Episode 213: Return of the Demon Instructor
“Gasp, gasp, gasp!”
Bang-gak leaned on his knees, trying to catch his breath.
He hadn’t wanted to come.
He thought it was impossible from the start.
He believed he was just unlucky, having fallen for Sabi-gang’s shallow tricks.
Yu Song-ryeong was much sharper than he was.
He was sure she wouldn’t fall for Sabi-gang’s schemes.
And yet…
“Damn it! I just have this feeling I need to be here!”
Was it mere curiosity?
Or was it the unsettling feeling he got from this newly arrived instructor?
Either way, it felt like his life was about to be turned upside down.
No, it already had been.
With just one piece of advice.
His martial arts had improved dramatically.
Just a slight adjustment in posture had brought him great insight.
It was like changing your vocal technique and suddenly becoming a better singer.
That’s why he had to come.
To see if the person who had such an impact on him could really bring Yu Song-ryeong here.
Or if the advice he received was just a fluke.
He needed to see it with his own eyes.
Through the events unfolding in this arena of life and death.
But…
“Where’s the gatekeeper?”
The burly man who should have been guarding the entrance was nowhere to be seen.
Normally, he’d be there with his usual expressionless face, demanding the entry fee.
Bang-gak tilted his head in confusion and ventured down the dimly lit passage.
When he finally entered the arena,
“No, no, no! Stop!”
“What are you doing? Yu Song-ryeong, get a grip!”
“Have you fallen for that pretty-boy orthodox fighter?”
Shouts erupted from all around.
“What’s going on?”
Bang-gak, bewildered, rushed to where the crowd had gathered.
It was in front of the iron bridge duel.
And there he saw two people engaged in a fierce battle atop the iron bars.
“Those two are fighting?”
Yu Song-ryeong, panting heavily, was unrecognizable.
Her usual playful expression and confident demeanor were nowhere to be seen.
Instead, her face was filled with a fierce determination.
In contrast, Sabi-gang seemed completely at ease.
He looked at Yu Song-ryeong with a nonchalant expression and said,
“Already tired? I haven’t even warmed up yet.”
“You…”
“Isn’t it a bit rude to call your instructor ‘you’? Call me Instructor.”
“Shut up!”
Thud!
Yu Song-ryeong kicked off the iron bar and shot forward like an arrow.
Whoosh!
As Sabi-gang leapt back, Yu Song-ryeong’s eyes gleamed with determination.
“Let’s see you handle this!”
She let go of her sword.
It was her secret move.
He would never have expected her to throw her weapon.
In a straight-line fight, there was no room to dodge left or right.
And it was too late to leap away.
But then…
Snap!
Yu Song-ryeong’s eyes widened.
Gasps erupted from the spectators.
Amazingly, Sabi-gang had caught the large blade with just his fingers.
He held it as if it were a mere piece of paper.
“He caught that… with his fingers?”
The surprise was exhausting.
The duel had been going on for nearly half an hour.
Yet, there was no winner.
Or rather, it seemed he wasn’t trying to win.
That’s right.
“That man is deliberately not ending this!”
She realized it now.
Her opponent’s martial arts were far superior.
Yet he wasn’t attacking aggressively.
“What’s he up to?”
Yu Song-ryeong bit her lip.
Meanwhile, Sabi-gang looked at the sword she had thrown and spoke suddenly.
“It’s a good sword. Was it passed down to you?”
Yu Song-ryeong flinched.
He was spot on.
The Great God Sword originally belonged to her father.
But now it was hers.
Sabi-gang nodded slightly and said casually,
“The balance is a bit off.”
“What?”
“You’ve done something unnecessary to the blade.”
“What do you know?”
Yu Song-ryeong’s voice was sharp.
The fight not going her way had made her extremely sensitive.
“By engraving words on the blade, you’ve ruined its near-perfect balance. It’s irreversible now, but as a token of you becoming my student, I’ll fix it for you soon.”
“What nonsense…!”
At that moment, Sabi-gang tossed the Great God Sword back to her.
Whoosh!
Yu Song-ryeong quickly reached out and caught it by the handle.
Smack!
Sabi-gang gestured with his chin.
“Come on, try again.”
“What are you doing?”
“Isn’t it obvious? I’m teaching you.”
“Who asked you to…!”
Yu Song-ryeong’s brow furrowed as she charged at Sabi-gang.
The Great God Sword flew towards Sabi-gang’s neck.
Sabi-gang stepped back, continuing to speak lightly.
“You’re slow. Your wrist is too stiff. Loosen it up.”
“Shut up!”
“It’s best to save your breath during a fight.”
“You shut up!”
“I’m in a different situation. I’m much stronger than you.”
“Ugh!”
Whoosh! Swish! Slash!
Yu Song-ryeong swung her sword repeatedly.
But each time, Sabi-gang dodged with ease.
“This one’s promising. If trained well, she could be quite useful.”
Yu Song-ryeong, now furious, threw her sword again.
