Episode 99: Return of the Demon Sect Leader
Gu Yoon, the chief strategist of the Justice Alliance.
Two years from now, despite his own wishes, he would find himself serving the next leader of the alliance, Deng Wangpa.
Initially, Gu Yoon had planned to leave the alliance of his own accord once Deng Wangpa took the helm.
However, Deng Wangpa used various means to ensure Gu Yoon remained in his position as strategist.
Of course, the real power would fall into the hands of Lee Sahum, the master of Cheonan Pavilion, while Gu Yoon would be reduced to a mere puppet.
It wasn’t due to a lack of intelligence on Gu Yoon’s part.
In a place devoid of allies, intelligence alone cannot solve everything.
Yet, even in such dire circumstances, Gu Yoon dedicated himself to eradicating corruption within the Justice Alliance until his dying breath.
Time passed, and it was only after the invasion of the Demon Realm began that Deng Wangpa started to truly value him.
In a bid to save the Central Plains from peril, Deng Wangpa finally reached out to Gu Yoon.
But no matter how brilliant a strategist he was, devising a plan to defeat the demonic forces of the Demon Realm, which he had never seen or heard of, was an impossible task.
Moreover, the Justice Alliance was so rotten that it refused to move according to his will.
In the end, Gu Yoon died not long after.
A genius of misfortune who achieved none of his lifelong aspirations.
A talent ignored by his era.
That was Gu Yoon.
But…
“The moment you sought me out, that future changed.”
Sabi Kang smiled faintly.
“I’ll make sure you win that gamble.”
Gu Yoon’s expression wavered.
It was a simple statement.
Anyone could say something like that.
Yet, there was something strangely resonant in Sabi Kang’s words.
His heart was inexplicably stirred by those seemingly insignificant words.
Gu Yoon looked at Sabi Kang intently and asked, “Do you know what I desire?”
“Of course, I do.”
How could he not know what Gu Yoon had yearned for all his life?
Having experienced the future, Sabi Kang concealed his inner thoughts and replied, “What do you wish for?”
His expression suggested that it didn’t matter what the answer was.
This allowed Gu Yoon to speak more freely.
“You asked me earlier, didn’t you? Whether the enemy was external or internal. I answered both. But the reason I sought you out is…”
“Because of the internal enemy, I presume.”
”…Yes.”
“You must have judged that you can’t do anything about the external enemy right now.”
Gu Yoon nodded silently.
Of course, Sabi Kang had made significant contributions in fending off the external threat this time.
Even though he was being unfairly treated after annihilating a secret faction.
But that’s as far as it goes.
No matter how skilled a master he is, he can’t single-handedly take down a massive organization.
According to the Cheonan Pavilion’s report, the scale of the Blood Alliance has already surpassed the level of a mere threat.
It means the Justice Alliance must exert its full effort.
“Yet, the leader of the Heavenly Wolf Brigade is acting recklessly…”
Thinking about it again made Gu Yoon’s anger simmer.
Despite the considerable scale of the battles, not a single strategy he devised was implemented.
Most of the directives came directly from Deng Wangpa, based on Lee Sahum’s advice.
The powerless leader of the Justice Alliance merely followed Deng Wangpa’s will.
The only consolation was that the Heavenly Wolf Brigade hadn’t been defeated yet.
They had decisively crushed the Gacheon faction and received reports of annihilating another group just yesterday.
“Fortunately, if things continue like this, the external enemy will soon be dealt with…”
“Do you really think so?”
Sabi Kang suddenly asked.
Gu Yoon glanced at him with a slight frown.
Sabi Kang shrugged.
“Well, if that’s what you truly believe, I have nothing more to say.”
“What is it you want to ask me?”
“Let’s be honest. How long do you think the Heavenly Wolf Brigade can continue their victories? I think it’ll be over in a couple more battles.”
”……!”
Gu Yoon flinched and looked at Sabi Kang.
Not out of anger.
It was because Sabi Kang had voiced exactly what he was thinking.
In truth, Gu Yoon thought the same.
