Episode 219: Return of the Demon Sect Leader
Creak, clank!
With an unpleasant screech, a man appeared.
He stepped into the dimly lit chamber, his face flushed a deep red.
Seol Baek, who was shackled to the floor with iron chains, lifted his weary eyes and spoke.
“Back again, are you? Haven’t I told you everything I know?”
His voice was barely more than a whisper, drained of all strength.
His body was covered in wounds, as if he’d been tortured.
The red-faced man chuckled softly.
“Thanks to you, things are moving along nicely.”
“So, are you here to kill me now?”
“Well… what do you think I should do?”
Seol Baek simply stared at him, saying nothing.
Even as an opportunist, he had too much pride to beg for his life from a stranger.
Besides, begging wouldn’t save him anyway.
Seol Baek let out a dry laugh.
“If you intended to kill me, you’d have done it already. You’ve heard everything you wanted.”
The red-faced man smiled silently and pulled something from his pocket.
It was a dark gray pill, emitting a foul odor.
The stench was so nauseating that Seol Baek felt his stomach churn just from the smell.
“Damn it, get that thing away from me!”
“Eat it. It’s the only way you’ll live.”
Seol Baek glared at him before opening his mouth.
The man placed the pill inside, and knowing there was no point in resisting, Seol Baek chewed and swallowed it.
It was unbearably bitter and disgusting.
“What did I just swallow?”
“It’s called the Moon’s Hidden Pill. As you might guess, it’s poison. It takes a month to act.”
“So, I have a month left to live.”
The man nodded.
Seol Baek fixed him with a piercing gaze.
“What do you want from me?”
“Nothing much. Consider it… motivation.”
“Motivation?”
“To help you achieve what you desire a bit faster.”
“What are you talking about?”
Instead of answering, the man posed another question.
“You have a month left. What will you do with it?”
A month to live.
Seol Baek’s expression hardened.
The sudden, stark reality of the question forced him to think.
A month was too short.
Too short to accomplish anything significant or solve any problems.
In that case…
“Obviously…”
Seol Baek hesitated, then spoke the thought that had come to him.
“You want me to eliminate Sabi Kang.”
The man didn’t respond, but his silence was confirmation enough.
Seol Baek chuckled.
“I see. That’s what this is about. And after I take care of Sabi Kang?”
“I’ll give you the antidote. But as you know, the deadline is…”
“A month, right.”
There were many things he wanted to argue about.
But Seol Baek held his tongue.
After all, he was still alive.
And life meant opportunity.
He couldn’t afford to ask for too much from the start.
He smiled.
“Fine. I’ll take care of him for you.”
“I thought you might.”
The man approached with a key in hand.
**
“What? What are you saying…?”
Choo Ryung’s eyes widened as he looked at Sabi Kang.
Sabi Kang’s expression remained unchanged.
In fact, that was what made it all the more strange.
Given the content, it should have been a joke, but his face was too serious.
“Heh, Master, you’re joking, right?”
“Why would I joke with you?”
“But still…”
Choo Ryung forced a laugh, but his expression gradually turned serious.
“You’re not… serious, are you?”
“Yes, I am.”
“Master, I’m sorry, but… just a moment…”
Choo Ryung approached Sabi Kang and touched his forehead.
Sabi Kang frowned.
“What are you doing?”
“Just checking if you have a fever.”
“I know it’s hard to believe.”
“No, no. This isn’t about belief. This is just…”
Choo Ryung couldn’t finish his sentence.
He had always thought of himself as someone with a free spirit.
He was good at making jokes and could lie convincingly when needed.
But Sabi Kang was on a whole different level.
‘Even if you’re joking, it should at least make sense…’
What on earth was the Demon Realm, and what was magic? He claimed to have lived in the future and returned?
“Master, do I look that gullible to you?”
“What are you talking about?”
“Otherwise, why would you tell such an unbelievable joke with a straight face…?”
At that moment,
Whoosh!
“Ah!”
Choo Ryung gasped and jumped back.
A ball of fire was suddenly blazing in Sabi Kang’s palm.
Sabi Kang muttered nonchalantly.
“It’s called a Fireball. A type of fire magic.”
Then,
Swoosh!
“Whoa!”
Choo Ryung rolled to the side in a panic.
The fiery orb narrowly missed him, crashing into the wall with a loud explosion.
Fortunately, the wall remained intact.
When Choo Ryung turned back with a pale face, Sabi Kang shrugged.
“Don’t worry about the building. The underground here is protected by a barrier, so it can withstand most magical attacks.”
“That’s not what I’m worried about!”
“Then what?”
“Why did you suddenly attack me?”
“Oh, that…”
Sabi Kang seemed to ponder for a moment before shrugging again.
“Just because I was annoyed.”
“What?”
“You didn’t believe me, and it annoyed me.”
“What does that even…!”
“Do you still not believe me?”
“Please stop teasing me. I know you’re testing me with your extreme yang energy technique.”
