Episode 346: Return to the Demonic Sect
“What did you just say?”
The man with the yellow mask widened his eyes in disbelief as he looked at the child.
The child, who had been swinging a wooden sword, shyly scratched his head and laughed it off.
“Hehe…”
The boy’s small hands were calloused, a testament to his training, despite being only five years old.
The man furrowed his brow and shouted angrily.
“I asked you what you said!”
The child looked at him, fear evident in his eyes.
“I… I said… mom…”
“Who do you think your mother is?”
“I’m sorry…”
Swish, crack!
The wooden sword in the man’s hand struck the child’s back mercilessly.
“Aaah!”
The child screamed, writhing on the ground like a frog.
It felt as if his back had been torn open.
The man watched the child in pain with a cold gaze and spoke with a stern voice.
“Watch your mouth. I am not your parent.”
With that, the man turned and walked away.
That night, she sat alone on a tree branch, gazing at the stars.
Her heart felt heavy, like a storm cloud had settled within.
It was an ironic day.
She had just received news that the child’s grandparents had died of illness.
“Calling me mom…”
A bitter laugh escaped her lips.
Tears followed.
Today was supposed to be a day of perfect judgment, so why did her heart feel so torn?
The child’s face, calling her mom, overlapped with the face of the child she had lost long ago.
“Foolish boy! Calling the woman who killed your parents ‘mother’!”
Crack!
As she gripped the branch tightly, it shattered into pieces.
She landed softly on the ground and walked towards the room where the child was staying.
The child lay face down on the bed, asleep.
Moonlight streamed through the window, illuminating the wounds on his back.
She spoke in a dry voice.
“Get up.”
The child sat up silently.
He hadn’t been asleep.
“Are you still crying?”
”…”
“Foolish boy.”
“I don’t understand why you’re angry.”
She flinched and looked at the child.
His expression was sadder than ever.
She took a deep breath and spoke softly.
“I am not your mother.”
“Then who are you?”
“It seems you don’t remember because you were too young.”
”…”
“I am the one who killed your parents. So don’t call me that again.”
”…That’s a lie.”
“What did you say?”
“Why would someone like that raise me? Why tell me to eat well? Why worry when I’m hurt?”
“Impudent…”
“If you don’t want me to call you mom, I won’t. But I won’t believe that either.”
“You really are a foolish and stubborn boy. Do as you please. But that’s the truth. One day, you’ll understand.”
With that, she stood up abruptly and left the room.
**
“Did you… believe what I said that day? Or did you try not to?”
The cold winter wind blew against the woman leaning on the grave.
One thing was certain.
Since that day, the child had become more reserved.
He spoke less about his feelings and had grown distant, treating her with a cold demeanor.
She chuckled bitterly and stood up.
Taking a bottle of liquor from her coat, she poured it over the grave.
“Foolish boy. I never expected you to judge me this way. So, this was your judgment, not revenge.”
Tears streamed down her wrinkled cheeks.
Having emptied the bottle, she turned away.
“Now that I’ve been judged, it’s my turn for revenge.”
Whoosh!
A fierce, icy wind swirled around her, more intense than ever.
**
Thud!
A bamboo pole, easily ten feet long, was driven deep into the ground.
The one who had embedded it into the earth at the Sa Ma Alliance’s camp was the man with the green mask.
The pole was so deeply rooted that it swayed with the wind but did not topple.
Whoosh!
The man with the green mask used his agility to climb the bamboo, reaching its top.
Standing with arms crossed, he swayed with the wind, as if one with the bamboo.
“Hmm…”
He squinted, looking towards the Jeong Do Alliance’s camp in the distance.
This was the Seohwa Plain, two days northwest of Jaeryeong Mountain.
By tomorrow, this vast, quiet plain would be littered with corpses.
“The Jeong Do Alliance is not to be underestimated.”
He was genuinely impressed.
Many warriors sent by the Jeong Do Alliance had already perished at Jaeryeong Mountain.
Even Eun Hwi, the second-in-command, had lost his life in the chaos.
Yet, the number of enemies visible in the distance was formidable.
Perhaps they were deliberately lighting more fires to exaggerate their numbers.
Regardless, the Jeong Do Alliance was not to be taken lightly.
Especially since their leader was likely present.
The man with the green mask leapt down from the bamboo and returned to the tent.
Inside, the woman with the yellow mask was waiting.
He paused briefly, then smirked and asked, “Why are you alone?”
“Red Mask is dead.”
Her words made him flinch in surprise.
He walked to a chair and sat down, deep in thought.
“Red Mask… how?”
“He fell to Sabi Kang.”
“Sabi Kang…”
That name again.
What was it about this Sabi Kang?
During his time with the Jeong Do Alliance, he had heard much about Sabi Kang.
But he hadn’t paid much attention.
His focus had been on Gu Yoon, the strategist who valued Sabi Kang.
A sword is not frightening.
Only the one who wields it is.
