Episode 560: Return of the Demon Sect Leader
“You’re suggesting a divide-and-conquer strategy?”
Goo Yoon nodded in response to Sa Bi-gang’s question.
“Exactly. From what I’ve heard, the demon clan is currently split. Although Marquis Baritan hastened the demons’ descent, he’s considered a traitor in the demon realm.”
Sa Bi-gang nodded in agreement.
“That’s correct.”
“Then why would the ambitious Marquis Baritan summon the Demon King here?”
“What do you think?”
“This place is more familiar to Marquis Baritan. He lived here for a while, using Jonya’s body. To the Demon King, it’s an unfamiliar territory, but to Baritan, it’s home ground. The environment favors him. Plus, it’s a chance to gain the Demon King’s trust, which could lead to complacency.”
“So, you’re saying that once the demons finish their war with humans, Baritan will make his move?”
“Absolutely. He’ll undoubtedly stage another rebellion once the demons have finished their hunt.”
Sa Bi-gang showed a look of understanding. It was a plausible theory. He had considered the possibility that Baritan would betray the Demon King after learning from Murang that Baritan had killed Aranius. However, he hadn’t thought Baritan would start his rebellion in the human realm. He assumed it would happen after returning to the demon realm. But Goo Yoon’s reasoning made sense. There was no need for Baritan to wait until he returned to the demon realm. The human realm was a more advantageous battlefield for him.
“So, how do you plan to use this divide-and-conquer strategy?”
“Who do you think is easier for Baritan to deal with? The Demon King or humans?”
“Humans, of course.”
“Then wouldn’t he want to eliminate the Demon King first? To him, humans are just prey he can deal with anytime.”
“And then?”
“We approach Baritan first and propose a temporary alliance.”
“Go on.”
Sa Bi-gang’s interest was piqued. Goo Yoon continued with a calm demeanor.
“Baritan has no reason to refuse. In fact, he’ll likely help us weaken the Demon King’s power.”
“In the end, Baritan will use us too.”
“Exactly. It’s mutual exploitation. Our greatest weapon here is Baritan’s underestimation of humans.”
“Indeed. With Baritan’s cooperation, defeating the Demon King will be easier.”
“Yes, but more importantly, we need to set the stage for Baritan and the Demon King to fight each other. Let the two beasts tear each other apart. And when one is left standing…”
“We finish off the wounded beast.”
“Precisely.”
“That’s a solid plan.”
Sa Bi-gang acknowledged. He had been thinking of simply defeating both the Demon King and Baritan. If he had thought more deeply, he might have considered a strategy like Goo Yoon’s, but his hatred for the demons ran too deep. Moreover, others wouldn’t have dared to think of approaching the demons first. But Goo Yoon had flipped the script. It seemed simple, but it wasn’t easy. It could easily be dismissed as a ridiculous idea. And the biggest challenge was…
“Finding Baritan is the hardest part.”
Damu, who had been quietly taking notes, nodded in agreement.
“Indeed. It won’t be easy to make contact with Baritan, who is likely in the Black Fortress. If the Demon King finds out, the entire plan will fall apart.”
Even if they had thought of a divide-and-conquer strategy, executing it was another matter. How could they reach Baritan? And even if they did, there was no guarantee he would cooperate.
Sa Bi-gang spoke in a flat voice.
“I’ll go.”
Both Goo Yoon and Damu immediately protested.
“That’s not an option.”
Their synchronized response was so perfect it seemed like one person had spoken. Sa Bi-gang furrowed his brow, prompting Goo Yoon to elaborate.
“You need to take care of yourself. You’re the last hope for this realm.”
Damu nodded fervently beside him. Sa Bi-gang shrugged it off.
“It’s fine. I’m confident.”
“No, it’s not fine. Haven’t you faced danger before?”
“Well…”
Sa Bi-gang trailed off. Of course, he had faced countless dangers. Just days ago, he had nearly been trapped in his own consciousness forever, saved only by Maesellan and Churyang’s help.
Goo Yoon spoke as if he knew everything.
“No matter how strong you are, you can’t solve everything alone. That’s human nature.”
He was right. The difference between demons and humans. Despite saying that, Sa Bi-gang had tried to handle everything by himself.
“Is it just an old habit?”
A bitter smile crept onto Sa Bi-gang’s lips. It seemed like a habit from his time in the demon realm, where he couldn’t trust anyone.
Sa Bi-gang shrugged his shoulders.
“But if I don’t go, who will?”
“We need to send someone else. Someone to convey our position. It would look better too.”
“But who could infiltrate the Black Fortress and find Baritan? Few know what he looks like, and no one knows where he’s staying.”
It was a valid point. Damu, who had been listening, muttered to himself.
“So… we need someone who knows Baritan as well as you do, and is skilled in stealth and infiltration…”
Goo Yoon smiled at Damu.
“Exactly. Do you have anyone in mind?”
Damu shook his head.
“No, not at all.”
