Episode 326: The Return of the Demon Instructor
Sabikang was supposed to be disguised as U-gwang using the Shape Switch spell. He had even employed the Copy Voice spell. So why had the magic suddenly unraveled?
Caught off guard by the unexpected turn of events, Sabikang barely had time to react before his opponent charged at him with a sword.
“Reveal yourself, intruder!”
“Damn it!” Sabikang cursed under his breath, quickly retreating.
“What sorcery is this? Who are you?” the man demanded, his voice filled with suspicion.
Sabikang furrowed his brow. “If they don’t know who I am yet, maybe the magic hasn’t completely worn off.”
His face was likely a bizarre mix of his own and U-gwang’s, half and half. The commotion had drawn people from inside the Mingli Pavilion, and they poured into the hallway, all eyes fixed on Sabikang.
A sharp voice cut through the crowd. “What’s going on here?”
It was Injoheum, the third-ranking member of the pavilion, known for his unmatched martial prowess. He pushed through the throng, his eyes widening when he saw Sabikang.
“Something’s definitely wrong,” Sabikang thought, as Injoheum drew his sword and pointed it at him.
“Who are you?”
Sabikang took a step back, realizing his plan to slip in and out unnoticed had failed. But it wasn’t the end of the world. The fact that few people left the pavilion was oddly comforting.
“Well, there’s no turning back now,” Sabikang muttered, dropping the Shape Image spell to reveal his true form.
The warriors in the hallway gaped at him. “What the… How did he change his face like that?”
Injoheum stepped forward, eyes narrowing. “You’re… Instructor Sabikang?”
Recognition didn’t lessen the hostility. If anything, Injoheum’s wariness intensified.
“Why are you here?” he demanded.
“Let’s just say I wandered in,” Sabikang replied, scratching his head.
“And what about the Vice Pavilion Master?”
“It’s a long story. But what are you going to do now?”
Injoheum sneered. “You must be out of your mind to come here. Whatever you’re after, forget about leaving in one piece.”
The air grew tense as the warriors around them prepared for a fight. Sabikang felt the oppressive mix of poison and killing intent in the air.
“Damn, the antidote’s wearing off. I’ll start getting poisoned soon,” he thought. While he could use Cure Poison to handle most toxins, the sheer variety here was overwhelming.
There was no time to waste. Sabikang blocked the exit and drew his sword, Veritas.
“Looks like we’re doing this. Let’s get it over with.”
The situation was beyond repair. He needed to act quickly before things got worse.
Injoheum’s expression turned incredulous, then cold. “You’re dumber than the rumors say. The moment you use your power here…”
“The alarm will sound, right?” Sabikang interrupted.
“Exactly. The mechanisms will activate, and every warrior from the Blood Lotus will converge here.”
Sabikang grinned. “Who said anything about using internal energy? I’ve got other tricks.”
With that, he charged forward, a fierce wind trailing in his wake.
**
Meanwhile, the Blood Lotus warriors had set up camp halfway up the mountain, just a half-day’s journey from their destination, Dangyang. Night had fallen, and they decided to rest here.
As tents were pitched and temporary quarters established, Churyang, leading the new recruits, was lost in thought.
“Has Master made it out yet?” he wondered. The assassins were likely at the Heavenly Palace by now, but without a way into the Mingli Pavilion, what could they do?
“Ugh…” He bit his thumbnail, pacing anxiously, when a sharp voice snapped him out of it.
“Get a grip!”
Startled, Churyang turned to see Maeng Gasuk glaring at him. “You’re leading us, remember?”
“Ah, sorry. What’s the matter?”
“You were supposed to find a quiet spot for the new recruits. We don’t want any unnecessary conflicts.”
“Right, I’ll get on that. Don’t go too far.”
“Got it.”
As Maeng Gasuk walked away, he paused and looked back. “The instructor will be fine.”
“What makes you say that?”
Maeng Gasuk chuckled. “You develop a sense for these things. Besides, after all you’ve seen him do, you’re still worried? I’m not. I’m curious to see what kind of mess he’ll make this time.”
“A mess?”
“Yeah. It’s always entertaining to see what kind of trouble he stirs up.”
“That’s exactly why I’m worried! And when he gets back, I’m telling him everything!”
Churyang realized his anxiety stemmed from wondering what kind of chaos his master would cause, not from fear for his safety.
After Maeng Gasuk left, someone else approached. It was Ryu Yeojoong, the chief strategist.
“Instructor Sabikang isn’t here yet?”
