Episode 653: Return of the Demon Sect Leader

Perched on a tree branch, a middle-aged man watched Sabiran with a bamboo hat pulled low over his eyes.

This man was none other than Sabigang, the leader of the Demon Sect.

Though he appeared slightly older than he had thirty years ago, he still maintained a youthful appearance, looking as if he were in his early thirties. Given his martial prowess, it wouldn’t be surprising if he appeared even younger.

Beside Sabigang stood Hongyeom, maintaining a respectful posture.

“Looks like the path to reconciliation has finally opened,” Hongyeom remarked.

Sabigang responded with a faint smile. “He’s handling it wisely, just like me.”

Hongyeom furrowed his brow slightly and glanced back. “Oh, come on. His approach is a bit different from yours, isn’t it?”

“And what exactly is my approach?”

“Well, it’s more like… ‘Shut up and bring them both here. Hand over the kids while I’m still asking nicely.’”

“Do I seem like someone who doesn’t know how to handle things properly?”

“Uh… did you ever… handle things properly?”

Sabigang chuckled softly.

Hongyeom sensed danger immediately. That laugh was all too familiar.

Sure enough, Sabigang spoke in a bright voice, “I think it’s time I show you just how proper I can be.”

“Haha… I was just… joking.”

“Don’t be shy. I’ll show you just how stubborn I can be.”

“Ah! Now that I think about it, I have another mission to attend to…! See you!”

With that, Hongyeom vanished as if he had never been there.

Sabigang chuckled again and turned his gaze away.

In the distance, his daughter, who was as precious as a jewel to him, was smiling brightly. Sabigang’s own smile deepened in response.

**

Sabiran and her four mentors returned to the inn and sat down together.

After hearing the general situation, Yeon Woo-gyeong spoke with a sigh. “So, those who kidnapped my daughter were gathering demonic stones and plotting to overthrow the martial world.”

“Yes, that’s what we’ve gathered so far,” Sabiran replied with a nod.

She chose not to reveal that she was the one who had orchestrated the kidnapping of Yeon Seol-yeon and Seok Geom-young. It wasn’t the right time for that revelation.

Sometimes, a little white lie is necessary, isn’t it? Of course, the truth would come out eventually. But perhaps by then, they might even be grateful to her.

‘Well, if not, so be it.’

In moments like these, she felt she resembled her father a bit.

Thanks to the well-crafted plan, the four mentors were even more fervent in their support for the Baekhwadan.

“Are they planning to amass power with those demonic stones? If that’s the case, we must deal with it decisively. And to think they dared to kidnap my daughter for it? They deserve to be torn apart!”

“They must have underestimated us,” Seok Tan-gang said, his voice heavy with suppressed anger.

Mok Dan-hwa asked, “So, what do you plan to do now? We’ve lost track of them.”

“In fact, we let them go on purpose.”

“What?”

All four turned to Sabiran in surprise.

Just then, Deung Gahwi approached with Ong Su-ryeong.

Sabiran introduced her. “This is Ong Su-ryeong, the daughter of Master Ong and Lady Neung.”

Ong Su-ryeong bowed politely. “Hello, I’ve heard a lot about you. I’m Ong Su-ryeong.”

“Ah, so you’re Su-ryeong. We’ve heard about you.”

“How are you feeling?”

“I’m fine,” Ong Su-ryeong replied with a gentle smile.

But in truth, she wasn’t entirely fine. Using her spirit arts in the valley had taken a toll on her body once again. Fortunately, she had a demonic stone given to her by Gu Gang-ryong before leaving home, which allowed for quick treatment. Without it, she might have been bedridden by now.

The four mentors, upon seeing Ong Su-ryeong, could guess the situation. They had already suspected something unusual about the water flow before meeting her. Seeing the daughter of Ong Gi-seung and Neung So-so in person brought a new perspective.

“Is So-so doing well?” Mok Dan-hwa and Yoo Song-ryeong asked simultaneously.

Ong Su-ryeong nodded with a smile. “Yes, she’s doing well.”

“Your mother was such a gentle and kind friend. You seem similar,” Mok Dan-hwa remarked with a smile, to which Ong Su-ryeong could only respond with a smile.

In truth, she couldn’t entirely agree. Her mother was more strong-willed and tenacious than gentle. If anything, her father was the gentle one. Yet, everyone who knew her mother in the past described her as quiet and gentle. It made Ong Su-ryeong feel a bit guilty.

How much had her mother changed while raising a sickly child like her? She must have had to become tougher at times and live a life of sacrifice.

While Ong Su-ryeong was lost in thoughts of her mother, Yeon Woo-gyeong nodded and spoke. “So, that water dragon was your doing.”

“Yes.”

“And it wasn’t a mistake?”

“No.”

Sabiran nodded and continued, “We never intended to catch the fish now. We planned to let them take the bait and run.”

“Why?”

“Perhaps you’ve forgotten, but there’s something special about those demonic stones.”

“Something special?”

The four mentors exchanged puzzled glances, unable to grasp Sabiran’s meaning.

