Episode 197: Return to the Demonic Sect
In the martial world, there’s never a day without turmoil.
Every martial artist would nod in agreement.
But even by those standards, these days have been particularly chaotic.
This time, the dead have returned to life.
The leader of the Neungwoon Sect has come back, and it’s said that Sabigang, the head of the Inspection Bureau, is alive.
As the truth emerged that all of this was a ploy to cut out the rotten parts of the Justice Alliance, the martial world couldn’t hide their outrage at Seolbaek.
The betrayal was all the more painful because he was the one they trusted the most.
In the end, the great war between the righteous and the demonic was halted, and the leaders, including the Neungwoon Sect’s head, returned to the main base of the alliance.
Naturally, the disciplinary actions against people like Guyun and Sabigang were also revoked.
The Inspection Bureau quickly regained its stature.
In fact, it wielded even more power than before.
With Seolbaek and Deungwangpae, who were at the top of the list of subversives, having fallen, dealing with the remaining remnants was only a matter of time.
Indeed, Sabigang ordered Danrijung to lead the Cheonmyeol Unit to purge the subversives stationed within the alliance.
The Cheonmyeol Unit took the lead, with the Amyeong Unit providing support.
With the situation unfolding this way, the warriors who had followed Seolbaek and Deungwangpae grew anxious.
Some even fled the main base, disappearing to who knows where.
Yet, some found themselves trapped within the alliance’s confines….
Creak.
A grating noise echoed as a sliver of light seeped through the door.
“Ugh.”
Ha Taesang, bound by the iron chains, squinted at the figure entering the cell.
“Sabigang…!”
“How have you been?”
“You think you’ll stay in that position forever?”
“Seems like being locked up in this dark place has left you out of touch with the world.”
“Shut up. No matter how much you torture me, you’ll never get the answers you want!”
“The head of the Deungwangpae is dead.”
Ha Taesang’s eyes wavered for a moment.
But he quickly scoffed.
“What does that have to do with me?”
“You don’t believe me?”
“Believe it or not, the life or death of the Deungwangpae head has nothing to do with me….”
“Elder Seolbaek is severely injured and missing. The Black Wolf Unit is on his trail, but it’s not easy.”
“That can’t be…!”
This time, Ha Taesang couldn’t hide his inner turmoil.
The fact that Sabigang mentioned Elder Seolbaek meant he knew quite a bit.
Sabigang continued, watching Ha Taesang’s expression closely.
“I’m not here to ask about the source of the gold bars. Those were probably amassed through all sorts of illicit means. Above you were Deungwangpae and Seolbaek. Only you and the head of the Northern News Agency would know about their relationship.”
Ha Taesang was struck speechless by the precise words.
Finally, a faint voice escaped his lips.
“Is it true… is the head really dead?”
“Why? Feeling a bit of despair now? Didn’t you say it had nothing to do with you? Huh.”
“Answer me! Is it true?”
Smack!
Suddenly, Ha Taesang’s cheek was slapped hard.
The pain was so intense it felt like his left cheek was being torn off.
“Ugh!”
Ha Taesang gritted his teeth, enduring the pain.
Sabigang grabbed a fistful of Ha Taesang’s hair.
“Listen up. Do I look like a saint to you?”
“Ugh…!”
“You’re in no position to tell me what to do. Got it?”
“Ugh…!”
“Once again, Deungwangpae is dead. Seolbaek is severely injured and missing. But his internal injuries are so severe that his survival is unlikely. Do you understand the situation now?”
Ha Taesang wanted to scream that it was a lie.
It couldn’t be true.
Those two were the ones who still held the Justice Alliance in their grip.
Sabigang chuckled.
“Seems you don’t believe it.”
“Ugh…! It’s a lie… it must be!”
Sabigang released his grip on Ha Taesang’s hair and stood up, looking toward the door.
“Bring it in, Tang Leader.”
“Yes, Chief.”
Tang Yi-hyeop, who had answered in a low voice, walked in carrying something.
At Sabigang’s nod, he tossed it in front of Ha Taesang.
Thud, roll.
In the next moment, Ha Taesang’s eyes widened in shock.
‘The head…!’
What rolled before him was none other than the head of Deungwangpae.
Sabigang crouched down.
“Understand now? You’re trapped in a fallen power with no lifeline.”
“This can’t be….”
Sabigang tapped the back of Ha Taesang’s head with his palm.
It was a humiliating situation, but Ha Taesang was too overwhelmed to care.
All he felt was an endless void as every hope was snatched away.
After a long silence, he finally spoke.
“Then… why did you come to see me?”
He had thought they came to uncover the source and backers of the gold bars.
But in this situation, Sabigang likely knew everything.
Sabigang gave a cold smile and pulled something from his sleeve, placing it on the ground.
Thud.
“Let’s talk about this.”
“The Open Gate Pearl…?”
“Yes, you call it the ‘Open Gate Pearl.’ Where did you get it?”
“I bought it from a peddler long ago.”
“A peddler? From where?”
“I met him in a village near Bokang County. It was so long ago that I don’t remember the exact name of the village.”
Having resigned himself, Ha Taesang spoke the truth.
He didn’t think it was particularly important anyway.
Sabigang narrowed his eyes and asked again.
“Was there anything unusual among the items that peddler had?”
“I’m not sure. He did mention having some items from the Western Regions. But when I met him, that was all he had.”