“Ah, Strategist. He’s been busy.”
“With what, exactly?”
“You know how he is. He doesn’t share much, even with me.”
Ryu Yeojoong smirked. “Rumor has it he’s run off.”
“That’s not possible,” Churyang replied, forcing a smile. “He might cause trouble, but he wouldn’t run.”
Ryu Yeojoong narrowed his eyes and turned away. “I hope he shows up soon. This mission is crucial.”
“Of course. Don’t worry.”
Churyang bowed, gritting his teeth. “As if I don’t know what you’re up to. It’d be better if he didn’t show.”
At that moment, Churyang couldn’t imagine Sabikang not appearing.
**
In the command tent, Ryu Yeojoong reported to Heomugeuk, who was finishing his meditation.
“Sabikang still hasn’t shown?”
“No, and it seems Churyang hasn’t heard from him either.”
“Hmm. Disappeared without a word… What’s your take?”
“I’m sorry, but I can’t read him at all.”
Ryu Yeojoong admitted his frustration. He preferred not to speculate without solid evidence, and Sabikang was an enigma.
Heomugeuk nodded slightly, acknowledging the difficulty.
“True, he’s certainly one of a kind.”
“Sabi Kang’s actions have always been unpredictable. Perhaps we should wait and see how things unfold this time…”
“No.”
Heo Mu-geuk shook his head, his gaze colder than ever.
“You know this well, don’t you? This mission is a significant decision for me too. I can’t predict when my resolve might waver. We must act while my mind is set.”
“But what if Sabi Kang unexpectedly interferes…?”
“Do you think the leader of the Justice Alliance stands a chance then?”
Heo Mu-geuk looked up at Ryu Yeo-jung.
After a moment of contemplation, Ryu Yeo-jung shook his head.
“That’s impossible. But if he shows up here late…”
“That’s not a concern.”
Heo Mu-geuk declared with a confident expression.
“I made a mistake.”
Ryu Yeo-jung bowed deeply.
Heo Mu-geuk chuckled softly and waved his hand dismissively.
“It’s not a mistake. A strategist must consider the worst-case scenario. But don’t forget, I’m still here.”
“Absolutely right.”
“And if, by some minuscule chance, my strength isn’t enough, isn’t the Demon Sect also at our disposal? They won’t just stand by and watch any interference.”
“Of course. Once we reach Dangyang, we’ll choose an appropriate day within the next week to proceed with the plan.”
“Indeed.”
Heo Mu-geuk nodded in agreement.
“Haah, haah…”
Ragged breaths escaped Sabi Kang as he lifted his head to survey the corridor.
“Damn it. The poison’s really deep…”
As expected, the warriors of Myungri Pavilion had unleashed all sorts of toxic attacks.
They even used some strange contraption they developed to douse Sabi Kang with poison at every turn.
Fighting in such a confined space left him with no choice but to take the hits head-on, adopting a strategy of sacrificing flesh to protect his bones.
As a result, he was drenched in countless poisons from head to toe.
Yet, Sabi Kang fought like a demon.
But there was a problem.
“Damn it! This cursed cranion!”
Only now did Sabi Kang realize why his shape-shifting and voice mimicry had failed.
The cranion, with its twisted eyes, nose, and mouth, was half-buried between his collarbones.
Astonishingly, whenever Sabi Kang used his mana, the cranion’s eyes glowed green, emitting a sinister energy.
And by the middle of the fight, the cranion had started blatantly absorbing his mana.
Sabi Kang belatedly realized that this cranion was a cursed object.
But by then, it was already too deeply embedded to remove.
Focused on the battle, he hadn’t noticed that the cranion had become almost a part of him.
He tried to dig his fingers into his collarbone to pry it out, but it was impossible.
This made the fight far more grueling than anticipated.
“Whooo!”
Sabi Kang exhaled deeply, scanning the blood-soaked corridor.
Dozens of bodies lay strewn about.
Some were charred, others dismembered.
At the start of the fight, he had easily dispatched his foes with magic, but once the cranion began siphoning his mana, he had to exert several times more effort.
As he surveyed the corpses, Sabi Kang looked up to see In Jo-heum standing before him.
“Gah…!”
In Jo-heum swallowed hard, stepping back in fear, his hand trembling uncontrollably around his sword.
“Are you… a monster?”
Sabi Kang smirked.
“Never seen anything worse than a monster, have you?”
“H-how is this even possible…! Stay back!”
But Sabi Kang ignored his words entirely, advancing steadily toward him.