Episode 601: Return of the Demon Sect Master

Standing atop the hill, Neung Un-pa shivered slightly.

“Incredible…!”

The power was overwhelming.

Sabi Kang’s strength was beyond imagination.

Come to think of it, Sabi Kang had always been like that.

He always exceeded expectations.

So much so that Neung Un-pa rarely found himself surprised by Sabi Kang’s martial prowess.

But this time was different.

A strength so immense it was hard to fathom!

An absolute power!

It sent shivers down his spine.

The area around the Demon Palace had turned into a veritable hellscape.

Amidst the piles of corpses, dark crimson energy swirled chaotically, growing wildly.

The demons caught in its grasp fell helplessly, their lives snuffed out.

Screams filled the air, blood splattered everywhere, and bodies piled up.

And above this terrifying scene, Sabi Kang stood, surveying it all with an unyielding gaze.

Meanwhile, Gu Yun, who had been anxiously watching the situation unfold beside Neung Un-pa, felt a chill run down his spine.

No matter how much of an enemy they were, witnessing any living being rendered utterly powerless before such absolute strength was terrifying in its own way.

“Lord Sabi Kang… Have you perhaps reached the state of Manhae?”

Gu Yun swallowed hard.

He turned his gaze to the sound of laughter beside him.

“Heh heh heh. Hahaha!”

Neung Un-pa suddenly burst into laughter, his voice echoing.

After a long bout of laughter, his expression turned cold as he fixed his gaze on Sabi Kang, who hovered in the distance.

“Yes, that’s how it should be. Sabi Kang, only then can you be considered a worthy sword.”

A sly smile crept onto Neung Un-pa’s lips.

There was a hint of madness in that smile.

He looked at his trembling hand.

“This… this is exciting. The moment to vanquish the Demon King… with that magnificent tool!”

Gu Yun watched Neung Un-pa quietly before asking, “Aren’t you worried?”

“Worried? About what? The Demon King?”

”…”

Gu Yun didn’t answer, but his silence was an affirmation.

He thought Neung Un-pa’s behavior was a sign of his wariness towards the Demon King.

Neung Un-pa chuckled coldly.

“As you age, they say you gain wrinkles and worries. But I’ve regained my youth, and my wrinkles have smoothed out. Along with them, my worries have disappeared.”

“That’s a relief.”

“Well then, it’s time to proceed with the final plan the strategist mentioned.”

With that, Neung Un-pa turned swiftly.

**

Once the demons were completely annihilated, Sabi Kang slowly descended to the entrance of the inner palace.

The injured warriors of the Demon Palace gathered around him.

None of them cheered or applauded.

The martial prowess Sabi Kang displayed was on a completely different level.

It felt like a dream.

They realized that when awe reaches a certain point, even admiration fails to manifest.

As expected, Maeseolran was the first to approach with weary steps.

“I did my best… but this is how it turned out. I’m sorry.”

She apologized sincerely.

She wanted to hold out longer.

No, she wanted to win.

To show off.

To proudly demonstrate that she had achieved this much with what he had given her.

But as always, the world was not so easy.

Just when she thought she had climbed high enough, something stronger always appeared.

It was frustrating.

She felt a surge of resentment.

She couldn’t bear to face Sabi Kang.

But Sabi Kang shook his head.

“No, thanks to you, I survived.”

It wasn’t just empty words.

If the warriors led by Cheon Sae-myung hadn’t held the line until the end, if the palace guards hadn’t held back the demons to the last, if the Heavenly Destruction Squad and the Newborn Division hadn’t given their all…

And if she hadn’t delivered that decisive blow to Trajan, Sabi Kang wouldn’t have regained consciousness and would no longer be of this world.

Everyone had come together to save him.

And they had all given everything they had.

Yes.

The power he now possessed was gained through their collective effort.

It was not achieved through his efforts alone.

‘But…’

Sabi Kang looked down at his hands with a somber gaze.

He was indeed brimming with power.

He had undergone a complete transformation.

But…

“Fortunately, you survived.”

A voice suddenly broke the silence.

Sabi Kang looked up to see Murang approaching with his hands behind his back.

He glanced around and clicked his tongue.

“Truly an impressive state. To wield energy in such a manner… it’s like commanding the harmony of nature.”

“I’m still far from it.”

“I know.”

Surprisingly, Murang nodded.

He sighed lightly, as if in regret, and continued.

“You haven’t reached the state of Manhae, have you?”

The gathered people looked at Sabi Kang with shocked expressions.

What did Murang just ask?

Did he ask if Sabi Kang hadn’t reached the state of Manhae?

Impossible!

Then what was this divine level of martial prowess he had just displayed?

But Sabi Kang’s response confirmed that they hadn’t misheard.

“I haven’t. I’m still at the state of Cheonhae.”

“I see…”

Murang nodded, continuing.

“At first, when you appeared, I thought you might have reached Manhae. But… it didn’t resonate with me. Of course, I don’t know much about the state of Manhae, so I thought it might be a misunderstanding… but if you’re certain, then you haven’t reached it.”

Sabi Kang didn’t respond, his expression bitter.

Maeseolran asked in disbelief, “Is that true? You haven’t reached Manhae?”

