Episode 203: Return to the Demonic Sect
“Do you really have to go?”
Gu Yoon asked reluctantly.
Sa Bi-gang didn’t answer.
That was answer enough.
The two walked in silence for a while.
Gu Yoon bit his lip.
If only he had been a little stronger.
If he had fulfilled his duties as a soldier a bit earlier.
Then he wouldn’t have to let Sa Bi-gang go like this.
But then again, if things had been different, Sa Bi-gang might not have been here in the first place.
Life is funny that way.
If he hadn’t been pushed to the edge, he wouldn’t have sought out Sa Bi-gang.
Yet, after overcoming all those crises, now it was time for him to leave.
He had gambled everything on Sa Bi-gang, and now that everything was resolved, his presence felt even more significant.
“Even the leader doesn’t want you to go.”
In the end, Gu Yoon tried to bring the leader into the argument to dissuade him.
Of course, he knew it was too late to change anything.
But he wanted to try as much as he could.
Sa Bi-gang suddenly stopped and turned to look at him.
“You know, don’t you? The agreement is already in place. It’s another pact.”
“Agreements can be broken, can’t they?”
“Hahaha. That’s not something I’d expect from the chief strategist of the Justice Alliance.”
“Maybe I’ve been influenced by someone.”
Sa Bi-gang frowned.
“Are you implying it’s me?”
“Interpret it as you wish.”
“No, I don’t break promises.”
“When you were appointed as the head of the Inspection Bureau, you promised to do your best for the alliance. But now you’re leaving. Isn’t that breaking a promise?”
“Let’s be clear. Didn’t you agree from the start? That no matter what dealings I had with the Blood Sect, as long as I could eliminate the traitors, you wouldn’t object.”
“That’s true, but… I didn’t expect such a proposal… and for you to accept it.”
“You didn’t think I’d accept?”
“Exactly.”
“There was no choice. That’s what the Blood Sect demanded. Thanks to that, we uncovered Seol Baek’s identity, eliminated Deung Wang-pae, and dealt with the remnants. Besides, there’s more to learn from the Blood Sect. It’s not just about the promise. It’s an extension of our work for the alliance.”
Faced with his unyielding response, Gu Yoon couldn’t say more.
Sa Bi-gang resumed walking.
That night, he recalled the secret agreement made with Seoraehyang.
In that clandestine meeting, Seoraehyang, representing the Blood Sect, made an unexpected proposal.
“Please become an instructor for our sect.”
When he first heard those words, Sa Bi-gang stared at her, wide-eyed.
Seoraehyang added a few more words.
“You know how famous you are, right? Especially for turning the Yongcheon Academy cadets into inspectors. It’s been an inspiration even to us in the unorthodox sects. So, the Blood Sect has established a new institution to train future leaders. Teach the cadets there.”
It was a proposal he hadn’t anticipated at all.
Of course, he had heard rumors that the Blood Sect was planning to set up an institution to train future leaders.
But he never imagined they would invite a martial artist from the Justice Alliance as an instructor.
Initially, Sa Bi-gang thought Seoraehyang would simply return to the Blood Sect.
She had been so lonely here.
Seoraehyang smiled at him.
“Our sect is used to breaking conventions. That’s the essence of the unorthodox. To become stronger, we can join hands with anyone. That’s the leader’s way.”
“But there must be many who oppose it.”
“Of course. There are quite a few conservatives in our sect. So, you must be careful. If you’re assassinated, we won’t take any responsibility. That’s the condition.”
“Using me as an instructor to train future leaders is beneficial, and if it doesn’t work out, eliminating me is also beneficial?”
“You catch on quickly.”
Seoraehyang mimicked his words with a smile.
“I told you, didn’t I? I want to put you in the same position as me. Now it’s your turn to decide. Do you want to experience my situation? If you accept, our sect promises not to interfere until this matter is resolved.”
In the end, the role of instructor was just a facade.
It was essentially being held hostage.
Sa Bi-gang accepted her demand.
Not reluctantly.
He could have thought of other ways to negotiate with the Blood Sect.
But…
‘Sometime, I have to go.’
For the future he envisioned, it was a necessary step.
In fact, it was a good opportunity to naturally connect with the unorthodox sects.
At least the demonic army doesn’t distinguish between orthodox and unorthodox.
“The leader is waiting in the garden.”
The voice of an attendant snapped Sa Bi-gang out of his thoughts.
Sa Bi-gang and Gu Yoon headed towards the leader’s garden.
Gu Yoon sighed softly.
“The leader will be very disappointed.”
“Well, so am I.”
Sa Bi-gang shrugged as he replied.
By then, they had reached the garden.
There, standing with his hands behind his back in front of a pomegranate tree, was Neung Un-pa.
Gu Yoon was about to greet him, but Sa Bi-gang raised a hand to stop him.
“Step aside.”
Gu Yoon quickly understood and moved to the side.
The leader picked an unripe pomegranate and turned to Sa Bi-gang, muttering.
“Thanks to you, I’ve recovered quite a bit.”
“I’m glad to hear that.”
“With a lighter body, everything becomes clearer. Including the fact that I shouldn’t let you go.”
“I must go.”
“Don’t go.”
“I’ve already promised. The Blood Sect kept their promise.”
“Even so, don’t go. I’ll take responsibility for what happens next.”
