Episode 88: The Return of the Demonic Instructor
The instructors’ eyes widened in shock as they recognized their opponent.
Among them were a few martial artists who had surpassed the pinnacle, including the legendary Ju Yu-cheon.
These were the instructors responsible for teaching the second and third-year students.
Yet, none of them had sensed his presence until now.
This was a testament to the opponent’s mastery of stealth techniques.
The man, clad entirely in black, stood before them, his presence so faint it was almost as if he wasn’t there.
Ju Yu-cheon’s gaze deepened.
“Who are you?”
“I am Hong Yeom of the Ghost Shadow Sect.”
At Hong Yeom’s response, the instructors flinched and grew wary.
“The Ghost Shadow Sect!”
What kind of place was the Ghost Shadow Sect?
Weren’t they a group that would do anything for money?
They were the most notorious among the unorthodox sects.
Why would someone like that be here?
“What do you want?”
“I want nothing.”
“Then why are you here?”
“I simply know where Instructor Sa Bi-gang has been taken.”
“And where is that?”
“They’re still on the move. Once they settle, I can provide the information.”
One of the instructors shouted angrily, stepping forward.
“Hah! Why should we believe the words of a rogue like you?”
“Exactly! You attacked our Yongcheon Hall, and now you expect us to trust you?”
“It seems like he’s up to something! We should capture him and interrogate him immediately!”
Voices rose from all around.
Hong Yeom remained calm, his expression cold and unyielding.
Ju Yu-cheon slowly raised his hand, frowning.
“Why should we trust you?”
“You shouldn’t.”
“What?”
“But if I had any ill intentions, I wouldn’t have revealed myself like this. Because… only a fool wouldn’t anticipate your reaction.”
“Then why show yourself?”
“I owe a debt to Instructor Sa Bi-gang.”
“A debt?”
“Yes. I’m merely repaying what I owe him.”
Of course, this was a convenient excuse.
In truth, he was acting under Sa Bi-gang’s coercion.
Just before being kidnapped, Sa Bi-gang had sent a message to Hong Yeom.
[I am about to be kidnapped. Use all the resources of the Ghost Shadow Sect to find out where I’m taken and inform Yongcheon Hall.]
Hong Yeom had no choice but to comply.
He had witnessed Sa Bi-gang’s martial prowess firsthand and felt a growing fear.
‘If I don’t heed Sa Bi-gang’s words, the very existence of the Ghost Shadow Sect could be in jeopardy.’
Sa Bi-gang didn’t need to threaten them with the righteous alliance.
His mere presence was a significant burden on the Ghost Shadow Sect.
For these reasons, Hong Yeom had come to inform Ju Yu-cheon.
He couldn’t risk further misunderstandings by claiming allegiance to Sa Bi-gang while being part of the unorthodox sects.
Tang Yi-hyeop joined the conversation.
“I’ve heard about this man from Instructor Sa Bi-gang. I believe we can trust him.”
With Tang Yi-hyeop’s endorsement, the uproar gradually subsided.
His affiliation with the prestigious Sichuan Tang Clan lent weight to his words.
Ju Yu-cheon asked again.
“Did you witness everything that happened here?”
“I saw most of it.”
“Can you tell us?”
Hong Yeom relayed the general situation.
He carefully omitted any details that might cause controversy, such as the sudden appearance of fireballs or ice manipulation.
The instructors were wide-eyed as they listened to the account.
“Did Instructor Sa Bi-gang really fight those two like that?”
“Yes. Instructor Sa Bi-gang possesses skills beyond the pinnacle.”
Only So Seop-rang nodded in agreement.
Tang Yi-hyeop and Mae Seol-ran merely observed the reactions of others, while most instructors were skeptical.
One instructor scoffed.
“Hah! Ridiculous. Skills beyond the pinnacle? Nonsense! It must be that Instructor Sang Pil-ji had already worn them down, making it easier for him.”
