Episode 188: Return to the Demonic Sect
He hadn’t sensed a presence.
Not until the door swung open and the figure stepped inside.
Even Seoraehyang, who was adept at concealing her presence out of habit, had noticed. Yet, the person standing at the door had gone undetected.
Either an extraordinary master or someone with exceptional stealth skills.
Sabigang furrowed his brow, staring intently at the figure standing at the entrance.
It was an old man with sparse, white hair, as short as a child. What stood out most were the large needles embedded all over his body, making him look like a bizarre doll or a sickly patient with no healthy spot left.
The old man sniffed the air and grinned.
“Ah, what a delightful aroma. But it’s not just one, it’s two? You wretched scoundrels, enjoying such fine liquor all by yourselves?”
As the old man shuffled closer, Sabigang rose from his seat.
The old man halted, sensing the killing intent emanating from Sabigang.
“Come now, no need to be so fierce. Can’t you spare a drink for an old man?”
“Who are you?” Sabigang asked, his expression unusually stern.
The aura from the old man didn’t suggest he was particularly strong. Yet, Sabigang’s instincts were on high alert. There was something about this old man. Something that warned him not to let his guard down.
These instincts had been honed over decades of survival in the demonic realm, sharpened like a blade. Sabigang trusted them.
He had never seen this old man in the righteous sect. Where had such a person suddenly appeared from?
The old man chuckled, his smile wide. “Come now, don’t be so stingy. Share a drink with me.”
“No.”
With that, Sabigang downed the drink in his glass. The old man’s face twisted in irritation.
“How rude! Even cold water has a hierarchy. A young one like you, drinking alone while leaving an elder standing!”
“It’s my drink. And if we’re counting years lived, I’ve probably got more than you.”
“What? You’re completely insane, aren’t you?”
“Ha, that’s what everyone says.”
Sabigang cracked his neck, and a thick killing intent surged from the old man.
‘He’s mastered the art of concealment.’
The aura he felt was indeed sinister.
“You insolent brat. I’ll kill you and use your bones to brew my liquor.”
The old man drew two blades from his waist, longer than daggers but shorter than swords. The killing intent emanating from him grew even more intense.
Sabigang glanced at Seoraehyang.
“Let’s postpone our agreement for a bit.”
“As you wish. I won’t interfere. I value my life too much. I’ll take this opportunity to see how strong the line you’ve drawn is.”
“That works for me.”
Sabigang grinned.
The old man, eyes darting between the two, suddenly spoke to Seoraehyang.
“You smell a bit like me.”
“Do I?” Seoraehyang replied nonchalantly.
In a flash,
“Then I’ll kill the one I don’t like first!”
The old man lunged, swinging his blade in a wide arc.
Swish!
Bang!
Sabigang quickly retreated, extending a palm strike.
Clang!
The old man blocked the strike with the flat of his blade.
Screech!
Sliding back, the old man regained his balance.
Hum!
The blade in his hand trembled, emitting a low hum.
Then,
Whoosh!
The old man charged again, aiming for Sabigang’s chest.
Swish!
This time, the blade, imbued with energy, soared vertically from below.
Whirl!
Sabigang spun like a top, dodging to the side, leaving the blade to carve into the wall and ceiling.
Crash!
The old man’s rapid assault didn’t end there.
Swish!
Another strike descended from above!
Whoosh!
Sabigang swiftly dodged, leaning back.
Slash!
The blade narrowly missed, slicing open the front of Sabigang’s garment, revealing his muscular chest.
Sabigang narrowed his eyes. The old man’s martial arts were indeed impressive, but not overwhelmingly so. He was confident he could handle him. A match for Tang Yi-hyeop, perhaps.
Yet, his instincts continued to warn him. The old man’s true strength was beyond what he showed.
‘There’s definitely something more to this old man…’
Despite his attacks missing, the old man showed no signs of impatience. He licked the blade, his voice gravelly.
“You’re quite good at dodging. Did you learn to run before you could walk, young one?”
“Ha, young? I’ve lived longer than you.”
“Ha ha ha! You’re completely mad, aren’t you?”
The old man laughed heartily, then suddenly reached out.
A bottle of liquor on the table floated into his hand.
But,
Swish!
In an instant, a dagger sliced through the air, aiming for the old man’s shoulder.
“Yikes!”
The old man had no choice but to withdraw his hand and spin away.
Thud!
The dagger narrowly missed, embedding itself in the wall.
Meanwhile, the bottle he had dropped flew into Sabigang’s hand.
“Damn it!”
“I told you, it’s my drink.”
Sabigang grinned, taking a swig. As he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, the old man’s face turned red with anger.
“You little brat…!”
Bang!
In a flash, the old man kicked off the ground, charging again.
Swish! Swish!
