Episode 89: Return to the Demonic Sect
“A mistake? Why do you say that?”
Baekto’s eyes glinted with curiosity as he looked at Sabigang.
Sabigang nodded in agreement. “I’ve hastened my own death, haven’t I? But at least I can take comfort in dying at the hands of someone as great as myself.”
“Hahaha. Just as the Red Assassin said, you’re unpredictable. I like that. Do you know who I am?”
“Of course. The White Rabbit.”
“Oh? You know of Baekto?”
“Naturally. I’ve never seen you in person, but I’ve heard your name.”
“Interesting. My name shouldn’t have spread. Where did you hear it?”
“Once when your group fell, and again when you died.”
“What?”
Baekto’s brow furrowed.
Sabigang smirked. “You see, I’m from the future.”
”…”
”…”
“Hahahaha!”
Baekto burst into laughter, and the interrogator behind him chuckled nervously.
Baekto nodded, patting Sabigang on the shoulder. “You’re quite the amusing fellow. More than I expected.”
“Heh. Is that so? You’re less entertaining than I thought.”
“Future, you say… So, what did you see in the future? Did you see yourself dying by my hand?”
“Heh. Not quite. I saw the fall of the Blood Demon Sect.”
“You know of the Blood Demon Sect?”
Baekto’s eyes narrowed.
Sabigang continued with a mocking smile. “You don’t believe me. The Blood Demon Sect falls, and you disappear. Later, you’re brutally killed by someone whose name you don’t even know.”
“Someone whose name I don’t know?”
“That’s right. You’re torn limb from limb.”
It was true. Baekto would vanish when the Blood Demon Sect fell, only to be killed by an unknown beast during the demonic invasion. But to Baekto, unaware of this future, it was just a ridiculous tale.
“It seems we’ve brought in a delusional patient.”
“Don’t worry. Now that I’m here, your future will change.”
“How so?”
“At least you won’t die by an unknown hand. You’ll die by mine.”
Baekto sighed. He’d heard of a peculiar instructor who had ruined their plans. This was the man who had killed the Black Death Leader and fought evenly against the Red Assassin and Black Tiger. A person of interest.
That’s why he stayed behind after sending the Phantom Kill Squad back to the main base. He wanted to see this Sabigang for himself. Capturing him with the students must have caused a stir in the righteous sects. It was more effective than dealing with the later-stage masters.
Yet, the silence was strange. It was as if the righteous sects knew nothing of Sabigang. So, he came to the interrogation room to have a chat. But what was this? Just a madman? Or was it all an act?
Baekto squinted and spoke. “The Red Assassin said you were an ordinary, weak human until a few months ago. How did you become so strong overnight? Were you hiding your skills? If so, why reveal them now? Or did you gain some miraculous opportunity?”
“Hmm. Do you want the truth?”
“You should tell me.”
“Well… as you said, I was weak. Pathetically so.”
“And then?”
Baekto’s eyes gleamed. If a weak man suddenly became a top-tier master, he must have had an extraordinary opportunity. Baekto pressed for more.
“Tell me. What happened?”
“After returning from the future, I became very strong.”
”…”
Baekto clenched his fist, trembling with anger. His eyes twitched. The interrogator behind him cursed under his breath.
“This lunatic…”
Then Sabigang suddenly called out to Baekto. “Hey, White Rabbit. Or should I say, Phantom Night Demon, Hamgajo. Why don’t you believe the truth?”
Baekto’s head snapped up. “You really know me. Where did you get this information?”
“Well, I came from the future…”
“Silence!”
Smack!
Baekto slapped Sabigang across the face. For a martial artist, being slapped was an unimaginable humiliation. Yet Sabigang just grinned.
Baekto trembled with rage and turned away. “Make sure his mouth serves its purpose!”
“Y-yes, sir.”
The interrogator bowed deeply. As Baekto was about to leave the room, he paused, his gaze falling on something.
‘That sword…’
It was the Vertas, hanging on a rack. Sabigang was currently restrained with energy-suppressing iron, unable to use any martial arts to retrieve the sword.
“Hmm.”
Baekto walked over to the Vertas, deep in thought. He had intended to ask Sabigang about the sword, but it seemed unlikely he’d get any answers now.
“I’ll take this.”
“Y-yes, sir. Please, take it.”
The interrogator bowed as Baekto picked up the Vertas. At that moment, Baekto involuntarily gasped. An unknown, eerie energy surged through his hand and into his body.
‘This…!’
But it was only for a moment. The Vertas soon returned to its calm state. Baekto’s eyes sharpened.
‘This is no ordinary sword.’
Judging by its appearance, it seemed to have come from the Western regions. After a moment of contemplation, Baekto left the interrogation room with the Vertas.
The interrogator pulled a red-hot iron from the brazier. “Heh. I warned you… Don’t hold back your screams. I enjoy them.”
“Heh. Hey.”
“What?”
“I’m hungry. Seeing that rabbit made me crave rabbit stew.”
“Hehehe! You’re something else. I like you. Let’s start by roasting your flesh. Hehe!”
The interrogator pressed the red-hot iron to Sabigang’s chest.
Sizzle!
