Episode 414: Return to the Demon Sect
“Ah, does Master really not need me at all?”
Chulyang let out a long sigh as he scrubbed the floor. He had been left out of the subjugation team twice already. This time, he had vowed to accompany his master and protect him, but once again, he was rejected.
“Instead of wasting time, why don’t you clean up a bit? Look at this mess.”
And so, Chulyang found himself cleaning the office.
Just then, a voice echoed from the air.
“Don’t be too disheartened. I wasn’t chosen to go either.”
“Hmph! How can you compare our situations? You’re just a junior! I’m your senior by far! And why aren’t you cleaning? Your senior is working hard here!”
“Then take a break. I’ll handle it.”
“Really…?”
Chulyang was taken aback by Heukgui’s unexpected compliance and tilted his head in confusion. In the next moment, Heukgui appeared before him like a ghost.
“I’ll do it.”
“Well… if you insist…”
Chulyang was about to hand over the rag but paused, eyeing Heukgui suspiciously.
“Be honest. What’s your angle?”
“No angle. I just feel like I haven’t been much help to our lord lately, so I thought I’d at least clean. You know how messy it got after the barrier in the office was removed. If I clean it up nicely, I’m sure he’ll be pleased and might even praise me.”
A scene played out in Chulyang’s mind: a spotless office and Heukgui basking in praise, while he sat sulking in a corner.
Master Sabikang would say, “You’re much better than that useless fellow!”
“You’re too kind. I’m just slightly better in some ways.”
Heukgui would bask in the glory of victory.
‘No way! I can’t let that happen!’
In the end, Chulyang snatched the rag back with determination.
“Forget it. I’ll do it! I’ll show you I’m a cleaning genius! I’ll make it shinier than when the barrier was up!”
“Hmm. Well, if you insist.”
Heukgui shrugged and vanished like smoke.
With renewed resolve, Chulyang resumed scrubbing with vigor. The storm of praise from Sabikang had to be his.
How much time had passed?
“They say there’s a duel happening at the Grand Arena.”
Heukgui’s voice suddenly broke the silence again.
“A duel? What are you talking about? Wait, did you sneak out?”
“Well, I had nothing better to do, so I went for a stroll.”
“You insolent brat! While your senior is breaking his back cleaning, you sneak out for a breath of fresh air… Wait, what’s this about a duel?”
“It seems the Chief is about to duel a guest from the sect on the Grand Arena stage.”
“What! Is that true?”
Chulyang’s eyes widened in surprise.
Heukgui reappeared, speaking nonchalantly.
“Even the trainees, instructors, and assistants have gathered to watch. Naturally, I’m going too.”
“Who said you could go? I’ll go, and you stay here and clean. The Chief’s duel…! Huh? Heukgui? Hey, you rascal! Have you already left?”
Chulyang shouted, but Heukgui was long gone.
After a moment of hesitation, he tossed the rag aside and dashed out the door.
‘What on earth is going on? A duel out of nowhere…?’
When he arrived at the Grand Arena, sure enough, instructors and assistants were gathered, watching Maesellan and Ichung on the stage.
‘It’s true!’
He had doubted Heukgui, thinking it might be a prank.
The thin blade of Maesellan’s sword swayed gently in the breeze.
Though she hadn’t formally assumed a stance, the aura emanating from Maesellan was sharper than expected.
Even from a distance, Chulyang could feel it.
He pushed through the crowd to get closer.
By chance, he found himself standing next to Maenggasuk, Yusongryeong, and Seolsorin.
He overheard their conversation.
“Come to think of it, we’ve never seen the Chief’s skills.”
“Being the beloved of the Lord, who would question it?”
Yusongryeong replied to Maenggasuk’s comment.
Seolsorin, standing nearby, bristled.
“Beloved? Who decided he’s my beloved?”
Maenggasuk and Yusongryeong looked at Seolsorin in disbelief, but she continued undeterred.
“If he tarnishes my husband’s name, I won’t forgive him, Chief or not. Just let him lose.”
‘Huh…’
Chulyang shook his head, watching the scene unfold.
Meanwhile, Maesellan addressed Ichung.
“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to draw your sword?”
“Oh… yes, well…”
Ichung hesitated for a moment before awkwardly drawing his sword.
In truth, he was bewildered by the situation.
He had assumed she would avoid the duel.
Before coming here, he had researched Maesellan.
Based on the information, she seemed like a paper tiger.
Thanks to Sabikang, she had lucked into the position of Chief Inspector and was merely walking a path already paved for her.
Her skills in the forbidden art were questionable, and her swordsmanship was mediocre at best.
Yet here she was, challenging him to a duel.
‘Has she gone mad with power?’
Ichung gritted his teeth, looking at Maesellan’s confident gaze.
How pathetic must he seem for her to be so bold?
