Episode 409: Return of the Demon Sect
“Wasn’t the Gohwekjoh just a mythical creature?” Sabikang asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
Moorang chuckled softly. “Even after seeing it with your own eyes, you still ask that?”
“Hmm.”
“Honestly, it’s probably easier to believe than the Demon King.”
“True enough,” Sabikang conceded with a nod. With the Demon King poised to descend, it wasn’t so hard to believe that a legendary creature might exist. Especially since he’d seen it himself, there was no room for doubt.
“So, the Demon Sect used a summoning ritual to release these creatures here?”
“That’s likely. That’s why such a difficult summoning site appeared. According to you, it was harder to conquer than any dungeon…”
“Yes, it was.”
“The Demon Sect must have found an efficient method. They weren’t ready to summon the true owner of the stone chamber, so they found a substitute. And they infused it with demonic energy to bring it to life.”
“How could the Demon Sect manage such a feat? Unless someone from the sect has been to the demon realm…”
“Or perhaps the opposite?”
“The opposite? You mean… someone from the demon realm came here?”
“Exactly.”
“That’s impossible,” Sabikang said firmly, and Moorang didn’t argue. He, too, found it hard to believe that a highly intelligent demon had already crossed into the central plains. Although the timeline for dimensional travel had accelerated, only lesser demons had appeared so far. For a demon to cross over, the environment would need to be terraformed first, as Sabikang had mentioned. But there was no sign of that yet.
‘How on earth did they manage it…?’ Sabikang pondered, lost in thought, when Moorang suddenly spoke up.
“We might need to call Guang-ah back.”
“Guang-ah?”
“Ryu Guang, my disciple.”
“Ah…”
“We need to find out what he handed over to the Demon Sect.”
“But if he doesn’t remember, how can we…?”
“You seem to have forgotten that I’m the greatest sorcerer in the central plains.”
“Ah…”
Sabikang finally nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. Just then, Danlijung approached Sabikang.
“Master, the task force for Chiong Mountain is ready. You can depart immediately.”
“Understood. I’ll be on my way.”
As Danlijung nodded and left, Sabikang turned back to Moorang. “I’ll be off. In the meantime…”
“I’ll figure out how to recover Ryu Guang’s memories.”
Sabikang nodded and turned to leave.
**
The village of ‘Woosungchon,’ nestled near Chiong Mountain, was once a remote place rarely visited by outsiders. But now, it was experiencing an unexpected boom. The village’s lone inn was overflowing with guests, and the taverns and shops were bustling with martial artists.
When the summoning site first appeared on Chiong Mountain, the villagers were gripped by fear. As martial artists began to arrive, they became even more cautious. But soon, they realized this was an opportunity. The news of a challenging summoning site on Chiong Mountain spread, drawing countless martial artists to the village. Being the closest settlement to the site, Woosungchon naturally saw an increase in foot traffic.
The inn, which had been empty for ages, was now thriving, and merchants selling weapons were making unprecedented profits. As the difficulty of conquering the summoning site became apparent, martial artists extended their stays, ensuring the village was never quiet.
Merchants from outside, drawn by the rumors, faced local resistance, and the martial artists, regardless of their affiliations, eyed each other warily, ready for conflict. The village’s only inn was no exception. With limited space, martial artists often found themselves turned away, leading to frequent altercations with the innkeeper and staff.
When the Heavenly Blade Sect arrived, the situation was no different.
“I’m sorry, but we’re completely full. Please understand,” the innkeeper apologized, bowing with practiced ease.
But for Jang Gitak, the leader of the Flying Blade Squad, this was unfamiliar territory. He frowned, his eyes narrowing.
“If there’s no room, make some.”
“We’ve done our best, sir. We’ve added as many tables as we can, but as you can see, we’re at capacity,” the innkeeper replied, scratching his head with a sheepish grin.
The inn was indeed packed, with no space for another table. But the Heavenly Blade Sect was unaccustomed to being turned away. They were used to being welcomed with open arms wherever they went. If there had been a renowned sect here, or even a minor one, they would have been treated like royalty. But in this backwater village, they were unrecognized.
The innkeeper was growing increasingly anxious. Before the summoning site appeared, he would have rarely seen a martial artist. But in recent days, he’d learned that they were not the kind to be trifled with. They were quick to draw their swords if things didn’t go their way.
