Episode 373: Return to the Demonic Sect

In the region of Jeongheung, Gangseo, lies the towering Habok Mountain.

A group of people marched steadily up the mountain path, their presence as intimidating as the weapons they carried at their waists. Their tightly clenched jaws and furrowed brows suggested they were not in the best of moods.

Leading this formidable group of about a hundred warriors was an elderly man with a commanding presence. His eyes, sharp and full of authority, scanned the path ahead as they approached a cave deep within the forest.

The sky, heavy with clouds, rumbled ominously, as if echoing the tension in the air. Two warriors, already stationed at the cave entrance, stepped forward and bowed respectfully.

“Master, you’ve arrived?”

The old man, addressed as the master, barked out a question in a voice that brooked no argument. “Is this the place?”

“Yes, it is.”

“How dare a band of thieves meddle with our sect?”

The old man, his hair as white as snow, twitched his cheek in irritation as he glared at the dark, gaping mouth of the cave. This was Namak, the leader of the small but respected sect known as the Northern Path Sect in Jeongheung. Despite its size, no one in the area dared to ignore the sect, and Namak was held in high regard for his integrity.

Recently, news had reached him that a group of bandits had established a base called Daehoche in Habok Mountain. In response, Namak had dispatched a punitive force to deal with them.

But things had not gone as planned. The force had encountered some of the bandits and pursued them, only to disappear without a trace. It was as if they had vanished before even engaging the main group of bandits.

Enraged, Namak had personally led two hundred of his best warriors to the mountain’s midsection.

A warrior approached Namak, bowing his head. “After the Tiger Pursuit Squad entered, it wasn’t long before we heard screams. And then…”

“No one returned?”

“That’s correct. We sent in the Forest Guard Squad to confirm, but they too…”

“Hmm.”

Namak stepped forward, deep in thought. The Tiger Pursuit Squad was the elite of the elite, fifty strong, more than capable of handling a mere band of thieves. Yet, they had vanished after entering the cave in pursuit of just twenty bandits.

If this was the bandits’ main base, it might make sense, but their main base was still intact elsewhere. The situation was perplexing.

Namak, who had lived in Jeongheung for over sixty years, knew Habok Mountain like the back of his hand. Yet, this cave was unfamiliar to him.

“Strange,” he muttered, frowning.

“Sir?” The warrior beside him looked puzzled, not understanding Namak’s concern.

“Have you ever seen a cave like this here before?”

The warrior hesitated, then offered a theory. “There was an earthquake in the area two days ago. Perhaps the cave formed then?”

“Hmm.” Namak nodded slightly, though he found it hard to believe. The cave entrance was too clean, as if carved by some force, not naturally formed.

“Curious indeed,” he mused, feeling a twinge of unease.

“Was it just the thirty bandits who entered here?” he asked, seeking confirmation.

“Yes! No one else has gone in or out since!” the warriors stationed nearby answered in unison.

Namak made up his mind. “Enough delay. Whether it’s bandits or tigers lurking inside, we’ll deal with them. Let’s go!”

“Yes, sir!”

With that, Namak drew upon his inner strength and strode forward, followed by a hundred warriors.

The cold winter wind howled in their wake.

Time passed, perhaps less than half an hour.

Screams and cries erupted from the cave, a cacophony of terror and pain.

And then, silence.

No one emerged from the cave for a long time.

**

After much deliberation, the opening ceremony of the Demonic Sect Academy was held with great fanfare.

Sabigang addressed the fifteen hundred students gathered in the grand training hall, delivering a brief speech before classes commenced the next day.

Despite the grandeur, the students’ experiences varied. With so many gathered from different regions, tensions were inevitable—jealousy, rivalry, and even outright discrimination were common.

The most intense conflict was between the orthodox and unorthodox factions. With skilled warriors from both sides present, clashes were frequent.

Among the top students, the first-class group was no exception. Composed of five orthodox and five unorthodox warriors, they faced off in the training hall, glaring at each other.

“Say that again, you brat,” a hunchbacked old man with long white hair sneered at a young man across from him. This was Yangchoji, known as the Blood-Crazed Blade in the Shaanxi region, a notorious unorthodox warrior.

The young man, Jinkyungsan, smirked. “I said you’re a bunch of nobodies.”

“Do you want your precious lineage shattered?” Yangchoji growled, grinding his yellowed teeth.

