?”
As the crowd murmured, Sabi Kang spoke clearly.
“She’s both the informant and the witness.”
Seo Rae-hyang, suddenly thrust into the spotlight, was taken aback.
‘What? Did he just point at me? Is Sabi Kang out of his mind?’
She had never given Sabi Kang any information.
Nor had she witnessed Jeon Tae-soo handing over the Choo-oh to the apothecary workers.
As she stood there, Gu Yun pressed her for confirmation.
“Is this true?”
Seo Rae-hyang hesitated for a moment.
Meanwhile, Deung Wangpa, incensed, interjected.
“That’s nonsense! There’s no way…!”
“It’s true. I saw everything.”
Seo Rae-hyang’s clear voice rang out.
The crowd turned to her once more, buzzing with curiosity.
“Ugh!”
Deung Wangpa gritted his teeth, glaring at Seo Rae-hyang.
She continued, a faint smirk on her lips as she looked his way.
“I clearly saw Jeon Tae-soo handing the Choo-oh to those two.”
“Is that true? When did you witness this?”
Before Seo Rae-hyang could answer, Sabi Kang stepped in.
“She said she saw it the night before last, at the hour of the rat.”
“Yes, that’s right. It was at the hour of the rat.”
Seo Rae-hyang quickly confirmed.
Sabi Kang added with a grin.
“She said she saw it in the rear garden of Ganghyeon Pavilion, didn’t she?”
“Yes, that’s correct. It was in the rear garden of Ganghyeon Pavilion.”
Seo Rae-hyang nodded in agreement.
Sabi Kang smiled inwardly.
‘She’s catching on quickly.’
Ganghyeon Pavilion was where the decoctions were prepared.
Deung Wangpa, who had been listening, clenched his teeth.
It couldn’t be true.
Jeon Tae-soo was meticulous.
He wouldn’t have been caught by someone like her.
But the dead tell no tales.
With all involved parties dead and clear evidence presented, there was no room for argument.
Yet, he couldn’t just let this go.
“How can we trust the word of a demonic sect woman? She must be lying out of spite because Jeon Tae-soo accused her of hiring assassins to kill the students!”
Sabi Kang looked at Deung Wangpa calmly.
“Isn’t it the other way around?”
“What?”
“Chronologically, her tip-off came first. Then suddenly, today, Jeon Tae-soo accused her of being behind the assassins. It seems more like an attempt to eliminate a witness to his crimes.”
It was a convincing argument.
The crowd quickly sided with Sabi Kang.
Deung Wangpa gritted his teeth.
“Even so, to act so rashly based on the word of a captive demonic sect woman…”
“Silence!”
Sabi Kang’s sudden shout echoed through the hall, startling everyone.
He glared fiercely at Deung Wangpa.
“If you continue, it will be seen as defending and supporting an attempt on the leader’s life. If you’re fine with that, by all means, keep talking.”
“Ugh…!”
Deung Wangpa glared at Sabi Kang as if he wanted to devour him, then turned on his heel and stormed out.
**
“What do you think you’re doing?”
Sabi Kang, about to enter the Inspection Bureau building, paused and turned around.
Seo Rae-hyang was glaring at him, her brow furrowed.
She had come straight to the Inspection Bureau after the meeting ended to confront him.
Sabi Kang feigned innocence.
“What do you mean?”
“Why did you involve me?”
“Involve you?”
“You said I was the witness and informant.”
“Isn’t it true?”
“What?”
“You admitted it yourself, in front of everyone.”
“Are you playing games with me…?”
“Watch your words. This is the heart of the Justice Alliance. There are eyes and ears everywhere. A careless word could cost you your life.”
Sabikang spoke in a low, yet undeniably threatening voice.
Seoraehyang swallowed hard, her throat dry.
Sabikang let out a small chuckle.
“Scared?”
“What did you say?”
Seoraehyang glared at him, incredulous, and Sabikang waved his hand dismissively.
“Relax. There’s no one here to spy or eavesdrop on us right now.”
“Ha!”
Seoraehyang shook her head in disbelief.
What kind of man is this?
Does he really think this is the time for jokes?
What if she had refused to testify on the spot? Or denied ever making such a report?
As if reading her mind, Sabikang suddenly spoke up.
“You probably couldn’t refuse. After all, you’re stuck here as a hostage for the foreseeable future.”
“So, you set me up? Exploited my weaknesses?”
“No, quite the opposite. I gave you an opportunity.”
“An opportunity?”
“Didn’t you once say that it’s important to align yourself with the right people, no matter where you are?”
“Well…”
“Today, I’ve thrown you a lifeline. Whether you grab it or not is up to you.”
“And how do I know this lifeline isn’t rotten?”
“Didn’t you say yourself that you can tell the length of something without measuring it?”
“But you also mentioned that some lines stretch.”
“Exactly, and this is one of those lines. Think carefully. It’s crucial to align yourself with the right people.”
With a sly smile, Sabikang turned and walked away, his footsteps echoing in the silence.
Seoraehyang could only watch him go, speechless.