Episode 176: Return to the Demonic Sect
The master of the Northern Light Sect, Won-sang, furrowed his brow deeply and sprang to his feet. The sudden movement sent the refreshments on the table scattering.
“What on earth are you saying? The sword marks resemble the Northern Light Divine Sword?”
“I was just as shocked, but there’s no doubt about it. It was the Northern Light Divine Sword.”
“How can that be? Are you suggesting we annihilated the Red Martial Squad?”
“It seems we’ve walked into a trap.”
The words that escaped from Bok Il-ryong, the leader of the Thunder Sword Squad, were hard to believe.
“Are you sure you didn’t see it wrong?”
Won-sang asked, though he knew it was a pointless question. Bok Il-ryong, who led the elite strike force of the Northern Light Sect, was a man of undeniable skill. In fact, regardless of his rank, he wielded considerable power, second only to the master himself.
Bok Il-ryong gave the expected answer. “I checked multiple times. The bodies, including that of Squad Leader Sang Geok-ak, were undoubtedly struck by the Northern Light Divine Sword.”
“Good grief.”
Won-sang closed his eyes, his eyelids trembling slightly. The situation was a tangled mess.
“Is there any chance our own people could have done this?”
“I’ve already conducted an internal investigation, but no one from our side was involved.”
“Hmm.”
Won-sang let out a low hum, narrowing his eyes. This was not good. His instincts, honed over many years, warned him of danger.
“The Black Wolf Squad will arrive soon. Do you think they can uncover anything?”
“If anyone can, it’s them. The one who killed the Red Martial Squad has a deep understanding of the Northern Light Divine Sword. It’s astonishing.”
“That’s absurd….”
Won-sang pressed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. The secrets of the Northern Light Divine Sword had never been leaked outside. Who dared to mimic it?
He slumped back into his chair and spoke. “What if we destroy the bodies now?”
“Too risky. There are too many witnesses. A hasty move could lead to greater misunderstandings. No excuse would suffice then.”
“This is a headache. When the Black Wolf Squad arrives, they might suspect us of betrayal….”
Just then, a servant entered to announce, “Master, the Black Wolf Squad has arrived. The squad leader is on his way here.”
Won-sang’s expression turned grim. “Already? Of all times…!”
He stood up and asked, “Where are they now…?”
“No need to come out.”
A gruff voice interrupted as Ham Cheon-seok entered the room, accompanied by Choo-ryang. Won-sang’s expression hardened noticeably at the sight of them.
“Speak of the devil….”
He forced a smile, trying to mask his unease. “Squad Leader Ham, it’s been a while. I’m sorry to have troubled you with such a long journey.”
“Think nothing of it.”
“What are you all doing? Show them to their quarters; they must be tired from the journey….”
“That’s unnecessary.”
Ham Cheon-seok cut in abruptly. “The Inspection Bureau will be here soon, so let’s get straight to the point.”
Won-sang exchanged uneasy glances with Bok Il-ryong at Ham Cheon-seok’s directness. Bok Il-ryong stepped forward to speak.
“The bodies were found southwest of the main hall….”
“We’ve already seen them.”
“Already…?”
Bok Il-ryong flinched and exchanged another glance with Won-sang. Ham Cheon-seok asked bluntly, “What happened?”
“What do you mean?”
“Did you think we wouldn’t find out?”
Ham Cheon-seok’s expression turned icy. He let out a shallow sigh and continued, “Are you really going to play it this way? The sword marks on the bodies were clearly from the Northern Light Divine Sword….”
“That’s a misunderstanding!”
Bok Il-ryong interjected suddenly.
“A misunderstanding?”
“We’ve been caught in someone’s trap!”
“The Northern Light Divine Sword was executed with such precision. It wasn’t just a simple imitation.”
“And you’re suspecting us over something like that…!”
Bok Il-ryong shouted in frustration, but Won-sang intervened to calm him.
“I’m just as frustrated. I even conducted an internal investigation to see if any of my subordinates acted without orders, but found no clues. Why would we annihilate the Red Martial Squad?”
A new voice suddenly chimed in. “Well, it could be a case of ‘use and discard.’”
All eyes turned to the source of the voice. Choo-ryang, who had been standing beside Ham Cheon-seok, was now crouched down, munching on the scattered refreshments.
Bok Il-ryong, exasperated, demanded, “Use and discard? What nonsense…!”
“You knew about the gold bars in the Eastern Family’s vault, didn’t you?”
Won-sang flinched and looked at Ham Cheon-seok. Such information should not have been known to a mere squad member.
Ham Cheon-seok shrugged. “He’s trustworthy. He needs to know some details to track things effectively.”
On the way here, Ham Cheon-seok had briefed Choo-ryang on the gold bars. Surprisingly, Choo-ryang hadn’t seemed shocked. He didn’t care who the organization served; he was only interested in solving the mystery before him.
Won-sang frowned and asked, “Yes, we knew about the gold bars. But what of it?”
Choo-ryang continued munching as he replied, “Well, if you had the Red Martial Squad steal the gold, then killed them to silence them, you’d get the gold and eliminate any loose ends. Though the cleanup was a bit sloppy.”
At this point, Bok Il-ryong, who had been listening, could no longer contain his anger and shouted, “Who do you think you are to spout such nonsense? Just because you have a mouth doesn’t mean you can say anything!”