“Tell us, what’s special about them?” Seok Tan-gang asked.

“Body fluids,” Sabiran replied.

“Body fluids…?”

The four mentors echoed, then suddenly seemed to recall something, letting out short exclamations.

“Ah…!”

They remembered. The demonic stones bestowed by the Demon Sect had a special measure in place to prevent theft or loss. This was what Dam Jin-woo had referred to as ‘special.’

“I see. So you let them escape on purpose.”

“Yes, we had to make it seem like we lost them. That way, they’d use the demonic stones without suspicion.”

“Indeed. If it’s that child’s body fluids, humans wouldn’t notice.”

“Yes, they wouldn’t notice at all.”

“Then, our next destination is set,” Yoo Song-ryeong said, and Sabiran nodded.

“Yes, it’s the last place we need to visit anyway. Everyone’s gathered there.”

“Cheonsinmugwan.”

“Yes, Cheonsinmugwan.”

Sabiran smiled.

Cheonsinmugwan was named after the ‘Cheon’ from Cheonmyeoldae and the ‘Shin’ from Shinsaengjo. It was a martial arts school founded by warriors from both groups. Its scale was immense, having long surpassed the fame of the former Yongcheongwan.

Yoo Song-ryeong nodded. “Right, there’s someone there with those body fluids.”

“Yes. That child is closest to Master Churyang.”

“Now that you mention it, I miss that child. I remember when they used to sleep with their head on my belly. It was so comfortable.”

Seok Tan-gang interjected, “Don’t remind me. The first time I saw that child grow suddenly, I nearly had a heart attack.”

Yeon Woo-gyeong slapped the table and laughed. “Now that you mention it! That time, Gok Bo-ok screamed despite his size, didn’t he?”

“Haha! He did. ‘Aaaah!’ he yelled.”

“Right, right. I teased him for a fortnight over that.”

Mok Dan-hwa joined in, laughing heartily.

As the four reminisced, they fell silent, their laughter fading. It was a brief moment of harmony.

But Sabiran saw it as a good sign. This was how they would break down the walls of distrust. And then, they would rebuild them with friendship and trust.

Yeon Woo-gyeong gazed out the window, eyes filled with longing. “I wonder if they’re doing well.”

“They must be. At least…”

Seok Tan-gang left his sentence unfinished.

What he wanted to say was, ‘…they haven’t become enemies like us.’

Reflecting on the past, he felt a pang of sadness. The memories seemed almost like lies now.

What had been so important that they had to growl at each other like that? Misunderstandings had piled up, snowballing into something much larger.

They had reached conclusions without communication, each blaming the other. Initially, they thought it was better to let things slide, but those unresolved issues turned into grievances.

If they truly believed in letting things slide, they wouldn’t have had grievances in the first place.

Perhaps they had been waiting for the other to make the first move, ignoring each other’s circumstances.

‘Have I grown old without gaining wisdom?’

Seok Tan-gang chuckled self-deprecatingly.

Just then, Yeon Woo-gyeong seemed to remember something. “Come to think of it, I visited Cheonsinmugwan a few years ago. I recall a kid with a particularly unique name. Whose child was that?”

“Right, I remember too. Their attire was quite distinctive. A child who stood out anywhere,” Mok Dan-hwa added, and Seok Tan-gang nodded in agreement.

“Yes, I remember seeing an odd kid too.”

“Me too. A child with a very flashy outfit, right?” Yoo Song-ryeong concluded.

Yeon Woo-gyeong murmured again, “But I can’t recall whose child that was. Anyway, if you meet them, send my regards.”

“Understood. I’ll tell them the masters have dramatically reconciled and decided to cooperate.”

“What?”

Seok Tan-gang raised his voice, and Sabiran smiled mischievously.

In the end, Seoktan couldn’t help but chuckle softly, unable to say anything more.

The other masters also laughed it off, brushing aside the incident.

And so, another eventful day in Songbaek-hyeon was drawing to a close.

**

“Father, this really isn’t right.”

“Hey! Do you want to be ignored too?”

“If we do this, we’ll be laughed at even more. Everyone will just mock us.”

“It’s better to be laughed at than truly ignored. The only reason you haven’t been completely disregarded so far is because of my relentless efforts.”

“Father, you’re being overly paranoid.”

“Even if that’s not the case!”

The man with a mustache shaped like a figure eight, a middle-aged man whose presence was often overlooked, was none other than Deung Jakyung.

Tears welled up in Deung Jakyung’s eyes as he looked at his son, Deung Deungdeung.

“I’ll make sure you’re never ignored.”

“But Father, you’re married and living well, aren’t you?”

Just then, the door opened, and Deung Deungdeung’s mother, Baek Miryeong, walked in.

She looked directly at Deung Deungdeung and asked, “Deung, where’s your father?”

Deung Jakyung, who had been holding Deung Deungdeung’s shoulders, replied in a choked voice, “I’m right here.”

“Oh my, why do you always hide and then appear?”

“I’ve been here the whole time.”

“Really? Anyway, I have good news. Biran is coming here, along with Baekhwa-dan and the other kids.”