Episode 325: Return of the Demon Sect Instructor
“Have I gathered enough?”
Sabikang scanned the materials room one last time, ensuring he hadn’t missed anything. He had collected nearly everything he needed, leaving behind only the most common ingredients. Yet, even with his selective approach, he had amassed over a hundred different items.
He was cautious not to linger too long in the materials room, wary of arousing suspicion. To avoid this, he occasionally retreated to the main hall, spending time there before returning to his task. This routine had stretched over two days.
Given the reputation of this place as the top alchemy lab in the sect, taking a few ingredients wouldn’t raise any alarms. Of course, the rare herbs were likely cataloged, and regular checks would ensure nothing was missing. But by the time anyone noticed, it would be too late.
“Time to take these to Tang Yi-hyeop.”
Tang Yi-hyeop would know which of these items might cause trouble. The Asura Elixir, which he had received in advance from Baekho Tangju Chu Hee-ryong, was already in Tang Yi-hyeop’s possession.
“Now, let’s get out of here.”
The real challenge was leaving without being detected. He had managed to remain unnoticed so far, but getting caught on the way out would render all his efforts futile. Sabikang took out another antidote from his pocket and swallowed it. He was running low on these antidotes, which were essential to withstand the pervasive toxins within the sect’s walls. The martial artists working here likely had their own methods of protection, as the air was thick with poison.
“By now, they should be heading to Tangyang.”
The alliance with the righteous sects had gone smoothly, and many of the martial artists stationed at the Heavenly Palace were gathering in Tangyang. However, the inclusion of the newly formed group, a symbol of the alliance between the righteous and the demonic, was a concern. The instructor leading this group was nowhere to be found, which might have sparked rumors by now.
“Well, Chu Liang will handle it.”
Sabikang dismissed the thought and headed towards the lift. But then, he stopped abruptly.
“Wait a minute…”
He squinted at the opposite wall, a thought crossing his mind. He turned and walked towards it, examining the rows of cabinets and the wall at the end. Why leave a wall exposed here? The cabinets had been arranged to create a path, but why leave a wall with no apparent purpose?
He reached out and felt along the wall.
“Is this just my imagination? There was nothing on the blueprints…”
Just as he was about to give up, the wall slid open, revealing a hidden space.
“Another lift…!”
Curiosity piqued, Sabikang stepped onto the lift. The wall closed behind him, and he descended. When it stopped, the wall opened again, revealing a smaller room than before. The walls and ceiling were studded with luminous pearls, and the room was lined with boxes.
“What is this…?”
He opened the nearest box, and his eyes widened.
“This is…?”
Inside, small creatures wriggled in the sand, oblivious to his presence, moving instinctively.
“Gu…!”
He quickly opened other boxes, finding more insects. Some were nestled in honeycomb-like structures, packed with eggs.
“So this is where they keep all the Gu!”
Some of the Gu were familiar to him—Blood Gu, Twin Demon Gu, and Hungry Ghost Gu were ones he had seen or learned about before. He even spotted the Thunderworm, which had been found in the body of a deceased elder from the righteous sects.
“Could it be…?”
If the Asura Elixir contained these instead of other ingredients, it would explain a lot. His suspicion turned to certainty. If the elixir had Gu eggs, they wouldn’t react like other ingredients. The old master had fallen victim to such a trick before.
“Does this mean the Gu implanted in Hongmyeo is one of these?”
The thought was infuriating.
“Well, it does seem like something the sect leader would do.”
If the Gu in Hongmyeo’s body could kill the leader of the righteous sects, then surely…
“It must be one that causes an explosion.”
Sabikang began searching through the boxes with renewed urgency.
**
As Sabikang had predicted, the Heavenly Palace was bustling with preparations to depart for the Tangyang branch. The newly formed group was no exception, as they were a symbol of the alliance between the righteous and demonic factions and had to be included in the expedition.
However…
“Where on earth is the instructor?”
Chu Liang paced nervously in front of the new group’s quarters, biting his thumbnail. By this afternoon, a brief departure ceremony would be held, and all the martial artists would head to Tangyang. Yet, Sabikang was still missing.
The absence of Sabikang was causing unrest among the martial artists from other factions and even within the new group. But he couldn’t divulge the secret mission to them. The fewer people who knew, the better.
So, Chu Liang had been sending Black Ghost to secretly scout the materials room at night. Despite the ambiguous hierarchy between them, Black Ghost complied without complaint, concerned for Sabikang’s safety.
But they found nothing. Black Ghost reported that even seeing the faces of those working in the materials room was difficult.
“Could something have happened inside the materials room?”
It had been days since Sabikang disappeared. Had he ever been out of contact for this long before? It was time to call in the backup plan. Sabikang had instructed that if he didn’t appear by the departure ceremony, they should summon the backup, but not to act until further orders.
“Once I call in the backup, what then? Should I lead the new group myself?”