The leader of the Heavenly Wolf Brigade, Seok Ji-pyeong, was a simple man.
And his ambitions were great.
By now, he was likely brimming with confidence from his consecutive victories.
This is precisely when he should be cautious, but he was born with the opposite nature.
And surely, the Blood Alliance would not miss the opportunity to counterattack his complacency.
At that moment, someone needed to offer Seok Ji-pyeong candid advice.
But…
“The problem is that even Lee Sahum of Cheonan Pavilion is currently intoxicated with the feeling of victory.”
A strategist should never let emotions take the lead.
It was something his master always said.
“A strategist’s confidence doesn’t come from experience. It comes from calculations made each time.”
Gu Yoon wholeheartedly agreed with that statement.
Winning today doesn’t guarantee victory tomorrow—that’s the attitude a warrior should have.
A strategist is different.
And Sabi Kang had pinpointed that aspect.
Of course, Sabi Kang already knew from experience.
“Even if the future has changed, people’s personalities don’t change. Seok Ji-pyeong’s recklessness will soon lead to disaster.”
Even if the events differ, the situations are similar enough that trouble is bound to occur.
In his past life, Seok Ji-pyeong had also suffered a major defeat due to his arrogance and recklessness.
Sabi Kang continued speaking.
“When do you think this war will conclude?”
Gu Yoon paused for a moment before slowly opening his mouth.
“Four to five years.”
“Wow.”
Mae Seol-ran gasped.
Was the mighty Justice Alliance really going to waste four to five years on a newly emerged faction?
Could it be a miscalculation?
But he was the alliance’s strategist.
That couldn’t be the case.
“Why so long…?”
Mae Seol-ran murmured faintly.
Gu Yoon gave a bitter smile.
“To be honest, this isn’t just a simple fight. The Blood Alliance has prepared extensively and crafted meticulous plans. Even just analyzing the reports from Cheonan Pavilion reveals that.”
Of course, not everyone can see it.
One must read between the lines of the reports and deduce the hidden truths.
“And if things continue as they are, this conflict will escalate into a full-scale war between the righteous and the demonic.”
“Ah…”
Mae Seol-ran couldn’t easily find words to respond.
Gu Yoon continued.
“But if I can actively intervene, I can shorten this war to two years. To do that…”
“We need to purge the internal rot.”
Sabi Kang interjected.
Gu Yoon nodded.
“Exactly.”
It was indeed a bold confidence.
To claim he could shorten a five-year war by three years.
Some might mistake it for bravado to seize power.
But Sabi Kang didn’t think so.
In reality, the war between the righteous and the demonic had taken exactly five years.
He couldn’t help but admire Gu Yoon.
“Truly, a genius is a genius. To calculate that much without having experienced it.”
However, purging the internal rot was a more complex issue.
“Heh. So, what is it you want to say to me?”
“Would you consider joining the alliance?”
Mae Seol-ran looked back and forth between the two with a surprised expression.
Sabi Kang posed another question.
“What would my role be in the alliance?”
“To expose and cleanse the festering wounds.”
As expected.
But Sabi Kang shook his head.
“Heh. It sounds interesting, but I’ll have to decline.”
“Why?”
Gu Yoon wasn’t particularly surprised, having anticipated a refusal.
But Sabi Kang’s subsequent answer was unexpected.
“Because you’re too impatient.”
“I’m impatient?”
“Yes. As you said, the war has just begun. All eyes in the martial world are on the Justice Alliance and the Blood Alliance. If you suddenly start an internal investigation now…”
“It would provoke backlash. I’m aware of that.”
“And yet you still want to push forward?”
“Because there won’t be another opportunity.”
Five years after the war ends, Deng Wangpa will already be seated as the leader.
Sabi Kang shook his head.
“The investigation team won’t even be formed. In a place that’s already rotten to the core, they won’t recognize someone like me as part of the investigation team.”
He had considered that too.
But if he could somehow… somehow push it through…
Gu Yoon, who had been biting his lip in thought, let out a small laugh.
Somehow pushing it through…
Is that really the level of thought a strategist should have?
