Episode 390: Return to the Demonic Sect
Lick, lick.
“Ugh…!”
Something was licking his cheek.
Churyang instinctively swatted at it with his hand.
But the rough tongue continued to stick to his cheek.
“Ouch… that stings…!”
He mumbled as he slowly regained consciousness.
As he opened his eyes, he saw a half-grown cat staring at him with wide, curious eyes.
The creature opened its mouth and let out a soft meow.
Churyang blinked, trying to make sense of the situation, and stared at the cat for a long moment.
Then, the memory of what happened just before he lost consciousness hit him, and he sprang up with a scream.
“Ah! What happened?”
He quickly checked himself over.
His clothes were soaked, but thankfully, he wasn’t injured.
“Am I… alive?”
When he had taken the full brunt of the Dormant One’s attack and was sent flying off the cliff, he was sure he was done for.
“The Black Ghost! What happened to him…?”
Churyang frantically looked around.
If the Black Ghost had died, he wouldn’t be able to live with himself.
Just then, he noticed a small stream flowing nearby.
“I can’t believe it. The water here is so shallow, yet we survived? Or did we drift far enough to safety?”
As he muttered to himself, a familiar voice reached his ears.
“Fortune was on our side.”
He turned quickly to see the Black Ghost approaching, wearing a dry shirt.
His skin was pale, almost ghostly, but his muscles were solid and strong.
“You’re alive.”
“You sound disappointed.”
The Black Ghost’s cold retort made Churyang, who had been secretly worried, snap back.
“Yeah! You idiot. I was so worried I could die. Why didn’t you just die?”
“I can’t die before you do.”
“Hmph! Why not?”
“Because I’m stronger.”
“What makes you say that? You really don’t respect your senior, do you?”
“Who’s the senior here?”
“Obviously me. I became the master’s official bodyguard first.”
The Black Ghost looked at Churyang with a bemused smile, and Churyang, feeling deflated, let out a bitter laugh.
“Thank goodness. We’re alive.”
“It was sheer luck. This is usually a shallow stream, but a sudden downpour must have swelled the water, saving us.”
“Oh…!”
Churyang finally understood and looked at the stream with his mouth agape.
Indeed, the waterline showed signs of having been much higher not long ago.
If the water had been as shallow as it was now, they wouldn’t have survived the fall into the ravine.
‘The rain came just in time.’
A thought suddenly crossed Churyang’s mind.
“Oh… maybe…!”
He quickly rummaged through his clothes and pulled out a talisman.
It was the one given to him by the Taoist Murang.
The Black Ghost frowned and asked, “What’s that?”
“It’s a talisman Murang gave me. But… the writing’s faded.”
Just as Churyang said, the writing on one of the talismans had become faint.
“It must be. The talisman must have saved us.”
If that was the case, he might be able to use the talisman one or two more times before its power was completely spent.
Realizing the talisman’s true value, he carefully tucked it away and surveyed the surroundings.
“Still, this is a problem. It’ll take a while to get back. And if there are any demons lurking, it could be dangerous.”
“We don’t have any other choice.”
“Damn it! If it weren’t for those guys, I could have found the master by now.”
In truth, Churyang had been tracking Sabikang without much trouble.
Sabikang had left more traces than expected, likely because he was in a berserk state.
If they hadn’t encountered the demons, they might have found Sabikang in a few days.
“Let’s drink some water and think about our next move.”
Churyang staggered to his feet and approached the stream.
As he scooped up water with his hands and drank, he glanced at the water’s surface and gasped.
“Ah!”
His reflection in the moonlit water seemed to warp and change into a completely different face.
For a moment, he thought he might have hit his head during the fall, but even when he blinked and looked again, it was the same.
But as he looked closer at the reflection…
“Master…?”
Churyang muttered in confusion, and the reflection of Murang in the water spoke.
“How long do you plan to lie around?”
“Ah! Is it really you, Master?”
While Churyang was startled, Murang’s reflection remained calm.
“Go find the person I’m about to tell you about.”
“Who… who is that? And what about the master?”
Churyang replied in a daze, and Murang’s unexpected answer came from the water.
“If you find that person, you’ll naturally meet the master.”
**
Maesellan quickened her pace.
With a bright expression, she entered the main hall of the Murang Sect.
“You’ve found the master?”
Murang was in the middle of having students move a large bowl of water into a sand-filled frame.
“Yes.”
“The master is safe, right?”
“Don’t worry. He’s in the safest place in the world.”
“This time, for real…”
“You can trust me. I’ve already instructed Churyang and the Black Ghost to go there.”
At Murang’s words, Maesellan finally let out a sigh of relief.
“That’s a relief. Truly a relief.”
“However, it seems the Demonic Sect is also searching for the master.”
“The Demonic Sect!”
“Even so, there’s no need to worry about the place where the master is now.”
