Chapter 253: Return to the Demon Sect
Chu Hui-ryong’s eyes trembled violently.
From a place where no one should ever emerge, someone who should never have been there appeared.
He was so dumbfounded that his mouth hung open, unable to utter a single word.
His gaze flickered back to Chu-ryang, and suddenly, all of Chu-ryang’s strange behaviors made sense.
A murderous aura erupted from his entire being.
“You filthy bastards…!”
He shook with rage, gripping his sword tightly.
Sa Bi-gang, observing Chu Hui-ryong’s reaction, gestured to Chu-ryang.
“Get out.”
“Where do you think you’re going?!”
Chu Hui-ryong shouted, glaring at Sa Bi-gang.
“Who said you could leave? Stay right where you are.”
But Sa Bi-gang was unfazed.
“Leave.”
“Uh, well…”
Chu-ryang hesitated, trying to rise from his seat.
Swoosh!
A flash of light zipped through the air, stopping just at his throat.
Gulp.
He swallowed hard, feeling the cold blade against his neck.
Chu Hui-ryong, still glaring at Sa Bi-gang, spoke.
“Move even a single step, and you’ll lose your head.”
Caught in this tense standoff, Chu-ryang looked helplessly at Sa Bi-gang.
‘Master…! Please save me!’
His eyes pleaded desperately.
Sa Bi-gang, with a calm gaze, looked at Chu Hui-ryong.
“Let him go.”
“And why should I?”
“Because the conversation we’re about to have is of great importance.”
“For someone who broke into my place, you seem awfully confident.”
“I have to be. I’ve seen everything down there.”
Chu Hui-ryong’s expression faltered for a moment.
Sa Bi-gang continued, his eyes fixed on Chu Hui-ryong.
“I assure you, nothing I say will be to your disadvantage.”
Chu Hui-ryong narrowed his eyes, glancing between Sa Bi-gang and Chu-ryang.
After a moment, he withdrew the sword he had pointed at Chu-ryang and addressed Sa Bi-gang.
“Let’s hear what you have to say. But if it’s not worth my time, you’ll pay for today’s intrusion.”
“Of course.”
Sa Bi-gang nodded and gestured to Chu-ryang.
Finally, Chu-ryang hurriedly exited the room.
Chu-ryang paced back and forth inside for quite some time.
The sun had long set, and starlight poured in through the window, yet he hadn’t even thought to light a lamp.
‘What on earth is happening?’
It had been two hours since Sa Bi-gang instructed him to leave the White Tiger Hall.
Yet, there was no word from Sa Bi-gang.
The White Tiger Hall remained eerily quiet.
As he paced by the window, Chu-ryang suddenly stopped, his expression hardening.
He couldn’t just wait any longer.
‘I must save Master myself.’
Wasn’t he supposed to be a bodyguard?
Ah, come to think of it, wasn’t there another bodyguard?
“Where’s that Black Ghost?”
“Looking for me?”
A raspy voice suddenly came from behind, and with a swirl of dark smoke, Black Ghost appeared.
“Ah!”
Startled, Chu-ryang jumped back.
“What the—? Why do you always appear out of nowhere?”
“You’re the one who suddenly called for me.”
Black Ghost replied coldly.
Chu-ryang cleared his throat awkwardly.
“Ahem! Anyway, I’m going to save Master now. I fear something might have happened to him.”
“Is that so?”
“Is that so…? Aren’t you coming with me?”
“Of course not.”
“Why not?”
“The master ordered me to stand by.”
“But as a bodyguard, aren’t you worried about your master?”
“As a subordinate, I suppress my emotions and follow orders.”
“Hmph! Do as you please. But I’m going to save Master.”
“Then I wish you luck.”
With that, Black Ghost melted into the shadows, disappearing without a trace.
Chu-ryang, with his relatively free-spirited mindset, couldn’t understand the rigid Black Ghost.
‘But I won’t abandon Master!’
Resolute, Chu-ryang extended his right hand, channeling mana.
Whoosh!
Sharp mana shot out like a spear.
Then, bending his left arm forward,
Whoosh!
A shield of bluish light formed.
Compared to a few days ago, he had become quite adept at handling the Cartel’s protective gear.
‘Good, with this weapon Master gave me, I’ll save him!’
Determined, Chu-ryang strode towards the door.
But just before opening it, he stopped abruptly and turned back.
‘I’m not ready yet. If I’m heading into enemy territory, I need to be thoroughly prepared!’
Returning to a corner of the room, he opened a storage box and began gathering daggers.
After arming himself with as many daggers as he could carry, he headed for the door again.
‘No, it’s still not enough. No matter how many weapons I have, they’re useless if I can’t protect myself.’
Chu-ryang descended to the underground training room, finding and donning a sturdy leather armor.
‘Good, this should do. Ah, I should eat well, just in case this is my last meal.’
Thinking it might be his last supper, Chu-ryang ate a hearty dinner.
Finally resolute, he left his quarters.
The night air was chilly.
A sudden wave of melancholy washed over him.
A disciple setting out to save a master whose fate was unknown.
‘I might die like this.’
As he headed towards the White Tiger Hall, trying to shake off his gloom, a voice suddenly interrupted.
“Where are you going?”
Startled, Chu-ryang stepped back, clenching his fists.
Was it because he was flustered?
The magic shield and sword he expected didn’t appear, and the daggers he had tucked away clattered to the ground.