Lost in thought, Chu Liang was startled by the approach of Baekho Tangju Chu Hee-ryong, who walked over with a serious expression.
“What’s the status of the instructor?”
“Well…”
“Still no word?”
”…Yes.”
“Damn it!”
Chu Hee-ryong clicked his tongue in frustration. Chu Liang, sensing an opportunity, cautiously asked.
“Could something have happened in the materials room?”
“Like what?”
“Maybe he was discovered… or poisoned…”
“That’s not possible.”
Chu Hee-ryong cut him off firmly. Chu Liang felt a mix of relief and curiosity about the reason for his confidence.
Perhaps sensing this, Chu Hee-ryong continued.
“If something had happened, the Heavenly Palace wouldn’t be this quiet.”
“Oh…!”
“There would be chaos. The alliance with the righteous sects would be in jeopardy.”
“But couldn’t they keep it quiet to protect the sect leader’s plan to eliminate the righteous sect leader?”
“They would at least inform the leadership. If not, there would be some movement from the materials room. But it’s too quiet now.”
Indeed, that made sense.
“Then it’s likely that the instructor is safe.”
Chu Hee-ryong glanced around again before speaking.
“There’s a growing sentiment in the Heavenly Palace criticizing Sabikang. They say he’s cowardly hiding before the campaign against the Demon Sect.”
“The instructor would never…!”
“Even I have my doubts. He promised to help with my plan, but now I question his sincerity. Did he even enter the materials room?”
Chu Liang’s expression hardened as he stared at Chu Hee-ryong.
“The instructor’s actions may be unconventional, but he wouldn’t hide over something like this. Please retract your doubts. I doubt the instructor would appreciate hearing such things later.”
“Ahem. You better be right. I may be patient, but when I get angry, it’s not pretty.”
“Well, I’ve seen scarier people.”
Chu Hee-ryong gave Chu Liang a long look before turning away with a scoff. As he watched him leave, Chu Liang fell into deep thought.
“Surely… you haven’t really gone into hiding, have you? You haven’t flown off somewhere, have you, instructor…?”
Despite his confident words to Chu Hee-ryong, Chu Liang couldn’t shake his uncertainty.
**
Another four days passed.
To avoid suspicion, Sabikang continued his meaningless trips to the main hall. The variety of Gu was overwhelming. Some were so rare that he didn’t dare touch them without certainty. Unlike other ingredients, missing Gu would be immediately noticed.
After careful consideration, he decided to take only two of the most suspicious ones.
But now, something else entirely had caught his eye.
“This must be what Tangju mentioned.”
Sabi Kang’s eyes glinted with a hint of intrigue.
In the corner of the shelf lay a necklace.
It was unmistakably an artifact from the demon realm.
“Craneon…”
The pendant shaped like a skull—Craneon!
Sabi Kang reached out slowly and picked it up.
The skull’s eyes, nose, and mouth were twisted in a way that made it look unsettling, exuding an aura that suggested it was no ordinary object.
To the untrained eye, it might seem like just a bizarre trinket, but anyone sensitive to magical energy would find it hard to look away.
‘That’s probably why they left it here without knowing what it was.’
Craneon was a rare magical tool, even in the demon realm, designed to react solely to mana.
A pendant that provided a kind of buff effect.
“But this one is quite unique.”
Typically, Craneons had a normal skull shape, but this one had its features oddly distorted.
Even Sabi Kang had never seen a Craneon like this before.
Finding such an item here was indeed a stroke of luck.
Judging by the thick layer of dust, it seemed the people at Myungri Pavilion hadn’t recognized its value and had just tossed it aside.
“Well, I might as well take it. They don’t seem to care about it anyway.”
With a wry smile, Sabi Kang slipped the Craneon around his neck.
**
‘Damn it…!’
Sabi Kang bit his lip.
He hadn’t expected to need to activate a mechanism to open the inner door.
He had tried to leave as naturally as possible, but without knowing how to operate the mechanism, there was no way out.
Of course, the blueprint given by Chu Hee-ryong didn’t include instructions on how to activate it.
In the end, he suggested to a subordinate that they take a break and get some fresh air.
The subordinate, whose identity Sabi Kang didn’t even know, grinned from ear to ear at the suggestion from the Northern Lord.
After being cooped up for days, the offer must have seemed like a blessing.
Sabi Kang stood by the door, letting the subordinate lead the way.
‘By now, everyone should have left for Dangyang. I need to hurry.’
As he was thinking this, the subordinate glanced back while trying to activate the mechanism.
Then, with a start, he stared intently at Sabi Kang.
Sabi Kang furrowed his brow and asked, “What’s the matter?”
After a brief pause, the subordinate suddenly stepped back and drew his sword.
“Who are you?!”
Sabi Kang looked at him, bewildered.
“What are you talking about…?”
As he spoke, Sabi Kang froze.
‘Damn it…! My voice…’
The voice-copying spell had failed!
But why?