Episode 363: Return to the Demonic Sect
“The Supreme Commander, huh…”
Choo Hee-ryong’s face clouded over with concern.
“If only Ryu Gun-sa were still alive, would things be different now?”
At the very least, they wouldn’t be wasting time debating who should be the Supreme Commander.
The image of Ryu Yeo-jung’s last moments flashed through Choo Hee-ryong’s mind.
**
As he crossed the blood-scented Seo-hwa Plain and reached the southeastern hill, Choo Hee-ryong saw Ryu Yeo-jung standing forlornly with his back turned.
“Ryu Gun-sa!”
At Choo Hee-ryong’s call, Ryu Yeo-jung turned around with a sorrowful expression.
Whoooosh!
A cold winter wind blew, as if pushing him from behind.
With a faint smile, Ryu Yeo-jung asked, “Did things go as you planned?”
Choo Hee-ryong flinched and avoided Ryu Yeo-jung’s gaze.
“I’m sorry. But think of it as a necessary step for reform.”
“Reform… Is seizing power your idea of reform?”
His voice was so calm and measured that Choo Hee-ryong responded just as evenly.
“I won’t make excuses. But I am different. Trust me. If you stand by me, our sect will surely grow stronger and more prosperous.”
Whoooosh!
Another gust of wind blew.
Ryu Yeo-jung looked at Choo Hee-ryong for a long time, as if silently reprimanding him or lost in thought.
Choo Hee-ryong waited patiently, not rushing him.
Finally, Ryu Yeo-jung burst into laughter.
Choo Hee-ryong frowned slightly but didn’t show any displeasure.
After a while, Ryu Yeo-jung looked at Choo Hee-ryong intently.
“You are not the vessel to contain me.”
“Perhaps not. But if you just give me a little more time—”
In the next moment, Ryu Yeo-jung drew a dagger with his right hand and slashed his own throat.
Choo Hee-ryong’s eyes widened in shock.
“Gun-sa!”
He rushed forward to catch the collapsing Ryu Yeo-jung.
The wound was too deep; there was no hope of saving him.
Choo Hee-ryong cried out in anguish, “Did it have to come to this, Gun-sa?”
Ryu Yeo-jung gasped for breath, occasionally coughing up blood.
As he drifted in and out of consciousness, he spoke in a faint voice.
“You don’t know him.”
“Him? Who are you talking about?”
“He is far more terrifying than you think.”
“Who on earth—”
“Sa-bi… Kang…”
**
At the time, Choo Hee-ryong didn’t fully understand what Ryu Yeo-jung meant.
But now, he knew for certain.
The one holding the strings to his life was none other than Sa-bi Kang.
Slowly opening his eyes, Choo Hee-ryong spoke.
“I appoint Hong-myo as the new Gun-sa.”
“Understood. Who is your second choice?”
“What? Why do you ask?”
“She has already been marked for another position.”
Choo Hee-ryong gritted his teeth.
Something boiled within his chest.
Sensing his turmoil, a figure gracefully descended from the ceiling.
It was Bi-ryeong, a woman as sharp as a dagger.
Seeing her stirred two emotions in him.
First, a surge of anger, and second, a sense of helplessness.
Who was he?
Soon to be the leader of the Blood Sect.
Yet here he was, facing the piercing gaze of a mere bodyguard.
“Your second choice. Please, tell us.”
Gu-yoon spoke calmly.
Choo Hee-ryong, having calmed himself, finally opened his mouth.
“I’ll… think about it.”
**
“What is this?”
Jeok Mu-rin looked down at the two scrolls in his hand.
Beside him, Hong-myo also held two scrolls.
One was red, the other black.
Gu-yoon, standing before them, answered in a steady voice.
“These are your appointments.”
“Appointments? Why are there two?”
Jeok Mu-rin asked, and Gu-yoon replied with a faint smile.
“Take a look first.”
Jeok Mu-rin unrolled the black scroll.
After a moment, he murmured in surprise.
“Commander of the Blood Sect’s Guard?”
“You have been appointed as the Commander of the Blood Sect’s Guard.”
“Then this one…”
Jeok Mu-rin opened the red scroll.
His expression wavered.
“What is this organization…?”
“It is where Sa-bi Kang serves as the head. The Supreme Invincible… Ha…”
Gu-yoon paused, his face flushing, before continuing.
“Anyway, for convenience, we call it the ‘Demon Slayer Institute.’ Of course, it’s a secret from Sa-bi Kang.”
Jeok Mu-rin nodded in understanding, and Gu-yoon continued.
“The Demon Slayer Institute is a new organization created to prepare for upcoming disasters. For now, it’s publicly known as a place to teach martial arts against the Demon Sect. You have been chosen as an instructor there. The same goes for Hong-myo.”
Gu-yoon’s gaze shifted to Hong-myo.
The black scroll in her hand appointed her as the Supreme Commander of the Blood Sect, while the red scroll appointed her as an instructor at the Demon Slayer Institute.
“You are free to choose either.”
“Do we have to decide now?”
“There’s no rush. You have a fortnight. Once you decide and inform the respective organization, I’ll hear of it. If you don’t decide within that time, it will be assumed you chose neither.”
“So we’re free?”
“Yes.”
Gu-yoon looked at them both carefully.
