Episode 563: Return to the Demon Sect
Women, barely clothed, flitted around like butterflies, their movements graceful and enticing.
“Oh my, brother, why don’t you stay and play?”
“Brothers, won’t you water the garden today? Hee hee!”
Their laughter was as sweet as the incense they burned, trying to lure in customers.
But the two men, their faces hidden beneath wide-brimmed bamboo hats, remained unmoved.
Their eyes, cold and calculating, scanned the surroundings.
They were in the heart of the red-light district.
One of the men let out a dry chuckle.
“Quite the character, isn’t he? Choosing a place like this for a meeting.”
“If he’s not ordinary, he’s either a madman or exceptional.”
“Let’s hope he’s not a madman.”
The one who replied was none other than Haunt. Walking beside him was Baritan.
They were on their way to a meeting place designated by Ilsal.
When Ilsal first contacted them, they never imagined the meeting would be in a brothel at the center of the red-light district.
They had expected a secluded forest or an abandoned dungeon.
But here they were, surrounded by scantily clad women peddling their charms amidst clouds of incense.
This place seemed like a village filled with brothels.
“Why do you think he chose a place like this?” Haunt asked.
Baritan smirked. “He probably figured we wouldn’t make a move with so many witnesses around.”
“True. The more witnesses, the higher the chance word reaches the Demon King. He’s not just a madman, then. Though thinking he can bind the Marquis is laughable.”
“Sabi Kang was the most troublesome opponent I’ve faced. Still, he’s just human, but not to be underestimated like other pests.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
Haunt nodded in acknowledgment.
Finally, he pointed to a building in the distance.
“That must be it.”
The sign read “Chunmongru,” a name that suggested dreams of spring, and it was more lavish than any other brothel around.
“Chunmongru…”
Baritan paused, surveying the area.
“What’s wrong?” Haunt asked, on guard.
Baritan shook his head and resumed walking. “Nothing. Just a feeling. We’ll find out soon enough.”
“Could it be a trap?”
“Possibly.”
“Even if it is, we have guardians hidden nearby, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Baritan nodded slightly, extending his senses.
Indeed, he could faintly detect the presence of guardians concealed around them.
Sabi Kang had asked him to come alone, but he never intended to comply.
Not out of fear of Sabi Kang.
But because…
“I need to test him. See if he can become a fine blade.”
With that, Baritan and Haunt stopped in front of Chunmongru.
Women, their skin barely concealed, approached with soft steps.
“Are you looking for someone, brothers?”
“I’ll pick the prettiest flower for you. Hee hee.”
Haunt chuckled coldly and replied, “We’ve come to pluck the flower of the dream demon.”
The woman’s expression froze, recognizing the code word Sabi Kang had provided through Ilsal.
She stepped back and spoke quietly, “Follow me.”
Baritan and Haunt exchanged glances and followed her inside.
**
The interior was luxurious.
Expensive porcelain filled the ornate cabinets, and large paintings adorned the walls.
Fresh flowers bloomed in vases, their fragrance subtly perfuming the air.
At a table set with exquisite dishes, two people sat side by side: Sabi Kang and Gu Yoon.
They spoke little.
Then, suddenly, Gu Yoon looked up, startled.
“They’ve just arrived.”
Sabi Kang nodded. “I heard.”
“Do you think they’ll notice?”
“Even if they do, it can’t be helped. In fact, if they have that much skill, it’s welcome. They’ll make a fine blade to kill the Demon King.”
But the chance of killing the Demon King was slim.
The Demon King was powerful.
Sabi Kang knew this well, having fought him directly.
Baritan would know too.
That’s why he was coming to meet him now.
Just then, the soft voice of a courtesan came from outside the door.
“Your guests have arrived.”
“Show them in.”
At Gu Yoon’s words, the door slid open, and the two men in bamboo hats entered.
Once the woman left, they removed their hats.
It was Baritan and Haunt.
Sabi Kang, still seated, looked at them and spoke.
“Welcome. Please, have a seat.”
Haunt felt a vein throb on his forehead.
‘The nerve of this human!’
In the Demon Realm, such insolence would be unthinkable.
How dare a mere human order demons around, telling them to sit or stand?
They should be groveling on the floor!
Yet Baritan maintained his smile.
As he took a seat, he said, “Sabi Kang, it’s our first formal meeting.”
Gu Yoon frowned.
“This is the Lord of the Demon Palace. Show some respect.”
“What insolence…!”
Unable to hold back, Haunt’s cheek twitched as he stepped forward, but Sabi Kang raised a hand to stop Gu Yoon.
“It’s fine. I can speak informally too. Human etiquette is for humans. We don’t scold animals for not showing respect, do we?”
‘Ha!’
Haunt was truly taken aback.
The assassin who infiltrated the Black Castle was insolent enough, and now this Lord of the Demon Palace was the same?
Treating demons like animals!
In fact, the assassin in the Black Castle had been possessed by Sabi Kang, so his mannerisms were identical.
But unaware of this, Haunt wondered if the people of this land were half-mad from fear.
Meanwhile, Baritan continued to smile charmingly.
“It’s better to be comfortable.”
Sabi Kang nodded, glancing at Haunt.
“But… I asked you to come alone, yet here you are, two of you.”
