Episode 344: Return to the Demon Sect
Inside the tent, tension and dark energy swirled like a storm.
At the center, sitting on a grand chair, was Heo Mu-geuk, the Blood Lotus Sect leader. To his left stood the elite warriors of the Unorthodox Faction, and to his right, the experts of the Demon Sect.
“Ahem.”
Heo Mu-geuk cleared his throat, clearly displeased.
Just then, Nokmyeonin entered the tent.
“My apologies for being late.”
From the Blood Lotus side, Dokgo Jin, the leader of the Black Tortoise Hall, responded with a frosty expression.
“Seems like you’re carrying quite a burden.”
“Haha, indeed. Perhaps I should shed some weight.”
Nokmyeonin laughed it off, but Dokgo Jin’s forehead creased with irritation.
‘Insolent…!’
While their own leader was present in the tent, the Demon Sect hadn’t even bothered to send their deputy leader, let alone the leader himself. Although Ryu Yeo-jung, the chief strategist, had mentioned that this might be for the best in the long run, Dokgo Jin couldn’t help but feel irked by their arrogance.
“The Demon Sect has performed better than expected,” Heo Mu-geuk remarked.
Nokmyeonin smiled modestly. “You’re too kind. It’s just a shame the righteous alliance leader is still alive.”
A subtle rebuke.
Understanding the underlying message, Heo Mu-geuk narrowed his eyes, his aura intensifying. Nokmyeonin quickly bowed his head.
“Please, don’t misunderstand. Not everything goes according to plan.”
‘This sly fox…!’
Dokgo Jin ground his teeth but held his tongue.
Meanwhile, Ryu Yeo-jung stepped forward to continue the meeting.
“It’s unfortunate that the righteous alliance leader is still alive, but the situation has escalated beyond the point of no return. Therefore, our alliance plans to advance directly to the main base of the righteous alliance. Any objections?”
“Of course not. We shall follow your lead.”
Nokmyeonin replied with his usual easygoing smile.
Ryu Yeo-jung studied him quietly.
‘A man whose true intentions are hard to discern.’
The Demon Sect raised no further objections and aligned with the Blood Lotus Sect’s stance.
After the meeting, as Baekho Hall leader Chu Hui-ryong was leaving the tent, he heard someone call out to him.
“Leader Chu. May I have a word?”
Turning around, he saw it was Dokgo Jin.
Given their frequent disagreements, Chu Hui-ryong responded with a wary expression.
“What is it?”
“Don’t you sense any ulterior motives from them?”
Dokgo Jin asked, watching the Demon Sect warriors retreat into the distance.
Chu Hui-ryong shrugged. “How should I know? I’m not a mind reader. But… considering how deeply they’ve rooted themselves in this world, they probably have their own agenda.”
“Exactly. Even a seed carried by the wind can take root if the soil is fertile. We extended our hand first, but they won’t let this opportunity slip by. They’ll try to deepen their roots in this world.”
“So, what are you suggesting?”
Chu Hui-ryong frowned, prompting Dokgo Jin to glance around before speaking in a low voice.
“Once we deal with the righteous alliance, why not eliminate Nokmyeonin?”
“What?”
Chu Hui-ryong’s eyes widened, and Dokgo Jin quickly gestured for silence.
“Shh!”
After a pause, he continued in a whisper.
[We should discuss this privately. You mentioned they might have their own plans. I agree. Since we finally see eye to eye, it must be true, right?]
[Even so…]
[Before they become a problem for us, we should strike first. We’ll make it look like an accident. If you and I join forces, we can easily take down Nokmyeonin, don’t you think?]
[What if he’s not as easy to deal with as you think?]
[Do you really believe that even with our combined strength, we can’t defeat him?]
Dokgo Jin’s tone was mocking, but Chu Hui-ryong brushed it off.
[Let’s approach this cautiously.]
[We need to act swiftly, not cautiously. Otherwise, their influence will spread like weeds.]
Chu Hui-ryong fell silent, lost in thought.
Dokgo Jin was known for his aggressive stance.
‘He’s determined to escalate things.’
It wasn’t a decision to be made lightly.
If Sabigang could turn the tide with a significant event, it wouldn’t matter what he decided. But if not, things could get complicated.
‘Sabigang is still safe. This could change everything.’
Yet, relying solely on Sabigang felt like a precarious gamble.
They needed a contingency plan for when the righteous alliance was defeated.
Just then, one of Dokgo Jin’s subordinates approached.
“Leader!”
“What is it?”
Dokgo Jin replied sharply, clearly annoyed by the interruption.
But sensing the urgency, he refrained from scolding further.
“An urgent report from the main camp.”
“The main camp? From the Heavenly Palace?”
“Yes.”
“What’s it about?”
“It’s about the Myungri Pavilion…”
The subordinate hesitated, glancing at Chu Hui-ryong.
At the mention of the Myungri Pavilion, Chu Hui-ryong perked up.
‘Could it be that Sabigang’s actions have been discovered?’
If so, it would be disastrous.
Especially if the plans he handed over were exposed, it would be an irreversible situation.
Dokgo Jin glanced at Chu Hui-ryong, then decided it didn’t matter.
“Go ahead and report.”
He figured it was better to be open than to risk misunderstanding by being secretive.
But he soon regretted his decision upon hearing the report.
“The warriors of the Myungri Pavilion… have been annihilated.”
“What?”
The unexpected news raised Dokgo Jin’s voice.
Realizing his outburst, he lowered his voice and asked again.
“The Myungri Pavilion warriors annihilated? How?”
As the subordinate explained, Dokgo Jin’s expression grew increasingly grim.
