Chapter 52: Disappearance
Who was Sado Gwang?
You could call him a tragic genius imprisoned in the cage of his own body.
Even with that shattered form, he'd elevated the Sado Family—one of the middling clans—to a seat among the Six Demonic Families. That was Sado Gwang, a monumental figure.
And that meant he had no shortage of enemies.
To get what he wanted, he never hesitated to seize it from anyone, no matter who they were. He committed acts that would make the heavens and earth rage, pointing fingers at him, without so much as batting an eye.
So Sado Gwang placed protecting himself above all else.
His bodyguards were all Peak realm experts, loaded with defensive treasures and artifacts. Most warriors from the Sado Family had trained in tracking arts precisely because rescuing him in an emergency was their top priority.
Out in the jangho, maybe it could happen.
But within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult's territory? Sado Gwang vanishing was practically impossible.
Which meant...
Everything unfolding before my eyes...
All of it was a lie.
"W-We really don't kno— Aaaagh!"
The upper half of a living person's neck vanished, and the agonized scream cut off abruptly.
She'd been an ordinary woman, pleading through her ordeal that she knew nothing.
And she wasn't alone.
Dozens of people knelt in the dirt, bound in lines, faces twisted in terror. Even elders and children were among them.
Surrounding them were key figures of the Sado Family—or rather, the family head's faction, split from the elders' side.
"We really, really don't know anything!"
"Don't lie to me!"
A disheveled middle-aged man bellowed, his eyes rolling back in fury.
"Gwang's gone! Him and his guards!"
Slash—!
The sword swung once. The elder, insisting his innocence, crumpled lifelessly. Blood pooled across the training ground.
"Those guards conspired and took him! Nothing else explains it! So you lot, their families, must know the truth. Isn't that right?!"
The captives slammed their foreheads into the dirt, protesting their ignorance. Anyone could see they were innocent commoners.
No matter how much the cult revered the strong, there was no authority to torment ordinary cult members who weren't warriors.
This was pure madness.
'These fucking bastards...'
I wasn't the only one fuming.
Sa Wol clenched her fists so hard her nails drew blood without her noticing. To her, this was all too familiar—and utterly loathsome.
I knew exactly who that disheveled middle-aged man was. Even Pa Cheon seemed speechless, struck dumb like a mute swallowing honey.
Incompetent to his core, driven by greed and inferiority—a man lost in the crumbs falling from Sado Gwang's puppet strings.
Sado Family Head, Sado Mu Yeol.
He stood to lose the most from Sado Gwang's disappearance. He was never fit to lead the Six Demonic Families anyway, with nothing to his name but empty hands.
"Still not talking? Fine. You lost my son—I'll take yours in return."
Sado Mu Yeol strode forward, aiming his blade at a child. The boy's mother—shaking violently despite her bonds—tried desperately to shield him with her body.
I should have just watched.
Sado Gwang's vanishing was surely his own scheme. No way he'd disappear without a plan.
Maybe he'd pulled back to see how I'd react.
Logically, I should hang back and observe.
Survival first.
But...
"No! Please, no!"
"Filthy worms. Kill them all at—"
"Enough."
I couldn't stand by any longer.
I'm no cold-blooded killer, nor one of those warriors with damaged consciences. Just an ordinary guy. Ordinary people don't watch innocents die unjustly.
'Fuck it. Whatever happens, happens.'
The Sado Family had no Super Peak experts anyway. I wouldn't die.
I stepped through the gate into the training ground.
Sado Mu Yeol's sword halted. He turned. His face twisted upon seeing me.
"What did you just say?"
"I said, stop."
Sado Mu Yeol's lips trembled.
"Do you even know what you just spouted?"
"Do you know what you're doing, Family Head?"
"What?"
"These are ordinary cult members who haven't even learned martial arts. They're all assets of the Lord. Harming them is grave disrespect to him."
"Hah... hahaha... HAHAHAHA!"
Sado Mu Yeol's hollow laugh twisted into mania. He clutched his stomach, howling.
"HAHAHA! What a clown! HAHAHA!"
His blade pointed at me.
"A loose tongue doesn't mean you can spew whatever nonsense."
—You fake bastard.
A transmission hit right after his shout.
Fake.
Of course Sado Mu Yeol knew Sado Hwan was a fake. He even knew the origins of this body.
That explained why Pa Cheon had no father-son memories—and why their relationship was always strained.
It wasn't a normal father-son dynamic.
"Oh ho... come to think of it."
Sado Mu Yeol sneered.
"The one who benefits most from Gwang's disappearance is you. You're the culprit."
"..."
"Jealous, were you? Thought you'd inherit the family head seat once he's gone?"
"I was in the Punishment Cave for a week. The Lord saw it himself—that proves my innocence."
"The Lord?"
Sneering, he continued.
"I don't know how you fooled even him. Or did that face of yours, mimicking Gwang's, seduce him?"
