Episode 169: Return to the Demonic Sect
For a brief moment, Sabigang’s expression wavered.
When he looked at him with surprise, Gu Yun continued, “If we find the gold bars in the Dongbang family, we can punish them. But people like Deungwangpa will just dig deeper and hide. They’ll cut their losses. We’ll have to be satisfied with just taking down the Dongbang family. But if the gold is stolen…”
“They’ll be in a panic. They’ll be so anxious that even those hiding beneath the surface will start to show themselves.”
“Exactly.”
Sabigang couldn’t help but admire Gu Yun’s insight once more.
‘He’s not just a soldier in name only.’
The gold bars weren’t acquired through honest means. Even if they were stolen, they couldn’t openly complain about it.
“But it’s not a simple task,” Sabigang said gravely.
“The amount of gold they’ve amassed is likely substantial. Stealing it would be like a large-scale operation. It would require a lot of manpower and time. It would have to be meticulously planned. It’s not as simple as grabbing a couple of bars and running.”
“True. Moving such a massive amount without anyone noticing won’t be easy.”
“To be frank, it’s nearly impossible.”
“Nearly impossible, but not entirely, if it’s you.”
Sabigang chuckled softly. “Since when did you have such faith in me?”
“Who knows? At some point, you became the person I trust the most. With you, even the impossible seems possible.”
Sabigang looked at Gu Yun intently. “But it’s dangerous. If the Heavenly Destruction Squad gets caught stealing, even if the money’s origins are dirty, there will be backlash. The ends don’t always justify the means.”
“It’s difficult, yes. That’s why… I’m offering compensation.”
“Compensation?”
“I don’t know how much gold is there, but whatever the amount, I’ll allocate a percentage of the total to the Inspection Bureau’s budget. And the sect won’t interfere with how you use those funds. It’s entirely at your discretion.”
In essence, it was a generous offer to Sabigang personally, disguised as a budget allocation.
“Hmm.”
Gu Yun watched Sabigang anxiously, worried he might refuse. It was a daunting task, asking someone to steal all that gold. It wasn’t something you could ask just anyone to do. But if there was anyone who could pull it off flawlessly, it was Sabigang. No other organization came to mind. Bringing in outsiders could expose vulnerabilities.
Finally, Sabigang spoke. “Compensation or not, it doesn’t make the task any easier.”
Gu Yun sighed, looking conflicted. Living in the ruthless political world of the sect had honed his instincts. He spoke with resignation. “Just tell me. How much do you want?”
Sabigang grinned. “Now we’re having a real conversation.”
‘As expected…’
Gu Yun chuckled, shaking his head. For Sabigang, this was an opportunity too good to pass up. He had planned to steal the gold even without Gu Yun’s request. His reasons aligned with Gu Yun’s. And he had intended to demand a percentage of the total as compensation. Convincing Gu Yun was the biggest hurdle, as the Inspection Bureau might oppose the theft. But unexpectedly, Gu Yun had made the offer first. This changed everything. The one in need always extends their hand first. Now that he understood Gu Yun’s intentions, Sabigang was in no rush. The compensation percentage needed revising.
Sabigang smirked. “Let’s calculate the terms you proposed in reverse.”
Gu Yun’s eyes widened. “You mean… eighty percent?”
“It’s that difficult a task.”
“That’s absurd! No matter what, that money was supposed to come to the sect. Those people committed all sorts of corruption and fraud…”
“Regardless of the reason, the sect hasn’t claimed it. It’s theirs now.”
“Fine. I’ll offer thirty percent.”
“Alright. Then seventy percent.”
Gu Yun stared at Sabigang, bewildered. ‘This man… truly…’
He was an enigma. Gu Yun had suspected as much, but Sabigang exceeded his expectations.
Sabigang chuckled. “For making the impossible possible, it’s a fair deal, isn’t it?”
“Even so, asking for seventy percent of public funds is too much!”
“If it’s too much, let’s drop this plan. We can officially seize the gold and punish the Dongbang family. The sect can take all the gold. That would be easier and more straightforward for us.”
Gu Yun bit his lip. No, that wouldn’t work. It would be difficult to implicate Deungwangpa that way. The goal was to eliminate all the corrupt forces. They had even tried to harm the sect leader. The gold itself wasn’t the priority. They needed to disrupt and confuse the enemy as much as possible.
“Fine. Forty percent.”
“Seventy.”
“That’s impossible!”
“Then let’s forget it.”
The two continued to haggle for a while. Finally, Sabigang agreed to take half of the total, smiling broadly.
“Alright, we have a deal. Although this mission is extremely dangerous, considering your sincerity, the Heavenly Destruction Squad of the Inspection Bureau will take it on.”
“Please… take care of it.”
“Leave it to me. But there’s one condition.”
