Episode 309: Return to the Demonic Sect
As Heomugeuk made his appearance, Sabigang had already administered the Resurrection Elixir to Gugangryong and Jeong Ryugwang, using an invisibility spell to conceal himself. He then quietly slipped out of the Black Cloud Fortress, leaving no trace behind.
Unaware of these events, Heomugeuk assumed Sabigang had just arrived at the fortress. Despite this, he remained wary of Sabigang.
When Sabigang finally reached the upper fortress and saw Ong Gisung and Heomugeuk, his eyes widened in surprise.
“Hey, isn’t that Gisung? And you are…?”
“Fancy meeting you here, Instructor Sa.”
“What brings you all the way out here, Lord?”
“I heard the Black Cloud Fortress had fallen to Gugangryong. Plus, I got word that Ong Gisung was in trouble.”
Heomugeuk lied smoothly, and Sabigang feigned admiration as he glanced around.
“Ah, I see. But this… this is quite something. Did you orchestrate all of this? I thought a volcano had erupted.”
Sabigang’s exaggerated reaction was met with a calm shake of the head from Heomugeuk.
“It wasn’t my doing.”
“Then…?”
“I’m not entirely sure yet. In any case, it seems you’re a bit late. I managed to save Ong Gisung, but…”
Heomugeuk gave Ong Gisung a meaningful look before turning his gaze to Gugangryong, who lay collapsed in a corner.
“Who is that?”
“That’s Gugangryong. The only one who hasn’t attended your classes. But now, he’ll never be able to…”
“Let me take a look.”
Cutting Heomugeuk off, Sabigang walked over to Gugangryong and checked his pulse. The effects of the Resurrection Elixir had left Gugangryong in a state akin to death. Yet, Sabigang nodded and stood up, speaking with determination.
“I’ll find a way to save him.”
“What?”
“He’s as good as dead, but with some luck, I might be able to bring him back.”
Without further explanation, Sabigang hoisted Gugangryong onto his shoulder and approached Ong Gisung.
“What exactly happened here?”
“I don’t know. It was already like this when I arrived.”
Sabigang’s skeptical look made Heomugeuk frown.
“You think I did this?”
“Haha, of course not. Why would you lie? It’s just hard to believe, that’s all.”
“Well, we were lucky this time. You almost lost two of your recruits. Though it seems one has already crossed the river to the afterlife.”
“Don’t worry. I’ll make sure he survives. I can’t waste any more time here. Let’s go, Gisung.”
”…”
But Ong Gisung hesitated, unable to move. The cause of all this chaos stood right before him. How could he just walk away?
As Ong Gisung struggled to calm his mind, Sabigang’s voice echoed in his head.
[Not now.]
Though it was just a brief message, it was enough to spur Ong Gisung into action.
“Yes, Instructor.”
Following Sabigang, Ong Gisung descended the stairs. Meanwhile, Gugangryong, draped over Sabigang’s shoulder, silently wept.
“Lord…! You toyed with my life! Just you wait! One day, I’ll have your head!”
**
Bang!
Heomugeuk slammed the table, shattering one side with a loud crash. His eyes burned with fury, and his clenched fists radiated a fierce energy.
A man standing a few steps away, head bowed, remained silent. He was the same man who had previously spied on Sabigang in disguise.
“Useless fools! Even the Demonic Sect is full of incompetents!”
Heomugeuk ground his teeth in frustration. He had hoped to fully harness the power of the Innate Demonic Energy for himself this time. But what was this?
The one with the Innate Demonic Energy had regained his manipulated memories, and the power that should have been sealed remained within him. It was like chasing a chicken only to end up staring at the roof.
“I just can’t make sense of it.”
What on earth had happened at the Black Cloud Fortress that day?
The fortress was currently under repair. Strangely, the lava that had appeared on the stairs to the upper fortress was reportedly vanishing like melting snow.
It was baffling. He could only assume it was the result of some extraordinary magic from the Demonic Sect.
Heomugeuk, glaring out the window, finally spoke in a heavy voice.
“Can you explain this?”
The question was directed at the man standing a few steps behind him, also serving as a rebuke. The man flinched and hesitantly began to speak.
“First… we’ve identified the magic the Demonic Sect used on Ong Gisung.”
“And?”
“They used the Illusionary Seal Technique. It traps the mind in its darkest memories, keeping it imprisoned there forever.”
“For Ong Gisung, the most nightmarish memory would be the moment he killed his own father. Even if it was fabricated, he wouldn’t have been able to realize it.”
“That’s what we believe.”
“But the Illusionary Seal Technique failed. And he even regained his memories. How do you explain that, Black Dog?”
Heomugeuk turned to face the man, known as Black Dog, who trembled slightly under his gaze. He could sense the suppressed anger in Heomugeuk’s eyes. Losing his life to Heomugeuk’s wrath would be as easy as a dry leaf falling in the autumn wind.
Yet, Black Dog responded calmly.
“The sequence was different.”
