Episode 87: Return to the Demonic Sect
“Well, look at that. All gathered here, aren’t we?”
Sabikang surveyed the area, his gaze landing on the bodies of the cadets. His brow furrowed slightly.
“To think they’d go this far.”
A powerful aura began to swirl around him, causing Eonbyeok and Heukho to instinctively step back in shock.
“What… what is this? Who is this guy?”
Heukho’s face twisted in disbelief. The energy level kept rising, higher and higher.
Eonbyeok was even more astonished. He had always thought of Sabikang as an unpredictable instructor, but he had never imagined he possessed such profound inner strength.
“Is this really the Sabikang I knew?”
It seemed almost laughable now that Cheon Saemyung had ever considered Sabikang a threat. The energy emanating from Sabikang was on a level that Cheon Saemyung couldn’t even dream of challenging.
[Was there someone like this in Yongcheon Hall?]
[He’s the instructor known as ‘Sabikang.’ The one who always seemed unpredictable.]
[The one who captured the smuggling ship…]
[Exactly. But even I didn’t realize his inner strength was this formidable…]
Eonbyeok’s expression grew serious as Sabikang’s aura continued to intensify.
Nearby, Sangpilji, who had been barely holding on, let out a faint laugh before collapsing to the ground.
“What is this? He was never my opponent to begin with?”
He realized he had completely misunderstood Sabikang. Or perhaps he had never truly known him at all.
Meanwhile, Sabikang, for the first time, expressed his anger as he looked at the fallen cadets.
“What are you waiting for? If you don’t come, I’ll go first.”
Gulp.
Eonbyeok and Heukho swallowed hard, their legs trembling just from standing in his presence.
[Just from his aura alone, he’s beyond the pinnacle level!]
[I can see that.]
Eonbyeok replied irritably. To think they had such a powerful figure right next to them without realizing it. This would require a complete overhaul of their plans.
In an instant.
Whoosh!
Sabikang’s figure vanished without a trace.
“What?”
It wasn’t just that he was too fast to see. He had simply disappeared. And before they could blink, Sabikang reappeared in front of Heukho like a bolt of lightning.
“Gah!”
Heukho gasped, raising his sword in a panic.
Swoosh!
Clang!
Heukho barely managed to block the descending Beratas with both hands, but his arms felt like they were about to shatter.
In the next moment.
Crash!
Heukho’s eyes widened in shock as his sword shattered into pieces. A chilling aura emanated from Beratas.
“Is that… qi energy?”
Heukho struggled to comprehend as he staggered back, trying to regain his footing. Eonbyeok seized the opportunity to charge forward, sword in hand.
“Sabikang!”
Thunk.
Eonbyeok’s eyes shook violently.
“What… what is this?”
Sabikang hadn’t even turned to look at him, yet he had caught Eonbyeok’s sword with his bare hand. It felt like a bad dream, but the reality of the situation soon hit him.
Crack. Crackle!
The blade in Sabikang’s grip began to freeze over, turning white with a chilling sound.
“Could this be the Ice White Divine Art?”
It was the best explanation he could come up with. But in truth, it wasn’t the Ice White Divine Art. It was a spell known as “Frost Force,” capable of freezing not only its target but the surrounding air as well.
Eonbyeok’s breath turned white and fell to the ground as he quickly closed his mouth, fearing his lungs might freeze.
His judgment was correct, but in the next moment, he could only swallow his breath in shock.
Crash!
His sword shattered into pieces once more.
Then.
Boom!
Sabikang’s palm struck Eonbyeok’s chest, sending him flying like a cannonball into a tree trunk.
Thud!
“Ugh! Cough!”
A mouthful of blood spewed forth.
“This… can’t be!”
His pupils shook violently. As he tried to take a step forward.
“Ugh!”
He found himself kneeling involuntarily. The internal injuries were more severe than he had thought. Some of his organs had frozen, and the internal damage was so deep that he could barely stand.
In an instant.
“Hyaaaah!”
Heukho charged at Sabikang from the side, hoping to catch him off guard.
But it was a rash decision. Sabikang simply raised his hand before Heukho could even reach him.
In the next moment.
Rumble!
“Ugh!”
Heukho suddenly found himself plummeting to the ground, struggling to regain his balance. His feet were buried deep in the earth.
It was gravity magic.
“Ugh!”
Heukho gritted his teeth, trying to endure.
“Damn it, why is everything so heavy…!”
It felt as if the entire world’s air was pressing down on him.
Then.
Whoosh!
Sabikang appeared right in front of him.
Heukho despaired as Sabikang’s fist struck his face.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Heukho’s body flew backward, crashing to the ground.
Crash!
“Ugh…”
He clutched his face, staggering to his feet. But all he saw was despair.
Sabikang had already approached, grabbing him by the collar and lifting him up.
“Do you understand your mistake?”
“Screw you…”
“First, let’s work on your language.”
Sabikang muttered indifferently, drawing a dagger and slashing it.
Slash!
“Aaaagh!”
