Episode 157: Return to the Demonic Sect
“Ugh, isn’t this a bit much?” Yeom Jaryang muttered, looking exhausted.
After climbing the cliffside stairs, they were met with yet another obstacle.
The upper courtyard overlooked the lower one, and there stood over a hundred warriors, all wearing bamboo hats.
Among them was the old man who had been watching from the roof during the previous encounter.
“Heh heh heh. You’ve made it to the upper courtyard, I see. I must admit, your talents are impressive. But this is as far as you go. It’s best to turn back now, without causing any more trouble. Wouldn’t it be better to return unscathed?”
Gok Bo-ok responded to the old man’s warning with a nonchalant expression.
“Sorry, but if we turn back now, we’ll have to go all the way to the academy. Isn’t that a bit too far? So, let’s just take the governor with us.”
“Heh heh heh. You still don’t get it, do you?”
The old man chuckled, stroking his beard.
Meanwhile, Gok Bo-ok whispered to Dam Woo-gi beside him.
“Who are these people? Are they originally from the Tongmun Pavilion?”
“Yes, they’re the New Sword Squad. It’s the most elite group in the Tongmun Pavilion, composed of 101 members. But…”
“The members seem different,” Yeon Woo-gyeong interjected.
Dam Woo-gi nodded.
“Right. The New Sword Squad is made up of top-tier masters, skilled in both offensive and defensive techniques. But these guys…”
“There are quite a few peak-level masters among them.”
Yeon Woo-gyeong’s observation made the other students nod faintly.
They had sensed it from the start.
These weren’t the real New Sword Squad.
They were a newly formed fake squad, meant to test their qualifications.
Yet, each individual’s skills and abilities surpassed those of the real squad.
Especially with several peak-level masters mixed in.
How could twenty-one students possibly defeat over a hundred warriors?
It was a fight they were destined to lose from the start.
Standing a little apart from the students, Sa Bi-gang also sensed this.
‘Heh, it was bound to be a loss. But that just makes it more interesting.’
He wasn’t worried at all.
He had trained the students for the past six years.
He knew them better than anyone.
‘If it comes to a real clash, the students’ chances of winning are slim. The numerical disadvantage and the experience gap are significant. But…’
There was a trump card the other side hadn’t experienced.
Among the students, Jo Mun-tak stepped forward.
The men in bamboo hats frowned, watching Jo Mun-tak approach with a carefree demeanor.
“Is it finally my turn?”
Jo Mun-tak stretched his arms, loosening up as if he were just waking up in the morning.
The old man furrowed his brow and asked, “What are you doing? Is this a sign of surrender?”
“Oh, no. I just thought I’d warm up a bit.”
“What? Are you planning to take us on by yourself?”
“Well… probably.”
Jo Mun-tak twisted his body this way and that, responding casually.
The old man, who had been watching him with a dumbfounded expression, suddenly burst into laughter.
“Ha ha ha ha! Look at these crazy fools! Ha ha! It seems you’ve lost your mind from fear. You’ve amused this old man, so I’ll forgive everything. Now, go back. A student should stay where they belong.”
“Sorry, but… we’re not students. We’re the Inspection Squad.”
With that, Jo Mun-tak walked forward confidently, so much so that the men in bamboo hats, bewildered, parted to let him through.
A hundred and one warriors.
What could he possibly do, walking alone into their midst?
Finally, Jo Mun-tak reached the old man and grinned.
“Shall we begin?”
“Your arrogance knows no bounds.”
“Please, call it confidence.”
The old man was at a loss for words, his eyes twitching.
Yet, he couldn’t help but feel a twinge of tension.
Though Jo Mun-tak seemed to be a level below him, the students’ skills had exceeded his expectations.
Especially Dan Ri-jeong, whom he had to acknowledge.
The sniper from the opposing building was one of the best in the Heavenly Bow Corps of the Justice Alliance.
Though young, he was a candidate for the next leader of the corps.
Yet, Dan Ri-jeong had subdued him with a single shot.
If anyone deserved the title of a divine archer, it was someone like Dan Ri-jeong.
So even Jo Mun-tak, who seemed unimpressive, was a subject of cautious vigilance for the old man.
The uncertainty of how and where the opponent might attack was the most unsettling part.
But having a hundred and one masters charge at a single student with swords drawn was out of the question.
After all, hadn’t the students faced the gatekeeper, Pae Ryeok-geo-shin, in a fair one-on-one duel?
Watching Jo Mun-tak slowly spread his feet shoulder-width apart, the old man asked cautiously, “Do you really think you can take me on by yourself?”
“Uh? No, not really.”
“Then?”
“I’m going to take on you and everyone else here. All the New Sword Squad warriors.”
“What?”
The old man’s cheek twitched.
Was this madness, provocation, or just thoughtlessness?
Meanwhile, Jo Mun-tak took a deep breath and clenched his fists.
A stance that seemed bizarre for a martial arts form.
It vaguely resembled a horse-riding stance.
