Episode 249: Return of the Demon Instructor
“Gasp, gasp, gasp…!”
Seok Tan-gang leaned on his knees, struggling to catch his breath.
Damn it…!
Not once.
Not a single time did he land a proper strike.
Sabi-gang dodged like the wind, and each time, Seok Tan-gang’s sword sliced through nothing but air.
Drip.
A bead of sweat fell from his chin to the ground.
Sabi-gang clicked his tongue as he looked at Seok Tan-gang.
“Tsk, tsk. Pathetic.”
”…!”
“Your sword stance, your inner strength, your focus, your breath control… There’s not a single thing you do right. Don’t act up in front of me with skills like that.”
With a cold remark, Sabi-gang turned on his heel and began to walk away.
“Ugh!”
Seok Tan-gang bit his lip, glaring at Sabi-gang’s retreating figure.
Thud.
Exhausted, he dropped to one knee, using his sword as a crutch, and shouted.
“Damn it! Teach me how to become stronger!”
Sabi-gang halted in his tracks.
“What?”
“Show me how to get stronger.”
Seok Tan-gang’s eyes burned with an intensity he had never felt before.
Sabi-gang looked at him for a moment, then said,
“You can’t. You lack talent.”
”…!”
The words hit Seok Tan-gang like a bolt from the blue, his expression faltering.
With a faint smirk, Sabi-gang turned away, leaving Seok Tan-gang in shock.
‘Grr…!’
An uncontrollable rage welled up inside him.
First, he was furious with himself for being weak.
Second, he was angry at Sabi-gang for mocking him.
His anger naturally turned towards Sabi-gang.
Sabi-gang had taken only a few steps when—
“I’ll kill you!”
With a shout, Seok Tan-gang launched himself forward.
Swish!
His swordsmanship was sharper and swifter than ever before, poised to strike Sabi-gang’s neck.
But then—
Whoosh!
Sabi-gang vanished without a trace.
“Getting worked up in front of your target? How foolish.”
A cold voice came from beside him, and before he knew it,
Whirl!
Sabi-gang’s hand grabbed Seok Tan-gang’s shoulder, spinning him around like a top.
Then,
Thrust!
“Ugh!”
Sabi-gang’s fingers suddenly pried open Seok Tan-gang’s lips and forced something into his mouth.
‘What the…!’
As Seok Tan-gang struggled with the foreign sensation in his mouth, Sabi-gang swiftly tapped his jaw upward.
The pill slipped down his throat.
Sabi-gang didn’t stop there.
He spun Seok Tan-gang around and forced him into a seated position.
Instinctively, Seok Tan-gang tried to spring up, but—
“Stay still. What you swallowed is a poison pill. If you don’t start channeling your energy right now, you won’t survive.”
”…!”
Seok Tan-gang’s eyes widened.
Sabi-gang crouched in front of him, continuing to speak.
“Do you really want to become stronger that badly?”
Seok Tan-gang glared at Sabi-gang, then nodded.
“Even someone like you, with no talent, can find a way to become strong.”
Seok Tan-gang’s eyes hardened.
Again with the lack of talent.
Despite his anger, his expression asked what the method was.
At that moment,
“Ugh!”
It felt like his throat and stomach were on fire.
The burning sensation spread to his skin.
Sabi-gang, as if anticipating this, continued.
“Yes, the effects should be kicking in now. Your whole body must feel hot. It’s not an ordinary poison pill. I got annoyed with you constantly threatening to kill me.”
Seok Tan-gang endured the rising pain, glaring at Sabi-gang.
“When you’re in the assassination business, getting killed by your target is just part of the job, isn’t it? The good news is, what you swallowed isn’t purely poison.”
”…?”
“You seem curious, so I’ll tell you. It’s called the Blazing Fire Pill. If you channel your energy correctly, it can greatly enhance your inner strength. But the method is extremely tricky. It was designed for those with a naturally hot constitution. If you channel your energy incorrectly, you’ll die. So calling it a poison pill wasn’t entirely wrong.”
Like all potent elixirs, the Blazing Fire Pill is particularly prone to causing inner demons.
But if you manage to fully absorb it, it can significantly boost your inner strength.
“Ugh!”
Even as Sabi-gang spoke, Seok Tan-gang couldn’t suppress the fiery sensation in his stomach, letting out a groan.
Sabi-gang watched him intently.
“Let me be blunt. If I help you, even someone like you can become strong. After all, I’m a proper instructor.”
Seok Tan-gang looked up, his eyes filled with longing.
“That’s the spirit. But in return, you must become my sword when I need you. Can you do that?”
Seok Tan-gang frowned slightly.
First, he wanted to kill him, and now he wanted him to be his sword?
Sabi-gang seemed to read his thoughts and continued.
“Oh, of course, you can keep trying to assassinate me. That’s part of the training. But when I need you, you become my sword. Swear to that, and I’ll make you strong.”
Their eyes locked in a fierce battle of wills.
Finally, Seok Tan-gang gave a slight nod.
