Episode 230: Return to the Demonic Sect

“Mina! Rina!”

Through the throng of people, their father, Seol Baekryong, appeared.

“Father…!”

Seol Sumin nearly collapsed as her legs gave way beneath her. Facing the suffocating hostility of dozens of adults was no easy feat.

As she staggered, Seol Baekryong quickly supported her.

“What on earth happened here?”

When Seol Baekryong demanded an explanation, Seol Sumin replied, her voice trembling with tears.

“Wi Jikang and Ho Unpyeong… they tried to… to harm Rina…”

Her words were choked with sobs, making it difficult to continue. Strangely, whenever she faced injustice, the sight of her father always brought tears to her eyes.

Seol Baekryong gently patted her head. “You did well, protecting your sister.”

“Father…”

At his words, Seol Sumin couldn’t hold back her tears any longer, and they fell like raindrops.

Meanwhile, Seol Serin stood there, dazed. Just moments ago, she had been clutching her head, screaming wildly, but thankfully, the fit seemed to have passed.

Seol Baekryong’s gaze shifted to the crimson whip in Seol Serin’s hand, stained with thick, dark blood.

‘What on earth…’

He had already heard a report from his subordinates. Incredibly, Seol Serin had used that whip to brutally kill two young masters and their followers.

“Rina, are you alright?”

As Seol Baekryong approached cautiously to take the whip, Seol Serin flinched and stepped back.

“It’s me, your father, Rina.”

“Ah…”

Seol Serin was not herself. Her eyes, unfocused, stared blankly at Seol Baekryong. What had consumed her mind so completely?

Seol Baekryong furrowed his brow and turned away.

“Make way!”

But just then,

“Kang! My son, Kang!”

“Pyeong! Where are you?”

The heads of the Wi family and the Fengje sect, Wi Jicheon and Jang Cheongil, arrived. Seeing their sons and disciples lying dead, their eyes filled with rage.

Having heard the horrific news from their own subordinates, they charged at Seol Baekryong with murderous intent.

“You Seol family scum! How dare you kill my son?”

“Your son tried to harm my daughter first! Is that what a noble sect’s heir should do?”

“Don’t spout nonsense! Do you think I don’t know your daughter has learned demonic arts? Are you trying to cover it up by slandering my dead son? Can you even call yourself a leader of a righteous sect?”

“That’s absurd! I’m just stating the facts!”

But the situation was not in Seol Baekryong’s favor. His opponents were the influential heads of the Wi family and the Fengje sect, both powerful in the region.

Rumors had long circulated about Wi Jikang and Ho Unpyeong’s misdeeds, but the sects always dismissed them as baseless.

‘So the rumors were true!’

Seol Baekryong’s expression hardened as Jang Cheongil shouted angrily.

“Seol family head, don’t speak of unverified truths! How can you trust only your daughter’s words?”

“My daughter doesn’t lie.”

“Hmph! Every parent believes that. But such blind trust ruins children! Besides, many witnessed Seol Serin using demonic arts!”

“My daughter has never learned such arts!”

Seol Baekryong shouted, but his words fell on deaf ears. The two men, blinded by rage, were beyond reason.

“Silence! Unless I tear that girl apart, my anger won’t be quelled! No, even that won’t be enough!”

He had lost his son. What words could possibly persuade Wi Jicheon?

With a swift motion, Wi Jicheon leaped towards Seol Serin.

But at that moment,

Bang!

“Ugh!”

A shadow appeared, blocking Wi Jicheon with a powerful strike.

“Honey!”

The one who intervened was none other than Seol Baekryong’s wife, Eom So-ok. She glared sharply at Wi Jicheon.

“I’m truly disappointed. For the head of a leading family to act so recklessly! Is it because you look down on us as a powerless family?”

“You wretched fools! What are you waiting for? These demons killed my son and now threaten me! Attack!”

At Wi Jicheon’s command, his subordinates surged forward, surrounding them. Jang Cheongil and his men joined in, encircling Seol Baekryong’s family completely.

A suffocating aura of hostility filled the air.

“Seol family head, I’m disappointed. To think you’d resort to demonic arts. And now you’re trying to pin the blame on the dead to escape. Tsk tsk.”

Seol Baekryong sensed the dire situation. His opponents were the most powerful sect leaders in the region. Even if they surrendered, survival seemed unlikely.

“Mina, take your sister and get out of here!”

“But Father…!”

“Go, now!”

Eom So-ok, still glaring at their enemies, shouted as well.

“Go! Son!”

Seol Sumin, tears in her eyes, embraced Seol Serin.

What was right, and what was wrong? The injustice burned within him, but there was nothing Seol Sumin could do. All he could do was hold Seol Serin and flee.

“We have to go, Rina.”

But Seol Serin, as if entranced, didn’t move. Even as Seol Sumin struggled to pull her, she clung tightly to the crimson whip.

Unbeknownst to Seol Sumin, veins began to bulge on Seol Serin’s hand, and her eyes slowly turned a deep red.

Meanwhile,

“These wretches won’t listen to reason! Die!”

Wi Jicheon charged forward, with Jang Cheongil following suit. Their men rushed in behind them.

A fierce storm of blades swept towards them.

