Episode 160: Return of the Demon Sect Instructor
Honestly, I was taken aback.
It was surprising enough that two people with completely different energies, yin and yang, could harmonize so naturally. But the way they moved as if they were a single entity was nothing short of revolutionary.
‘This isn’t just the power of their swords, nor is it their individual skills.’
The answer was clear.
It was their swordsmanship.
What kind of sword technique had they mastered?
The strike from a moment ago seemed like a simple attack.
But upon closer inspection, it was anything but simple.
When the two charged, it felt as if they were one person.
Was it a coincidence?
No.
The white-haired man didn’t believe in coincidences.
It must have been the result of rigorous training.
Yet, it wasn’t just a joint attack.
There was something different.
They had truly become one.
And in doing so, their strength had more than doubled.
‘How long are they going to keep surprising me?’
It was starting to get on his nerves.
He glanced at Sabikang, who was still watching with an intrigued expression, arms crossed.
‘It’s time to get serious.’
The white-haired man slowly gathered his inner energy.
Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa also began to move, widening the distance between them and the white-haired man.
Yet still…
‘They remain connected.’
There was something linking the two of them.
It was as if a single life form had stretched out.
This was the terror of the Blood Demon Sword Technique.
In the Demon Realm, a sword technique originally used by one person was adapted to be used by two, in the style of the Central Plains.
Mok Dan-hwa, who was right-handed, took charge of the right side of Shaiya’s body, while the ambidextrous Yeon Woo-kyung took the left.
Their synergy was far beyond what Sabikang had anticipated.
The sword techniques of the Pae Sword School and the Seom Sword School were different, yet similar enough to allow for this harmony.
In essence, they were each using half of one person’s martial arts, but the fusion was so exquisite that it became a far stronger sword technique than when Shaiya used it alone.
This was a testament to Sabikang’s brilliance in creating the Blood Demon Sword Technique, but also to the unexpectedly perfect harmony between Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa.
For the white-haired man, this was the greatest crisis he had ever faced.
‘To think I’m being pushed to this by mere students!’
In a flash, the white-haired man kicked off the ground and shot forward like an arrow.
His first target was Yeon Woo-kyung.
He had calculated that Yeon Woo-kyung was slightly slower than Mok Dan-hwa in terms of agility.
Yeon Woo-kyung leaped back, kicking off the ground.
Simultaneously, Mok Dan-hwa was drawn in, charging at the white-haired man as if pulled by an invisible force.
Clang!
Yeon Woo-kyung blocked the white-haired man’s strike with his sword.
Immediately after, Mok Dan-hwa’s dagger sliced sharply toward the man’s back.
“Where do you think you’re going?”
The white-haired man spun around, swinging his arm.
Clang!
His hand clashed with the sword, the metallic sound echoing as they both recoiled.
Sliding across the ground, the white-haired man barely regained his balance before launching himself again.
This time, his target was Mok Dan-hwa.
His strike whipped through the air like a typhoon.
Mok Dan-hwa lightly deflected the hand and spun her body, her dagger coiling around her defensively.
The white-haired man’s arm grazed the dagger as it passed.
His strike landed on a tree trunk behind her.
Thud!
Boom!
The front of the tree trunk was struck, and the back exploded outward.
Sabikang’s eyes narrowed as he watched.
‘A double heart technique.’
The Tongmun Pavilion Master had mastered the double heart technique, but he wasn’t an absolute master.
Then this man must be…
‘Was he an elder of the Songha Sect, who produced Yang Ji-gang of the Tongmun Pavilion?’
If he were an absolute master, Sabikang would have remembered him, but this was the first time he had seen this man.
Perhaps he had died before the Demon Realm’s invasion or had gone into seclusion.
Meanwhile, Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa immediately targeted the white-haired man’s back again.
The two swords flew at him in completely different ways, leaving him no choice but to block rather than evade.
“Haaah!”
The white-haired man gathered his inner energy once more, bringing his hands together.
Boom!
The concentrated energy burst outward, pushing Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa back several paces.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
By now, the white-haired man, having expended a significant amount of his inner energy, was beginning to breathe heavily.
“Ha ha ha. To think you’d push me this far. I must commend you. But…”
He slowly shifted his stance.
A powerful aura emanated from his entire body once more.
“You’re still far from being able to face me!”
He charged at Mok Dan-hwa.
She nimbly retreated, while Yeon Woo-kyung attacked the white-haired man from behind.
At that moment, the white-haired man’s eyes changed.
‘Hmph! That won’t work anymore!’
Through the previous exchanges, he had discovered a flaw in the Blood Demon Sword Technique.
Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa moved as if they were one person.
This allowed them to exhibit tremendous power and flexibility, but it also created exploitable gaps.
In using the Blood Demon Sword Technique, Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa were essentially a single, large opponent.
The white-haired man abruptly turned away from Mok Dan-hwa and spun around.
Caught off guard, Yeon Woo-kyung instinctively swung his sword.
