Episode 327: Return of the Demon Instructor
The corridor spun wildly around him.
“What… what’s happening? Why do I feel so light? Am I using my lightfoot technique?”
These thoughts flashed through Injoheum’s mind in an instant.
But then, he saw something horrifying.
His own body, headless, stood in the middle of the corridor.
Blood spurted from the severed neck like a fountain.
That was the last thing he saw in his life.
Thud, roll…
Injoheum’s head tumbled to the floor.
“Gasp, gasp, gasp…!”
Sabigang leaned against the wall, taking deep breaths.
“Damn it!”
He slowly unclenched his fist, revealing it was stained a dark, ominous color.
Poisoning symptoms.
No matter how skilled a martial artist, without resistance to poison, they were vulnerable.
He had even taken an anti-poison from Ragel’s pouch just in case, but it was of little use.
“Damn it…!”
Sabigang clawed at the cranium embedded in his collarbone, trying to pry it out with his nails.
But the cranium was more than just fused with his flesh; it was firmly lodged in his body.
Of all things, it had to be a cursed cranium!
What he thought was a stroke of luck had turned into a deadly misfortune.
He had heard of cursed craniums in the demon realm but had never seen one until now.
“I can’t even use magic anymore.”
Even if he could use a cure poison spell now, the chances of easily treating the countless unknown toxins were slim.
The same went for potions.
He had already taken a cure poison potion, but it only slowed the progression slightly.
“Cough, hack!”
After a violent retch, he spat out a handful of blood clots.
“Damn it!”
He wiped his mouth with his sleeve and surveyed the surroundings again.
A truly horrific sight.
Corpses piled up so high there was hardly a place to step.
He stumbled over the bodies, making his way to a corner.
Sabigang picked up Injoheum’s head from the heap of corpses.
Injoheum’s eyes were still wide open, as if he couldn’t believe he was dead.
“See? Staying cooped up indoors isn’t good for your health. You need some sunlight. What a mess.”
Sabigang muttered as he crouched down, collapsing onto the spot.
He didn’t care that two corpses cushioned his fall.
Now wasn’t the time to worry about such things.
He needed to think about how to escape this place.
The poison’s effects were wearing off, and the potions were useless.
The only silver lining was that no one outside knew about the massacre inside the Myungri Pavilion.
Sabigang had fought using only mana and physical techniques.
He used aura instead of sword energy or sword force, and he used magic.
Of course, even that was limited by the cranium.
As a result, the energy detection device didn’t pick up any of his power.
The designer of the Myungri Pavilion had too much faith in their own security measures.
Normally, it would be impossible for someone who couldn’t use internal energy to infiltrate this place.
And if such a person were discovered, they could be dealt with without raising an alarm.
In most cases, the energy detection device alone would have been more than enough security, but for Sabigang, it was a significant loophole.
Moreover, the fact that the Myungri Pavilion’s warriors rarely came and went worked in his favor.
They hadn’t left even once in days, so no one would find it strange if they didn’t go outside.
Ironically, the conditions that initially seemed so restrictive had now created a favorable environment for Sabigang.
“Not that it matters much when I’m struggling to survive with this poisoning…”
Sabigang chuckled bitterly and pulled out a dagger, starting to peel the skin from Injoheum’s face.
If he walked out as himself, the guards would surely panic and attack, so he planned to disguise himself as the Pavilion Lord.
Without magic, he had no choice but to make a skin mask.
Ssshhh…
The dagger sliced through Injoheum’s facial skin with precision.
This gruesome task required meticulous care.
If the skin was too thin, it could tear when worn; too thick, and it would hinder facial movements.
The right thickness…
Sabigang recalled advice from long ago, given by Tang Yi-hyeop, and worked carefully.
The only concern was if someone tried to enter from outside during this process.
If that happened, they would signal from outside, and he would have to open the door immediately.
If there was no response, they might suspect something and surround the Myungri Pavilion with warriors.
He chuckled.
Just an hour ago, he was frustrated by the lack of visitors, and now he hoped no one would come.
The situation had completely flipped.
“Well, that’s life. Full of unexpected twists.”
Sabigang muttered with a pale face, finally lifting the completed skin mask.
“This should do.”
It was amateurish compared to Tang Yi-hyeop’s work, but it would suffice to fool the enemy once.
Sabigang entered a random room and found a sticky adhesive.
In a place filled with experiments and research, such items were easy to find.
With the skin mask on and a change of clothes, Sabigang glanced at his reflection in a mirror.
“Not bad.”
He took a deep breath and headed for the exit.
Fortunately, no one had visited the Myungri Pavilion during that time.
By now, he was curious when the Pavilion Lord would finally show up.
Not once had they visited, even after seven days.
“And they still get paid? What a cushy job.”
Sabigang staggered to the entrance.
“Now… it’s time to get this thing working.”
He gazed up at the still-closed iron door.
**
Footsteps echoed in the dim cave.
Finally, a figure entered a space where a faint light emanated from a wall-embedded night pearl.