“Hyaah!”

“Haaah!”

Seol Baekryong and Eom So-ok shouted as they clashed with their attackers. But they were no match for their opponents.

Even in a one-on-one fight, Wi Jicheon and Jang Cheongil were superior. With their subordinates joining in, Seol Baekryong and Eom So-ok were quickly overwhelmed.

Finally, both suffered severe internal injuries and screamed in pain.

“Aaah!”

“Ugh! Mina! Take Rina and… ugh!”

Eom So-ok, shouting, widened her eyes. She saw the blade piercing through her throat.

“Mother!”

Seol Sumin cried out in agony.

Blood poured from Eom So-ok’s eyes as she mouthed a single word.

‘Go…!’

Seol Sumin wiped his tears and quickly lifted Seol Serin.

“Please…! Rina, snap out of it! We have to go!”

But Seol Serin remained unresponsive, as if in a trance. Though she was light as a feather, she felt heavier than a boulder.

“Rina…?”

Only then did Seol Sumin notice something was terribly wrong with Seol Serin. Her face was marked with strange patterns, her eyes were crimson, and her lips were darkened.

Just then, a horrific scream echoed from behind.

“Argh!”

Turning quickly, Seol Sumin saw his father, Seol Baekryong, collapse, blood spurting from his body.

In the next moment, everything seemed to move in slow motion. Wi Jicheon swung his sword, and Seol Baekryong’s head rolled away from his body.

“Father!”

Seol Sumin screamed, but Seol Baekryong could no longer respond.

Biting his lip, Seol Sumin turned back to Seol Serin.

At that moment,

Boom!

“Ugh!”

Seol Sumin was sent flying by a strike from Seol Serin, tumbling across the ground.

“Ugh…! Rina…!”

Struggling to his feet, Seol Sumin called out to her. But Seol Serin seemed oblivious to his voice.

Instead, she let the crimson whip unfurl in her hand.

Snap, snap, snap!

Sharp thorns sprouted from the whip, twisting towards the source of hostility like a living creature.

“It’s a demonic weapon!”

“She’s learned demonic arts! Be careful!”

“If she resists, kill her! Attack!”

“Charge!”

The warriors shouted as they rushed forward.

“No!”

Seol Sumin cried out in despair, but he couldn’t stop their attack.

Then…

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Snap, snap, snap!

Flames erupted around Seol Serin, and those who charged at her were torn apart and burned in an instant.

“Heeheeheehee!”

A ghostly laughter echoed.

‘It’s happening again!’

Chills ran down Seol Sumin’s spine.

Where Seol Serin had stood, a woman who looked entirely different, with a sinister smile, now stood.

Flash!

In the next moment, she shot like an arrow towards We Ji-cheon and Jang Cheong-il, who stood there, bewildered.

Whoosh!

A flaming whip sliced through the air, narrowly missing their necks.

**

Whoosh!

The fiery whip grazed Sa Bi-gang’s arm.

“Ah, hot…!”

Sa Bi-gang quickly stepped back, channeling his ice mana to extinguish the flames clinging to his sleeve.

But there was no time to catch his breath.

Swish!

Makan’s tail was relentless.

Like a dragon with its jaws wide open, it lunged at Sa Bi-gang, ready to devour him whole.

Clang! Clang!

The clash of Berthas and Makan’s tail filled the air with noise and smoke.

Thud!

As Sa Bi-gang swiftly retreated, a fire dragon roared and descended from the sky.

Boom!

Crash!

Berthas, transformed into a water dragon, struck the fire dragon’s head.

The fire dragon crashed to the ground, sending debris flying in all directions.

Thud! Thud!

Sa Bi-gang quickly swung Berthas to deflect the incoming shards.

These weren’t just ordinary stones.

They were ignited by fire mana, burning fiercely.

Sa Bi-gang clicked his tongue in annoyance.

“This is such a hassle. Should I just kill it?”

In truth, if he fought with all his might, Seol Seorin wouldn’t stand a chance.

But doing so would mean giving up on saving Seol Seorin.

“That would be a waste.”

Weapons of the demon realm, imbued with souls, have a unique trait: they choose their own masters.

The fact that Makan’s tail had reached its full transformation stage was proof that it had taken a liking to Seol Seorin.

Otherwise, Makan’s tail wouldn’t reveal its true nature like this.

The problem was that Seol Seorin’s mental strength wasn’t strong enough to overpower Makan’s tail.

But if Seol Seorin could manage to control it…

“He could become a valuable asset to the Invincible Legion!”

It would be a shame to give up.

Better to use him than to kill him.

But how to tame this wild beast?

Meanwhile,

Swish!

Another furious fire dragon charged at Sa Bi-gang.

He quickly cast Blink.

Pop!

The fire dragon, suddenly without a target, twisted its body in confusion.

Boom!

Like a living creature, it slammed into the ground, changing direction to pursue Sa Bi-gang, who had moved a short distance away.

“Persistent thing!”

Sa Bi-gang gripped Berthas tightly.

Then, a thought flashed through his mind.

“Wait, just a moment ago…?”

Swish!

The fire dragon lunged again.

At the same time, a sly smile crept onto Sa Bi-gang’s lips.