Episode 365: Return to the Demonic Sect
The woman’s face was on the verge of exploding with rage.
She stammered as she shouted, “What kind of despicable, beastly person are you? These demonic sect scum are worse than animals!”
Her voice echoed, drawing a crowd of onlookers.
Sensing the situation was escalating, Gok Bo-ok stepped in to calm things down. “Miss, please, let go of your anger. I apologize on his behalf. I’m truly sorry.”
But the woman was unmoved. She glared at Gok Bo-ok and retorted, “Why are you apologizing for him? I want an apology from that man! He looks like a wild boar, for heaven’s sake!”
“Pfft!” Gok Bo-ok couldn’t help but chuckle, quickly regaining his composure.
Meanwhile, Baek Gong-bo frowned deeply and replied curtly, “So, the righteous sects also judge people by their looks, huh?”
“Be quiet! I’ve never met someone as arrogant as you!”
“Well, I’ve never met anyone as stubborn as you, miss.”
“If you had just apologized in the first place, none of this would have happened!”
“Well, you were the one who ran into me, as I’ve said several times…”
Baek Gong-bo was interrupted by a voice from behind.
“Miss! What’s going on here?”
A group of people, all dressed in matching red martial uniforms with swords at their waists, rushed over. They seemed to be from the same sect as the woman.
Pointing at Baek Gong-bo, the woman shouted, “He pushed me down and refuses to apologize! Instead, he’s demanding I apologize to him!”
The leader of the group, a middle-aged man, glared at Baek Gong-bo with intensity.
Sensing the situation was getting out of hand, Gok Bo-ok tried to intervene. “Um… to clarify, that’s not exactly what happened…”
“Step aside, sir,” the leader said, pushing Gok Bo-ok aside and turning to Baek Gong-bo. “How dare you lay a hand on the young lady and not apologize! Do you even know who she is?”
“Why should I care who she is?” Baek Gong-bo, now thoroughly irritated, shot back.
The leader’s eyebrows twitched as he declared, “This is Lady Nam Hwa-yeon of the New Moon Sect! I am Kwak Myung-shin, leader of the Red Tiger Squad!”
The mention of the New Moon Sect caused a stir among the onlookers. The New Moon Sect was a major sect, rivaling the Ten Thousand Swords Family in the great city of Wuhan. Its reputation was formidable throughout Hubei Province.
In Wuhan, there was even a saying: “Don’t even dare to relieve yourself in the direction of the Ten Thousand Swords or the New Moon.”
Despite their formidable reputation, it meant nothing to Baek Gong-bo. He casually picked his ear and said, “Is it a trend among the righteous sects to hide behind their sects and run their mouths?”
“What did you say? How dare you speak so carelessly! Truly, you’re an uneducated demonic sect scum…”
Boom!
A loud crash interrupted the leader’s words. Kwak Myung-shin’s eyes widened as Baek Gong-bo’s fist left a deep dent in the wall beside him.
Baek Gong-bo, his head lowered, muttered, “Demonic sect this, demonic sect that… You’re really getting on my nerves.”
The crowd murmured again.
“Such power…”
“He just punched the wall and nearly broke it.”
Some in the crowd remained wary of the demonic sect.
“But aren’t the demonic sects known for their cruelty?”
“True. I heard the recent battle at Seohwa Plain was because the Blood Demon Alliance betrayed us.”
“The New Moon Sect has every right to be angry.”
Just then, a young man’s voice came from the back of the group.
“What is everyone doing here?”
Kwak Myung-shin turned and quickly bowed. “Young Master, you’ve arrived.”
“I asked what’s going on.”
The man, with a stern expression, was Nam Wi-seong, the young master of the New Moon Sect.
Nam Hwa-yeon ran to him, exclaiming, “Brother, look at that violent demonic sect warrior. How can such a person exist?”
She recounted the events, albeit from her very subjective perspective.
Naturally, Nam Wi-seong was furious. He believed his sister had been assaulted and was on the verge of being attacked.
As the situation escalated, Gok Bo-ok intervened again. “There seems to be a misunderstanding. I’ll apologize on his behalf, so why not let this go?”
But Nam Wi-seong was not inclined to let it go. “Let it go? I think it’s time to teach him some manners! How dare he lay a hand on my sister? What are you waiting for? Show him what respect means!”
“Yes, sir!”
At Nam Wi-seong’s command, the Red Tiger Squad formed a semicircle, drawing their swords.
Baek Gong-bo smirked. “Now you’re resorting to force after falsely accusing me…”
“Silence! I’ll teach you the laws of Wuhan!”
One of the Red Tiger Squad members charged forward with a shout.
In an instant, Baek Gong-bo moved with a strange footwork and thrust his fist forward.
Bang!
The squad member was sent flying like a cannonball, crashing into a wall.
The unexpected display of power left the Red Tiger Squad and Nam Wi-seong stunned.
“That wicked man! Using sorcery to attack? Such a person deserves no mercy! Attack him all at once!”
“Yes, sir!”
As the Red Tiger Squad charged, the ground shook with a tremendous impact.
Boom!