Sabi Kang nodded silently.

In truth, when he first awoke, he too thought he might have reached Manhae.

Just surviving that hellish pain made him feel as if he had reached it.

He had indeed grown stronger, even undergoing a complete transformation.

But he soon realized.

He hadn’t reached Manhae.

He had grown stronger, but not to that extent.

“I should be the one apologizing to the two of you.”

He was referring to Ong Gi-seung and Heuk-gwi.

The two had given him their immense power, sacrificing their lives as warriors.

Yet he hadn’t fulfilled their wish.

Maeseolran quickly interjected, “But you’re still incredibly strong now. Maybe you can defeat the Demon King…”

“No, the Demon King is stronger than this.”

Everyone froze as if turned to stone.

My God.

What kind of being was the Demon King?

They had seen the energy surging from the ground with their own eyes, yet the Demon King was even stronger.

Could such a being truly exist?

“But if Leader Neung fights alongside you, isn’t it possible?”

Dang Ihyeop approached and asked.

Sabi Kang thought for a moment before nodding.

“Perhaps. Maybe.”

But Murang, who heard the answer, knew the truth.

It was impossible.

Or to be precise, as Sabi Kang said, maybe it was possible.

But only if the two were completely united in purpose.

They would have to share the same goal, the same intent, and fight the same enemy to even have a chance.

But Sabi Kang and Neung Un-pa had different thoughts.

They were in a situation where they could turn against each other at any moment.

In such a state, the chance of defeating the Demon King was less than one in a thousand.

‘Was it a futile hope to break through that one in a thousand chance?’

Murang asked, “What will you do now?”

Sabi Kang asked back, “What should I do?”

Murang shrugged.

“It depends on your will. I’ll help you as much as I can.”

Sabi Kang chuckled.

“Then there’s no need to ask. What else can I do? I’ll proceed as planned.”

“You’re going to the Black Castle?”

“I must. The Demon King won’t give me any more time.”

By now, the Demon King would likely make a move himself.

He needed to create an opportunity to catch him off guard.

The plan Gu Yun devised was the only way he could get close to the Demon King.

Whether the Demon King believed in his death or not.

At least it was a chance to approach the Demon King without any depletion of energy.

But in the midst of war, creating such an opportunity was difficult.

He would have to break through countless enemies to get close.

That way, he could never defeat the Demon King.

If he swept through thousands of demons and monsters like today, he would be too exhausted to face the Demon King.

Murang nodded.

“Understood. Then I’ll go ahead and prepare.”

Sabi Kang nodded silently.

**

Sabi Kang tidied up his room.

He neatly folded his clothes, straightened his bed, and dusted the table and shelves.

Then he chuckled to himself.

He thought of Ong Gi-seung and Heuk-gwi, who were recovering at the Chohwan Hall.

He had heard that they had done something similar before passing their power to him.

Wasn’t this like preparing for death?

But somehow, he felt he understood the mindset of organizing things before a big event.

It wasn’t just about tidying up the surroundings, but about organizing one’s mind.

It was an effort to focus more on one thing.

Just as he was finishing up the room, he heard the door creak open and footsteps approaching.

Without turning around, Sabi Kang knew who it was.

“You’re here?”

“Neat.”

A clear voice.

Maeseolran looked around the room with a faint smile.

“Uncharacteristically neat.”

“Is that so? I just wanted to tidy up a bit.”

“Nervous?”

At Maeseollan’s question, Sabigang stopped abruptly and turned to look at her.

His eyes were deeper than ever.

It was a simple question, yet why did it evoke such a complex feeling that couldn’t be answered simply?

After wandering through his thoughts for a while, he finally replied…

“Well…”

Sabigang chuckled softly and perched on the chair by the window.

The sun was setting.

Lately, he found himself watching the sunset more often than the sunrise.

Without accomplishing much, he spent his days moving as if chased by something, not even noticing when the sun rose.

And when he finally found a moment of respite, the sun was already setting.

Suddenly, he wondered if life was like that.

Racing relentlessly toward something, only to realize and stop, finding that everything had already passed by.

‘It’s been a while since I had thoughts like this, not since I returned.’

In truth, Sabigang had lived for decades.

His body was young again, but his mind carried the weight of many years.

Maeseollan sat across the table, gazing at the sunset outside.

The dying light painted her face in golden hues.

She was beautiful.

Just as she had been the first time he saw her.

Still just as beautiful.

Maeseollan spoke.

“I used to think like that.”

“Think what?”

“Back when you were entangled in all those political issues at Yongcheongwan, Jeongdomeng, Hyeolsaryeon, and finally Myeolmagung. I thought if things around you were just a bit more organized, everything would be much easier.”

”…”

“But now that everything is settled… nothing is easy anymore. I’ve realized that simplicity doesn’t mean ease.”

Sabigang looked at Maeseollan intently.

“You’re afraid.”

“Yes, I won’t deny it. I’m afraid of losing you.”

Maeseollan’s gaze shifted from the window to Sabigang.

Her eyes shone more beautifully than ever.

“So live. I will fight with everything I have. And I will survive. Because you are the only one I love.”