“What do you mean?”
“He regained his memories before the Illusionary Seal Technique broke.”
“Then why do you think the memory you manipulated was restored?”
“It wasn’t affected by the Illusionary Seal Technique. But someone must have…”
Black Dog trailed off, uncertain. Who could have restored the manipulated memory? As far as he knew, the Illusionary Seal Technique shouldn’t have influenced the memory manipulation.
Unless someone had restored the memory first… But who?
And even if someone had restored it, why was no one there when it happened?
Heomugeuk seemed to have a different thought. He murmured to himself, almost as if speaking to no one.
“What if that someone was… the Demonic Soul?”
Black Dog flinched at the possibility. It seemed plausible. But as he considered the relationship between the technique, his memory manipulation, and the Demonic Soul, he concluded it was unlikely.
“No, that can’t be it. The Demonic Soul breaking the memory manipulation to avoid being sealed by the technique? It’s too complex to explain, but it doesn’t make sense.”
Still, he didn’t voice this to Heomugeuk. He needed to survive by staying on Heomugeuk’s good side. If his memory manipulation had been undone by another, Heomugeuk might kill him on the spot. But if it was the Demonic Soul’s doing, even Heomugeuk feared that entity.
So Black Dog let Heomugeuk’s misconception stand.
Meanwhile, Heomugeuk was almost convinced. It was the only way to make sense of the devastation he had witnessed at the Black Cloud Fortress.
“Is there truly no way to obtain the Innate Demonic Energy?”
He had recently sent assassins to test how well Ong Gisung could control the Demonic Soul. According to reports, the Demonic Soul hadn’t intervened then. But as soon as the technique was used, it appeared.
“Not easy.”
Heomugeuk sighed lightly and turned away. He was stuck, unable to move forward or back. If the martial artists of the Blood Sect learned of this, it would be a major headache. Yet, eliminating Ong Gisung wasn’t an option without a way to deal with the Demonic Soul.
“I’ll have to act quickly.”
As he gazed out the window, Black Dog finally breathed a sigh of relief. For now, his life was spared.
Just then, a voice suddenly came from the ceiling.
“Lord, Gugangryong has been revived.”
Both Black Dog and Heomugeuk were taken aback. The report came from Heomugeuk’s personal guard, Black Owl.
“Gugangryong?”
“Yes, the news just came from the Newborn Pavilion.”
The Newborn Pavilion was where Sabigang was staying.
“Remarkable. I didn’t think he’d actually revive Gugangryong.”
Meanwhile, Black Dog narrowed his eyes, deep in thought.
“The Lord said there were no survivors when he arrived. But Sabigang appeared after everything was over. Could it be…?”
Yet, too many questions remained unanswered.
He chose silence over voicing his bold assumptions.
The Mountain Wilds Inn was nestled at the base of Mount Hoomyeong, a place more often empty than bustling with guests. Yet, for travelers crossing the mountain late at night on their way north, it served as a crucial rest stop.
The problem was, hardly anyone dared to cross Mount Hoomyeong at such late hours. It seemed as if some wealthy recluse had whimsically built the inn, leaving it to stand alone in the desolate landscape.
The signboard hung precariously, as if a strong gust could send it crashing down, and the surrounding area was eerily devoid of any other dwellings.
Thwack!
A bug climbing the old wall met its end under the sole of a shoe, squashed flat. The innkeeper, who had removed his shoe to kill the bug, clicked his tongue in annoyance and tossed the remains out the window.
The night air was growing colder, hinting at the onset of early winter.
“Damn it, no customers, just bugs! Do these pests never freeze to death?”
The innkeeper grumbled, turning to head back to the kitchen when—
Bang!
The door flew open, and a gust of cold wind swept in. Startled, he quickly composed himself, plastering a smile across his face.
“Welcome! This is the Mountain Wilds Inn, where we serve with dedication and love! You’ll receive the finest treatment….”
His words trailed off as his expression hardened.
A man stood in the doorway, silhouetted against the cold wind. His face was flushed red, and his entire body was charred black, as if he had barely escaped a raging fire. He struggled to catch his breath, his eyes fixed on the innkeeper.
“…Failed.”
The man managed to utter before collapsing face-first onto the floor.
“……!”
The innkeeper rushed over, placing his fingers on the man’s neck. His demeanor had shifted dramatically from the grumbling figure of moments ago. His eyes were sharp with focus.
“He’s not dead.”
He muttered, furrowing his brow, and hoisted the man onto his shoulder with surprising ease. He climbed the stairs to the second-floor guest room with a light step.
After laying the man on the bed, he quickly placed his hands on the man’s chest, checking his pulse. The man was severely weakened.
The innkeeper swiftly applied pressure to several acupoints, administering emergency treatment.
‘I need to inform the headquarters.’
He then ascended to the third floor, retrieved a pigeon from its cage, and attached a message to its leg before releasing it.
Flap!
The pigeon soared into the dark night, carrying the urgent message.