Episode 339: Return of the Demon Instructor

“Ugh!”

A mix of bright red blood and thick green liquid spewed from his mouth.

Jeok Murin wiped his lips with the back of his hand, gasping for breath.

Clouds lay thick beneath his feet.

He had come here intending to throw himself off this thousand-foot cliff.

“To think I’m out of breath from just this.”

A bitter chuckle escaped him.

When he first set foot in the martial world, he had grand dreams.

He vowed to become the strongest, to rule the world and stand above all.

But as he aged, he realized life was about learning to let go, one thing at a time.

In the end, he gave up on more dreams than he achieved.

And now…

“To think I’d die here, rotting away.”

He sighed deeply, looking at the clouds below, as if his sigh had turned into the vast sea of clouds.

He had climbed up here to end it all, but now he felt too weary to care.

Dying while rotting away was an affront to his pride.

But then again, what did it matter?

In the end, death was the final stop.

Trying to avoid it would be even more humiliating.

Yes, let’s just die here.

Accept fate.

After all, this poison was his own doing.

Sitting on the edge of the cliff, he thought dying while gazing at this view wasn’t so bad.

“At least in the end, I had the world beneath my feet.”

A wry smile crept onto his face at the absurd thought.

It was then that he heard a voice behind him.

“Quite the leisurely moment.”

Jeok Murin flinched, then chuckled.

He must be hearing things now.

No one would come to a place like this.

Given how poisoned he was, hearing voices wasn’t surprising.

Come to think of it, wasn’t that the voice of Instructor Sabi Kang?

A man who should be lying in a coffin, deep underground.

Could souls communicate in the realm between life and death?

The thought amused him, and he found himself wanting to speak.

“You were an interesting person, Instructor Sabi Kang.”

“I hear that often.”

The voice responded as if it were right beside him.

Jeok Murin clung to his fading consciousness and continued.

“When you wake up… you’ll owe me.”

“Why’s that?”

“If I hadn’t stopped Hong Myo… you’d never have woken up.”

“Don’t use me as an excuse.”

“What do you mean by that?”

“Don’t tell me you just wanted an excuse to spend a fiery night with Hong Myo?”

“Who would risk death for that…?”

“Well, with someone like Hong Myo, it might be worth it. You know, those people who say they’d die happy after a night with a woman like that.”

“You’ve got the wrong idea about me.”

“Even if you can see ten feet into water, you can’t see one foot into a person’s heart. Maybe you did think that.”

“Even in a soul’s conversation, you’re the same, Instructor.”

“Of course. Sudden changes aren’t good. So, how was it?”

“What do you mean?”

“The night with Hong Myo. Was it good? I mean, risking your life for it must have been something. Tell me in detail. I’m all ears.”

Jeok Murin was momentarily speechless.

Even if this was a conversation in his dying hallucination…

“Why does it feel so real…?”

It was as if Sabi Kang was right behind him, chattering away.

He chuckled and shook his head, but then he screamed in shock.

“Ahhh!”

Jeok Murin, uncharacteristically startled, nearly lost his balance and fell.

In the next moment, he felt his body lift off the ground.

“I’m falling!”

In a flash,

Thud!

Sabi Kang reached out and grabbed Jeok Murin by the scruff of his neck.

“That was close. You should be more careful.”

Jeok Murin blinked in disbelief, his eyes wide.

“This damn poison! How potent is it to cause not just auditory but visual hallucinations too?”

Sabi Kang lifted him effortlessly, tossing him back onto the cliff where he rolled to the ground.

In his current state, Jeok Murin was no different from an ordinary person, his martial skills rendered useless by the severe poisoning.

Even rolling on the ground, the pain was so intense he felt he might lose consciousness.

By now, Jeok Murin couldn’t tell if what was happening was real or an illusion.

In truth, Sabi Kang had tracked him down with the help of the Black Wolf Brigade, masters of pursuit.

But unaware of this, Jeok Murin couldn’t comprehend the situation.

Regardless, Sabi Kang approached him, crouching down with a grin.

“We’ll save the detailed story for later. If you die, I won’t get to hear that interesting tale, will I?”

“You’re saving me just for that?”

The words rose to his throat, but for some reason, he couldn’t voice them.

Noticing this, Sabi Kang shrugged.

“You probably can’t speak right now. Don’t worry. Once the poison’s out and you rest for a few days, you’ll be back to normal.”

Jeok Murin glared at Sabi Kang, fighting to keep his fading consciousness.

“What… is that?”

He noticed something between Sabi Kang’s open collar.

Something lodged between his collarbones, shaped like a skull.

And the skull had a diagonal crack, as if it were broken.

“Wait… the eyes of that skull are turning green…”

With that thought, Jeok Murin lost consciousness, slumping where he sat.

Sabi Kang moved behind him, muttering to himself.

“I need to hurry.”