“You still don’t believe me. How about this?”
Sabi Kang’s eyes narrowed,
Crackle! Crackle!
The air around him grew cold, and sharp ice arrows formed.
Choo Ryung’s eyes widened in disbelief.
“My goodness. Extreme yin energy too…!”
“You’re really getting on my nerves.”
With that, Sabi Kang flicked his hand,
Whoosh! Whoosh!
“Ah! Whoa!”
Choo Ryung quickly dodged.
The ice arrows whizzed past him, shattering against the wall.
Choo Ryung swallowed hard.
The shattered ice shards were real.
The cold sensation on his shoulder was unmistakable.
He had never heard of such a martial art.
‘Could it be true? Is it really magic from the Demon Realm?’
But he quickly shook his head.
No way!
How could such a thing exist?
His master had always been eccentric, hadn’t he?
Surely, he was just being teased!
Then,
Whoosh!
“Ah!”
Choo Ryung saw an ice arrow flying straight at him.
Lost in thought, he hadn’t noticed it in time.
It was too late to dodge.
He quickly extended his hands, channeling his energy to counter it.
“Hiya!”
Crash!
The ice arrow shattered into pieces, and Choo Ryung slid back several feet.
He looked at his stiff hands.
They were covered in frost, as if he had frostbite.
‘Extreme yin energy technique?’
The cold that seeped into his hands was bone-chilling.
His jaw began to tremble.
“You look cold.”
Sabi Kang extended his hand again.
Then,
Whoosh!
“Whoa!”
A pillar of fire suddenly erupted between Sabi Kang and Choo Ryung.
The intense heat felt like it would scorch his skin.
But the cold in his hands was now completely gone.
Choo Ryung quickly circulated his internal energy to cool his body.
“I understand now! I believe you! Please, do something about this fire!”
Sabi Kang then cast an Ice Cannon.
Crack!
A white beam shot out, and the raging flames cooled rapidly, freezing the ground solid.
The Ice Cannon was a higher-level spell than the Fire Wall, so it was easily extinguished.
Sabi Kang walked across the frozen ground.
“Being skeptical is good. But you don’t need to be skeptical of me.”
“I’ll remember that, Master!”
Choo Ryung’s demeanor had completely changed.
Whether it was extreme yang energy, extreme yin energy, or magic from the Demon Realm, it didn’t matter.
He had never seen or heard of such incredible martial arts in his life.
With newfound respect, he bowed deeply to Sabi Kang.
“Master! Please teach me that magic!”
“No.”
“What?”
“I’ve changed my mind because of your insolence.”
“I was wrong, Master! I’ll train diligently to become your best disciple!”
“I already have plenty of disciples.”
“Oh, come on, Master. Don’t be like that. I’ll take you to a place with beautiful women soon. I’ve already scoped out the best spots nearby.”
“Learn with all your heart and soul.”
“Of course!”
Choo Ryung replied energetically, bowing deeply.
**
Sweat dripped down.
Choo Ryung bit his lip.
His legs trembled like leaves in the wind.
How long had he been standing like this?
To others, it might just look like a simple horse stance.
But he was channeling his internal energy while maintaining the stance.
In a way he had never heard of before.
It was a technique with a name as unfamiliar as it was daunting: the Yin-Yang Mana Conversion Technique.
Developed by Sabigang himself, this method allowed one to transform internal energy into mana.
Even with Sabigang’s guidance, the unfamiliar process of channeling energy was rapidly draining Churyang’s stamina.
He had nearly fainted several times, barely managing to hold on each time.
But now, he was at his limit.
“Ugh… Master… I really can’t… go on…”
“What? Speak up. I can barely hear you.”
“It’s… getting too hard… to endure…!”
Churyang’s face was as pale as a sheet, drenched in sweat.
Sabigang clicked his tongue, his expression stern.
“Is this the extent of your dedication? It seems you’re not fit to be my disciple…”
“No! I can keep going!”
Churyang shouted, eyes wide with determination.
He steeled himself and resumed channeling his energy.
His internal power slowly coursed through his body’s meridians.
When it finally converted to mana near his heart, he felt a strange, uncomfortable sensation.
It was still unfamiliar to him.
How much time passed like this?
After converting his internal energy to mana one last time, Churyang’s eyes closed involuntarily, and he collapsed.
“Get up.”
Sabigang’s voice was indifferent, but Churyang didn’t budge.
Sabigang let out a shallow sigh.
“Well, I suppose he lasted longer than expected.”
His tone was nonchalant, but inwardly, Sabigang was impressed.
For a first attempt at the Yin-Yang Mana Conversion Technique, even with his help, an ordinary person would have collapsed long ago.
‘He’s got grit, that’s for sure. But why do I always feel like teasing him?’
Just then, a thumping noise echoed from somewhere above.
‘Looks like there are others with some spirit.’
Sabigang chuckled softly, glancing up at the ceiling.