“You seem to be two as well,” Baritan replied, still smiling.
Sabi Kang glanced at Gu Yoon.
“He’s just a strategist, untrained in martial arts.”
“Still, two is two.”
“I never said I’d come alone.”
“Well, it’s too late now. We’re already here.”
Baritan chuckled slyly.
“Consider him a strategist too.”
“No, no. If we start by breaking trust, how can I believe you? After all, you’re demons.”
“Amusing. Weren’t you the one who sought us out first?”
“True. And I showed my trust by letting you kill my subordinate.”
“Hmm. So what must I do to earn your trust?”
Sabi Kang twisted his lips into a smirk.
“You’ll have to show sincerity.”
“How?”
Sabi Kang’s gaze shifted to Haunt.
“Kill him.”
”…!”
Haunt flinched, staring at Sabi Kang.
He thought he must have misheard.
But Sabi Kang’s next words confirmed he had heard correctly.
“Kill him with your own hands. Just as you killed my subordinate.”
Even Baritan hadn’t expected this, and his brow furrowed slightly.
Simultaneously, Haunt’s eyebrows shot up as he leapt to his feet, shouting.
“This madman! What did you say? You insolent human, how dare you…!”
Shiiing!
A chilling aura sliced through the air.
Haunt couldn’t finish his sentence, frozen in place.
Suspended in mid-air, a blade hovered dangerously close to his throat.
It was Berthas.
The killing intent emanating from Berthas was enough to send shivers down one’s spine.
It was as if the sword were alive.
Haunt swallowed hard.
“Act rashly, and you’ll lose your head before you know it. Though, your head will roll today regardless. But I can’t destroy the proof of trust with my own hands.”
“Ugh…!”
Haunt gritted his teeth, glaring at Sabi Kang.
But he could do nothing.
He was secretly shocked that Sabi Kang could wield Berthas so freely.
To control Berthas without even touching it!
Among demons, perhaps only the Demon King could handle Berthas this well.
Baritan, too, was surprised by the floating Berthas.
Sabi Kang was far stronger than he had anticipated.
‘Was he always this strong? Or has he grown even stronger?’
It was impossible to gauge the limits of Sabi Kang’s power.
But that only meant he was a more useful blade, which wasn’t a bad thing.
A blade that could be used until it dulled and then discarded easily.
Sabi Kang spoke coldly.
“So, what will you do? Will you show your trust?”
Baritan looked at Sabi Kang for a moment before bursting into laughter.
“Hahaha! You’ve got some nerve, I’ll give you that. You remind me of a demon. Ever thought about becoming one?”
Sabigang twisted his lips into a smirk.
“Why would I want to become something like that?”
“Hmm.”
“Still, if you accept my proposal, I might consider it seriously.”
Sabigang gestured with his chin towards Haunt, signaling that it was time to stop stalling and kill him.
The tension in the room was palpable.
Baritan slowly reached for his glass and took a sip.
“Is this what humans drink?”
“It might taste a bit bland to you.”
“Indeed, it is. Trying to provoke me with something so insipid.”
“Are you rejecting my offer, then?”
“Sorry, but I can’t accept it. I do care for my subordinates, you know. Besides, I need to see if you’re a blade worth wielding.”
As soon as Baritan finished speaking,
Whoosh!
Shadows descended like rain, surrounding the table.
Twelve in total.
They all drew their swords, pointing them at Sabigang.
These were Baritan’s guardians.
Sabigang narrowed his eyes.
“I told you to come alone. You don’t listen well.”
“If you can fend off their attack, I’ll consider your proposal seriously. If not… well, you and that gentleman will die here.”
“Testing me like this, are you?”
“In the human world, things often look better than they are. It’s disappointing to swing what you think is a fine sword, only to find it’s a dull piece of metal. Consider this a verification process.”
Baritan set his glass down.
In the next instant, the guardians lunged at Sabigang with lethal intent, without a moment’s hesitation.
At that moment,
“There’s more than one way to test someone!”
Sabigang sneered coldly, then suddenly stood up and slammed his hand on the table.
Crack!
The sound was like sugar shattering, and the table disintegrated into dust.
Baritan and Haunt looked around in shock.
Soon after,
Crack! Crack! Crack-crack, crack-crack-crack…!
Astonishingly, everything around them began to crumble into powder and disperse like smoke.
The porcelain, the paintings, the walls, the windows—all vanished as if they had never existed.
As the smoke cleared, Baritan and Haunt found themselves standing in an old pavilion on a deserted hillside.
Opposite them, Sabigang and Guyun stood calmly, facing them.
The once lavish brothel had disappeared without a trace, and the village had vanished as well.
The women who had been enticing customers were now armed warriors.
Hundreds of fighters, who had seemed like villagers, drew their swords and aimed them at Baritan and Haunt.
Shing!
Sabigang grinned.
“I figured something like this might happen, so I came prepared.”
Baritan furrowed his brow, staring intently at Sabigang.
Only then did he understand the strange feeling he had sensed upon entering the village.
What had been bothering him all along.
Baritan’s lips twisted into a wry smile.
“So, the entire village was a fake. Impressive. I can’t help but commend you.”
“Save the compliments. What are you going to do now? Kill us?”
Sabigang glanced at Haunt and chuckled slyly.