Episode 191: Return to the Demon Sect
“Damn it!”
Crash!
With a single punch, Deung Wangpa shattered one side of the table into splinters.
His fist clenched, trembling with rage.
Standing nearby, Lee Sahum and Ham Cheonseok wore grim expressions.
“I can’t understand it. I was sure Elder Seolbaek would refuse the position of leader,” Lee Sahum said, shaking his head in disbelief.
His face was a mask of seriousness, though it was all an act. He already knew the truth about Seolbaek from Gu Yoon and Sabi Kang. But in front of Deung Wangpa, he feigned ignorance.
Deung Wangpa ground his teeth, spitting out his words like venom.
“Seolbaek… he just used me, didn’t he?”
Feigning surprise, Lee Sahum asked, “Used you? What do you mean, my lord?”
“Just as I said. Elder Seolbaek used me.”
“What do you mean? Elder Seolbaek is just a retired elder from the council…”
“The reason I gained control of the alliance was thanks to Elder Seolbaek. He’s been backing me for a long time.”
Deung Wangpa briefly explained his relationship with Seolbaek. Given the situation, there was no point in hiding it any longer. Lee Sahum listened with wide eyes, as if he couldn’t believe that the mighty Deung Wangpa had been manipulated by someone else. Ham Cheonseok, standing beside him, reacted similarly.
Deung Wangpa clenched his fist tightly.
“But it was all a ploy! To use me and then take the leader’s position for himself!”
Crash!
Once again, Deung Wangpa’s fist came down on the table, splitting it in two this time. It was as if he had set a feast only for someone else to devour it. How could he not be furious?
Having heard the gist of the story, Lee Sahum spoke with a serious tone.
“My lord, we can’t just let this go. You could be in danger.”
“In danger?” Deung Wangpa raised an eyebrow, turning to look at him. Lee Sahum continued cautiously.
“Forgive my boldness, but from Elder Seolbaek’s perspective, he no longer needs you. You might even be a liability, a potential threat to his secrets.”
In other words, it was a classic case of being discarded after serving one’s purpose. Lee Sahum couldn’t say it outright, so he hinted just enough for Deung Wangpa to understand.
Deung Wangpa ground his teeth again. Lee Sahum’s point was valid. Someone as meticulous as Seolbaek wouldn’t leave a potential threat like him unchecked.
“Yes, he’ll likely make a move against me soon. So before that…”
He had to strike first. Just when he thought he had removed the leader, an old fox appeared to thwart him.
At that moment, Ham Cheonseok stepped forward cautiously.
“Actually, I have something to report.”
“What is it?”
Ham Cheonseok produced a letter from his sleeve. It was the one Gu Yoon had given him, supposedly forged by Churyang.
“It’s a secret letter we intercepted from Bukmyeong News. We managed to get it before the Heavenly Destruction Squad could. I couldn’t report it earlier due to prying eyes.”
Deung Wangpa unfolded the letter and read it, his expression growing darker with each line. Finally, he crumpled the letter in his trembling hand.
“That old fox!”
The letter was from Seolbaek to the head of Bukmyeong News, detailing a plan to steal gold from the Dongbang family and eliminate the Red Martial Squad. It also outlined a scheme to blame the Dongbang family for the missing gold, ultimately pinning the responsibility on Deung Wangpa.
In short, it was a plan to remove the increasingly error-prone Deung Wangpa and install the head of Bukmyeong News as the next leader.
A vein throbbed on Deung Wangpa’s forehead.
“I knew it… I knew something was off!”
It all made sense now. How else could the gold have been found at Bukmyeong News? He finally understood. If the Inspection Bureau hadn’t discovered the gold, he would have fallen right into Seolbaek’s trap.
His anger gave way to a hollow sense of futility. He sank into a chair. He had been racing toward a single goal, only for someone unexpected to seize it.
Lee Sahum quickly approached and whispered, “My lord, we must act first. It’s not over yet.”
“Do you have a plan?”
Deung Wangpa glanced at Lee Sahum. After all, Lee Sahum had played a crucial role in removing the previous leader. Perhaps he had a clever idea.
Sure enough, Lee Sahum spoke with a meaningful expression.
“Now that Elder Seolbaek is the interim leader, he’ll be desperate to make his mark quickly. So…”
He leaned in to whisper to Deung Wangpa.
**
Rumors spread that Sabi Kang, the head of the Inspection Bureau, had been killed. It was said that an old monster, imprisoned in the dungeons, had escaped and committed the deed.
The martial world was in an uproar. Seolbaek, now the interim leader, seized the opportunity to act swiftly. He gathered warriors to participate in the Great War of Justice and moved to the border area near the Blood Demon Sect.
The local leader of Gaepyeong was ready to receive the main force in full battle readiness.
Sabi Kang, having extricated himself from the alliance early, was already near Gaepyeong. The Heavenly Destruction Squad was also there. With their year-long suspension, they had nothing to lose, making the deception easy.
“The conflict between Deung Wangpa and Seolbaek has reached its peak,” reported Dang Yi-hyeop.
Sabi Kang nodded. “It seems Lee Sahum and Ham Cheonseok are playing their parts well.”