“Did Seolbaek know about this pearl? I mean, the warehouse where the gold bars were stored.”
Ha Taesang nodded.
“He knew. He showed a particular interest in it. Come to think of it, Elder Seolbaek also asked about that peddler.”
“What kind of questions?”
“Similar to yours. Where I met him, what he was selling, and so on.”
“Did Elder Seolbaek have any similar artifacts?”
“That, I don’t know. I only met Elder Seolbaek two or three times.”
“Hmm.”
Sabigang narrowed his eyes, lost in thought.
‘Perhaps Seolbaek had the scroll from the beginning.’
So when he saw the magic cube, he instinctively sensed its connection to the scroll he possessed.
“One last question.”
“What is it?”
“Was Seolbaek in league with any external forces?”
Ha Taesang chuckled.
“Elder Seolbaek? He’s not the type. He trusts only himself. A man who doesn’t even trust those within the alliance wouldn’t ally with external forces. It’s absurd.”
“Well, I thought so too.”
Sabigang shrugged and stood up.
Ha Taesang urgently called out.
“What about me? What happens to me now?”
“Who knows. You’ll either spend your life in this cell or die. The final decision rests with the leader. But you won’t be living in luxury like before. Huh.”
Creak…! Clang!
As the cell door closed, Ha Taesang hung his head.
‘It’s all… over.’
Dreams and hopes.
Regret washed over him like a tidal wave.
**
“Congratulations.”
Seoraehyang entered the office, offering her greetings.
Sabigang chuckled.
“Seems you can roam freely within the alliance now.”
“I’m definitely freer than before. After all, I did play a part in taking down Seolbaek and Deungwangpae.”
“Have a seat. I have something to ask you.”
“Really? Is it about our second agreement?”
“Haha. No, it’s not that.”
“You’re not going to back out now, are you? Pretend you don’t know about the second agreement….”
“Don’t worry. I remember it clearly.”
“Good. What’s your question?”
“As you know, Elder Seolbaek escaped. We couldn’t eliminate him cleanly.”
“That’s your oversight.”
“You don’t have to hit the nail on the head so hard.”
“So?”
“A well-organized force helped him. Or rather, they took him.”
“Are you saying he was kidnapped?”
“Well, it’s ambiguous.”
“Surely you’re not suggesting….”
Seoraehyang frowned, displeased.
“Can’t I be suspicious?”
“No. We didn’t.”
Seoraehyang replied firmly.
Sabigang stared at her intently.
“Our sect doesn’t waste high-level resources to save some righteous faction.”
Her voice carried sincerity.
Sabigang nodded.
“I thought as much. But I couldn’t help but suspect the Blood Demon Sect.”
“It is strange.”
“Perhaps there’s a force within the Blood Demon Sect that even you don’t know about.”
“That’s impossible. If I don’t know, it means the sect leader doesn’t know either.”
“I hate to say it, but… even within our alliance, the leader didn’t know Seolbaek’s true identity.”
“Please don’t compare us to your alliance.”
“Alright, I understand.”
Sabigang shrugged in response.
He didn’t think she was lying.
But it wasn’t a situation where he could fully trust her words either.
The two masked individuals.
They seemed to have some understanding of the demonic realm’s power.
It’s not something that can be overlooked.
If they knew how to use magical artifacts…
“It always comes down to one of two things.”
Either they use that power for good, or they abuse it.
But usually, immense power tends to invite wicked thoughts.
“Have you ever heard of a peddler selling strange items?”
“A peddler? Well, aren’t they all known for selling odd things? Haha.”
Seoraehyang laughed it off as if it were nothing.
Sabigang glanced out the window with a wry smile.
“True. They do tend to sell peculiar things.”
Just then, the door swung open, and Maeseollan entered.
She cast a slightly disapproving glance at Seoraehyang before approaching Sabigang.
“We have a problem.”
“What is it?”
“Some dissidents have banded together.”
“In what way?”
“They’ve attacked Jeokhaseong.”
This was unexpected.
Attacking Jeokhaseong?
Currently, Jeokhaseong was under the control of the Blood Alliance.
Sabigang turned to Seoraehyang.
“Who’s there?”
“Yoshin, the leader of the Phantom Killers, is there. But he won’t be easily defeated…”
“It’s hard to say. They might have let their guard down because of the peace agreement.”
Seoraehyang interjected, asking Maeseollan, “What about our warriors?”
“It seems they’ve been nearly wiped out. The dissidents who left the main alliance have apparently taken Jeokhaseong.”
“Impossible…! Jeokhaseong is supposed to be an impregnable fortress…”
“They posed as envoys from the Justice Alliance and entered easily. Then they waited for the right moment to strike.”
Maeseollan’s words made Seoraehyang’s expression harden.
Maeseollan continued, turning to Sabigang.
“They’ve declared they won’t recognize the main alliance’s peace agreement. It seems they’re trying to shake off the stigma of colluding with Seolbaek and Deungwangpa. At the same time, they’re likely trying to rally external hardliners.”
Sabigang’s expression turned icy.
“If they had cooperated quietly, they might have at least saved their lives.”
He looked back at Seoraehyang.
“I’m sorry it came to this. But let the leader know this isn’t the will of the main alliance. We’ll soon deal with the rabble gathered at Jeokhaseong.”