For that reason, he had been wary of Gu Yoon.
He had been careful not to reveal his identity or plans.
Yet, as time passed, the name he kept hearing was not Gu Yoon, but Sabi Kang.
Could it be that Sabi Kang was more than just a sword?
His expression turned cold.
“What about the demon soldiers? Surely the Red Demon Squad and the soldiers weren’t all wiped out?”
“They were all defeated.”
Her voice was flat.
He stood up abruptly.
“That’s impossible!”
He was genuinely angry.
He felt no sorrow for Red Mask.
If he could, he would bring him back to life just to scold him.
“He boasted about handling everything, yet he couldn’t secure the Celestial Demon Physique, leading to the annihilation of the soldiers and the Red Demon Squad? How could he be so foolish?”
“Watch your mouth.”
“Hmph! If Red Mask were alive, he would deserve to be punished!”
Whoosh!
A suffocating aura filled the tent.
He calmed down, looking at her.
She met his gaze and spoke.
“It’s not a simple matter. I met Sabi Kang myself.”
“And?”
“He’s strong.”
“Of course, but Red Mask had the Red Demon Squad and the soldiers…”
“They were no match for him.”
“Even so…”
“I couldn’t last a hundred seconds against him.”
”…!”
He couldn’t argue further.
She was proud and never showed weakness.
Yet, she admitted she couldn’t defeat him.
Her ability to assess an opponent’s strength was well-known.
If she said so, it must be true.
She continued.
“If anything unexpected happens in this battle, it will be because of him.”
“Hmm. If he’s such a formidable opponent, how do we stop him? Is there a way?”
They had prepared thoroughly.
The best outcome for the Demonic Sect would be for both the Blood Alliance and the Jeong Do Alliance to be annihilated in this battle.
If that was too difficult, they at least needed to deal with the Jeong Do Alliance.
With their preparations, it was possible.
But she wasn’t confident.
“Is Sabi Kang really that extraordinary?”
It was hard to believe, but her expression was serious.
She spoke heavily.
“I’m going to find Baek Myeon.”
He tilted his head, puzzled.
He didn’t understand her meaning at first.
But then he realized and was shocked.
“Are you saying… the Indestructible Asura…”
“Yes. I intend to become the Indestructible Asura.”
He was speechless.
She knew exactly what that meant.
She glanced at him, then turned to leave.
“This is the path I must take. It’s my answer to the look he gave me long ago.”
“What are you talking about…”
“Just know this. Tell the Lord that Red Mask and I did all we could.”
She walked out of the tent.
**
The next day.
At dawn.
The vast Seohwa Plain was eerily silent.
But the silence was tense, ready to shatter at any moment.
The flag of the Justice Alliance fluttered in the northwest, while the banners of the Blood Lotus Sect and the Demon Spirit Cult were planted in the southeast.
The energies of righteousness and evil clashed in the open plains, swirling into a fierce storm.
Whoooosh!
The air was thick with a chaotic mix of determination, bloodlust, anger, and fear.
Standing opposite the warriors of the Demon Alliance, the leader of the Justice Alliance, Neung Un-pa, exhaled a long, steady breath.
He turned to Sabigang, who stood beside him.
“Once again, you’re proving to be a great help,” he said.
Sabigang replied in an unusually solemn tone, “I’ve lost many warriors due to my shortcomings.”
But Neung Un-pa shook his head. “The fault is mine. Is there anything else you wish to say?”
“Yes, but you must remember this: if you encounter something you’ve never seen before…”
“You mean if I see a demon, I should order a retreat immediately?”
“Exactly.”
“I listened to your stories all night, yet I still find it hard to believe.”
“I understand. But when the time comes, you’ll have no choice but to believe.”
Neung Un-pa stroked his beard thoughtfully and nodded. “Very well. I’ll rely on you once more.”
Sabigang bowed slightly and stepped back. He had decided not to take the lead in this battle from the start. This was a decision made during the Justice Alliance’s leadership meeting. They believed that the leader’s presence was more crucial than Sabigang’s, as it would boost the morale of their warriors.
However, the real reason was to curb Sabigang’s rising influence.
‘Well, it’s a relief for me,’ he thought. There was nothing to gain from stepping into the spotlight. If their enemies were capable of summoning Baold and using dark magic to create demon soldiers, they might have summoned even more fearsome creatures. It was best to conserve his strength until then.
Meanwhile, the leader of the Justice Alliance strode forward to address his warriors. Silence fell over the crowd as they awaited his words.
Finally, he spoke. “I won’t say much. They have betrayed trust, trampled on justice, and defiled both human and natural laws. Today, we will judge them.”
His voice, though quiet, carried a powerful force that resonated in the ears of every warrior present. The warriors of the Justice Alliance felt their hearts begin to race, invigorated by his words.
Then, with more intensity than ever, Neung Un-pa declared, “Today, we will vanquish evil!”
“Uwaaaaaah!”
A roar erupted, shaking the very heavens and earth.