“It’s just a hypothesis.”
“Ugh…!”
Bok Il-ryong clenched his fists, trembling with rage, ready to lash out. Choo-ryang’s provocation had chilled the atmosphere in the room.
Just then, another servant rushed in. “Master, the head of the Inspection Bureau and the Heavenly Annihilation Squad have just arrived.”
One problem after another. Won-sang closed his eyes briefly, then spoke in a weary tone.
“Let me make one thing clear. The death of the Red Martial Squad has nothing to do with us. So please, be mindful of your words in front of the Inspection Squad. Especially make sure that an ignorant pup doesn’t bark recklessly.”
With that, he left the room. Choo-ryang, unfazed, continued munching on the refreshments as if he were in another world.
“Ah, this one’s half-peeled. I prefer them without any peel.”
Ham Cheon-seok grabbed Choo-ryang by the scruff of his neck and dragged him away.
**
The atmosphere in the courtyard of the Northern Light Hall was tense and peculiar. The Heavenly Annihilation Squad, led by Sa Bi-gang, stood at the entrance, while Won-sang, Bok Il-ryong, and the Black Wolf Squad faced them with their backs to the hall.
Three groups that rarely mingled were gathered in one place, and even the wind seemed to hold its breath.
Master Won-sang was the first to speak. “It’s an honor to meet the head of the Inspection Bureau. I’ve heard much about you.”
“Haha. Am I that famous?”
“Indeed. Your reputation precedes you even here in Hangsan. And the exploits of the Heavenly Annihilation Squad….”
“It’s not the Heavenly Annihilation Squad.”
“Excuse me?”
“It’s the ‘Heavenly Supreme Bloodstorm Annihilation Squad.’”
“Oh… yes. The… the Inspection Bureau is highly praised. Haha….”
“Is that so? And over there….”
Sa Bi-gang’s gaze shifted to Ham Cheon-seok of the Black Wolf Squad. Ham Cheon-seok narrowed his eyes.
“Yes! Hello! I’m Choo-ryang of the Black Wolf Squad!”
Choo-ryang greeted with a bright smile. Ham Cheon-seok silently smacked the back of Choo-ryang’s head, ignoring the pained look Choo-ryang shot him.
“I’m Ham Cheon-seok, leader of the Black Wolf Squad,” he introduced himself curtly.
“Ah, so the Black Wolf Squad is here. I wasn’t aware. It’s fortunate you’re here. Were you also dispatched to investigate this matter?”
“Something like that.”
“Oh, that’s good to hear. It will be a great help to us. Have you examined the bodies?”
“Not yet….”
At that moment, the oblivious Choo-ryang chimed in again. “Yes! We’ve examined them!”
Ham Cheon-seok glared at Choo-ryang, but Choo-ryang just shrugged, feigning ignorance.
Sa Bi-gang chuckled and asked, “Did you find anything?”
This time, Ham Cheon-seok quickly responded. “No. We haven’t found any clues yet.”
“Hmm, I see.”
Sa Bi-gang nodded slightly, a meaningful smile playing on his lips. “If even the renowned Black Wolf Squad couldn’t find anything, it must have been done by someone truly extraordinary.”
”…….”
As the atmosphere grew awkwardly cold, Won-sang quickly intervened. “Hahaha. Now that introductions are over, let me show you to your quarters.”
Sa Bi-gang’s expression suddenly turned icy. “You seem to be in a good mood, judging by your laughter.”
Startled by the sudden change in expression, Wonsang blinked and asked, “Pardon?”
“It’s just that you seem to be under a misconception. We’re not here for leisure, you do understand that, right?”
“Of course, but…”
Sabigang’s face hardened in a way Wonsang had never seen before. His voice turned icy as he continued, “As of today, the Celestial Bloodstorm Division will be inspecting all the halls of the Northern Light Sect. The sect must cooperate unconditionally and without objection. Remember, any attempt to obstruct the investigation will be met with immediate judgment under the authority of the Inspector General.”
Wonsang’s expression turned equally rigid. ‘This young upstart…!’ It wasn’t just the abrupt change in tone; it was the condescending gaze that really got under his skin.
Sabigang smirked and added, “But of course, I trust the Sect Leader wouldn’t do anything foolish. I look forward to your cooperation.”
He then glanced over at the Black Wolf Brigade. “Oh, and with all the talk of the brigade’s reputation, I expected more than just corpses. Perhaps you should step up your game?”
Ham Cheonseok clenched his teeth, but before he could respond, Churyang’s clear voice rang out, “Yes, we’ll do our best!”
Sabigang chuckled softly and turned away. ‘Churyang, huh. So that’s what he’s like.’
Though he might not realize it now, Churyang would one day become the foremost martial artist, tracking the demon legions.
Meanwhile, as Sabigang walked away under the attendant’s guidance, Churyang watched him with eyes full of intrigue. ‘Sabigang, the Inspector General…’
He turned to Ham Cheonseok with a bright smile. “He’s much more interesting than I expected!”
“Sure,” Ham Cheonseok replied coldly, walking off.
Regardless, Churyang couldn’t shake his excitement. ‘I have a feeling… something incredible is about to happen here. Hehehe.’