The earth cracked as if an earthquake had struck.
When the dust settled, Gok Bo-ok stood at the center, surveying the New Moon Sect warriors with a cold expression.
“I told you… to let it go.”
Nam Wi-seong’s face twisted in anger. “Are you siding with that demonic sect scum?”
“Enough with the insults. He’s my friend, after all.”
Baek Gong-bo glanced at Gok Bo-ok, surprised. “What are you doing?”
“Don’t get cocky. It’s not because I like you. I’m just annoyed.”
Baek Gong-bo chuckled, while Nam Wi-seong was on the verge of losing his temper.
“You…! Associating with demonic sect trash has made you one of them! Have you forgotten the demonic sects betrayed us and started a war just days ago?”
“Shut up. I don’t want to waste words on someone as narrow-minded as you.”
“You dare disrespect the New Moon Sect? You’ll pay for this! Show them what happens to those who defy us!”
In an instant, the New Moon Sect warriors charged at the two of them.
**
Boom!
A fiery whip struck the ground, sending debris flying in all directions.
Meng Ga-suk, who had leaped back, quickly swung his nine-section staff.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Seol Seo-rin, holding the tail of her whip, smirked coldly. “Old man, you’re pretty good.”
“I told you, I’m not the same as before.”
“Still, you shouldn’t let your guard down.”
With that, Seol Seo-rin launched herself like an arrow, her whip aflame.
Whoosh!
The fiery whip danced toward Meng Ga-suk.
“Hah!”
Meng Ga-suk let out a battle cry, meeting the whip with his staff.
Clang!
The whip and staff clashed with a metallic ring.
In a split second,
Click!
A third of the staff bent at a right angle, causing the whip to lose its momentum and narrowly miss Meng Ga-suk’s head.
“You sly old man…!”
Seol Seo-rin frowned, turning to face him.
“Too late.”
A chilling voice came from behind her.
In the next moment,
Boom!
Meng Ga-suk’s force struck Seol Seo-rin’s back.
“Ah!”
Seol Seo-rin cried out as she was sent flying, and Seol Su-min, who had been watching, rushed over.
“Rin!”
He quickly helped Seol Seo-rin to her feet. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine, brother.”
Meng Ga-suk slowly straightened up, folding his staff into nine sections.
“I think that’s enough for now.”
Seol Seo-rin clicked her tongue but withdrew her energy, realizing there was no point in continuing the spar.
Meng Ga-suk stood in place, circulating his internal energy. The energy flowed smoothly through his meridians, like a mighty river rather than a trickling stream.
‘Yes, this is the feeling.’
When was the last time channeling his inner energy felt this exhilarating?
Just a few days ago, the thought of cultivating his energy was the most tedious and grueling task for him.
It was no wonder, given that his meridians were riddled with latent poison.
“But now, everything’s changed!”
Meng Ga-suk channeled his energy with a faint smile on his lips.
Meanwhile, Seok Tan-gang, who had been quietly observing him, spoke with genuine admiration.
“Seol Seorin has grown much stronger, but you, old man, seem like a completely different person.”
Dobi-cheon, standing nearby, shook his head.
“Not a different person—he’s just returned to his true self.”
“Was Meng always this formidable?”
“You have no idea. In his prime, he was like a bloodthirsty demon. If he fully regains his former prowess, none of us would stand a chance against him.”
Seok Tan-gang thought that might very well be true.
Meng Ga-suk’s martial arts had reached an impressive level.
In truth, his remarkable progress was thanks to Sa Bi-gang.
Sa Bi-gang, with his body immune to all poisons, had completely purged the toxins from Meng Ga-suk’s system.
When Sa Bi-gang called him aside after the Battle of Seohwa Plain, Meng Ga-suk had been skeptical.
But after spending half a day channeling energy with Sa Bi-gang, the poison that had seeped into his body vanished as if it had never been there.
Sa Bi-gang had absorbed it all.
Since that day, Meng Ga-suk truly felt like a new man.
Under the shade of a tree, Gu Gang-ryong, arms crossed, scoffed and stepped forward.
“Hmph! Whether there’s anyone who can match him, I’ll be the judge of that.”
Meng Ga-suk looked at him intently and asked, “Are you suggesting a match?”
“Why not?”
“Of course.”
Meng Ga-suk slowly assumed a fighting stance.
In fact, he relished the situation. He was itching for someone to challenge him.
Gu Gang-ryong narrowed his eyes and slowly took his stance.
“His aura is definitely different.”
A tense atmosphere, unlike any before, crackled between them.
Just as they were about to clash,
Bang!
The gate suddenly burst open, and Baek Gong-bo rushed into the courtyard.
“The construction isn’t even finished yet. You’re going to break all the doors…”
Meng Ga-suk frowned, ready to scold him, but stopped short.
Baek Gong-bo’s clothes were torn and bloodstained, his body covered in cuts and bruises, and he was panting heavily.
Sensing something was amiss, Meng Ga-suk dropped his stance and asked sternly, “What’s going on?”
Baek Gong-bo caught his breath and said, “Gok Bo-ok…”
“What?”
“That pig is in danger.”