“That sounds more plausible.”
The instructors nodded in agreement.
Just then, a presence was felt from the opposite thicket.
The instructors turned in unison, shouting.
“Who goes there?”
“We’ve brought the injured.”
They were martial artists loyal to Sa Bi-gang, carrying the unconscious Cheon Se-myung on Go Jeok-san’s back.
“Captain Cheon…!”
The instructors rushed to receive him.
“And you are…?”
Ju Yu-cheon narrowed his eyes at Go Jeok-san.
Go Jeok-san quickly bowed and spoke.
“I am Go Jeok-san, following Instructor Sa Bi-gang. Greetings, Dean Ju.”
“Greetings, Dean Ju.”
The entire group of martial artists bowed in unison, their disciplined actions leaving the instructors somewhat bewildered.
However, Ju Yu-cheon was already aware of them.
He had heard about them from Deung Bu-hyeong and had even discussed the matter briefly with Sa Bi-gang.
Thus, he paid them little mind.
They had already turned over a new leaf, following Sa Bi-gang on a righteous path, so there was no need to scrutinize them further.
Of course, a few instructors still regarded them with disdain.
Ju Yu-cheon surveyed the instructors.
“Since it seems the unorthodox group has retreated, let’s inspect Yongja Forest for any injured. The righteous alliance will likely send someone by tomorrow morning, so it’s best to have everything in order by then.”
“Understood, Dean.”
The instructors responded and dispersed into teams.
Ju Yu-cheon looked at the bodies of the students with a grim expression.
‘Things will be noisy for a while.’
Noisy would be a blessing.
A storm of bloodshed might sweep through the martial world.
**
The next day, as Ju Yu-cheon had predicted, representatives from the righteous alliance arrived.
There were three of them: Su Il-rang, the chief of the alliance, Lee Sa-heum, the head of the Heavenly Eye Pavilion, and Seok Ji-pyeong, the leader of the Heavenly Wolf Brigade.
They met with Eun Gi-ryung and Ju Yu-cheon in the main hall to hear about the previous day’s events.
Su Il-rang spoke with a shadowed expression.
“I see. The Baekri family and Taecheon Sect will be in an uproar. Calming them down should be our priority.”
“I’ll personally apologize to them for my shortcomings.”
“Hmm. Even with an apology, I’m not sure it will resolve things.”
Su Il-rang’s words made Ju Yu-cheon’s eyes narrow.
Wasn’t he here to offer support, not to reprimand?
Lee Sa-heum of the Heavenly Eye Pavilion added fuel to the fire.
“You must have received reports of unusual movements among the unorthodox sects. It’s unfortunate that the preparations were lacking.”
“I apologize.”
“There’s no need to apologize to me. The students were the ones who suffered.”
At this point, Ju Yu-cheon could no longer hold back.
“If the Heavenly Eye Pavilion had conducted a more thorough investigation, it would have been easier for Yongcheon Hall to prepare.”
“I understand your frustration, but the Heavenly Eye Pavilion is an intelligence agency of the alliance, not a guardian of Yongcheon Hall.”
“That sounds as if Yongcheon Hall has no connection to the alliance.”
“Hahaha. That’s not the case. I think you’re overthinking it, Dean Ju.”
Ju Yu-cheon was about to retort, but Eun Gi-ryung subtly signaled him to hold back.
‘Ugh!’
Ju Yu-cheon suppressed a sigh.
Wasn’t it the role of the Heavenly Eye Pavilion to uncover such plots and devise countermeasures?
If this were during the Great War of Righteousness and Demons, the head of the Heavenly Eye Pavilion would have been summoned for a reprimand.
Stagnation leads to decay.
The Heavenly Eye Pavilion, complacent in peace, had rotted to the core.
Moreover, bringing the leader of the Heavenly Wolf Brigade to such a significant event?
The Heavenly Wolf Brigade was the lowest-ranked group within the alliance.
