Episode 398: Return of the Demon Instructor
“Ban…myo?”
Chulyang murmured in a daze, his eyes wide with disbelief. The Black Ghost frowned slightly at the mention of the name.
“That name doesn’t suit it anymore. Whatever that is, it’s no longer just a cat.”
With those words, he slowly raised his sword, taking a defensive stance.
This creature, no, this beast had even torn apart the mighty Sabigang. If it charged at them, they would have to fight for their lives.
As the Black Ghost exuded a menacing aura, Banmyo let out a low growl, fixing its gaze on them.
“Banmyo! Are you okay? It’s me, Chulyang!”
“You’re dreaming! Do you think that beast will recognize you?”
The Black Ghost scoffed, his sword at the ready, but Chulyang refused to give up.
“Come on, be good. Come here.”
“Yes, yes. I know you came to help me. Thank you, truly.”
Amazingly, Banmyo seemed to be calming down, its aggression subsiding. Even the Black Ghost, who had been preparing for a fight, looked on in surprise.
‘Could it be…?’
Banmyo began to saunter over, its size easily twice that of a large tiger. The immense creature leapt into the air, landing with a thud in front of Chulyang, and then…
In a completely unexpected turn, it rolled onto its back, letting out a soft, almost kitten-like cry, and began to playfully wriggle on the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Chulyang, momentarily stunned, broke into a wide grin and threw his arms around Banmyo.
“Banmyo! You’re okay!”
The Black Ghost watched the scene in disbelief, while the old man, Ong Haein, who had been lying nearby, spoke up with difficulty.
“Animals are often more sensitive than humans. That creature… it really did it. It managed to absorb the power without losing itself…”
Chulyang, lying on Banmyo’s warm belly, joked lightly.
“From now on, we should call you ‘Banho,’ the Spotted Tiger! You’ve really grown!”
“Is that what you’d call growth?” the Black Ghost muttered skeptically, but Chulyang paid him no mind, nuzzling into Banmyo’s soft fur, feeling comforted by its warmth.
Just then, there was a rustling sound.
From the ruins of the collapsed hut, Sabigang emerged, brushing off debris.
”…!”
The Black Ghost immediately tensed, raising his sword. Chulyang, too, snapped back to reality, quickly getting to his feet.
“Ugh…!”
Sabigang groaned, rubbing the back of his head. As the Black Ghost and Chulyang braced themselves, Sabigang looked at them with a frown.
“What’s with the hostility? Are you looking for a fight?”
”…!”
Chulyang and the Black Ghost exchanged glances. Then, with a beaming smile, Chulyang rushed towards Sabigang.
“Master! You’re back to your senses!”
“Why are you acting so weird? And where are we? Why am I here?”
Sabigang pushed Chulyang away, who quickly explained the situation in brief.
After hearing the summary, Sabigang looked down at the sword in his hand, Veritas.
‘Did I feed it too much blood all at once?’
The sword hummed, vibrating as if grumbling about the end of its feast.
“Greetings, my lord.”
The Black Ghost approached, bowing respectfully. Sabigang patted his shoulder lightly.
“Good work. But… what is that massive creature?”
Sabigang’s gaze fell on Banmyo, who bared its teeth and growled briefly before turning away, seemingly subdued by Sabigang’s fierce stare.
Chulyang chuckled.
“That’s Banmyo.”
“Banmyo?”
“Yes! It absorbed the energy you released and suddenly grew like this!”
“Hmm. Growth, you say. That shouldn’t be possible.”
Sabigang frowned slightly. He had never heard of a beast born from the egg of a Platan that could grow like that. Usually, their abilities only improved as the mana within them increased.
‘But for it to change form like that…’
Just then, the Black Ghost nudged Chulyang’s side.
“It’s shrinking.”
“Huh?”
“Look. It’s getting smaller.”
Following the Black Ghost’s gaze, Chulyang saw that Banmyo, once towering over them, was indeed shrinking back to its original size.
“Oh… Banho is back to being Banmyo.”
Chulyang murmured, bewildered, and Sabigang nodded in understanding.
“I see. It’s that type.”
“What type is that?” Chulyang asked, tilting his head in confusion. Sabigang shrugged.
“The kind that transforms when its energy surges.”
“Transform… surge… that’s… intriguing.”
“In simple terms, it looks like that normally, but when its internal energy is triggered, it temporarily transforms into that tiger form. It’s a rare type of beast… you’re lucky.”
Sabigang finished, observing the now small enough Banmyo to fit in his arms. For Banmyo to transform into Banho, it must have required a significant mana pool. It seemed that by absorbing the massive amount of energy from Veritas, its mana pool had expanded, allowing it to grow temporarily.
In a way, it could be considered a growth type.
Sabigang’s gaze shifted to the old man lying some distance away.
“Is he a member of the Demon Sect?”
“Oh…!”
