Episode 306: Return to the Demon Sect
Clang!
The clash of swords echoed loudly.
As Ong Gi-seung was pushed back, Gu Gi-seung charged forward with a monstrous battle cry.
“Raaah! Die!”
Clang! Clang!
Gu Gi-seung’s sword strikes were fierce.
Yet, Ong Gi-seung remained calm, countering with precision rather than panic.
In an instant, they exchanged dozens of blows.
Their father, who had been watching in a daze, quickly intervened.
“Both of you, stop this madness!”
But Gu Gi-seung ignored him completely.
Ong Gi-seung, now an adult, looked at his father with a mix of pity and understanding.
He knew this was a dream, which explained why his father was alive here.
While Ong Gi-seung was momentarily lost in thought, Gu Gi-seung roared again and lunged.
“Raaah! Die!”
Gu Gi-seung’s sword came at him like a storm.
In a swift motion, Ong Gi-seung spun, deflecting the attack, and then gently struck Gu Gi-seung’s chest with his palm.
Thud!
“Ugh!”
Gu Gi-seung was sent flying, barely regaining his balance.
Smoke billowed from the torn fabric on his chest.
He glared at Ong Gi-seung with anger.
“Do you think this changes the truth?”
“Perhaps. I suddenly feel the need to find out.”
Ong Gi-seung replied with his eyes closed.
When did it start?
Trapped in a recurring nightmare, drowning in sorrow and despair, he hadn’t even thought of escaping this hell.
But then, something shifted within him during these countless dreams.
‘Is this nightmare real?’
This doubt was influenced by the external magic of Jeong Ryu-gwang, though Ong Gi-seung, trapped in the illusion, was unaware of it.
He simply began to question the reality of the dream deeply.
It felt as if someone was constantly instilling this will in him, though he couldn’t understand why.
‘If I can escape this hellish nightmare, I’ll find out.’
Something was changing outside, affecting him.
Whether it was good or bad, one thing was clear.
He had to win this fight.
Just then, Gu Gi-seung, shrouded in dark energy, charged again.
“Do you think hiding in dreams will change reality?”
Whoosh!
Boom!
Gu Gi-seung’s sword narrowly missed Ong Gi-seung, striking the ground.
Debris flew towards Ong Gi-seung, who deflected them with all his might.
Gu Gi-seung quickly followed up with another attack.
Clang!
This time, their swords met directly.
Gu Gi-seung seemed momentarily surprised by Ong Gi-seung’s skill.
Ong Gi-seung flowed like water, aiming his sword at Gu Gi-seung’s neck.
“Pathetic!”
Gu Gi-seung kicked the incoming blade away and spun, slashing horizontally.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Ong Gi-seung was wounded and retreated, a frown on his face.
‘This isn’t easy.’
Meanwhile, Gu Gi-seung smirked confidently.
“No matter what you do, you’ll always be under my control.”
”…”
“Stop wasting your energy and leave everything to fate. Isn’t that your specialty? Letting things flow as they will.”
Ong Gi-seung remained silent, eyes closed, as Gu Gi-seung sneered and attacked again.
“Hmph! Can’t even muster a response?”
In an instant, Gu Gi-seung split into multiple forms, forming a fan-like formation to attack.
Clang!
Ong Gi-seung fought back with his dreamlike sword technique, but it wasn’t enough.
As time passed, he grew more exhausted, accumulating more wounds.
“Where’s that bravado now?”
Gu Gi-seung taunted, launching a final powerful strike.
Boom!
Hit by the force from all sides, Ong Gi-seung was thrown like a ragdoll.
“Ugh…!”
He groaned, struggling to stand.
The external stimulus had awakened him, but the opponent entrenched in the illusion was formidable.
Underestimating him as a mere child would be a grave mistake.
Gu Gi-seung smirked mockingly.
“Do you think the world will change no matter how much you struggle? This is your world, your hell filled with your mistakes. There’s no way to undo what’s been done.”
”…Shut up.”
“Still haven’t come to your senses, I see.”
Gu Gi-seung’s expression hardened as he looked at Ong Gi-seung.
Suddenly, Ong Gi-seung opened his eyes wide, staring intently at Gu Gi-seung.
He usually kept his eyes closed or half-open, so this was a stark change.
With a faint smile, Ong Gi-seung spoke.
“My instructor once told me, when you’re too sensitive to sleep, don’t force it. Sometimes, it’s better to wake up completely and face reality.”
“What nonsense….”
Gu Gi-seung muttered, furrowing his brow, as Ong Gi-seung’s smile widened.
“I can see it now. Your bravado! Trying to fight something in my mind without truly seeing it was my mistake.”
“What are you babbling about!”
Gu Gi-seung shouted in frustration, swinging his sword.
Whoosh!
Swish!
The two clashed again, swords meeting with a resounding crash.
In the next moment,
Clang!
