Episode 292: Return to the Demonic Sect
Slap!
The world spun as his head snapped to the side.
The ceiling whirled above him, leaving him dazed and disoriented.
Young Ong Gi-seung clutched his stinging left cheek, looking up at his father in shock.
“F-Father…”
His father glared down at him, eyes blazing with a fury Gi-seung had never seen before.
Until now, his father had always been kinder to him than to his older brother.
But now, faced with this unfamiliar anger, Gi-seung shrank back, his neck retreating into his shoulders.
Tears welled up, threatening to spill over.
His brother, standing nearby, was equally stunned, mouth agape, frozen in place.
He, too, had never witnessed their father this enraged.
Gi-seung bit his lip hard, determined not to cry.
‘Why? I thought it was perfect. Did I make a mistake I didn’t realize?’
He had proudly demonstrated his sword technique to his father.
Even he thought it was impressive for someone who had just started learning.
Yet, his father’s expression had twisted with displeasure, and when the demonstration ended, he had stormed over and slapped him.
‘Why…’
Finally, his father’s heavy voice broke the silence.
“Do you not listen to a word I say?”
Gi-seung flinched, looking up at his father.
His father’s face was as terrifying as the King of the Underworld.
“I told you never to learn martial arts! Why do you defy me?”
“Is that why you hit me?”
Gi-seung asked, mustering the courage to speak.
His father’s brow furrowed even deeper.
“Yes! Why do you not heed my words?”
Gi-seung clenched his fists, biting his lip.
A surge of frustration welled up inside him.
It wasn’t because his technique was flawed or because he made a mistake.
It was simply because he wasn’t supposed to learn martial arts!
“Why can’t I? You and my brother can, so why can’t I? I can do it better than anyone!”
Slap!
Once again, a flash of light exploded before his eyes.
His cheek stung as his balance faltered.
He quickly spread his legs to steady himself, preventing a fall.
His father’s voice thundered with authority.
“How dare you talk back to your father?”
“Ugh…! Father, I just…!”
As Gi-seung tried to protest again, his brother suddenly stepped forward, kneeling.
“Father! It’s my fault! I provoked him….”
“Foolish boy!”
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Crash!
His brother was sent flying by their father’s kick, crashing into a table.
Yet, their father’s gaze remained cold and unyielding as he shouted.
“How can you call yourself a brother when you can’t even look after him? Do you think you deserve that title?”
“Brother!”
Gi-seung tried to rush to his brother’s side, but his father’s voice stopped him like a bolt of lightning.
“Stay where you are! I’m not finished!”
“Father! This is too much…!”
“Silence!”
“My brother did nothing wrong! I learned because I wanted to!”
“If you try to learn martial arts again, I will sever our father-son bond.”
“……!”
Gi-seung looked at his father with trembling eyes.
His father’s gaze was unwavering, full of conviction.
Gi-seung stammered.
“I… I can do it better than anyone. So why….”
“Enough. In this family, it’s enough for your brother and me to bear the burden of bloodshed. I don’t want you to dirty your hands. You should live a normal life. It was your late mother’s wish.”
“That’s… that’s ridiculous…!”
Gi-seung ground his teeth, clenching his fists tightly.
His chest felt like it was about to burst with frustration.
‘This is my life! It’s not something for you or anyone else to control like a puppet!’
He stared at his trembling fists for a long time.
When he finally looked up, a year had passed, and it was winter again.
On a snow-covered hill, his master stood, clad in tattered black robes.
“What are you thinking about?”
His master asked, looking at him intently.
Gi-seung replied with a self-deprecating smile.
“I was thinking about my father.”
“Why?”
“If he finds out I’m learning martial arts from you… he’ll disown me.”
“Haha. Knowing him, that’s likely. Don’t worry. I’ll keep your secret until the grave.”
“Thank you, Master.”
“Now, focus. Let’s move on to the next technique.”
“Yes, Master!”
Whoosh!
As his master demonstrated the technique, the snowstorm swirled around them.
The biting winter wind soon turned into a gentle spring breeze, and before he knew it, the scorching summer sun was upon them.
As the seasons flowed by, Gi-seung’s swordsmanship improved by leaps and bounds, his skills growing sharper with each passing day.
Then, one day when Gi-seung was thirteen, the inevitable happened.
Crash!
The door burst open, and his father appeared, carried in by the chilly autumn wind.
Gi-seung, who had been meditating, quickly rose to his feet.
“F-Father…!”
Pale with fear, Gi-seung looked at his father.
His father’s face was flushed with anger as he scanned the room, finally resting his gaze on Gi-seung’s master standing beside him.
“Well, this is quite the entrance…”
“Baek-ro! What do you think you’re doing?”
“Calm down, let’s talk this through.”
“You dare take my son… no, there’s nothing more to say!”
Whoosh!
His father leaped forward, aiming for the master.