Heukho’s mouth tore open, his jaw hanging slack.
Sabikang released him, and Heukho clutched his mouth, writhing in pain.
“Ugh!”
Sabikang looked down at Heukho with a cold gaze.
“Any last words?”
“Ugh!”
“Understood.”
Sabikang casually replied, raising Beratas.
At that moment.
“Why not stop there?”
An aged voice interrupted.
Turning around, Sabikang saw a small figure wearing a white rabbit mask watching him.
Sabikang frowned.
“And who might you be?”
“Call me Baekto. Let him go.”
“Get lost.”
“Well, it seems we can’t communicate.”
Snap.
With a snap of Baekto’s fingers, black-clad assassins appeared from all directions, their numbers reaching two hundred, filling the forest.
Baekto smiled faintly.
“No matter how strong you are, you can’t take on all of them.”
Sabikang’s eyes scanned the assassins sharply.
Baekto continued.
“And…”
Ping!
With another snap, a beam of light shot past, grazing the cheek of a cadet named Nochieun, drawing blood.
“If you continue to resist, I can’t guarantee the safety of those kids. My next shot won’t miss.”
“You cowardly bastards!”
The outburst came from Sangpilji, but he was quickly subdued by an assassin who appeared behind him, rendering him unconscious.
Sangpilji’s exhaustion was a factor, but the assassins’ stealth was equally impressive.
Sabikang glared at Baekto with icy eyes.
Finally, he lowered Beratas and turned away.
“Heh. So there’s only one option left.”
Baekto frowned slightly.
“What are you planning now?”
“That is…”
Sabikang slowly raised his hand.
The assassins adjusted their stances, ready to strike.
Baekto also tightened his grip on his sword.
Finally, Sabikang raised his hand high.
“I surrender.”
“Hmm? What?”
“I’ll surrender. But don’t lay a finger on the cadets.”
A smile spread across Baekto’s face.
“Heh heh. Wise decision. We’ve suffered losses too, and there are quite a few things I’m curious about.”
At Baekto’s signal, several assassins, including Yosin, appeared beside Sabikang, binding him tightly with the same black cloth they wore.
Baekto clicked his tongue as he looked at the fallen Eonbyeok and Heukho.
“You’ve made things difficult.”
“My apologies.”
Eonbyeok bowed his head, and Heukho wore a bitter expression.
“Well, let’s head back and discuss the details.”
With that, Baekto turned away, hands clasped behind his back.
**
Half an hour later.
A group of martial artists arrived at the scene where Sabikang had been.
Among them were the headmaster, Juyucheon, and the instructors of Yongcheon Hall, including Dangihyeop and Maeseollan.
They surveyed the area, their expressions grave.
“Hmm.”
Juyucheon’s brow furrowed deeply.
More than ten cadets had died.
His clenched fists trembled with anger.
One of the instructors approached. He was the one who taught tracking skills to the cadets.
“It seems the final battle took place here.”
“Those cadets appear to be from the Nang-a class… What about Instructor Sangpilji?”
“Since we can’t find his body, it seems he was captured.”
“Those bastards…!”
Juyucheon clenched his fists tightly, trembling with rage.
His gaze settled on a particular spot.
“Who is that?”
He pointed to the lifeless body of Joryang, the leader of the Black Killers.
But identifying the corpse, with its head completely split open by Vertas, was no easy task.
The instructors hesitated, unsure, when a strained voice emerged from behind them.
“That man… is Joryang, the leader of the Black Killers. He was a master of the highest order.”
It was Soseoprang, whom they had encountered on their way here.
One of the instructors spoke up.
“It seems Instructor Sangpilji dealt with him.”
“No, that’s not it.”
Everyone turned to look at Soseoprang.
“The one who killed him was likely… Instructor Sabigang.”
“What nonsense is this? How could he possibly take on a master of such caliber?”
“Exactly! If not Instructor Sangpilji, then who…?”
The instructors protested, but Soseoprang stood firm.
“No. Instructor Sangpilji wouldn’t have had the strength to face him. From what I saw, Instructor Sabigang was a master beyond the highest level.”
”…!”
The instructors were left speechless, their mouths agape.
Juyucheon was no exception.
‘Could Instructor Sabigang really be that skilled…?’
He had been keeping an eye on Sabigang’s unusual activities, but never imagined he could handle a master so effortlessly.
One instructor murmured quietly.
“It seems Deputy Instructor Soseoprang is too injured to assess the situation clearly…”
“Though I’m injured, my mind is far from clouded.”
Soseoprang replied with a clear, unwavering voice.
Juyucheon, lost in thought, finally spoke.
“That’s not the main issue here. The real problem is that Instructor Sabigang, Instructor Sangpilji, and all the cadets who were here have been kidnapped. And we have no idea where they’ve been taken.”
Just then, a voice interrupted.
“That’s not a problem.”
A stranger’s voice suddenly cut through the air, startling everyone present.
“Who goes there?”
A figure emerged smoothly from the shadows beneath a tree.