Episode 256: Return to the Demon Sect
The village was engulfed in flames.
Perched atop his black steed, the leader of the Inwang Stronghold, Yuk Hansu, surveyed the chaos with half-lidded eyes.
People fleeing only to be cut down, others bravely charging forward only to lose their heads in an instant, and those who begged and pleaded amidst tears.
Yuk Hansu savored the tragic cacophony with a satisfied expression.
The louder the cries, the greater his spoils would be.
Standing beside him, his deputy, Hwang Gyueok, smirked and spoke.
“This should be quite profitable. We’re almost done here. Should we take the men too?”
“No, don’t get greedy. It could come back to haunt us. Kill them all.”
“Understood.”
Hwang Gyueok nodded in agreement.
Yuk Hansu was not one to dwell on decisions once made.
Ever since an incident long ago where kidnapped men caused a ruckus, he had adhered strictly to his rule.
Kill the men.
Only women and children were to be taken.
Hwang Gyueok continued, “I didn’t expect it to be this easy. With all the rumors lately, even remote villages have been hiring guards. Tsk.”
“Ha, they did hire guards here too.”
“True, but they had no idea those guards were our men. Heh.”
Had any of the villagers overheard Hwang Gyueok, they would have been filled with regret.
Pooling their meager resources to hire guards, only to find out they were in league with the enemy!
“The slave traders will be in for a surprise this time.”
“As long as they pay up, I don’t care if they’re surprised or not.”
“Of course.”
As Hwang Gyueok nodded, a subordinate approached to report.
“Chief, it’s done.”
The screams and shouts that had filled the air were now eerily silent.
Yuk Hansu clicked his tongue, as if disappointed.
But the quick end wasn’t due to a lack of people.
The plan had simply been executed well.
“How many?”
In response to the deputy’s question, the subordinate replied respectfully.
“About forty children and thirty women.”
“Ho!”
Hwang Gyueok’s face lit up with delight.
They had completely ransacked the village, hitting the jackpot.
“Their condition?”
“Overall, they’re in good shape.”
“Ha ha ha! Excellent work.”
Hwang Gyueok praised, and the subordinate bowed before retreating.
Turning to Yuk Hansu, he said, “We won’t need to work for a while.”
“Ha, but that doesn’t mean we should stop.”
Yuk Hansu chuckled, and Hwang Gyueok led the way.
As they moved to one side of the village, they saw women and children huddled together, surrounded by Inwang Stronghold warriors.
The warriors bowed their heads in respect as Yuk Hansu approached.
He scanned the women and children with cold, snake-like eyes.
A subordinate was tying them up like bundles of fish.
They looked up at Yuk Hansu with eyes full of fear.
Stroking his horse’s black mane, Yuk Hansu spoke in a detached tone.
“From now on, you’ll come with us. Follow orders, and you won’t be killed. Disobey, and you will die.”
At that moment, a woman sprang up, shouting.
“You murderers! Bring my husband back! Who do you think you are…!”
Swish!
Thud!
In a flash, the woman’s head was severed, her body collapsing to the ground.
It happened in an instant.
Yuk Hansu had drawn his sword and struck her down without hesitation.
Screams erupted from the women and children.
Yuk Hansu watched the panic unfold, then spoke again.
“Consider that a warning. If anyone else wants to be an example, step forward. I’ll gladly oblige.”
Silence fell over the group.
Occasional sobs broke the quiet, but there were no more outbursts.
The terror before them overshadowed their grief and anger for lost husbands, sons, or fathers.
Casting a cold glance over them, Yuk Hansu spoke curtly.
“Let’s go.”
**
“This place gives me a bad feeling.”
On a hill overlooking the village, Jeok Murin spoke flatly.
As he turned, Sabi Kang, Churyang, Seok Tangang, and Yu Songryeong looked at him quizzically.
In truth, Jeok Murin and Sabi Kang had left Cheonsang Palace on Ryu Yeojoong’s orders.
While Sabi Kang could travel alone with the use of Jeok Seohyang, taking two new recruits required some oversight and protection, which Ryu Yeojoong insisted upon.
“Why the bad feeling?”
“That smoke doesn’t look like it’s from cooking fires.”
Jeok Murin replied with his usual stoic expression, prompting Churyang to ask, “Then what is it? Are you saying the village is on fire?”
“Not now, but it seems there was a fire.”
Sabi Kang shrugged at Jeok Murin’s response.
“Whatever it is, we’re passing through anyway. Let’s check it out. We’re all tired, so let’s rest there tonight.”
The five of them began descending the hill.
Having gone days without proper rest, Churyang, Seok Tangang, and Yu Songryeong hoped nothing was amiss in the village.
But as they entered the village, they realized their hopes were in vain.