“Who, who are you… Master?”
“Yes, this ‘who’ is your master.”
“Master! You’re alive!”
“Why the fuss? When was I ever dead?”
“Well, no, but… I really thought you were in danger…”
“So you were on your way to commit suicide?”
“Suicide? No! I was going to save you…!”
“Good thing I found you first.”
Sa Bi-gang shook his head.
Regardless, Chu-ryang was overjoyed, as if he had returned from the brink of death.
“Why were you gone so long?”
“There was an important discussion.”
“An important discussion…?”
Sa Bi-gang stopped, glancing back at Chu-ryang.
His expression and demeanor were so serious that Chu-ryang dared not interrupt.
With a firm expression, Sa Bi-gang spoke.
“I’ve decided to kill him.”
“Him…? Who do you mean? Surely not the White Tiger Hall leader?”
“No.”
“Then…?”
The next moment, Sa Bi-gang’s words were earth-shattering.
“The Blood Demon Lord. I must kill him.”
‘He said he’d kill the Demon Lord…’
Chu Hui-ryong squinted, looking out the window.
In the distance, he could see Sa Bi-gang’s quarters.
Despite being a hostage, Sa Bi-gang had built the tallest building in the Heavenly Palace.
A man whose true intentions were impossible to read.
Yet, he had entered and exited Chu Hui-ryong’s secret chamber.
Even now, Sa Bi-gang’s confident voice echoed in his mind.
“I’ll kill the Blood Demon Lord.”
”…!”
The moment he heard Sa Bi-gang’s words, Chu Hui-ryong’s cheek twitched, and he held his breath.
‘He saw it all! Everything!’
How had he entered the secret chamber?
Even as he pondered, his eyes darted to the Four Guardian Statues and the Army of the Four Corners.
Everything was in its place.
Yet, Sa Bi-gang had been there…
‘Someone activated the mechanism and reset it!’
He had underestimated the situation.
He should have maintained strict vigilance even in his absence.
But this was also a strategy of deception.
If the White Tiger Hall’s defenses were too tight, it would arouse suspicion, so he had deliberately kept them lax.
He was confident that no one but himself could open the mechanism leading underground.
Sa Bi-gang, observing Chu Hui-ryong’s evident unease, continued.
“I’ll help you achieve your ambition.”
”…”
Chu Hui-ryong hesitated.
He had three choices.
First, deny everything and feign ignorance.
Second, admit it and hear him out.
Lastly, kill Sa Bi-gang on the spot.
But the first option was no longer viable.
Since Sa Bi-gang had entered the secret chamber, it was off the table.
Ultimately, he had to either accept or eliminate him.
As he wrestled with his decision, Sa Bi-gang spoke again.
“To achieve that ambition, you’ll need external support. But my help is as good as the Justice Alliance aiding you.”
Chu Hui-ryong looked up.
It was a compelling argument.
Sa Bi-gang smiled faintly.
He was confident he could persuade Chu Hui-ryong.
When he had met the Evil Sky Monster before, he understood why the monster was unsure about Chu Hui-ryong.
Chu Hui-ryong was a man of great ambition.
It wasn’t that he was simply gentle and trying to take a moderate stance on the Jeongdo Alliance.
In any organization, when engaged in an external conflict, internal hierarchies tend to solidify.
The same was true for the Great War of the Sects.
When the Blood Sect went to war with the Jeongdo Alliance, the authority of the sect leader became an unassailable wall.
However, in times of peace, internal power struggles inevitably intensified.
After examining countless documents in the underground chamber, Sa Bi-gang reached a single conclusion.
“Chu Hui-ryong. So, he wanted to become the leader of the Blood Sect.”
The more ambitious a person is, the better they are at hiding their true intentions.
Yet, they often have a keen interest in others.
The information Chu Hui-ryong had gathered was mostly about the lineage within the Blood Sect and the tendencies of its key figures.
And there were meticulous records of his investigations into the sect leader.
Now, it was clear why he had been killed by the sect leader.
He must have planned a coup and failed.
Finally, as if Chu Hui-ryong had made up his mind, he spoke.
“How can I trust you?”
“If you don’t, do you have another option?”
Sa Bi-gang let out a cold smile.
Chu Hui-ryong’s hand slowly slid toward the hilt of his sword.
He was ready to draw it and strike Sa Bi-gang in an instant if necessary.
Yet, even now, he hesitated.
He knew from years of experience that every opportunity came with its risks.
Sa Bi-gang’s gaze lingered on Chu Hui-ryong’s hand.
“Are you going to draw that sword?”
“Who knows.”
“If it were me, I wouldn’t. I wouldn’t want to miss this chance.”
“Just one question.”
“Ask away.”
“Why are you trying to help me? No, why are you so willing to kill the sect leader for me?”
“That’s because…”
Sa Bi-gang paused briefly before continuing.
“He’s mastered the Thunder Devouring Technique.”
“The Thunder Devouring Technique?”
It was clear Sa Bi-gang had gleaned quite a bit from the records.
Almost no one knew that the sect leader had mastered the Thunder Devouring Technique.
Not even within the Blood Sect.
The sect leader had never demonstrated that skill.
It was like a hidden trump card.
But why?
As if reading his thoughts, Sa Bi-gang grinned.
“Think of it as preemptive revenge for something that might happen in the future.”
“What on earth is he talking about?”
Chu Hui-ryong’s expression twisted slightly.