Chulyang, suddenly remembering, rushed over to support Ong Haein, who looked deathly pale, as if he might pass away at any moment.
“This is Senior Ong. He took care of you while you were out.”
Sabigang approached, checking Ong Haein’s pulse with a furrowed brow.
‘Not good.’
He infused a bit of his energy into Ong Haein, stabilizing his breathing somewhat.
“Move him to a more comfortable place.”
“Yes, Master.”
With a wave of Sabigang’s hand, the debris from the collapsed hut was swept aside, revealing a relatively flat area. Chulyang quickly laid Ong Haein down.
“He’s in critical condition.”
“Can’t you do something, Master?”
But Sabigang shook his head.
“There’s nothing I can do. Healing potions aren’t cure-alls. Even if Hua Tuo himself returned, it would be difficult.”
“Then what should we do?”
Sabigang replied in a calm voice.
“We should prepare for the end.”
“The end…”
Chulyang murmured, feeling a sense of hopelessness. He had thought that once Sabigang regained consciousness, everything would be okay. But even Sabigang wasn’t omnipotent.
Just then, Ong Haein’s eyes fluttered open. He looked up at the sky for a moment before turning to Sabigang, a faint smile on his lips.
“So, you’re Sabigang, the master.”
“I owe you my life.”
Sabigang spoke respectfully, and Ong Haein’s smile widened slightly.
Though his strength was waning, the energy Sabigang had given him allowed him to speak without interruption.
“My disciple, Seung-ah, owes you a debt. Consider this my way of repaying it. Isn’t it fate?”
He was referring to Ong Gi-seung.
Ong Haein then turned his gaze to Chulyang.
“Could you… contact my friend?”
“Yes? But how would I…”
Then, a thought struck him.
‘Ah, the talisman!’
Chulyang quickly pulled out two talismans from his pocket. One was a talisman that amplified luck, but it was already used up, with nothing written on it. The other was the one that connected him to Murang.
But…
‘How do I use this?’
At that moment, Ong Haein spoke.
“Place it on your chest and focus your mind. If you wish earnestly, it will come true.”
His words, delivered with a faint smile, seemed both a joke and a truth.
But Chulyang had already experienced the power of one talisman. And he had witnessed Murang’s miraculous abilities firsthand.
So without further questioning, he did as Ong Haein instructed.
Moments later.
Whoosh.
Golden smoke began to emanate from the talisman on his chest, swirling and then suddenly being sucked into Chulyang’s nostrils.
“Whoa!”
Startled, Chulyang sat there, dazed, as if in a trance.
Then,
“Ah!”
He jerked suddenly, his face stretching into an expression that mimicked Murang’s, his chin jutting out.
It was almost comical, as if he were imitating Murang’s expressions and gestures.
Yet, astonishingly, the voice that came from Chulyang’s mouth was unmistakably Murang’s.
“You… you’re hurt.”
“As you can see.”
Ong Hae-in replied with a wry smile to the question from Churyang—or rather, Murang, as he now knew the spirit inhabiting Churyang’s body was called.
Ong Hae-in teased, “You always show up in the most peculiar forms, don’t you?”
But Murang, maintaining a serious expression, didn’t respond. Instead, he checked Ong Hae-in’s pulse, his face growing increasingly grim.
“How on earth did it come to this…?”
Murang’s voice rose in frustration, but he couldn’t finish his sentence, biting his lip instead. With Churyang’s face, Murang looked as if he might burst into tears at any moment.
Ong Hae-in chuckled softly. “Isn’t it all just fate?”
“Fate, my foot…” Murang’s voice was thick with emotion.
Though Ong Hae-in had always felt a subtle rivalry with him, Murang was a cherished friend with whom he shared a deep bond.
With a bittersweet smile, Ong Hae-in continued, “Now I understand why you ventured out into the world. Yes, if it’s him…”
His gaze shifted to Sabigang, then back to Murang. “…you might be able to save him. Once again, you’ve outpaced me, moving a step ahead.”
“I didn’t find him. He found me first.”
“Well then, there’s even more reason to hope. He’s reached Cheonhae-gyeong now.”
The two exchanged cryptic words for a while, their conversation difficult for others to follow.
Then suddenly,
“Cough! Ugh!”
Ong Hae-in doubled over, coughing violently, and spat out dark clots of blood. His breathing had become shallow. The end was near.
He looked at Murang with half-closed eyes. Murang, lips pressed tightly together, seemed on the verge of tears.
“My old friend… don’t be too sad. Forgive me for being so irresponsible…”
“Sad, my ass… who…”
Despite his words, Murang hung his head, tears streaming down his face.
With a faint smile, Ong Hae-in looked up at Sabigang. “I entrust… the Central Plains… to you…”
With those final words, Ong Hae-in closed his eyes. The three of them stood in silence for a long time, the chill wind and stillness enveloping the lakeside.