Broken windows, doors torn off their hinges, smoke rising from ashes, bodies strewn about.
It was like a scene from hell.
Jeok Murin frowned deeply, scanning the surroundings, while Churyang stood speechless, mouth agape.
Yu Songryeong let out a pained whisper at the horrific sight.
“It looks like a war zone.”
“If it were a war, it might have been better.”
Sabi Kang’s words were hard to refute.
Churyang ground his teeth.
“Who could have done this?”
“Who knows. It’s not our concern. This could happen anywhere.”
Churyang wore a rare serious expression.
The scene reminded him of an event from his past.
As a child, his village had been raided by bandits.
But it hadn’t been this bad.
The authorities were nearby, so the bandits stole a few valuables and fled.
Still, many villagers were killed or injured.
His father had been crippled for life.
But this…
‘This is too much.’
He’d heard of kidnappings happening across the land, but never thought he’d encounter such a village on their journey.
Churyang clenched his fists.
“All the dead are men.”
“They must have taken the women and children.”
Yu Songryeong surveyed the desolate village.
“Seems like no one’s left. No hot baths for us.”
“Is that what matters now? People are dead.”
Churyang grumbled, and Yu Songryeong shrugged.
“We can’t bring the dead back. The living have to carry on.”
“Easy for you to say. No wonder they call you a rogue.”
Yu Songryeong narrowed his eyes at the jab.
“Want me to show you why they call us rogues?”
As tension rose, Sabi Kang intervened.
“Enough. Find your own places to sleep. I want to be alone tonight. You do the same.”
“What? Alone? As your guard, I must stay with you.”
Churyang insisted, but Sabi Kang waved him off.
“No need. Find your own place.”
“I can’t! I must stay with you…”
“Are you scared?”
“Scared? No! I’m just angry at what happened here.”
“Then investigate tomorrow. Let’s rest. I’m tired.”
Reluctantly, Churyang turned away, looking dejected.
“Where will you…”
But when he turned, Seok Tangang and Yu Songryeong had already disappeared.
‘Quick to vanish when it suits them. Hmph, trying to ditch me, are they?’
Churyang grumbled inwardly, scanning the area.
A village filled with corpses.
Sleeping alone was unsettling, but he had no choice.
‘The living are scarier than the dead!’
Resolving himself, Churyang moved with determination.
He chose a house near the village entrance.
The door was gone, and the room was littered with broken dishes, but it was in better shape than others.
Night had fallen, and darkness enveloped the village.
‘Let’s rest here. The journey’s been exhausting.’
Churyang dragged his weary feet across the room and collapsed onto the makeshift bed in the corner. The place was practically a ruin, and lying there made him feel uneasy. But the journey had been exhausting, and he was desperate for sleep…
“Why isn’t it coming? It should be here by now!” he suddenly shouted, sitting up in frustration.
With a heavy sigh, he flopped back down, trying to force his eyes shut. But sleep remained elusive.
How much time had passed? Just as he was about to drift off…
Rustle.
’…!’
Rustle. Rustle.
Churyang, who had been facing the wall, snapped his eyes open.
‘Did I just hear something…?’
Now that he thought about it, he could sense a presence.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Gulp.
What was this? Could it be the ghost of the house’s former owner?
There shouldn’t be anyone living in this village, right?
Then again, he hadn’t explored every corner. Maybe someone was still around.
But… this sound came from inside the house, didn’t it?
Even if someone lived in the village, there was definitely no one in this house.
So then…
‘Oh no! Is it… a ghost?’
Just then, a faint, thin voice reached his ears.
“…hungry…”
He nearly jumped out of his skin, swallowing a gasp.
Churyang squeezed his eyes shut.
“Ah… so hungry…”
This time, the voice was clearer, impossible to ignore.
‘Is it the ghost of someone who starved to death?’
In the next moment, he felt a cold hand rest on his forearm.
That was it. Churyang couldn’t hold back any longer and sprang up with a scream.
“Ahhh! A g-g-ghost!”
“Hungry…”
His eyes widened even more.
Standing before him was a girl ghost, her hair a tangled mess.
“P-please spare me! I’m not tasty at all! You wouldn’t want to eat someone like me! There are others much more appetizing!”
He shouted with his eyes tightly shut.
The girl ghost began to sob.
“Sniff… I’m so hungry… Please, mister… help me…”
“S-sorry! I’m really not worth eating! There’s someone much tastier sleeping in another house. He’s got a much healthier body than mine… Wait, did you just ask for help?”
Can ghosts even ask for help?
Aren’t they supposed to be, well, dead?
A strange realization struck him.
When he finally came to his senses…
‘A person…?’
The crying child wiping her tears was unmistakably a living girl.