Episode 192: Return to the Demonic Sect
The Blood Demon Lord’s eyes flickered with uncertainty.
His mind was a whirlwind of confusion.
“Why is the National Lord here…?”
Wasn’t he supposed to be dead?
Was he seeing a ghost?
For a fleeting moment, he entertained the absurd notion that he might indeed be seeing a specter.
But he quickly regained his composure, fixing a cold stare on Sabigang.
A man rumored to be dead was standing before him, alive. The situation reeked of conspiracy, and a sense of foreboding crept over him.
There was only one conclusion.
Sabigang had to be eliminated.
He didn’t know why Sabigang was alive or why he was here, but he certainly didn’t seem friendly.
Moreover, they were not to be seen by anyone. Anyone who witnessed them had to be silenced. No exceptions.
The Blood Demon Lord swiftly signaled his subordinates.
In an instant,
Thud, thud, thud!
Masked figures surrounded Sabigang, exuding a suffocating aura of killing intent.
Sabigang frowned.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
“I hold no personal grudge against you.”
“Then why all this murderous intent if there’s no personal vendetta?”
“It seems we’re not destined to be on friendly terms, so let’s skip the small talk!”
As soon as the Blood Demon Lord finished speaking, he launched himself at Sabigang with lightning speed.
At that moment,
Whoosh!
“Whoa!”
An arrow whistled through the air, aiming straight for the Blood Demon Lord’s face.
Caught off guard, he quickly bent his knees and leaned back to avoid it.
Swish!
The arrow narrowly missed his face, flying past him.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
One of his subordinates, standing behind him, clutched his throat and fell to his knees. An arrow was lodged in his neck.
The Blood Demon Lord looked up to see Sabigang grinning.
“My boys can be a bit rough.”
“Boys?”
Suddenly,
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
Shadows descended from the sky, surrounding Sabigang.
Twenty in total.
Sabigang spread his arms wide, feigning nonchalance.
“Allow me to introduce the Invincible Legion, the Supreme Bloodstorm Annihilation Squad.”
“What nonsense!”
The Blood Demon Lord sprang to his feet, charging forward.
But this time, Gokbo-ok blocked his path.
“Stop right there!”
“Don’t mess with me!”
The Blood Demon Lord swung his sword with the force of a gale.
Whoosh!
Gokbo-ok narrowed his eyes and quickly raised his hand to block.
“Hmph! Just a kid who should be studying at the academy!” the Blood Demon Lord sneered inwardly.
No matter how much internal power one possessed, blocking a sword with bare hands was reckless.
He imagined Gokbo-ok’s wrist being sliced clean off by his blade.
But then,
Boom!
To his surprise, when Gokbo-ok’s wrist met the sword, a tremendous explosion of energy erupted.
Swish!
“Ugh!”
The Blood Demon Lord was pushed back, struggling to regain his balance.
“What the…?”
As the dust settled, he widened his eyes in disbelief.
He hadn’t expected such a powerful explosion of energy.
Yet, he didn’t think his opponent would be unscathed.
At the very least, he expected Gokbo-ok to be injured or unable to use his wrist.
But Gokbo-ok stood there, completely unharmed.
He hadn’t been pushed back even an inch.
Gokbo-ok’s feet were planted firmly, as if rooted to the ground.
“What is this…?”
Unaware of the Blood Demon Lord’s shock, Gokbo-ok casually dusted off his hands and cracked his neck.
In truth, Gokbo-ok’s resilience was thanks to the Iron Mantra he received from Sabigang, but the Blood Demon Lord had no way of knowing that.
“You shouldn’t mess with the National Lord. If he steps in, we won’t have a chance to train.”
“What? Train…?”
“If the National Lord gets involved, you’ll all be dead in an instant.”
“What nonsense…”
“We can’t waste our precious training material, can we? Heh heh heh.”
The Blood Demon Lord’s face twitched with anger, while Sabigang, who had been listening quietly, furrowed his brow.
“Hey, you’re making me sound like some crazed killer.”
“Didn’t you know? Sometimes you do come across that way.”
“What?”
“Ahem! Then we’ll begin our practical training now!”
No sooner had Gokbo-ok spoken than he leaped into action.
The Heavenly Annihilation Squad followed suit, charging at the masked figures.
**
“Hmm.”
Seolbaek’s expression grew serious as he unfolded the secret letter.
He narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
He had already read the contents of the letter several times over.