Finally, he placed both hands on Jeok Murin’s back and began channeling his energy.

A low hum resonated as Sabi Kang’s hands glowed green.

The skull between his collarbones also deepened in its green hue.

**

“The color has turned red.”

Ryu Yeo-jung reported with a stern expression as he entered the command tent.

Heo Mu-geuk, seated cross-legged on the bed, slowly opened his eyes, a cold glint in them.

“Hong Myo has made her move.”

“Perhaps we should wait for word from our agent in the Justice Alliance…”

“No.”

Heo Mu-geuk shook his head.

That would be too late.

Besides…

“Are you planning to abandon the mission if things go awry?”

”…No.”

“Then now is the time for swift action, not caution.”

“You’re right.”

Ryu Yeo-jung agreed.

The color change in the Soul-Destruction Poison confirmed Hong Myo’s self-destruction.

But the delay was troubling.

That’s why he wanted to wait for the agent’s report.

However…

“The Lord’s words make sense.”

If things had gone wrong?

There was no choice.

In that case, they needed to act even faster.

The important thing was that the Soul-Destruction Poison had reacted.

Heo Mu-geuk stood, reaching out as his robe flew from the hanger to drape over his shoulders.

“Send word to the Demon Sect. We attack the Justice Alliance.”

“Understood!”

Ryu Yeo-jung bowed deeply and turned to leave, his expression colder than ever.

“Now it begins! The game is set. All that’s left is to win!”

**

Near Jaeryeong Mountain, at the Medical Sect’s branch.

Branch leader Gok Ja-gang was meeting with a martial artist dispatched from the main sect.

He was Seok So-ryong, a martial artist from the Meteor Pavilion, directly under Gu Yoon.

After hearing Seok So-ryong’s report, Gok Ja-gang’s thick eyebrows twitched as he shouted.

“Is that true?”

His voice was filled with anger.

Seok So-ryong bowed his head in response.

“Yes. The General Commander requests that the Medical Sect branch quickly dispatch reinforcements to Jaeryeong Mountain.”

“Of course! For the Blood Demon Sect and the Demon Sect to conspire together! Do they think so little of our main sect? Is the Lord safe?”

“The Lord is unharmed. He plans to come to Jaeryeong Mountain depending on the situation.”

“I see! I’ll lead the entire branch to Jaeryeong Mountain immediately!”

“Understood. I’ll return and report back right away.”

“One more thing.”

“Yes?”

“You said you learned of this through former National Master Sabi Kang. What happened to him?”

“The head of the Inspection Bureau is doing his best, but we’ll have to wait and see. When I left, former National Master Sabi Kang’s condition was critical.”

“Hmm. Is it that serious?”

“In fact… the head of the Inspection Bureau said he couldn’t guarantee anything.”

“Damn…!”

Gok Ja-gang clicked his tongue, a pained sigh escaping him.

For a brief moment, Seok So-ryong felt a strange unease.

It was so fleeting that he dismissed it and turned to leave.

But before he could take a step, he turned back to Gok Ja-gang.

He wanted to ask about the feeling he’d had since entering the Medical Sect branch.

“By the way…”

“What is it?”

“Where are the branch’s martial artists?”

“Didn’t I tell you? We’re conducting special training in preparation for emergencies.”

“That’s exactly what I’m asking about—the location.”

At this, Gok Jagang’s eyebrows furrowed slightly.

He paused, then murmured to himself as if lost in thought.

“Do you know what the common trait of those with short lives is?”

“Uh…?”

“It’s that useless curiosity.”

“What do you mean…?”

In an instant,

Whoosh!

To his shock, Gok Jagang appeared right in front of him.

‘How… is this possible?’

He hadn’t even seen the movement technique. One moment Gok Jagang was gone, the next he was right there, inches away.

There was no time to dwell on the mystery.

Seok Soryong felt a searing sensation piercing into his core.

“Ugh…!”

He looked down to see a dagger buried deep in his abdomen.

“What… is this…! Aaargh!”

Gok Jagang twisted the dagger and slashed upward in a diagonal motion.

With a scream, Seok Soryong collapsed, his eyes rolling back as he convulsed sporadically in a corner.

Gok Jagang clicked his tongue and tossed the dagger carelessly onto Seok Soryong’s body.

Thud.

“Why do you keep asking unnecessary questions?”

Seok Soryong could no longer speak. His body shuddered once more before going limp, never to move again.

Gok Jagang stepped over him and entered the room.

Facing a mirror, he picked up a brush and began painting his face green.

“You’re asking where the warriors are? They’re all in special training, becoming horse soldiers.”

Gok Jagang chuckled to himself as he muttered.

A moment later, he stood up and turned around.

A sly smile crept across the face of Gok Jagang—or rather, Nokmyeonin.

“So, Sabigang… that’s how it ended, huh…”