**
A man wearing a black dragon mask sat on a dais. Below him were four others, each wearing an animal mask: a white tiger, a red phoenix, a black tortoise, and a red cat.
The red cat, Hongmyo, wore a dress with a long slit, revealing a tantalizing glimpse of her white legs.
Baekho and Jujak, the white tiger and red phoenix, were the most powerful after the black dragon. They were currently at odds, locked in a tense standoff.
Baekho spoke first. “Lord, this operation was a failure. Jujak’s reckless actions have put the Blood Demon Sect in danger. We should stop and observe for now.”
“Foolishness! The operation was a partial success! Lord, we may not have achieved our initial goals, but we’ve captured two instructors and several students. We’ve also killed students from the Baekri and Taecheon sects, which will unsettle the righteous factions.”
“Unsettle them? You’ve only provoked them, making them more vigilant!”
“Silence! What have you done, Baekho? How long will we hide, fearing the righteous sects? We have enough power now.”
“Even so, we’ve only gained control over a third of the martial world.”
“Exactly! We’ve united the scattered demonic factions to control a third. We no longer need to hide!”
“We should still be cautious…”
“Enough.”
The black dragon’s voice cut through the argument, and both Baekho and Jujak fell silent, bowing their heads. Though brief, his words carried immense power.
“Where is the Phantom Kill Squad leader?”
“Currently at a secret base, holding the two instructors and students. The Phantom Kill Squad has returned to the main base.”
Jujak quickly replied.
The black dragon fell silent, deep in thought, before slowly removing his mask. The face of the Blood Demon Sect leader was revealed, his eyes glowing with a cold, blue light. His long hair, intense gaze, and tightly pressed lips formed an impenetrable expression.
Baekho’s face was filled with despair, while Jujak’s was alight with joy. They knew the significance of removing the mask.
“From today, the Blood Demon Sect officially emerges.”
“Understood.”
“Hongmyo, stay. The rest, leave.”
The three others withdrew, leaving Hongmyo alone. She approached with a seductive smile.
“Congratulations, Lord.”
“I wonder if those two will grow further apart.”
“That depends on the outcome.”
Hongmyo, familiar with the routine, let her robe slip from her shoulders as she approached the dais.
The thin fabric fell away, revealing her breathtakingly beautiful form.
She silently removed her mask and knelt before Taesa.
With her long, slender fingers, she traced along Heomugeuk’s leg.
Finally, she grasped his manhood and buried her face between his firm thighs.
“Mmm.”
A pleased moan escaped from Heomugeuk.
Cheonrang Pavilion.
Once used as a guest house for Yongcheon Hall, it now bore the sign “Cheonrang Pavilion.”
Every time the instructors saw the sign, they clicked their tongues in disapproval.
“Looks like the Cheonrang group is trying to act like they own Yongcheon Hall.”
“What can we do? They say they’re here on behalf of the Alliance Leader, so we have no choice but to accommodate them.”
“Tch, Seok Jipyeong was just an instructor here a few years ago, and now he acts so arrogantly.”
The instructors’ dissatisfaction grew by the day, but none dared to voice it openly.
Instead, they grumbled behind closed doors, while in front of Seok Jipyeong, they were all too eager to curry favor, hoping for a prestigious position within the Alliance.
As they whispered among themselves, they spotted Dang Ihyeop approaching and quickly turned their gazes to the distant mountains.
Dang Ihyeop walked past the instructors, heading straight for Cheonrang Pavilion.
‘Pathetic fools. They call themselves men, yet they gossip like women behind others’ backs.’
He scoffed and was about to enter the pavilion when two guards blocked his path.
“What is it?” Dang Ihyeop frowned.
“I have a message for the leader.”
“The leader is busy with work right now. Come back later.”
“It’s urgent.”
“I told you, the leader is busy and doesn’t want to be disturbed… Hey!”
As Dang Ihyeop tried to push past, one of the guards grabbed his shoulder.
With a swift motion, Dang Ihyeop spun his arm and pushed the guard away in the blink of an eye.
“Ugh!”
He hadn’t used much force, so the guard wasn’t hurt, but his pride was certainly bruised.
“You! You dare act like this knowing we’re from the Alliance…!”
“And so?”
“What?”
“So what do you want me to do about it? Does the Alliance not teach basic manners?”
“You’re the one lacking manners! The leader said no visitors…!”
“Shut up! If you make me any angrier, you’ll regret it.”
“You scoundrel!”
The other guard grabbed Dang Ihyeop’s shoulder again.
In that instant.
Wham, thud!
“Whoa!”
Crash!
The guard was swiftly subdued, sent flying through the door into Cheonrang Pavilion by Dang Ihyeop’s kick.
Seeing the commotion, the instructors who had been watching from a distance rushed over, craning their necks to see what was happening.
Ignoring them, Dang Ihyeop strode into the building.
Seok Jipyeong, who had been napping, sat up in bed, eyes wide with surprise.
“What on earth is going on? Aren’t you Instructor Dang Ihyeop…?”
Dang Ihyeop frowned.
He spoke with a hint of sarcasm.
“Sorry to interrupt your busy schedule. But I have urgent news.”
“What urgent news?”
“I’ve found the location where Instructor Sabigang was kidnapped.”
Dang Ihyeop pulled a letter from his pocket.