Episode 498: Return of the Demon Sect Leader

Thud.

Neung Un-pa set his cup down and fell into deep thought.

He replayed the duel he had with Maeseollan earlier that day in his mind.

“Magic…”

Indeed, Sabigang had referred to that strange technique as magic.

It caught him off guard.

But what troubled him more was how close he came to losing control.

In a fleeting moment, he almost unleashed a deadly strike on Maeseollan, unable to rein in his emotions.

“Hmm.”

He let out a low hum, staring intently at his trembling hand holding the cup.

Quietly, he asked himself, “What am I so afraid of?”

He was undoubtedly afraid, but of what, he couldn’t quite grasp.

“What is the problem? How did it come to this?”

His chest felt tight.

When he had unleashed that final strike, he saw Maeseollan’s face freeze in utter helplessness.

A woman admired for her stunning beauty and resolute character, now paralyzed by fear.

Her slightly frightened expression seemed to awaken something primal within him.

“Damn it…”

Neung Un-pa gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath.

He never imagined such crude words would escape his lips, let alone directed at himself.

“Is it my state of mind?”

After returning from the battle at Ganglimji, Sabigang had instructed all the warriors to practice meditation daily to maintain their mental balance.

Though outwardly he seemed fine, there was a possibility he had been affected.

Neung Un-pa had followed Sabigang’s advice, but it was around that time that a change began to stir within him.

A change so gradual he hadn’t even noticed.

But one day, he realized he had become a vessel of envy, jealousy, obsession, and anger.

Even today, he couldn’t understand why he had proposed a duel with Maeseollan.

Perhaps it was because of the Everlasting Snow Ginseng.

Sabigang had given it to Maeseollan, among others, and he wanted to see how much stronger she had become after consuming it.

“Pathetic. Why did I even want to know that?”

Neung Un-pa shook his head and poured himself another drink.

The only saving grace was that his sanity returned just as he was about to harm Maeseollan.

He had almost killed her.

“Yes, from now on, I must control my mind. I still have a long way to go.”

He drank the last of his liquor, a look of determination in his eyes.

“One thing is clear: I’m becoming more and more despicable. There’s only one way to save myself before I become even worse.”

He needed to let go of his obsessions and step down from his position in the Justice Alliance.

Sabigang was trustworthy enough to lead the martial world.

“Yes, when the sun rises tomorrow, I’ll call an emergency meeting and announce my decision.”

He could no longer lead this world.

Sabigang, who knew the demons best and was respected by many, was the only choice.

Some elders and leaders might oppose, but Neung Un-pa was resolute.

In a way, today’s duel with Maeseollan had opened his eyes.

“I should cast everything aside and retreat to the countryside to cultivate myself further.”

His heart felt lighter.

The turmoil that had plagued him since returning from the battle at Ganglimji seemed to vanish all at once.

Why hadn’t he made this decision sooner?

Why had he clung to such foolish obsessions and ugly behavior?

As he organized his thoughts, he remembered Uk Cheong-pung, who had looked at him with concern.

Once everything was settled, he would seek him out and apologize first.

“Cheonmu.”

Neung Un-pa spoke softly, and a voice answered from the shadows.

“Yes, Leader.”

He was Neung Un-pa’s personal guard.

“I’ll be making an important announcement tomorrow. Inform Gu Goon-sa to prepare for an emergency meeting.”

”…Wouldn’t it be better to take more time to think it over?”

Cheonmu asked cautiously, having watched over Neung Un-pa for many years and understanding his current state of mind.

But Neung Un-pa shook his head.

“No, my mind is made up. Go inform Gu Goon-sa, and take the night off yourself.”

“Shall I assign another guard…?”

“No need. Tonight, I wish to sleep alone.”

”…Understood.”

The presence in the shadows disappeared.

“Yes, this is enough.”

Neung Un-pa let out a bitter smile and walked to his bed.

Once he made up his mind, he wondered why he hadn’t realized such a simple truth sooner.

At least he knew now.

He let his thoughts drift for a moment before falling into a deep sleep.

How much time had passed?

Neung Un-pa slowly opened his eyes.

He spoke quietly, still staring at the ceiling.

“Who’s there?”

”…”

There was no response.

Instead, footsteps echoed softly in the darkness.

The intruder showed no surprise that Neung Un-pa had sensed their presence.

Neung Un-pa sat up, his sharp gaze piercing the shadows.

“You are…?”

He frowned as he recognized the unexpected visitor.

“Changshindan Leader Lee Ja-jun, at your service, Leader.”

Lee Ja-jun emerged from the darkness, kneeling respectfully.

Neung Un-pa tilted his head at Lee Ja-jun’s unannounced visit.

“What brings you here at this late hour without notice?”

“I felt it was best to speak when no other eyes were watching, so I took the liberty of visiting.”

“What is it about?”

Lee Ja-jun pulled something from his sleeve and offered it politely.

In his hand was a star-shaped necklace, engraved with tiny, unfamiliar characters.

It was not in Chinese.

Neung Un-pa frowned slightly, staring at the necklace.

It gave off an eerie aura.

“What is this…?”

“I found it at Ganglimji. It seemed unusual, so I brought it to you, Leader.”

Neung Un-pa swallowed dryly, his eyes fixed on the necklace.

At that moment, no other thoughts crossed his mind.

The necklace, exuding a strange energy, filled his vision.