“Where exactly is he?”
“By a stroke of fate… he’s with an old friend of mine.”
“Then I’m even more reassured. We’ve overcome a major hurdle.”
Maesellan paused for a moment before continuing.
“Actually, I have another favor to ask of you.”
“What is it?”
“Soon, an inspection team from the main branch will arrive. The inspector is a man named Muk Yangje, who has a somewhat strained relationship with the master. They’ll try to use this situation to shake the sect. Could you somehow buy us time until the master returns?”
“Hmm. That’s not an easy task. However…”
“However?”
“I can shorten the time.”
“What do you mean by that?”
Instead of answering, Murang looked up and asked, “How long do they plan to stay?”
“They said indefinitely. They’re determined.”
“That’s actually good. Don’t worry too much, Chief. When does Muk Yangje arrive?”
“He’ll arrive in two days. But instead of coming straight here, he’ll stop by the Shinwol Gate for a night.”
“Shinwol Gate?”
“Yes, it seems they’re gathering information about the sect there. They’ll probably collect as much unfavorable information as possible before coming.”
“Hmm. Two days, you say. I understand.”
Murang nodded slowly with a meaningful expression.
**
“Chomp, chomp… gulp, gulp… slurp…!”
Sabikang devoured the food like a man possessed.
It was as if he hadn’t eaten or drunk anything for three years.
He ate and ate, and when he choked, he gulped down water from a bowl, half of it spilling down his chin.
An old man sitting across the table shook his head.
“My, you must have been starving. Remember to breathe while you eat.”
But Sabikang paid no heed to the old man’s concern and continued to wolf down the food on the table.
Only after he had cleaned every dish did the old man rise from his seat.
“Looks like you’ve had your fill. I’ll clear the table now.”
The old man nonchalantly began to gather the dishes.
Sabikang watched him with wary eyes.
Finally, as the old man turned his back,
“Growl…!”
Sabikang let out a low, animalistic growl, his intent to kill clear.
The old man, carrying the tray, spoke casually without turning around.
“Come now, don’t waste your energy. It’s bad for your health.”
“Growl…!”
“What’s got you so on edge?”
The old man, still with his back turned, finally faced Sabikang.
“Roar!”
Sabikang erupted with a burst of red energy, leaping to his feet,
and then collapsed!
He suddenly lost consciousness and fell to the ground.
The old man looked at the fallen Sabikang and clicked his tongue.
“I told you it was bad for your health, didn’t I?”
Shaking his head, the old man resumed his task.
That night, the old man prepared a place for Sabikang to sleep in a corner of the room and lay down himself.
As time passed and the night deepened,
“Growl…”
A dark shadow loomed over the sleeping old man’s face.
It was Sabikang.
His eyes glowed a fierce red, filled with murderous intent.
“Growl…!”
Breathing heavily, Sabikang slowly raised his hand.
His eyes were filled with a determination to kill the old man.
Just then, the old man turned over and murmured in a sleepy voice.
“Why are you so restless? It’s late, get some sleep.”
In that instant, Sabikang’s brow furrowed deeply,
“Roar!”
and he swung his fist down with all his might.
Just before his fist could connect with the old man, Sabigang collapsed again, fainting on the spot.
The old man, lying on his side, clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“Not getting proper sleep is bad for your health, you know. Tsk, tsk.”
The next morning.
Sabigang lay sprawled on the floor beside his bed, mouth agape, fast asleep.
Someone gently tapped his cheek.
“Hey, you.”
”…Snore…”
“Wake up.”
Slap, slap!
The sharp sting finally jolted Sabigang awake, his eyes snapping open as he shot up.
Seeing the old man, he instinctively recoiled and thrust his sword, Berthas, forward.
The old man gazed at him calmly.
“Trying again, are we?”
“Ugh…”
“Isn’t it time to stop doing things that are bad for you?”
Sabigang flinched, glaring silently at the old man.
The old man clasped his hands behind his back and turned away.
“I’ve fed you and given you a place to sleep. Now it’s time to earn your keep. Follow me.”
Without waiting for a response, he strode out of the house.
Sabigang slowly followed him outside, where the old man picked up a bundle of firewood.
“Bring back some firewood about this size.”
“Ugh…!”
“While you’re working, I’ll think about what to do with you.”
When Sabigang remained rooted to the spot, the old man frowned slightly.
“What are you waiting for? Get going. And don’t even think about wandering off. This isn’t a place you can handle.”
With that, the old man picked up a fishing rod leaning against the wall and ambled down to the lakeside.
He settled by the water, casting the line into the lake without even a hook attached.
How long he sat there, who could say?
Suddenly, a strange ripple spread across the surface, and the water began to rise in a curious swell.
Despite the mysterious phenomenon, as if the water itself were alive, the old man showed not a hint of surprise.