Episode 271: Return to the Demonic Sect
“Remarkably, they’ve left no trace.”
Churyang clicked his tongue in disbelief.
He was a master of tracking, yet even he found no evidence at the House of the Ten Thousand Lives Sword.
The client must have stayed only briefly. The only clue was the placement of two glasses on a shelf, suggesting a single visitor.
Churyang clicked his tongue again.
“The client aside, the Ten Thousand Lives Sword is quite something. It’s hard to find any sign that she’s a woman.”
“Perhaps she’s forgotten she’s a woman herself.”
“If even she forgets, should we consider her a man?”
“You saw it, didn’t you? Even she crumbles before love.”
Churyang nodded with a bitter smile.
“Love does seem to make people weak.”
“Or it could be the opposite. It shows just how powerful love can be.”
“Ah…!”
Churyang’s eyes lit up with a mischievous grin.
“Oh, that’s the insight of someone who’s been in love, isn’t it?”
“If you’re just going to spout nonsense, let’s head back.”
“Hold on. Let’s check something first.”
“What?”
“Just watch.”
Churyang grinned and pulled out a yellow piece of paper from his pocket. It looked like a talisman but was blank.
With a flick of his wrist, he sent the papers flying around the room, each one sticking to a different spot.
“What is this?”
“It’s a Qi Detection Paper developed by the Black Wolf Brigade. I scattered them where the client might have sat or touched. The paper will change color based on the residual energy.”
Sure enough, after a moment, some of the papers began to change color, turning a dark crimson.
As Churyang collected the papers and began analyzing them, Sabigang approached.
“What do you think?”
“The person we suspect to be the client has an unusually high amount of yin and death energy.”
“Does that mean they’re trained in extreme yin martial arts?”
“That’s… not quite it. It’s strange.”
“Why not?”
“If they had extreme yin internal energy, the left corner of the paper would have burned slightly. But they didn’t reveal any internal energy here. It’s just that…”
“Is it the environment?”
Churyang nodded.
“Yes. For some reason, they’re constantly exposed to extreme yin and death energy. It’s odd. Do they sleep next to corpses?”
“If it were that bad, we’d detect corpse poison too.”
“True. So what is it?”
“How should I know? We didn’t find much. Your tracking skills aren’t much use here.”
Churyang finally snapped.
“The client just passed through! If I could identify them from that, I’d be setting up a fortune-telling stall instead of doing this!”
Meanwhile, Josinryang couldn’t shake the bitter feeling as he looked at the body of the Ten Thousand Lives Sword lying in the courtyard.
A fundamental question echoed hollowly in his mind.
“Why does it have to be this way?”
He was sick of it.
The martial world was a tangled web of grudges, but this was like insects dying in a spider’s web.
Sabigang, who had approached unnoticed, spoke in a flat tone.
“Don’t waver. The enemies you’ll face from now on won’t be martial artists.”
Josinryang looked at Sabigang without asking what he meant. Somehow, Sabigang’s eyes conveyed something too complex to explain.
In any case, Sabigang had kept his promise. The Ten Thousand Lives Sword was shattered before it claimed ten thousand lives.
Now it was Josinryang’s turn to keep his promise.
Sabigang spoke, solidifying his resolve.
“I promise. The weapons you create will save more than ten thousand lives.”
“I’ll trust you… this time too.”
Sabigang and his group left the hideout of the Ten Thousand Lives Sword and descended the mountain.
When they reached a sizable village, they found lodging at a branch of the Blood Lotus Sect.
As their return was delayed, they sent a message to the Heavenly Palace to explain the situation.
**
The liquor slid smoothly down his throat.
Thud.
“Ah!”
Maeng Gasuk exclaimed in delight, shaking his head as he set his glass down on the table.
“This is the taste.”
He picked up a piece of pancake with his chopsticks and chewed it with satisfaction.
“Delicious! This place is the best.”
“You must have been hungry.”
“No, it’s delicious even when I’m full.”
Maeng Gasuk countered Jin Jo-young’s remark, his chopsticks never resting.
Jin Jo-young chuckled and refilled Maeng Gasuk’s glass.
“Stop focusing on the food and have a drink. I can’t stand people who focus on the food when drinking.”
“Don’t worry, it’s on me today. Just enjoy.”
“Is there something to celebrate?”
“Celebrate? No, I’m just annoyed.”
“Why?”
“Isn’t it obvious? Everyone’s fawning over that Sabigang instructor.”
“Well, you seemed to enjoy it too.”
“Hmph! Enjoy? Drink.”
The two clinked their glasses and drank.
Maeng Gasuk’s expression turned sour as he set his glass down.
Jin Jo-young’s observation wasn’t entirely wrong.
At some point, Maeng Gasuk found himself enjoying the challenge with Sabigang.
But today, he suddenly felt it was pathetic.
So he called for a drink.
The sun was setting in the west, painting the sky with a beautiful red hue.
But Maeng Gasuk didn’t particularly like this time of day.
Neither did Jin Jo-young, sitting across from him.
“Let’s not forget.”
Maeng Gasuk spoke abruptly.
Jin Jo-young nodded silently, knowing exactly what he meant.
Every time they saw the red sunset, the bloody scene replayed in their minds.
And they would never forget it until they died.
But…
“Those fools seem to have forgotten.”
He was referring to the group that used to hang out with Maeng Gasuk.
