Episode 208: Return to the Demonic Sect
“Heh heh.”
Churyang couldn’t stop chuckling.
Laughter kept bubbling up, slipping past his lips despite his best efforts to contain it.
“Heh heh. Ha ha ha!”
He finally gave in, covering his mouth with his hand as he laughed.
Banjo, walking beside him, was visibly irritated.
His appearance was a mess.
One side of his face and neck was red and blistered from burns, red spots dotted his body, and half of his hair was singed and wild.
Walking around in such a state was embarrassing enough, but having Churyang giggling beside him only made it worse.
Unable to hold back any longer, Banjo snapped.
“Why on earth have you been laughing like that since earlier?”
“Oh, I just can’t help it. Heh heh.”
“What exactly is so funny?”
“It’s just… it’s just… ha ha ha!”
Churyang finally burst into full-blown laughter.
Banjo struggled to keep his temper in check, his insides boiling.
Churyang, still chuckling, managed to speak.
“Isn’t it hilarious that they almost cremated a living person? Ha ha ha. My stomach hurts from laughing so much… pfft!”
Churyang was nearly in tears from laughing so hard.
Banjo, his face flushed with anger, shouted back.
“Is it funny that I almost died?”
“Well… heh heh. Why were you pretending to be a corpse in the first place? Heh heh.”
“I told you that day! As someone being considered for the position of instructor, you should be able to detect such traps. It was a test!”
“Pfft! So, did our master pass the test? Heh heh heh.”
“Ugh. Well, I suppose so.”
“Thank you very much! Ha ha ha!”
Churyang laughed heartily again.
Banjo could only bite his lip in silence.
Thinking back, it was a terrifying moment.
Who would have thought they’d bring pine cones and try to burn him on the spot?
‘Damn it!’
To justify his flimsy excuse of a test, he had to give Churyang a precious elixir.
After walking for a while, they finally reached a long, steep staircase.
The stairs seemed to stretch endlessly, leading to the main hall of the Blood Sect.
Churyang gaped in awe at the height and grandeur of the stairs.
“Wow, the Blood Sect is truly something. I’ve never seen stairs this high in my life.”
Banjo, feeling a bit more dignified, cleared his throat and said, “Why are you so surprised? It’s only a thousand steps.”
“A thousand? It’s like they turned an entire mountain path into stairs.”
“Ha ha ha. For our sect, that’s nothing.”
“Well, it seems like a bit of a waste of resources, but it does have an overwhelming presence.”
“Mm.”
Banjo grumbled, feeling slightly annoyed.
This guy had a knack for making even compliments sound irritating.
The three of them began to climb the stairs.
As they ascended, the stairs followed the cliff’s edge, with the mist below obscuring the view of the bottom.
At some point, Banjo turned to Sabigang with a cold smile.
“I’ve heard of your reputation in the Justice Alliance. But things won’t be easy here. You might not know, but the students you’ll be instructing are the worst of the worst. Heh heh.”
Sabigang simply smiled, unfazed.
“Don’t worry. When it comes to being the worst, I’m no slouch myself.”
“Confident, aren’t you?”
“I’m just being honest about my personality.”
Banjo scoffed inwardly.
‘Hmph! Even if you handled problem students in the Justice Alliance, they can’t compare to our sect’s warriors. They’re the ones even their own organizations can’t handle.’
After climbing for a while, a grand building finally came into view.
Churyang was genuinely impressed, his mouth agape.
“It’s truly magnificent.”
Banjo puffed out his chest with pride.
“Welcome to the Heavenly Palace!”
**
The main hall of the Blood Sect.
The warriors of the dark sects called it the Heavenly Palace.
A palace that could only be seen after climbing a thousand steps.
Of course, its master was Heomuguk, known as the “Black Dragon.”
Sitting on a high platform, Heomuguk stared intently at Sabigang with a somber expression.
Sabigang met his gaze without flinching, standing tall.
On either side were the leaders of the Blood Sect, all gathered to see the famous Sabigang in person.
Sabigang greeted them with a respectful bow.
“Greetings. I am Sabigang, former head of the Justice Alliance’s Inspection Bureau.”
The expressions of the leaders visibly hardened.
‘How audacious…!’
To dare speak so casually to the master!
The atmosphere grew tense, and Churyang felt suffocated by the palpable hostility.
Being sensitive to such things, his face turned pale.
Sabigang gave him a reassuring pat on the shoulder.
It was a simple gesture, but Churyang felt a weight lift from his chest.
In that brief moment, Sabigang had infused him with energy.
Heomuguk, with a sinister smile, spoke.
“Welcome. It must have been a long journey.”
Though he smiled, his gaze toward Sabigang was anything but friendly.
It was likely because of Seoraehyang.
Though he pretended otherwise, the Black Dragon cherished Hongmyo.
And Sabigang had turned Hongmyo into a hostage for the Justice Alliance, so there was no way he could have good feelings toward him.
A middle-aged man standing beside the Black Dragon spoke with a gentle smile.
“It’s been a while. I’m Ryu Yeojoong, the chief strategist.”