In each hand, he held a dagger.
‘What kind of martial art is that?’
He couldn’t even guess.
Despite having spent decades in the martial world.
Where did these strange things come from?
Still, he couldn’t just stand there and take it.
The old man assumed a defensive stance, preparing for any possible attack.
It wouldn’t look good to initiate an attack against such a young opponent.
To the unorthodox warriors, this might seem frustratingly cautious, but this was the standard practice of the orthodox sects.
Moreover, this wasn’t a formal fight, but a student evaluation.
Finally, Jo Mun-tak clenched his fists and let out a loud shout.
“Hyaaaah!”
The shout was so loud that the surrounding New Sword Squad warriors flinched and stepped back.
But…
‘What is this?’
The old man’s brow furrowed even more.
Nothing happened.
Jo Mun-tak remained in place, fists clenched, taking deep breaths.
And the students watching from behind seemed to be eagerly anticipating something.
Jo Mun-tak tilted his head and muttered to himself.
“I’m too tense, it’s not working.”
“You little… Do you think this is a place for jokes…?”
“Hyaaaah!”
Another loud shout!
The old man quickly assumed a defensive stance and stepped back.
The New Sword Squad warriors also flinched and adjusted their stances.
But…
‘What, what is this?’
Again, nothing changed.
The students, who had been eagerly watching, let out a collective sigh of disappointment.
No one could understand what was happening.
The old man’s eyes twitched with frustration.
“Are you done with your jokes? I think I’ve shown enough leniency to my young juniors.”
He was indicating that he wouldn’t hold back any longer.
He was even willing to make the first move if necessary.
Yet, Jo Mun-tak seemed oblivious to the old man’s warning, lost in his own world with a serious expression.
“I can’t hold back any longer. I’ll deal with you myself…!”
“Hyaaaah!”
Another loud shout!
The old man and the New Sword Squad warriors flinched again.
But that was all.
They weren’t going to be fooled by the same trick multiple times.
Finally, the old man’s patience reached its limit.
He drew his sword and strode towards Jo Mun-tak.
“You brat! If you’re going to mess around, do it in the outhouse, not here…!”
“Hyaaaah!”
Another loud shout.
But this time, no one flinched.
Some even openly laughed.
Then,
Swoosh!
The black spikes embedded in Jo Mun-tak’s belt suddenly shot out.
Hundreds of spikes spread out like a swarm of bees, rapidly flying towards the New Sword Squad warriors.
Swish!
“Ugh!”
“What the…! Argh!”
“Eek! Aaaah!”
Caught off guard by the sudden barrage of spikes, the New Sword Squad warriors swung their swords wildly in defense, but it was futile.
The old man was no exception.
Realizing the severity of the situation too late, he tried to shield himself with his energy, but his body was already covered in small wounds.
The storm of black spikes quickly returned to Jo Mun-tak’s belt, embedding themselves back in place.
“Ugh!”
“Ugh.”
All one hundred and one warriors lay groaning on the ground.
The only one left standing was the old man.
His eyes were bloodshot with rage.
“You brat! How dare you…!”
He kicked off the ground, soaring through the air towards Jo Mun-tak.
But…
Thud!
“Ugh…!”
The old man landed in front of Jo Mun-tak, unable to keep his eyes open, and collapsed.
Unbeknownst to him, the black spikes were coated with poison.
Jo Mun-tak had spent the past six years focusing solely on mastering the use of the black hive.
The technique consumed so much mana that even six years of training felt insufficient.
But then, Tang Yi-hyeop, who had been observing the process, came up with a brilliant suggestion.
The plan was to apply a non-lethal poison to the black hive.
This time, since it was just a test, they used a sleeping poison instead of a deadly one.
As a result, the old man who had been attacking couldn’t resist the overwhelming drowsiness and collapsed on the spot.
Watching the master swordsman fall into a deep sleep on the floor, Jo Muntak quickly turned away.
“Phew, that was close. I’m done for today…”
Before he could finish his sentence, Jo Muntak’s legs gave out, and he fainted.
Just in time, Gok Bo-ok rushed over to catch him before he hit the ground.
He had exhausted a large amount of mana all at once, causing him to pass out.
“Honestly, this guy is such a hassle. He requires so much attention,” Gok Bo-ok grumbled as he hoisted Jo Muntak onto his back.
Yeom Jaryang chuckled softly and patted him on the back. “Still, thanks to Muntak, we got through this easily.”
“So what? He’s a one-time use. After this, he’ll be out of commission for two days, just meditating.”
“Let’s give him credit for trusting us enough to use it.”
“That’s exactly the problem. What if a real fight breaks out? And what if we’re not around? What then?”
“Well, then he wouldn’t use the black hive, would he?”
As the two bickered, the cadets finally started moving toward the main hall.
But just as Sabi Kang was about to follow them, he paused and stared intently at the back of the hall.
A sly smile crept across his lips.
“Heh heh, they’re up to something interesting.”