Episode 245: Return to the Demonic Sect
“Heh heh heh. That girl’s chest was something else. So firm and… just thinking about it makes my mouth water.”
Samjeok licked his lips as he muttered to himself.
Sajeok, walking beside him, chuckled and chimed in.
“If you miss it so much, why not stop by again on our way back?”
“Do you think those fools will still be there?”
“Where else would they go? They can barely survive day to day.”
“Heh, true enough.”
At that, Ijeok, who was walking ahead, glanced back.
“Enough of that. If there’s really a treasure trove in that cave like they said, why bother going back there? We could use the money to have fun at the finest brothel instead!”
“That’s a fair point. But aren’t you worried about that ‘Black Ghost’ monster supposedly living in the cave?”
“Worried? Do you doubt our leader’s skills?”
“Heh heh, of course not.”
“Don’t worry. Our leader, known as the Iron-Blooded Sword Emperor, will take care of that Black Ghost or whatever it is in one strike. Heh heh heh!”
“Absolutely.”
As the Five Rogues of Jinshang chatted away, they soon found themselves halfway up Bohwa Mountain.
Heading south, they easily located the cave.
The entrance was covered in various warnings:
“It seems the rumors about the treasure are true.”
Modanglang murmured with a twisted grin.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward.
“Let’s go.”
The Five Rogues of Jinshang ventured deep into the dark cave.
The further they went from the entrance, the darker it became, and the damp air carried a distinct smell.
They lit torches they had prepared, illuminating the narrow passage.
It was surprisingly clean, just an ordinary cave so far.
They expected to find skeletons scattered on the ground and dried bloodstains, but it was just a typical cave.
“We need to go further in.”
At Ojeok’s words, Modanglang nodded and resumed walking.
The five of them walked and walked.
How long had they been walking?
Finally, Sajeok grumbled in frustration.
“Damn it. How long is this cave? We might end up at the sea at this rate.”
“Better the sea than the afterlife.”
Sajeok snapped back at Samjeok’s comment.
“Why are you saying that? Are you scared?”
“Scared? No, it’s just that the atmosphere’s been off since earlier.”
Surprisingly, Samjeok didn’t get angry and answered calmly.
Normally, he would have argued back, but now he was too focused on their surroundings.
Step by step, their footsteps echoed in the darkness.
After walking for a while longer,
“Uh… Leader.”
The youngest of the group called out cautiously.
Modanglang frowned slightly and turned around.
“What is it?”
“The torch…”
At Ojeok’s words, everyone turned to look.
The torch was slowly going out.
Ijeok cursed under his breath.
“Damn it! Did those bastards trick us? Why can’t we find the end? There’s no sign of this Black Ghost or whatever!”
“Let’s just turn back. I think we might have been misled.”
It was Samjeok who spoke, clearly uneasy about the cave.
But Sajeok, driven by greed, shook his head.
“Turn back now? We’ve come this far; we should at least see it through, right, Leader?”
“Hmm.”
Modanglang stroked his chin, lost in thought.
It was indeed strange.
He had never seen such a long cave before.
“Well…”
Just as he was about to speak,
Whoosh!
A chilling wind blew from deeper within the cave.
The torch went out in the gust.
“Hey, can’t you keep it lit?”
“I’ll light it right away.”
Ojeok fumbled with his flint, trying to relight the torch, but it wouldn’t catch.
Growing impatient, Sajeok shouted.
“Damn it! This is driving me crazy! Give it here! I’ll do it!”
But Ojeok didn’t respond.
Unable to see anything, Sajeok reached out, feeling around for Ojeok.
“Damn it, kid! Aren’t you going to answer?”
Silence.
That’s when Sajeok realized something was wrong.
It was too quiet. Far too quiet.
He shouted even louder.
“Kid! Answer me!”
Still, nothing.
Not just Ojeok, but none of the Five Rogues of Jinshang made a sound.
“Sam, is our kid in a rebellious phase? He’s not answering.”
Samjeok also remained silent.
Feeling increasingly uneasy, Sajeok called out to Ijeok and Modanglang.
“Leader! Ijeok! Say something! You’re trying to scare me, right? It’s not funny!”
But only his voice echoed back.
By now, a sense of dread was creeping over Sajeok.
“Damn it, are they all dead?”
How else could it be so silent?
He dropped to the ground, feeling around.
But something was off.
The ground felt smooth, like polished marble.
“Damn it! What is this? Where am I?”
He crawled around, trying to find the others, but it was no use.
Perfect darkness, not a sliver of light.
Goosebumps rose on his arms.
He had never been afraid of ghosts before.
People were scarier.
“Could it really be a ghost?”
Just then,
“You are now in the infinite darkness.”
A chilling voice echoed.
“Ugh!”
Sajeok gasped, stumbling back.
“Who, who are you?”
“The one who dwells in darkness.”
“What nonsense…! Show yourself!”
As Sajeok shouted, he sensed a faint presence about three steps ahead.