It was as if the necklace had a will of its own, whispering to him.

Caught in its mysterious allure, Neung Un-pa cleared his throat and slowly reached out.

Finally, he took the necklace and examined it closely.

“The more I look, the stranger it seems.”

A peculiar excitement stirred within him.

How could he describe it?

The necklace whispered incessantly.

Though he couldn’t understand the whispers, they felt incredibly sweet.

Neung Un-pa stared at it, entranced.

“Leader…?”

Lee Ja-jun called out cautiously, bringing him back to his senses.

“Ah, yes. It’s certainly an eerie object. I’ll look into it. You may go now.”

“Understood. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

Lee Ja-jun bowed deeply and departed.

Neung Un-pa remained in the darkness, not even considering sleep, his eyes fixed on the necklace.

Strangely, in the pitch-black room, the necklace seemed to glow brightly.

“Truly a peculiar item.”

As he gazed at it, lost in thought, a voice suddenly called from outside the door.

“Leader, may I come in?”

Startled back to reality, Neung Un-pa quickly wrapped the necklace in his hand and stood up.

To his surprise, dawn had already broken.

He had only been watching the necklace for a moment, yet time had flown by, and the sun had risen.

The person who entered was none other than Cheonmu.

And following closely behind was Gu Yoon, the chief strategist.

With a concerned expression, Gu Yoon asked, “I heard you called for an emergency meeting. May I ask what the agenda is?”

He had noticed the leader’s recent odd behavior and was worried about any unexpected announcements.

But Neung Un-pa’s response was unexpected.

“Oh, don’t worry about that. The emergency meeting is canceled.”

“May I ask why…?”

“Just think of it as an old man’s whim. Sorry for causing unnecessary concern.”

“Not at all. Then, I’ll take my leave.”

As the strategist left, Neung Un-pa tightened his grip on the necklace.

**

So Cheon-ak paced anxiously in the courtyard of the Medical Pavilion.

There was a time when people said even a passing dog would wet itself if he glared at it.

Yet here he was, looking like a nervous puppy in front of the Justice Alliance’s Medical Pavilion.

He had only worn such an expression twice in his life.

Once when he learned his son, So Yu-gang, had gone missing.

Though he was unflinching before most warriors, he was utterly vulnerable when it came to his child.

After all, he was a father before he was a martial artist.

A guard watching him with concern suggested gently, “Perhaps you should rest a bit in the guest room.”

“How can I sleep when I don’t know what will happen to my son?”

“Didn’t Sabigang say it himself? That the Taoist Master and the Alchemy Hall Leader are the greatest experts of our time.”

“Yes, they must be.”

“Your son will recover safely.”

“Yes, he must.”

So Cheon-ak repeated the words.

It had been three days already.

Sabigang had returned from Yongcheon Temple with So Yu-gang.

But So Yu-gang was not in his right mind.

To treat him, he was immediately taken to the medical pavilion of the Justice Alliance.

There, a man known as the Murang Master and the head of the Jinbaek family were said to be personally overseeing his treatment.

Yet, there had been no news so far.

Having finally found his son, who had gone missing twice, the thought that his son might not recognize him was heart-wrenching.

Just then, the doors of the medical pavilion opened, and Sabigang appeared.

So Cheon-ak rushed over and asked, “Sabigang, how is he?”

Sabigang gave a faint smile and stepped aside.

Behind him stood Heuk-gwi, So Yu-gang, who smiled at So Cheon-ak.

“Father. It’s been a while.”

“Kang…! Do you really remember me? More importantly, can you now stand in the sunlight?”

His son had been cursed, unable to endure sunlight without his skin burning. Yet here he was, standing in the sun without harm.

So Yu-gang nodded. “I’m fine.”

“My goodness…! I have no more wishes left unfulfilled!”

So Cheon-ak ran to embrace So Yu-gang, overwhelmed with joy. He felt like dancing. His son had regained his lost memories, and the curse had been lifted. How could he not be overjoyed?

In truth, it was the skills of the Murang Master and Jinbaek that restored his memories, but the curse had lifted on its own when the evil god of Cassis was vanquished.

Regardless, one troublesome restriction was gone, and he couldn’t be happier.

Meanwhile, others watched the joyful reunion from a distance.

“It’s such a relief. He got his memories back,” Yujeong said to Jaunryong, who stood beside her.

Jaunryong paused before asking, “Are you… envious?”

“Perhaps a little.”

“Among the memories regained, there must be painful ones too.”

“Even if there are painful memories, that ‘Heuk-gwi’ has someone to share that pain with.”

”…!”

Jaunryong was momentarily speechless.

An answer he hadn’t known for so long seemed to flash through his mind.

‘Was that it…? What you erased wasn’t my mistakes, but my irresponsibility?’

His fingertips trembled slightly.

He hadn’t expected this.

With a trembling voice, Jaunryong asked, “So, if you had someone to share the pain of your lost memories with… would you want them back, no matter how terrible they are?”

Yujeong turned to him with a smile. “Yes. Because that would be my true self.”

At that moment, Jaunryong collapsed to the ground as if his legs had given way.

‘Was this the answer you spoke of…? So cruel…’

His gaze drifted towards Sabigang in the distance.

Startled, Yujeong quickly approached Jaunryong.

“Master? What’s wrong? Are you okay?”

When Jaunryong lifted his head, his face was streaked with tears.

“I have… something I must tell you.”