Startled, Gi-seung quickly used his martial arts to intercept.
“Father! My master has done nothing wrong…!”
“Out of the way!”
Thud!
His father struck him aside with a single blow.
Whoosh! Crash!
Gi-seung was thrown into a corner, coughing up blood.
It seemed he had suffered some internal injuries.
His master clicked his tongue.
“Isn’t that a bit harsh, even for your own son?”
“You have no right to speak!”
Shing!
His father drew his sword, lunging at the master.
Clang!
Sparks flew as their weapons clashed, forcing them apart.
But his father gave no respite, pressing the attack relentlessly.
His father’s sword was heavy and forceful, while the master’s was light and graceful.
The battle was fierce, neither side gaining the upper hand easily.
His father fought with deadly intent, while the master defended with all his might.
As time passed, both sustained deep wounds.
During a brief lull in the fight, the master spoke, his brow furrowed.
“Why do you want to waste your son’s talent?”
“Talent? You call that talent? Baek-ro! How dare you…!”
“It’s all a matter of perspective. The potential he has….”
“Silence!”
His father stomped the ground.
Unable to watch any longer, Gi-seung ran to his father.
“Father! Please stop! I beg you!”
“You’re in the way!”
His father struck him again.
Thud!
Whoosh! Crash!
Gi-seung was thrown against a wall, losing consciousness.
Much later.
As the sound of clashing swords faded, Gi-seung slowly regained consciousness.
When the metallic clashing finally ceased, he managed to open his eyes.
“Please… stop….”
Through his blurry vision, he saw his master’s silhouette.
“Master…?”
His master fell to his knees, trembling.
Gi-seung’s heart skipped a beat.
A sword was embedded in his master’s chest.
“Huff, huff, huff!”
His father stood before him, breathing heavily.
‘M-Master…!’
His body shook uncontrollably.
In the next moment, Gi-seung vaguely remembered his actions.
He rose like a ghost.
Then, with terrifying speed, he flew at his father, grabbing his face.
“Ugh! You…! Come to your senses!”
“Why did you kill him?”
“Ugh…! I’ll explain everything…. Ugh!”
“Why!”
“Aaah!”
As Gi-seung tightened his grip, something burst.
**
“Ugh! Let… go!”
Gi-seung flinched, opening his eyes.
‘Yoo Song-ryeong…?’
Somehow, Yoo Song-ryeong was in his grasp, struggling.
‘Damn…! That dream again…!’
In an instant,
Whoosh!
Something sharp flew at him from the side.
Gi-seung quickly retreated, drawing his sword to deflect it.
Clang!
Sparks flew in the darkness.
In the next moment, Seok Tan-gang’s dark face loomed before him,
Whoosh!
Swinging a chain sickle upward from a diagonal angle.
“Ha!”
Ong Gi-seung quickly arched his back and flipped backward to dodge.
“Cough, cough…! Haah, haah!”
Nearby, Yoo Song-ryeong collapsed to the ground, gasping for air between fits of coughing.
Seok Tan-gang glanced at her and asked, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah, I’m… fine.”
She said she was fine, but in truth, she felt like she’d just brushed past death’s door.
Seok Tan-gang shot a cold glare at Ong Gi-seung and snapped, “If you’re going to sleep, do it peacefully. What the hell was that? Your sleep habits are atrocious.”
He was clearly furious.
Ong Gi-seung looked down at his own hand. His left hand, which had been gripping Yoo Song-ryeong’s neck, was still trembling. His entire body was drenched in cold sweat.
“Damn it…!”
Seok Tan-gang, watching him, furrowed his brow slightly and sighed. “Another nightmare, huh?”
Instead of answering, Ong Gi-seung bit his lip and clutched his left hand with his right, as if trying to stop the shaking himself.
“Whoo, whoo.”
Taking deep breaths, Ong Gi-seung felt the tremors gradually subside and flopped back onto a rock behind him.
Yoo Song-ryeong rubbed her neck as she got up, grumbling, “I was trying to wake you because you looked like you were having a nightmare, and I got attacked for it.”
She had seen him sweating and struggling in his sleep and had tried to wake him, not expecting such a violent reaction.
Seok Tan-gang watched Ong Gi-seung for a moment before turning to Yoo Song-ryeong. “Ryeong-ah.”
“Oh, I get it. You guys want to have one of those man-to-man talks, right?”
Catching on quickly, Yoo Song-ryeong teased him, and Seok Tan-gang gave an apologetic smile. “Sorry.”
“Forget it. Just buy me a drink later. Something expensive.”
“Of course. I’ll make sure of it,” Seok Tan-gang replied with a chuckle.
As Yoo Song-ryeong walked away, Seok Tan-gang approached Ong Gi-seung, sitting down beside him with a casual air. “Isn’t it time you let it go?” he asked, his voice nonchalant.
Ong Gi-seung’s eyes deepened with thought.