Though Seok Ji-pyeong had been a head instructor at Yongcheon Hall before joining the alliance, his rank was far too low for such a critical incident.
The unorthodox sects had struck the alliance for the first time, and they sent the Heavenly Wolf Brigade?
‘Hah! Ridiculous!’
The more he thought about it, the more it infuriated him.
‘The true enemy lies within…’
As the atmosphere grew tense, Su Il-rang quickly wrapped up the meeting.
“I’ve gathered a general understanding of the situation and will report it in detail to the alliance.”
‘Hah, how do you plan to report in detail with just a general understanding?’
Ju Yu-cheon scoffed internally but kept his expression neutral.
Instead, he posed another question.
“Among those who attacked the auxiliary pavilion, there was a master wearing a purple rat mask, a martial artist of the highest caliber. And the one who attacked the pavilion master was also a master of the highest caliber. Have their identities been determined?”
“We are currently investigating. At least the one who attacked the pavilion master should be identified soon.”
Lee Sa-heum answered smoothly, and Ju Yu-cheon responded with a cold smile.
As Su Il-rang and Lee Sa-heum rose to leave, Seok Ji-pyeong remained seated.
Ju Yu-cheon frowned at him, prompting Su Il-rang to speak quickly.
“Ah, the leader of the Heavenly Wolf Brigade will stay here to devise follow-up measures. Please cooperate with him as much as possible.”
“What do you mean by follow-up measures?”
Su Il-rang smiled at Ju Yu-cheon’s sharp question.
“The issue at hand is the search for the kidnapped and missing, as well as the matter of retaliation. The Justice Alliance is taking this situation very seriously. Therefore, we’ve decided to deploy the Celestial Wolf Unit, one of our key organizations, to handle everything here. This is solely for the benefit of Yongcheon Hall.”
Ju Yu-cheon almost burst out laughing.
Wasn’t this just a fancy way of showing off?
In other words, wasn’t it a declaration that no other organization would be involved in the affairs of Yongcheon Hall except for the Celestial Wolf Unit?
As if to justify himself, Lee Sa-heum added, “The Justice Alliance is currently investigating several more urgent matters, so there’s much to be done.”
Ju Yu-cheon responded with a cold smile. “We appreciate the Alliance’s concern, but we’ll handle our own affairs. The leader of the Celestial Wolf Unit can return.”
“That would be difficult. Given the damage from the previous attack, the leader will actively assist you.”
A polite refusal, but a refusal nonetheless.
Technically, the Celestial Wolf Unit ranked lower than Yongcheon Hall, but in this case, they represented the Justice Alliance, granting them greater authority.
Ju Yu-cheon was about to protest, but Eun Gi-ryung subtly signaled him to hold back.
“We are grateful for the Alliance’s consideration.”
Eun Gi-ryung offered a respectful gesture, and the others followed suit.
Shortly after, Su Il-rang and Lee Sa-heum returned to the Justice Alliance.
Of course, Seok Ji-pyeong was assigned separate accommodations and remained at Yongcheon Hall.
**
In a dimly lit room, torches flickered incessantly.
Sabi-gang was bound and suspended, while across from him, a brazier glowed with red-hot irons.
A plump man hummed a tune as he occasionally glanced at Sabi-gang, muttering to himself, “If you want to scream, go ahead. But no cursing, please. I get hurt easily, you know. Hehe.”
He grinned, revealing a gap where his front teeth should have been.
Just then, the iron door creaked open, and a man wearing a white rabbit mask entered.
“Ah, it seems everything is in order.”
“Welcome, White Rabbit. Hehe.”
“Step outside for a moment.”
“Of course.”
As the torturer left, White Rabbit approached Sabi-gang.
“I wanted to see you again. That’s why I stayed here at this secret branch instead of returning to the main base.”
“Heh, then you’ve made a grave mistake.”
Sabi-gang chuckled, lifting his head defiantly.