The shocking news prompted Chu Hui-ryong to step forward.
“Who was responsible?”
“We’re not certain, but there’s talk of the Assassination Guild’s involvement.”
“The Assassination Guild? Why would they…?”
Dokgo Jin shouted, bewildered.
Chu Hui-ryong quickly added.
“They wouldn’t act on their own, would they? Was there anyone else involved?”
“No, nothing confirmed.”
Dokgo Jin stood there, mouth agape, as if struck by a blow, while Chu Hui-ryong inwardly sighed with relief.
‘Good! They don’t know Sabigang is involved!’
Meanwhile, Dokgo Jin’s face twisted in frustration.
He waved his subordinate away without looking at him.
“Alright, you can go. What about the leader and the strategist?”
“They should have received the report by now.”
“Damn it.”
Dokgo Jin cursed, waving his hand dismissively.
Chu Hui-ryong approached, feigning concern.
“Are you alright?”
“Do I look alright? Of all things, the Myungri Pavilion… How could this happen?”
“If the Assassination Guild was involved, it couldn’t be helped.”
“Even so…! Wait, didn’t those new recruits mention something strange before?”
“What do you mean?”
“Yes, they did. They said Sabigang was leading the Assassination Guild’s assassins.”
“That’s absurd. Why would…?”
“But think about it. Sabigang disappeared while we were on the move, and now the new recruits are missing too! And the Assassination Guild’s involvement… Is this all just a coincidence?”
“Hmm. It still seems like a stretch.”
Chu Hui-ryong feigned ignorance, and Dokgo Jin, feeling deflated, didn’t press further.
After all, what were the odds that an instructor from the righteous alliance would command the Assassination Guild?
Even Dokgo Jin realized he might be reaching.
He exhaled deeply and spoke.
“Anyway, what do you think of my proposal?”
“Which proposal? Oh, about eliminating Nokmyeonin?”
“Yes.”
“While I do have some concerns, I agree with you. We can’t be sure of the Demon Sect’s intentions, so I’ll stand with you, Leader Dokgo.”
Dokgo Jin’s expression brightened.
“Really?”
“Of course.”
“Good decision. I was worried you might not agree, given your tendency to take the long way around.”
“That’s a misunderstanding. I care about our alliance as much as anyone. I’ll do whatever it takes to help.”
“Hmm. Very well. Let’s discuss the details later.”
“Let’s do that.”
Chu Hui-ryong turned away, hiding a smirk.
But as he took a few steps, Dokgo Jin suddenly remembered something.
“By the way… about that righteous alliance warrior we lost track of.”
“The righteous alliance warrior?”
“Yes, Eun-hwi’s subordinate.”
He was referring to Sobigwang, whom Chu Hui-ryong had secretly released, causing him to tense up.
“Oh, him. Why do you ask?”
“Letting him slip away was unlike you, Leader Chu.”
“Of course, I can’t say I’m blameless. But bringing it up now…”
Chu Hui-ryong’s gaze drifted to where Su-ha had been standing moments ago.
He was implying they should discuss the mistakes made by Myeongrigak.
In a wartime situation, losing track of a small fry compared to the annihilation of Myeongrigak’s warriors left Dokgo Jin with little to argue.
Understanding the implication, Dokgo Jin cleared his throat and took a step back.
“Well, mistakes happen. Let’s be more careful next time.”
“Agreed.”
Finally, Dokgo Jin turned away, still looking uneasy.
Watching him go, Chu Hui-ryong muttered to himself.
“He’s got a good sense for things, but his lack of persistence is a fatal flaw.”
**
“Once we get over this hill, the leader will be there,” Jo Mun-tak said with a wide grin.
Sabi-gang frowned and asked, “Why are you grinning like a fool?”
“Just happy to see the instructor alive and well.”
Sabi-gang took a step back, eyeing him suspiciously.
“Are you… into men?”
“What are you talking about! I’m just genuinely happy as one human to another!”
“Hmm. My mistake.”
“Most people wouldn’t misunderstand at that point!”
“Most men don’t smile at other men like that.”
“Unbelievable. Even after coming back from the brink of death, you haven’t changed a bit.”
“People only change when they’re about to die.”
“You could stand to change a little, instructor.”
“Are you telling me to die?”
“That’s not what I meant! Come on!”
Sabi-gang chuckled softly.
‘I’ve already changed once, in a big way.’
He kept that thought to himself as he continued walking, followed by the new recruits.
Jo Mun-tak, who had been out scouting, had spotted Sabi-gang and the new recruits just as the warriors led by the leader arrived nearby.
Since a large-scale battle was inevitable, Sabi-gang planned to join forces with the warriors dispatched from the main branch of the Justice Alliance.
As they walked along the path, they noticed an old woman standing beside a large rock in the distance.
She was hunched over, her hair streaked with gray, and her face painted a sickly yellow.
She was the infamous Hwangmyeonin.
A long bag was slung over her back.
“Master…”
Chulyang approached cautiously, but Sabi-gang raised a hand to stop him.
“It’s fine.”
Sabi-gang walked steadily toward where Hwangmyeonin stood.
“Do you have business with me?”
At his question, Hwangmyeonin looked at him intently before opening her dry lips.
“Are you… Sabi-gang?”
“Yes, I am.”
In the next moment, her eyes flashed with murderous intent, anger, resentment, and hatred.
But as if mastering those emotions, she closed her eyes tightly, then slowly opened them to look at Sabi-gang.
And then…
”…!”
Both the new recruits and Sabi-gang were taken aback.
Hwangmyeonin suddenly dropped to her knees and bowed her head.