The collision of energy erupted with a tremendous sound.
Then,
Crack!
Ong Gi-seung’s sword shattered Gu Gi-seung’s blade, driving forward without hesitation.
“Gasp!”
Gu Gi-seung’s eyes widened in disbelief.
In that moment, Ong Gi-seung leaned in close, whispering.
“This is your bravado. You, who have no substance.”
Crash! Thud!
Ong Gi-seung’s sword pierced through, impaling Gu Gi-seung’s heart.
“How… how could you…!”
Gu Gi-seung staggered back, the sword lodged in his chest.
Ong Gi-seung released his grip, watching silently.
As Gu Gi-seung collapsed, dark energy billowed from his chest, dissipating like smoke.
Ong Gi-seung walked over, grasped the sword’s hilt, and kicked Gu Gi-seung’s chest to pull it free.
Swoosh,
Thud!
Gu Gi-seung’s body twitched for a moment before turning to ash, scattering in the wind.
Ong Gi-seung watched calmly, then looked up.
His father, who had been anxiously watching, flinched when their eyes met.
“What… what is happening, my son?”
Ong Gi-seung chuckled softly.
Then, pointing his sword at his father, he asked coldly.
“Have you ever seen me before?”
“What are you saying?”
“You’ve never seen me. Why do you think I’m your son?”
“What are you talking about…!”
“I won’t drag this out.”
With that, Ong Gi-seung launched himself forward.
Grab!
He seized the man’s head.
“Ugh! You…! Snap out of it!”
The desperate cry echoed in his ears.
It was the same.
The nightmare repeated itself.
But Ong Gi-seung stared intently, eyes wide open.
Then, a strange transformation began.
Crack, crackle. Crack.
The face in Ong Gi-seung’s grip began to change, veins bulging, its form shifting.
“Finally showing your true self.”
Ong Gi-seung murmured coldly, looking at the head in his hand.
It was his master, not his father, whom he held.
And the one lying dead in the corner was indeed his father.
“Why did you kill him?”
Ong Gi-seung asked the same question as always.
And received the same answer.
“I… had no choice… I’ll explain everything… Ugh!”
“Why!”
“Aaagh!”
Thud!
His master’s head exploded.
Ong Gi-seung sighed, closing his eyes.
The nightmare would begin anew.
But then…
“You dare harm the White Heron!”
“Kill that young brat!”
The repetition stopped?
Countless warriors leaped over the wall, swords drawn, charging at Ong Gi-seung.
He instinctively sprang into action, clashing swords with them.
In an instant, it felt as if Yong Gi-seung’s spirit had left his body, allowing him to witness the brutal battle unfolding below from high above.
On the ground, young Gu Gi-seung was fighting with reckless abandon, having lost all sense of reason.
It took less than a moment for him to annihilate the countless warriors of the Blood Lotus Sect.
Moreover, the intense demonic energy emanating from Gu Gi-seung’s entire being struck terror into the hearts of the Blood Lotus warriors.
After cutting down every last opponent, Gu Gi-seung collapsed, unconscious.
Yong Gi-seung was about to descend when the door swung open, and a figure stepped into the blood-soaked scene.
It was none other than the Blood Lotus Sect Leader.
Heo Mu-geuk, the sect leader, looked down at the fallen Gu Gi-seung with cold eyes before gently lifting him into his arms.
With a snap of his fingers, a shadowy figure silently appeared by his side.
“Can you alter this child’s memories?”
“In his current mentally exhausted state, it shouldn’t be difficult.”
“Then do it now.”
“Understood.”
The shadowy figure pressed several points on Gu Gi-seung’s body before placing a palm on his head and beginning to channel energy.
Watching this, Yong Gi-seung’s eyes burned with fury.
**
Twitch.
Yong Gi-seung’s fingers moved ever so slightly.
In the next moment, Jeong Ryu-gwang, who had been pressing his hand against Yong Gi-seung’s chest, wiped the cold sweat from his brow and turned away.
“That should do it. But the grand technique…”
“The grand technique will break.”
“What do you mean? I was just altering memories…”
“Fabricated memories. Ironically, those were probably the most painful for him. The grand technique likely used those false memories to create an illusion. But now that the fake memories are gone, the technique must vanish too.”
“Indeed. If what you say is true, that could be the case.”
“Now, you two need to die for a bit.”
“Die? What are you…?”
Sa Bi-gang swiftly tossed a pill into each of their mouths, forcing them to swallow by sharply lifting their chins.
The movement was so quick and fluid that Gu Gang-ryong and Jeong Ryu-gwang couldn’t react in time.
“It’s a potion that makes you appear dead for a while. Don’t move until I give the signal. If you want to see something interesting, that is.”
In the next moment, Sa Bi-gang sent a gentle force towards them, causing them to collapse in a corner.
He glanced towards the lower fortress and allowed himself a faint smile.
“That was close.”