“I can’t do that.”
Sa Bi-gang’s resolve was unwavering.
His expression was as emotionless as if he were reciting a mantra.
The leader’s expression hardened.
“If you must go… then defeat me. Only then will I be assured of your safety there.”
“There’s no need to go that far…”
Pop!
In an instant, the pomegranate burst, and its seeds shot towards Sa Bi-gang at high speed.
Sa Bi-gang quickly raised a shield.
Thud, thud, thud!
The seeds collided with the shield, bursting into a red spray.
Then,
Whoosh!
Something wrapped in energy flew towards Sa Bi-gang again.
Sa Bi-gang extended his hand.
This time, he deployed a much stronger protective energy.
Boom!
Crack!
Sa Bi-gang was pushed back several steps.
Gu Yoon, watching, was left speechless.
What had flown at Sa Bi-gang was nothing other than a blade of grass.
Yet, enveloped in energy, the grass had the strength of a sword.
In the realm of masters, even a blade of grass could become a weapon.
Sa Bi-gang grasped the blade of grass, less than two lengths long, in his hand.
Whoosh!
As energy infused it, the grass stood upright like a blade.
Neung Un-pa approached with a smile, holding a blade of grass in his hand as well.
“I’ll learn a thing or two.”
“Then, let me teach you.”
An audacious reply.
Who else in the world would dare to offer to teach martial arts to the leader of the Justice Alliance?
Even if someone had the skill, they would usually express humility.
‘Sa Bi-gang is truly incorrigible.’
Gu Yoon shook his head and swallowed dryly.
Neung Un-pa laughed heartily, then lightly leaped into the air.
His movements were as light as a feather, yet as sharp as a cat’s claws.
Whoosh!
The blade of grass sliced through the air like a whip.
‘Impressive…!’
Sa Bi-gang’s eyes gleamed with interest.
As he quickly retreated, Neung Un-pa’s blade of grass wrapped around Sa Bi-gang’s.
Swish!
With a clean sound, the blade of grass in Sa Bi-gang’s hand was sliced into pieces and scattered to the ground.
Sa Bi-gang was inwardly impressed.
When masters infuse energy into a blade of grass, it usually becomes as hard as metal.
But to control its strength so flexibly was incredibly difficult.
Neung Un-pa’s blade of grass had wrapped around his like a whip.
Yet, it retained its sharpness and sliced his grass into pieces.
Sa Bi-gang smiled.
“You’ve recovered a lot.”
“I’m about eighty percent back.”
“That’s good to hear.”
With those words, Sa Bi-gang extended his hand.
The pieces of grass on the ground floated up.
Amazingly, each piece was enveloped in energy.
It was a combination of telekinesis and swordsmanship.
The unusual sight intrigued both Gu Yoon and Neung Un-pa.
In the next moment,
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The pieces of grass sliced through the air, speeding towards Neung Un-pa.
In an instant,
Tap!
Neung Un-pa leaped into the air.
Then,
Pop, pop, pop!
He stepped on each piece of grass flying towards him.
The sequence of movements unfolded with such speed, yet to Gu-yun, it seemed to stretch out over an eternity.
It was that impressive and dazzling a display of martial prowess.
Finally, with a leap from the last blade of grass, Neung Un-pa reached out toward Sabi-gang.
Whoosh!
The blade of grass in Neung Un-pa’s hand stood upright, stopping precisely at Sabi-gang’s throat.
A mere ounce more force or a slight release of energy, and Sabi-gang’s neck would have been cut.
Gu-yun swallowed hard.
‘The leader… has won.’
Yet, Sabi-gang’s skills were nothing short of extraordinary.
Especially the way he imbued each fragment of grass with energy—it was a level beyond imagination.
Gu-yun felt like applauding both for the magnificent duel they had shown.
Neung Un-pa, still holding the energy in the grass blade, spoke.
“If this were a life-or-death battle, this attack wouldn’t have stopped here.”
It was a warning that they wouldn’t hold back if it came to that.
A suggestion not to leave this place.
But Sabi-gang merely shrugged with a smile.
“If it were, that person would probably be lying on the ground by now.”
“What?”
“Not all daggers are as straightforward as they seem.”
Sabi-gang’s gaze flicked to Neung Un-pa’s chest.
Only then did Neung Un-pa look down, startled, and take a step back.
“When did you…?”
A fragment of grass was stuck to his chest.
Sabi-gang explained.
“Sometimes, hidden tricks lie between honest attacks.”
“So the fragments with energy were just a distraction.”
Neung Un-pa’s guess was spot on.
In truth, Sabi-gang hadn’t sent all the grass blades flying at Neung Un-pa.
From the start, he had kept one fragment in his hand.
Even while using telekinesis, he had concealed it between his fingers.
And at the moment Neung Un-pa landed before him, he flicked the fragment from his hand.
Focused solely on the fierce attack, Neung Un-pa hadn’t noticed the hidden strike.
Such was the subtlety of Sabi-gang’s attack.
Sabi-gang grinned.
“Don’t worry, Leader. If we’re talking about cunning, I might just outdo those rogue sects.”
“Hmm? Ha! Hahaha! Hahahaha!”
Neung Un-pa burst into laughter for the first time in a while.
Gu-yun, shaking his head as if he couldn’t help it, joined in the laughter.