“What is it now?”
“I plan to implicate both the Dongbang family and the Northern News.”
“How do you plan to do that?”
“I have my methods. Trust me and leave it to me. Until it’s over, I’ll keep the gold. Is that acceptable?”
Gu Yun thought for a moment before nodding. “Understood.”
The die had been cast. There was no turning back now. He had placed his bet, and he would see it through to the end.
“Good decision,” Sabigang said with a sly smile as he walked away. Just before he left the room, Gu Yun’s voice stopped him.
“Just to be sure… you won’t lie about the amount of gold, will you?”
Sabigang chuckled. “Didn’t you say I’m the person you trust the most?”
“True, but… sometimes I get confused.”
“That’s my charm.”
With a mischievous grin, Sabigang waved and left the room.
Much later, a voice echoed in the air.
[He’ll definitely deceive you.]
“No, he won’t.”
[You’ve already been deceived.]
The voice was tinged with discontent.
“Why are you like this too? You’re making me uneasy.”
[Why do you trust him so much?]
“Well… to be honest?”
[What do you mean…?]
“If he deceives me, I don’t think I’d mind.”
Gu Yun’s expression was serene as he looked up.
[Ah… I see for the first time.]
“What?”
[That your tastes lean that way…]
“Hey! That’s not what I meant!”
Gu Yun shouted, flustered, but somewhere in his expression was a subtle sense of anticipation.
‘I trust you, Chief Sa.’
**
At present.
“He might have arrived and started by now.”
Standing by the window, Gu Yun murmured as he gazed at the moonlit sky. If things went as planned, the operation would take place tonight. But how would they move all that gold? Even with the Heavenly Destruction Squad, it wouldn’t be easy to work unnoticed by the Dongbang family.
‘It has to go well.’
If they failed, as Sabigang warned, there would be severe repercussions. Even though the funds were illicitly obtained, Deungwangpa would remain silent. The Inspection Bureau could be disbanded, accused of attempting to steal the gold out of greed.
[Are you worried?]
Biryung’s voice suddenly interrupted his thoughts.
“It would be a lie to say I’m not.”
[He’ll manage. If it’s him.]
Gu Yun chuckled at Biryung’s words. “Didn’t you say you didn’t trust him?”
[I don’t trust his character. But… I trust his abilities.]
“I see. That’s reassuring.”
With a faint smile, Gu Yun looked up at the night sky, feeling a bit more hopeful.
**
“It’s taking a while.”
One of the guards on duty tilted his head in curiosity. Another guard glanced back, concerned.
Sabigang had been inside the secret archive for over half an hour. Initially, they thought he was just taking his time selecting books. But the seed of suspicion quickly grew.
The guards hesitated, worried about being falsely accused by Sabigang if they entered the secret archive. But they couldn’t wait any longer.
“We should check inside.”
Finally, one of the guards turned to enter. Just then, the door creaked open, and Sabigang appeared.
“Phew, it’s hot in there. Even though it’s chilly outside, it’s stifling inside without a breeze. Ah, thanks for letting me look around. I’ve decided on this book.”
Sabigang waved a book in the air. The guards quickly scanned him from head to toe. Fortunately, there was nothing amiss. Relieved, they locked the door and turned away.
“Your actions are becoming problematic.”
“Oh, of course. Too much flexibility can turn into a bad habit. Don’t worry. I’ve found what I was looking for, so I won’t be coming back here. Haha.”
Sabigang chuckled pleasantly as he walked away.
Sanggeomak was on his way to Bieungak when he noticed Sabigang emerging from the building. He paused for a moment.
Sabigang was strolling along, flipping through a book in his hands.
Once Sabigang was out of sight, Sanggeomak hurried into Bieungak.
“Did Master Sa just come by?”
“Yes, he said he was here to exchange a martial arts manual…”
The two guards on duty exchanged uneasy glances as they answered.
“Exchange a manual?”
“Yes, he claimed the cover was torn…”
The guards shook their heads, as if they couldn’t quite believe it themselves.
“Open the door.”
Inside the small room, Sanggeomak inspected the library where the manuals were kept.
Sure enough, the Black Wind Sword Technique book, which had been taken earlier, was back in its place.
Just as the guards had said, the cover was indeed torn.
“Did he really just swap the manual?”
A sense of unease crept over him, but he shook it off.
“Hmm. I must be getting paranoid. It seems I’ve caught it from the master.”
He dismissed the thought with a shake of his head.
Sabigang had only been carrying a single martial arts manual. If he had discovered any gold, he wouldn’t have walked away so nonchalantly.
By now, the Heavenly Destruction Squad he brought would have turned the Eastern Clan upside down.
“Still… it doesn’t hurt to be cautious.”
With that thought, Sanggeomak turned and left Bieungak.