He was likely organizing his thoughts.
Standing silently before him was Deungwangpae, waiting patiently.
This was a crucial moment.
Revealing impatience and speaking out of turn could arouse unnecessary suspicion.
Seolbaek was not an easy man to deal with.
He was more meticulous, cautious, and cunning than anyone.
“Could he have figured it out?”
Cold sweat trickled down Deungwangpae’s back.
The urge to say something, anything, was overwhelming, but he held it in.
The secret letter was flawless.
Prepared by Hamcheonseok, it was beyond doubt.
So, he decided to wait.
“This letter…”
Finally, Seolbaek spoke.
Deungwangpae swallowed hard.
“You say you obtained it from Cheonan Pavilion?”
“Yes, the Blood Alliance Lord wouldn’t want war. He must be planning to meet with the League Leader to propose some terms.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes?”
“The Blood Alliance Lord is a proud man. Would he really come to me with a plea?”
“That…”
Deungwangpae trailed off.
“Damn, was I wrong?”
If Seolbaek refused to meet, his plan would fall apart.
“Well, there’s no need to rush. There will be other opportunities.”
He tried to console himself, resigning to the situation.
“Well, we’ll see when we meet.”
“Does that mean…?”
“I’m curious to hear what the Blood Alliance Lord has to say in private.”
Seolbaek cast a peculiar glance at Deungwangpae.
Deungwangpae felt as if the words were directed at him.
Surprised by the decision, Deungwangpae made a token protest.
“But there could be a trap. It would be wise to bring guards.”
“No, that would make the Blood Alliance Lord think less of me. It would spread rumors of cowardice throughout the martial world.”
“But if there’s a trap…”
“Do you think any trap could actually harm me?”
Seolbaek smiled subtly, fixing his gaze on Deungwangpae.
It was a look that could be seen as either arrogance or a warning.
But Deungwangpae chose to see it as arrogance.
Seolbaek was always like that.
A man who believed in himself completely.
It was this very trait that made Deungwangpae confident his plan would work.
So, Seolbaek would go to meet the Blood Alliance Lord without any guards.
In any case, his judgment wasn’t wrong.
Seolbaek had unwavering faith in his own abilities and decisions.
“Heh heh heh. Yes, that arrogance will be your downfall.”
Deungwangpae hid his true feelings and bowed his head.
“If you insist, I understand. But please, allow me to accompany you. I will guard you personally.”
“Of course. Since you brought the letter, you should come along.”
Seolbaek smiled.
**
Whoosh.
Leaves and debris swirled in the wind, skittering across the ground in front of the Guan Yu Shrine.
The area around the shrine was eerily quiet.
Moments later, two figures descended gracefully in front of the shrine.
It was Seolbaek and Deungwangpae.
Seolbaek furrowed his brow slightly.
“It seems the Alliance Lord isn’t here yet.”
“Let’s wait a little longer.”
Deungwangpae replied, extending his senses.
“They’ve hidden themselves well.”
Even knowing about the Blood Demon’s ambush, he couldn’t detect any presence.
Indeed, they had lived up to their ghostly reputation.
Their stealth skills were impeccable.
He glanced at Seolbaek, who also seemed unaware of any presence.
Seolbaek looked up at the sky.
Rumble. Grumble.
The low-hanging clouds rumbled ominously.
The weather threatened rain at any moment.
He murmured to himself.
“The weather’s quite fitting. It could make for a good story in the future.”
“Don’t trust the Blood Alliance Lord too much.”
“Of course. How can I trust someone who doesn’t even honor a pact?”
“Indeed.”
Seolbaek chuckled at Deungwangpae’s response.
“Do you know what your problem is?”
“Excuse me?”
Caught off guard by the question, Deungwangpae looked up.
Seolbaek smiled faintly.
“You’re too impatient. And you hesitate at critical moments.”
“What do you mean…?”
“By now, the Blood Alliance Lord should have appeared. Or at least someone in his place.”
”…?”
“Subconsciously, you hesitate. You can’t wait when you need to, and you falter when you should push forward. That’s why you’ve failed so far.”
“I’ll… take it to heart.”
“It’s too late now. You might as well come out.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I’m tired of this. Didn’t I tell you? It’s time to lay everything on the table. We’ve come this far, so why not push forward?”
Seolbaek finished speaking with a smile.
Yet, an overwhelming aura of menace radiated from his entire being.