‘Especially those with such inflated egos…’
Sure enough, Jang Gitak’s eyes flashed with a hint of menace, trying to intimidate the innkeeper into finding a solution. But an elderly man in a bamboo hat, standing behind him, spoke softly.
“There’s no point in harassing the innkeeper. Why don’t you make some room yourself?”
“Understood, Master.”
Jang Gitak bowed respectfully and scanned the room. He spotted a group of men at a prime table by the window, their dishes nearly empty.
“Excuse me, but…”
Ignoring the innkeeper’s protests, Jang Gitak strode over to the table.
“What do you want?” a bearded man glanced up, irritation in his voice.
“The place is crowded. If you’re done, make room for others.”
Jang Gitak’s blunt words made the bearded man’s expression harden. He waved dismissively.
“Get lost, will you?”
“Just leave.”
“Go away. Now.”
The bearded man repeated, and the other three at the table shot Jang Gitak hostile looks, ready to react if he pushed further.
Jang Gitak smirked coldly. “Trying to act tough, are we?”
“What?”
The bearded man, unable to hold back any longer, slowly rose, his aura flaring.
Jang Gitak sneered. “Typical of a rogue.”
Indeed, the bearded man was a rogue martial artist. Jang Gitak had approached him for that very reason. The empty dishes were just a coincidence. The Heavenly Blade Sect had long considered rogue martial artists their enemies, and Jang Gitak had seized the chance to provoke them.
The bearded man, insulted, snapped back. “You done talking?”
“Not quite. You rogues sided with the Demon Sect, and now you show up here to hunt demons? If you had any shame, you’d stay away.”
“I never sided with the Demon Sect, you idiot.”
“You’re all the same.”
“What a stubborn fool.”
The bearded man and his companions stood, and other rogue martial artists in the inn began to tense, their auras rising. In response, the orthodox martial artists also prepared themselves.
The inn’s atmosphere was quickly turning into a standoff between the orthodox and rogue factions. The elderly man in the bamboo hat watched from the entrance, a slight smile on his lips.
‘Clever… turning this into a clash between factions.’
In such a situation, the rogues would be hesitant to draw their swords first. Any conflict would likely result in harsher punishment for them, given their past misdeeds.
Just then, someone recognized the elderly man and shouted, “Wait, isn’t that the Heavenly Blade Sect’s leader, Cha Jaegang?”
The room buzzed with whispers. The Heavenly Blade Sect, along with the Comet Sect, had recently gained significant recognition in the martial world. While the Comet Sect had always been a prestigious orthodox sect, the Heavenly Blade Sect had only recently risen to prominence by successfully tackling various summoning sites.
Realizing they were facing the Heavenly Blade Sect, the bearded man and his group hesitated, suddenly aware of the stakes.
“Hmph! Since we’ve finished eating, we’ll give up the table. But I suggest you don’t act so rudely elsewhere. Let’s go!”
With that, the bearded man and his group reluctantly stood up and left.
Ending things here was probably the wisest decision.
As Cha Jae-gang and the martial artists from Cheondo-mun settled into their seats, the server approached them hesitantly.
“What would you like to order?”
“Bring us something delicious. And the best liquor you have.”
“Understood.”
Just then, Cha Jae-gang called the server back.
“Wait a moment.”
“Yes, sir?”
“I heard the rank of the Chiong Mountain summoning site has been upgraded. Is that true?”
“Yes, it was adjusted a few days ago.”
“Then why is it still so crowded?”
“They’re probably waiting for the Myeolma-gwan.”
“Myeolma-gwan?”
“Yes, there’s news that the Myeolma-gwan will arrive soon because of the upgrade. Many people want to witness the event up close.”
“Seems like a trivial reason.”
After the server bowed and left, Jang Gi-tak leaned in and asked, “What do you plan to do?”
“What else? We need to eat before the Myeolma-gwan arrives.”
“But if it’s a high-level summoning site…”
“We’ve handled mid-level sites without issue. It’s just one rank higher. It’s actually a good thing—an opportunity to acquire better items.”
“And if the Guiyeong-dan tries to stop us…”
“We’ll make sure they allow it.”
The old man smirked slightly.
Jang Gi-tak also gave a faint smile and replied, “If we succeed here, we’ll be the first in the central plains. It’s a perfect chance to boost our reputation.”