Episode 210: Return to the Demon Sect
A man lay naked on a long stone table.
His hair was white as snow, marking him as an elderly man.
His eyes were tightly shut, and his limbs were bound by chains of pure steel. This was Seol Baek, once a revered elder of the Justice Alliance.
A man with a face painted entirely in red was inserting thin needles into various points on Seol Baek’s body.
The red paint was so thick that it was impossible to discern his true features.
After placing the last needle, the red-faced man lifted Seol Baek’s eyelids.
He examined the whites of Seol Baek’s eyes for a moment, then turned and left the stone chamber.
Time passed.
“……!”
Seol Baek’s eyes snapped open as if waking from a nightmare.
He glanced around, trying to move his arms.
Clang! Clatter!
The chains held him fast, preventing any movement.
His consciousness had returned the moment the red-faced man had inserted the final needle.
‘Who was that?’
Seol Baek frowned, looking down at his body.
Thin needles were embedded all over his bare skin.
How long had he been asleep?
The stone chamber had no windows.
Only a torch on one wall provided light.
There was no way to tell where he was or how much time had passed.
One thing was certain: this was not the Justice Alliance.
The aura here was anything but pure.
Could it be the Blood Sect?
Seol Baek shook his head.
While it might involve people connected to the Blood Sect, this place was not the sect itself.
If it were, they would have no reason to keep him alive.
He was at a loss.
The only consolation was that he was still breathing.
As long as he lived, there would always be another chance.
He just had to wait for the right moment.
Taking a deep breath, Seol Baek calmed his mind.
He had lived through countless trials over the years.
This was just another mountain to climb.
And as always, he would ascend it with patience.
Meanwhile, the red-faced man walked through a dark tunnel after leaving the stone chamber.
As he reached the exit, an old man with a face painted entirely in blue approached.
The blue paint was so thick that his original features were also obscured.
“How is he?” the blue-faced elder asked.
“It seems his consciousness has returned,” the red-faced man replied.
“Then it’s time to begin.”
“Did the Master have any specific instructions?”
The blue-faced elder nodded.
“While this matter is important, he is also intrigued by a man named Sa Bi-gang.”
“Indeed. That one is different.”
“He has gone to the Blood Sect.”
“To the Blood Sect? There must have been some sort of deal.”
“Seems so. Otherwise, the Blood Sect wouldn’t be acting like a tame puppy.”
The red-faced man nodded.
Sa Bi-gang’s actions were certainly unusual.
Too unconventional.
And in his experience, such individuals often became obstacles to the Master’s grand plans.
“So what does the Master intend?”
“He wants us to keep a close watch on him. But first, we must handle this matter.”
“Understood. Leave Seol Baek to me.”
**
“Honestly… this is pathetic.”
Hong Yeom of the Ghost Shadow Squad wrinkled his nose as he surveyed the surroundings.
Sa Bi-gang shrugged nonchalantly.
“Don’t worry. I adapt quickly, no matter where I am.”
“But you deserve better treatment than this.”
Hong Yeom had come to regard Sa Bi-gang as his master, deep in his heart.
Part of the Ghost Shadow Squad had split off under Hong Yeom’s leadership to serve as Sa Bi-gang’s eyes and ears.
Meanwhile, the squad leader, Woong Pae, was reporting directly to the Inspection Bureau.
Sa Bi-gang chuckled and asked, “How did you manage to sneak in? There must be countless eyes watching me.”
“Moving in and out of places like this is what our Ghost Shadow Squad does best.”
“Ha ha. How’s the investigation going?”
“We’re looking into all the merchants in the Central Plains. We’ll uncover the truth soon.”
“So you haven’t found anything yet.”
“My apologies.”
“I figured it wouldn’t be easy.”
“But we’re close. We’ve confirmed that one of Seol Baek’s subordinates met with a merchant. We’re tracking that merchant’s movements now.”
“I see. Once you find out more, report to me first.”
“Understood.”
“Keep up the good work.”
As Sa Bi-gang finished speaking, Hong Yeom’s presence vanished as if it had never been there.
Whoosh.
A cool night breeze blew in through the open window.
Sa Bi-gang looked out and sighed softly.
“Well, it is a bit shabby.”
**
“Pfft!”
Chu Ryung burst into laughter.
Bang Gak, standing in front of him, raised an eyebrow.
‘Is that bastard mocking me?’
He was irritated but held his tongue, not wanting to appear petty.
Instead, he furrowed his brow and glared at Chu Ryung.
Bang Gak, who had claimed he wasn’t afraid of death, had returned to the training ground today.
Of course, he was the only one attending the session.
The training ground was still deserted, with only fallen leaves scattered about.
Sa Bi-gang smirked.
“Seems like you are afraid of death after all.”
“Don’t be ridiculous. I’m just curious about how you conduct your lessons.”
“I see. So you’ll be attending regularly?”
“Of course. As I said, I’m not afraid of death. I’m just interested in your teaching methods.”
Bang Gak refused to bend his pride.
He didn’t want to give the impression that he was forced to submit for the antidote.
He wanted to appear as someone driven by personal curiosity, unrelated to the threat of death.
Sa Bi-gang asked again, “So you’ll attend every day without fail?”
“I will.”
‘Otherwise, you won’t give me the antidote!’ he thought, swallowing the words that rose to his throat.
Sa Bi-gang chuckled, patting him on the shoulder.
“Good, I like your attitude. I’ll hold you to that.”
“Hmph! We’re not like those hypocritical orthodox sects that change their words on a whim! I keep my promises!”