Open mockery—and an insult to the Heavenly Demon. He was even spilling the secret of Sado Gwang and Sado Hwan.
His clueless retainers just snickered.
Even...
"Heh heh... the Lord's tastes are refined, eh?"
"If only I could hold that hand once."
They joined in the jeering.
The family head's faction was mostly rootless cult transplants. Virtue or personality as cult members? Irrelevant. Sado Gwang had bought them with bribes to pad his expert count—that was their reality.
'...Should I call Sado Gwang impressive for building the Six Demonic Families with trash like this, or just insane?'
Sado Mu Yeol lowered his sword. But his bloodshot eyes still gleamed—no peaceful resolution in sight.
"You've defied your family head. That's treason."
He whirled to his retainers.
"What are you waiting for? Subdue this traitor and drag him to kneel before me!"
"Yes, sir!"
Dozens drew swords, glaring murderously.
Even as Black Shadow Corps leader, this was Sado Family turf.
And these were Sado Mu Yeol's innermost circle—each holding positions like division heads or squad leaders, all experts. Roughly twenty-one Peak realm, sixty-plus First-Rate at the cusp.
"Division Leader."
Sa Wol said to me.
"Step back. I'll handle them."
Honestly? Touching.
Our Sa Wol was a superb anti-personnel weapon, but pricklier than a feral cat. Her thoughts were a mystery—always seemed ready to kill me.
The old Sa Wol would've hidden and watched this fratricide, maybe with a drink.
But now she offered to protect me. Felt like my efforts had borne fruit.
Like a gamer watching their constantly dying blowfish finally thrive.
"I'm fine."
"But..."
She bit her lip, worry flickering.
Worry? From stone-faced Sa Wol? For me?
'No way. That's not it.'
Then it hit me.
The Gu Poison was still in my heart. If I died here, it died too—and linked Sa Wol would follow.
That explained it. She couldn't risk her revenge goal unfinished.
'Yeah, don't get ahead of myself. I'll regret it later.'
I circulated Heavenly Demon Divine Art qi. It stirred some inexplicable bravado, making me bolder than planned.
"You think I can't handle trash like them?"
I flicked the black whisk at my waist.
Sa Wol looked stunned. I sent puppet-like orders via transmission. She hesitated, then vanished like smoke.
Meanwhile, the retainers gaped at my fanning gesture—insultingly casual.
"That's an insult I can't endure, Young Master."
A long-bearded man up front yelled, gripping a long saber.
[Mu Yeong Do. Peak expert. Strongest of the family head's retainers. Sa Wol's level.]
'Doesn't matter. Not an archer.'
Arrows fly from undetectable range at inescapable speed—a hard counter for me.
But archers were rare. In this Return of the Murim world, sniping from afar was seen as cowardly; few masters bothered.
'Officials have some, but...'
I'd never tangle with officials, and this was prideful cult turf. No archers here.
Anyway.
"An insult, you say?"
"Even if you're a Super Peak as rumored, your experience is shallow. Drop the sword and kneel now—I'll settle for breaking one arm."
Laughter erupted.
They didn't buy the rumors anyway.
Ordinary cult folk might, but high-ups in a Six Demonic Family had all doubted Sado Hwan at some point.
High rank, strong martial arts? Yet he'd never stepped up to prove it. The Super Peak talk started outside the cult.
"Why's a strong one calling the weak 'trash' an insult?"
"What?"
"Come at me. I'll show you what it means."
I drew Pa Cheon. The pitch-black blade gleamed. Warriors gulped, recognizing a famed sword at a glance.
Sado Mu Yeol too.
"Whoever brings that traitor to his knees gets the sword."
"...!?"
Greed lit their eyes—even saber-wielding Mu Yeong Do.
"Attack!"
"Hiyah!"
"Raaah!"
As they charged with battle cries, I focused my gaze—
"Guhk!"
"Urk!"
Dozens collapsed, vomiting blood. Mostly First-Rate warriors.
"...Killing intent!"
Of course not.
I hadn't brought the black whisk for nothing. Earlier flick dispersed Acid Lung Poison. Blindly circulating qi without noticing? Instant blood-puking doom. Nearly depleted my stock, though.
Items are king.
Mu Yeong Do alternated glances between me and the fallen, horrified. As a Peak expert, he'd resisted somewhat. Other Peaks too.
"What are you doing?"
I growled low.
"Didn't hear me say 'come at me'?"
Mu Yeong Do shouted.
"He's stronger than expected! But that's it! All at once!"
Twenty-one Peak experts gripped weapons, charging.
If items ruled, my best was high-IQ murim AI Pa Cheon.
I slashed Pa Cheon down—
Krunch!
"...!"
"?!"
Their weapons flew from hands as if yanked by invisible force, slamming into the ground.
Do Il Gwang's intent manifested through Pa Cheon.
Pretending to Be the Heavenly Demon