Jinkyungsan stood his ground. “Try it, if you can.”

“Impudent whelp! I can see where you get it from.”

“Insulting my parents, are you? Shall I straighten that crooked back of yours, old man?” Jinkyungsan spat, trembling with anger.

Yangchoji chuckled darkly. “Oh, I’d be grateful for that. It’s been a lifelong wish of mine.”

The unorthodox warriors laughed along with him.

As Jinkyungsan gathered his inner strength, his sleeves billowed. “Fine! If you’re ready to die, I’ll straighten you out!”

“Just know that if you fail, your back will end up worse than mine,” Yangchoji taunted.

“That won’t happen, so don’t worry!” Jinkyungsan retorted, launching himself forward.

His fist shot out, but Yangchoji quickly crossed his palms to block it.

“Not bad! But can such a soft touch really straighten my back?” Yangchoji mocked, slicing his hand through the air with a blade-like precision that tore Jinkyungsan’s sleeve.

As the fabric fluttered to the ground, Jinkyungsan gritted his teeth and tore off the rest of the tattered sleeve.

Just as the two were about to clash again, a booming voice interrupted them.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

The students turned to see a young man and an older man entering the hall. It was their instructor, Jaunryong, and his assistant, Deungbuyong.

Jaunryong rushed over, trying to calm the situation. “Fighting like this is unacceptable. This is an academy, a place of learning. Whatever the issue, you should resolve it through dialogue.”

“He attacked me first!” Yangchoji shouted, veins bulging on his forehead.

Jinkyungsan shot back, “The old man must be senile! He provoked me first!”

“Silence! Didn’t you insult me first?” Yangchoji roared.

“Calling trash ‘trash’ isn’t an insult, is it?” Jinkyungsan retorted.

“You little…!” Yangchoji, unable to contain his rage, unleashed a roar imbued with his inner power, causing the tiles around them to tremble.

Jaunryong quickly covered his ears, wincing, then awkwardly smiled, trying to placate Yangchoji. “Please, calm down, sir.”

“Yangchoji,” the old man corrected.

“Ah, Master Yang. Let’s set aside our anger and discuss this calmly…”

“Hmph! There’s nothing to discuss with such trash!”

“Fine, no more words then!” Jinkyungsan snapped.

As the two seemed ready to resume their fight, Jaunryong, sweating nervously, looked to Deungbuyong for help.

“Senior… what should we do?”

“Words won’t work on these kinds of people.”

Deungbu-hyung shrugged his shoulders and stepped forward.

“Everyone, quiet!”

His voice, imbued with power, echoed through the training ground, causing Yang Cho-ji and Jin Kyung-san, who were about to clash, to flinch and halt.

Yang Cho-ji glanced back at Deungbu-hyung.

“What is it?”

“Calm down, old man. You haven’t exactly been blameless.”

“What? Why is everyone ganging up on me? He insulted me first!”

“Regardless, you’re the elder here, so you should control your temper first…”

“Damn it! It’s because you’re all from the orthodox sect, isn’t it? Isn’t that right?”

Yang Cho-ji shouted, genuinely angry.

Even though it was an academy, with no age restrictions and selection based solely on skill, the hierarchy between instructors and students was still unsettled.

Faced with this unprecedented situation, Deungbu-hyung also lost his temper and shouted back.

“Stop being unreasonable! Aren’t you embarrassed at your age? Besides, considering the wrongs committed by the unorthodox martial artists, you should be willing to overlook some unfair treatment!”

At this point, Ja-un-ryong regretted asking Deungbu-hyung for help.

He awkwardly smiled and tried to calm him down.

“Se-senior, maybe we should stop now… haha…”

“Step aside. People like him need a firm talking to…”

But Yang Cho-ji wasn’t backing down easily.

“What does age have to do with protesting unfair treatment? It seems you’re senior to the instructor, yet you’re just an assistant. Your skills must be lacking! Is the Myeolma-gwan assistant position open to just anyone?”

Having his pride wounded, Deungbu-hyung shouted in anger.

“Shut your mouth!”

“Oh, you’re angry, are you? So you do have some pride?”

“Unorthodox scoundrels only understand a beating!”

Unable to contain his excitement, Deungbu-hyung launched himself forward.

“Fine! I’ll show you I haven’t wasted my life!”

Yang Cho-ji also shouted back as he charged to meet him.