This time, the two blades crossed like scissors, aiming for Sabigang.
Tap!
Sabigang swiftly stepped back, narrowly avoiding the blades. As he did, the old man launched a kick.
“You scoundrel!”
Bang!
At that moment,
“Hmm?”
The old man’s eyes widened.
Sabigang had vanished.
Crash!
His kick shattered an innocent table into pieces.
Dust billowed.
As the old man turned, he saw Sabigang standing calmly by the door.
The old man chuckled.
“You’ve got some interesting tricks up your sleeve!”
Before he finished speaking, he charged again, faster than before.
In the blink of an eye, the old man appeared before Sabigang.
But once again, Sabigang used his blink magic to teleport to the opposite side.
However, the old man wasn’t so easily fooled by the same trick twice. He had spent decades fighting, his body well-versed in combat.
“Ha ha! There you are!”
He spun, hurling a blade.
Swish!
The blade, imbued with energy, shot straight for Sabigang’s heart.
Tap!
Simultaneously, the old man charged at Sabigang like a whirlwind.
Sabigang quickly raised his sword, Veritas.
Clang!
A clear metallic ring echoed as sparks flew.
The old man caught the rebounding blade and descended from above.
“Die, young one!”
Swish!
The unexpectedly heavy attack forced Sabigang to retreat, tossing the bottle he held.
In a flash, the old man halted his attack, gracefully catching the bottle.
He must have been quite desperate for a drink.
“Ha ha. Can’t let you have all the fun with this delicious stuff.”
It seemed his true goal was the liquor, not Sabigang. He swallowed hard, lifting the bottle.
At that moment,
Swish!
Crash!
Veritas flew like an arrow, shattering the bottle.
Liquor and shards rained down on the old man.
“Damn it!”
The old man cursed, feeling his soaked chest. He licked the liquor from his hand, looking mournful.
“Damn it! It’s been years since I smelled such good liquor… You… you…!”
“I told you, it’s my drink. If you were that desperate, you should’ve politely asked for a glass. Ha ha.”
“Shut up, you mad dog!”
The old man shouted, his anger boiling over.
A strange phenomenon occurred.
His body began to glow red, like heated metal, swelling larger.
Sabigang’s eyes gleamed with interest.
“You’ve got some interesting tricks yourself.”
“You mongrel! I’ll kill you, you damn bastard!”
“Looking forward to it.”
Then,
Crack. Snap!
The old man’s body swelled, his joints twisting grotesquely.
In an instant,
Pop! Pop! Pop!
The large needles embedded in his body suddenly shot out in all directions.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
Crash! Smash!
The needles flew, destroying furniture and objects around them. Some even shattered windows, flying outside.
As soon as Sabigang raised his shield, the barrage of needles that had been flying at him like a swarm of arrows clattered against it with a sound like oil sizzling in a hot pan.
Ratatatatat!
The needles ricocheted off the shield, embedding themselves in the walls, ceiling, and floor of the room.
Soraehyang, who had been standing aside, quickly grabbed a table to use as a barrier and simultaneously heightened her protective energy to its maximum.
When the chaos finally subsided, Sabigang found himself facing an old man who had somehow grown taller and bulkier, his size now three times what it had been. The man cracked his neck with a loud pop.
“Was it… a restriction?” Sabigang thought, finally understanding the source of his unease.
The old man had been fighting with his powers restrained all along. That was the root of the threat Sabigang had sensed.
The old man’s increased size came with a much deeper and more formidable aura. The sinister energy surrounding him had also intensified.
“It’s been a while since someone made me this angry,” the old man said, his breath escaping in dark, smoky wisps.
“Stop breathing. Your breath stinks,” Sabigang retorted.
“Heh heh heh. Then I’ll just suffocate you!”
Whoosh!
Two swords, shrouded in a dark aura, flew toward Sabigang.
He quickly dodged, summoning his weapon, Vertas, with a technique that allowed him to manipulate objects.
Just as Vertas reached his hand,
Clang!
He deflected the swords, but the old man was already upon him, launching a punch.
Boom!
The force of the blow sent Sabigang hurtling backward, crashing into the wall.
Thud!
The old man didn’t stop there. He caught the rebounding swords and charged at Sabigang again, moving with an agility that belied his massive frame.
Whoosh!
The swords in his hands slashed through the air, threatening to tear Sabigang apart.
Whirl!
Sabigang spun away, using the momentum to slash at the old man’s back with Vertas.
Slash!
But the old man didn’t even flinch. Instead, he turned and gave a sly grin.
”…!”
Sabigang’s eyes widened in surprise.
The old man chuckled, revealing rotten teeth. “The martial arts I’ve mastered grant me a body stronger than diamond. No matter how you try, you won’t leave a scratch on me.”