“Haaah!”
“Hyah!”
This time, their shouts synchronized perfectly.
Clang!
Their energies clashed, sending waves of force rippling outward.
Sliding apart, the two were separated.
‘Got it!’
The white-haired man immediately turned to Mok Dan-hwa.
Since they moved as one, Mok Dan-hwa should have been moving in sync with Yeon Woo-kyung.
So if he struck her as she slid to the left…
‘What?’
She wasn’t there!
Until now, Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa had acted as if they were one.
So by now, Mok Dan-hwa should have been closing in on his left.
But…
“Haaah!”
‘From behind?’
The white-haired man quickly turned, extending his arm.
Simultaneously, Mok Dan-hwa’s dagger darted in like a living snake, exploiting his opening.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!
Boom!
“Ugh!”
“Aah!”
The two exchanged blows, both being knocked back.
Mok Dan-hwa’s clothes were torn, revealing her chest.
Meanwhile, the white-haired man had sustained cuts in four places.
His shoulders and sides.
His eyes were filled with disbelief.
‘How…?’
They should have been moving in sync.
Yet just now, they hadn’t moved as one at all.
They had acted as if using separate sword techniques.
‘So they’re not truly one?’
But his thoughts were cut short.
Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa were charging at him again.
Having expended much of his energy earlier, the white-haired man hastily retreated, defending himself.
Boom!
His energy burst in the air.
Yet again, Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa split apart, avoiding any damage.
Then, as they attacked him from above and below, they became one again.
‘This damned…!’
The white-haired man gritted his teeth and leaped.
As he aimed a strike at Yeon Woo-kyung, who was attacking his upper body…
Mok Dan-hwa slid beneath him, moving to his back.
‘They split again?’
They became one, then two.
They seemed to use a single sword technique, yet split apart at will.
It was impossible to predict.
While he was confused,
Boom!
Yeon Woo-kyung’s energy clashed with his,
Slash!
A snake-like strike raked across his back.
“Argh!”
Blood burst from the white-haired man’s back as he fell to his knees.
He gasped for breath, saliva dripping from his mouth.
‘To think I’d struggle this much against just two students!’
This wasn’t a matter of skill, but of unfamiliarity.
Even so, a loser has no say.
He had to win.
By any means necessary.
Having taken his strike head-on, Yeon Woo-kyung would struggle to hold his sword for a while.
Despite the severe wound on his back, with only Mok Dan-hwa left, he could still fight.
“Grrr!”
Gritting his teeth, he tried to stand with all his might.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Weapons flew in from all directions.
He flinched, looking around.
The students who had been fighting the guards now surrounded him, weapons drawn.
Their intent was clear: they wouldn’t hesitate to strike.
‘The guards…’
They were all defeated.
While he had been occupied with Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa, the students had astonishingly subdued all eleven guards.
“Ugh…”
His strength left him.
When the students had first entered the pavilion, he hadn’t taken them seriously.
But to think they were this capable.
Step by step.
Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa approached, staggering.
Their appearances were a mess, but their expressions remained confident.
“Admit your defeat.”
At Yeon Woo-kyung’s words, the white-haired man clenched his jaw.
After a moment, he spoke with resignation.
“You… have won.”
“Phew. It’s over.”
Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa collapsed simultaneously.
This time, Yeom Ja-ryang and Baek Mi-ryeong quickly supported them.
Sabikang approached through the students, a sly smile on his face.
“Our inspection team owes you a debt of gratitude for this valuable experience.”
“Sabi Kang, the leader of the nation…”
“You seem to be an elder of Songhamun. May I ask your name?”
The white-haired man chuckled softly before responding.
“I am Im Dangryeong.”
Sabi Kang repeated the name under his breath, then looked at the man with a start.
“Im Dangryeong… the head of Songhamun?”
“Indeed. It’s a pleasure to meet you, Sabi Kang.”
Sabi Kang regarded Im Dangryeong with a hint of surprise.
Im Dangryeong was the one who had elevated the reputation of Songhamun.
‘Come to think of it… this must be when Im Dangryeong was still alive.’
After his death, Songhamun’s influence waned rapidly.
As a result, even the once-formidable martial arts techniques lost their edge and became rather unremarkable.
But while he was alive, Songhamun’s power was undeniable.
Perhaps not as notorious as Akcheon Goe, but he was certainly a master of martial arts in his own right.
‘No wonder Wookyung and Danhwa struggled.’
To think they could hire the head of Songhamun…
‘Their vetting process is excessively rigorous.’
I expected it, but this is beyond what I imagined.
Well, at least it gives me more leverage moving forward.
‘And… there’s still more to address.’
Sabi Kang’s gaze shifted to the back of the arena.
Meanwhile, the spectators who had been watching the fight erupted into cheers.
Sabi Kang flashed a broad grin and waved at them, prompting even louder applause.
Watching this, the cadets all had the same thought.
‘Why do we do all the hard work, and the instructor gets all the glory?’