“Are you sure?”
“Absolutely. I have all the information here.”
Damu tapped his head with his finger.
“Then what should we do?”
Goo Yoon asked as if he already knew the answer. In fact, he was testing Damu to see how capable he was. To lead the Hyesugak and assist him, Damu needed to meet certain standards.
Damu muttered again.
“Well, we’ll have to create such a person.”
“You’re hired.”
Goo Yoon said sincerely. Most people would hit a wall at this point. If they couldn’t find someone, they’d give up. But a shift in thinking. If you can’t find one, create one. Like breaking the bottom of an egg to make it stand. It seems simple once you know, but until then, you’re bound by invisible rules. Once you start breaking them, it becomes easier. And Damu seemed to have made this shift in thinking a habit. Goo Yoon liked that.
“We’re almost there. So how do we create one?”
“Hmm…!”
Damu furrowed his brow, deep in thought. How long did he spend pondering, tilting his head? Finally, his eyes widened. He looked at Goo Yoon with a ‘could it be?’ expression.
Goo Yoon sensed it. Damu had found the answer. And sure enough, Damu spoke the answer.
“The Great Soul Transfer Technique…!”
Goo Yoon nodded with a faint smile.
“That’s right.”
“But the Great Soul Transfer Technique is a sinister demonic art that uses people as disposable…!”
“I know.”
Goo Yoon cut him off with a stern expression. Damu swallowed his words, looking flustered. The Goo Yoon he knew seemed different now.
Sa Bi-gang looked at Goo Yoon, expecting an explanation. Although he had mastered various martial arts, he didn’t know what the Great Soul Transfer Technique was. In his past life, the Demon Sect hadn’t even appeared.
Goo Yoon explained to Sa Bi-gang.
“It’s a demonic art. Simply put, it allows you to temporarily use someone else’s body.”
This was a heavily sanitized explanation. The Great Soul Transfer Technique was originally designed to use a person’s body for a day and then kill them. If Sa Bi-gang used it to possess someone for a day, that person would die within twelve hours after the possession ended. The former Demon Sect leader often used this technique on prisoners for amusement. Its greatest advantage was that even if the possessed body was killed, the caster’s soul remained unharmed.
After hearing the explanation, Sa Bi-gang looked at Goo Yoon with some surprise.
“You want to use that?”
“Why not?”
Goo Yoon replied calmly, which made it sound even colder. Just days ago, such a suggestion would have been unthinkable. The head of the Justice Alliance proposing to use a demonic art? Grounds for impeachment. Or even execution. Yet Goo Yoon was unnervingly calm and composed.
“Our enemy is the demon clan. To defeat them, we must be ruthless.”
Sa Bi-gang chuckled.
“I like the sound of that. But I don’t know how to use that technique.”
“Isn’t Master Murang with us? And we have someone from the highest ranks of the Demon Sect in the Myolma Palace.”
“Hmm.”
“Then who will be the target?”
“It has to be someone skilled in stealth and infiltration. They need to have excellent physical abilities. Possessing an ordinary person would be useless.”
“So who… could it be? Surely not?”
“Yes, we have the best assassins in the realm at our disposal.”
Sa Bi-gang’s expression hardened slightly. He looked at Goo Yoon intently.
“Didn’t you say the person would die within twelve hours after using the Great Soul Transfer Technique?”
“Indeed.”
His expression seemed to ask if there was a problem with that.
Sabi-gang, who had been watching him for a moment, couldn’t help but let out a small laugh.
Could a person really become so ruthless overnight?
Not only was he using the dark arts of the demonic cult, but he was treating human lives like disposable tools.
Was this truly the same Gu-yun she once knew?
Gu-yun’s calm voice reached Sabi-gang’s ears.
“As I mentioned, the drink in my cup is meant to be poured out.”
That drink was surely a metaphor for human compassion.
In the end, Sabi-gang nodded in agreement.
“Understood. Go ahead with it.”
“Understood. I’ll proceed with the first operation as soon as possible.”
Gu-yun’s plan unfolded seamlessly.
He was truly unstoppable.
Following his orders, Ja-un-ryong went to the place where the late leader of the Ma-ryeong cult had resided and retrieved the secret manual containing the Ma-jeon-hon Great Art.
It was a location known only to a select few within the cult.
Ja-un-ryong brought back not only the Ma-jeon-hon Great Art but also various other martial arts and techniques of the Ma-ryeong cult, donating them all to the Myeolma Palace.
Had the Ma-ryeong cult not collapsed overnight, such a feat would have been impossible.
“Well, I’ll be damned. To think I’d live to master the dark arts of the cult.”
Moo-rang shook his head in disbelief as he accepted the manuals.
Yet, with his insatiable thirst for knowledge, he wasn’t about to let such an opportunity slip by.
In just ten days, he had thoroughly studied the manuals and summoned everyone to Moo-rang Hall.
The moment for a decisive counterattack had finally arrived.