Suddenly, his vision cleared.
It wasn’t as bright as daylight, but he could make out a figure in the darkness.
The figure held something in its hand.
“What’s that…!”
Sajeok’s eyes widened in shock.
In the figure’s hand was Modanglang’s head, dripping with blood.
“Le-Le-Leader…!”
“Do you know this one?”
The figure lifted Modanglang’s head, asking in a bored tone.
“This… damn…!”
Sajeok’s teeth chattered.
Seeing Modanglang’s head was shocking enough, but the figure’s blood-red eyes were even more terrifying.
“You… you killed the leader…?”
“That’s right.”
“You bastard…!”
In a flash of fear and rage, Sajeok instinctively kicked off the ground, launching himself forward.
**
Bang!
“Those bastards!”
Churyang slammed his fist against the wall as he listened to the story.
He surveyed the chaos in the room.
A shattered table and chairs, broken windows, a man with a face full of bruises staring blankly, and a young woman, barely clothed, bleeding from her thighs, her mouth agape.
He was witnessing a family torn apart in an instant.
The woman who had attacked Sabigang with a kitchen knife finished her story and broke down in tears.
Her eyes were bloodshot and swollen, but the tears wouldn’t stop.
Churyang bit his lip and pulled a handkerchief from his pocket, offering it to the woman.
“Here…”
”…Thank you.”
She took the handkerchief and dabbed at her eyes.
She turned to Sabigang and apologized.
“I’m sorry. I thought those men had come back…”
“It’s alright.”
“Are you hurt?”
Churyang interjected.
“Don’t worry. Our master is strong. Much stronger than those bastards!”
“I’m truly sorry.”
The disheveled woman bowed her head again in apology.
Churyang grumbled.
“Master, we should find those Jinshang bastards and teach them a lesson!”
“You plan to do that?”
“No, I mean you should…”
“Forget it. There’s no need.”
“But Master!”
“They’ll get what’s coming to them on their own.”
“What do you mean…?”
Instead of answering, Sabigang turned to the woman.
“Ma’am, do you have anything to eat? I’m actually quite hungry.”
Churyang whispered in disbelief.
“Master! This isn’t the time for that!”
“Why not? You said you were hungry too.”
Sabigang replied loudly, and Churyang awkwardly glanced at the woman.
The sobbing woman let out an “Ah!” and slowly stood up.
She hesitated, unsure of what to do, then brought something from the kitchen.
It was scorched rice.
Sabigang beamed.
“Thank you! This is delicious. Come, have some. It’s quite good.”
“Haha… I’m not really hungry…”
“What nonsense? You were just saying you’d eat everything in this house.”
“When did I say that!”
Churyang waved his hands frantically, his face pale.
“Please, don’t misunderstand. I didn’t mean it like that. I was just a bit hungry… I wasn’t expecting a feast or anything… Ah…”
As the conversation dragged on, Churyang found himself increasingly at a loss.
The woman gave a faint smile.
“It’s alright. Please, help yourself. But could you promise me something in return?”
“What do you mean…?”
“If you ever come across those men, could you avenge us on our behalf?”
“Of course, I would…!”
“That’s not possible.”
Sabigang interrupted Churyang’s response.
Churyang froze, and the woman smiled faintly again.
“I suppose… it was too much to ask…”
“True revenge is something you must do yourself. Having someone else do it for you isn’t revenge. Besides, those men won’t last long anyway.”
“What do you mean?”
“They went after the Black Ghost, didn’t they? By now, they’re probably corpses.”
“Oh…”
The woman thought that might indeed be the case. The thought brought her a small measure of peace.
After finishing his bowl of scorched rice, Sabigang stood up.
“Thank you for the meal. And you, don’t complain about being hungry anymore.”
“Understood,” Churyang replied, his voice subdued. He couldn’t bring himself to eat in front of the family who had suffered at the hands of bandits.
Sabigang walked over to the woman.
“This is for the rice.”
“Pardon?”
As the woman looked up, Sabigang placed a hand on her forehead and cast a brief spell.
“Erase Memory.”
“Ah…!”
A bluish energy seemed to gather in Sabigang’s palm, and the woman slowly closed her eyes and collapsed.
Even as his wife fell, the husband remained in a daze, unmoving, and their daughter stared blankly into space.
Startled, Churyang exclaimed, “Master! What are you doing?”
“I erased their memories.”
”…What?”
“Not every memory needs to become a keepsake.”
Sabigang spoke nonchalantly and then approached the man and daughter, casting the spell on them as well.
In truth, the spell “Erase Memory” carries significant risks for humans. The chance of failure is high, and if it fails, it can backfire on the caster. It’s especially dangerous to use on those trained in martial arts or magic.
But this time, Sabigang considered it a fair trade for the rice.
As Churyang looked at the three unconscious people, Sabigang patted him on the shoulder.
“Let’s go. When they wake up, they won’t remember anything from today.”
“Yes, Master!”
Churyang replied energetically and followed Sabigang out.