It was an old woman with a hunched back, known as the Yellow-Faced One.
She glanced at a stone bed carved from rock and then set down the basket and brush she carried.
On the stone bed lay a man wrapped in white cloth, like a corpse.
She spoke in a detached voice.
“The Justice Alliance says the Cheongpung Leader has already arrived in Dangyang. Of course, the Blood Lotus Lord came personally. They haven’t reached Dangyang yet, but they should arrive tomorrow.”
”…”
“How’s your body?”
”…”
The man wrapped in white cloth remained silent.
The Yellow-Faced One didn’t seem to expect an answer, stirring the red powder in the basket with water.
It turned a deep, blood-like red, like ground cinnabar.
After a while, the Yellow-Faced One approached the stone bed with the thick liquid.
“The Blood Lotus Lord plans to crush the Justice Alliance with this opportunity. But they know too little about our sect. Our sect plans to awaken with this chance. If we’re lucky, we’ll succeed in one grand move. But the Master has advised not to rush. One thing is certain, though. Either the Justice Alliance Leader or the Blood Lotus Lord will fall this time.”
The man wrapped in cloth let out a faint chuckle.
The Yellow-Faced One frowned slightly.
“What’s so funny?”
“Since when did you become so talkative?”
“Just updating you on the situation.”
“Enough. I’ll handle this.”
“No need to overexert yourself. Green Face has taken charge.”
“Why would someone so busy with their precious research take on this task?”
“Is there a need to be sarcastic?”
“Never mind. I’ll take care of it. I won’t back down.”
“Is it because of your grudge against Sabigang?”
The man’s eyes burned as he glared at the Yellow-Faced One.
“Yes! Do you think I’ll let the one who did this to me go?”
“Personal feelings can ruin the grand plan.”
“Ha, personal feelings? Have you forgotten? Sabigang… he’s the one who constantly thwarted our sect’s plans! Ignoring him would only make things worse.”
“Hmm…”
The Yellow-Faced One pondered for a moment before speaking.
“I’ll propose it to the Master.”
“Make sure to get approval.”
“I’ll try.”
The Yellow-Faced One reached out with a wrinkled hand and began to unwrap the cloth from the man’s face.
The burns had healed enough that the cloth came off cleanly.
Her eyes reflected a complex mix of emotions.
“Do you… resent me?”
The man’s eyes, revealed from the bandages, held a hint of mockery.
“Are you letting personal feelings interfere with the grand plan?”
”…”
“You know better than anyone.”
“That’s fine.”
“What do you mean?”
“If it eases your mind, I don’t mind.”
The man, rather than being intimidated, glared at the yellow-faced woman with even more excitement.
Finally, as the bandages were completely removed, his face was laid bare.
A face grotesquely scarred and twisted by burns.
He looked like a demon that had just escaped the inferno.
Unable to bear the sight, the yellow-faced woman turned her head away and reached out her hand.
In her hand were a small bowl and a brush.
The bowl was filled with red paint.
She dipped the brush into the paint and moved to apply it to the man’s face when—
“Get that away from me.”
With a swift motion, the red-faced man knocked the brush and bowl from her hand.
The yellow-faced woman frowned.
“What do you think you’re doing?”
The red-faced man smirked coldly.
“Look at me. Do you recognize me?”
”……!”
“Look at me properly! Do you know who I am?”
Only then did the yellow-faced woman truly look at his face.
Her wrinkled eyes glistened with moisture.
The red-faced man chuckled icily.
“There’s no need for disguises anymore.”
He stood abruptly and strode out of the room.
Left alone, the yellow-faced woman let out a long, weary sigh that filled the space.
**
Finally…
“It’s open.”
Sabigang watched the door swing open with a look of pure joy.
Two full hours had passed.
Compared to the time spent waiting until now, two hours seemed short.
But with his body poisoned, those two hours felt like an eternity.
Sabigang took slow, measured breaths as he moved forward.
“Damn it… I need to treat the poison first…”
Even if he managed to escape unscathed, there was still a problem.
If the master of Myungri Pavilion, who hadn’t shown up yet, came in and saw this chaos, wouldn’t he report it immediately?
“Should I just kill the master too? Ugh, I’ll deal with the cleanup later. Right now, treatment is the priority.”
He desperately wanted to escape this wretched place and breathe fresh air.
As he opened the inner door and stepped into the corridor, he leaned against the outer wall.
Fortunately, the outer door was designed to open easily.
All he had to do was press his hand against a recessed spot.
Creeeak…!
Finally, the outer door opened.
Morning sunlight poured through the gap, stabbing at his eyes.
Sabigang squinted and raised his hand, only to find someone standing right in front of him.
The person seemed to have just arrived at the pavilion and was about to enter, pulling on the rope beside the main door.
“Hmm?”
The newcomer narrowed his eyes and looked at Sabigang.
Sabigang, startled by the unexpected encounter, looked back at him.
“Damn it! Of all times…!”
It was none other than the master of Myungri Pavilion, Jang An-mun.