“Good, good. I like that. But there’s one thing I don’t like.”
Bang Gak’s expression hardened at Sa Bi-gang’s words.
‘This bastard plans to manipulate me with the antidote!’
It was infuriating, but he had no choice.
He had already taken the poison pill.
If he didn’t comply with Sa Bi-gang’s demands, he wouldn’t get the antidote.
Sa Bi-gang continued, “First, change the way you address me. Call me Instructor and show some respect.”
“Ugh…”
“I’m not one to demand respect, but I do insist when necessary. As I mentioned yesterday.”
“Understood.”
“You should say, ‘Yes, Instructor.’”
“Damn it, yes, Instructor.”
“Leave out the cursing.”
“Ah, damn it! This is too much…!”
“Not willing, are you? Well, see you tomorrow. Today’s lesson is over.”
Sa Bi-gang turned and began to walk away.
Bang Gak’s eyes widened.
‘What? He’s leaving? This bastard! Is he really going to leave without giving me the antidote? Is he planning to let me die over a single word? And he calls himself a righteous warrior!’
Fury boiled inside him, but there was only one thing Bang Gak could do.
And at this moment, he had to do it.
“Yes, Instructor!”
“Hmm? What did you just say?”
“Yes, Instructor.”
“See? You can do it. It’s starting to come naturally. That respect, I mean.”
“Grr.”
“Afraid I’ll kill you, huh…?”
“Hmph! No! I’ve decided to learn from you, of my own accord! Damn it!”
“Hmm? Damn it?”
“It’s… it’s just a habit.”
“I see. Anyway, it’s not because you’re afraid of death, but because you’ve made a conscious decision. Very fitting for a warrior of the Blood Sect. Impressive. I’m impressed.”
“Thank you… for the compliment.”
“Well, since I’m in a good mood, shall we continue the lesson?”
Sa Bi-gang approached Bang Gak again.
“Let’s start with breathing exercises. Sit in a lotus position.”
“Before that, um…”
Bang Gak hesitated, trying to find the right words.
Sa Bi-gang tilted his head.
“What is it?”
“Well, isn’t there something you’ve forgotten?”
“Forgotten? I don’t think so. Come to think of it, there are too many absentees today. It might be better to track them down than to continue the lesson. You agree, right?”
“Well, yes, but… before that…”
Bang Gak struggled to continue.
‘Damn it! The antidote! You promised to give me one every day, so keep your word!’
He swallowed the words that threatened to spill out, continuing to gauge Sa Bi-gang’s reaction.
Sa Bi-gang frowned.
“Why are you acting like a puppy that needs to go out? If you have something to say, just say it.”
‘This bastard! Are you really going to make me swallow my pride?’
Bang Gak was seething inside but couldn’t show it.
Asking for the antidote felt like begging for his life, which was humiliating.
But if time passed…
‘Soon a full day will have passed. Then the poison will spread, and I’ll die.’
He had no choice.
He had fallen into this bastard’s trap.
For now, he had to swallow his pride and beg for the antidote.
“Why aren’t you giving it to me?”
“Giving you what?”
“You said you’d give me one every day, didn’t you?”
“One a day? Oh, that thing?”
Sabigang scratched the back of his head as if he had just remembered.
“Oh, this is awkward. I’m really sorry, but I can’t for the life of me remember where I put it.”
“What, what did you say?”
Bangak’s eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head.
At this point, he couldn’t hold back any longer and shouted.
“What do you mean by that! How can you say this now? Didn’t you promise to give me one every day? It’s almost been a full day already!”
“What can I do if I forgot?”
“What kind of excuse is that…!”
“Do you really want it that badly?”
“Are you serious right now?”
Bangak was fuming.
He couldn’t tell if Sabigang was teasing him or if he was being serious.
Either way, this guy was definitely the worst!
As Bangak’s face turned various shades of red, Sabigang asked with a nonchalant expression.
“Are you really that tired?”
“What did you say?”
“You keep asking for the health pills, so I’m just wondering.”
“Health… pills?”
Bangak asked back, looking bewildered.
Weren’t health pills supposed to be something like a tonic for recovery?
“Yeah, the ones you keep asking for.”
“Health pills? Not an antidote?”
“Huh? Antidote? Have you been poisoned or something?”
Sabigang looked genuinely surprised and even tried to check Bangak’s eyes.
Bangak quickly swatted his hand away and stepped back.
“Didn’t you feed me that deadly poison, Instructor!”
“What are you talking about? When did I ever give you poison?”
“What? Yesterday, you definitely forced it into my mouth…!”
“I clearly told you it was good for you. Even when I give you health pills, you make a fuss.”
“Health pills… then the second thing you showed me, the antidote… it was a different color, though…”
“Oh, the second one? That was the same thing, just a bit faded.”
At this point, Bangak’s jaw nearly dropped.
Come to think of it, Sabigang never once mentioned poison or antidote, did he?
‘Damn it! What was I thinking all by myself?’
Sabigang furrowed his brow slightly.
“So, the reason you came to class today was because you mistakenly thought you were poisoned? And you were so afraid of dying that you came to get an antidote?”
“Ugh…!”
Bangak gritted his teeth.
Things had gotten really messy.
If he admitted it, it would mean he came begging for his life. If he denied it, he’d have to keep attending class without any excuses.
After a moment of internal struggle, Bangak chose the latter.
“No, I was just joking. I’m not afraid of death. It was all my decision.”
Sabigang beamed.
“Impressive. Well then, shall we start the real lesson… after we round up the students who aren’t listening?”