They were so engrossed in their matches with Sabigang that they seemed to have forgotten their original resolve.
Especially…
“That Dobicheon is practically Sabigang’s lackey now.”
“Come on, it’s not that bad.”
Jin Jo-young chuckled and emptied his glass.
He drank without eating because the sunset was too intense tonight.
“If they hadn’t forgotten, they wouldn’t be so carefree.”
“Let’s not be too harsh. Neither you nor I, nor those guys, can forget what happened.”
“People are creatures of forgetfulness.”
“Maybe. But Sabigang seems different, doesn’t he? Like he’s not just any ordinary person…”
Bang!
Maeng Gasuk suddenly slammed the table.
Jin Jo-young stared at him, and Maeng Gasuk scowled and shouted.
“Different, my foot! Do you think I haven’t met enough people at my age? They’re all the same. If you fall for that facade, it’s over. Haven’t you learned anything from being abandoned?”
“Calm down. I just think Sabigang is a bit unusual…”
“Hmph! He may act differently, but he’s just another human. With that mindset, you’ll be betrayed by the organization again.”
”…”
The unspoken words finally came out.
Jin Jo-young silently raised his glass.
“Well, if you say so, then it must be true. Let’s drink.”
He refilled Maeng Gasuk’s glass.
Maeng Gasuk glared at the sunset with burning eyes and downed his drink.
“I heard Sabigang will be arriving soon. I’ll make sure to kill him then.”
“Are you afraid of Sabigang?”
“Want the truth? I am. Not of his martial arts, but of how he’s winning over your hearts. I don’t like how he’s slowly dismantling the armor around your hearts.”
For a moment, Maeng Gasuk’s eyes glowed green.
The veins on his temples bulged.
Jin Jo-young sighed deeply and refilled his glass.
“Calm down. Your eyes are going wild again. What if something goes wrong? Drink.”
“Hmph! There’s nothing left to go wrong.”
The sky was burning redder.
And so were their hearts.
“It’s just like back then. That damned sky.”
“Are you really planning to end Sabigang?”
“I have to try. Why?”
“I have some good information.”
“What is it?”
“There’s word that Sabigang will return to Gap Snake Gorge tomorrow evening.”
Maeng Gasuk’s eyes gleamed.
“To Gap Snake Gorge? Is that true?”
“A few days ago, I heard that Instructor Sabigang sent a carrier pigeon. It seems he’s delayed and plans to take a shortcut. If he goes through Gapsa Gorge, he could save about two hours.”
Maeng Gasuk’s lips curled into a sly smile.
Gapsa Gorge, of all places?
It’s a treacherous path, flanked by sheer cliffs on both sides. Of course, for those of us in the Blood Lotus Sect, it’s not particularly dangerous. But if Sabigang dares to pass through there?
“Seems he’s forgotten who he really is.”
No matter how confident he is, choosing to traverse that narrow gorge is practically inviting an assassination attempt.
“Perfect. This time, I can finally take that instructor’s head.”
“But what if he doesn’t come this way?”
“Does it matter? If he doesn’t, we’ll just head back. But we can’t miss this golden opportunity just because we’re afraid of a wild goose chase, can we?”
“True enough.”
“Even if it’s a shortcut, it’s a perfect place to die.”
“He must know that. It’s probably just bravado. You know how that instructor loves to show off.”
“Many have lost their lives because of that bravado. And by the time they realize it, their heads are already rolling.”
Maeng Gasuk took a swig from his cup and said, “Let’s gather the men.”
“Hmm. But I’m not sure if Bicheon and the others will be up for it. They’ve started to enjoy going up against that instructor.”
“Hmph! Then let them sit it out. They’re the ones who’ll betray us first and end up crying. Fools forget the past too quickly.”
Maeng Gasuk grabbed the bottle and drank straight from it.
**
The next day, around the same time.
Maeng Gasuk stood atop a hill overlooking Gapsa Gorge, his eyes filled with steely determination. Soon, Jin Jo-young joined him.
“What about the others?”
“They’re not coming.”
“Idiots! Leave them be! We’re enough for Gapsa Gorge.”
“Old man, just don’t overdo it. Remember what happened last time with the poison…”
“Quiet. Let’s go!”
Maeng Gasuk strode forward with purpose.
As he entered the gorge, he glanced up at the sky, which was burning red.
“Days like this always remind me of that time.”
“It was a gorge like this back then too,” Jin Jo-young nodded, acknowledging the shared memory. Despite the painful recollections, talking about it seemed to soothe a part of their troubled hearts.
The gorge was dark, with only the red sky above snaking like a long serpent. The two of them squeezed into a crevice in the rock wall, a perfect spot for an ambush.
Soon, Sabigang would pass through here. Although a new guard named Heuk-gwi was rumored to be with him, the ambush had a high chance of success. Perhaps Seoktan-gang and Yu Song-ryeong might even lend a hand. Or they might attempt their own assassination. Either way, the odds were in their favor.
How long did they wait?
[They’re coming! Get ready!]
Maeng Gasuk sent a silent signal. Flickering lights appeared in the distance, unmistakably heading into the gorge. Jin Jo-young nodded and stilled his presence.
Maeng Gasuk’s eyes gleamed with a fierce intensity. In the next instant, he sprang into action.
But then, he froze, eyes wide with disbelief.
“You… why are you here?”