Whoosh!
Smack!
Once again, Sabi-gang caught the blade effortlessly.
His eyes narrowed.
“You have a bad habit. Throwing your sword is like throwing away your life. It’s not something to be taken lightly.”
“Stop meddling and attack already!”
“Hm. If you insist, I’ll pause the lesson and give you a demonstration.”
“What?”
“You mishandled the sword, so you need to be taught a lesson.”
“Ridiculous…!”
Whoosh!
In an instant, Sabi-gang was right in front of her, and the blade was at her throat.
The blade, exuding a chilling aura, stopped just beside her neck.
Yu Song-ryeong froze, eyes wide, like a statue.
“Can someone really be this fast?”
Not just her, but all the martial artists watching were stunned.
No one dared to breathe loudly.
Late, shame and anger welled up inside Yu Song-ryeong.
Her opponent could have killed her.
He could have ended it by slicing her neck.
But he stopped and gave her a chance.
“To be pitied by an orthodox fighter!”
There was no greater humiliation.
Especially with all the other martial artists watching!
If her head had been cut off, at least she would have died a glorious death.
But the humiliation didn’t end there.
Slap, slap…!
Sabi-gang tapped her cheek with the flat of the blade.
“What the…! What are you doing?”
Yu Song-ryeong shouted, retreating, and Sabi-gang grinned.
“I told you, I’m teaching you. You mishandled your sword, so I’m giving you a lesson.”
“Shut up! You…!”
Whoosh!
The Great God Sword flew again.
“Gasp!”
Yu Song-ryeong involuntarily swallowed hard and froze once more.
And once again, the sword stopped right beside her neck.
“Again… I couldn’t do anything!”
Slap! Slap!
Sabi-gang tapped her cheek with the flat of the blade again.
Yu Song-ryeong, now furious, lunged at Sabi-gang with all her strength.
“Die, you bastard!”
“Bend your right knee more.”
Thud!
Sabi-gang stepped back, tapping her calf with the back of the blade.
“Stop messing around!”
Yu Song-ryeong, driven by anger, charged at Sabi-gang again.
Swish!
Sabi-gang retreated, using the Great God Sword to tap various parts of her body.
“Pull your left shoulder back more, then your right shoulder. Your foot position is wrong. Face forward.”
“Ugh…!”
The more he pointed out, the angrier Yu Song-ryeong became, but Sabi-gang continued his critique.
**
Two full hours passed.
Yu Song-ryeong was gasping for breath.
“Gasp, gasp, gasp.”
Meanwhile, the spectators held their breath.
This was the longest duel in the arena’s history.
Yet no one found it boring.
The duel was that extraordinary.
Jeok Mu-rin, watching from below, narrowed his eyes.
He finally understood Sabi-gang’s intention.
From the start, Sabi-gang had no intention of knocking Yu Song-ryeong off.
Nor did he plan to overwhelm her into surrendering early.
He knew she would never admit defeat.
What a terrifying man.
He had underestimated him.
Meanwhile, Yu Song-ryeong, standing on the iron bars, glared at Sabi-gang, barely managing to steady her trembling legs.
The heated metal radiated intense heat.
To withstand the suffocating heat, she had to use her inner energy to cool her body.
Naturally, this led to a significant drain on her energy.
By the time an hour and a half had passed, she was nearly exhausted.
Her opponent was a man she couldn’t defeat by luck.
Defeat was inevitable.
In front of all the martial artists watching, admitting defeat to a member of the orthodox sect was out of the question. It was only a matter of time before she would fall from the iron bar to her death.
But then, an unexpected problem arose.
“Damn it! Why isn’t he attacking?”
Sabigang was still watching her with a relaxed expression, a faint smile playing on his lips.
It was enough to drive her mad.
An opponent impervious to any attack.
Yet, an opponent who made no attacks of his own.
In such a situation, there was no way to die a glorious death in battle.
So she came up with the idea of deliberately falling from the bar.
When she realized there was no chance of victory, when she felt like she was up against an insurmountable wall, she decided to pretend to slip and fall.
But…
“This damned man won’t even let me do that!”
Indeed, whenever she tried to fall, Sabigang would suddenly appear, pretending to attack, and set her back on the bar.
She had never imagined such a scenario.
It was enough to make her want to scream and jump up and down in frustration.
“Damn it! That devilish man! That wicked, unlucky bastard!”
As if he could read her thoughts, Sabigang’s smile widened.
“Damn, it’s too hot. I can’t hold on any longer!”
Her consciousness was starting to fade.
If she collapsed like this, Sabigang would surely catch her.
Even if she didn’t admit defeat, it would be as good as losing.
Since nothing like this had ever happened before, she couldn’t predict what the judgment would be.
The problem was her pride wouldn’t allow it.
“I’d rather die!”
But she couldn’t even die as she wished…
“Argh! This is infuriating!”
Just then, a sudden idea flashed through her mind.