“It was inevitable once Elder Seolbaek took the leader’s position.”
“Indeed.”
Sabi Kang smiled knowingly. Even he hadn’t expected Seolbaek to go that far. He thought Seolbaek would support Deung Wangpa as leader. But unexpectedly, Seolbaek took the position himself.
For Sabi Kang, it was no loss. In fact, Seolbaek becoming interim leader made his own goals easier to achieve.
By now, the spark of anger had already ignited in Deung Wangpa’s heart, and Sabi Kang had merely fanned the flames. Now it was time to fan them even more.
“It’s time for the head of Bukmyeong News to exit. Instruct Salmak accordingly.”
After all, even if he lived, he would only continue to serve as a pawn for the demonic forces. There was no hesitation in removing him.
“Understood. I’ll also inform Lee Sahum and Ham Cheonseok.”
“Good. When Deung Wangpa makes his final move, prepare the Heavenly Destruction Squad. Where have we decided on?”
“The shrine at Gyohang Mountain.”
Sabi Kang nodded. “Not long now. Our people will finally get some action.”
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
**
“As you instructed, I’ve prepared the forged letter.”
Ham Cheonseok approached Deung Wangpa, handing him the letter. It was a counterfeit, made to look like it was from the leader of the Blood Demon Sect to Seolbaek.
The letter proposed a secret meeting at the shrine on Gyohang Mountain, promising favorable terms if Seolbaek agreed.
“If you say it’s information secretly obtained from the Heavenly Eye Pavilion, Elder Seolbaek will likely accept it without much suspicion.”
Deung Wangpa nodded, his eyes sharp. The forgery was so convincing that even he might have been fooled. Despite its simplicity, the letter exuded an air of authenticity, thanks to the meticulous work of Ham Cheonseok and Churyang.
“Yes, this should be enough to make Elder Seolbaek move.”
Just then, the door burst open, and Lee Sahum entered with a look of urgency.
“My lord! The worst has happened.”
“What is it?” Deung Wangpa asked, weary of surprises.
Lee Sahum took a deep breath before speaking.
“The head of Bukmyeong News, who was imprisoned in the Inspection Bureau, has been assassinated.”
“What?”
Deung Wangpa shot to his feet.
Lee Sahum quickly continued, “With the Inspection Bureau under suspension, their manpower was reduced, creating an opportunity for the assassin to strike.”
“So they haven’t caught the culprit?”
“No. But the Heavenly Eye Pavilion’s investigation suggests Elder Seolbaek’s involvement. Moreover…”
“Go on.”
“It seems Elder Seolbaek is trying to pin this on you.”
“What? That damned old man!”
Deung Wangpa shouted in fury. His anger was not easily quelled. The reason for killing the head of Bukmyeong News was clear. Seolbaek likely wanted to eliminate any chance of his gold theft orders being revealed later.
With the Inspection Bureau weakened, killing the head of Bukmyeong News was no challenge.
“That old man is trying to cover his tracks and blame me?”
“It seems he’s moving into the final stages of his plan. Once this war ends, or even before, Elder Seolbaek’s schemes could reach you.”
“Yes, Seolbaek… that man would do it.”
The conversation they had in the pavilion at Muhwa Palace came back to him.
Seol Baek had once urged him to cast aside the Northern Alliance’s leader, hadn’t he?
There must have been a reason for that.
“If I embrace the Northern Alliance’s leader, he must have feared that his own misdeeds would eventually come to light!”
The more he thought about it, the more infuriating it became.
Deung Wangpa, with a stern expression, finally spoke.
“Before that happens, we need to make our move first. Take a look at this. It’s something the Black Wolf Brigade put together.”
Deung Wangpa handed a forged letter to Lee Saheum.
As Lee Saheum skimmed through the letter, his eyes gleamed with understanding.
“Indeed, with this, even Elder Seol Baek will have no choice but to act. If you deliver this personally, the two of you can head to the ancestral shrine together. I’ll have the Blood Demon Squad stationed there in advance.”
The Blood Demon Squad was an elite force that Deung Wangpa had secretly nurtured, the best of the best.
They were also responsible for handling all sorts of unsavory tasks.
“Prepare thoroughly to ensure there are no mistakes.”
“Leave it to me.”
Lee Saheum bowed deeply.
In the eerie forest.
Just off the main road stood an old ancestral shrine.
Trees and bushes encircled it as if to guard it.
Suddenly, thirty warriors appeared in front of the shrine.
Clad in blood-red uniforms and masked, they were the Blood Demon Squad.
The leader of the squad scanned the surroundings sharply before signaling towards the forest behind the shrine.
Just as the warriors were about to move in unison towards that direction—
They froze!
All of them turned to look back.
Rustle. Rustle.
A man was calmly walking through the underbrush.
The leader of the Blood Demon Squad frowned, staring intently at the newcomer.
“Who is that?”
As the moonlight finally illuminated the man’s face, the leader’s expression hardened.
Standing there was someone who shouldn’t be in this place—or even in this world.
“The Chief Inspector?”
“Well, it’s nice to be recognized. I must be getting famous,” Sabikang said, flashing a white-toothed grin.