“Hong-myo, you’ve endured much hardship while confined to the main sect. Now that the Blood Sect is fully integrated, there’s no need for you to remain. It could even be a burden. And Jeok Mu-rin, you’ve risked much to save the main sect, so consider this a small token of gratitude.”
“Hmm.”
Jeok Mu-rin rested his chin on his hand, lost in thought.
He had suspected he might leave the main sect, but he hadn’t expected to receive two appointments.
After a while, he replied.
“Understood. Then we’ll be on our way.”
“May justice accompany you both on your journey.”
Gu-yoon bid them farewell in a gentle tone.
**
“Stepping out like this feels strange.”
Seo Rae-hyang took a deep breath as she exited the main gate of the main sect.
It wasn’t her first time leaving.
She had left not long ago to rush to the Seo-hwa Plain.
But back then, she was in a daze.
Now, it was different.
She was leaving as a free woman.
Was it just her imagination, or did even the air feel different?
She turned to Jeok Mu-rin and asked in a deliberately cheerful voice.
“So, what’s next?”
“Hmm… What about you, Hong-myo?”
Jeok Mu-rin asked cautiously.
Logically, it wasn’t a difficult decision.
How could one compare being an instructor at a mere academy to being the Supreme Commander of the Blood Sect?
Anyone would choose to be the Supreme Commander without hesitation.
But Seo Rae-hyang’s response was unexpected.
“No, this time you decide first. You’ve always followed me. This time, I’ll follow you.”
“Hong-myo…”
Jeok Mu-rin murmured, momentarily stunned.
Seo Rae-hyang averted her gaze, looking into the distance.
“Don’t look at me like that. It’s embarrassing.”
“Oh, sorry.”
Jeok Mu-rin quickly looked away, and Seo Rae-hyang chuckled.
Jeok Mu-rin glanced at her and asked.
“What if my decision doesn’t please you?”
“Then I’ll just have to beat you until you change it.”
Her serious expression made Jeok Mu-rin laugh.
He looked at the two scrolls for a moment before speaking.
“I’m tired of black. This one seems more appealing. Being with that eccentric hero always leads to interesting things.”
“I see. That’s your decision.”
“If you don’t like it, I can change it before you—”
“I love it. Let’s go.”
Seo Rae-hyang tossed the black scroll over her shoulder and strode forward.
Jeok Mu-rin watched her retreating figure, then followed with a bright smile.
**
“Hmm…!”
Sa-bi Kang furrowed his brow, staring intently at the old man seated before him.
The old man’s white eyebrows covered his eyes, making it hard to tell if he was looking at Sa-bi Kang or the floor.
Sa-bi Kang wanted to lift those eyebrows and see his eyes directly.
How long did they stare at each other?
The old man spoke first.
“There’s something inside you that doesn’t belong to this world.”
Sa-bi Kang flinched, then smirked.
“Impressive, you’re no ordinary person.”
“May I see it?”
“I’d like to show you, but it’s not something easily seen.”
“I’ll handle that.”
“What do you mean? You’ll be surprised.”
But the old man extended his staff forward, placing his palms together.
A mysterious energy began to rise like a mirage around the staff.
Whoooosh.
In an instant,
“Haaah!”
The old man shouted with such force that Choo-ryang, sitting nearby, nearly fell over.
In the next moment,
Kuwaaaaaa!
A surge of energy erupted from Sabigang’s entire being, a dark crimson aura swirling violently and crashing through the ceiling.
Suspended in midair, the unmistakable form of a Red Dragon loomed.
“Whoa!”
The old man, who had thrust his staff forward to unleash a spell, was so taken aback that he fell backward, landing on his rear.
With the Red Dragon’s image hovering behind him, Sabigang grinned slyly.
“I told you, you’d be surprised.”
Meanwhile, the majestic voice of the Red Dragon resonated through the air, echoing directly in their minds.
“…so it seems,” Sabigang said with a smirk, as the old man awkwardly got to his feet and settled into a chair.
“Ahem, well, that’s enough,” the old man said, trying to sound nonchalant, though his hands trembled slightly.
With that, the Red Dragon vanished, as if absorbed back into Sabigang’s body.
Sabigang chuckled.
“Looks like the old man was impressed. He only grumbled a little before disappearing.”
“Hmm.”
The old man hummed thoughtfully, and Sabigang laughed.
“So, are you ready to take this seriously now? I suppose I should start from my past life…”
But before he could continue, the old man sprang to his feet.
“I understand. The Demon King’s invasion…”
“Huh? I haven’t said anything yet… Wait, where are we…?”
Sabigang paused, looking around to find himself back at the village entrance.
Nearby, a large rock bore the inscription “Dohyang.”
The village stood intact in the distance.
“Master, what’s going on?” asked Churyang, who was beside him.
“Where’s the old man?”
“There he goes,” Churyang replied, pointing to the old man already walking ahead.
Sabigang whispered to Churyang, “What happened?”
“What do you mean? I told you, I went down to the village with Banmyo and brought that sage back. Amazingly, Banmyo found him. But what’s more surprising is that he already knew everything.”
“And what about me using the Volcano spell to blow up the village?”
“What? You blew up the village? That’s ridiculous. No matter how… I mean, you’ve been waiting here for me to return since we arrived.”
Sabigang stared blankly at the old man. Was it all an illusion?
At this point, he couldn’t tell where the magic ended and reality began.
Furrowing his brow, Sabigang grumbled, “I really don’t like this.”