Sabi-gang grinned.
“Good. Now, channel your energy exactly as I instruct through my voice.”
With that, he moved behind Seok Tan-gang and began to guide him.
Hummm.
As Seok Tan-gang started channeling his energy, the molten heat in his stomach began to circulate through his meridians.
“Huff!”
The energy was so hot and intense that he couldn’t help but groan.
This was no ordinary elixir.
A typical elixir would clear your mind with its fragrance the moment you consumed it.
But this one was odorless.
And now, every exhale felt like it was releasing fire.
Moreover, the energy, which should have flowed like a river, was thick and sluggish, like molten lava.
As time passed, the lava flowing through his meridians began to cool and harden.
The pain lessened, but—
Sabi-gang clicked his tongue.
“You really have no talent for martial arts. I’m tempted to give up.”
Seok Tan-gang gritted his teeth, furrowing his brow.
At that moment, the lava, which seemed to be cooling and hardening, flared up again, surging through his meridians.
“Ugh…!”
The inner strength from the Blazing Fire Pill was indeed like a blazing fire.
Sweat beaded on Seok Tan-gang’s forehead.
Sabi-gang continued to guide him, his hand on Seok Tan-gang’s back.
‘He’s holding up better than I thought.’
Despite his words, Sabi-gang was secretly impressed by Seok Tan-gang’s resilience.
No talent?
Anyone who knew Seok Tan-gang would find that laughable.
He was a prodigy of both talent and effort.
But Sabi-gang had said it to provoke Seok Tan-gang’s stubbornness and anger.
The Blazing Fire Pill worked best when fueled by anger.
And now, Seok Tan-gang was reaping the benefits.
The lava surged faster through his meridians, finally crashing into something at the top of his head.
“Ugh!”
Blood spurted from his mouth.
Vomiting blood while channeling energy was never a good sign.
But Sabi-gang shouted to keep Seok Tan-gang focused.
“Concentrate! It’s impure blood.”
Impure blood, the body’s way of expelling toxins as it purifies itself.
But it was too soon to celebrate.
The final hurdle remained.
The lava had reached the top of his head but was blocked by an invisible barrier.
Seok Tan-gang gritted his teeth.
His determination not to lose reignited the cooling lava, sending it surging once more.
Boom!
The lava-like energy repeatedly struck the barrier at the top of his head.
Thud! Boom! Bang!
Seok Tan-gang’s body trembled with each impact.
Watching anxiously, Choo-ryang could only fret, unable to intervene.
‘Damn it, what’s happening?’
Knowing better than to interfere with someone channeling energy, Choo-ryang could only watch helplessly.
Blood trickled from Seok Tan-gang’s nose.
The pain was so intense he felt he might pass out.
The once-roiling lava seemed to be cooling and hardening into stone.
Then Sabi-gang’s voice spurred him on again.
Deliberately, Sabi-gang spoke aloud, except when giving specific instructions.
“If that’s the extent of your natural talent, there’s nothing to be done. You might as well just die.”
“Ugh!”
In that instant, Seok Tan-gang clenched his fist tightly.
He shut his eyes and focused once more on his inner energy.
The lava that surged to the top of his head felt hotter than ever.
Soon, like a fresh eruption from a volcano, the lava flowed fiercely.
Rumble…!
Boom!
A shock that could shake the heavens and earth coursed through his entire body.
Just as he was about to lose consciousness!
Whoosh!
As the scorching lava pierced through the Baihui point at the crown of his head, it began to flow like a powerful river.
It was no longer a searing heat.
In an instant, the energy that circulated through his entire body made Seok Tan-gang feel incredibly light.
Moreover, the moment the Baihui point was opened, he felt as if a flood of light poured into his mind.
The breakthrough of life and death!
Isn’t this the state that every martial artist dreams of experiencing at least once in their lifetime?
Feeling as if he could soar, Seok Tan-gang was inwardly overjoyed as he opened his eyes wide.
It wasn’t just his fists; every fiber of his being felt brimming with strength.
Having completed his energy circulation, he sprang to his feet.
Dawn was already breaking.
It didn’t seem like much time had passed, yet he had stayed up the entire night.
Just then, a voice came from behind him.
“Congratulations.”
“Instructor…”
Seok Tan-gang called out to Sabi-gang, his voice filled with emotion.
Today was undoubtedly the most momentous day of his life.
He knelt down on the spot and bowed deeply.
“I will never forget your kindness!”
“Just make sure you keep your promises.”
“I will!”
“Well, until then…”
“I’ll do my utmost to kill you!”
“Good. But one thing.”
Sabi-gang reached out, and Seok Tan-gang’s sword flew into his grasp.
“You don’t suit a sword. So I’ll be confiscating this.”
“What?”
“When the time is right, I’ll give you something more fitting.”
Leaving those cryptic words behind, Sabi-gang walked away with a casual stride.
Seok Tan-gang could only watch in silence as Sabi-gang’s figure receded into the distance.