“Nice to meet you.”
“And the person beside you is…?”
“He’s someone who insisted on coming along.”
“Pleased to meet you! I’m Churyang, disciple of the supreme, unrivaled master of the universe!”
His bizarre introduction made not only Ryu Yeojoong but all the warriors present frown.
Sabigang quickly sent a mental message.
[Hey, are you trying to start a fight right off the bat?]
[Heh heh. But to me, you’re the supreme master.]
Sabigang shook his head inwardly.
This guy was definitely eccentric.
Even though he himself wasn’t exactly conventional, having someone like Churyang around made him act more composed.
Ryu Yeojoong responded with a laugh.
“Ha ha ha. You must really respect your master. But you should be careful with such bold statements. There are many rough individuals here.”
“Heh heh. When it comes to being rough, my master is no slouch either…”
Smack!
Sabigang lightly smacked the back of Churyang’s head and smiled.
“Well, I’ll make sure to keep him in line. Let’s get to the main topic, shall we?”
Ryu Yeojoong narrowed his eyes.
He had noticed during the last alliance meeting that Sabigang’s words were always straightforward.
Whether it was a calculated tactic or just his nature, dealing with him wasn’t exactly easy.
“Heh heh! It seems the journey was quite tiring.”
Surprisingly, Heomuguk laughed it off.
Sabigang shrugged.
“Well, it wasn’t exactly close. But thanks to the guide you sent, it was an enjoyable trip. He was quite entertaining.”
Heomuguk’s gaze shifted to Banjo, who stood beside Sabigang.
Banjo shrank back, his shoulders hunched.
Failing the assassination and becoming a laughingstock, he wouldn’t be surprised if he was killed on the spot.
But Heomuguk merely chuckled.
“I’m glad to hear that. Ryu, please show them to their quarters.”
“Understood. Ah, before that, here’s the roster of the students you’ll be instructing.”
An aide handed Sabigang the roster.
He quickly scanned through it.
‘As expected, there are quite a few familiar names.’
Of course, they wouldn’t know him.
They hadn’t experienced the future yet.
Closing the roster, Sabigang looked up.
“May I make a request?”
“Go ahead.”
“Handling these students alone might be challenging. I’d like an assistant instructor.”
“I see. Then I’ll select a suitable warrior…”
“No, I have someone in mind.”
Ryu Yeojoong tilted his head in curiosity.
“Someone in mind? Who might that be?”
“Jeok Mulin.”
“Jeok Mulin…?”
Ryu Yeojoong searched his memory, surprised by the request.
It was understandable.
Jeok Mulin had been the leader of the New Martial Squad but was currently suspended and under house arrest.
The reason was a fight with a warrior from the Justice Alliance.
A bar brawl had escalated, and Jeok Mulin had left three Justice Alliance warriors in tatters.
The Justice Alliance had demanded accountability, and the Blood Sect had to compensate and impose a heavy penalty on him.
Jeok Mulin was known for his animosity toward Justice Alliance warriors.
Yet Sabigang wanted him as an assistant instructor.
Was he planning some sort of revenge?
Ryu Yeojoong chuckled at the thought.
Revenge from a hostage?
This was the heart of the Blood Sect.
Sabigang couldn’t act as freely as he might in the Justice Alliance.
“If he truly wants Jeok Murin, I suppose there’s no reason not to grant his request.”
In fact, it might even make it easier to keep an eye on Sabigang.
Ryu Yeo-jung replied, “Understood. Once we verify him and find no issues, we’ll appoint him as an instructor.”
“Thank you.”
Sabigang grinned.
“This is just too much, don’t you think?”
Churyang frowned deeply.
They stood before an old building nestled deep in the forest. It looked like it could collapse at any moment, with the signboard hanging precariously. The windows were shattered, some completely fallen out, and every corner inside was thick with dust and cobwebs.
“These bastards! Even if they treat us like hostages, this is going too far!”
Churyang fumed, his face flushed with anger.
This was where Sabigang would be staying from now on. Not far from there, near a cliff, was another building that looked ready to fall apart. This was the training hall where students would be taught.
Banjo, who had led them there, taunted, “Well, at least it’s the largest area. Isn’t it nice to live surrounded by nature?”
But Sabigang didn’t seem particularly bothered.
“This is my territory now. I’ll just have to fix it up.”
“Seriously? You think you can fix this place up?”
“I do.”
“Well, if you say so, Master.”
Churyang quickly backed down, but he couldn’t shake his rising frustration. He didn’t mind roughing it himself, but seeing his respected master treated so poorly was hard to swallow.
A moment later, there was a knock at the door.
Churyang rushed to open it, revealing a man with a stern expression standing there. He had a rugged look, with tanned skin and a strong presence. Narrowing his eyes slightly, he spoke.
“Is this Instructor Sabigang?”
“Ah, not me… over here.”
Just then, Sabigang approached the door. He glanced at the man and asked, “Murin?”
Jeok Murin, whose name had been called out so abruptly, scowled slightly but nodded.
Sabigang gave a curious smile. “Welcome.”