“Indeed, I am in a hurry.”
He bit into a bitter smile.
“Well, it’s not like there’s no way at all. Heh.”
Sabi Kang’s eerie laughter echoed in his ears.
Gu Yoon looked up at him.
“What do you mean?”
“You said you took a gamble on me for the first time in your life. Then truly trust me and place your bet.”
“What…?”
“I’ll end this war within a year.”
”……!”
Both Gu Yoon and Mae Seol-ran turned to him in shock.
Gu Yoon quickly spoke up.
“That’s impossible. Given the current scale of the Blood Alliance…”
“I didn’t say I’d annihilate them. I just said I’d end the war.”
“Does that mean you intend to coexist?”
“Heh. You catch on quickly. Yes. If a mutual pact is established, there’s no need to fight.”
The demonic faction shouldn’t be completely annihilated.
When the invasion of the Demon Realm begins, every skilled fighter will be needed.
Whether they’re from the righteous faction or the demonic faction.
“They have no idea what’s coming in the future. Tsk.”
For now, the righteous and demonic factions may be at each other’s throats, but when the time comes, they’ll need to unite against the Demon Realm.
“Of course, there are still plenty of scum among the demonic faction that need to be eliminated.”
In any case, if the war can be halted, it wouldn’t be a bad outcome for Gu Yoon.
He believed the real crisis for the Justice Alliance lay in its decaying internal structure.
If the external forces could be subdued, it didn’t matter if it wasn’t through total annihilation.
“But how…?”
“It’s too complicated to explain right now. So, what do you say? Care to take a gamble?”
“Hmm. But as long as the factions coexist, forming an inspection team won’t be easy…”
“No. We need to make them come to us first. Heh heh.”
Gu-yun stared at Sabi-gang with a blank expression.
‘Make the corrupt forces come to us first? What on earth is he thinking?’
He had rarely encountered a situation he couldn’t wrap his head around.
Yet now, he found Sabi-gang utterly incomprehensible.
Sabi-gang chuckled inwardly.
‘Heh heh. Don’t overthink it. It’s beyond your understanding anyway.’
Sabi-gang continued, “However, there’s one condition.”
‘A condition? I haven’t even agreed to anything yet.’
Despite his thoughts, Gu-yun asked, “What is it?”
“In a year, when I take on the inspection duties, I’ll be the one to form the team.”
“How do you plan to form this team…?”
“The current cadets from the Special Division. I’ll use them for the inspection team.”
Gu-yun’s face twisted in disbelief.
“Cadets? You want to form a team with mere cadets…?”
“If the inspection team appears weak, the corrupt forces will be less resistant to accepting them, don’t you think?”
“That’s true, but from my perspective, if the inspection team is too inadequate…”
“Don’t worry about that. By then, I’ll have trained my students to reach their peak.”
“Are you joking with me right now?”
Gu-yun asked sincerely.
No matter how he looked at it, Sabi-gang didn’t seem to be speaking seriously.
According to the reports he had received, the Special Division cadets had shown remarkable improvement in their martial skills.
But they were only at a first-rate level now.
And to reach their peak in just a year?
‘Did I come to the right person?’
Gu-yun rubbed his forehead, looking weary.
Sabi-gang grinned.
“For the cadets, it’ll be a valuable field experience. Plus, it’ll help lull the corrupt forces into a false sense of security.”
“Hmm.”
Gu-yun let out a thoughtful hum.
Then, suddenly, he found the situation amusing.
‘Come to think of it, who knows if the war will even be over in a year? There’s no guarantee things will go as he says.’
Strangely, whenever he talked to this man, it felt like things would unfold just as he predicted.
There was no logic or calculation behind it.
Yet here he was, contemplating the inspection team a year from now.
‘Well, if things do go as he says, then maybe he’s seeing something I can’t.’
Gu-yun nodded.
“Alright. Let’s do it your way.”
“Ho ho ho. You’ve made a wise decision.”
Sabi-gang beamed.
The stage was set.
It was time to stir things up again.