‘Just wait. I’ll make you regret your choice.’
With his thoughts in order, Ichung laughed heartily.
“Thank you for this opportunity. How about we go until one of us admits defeat?”
It was a blatant challenge.
Ichung’s expression was provocatively daring.
Unfazed, Maesellan smiled brightly in response.
“Alright. But I tend to teach harshly. It might feel severe. Are you okay with that?”
“Of course. I treat learning as seriously as real combat.”
“Good. I hope my words and actions don’t leave a scar on your heart.”
‘This woman is getting more ridiculous by the minute.’
Ichung nodded, hiding his true thoughts.
“Don’t worry.”
He slowly assumed a stance.
Maesellan seemed to have faith in something, so he decided not to underestimate her and planned to attack first.
“Surely you’ll let me have the first move?”
Ichung asked brazenly, and Maesellan chuckled.
“Go ahead.”
She remained composed throughout.
To be precise, she was trembling.
But it wasn’t from fear or nerves.
This tremor was surprisingly close to a sense of anticipation.
‘Strangely, I’m not afraid at all.’
She couldn’t precisely gauge her opponent’s abilities, but from the moment she saw Ichung today, she felt it.
That he was a step below her.
Or perhaps even two steps below.
It was a sensation she hadn’t experienced while in the main sect.
‘I’ve definitely made progress!’
Even the esteemed Sabikang had acknowledged it.
So how much had she grown?
Of course, she couldn’t let her guard down.
Ichung was a seasoned warrior who had survived countless battles.
He had fought fiercely in the Great War and the Western Plains Battle, cutting down enemies.
A warrior seasoned on the battlefield possessed something different from those who only trained in the arena.
Ichung assumed a stance, ready to spring at any moment, glaring at Maesellan.
‘Hmph! This woman… Fine, today I’ll strip you bare with this sword.’
Meanwhile, Maesellan also slowly took her stance.
In the next moment,
‘What!’
Ichung’s eyes widened as he stared at Maesellan.
Astonishingly, her aura shifted once more.
Killing intent?
No.
It was closer to fighting spirit, yet so intense it was indistinguishable from killing intent.
It was suffocating.
Moreover, her eyes, fixed on him, were like those of a cold serpent.
The thin blade of her sword sang a beautiful resonance in the wind.
It was like watching a rattlesnake.
A snake writhing in the air, alive.
And yet, that single snake seemed to multiply into two, then three.
She hadn’t moved much, but the sway was mesmerizing.
It was dizzying.
‘Is it some kind of illusion?’
Ichung’s mind wavered for a moment, but he quickly regained his composure, clenching his teeth.
‘I won’t drag this out!’
With his resolve set, he launched himself forward, kicking off the ground.
“Hiyaah!”
Swoosh!
Indeed, his sword strike was fierce.
He hadn’t used sword energy or aura, yet it extended as if the blade had grown several feet.
It was a technique called ‘Bamboo Forest Sunlight.’
The first move of the Bamboo Sword Technique, a unique martial art of his sect.
It focused solely on speed and precision.
At that moment, everyone had the same thought.
‘It’s incredibly fast!’
But in the very next instant,
Swish!
Maesellan’s thin blade twisted in the air, wrapping around Ichung’s sword in a flash.
In the blink of an eye, her sword coiled around his blade, aiming for his wrist.
In a moment of panic, Lee Chung swiftly executed the third form of the Bamboo Forest Sword Technique.
Clang!
Swish, swish, swish!
As his opponent’s sword was deflected, Lee Chung’s blade multiplied into dozens of phantom swords.
It was the third form, Bamboo Forest Downpour.
The sharp blade scattered beams of light, making it nearly impossible to distinguish between the real sword and its illusions.
It truly resembled a torrential rainstorm in a bamboo grove.
Yet, the opponent’s sword remained as fluid as a serpent.
Ssssss!
Like a swift snake weaving through bamboo, it slithered and twisted, effortlessly parrying Lee Chung’s attacks.
Each clash rang with metallic echoes as Lee Chung’s sword was repeatedly knocked back.
Clang! Clang!
“Damn it!”
Lee Chung gritted his teeth.
“How is she this strong…?”
Mae Seol-ran was far more formidable than he had anticipated.
From the start of the duel, he had intended to shred her garments in one swift move, a humiliation in front of countless onlookers.
Yet now, he couldn’t even graze her collar.
His frustration grew, but Mae Seol-ran’s expression remained unchanged, almost as if she was enjoying the moment.
In truth, Mae Seol-ran was indeed relishing the fight.
Her heart swelled with excitement.
“Now it’s clear.”
Though she had trained alone until now, facing an opponent in combat made her progress unmistakably evident.
“I’ve made progress!”
More than ever, she felt it keenly.
“My left hand feels empty.”
Previously, she hadn’t paid any attention to her left hand, focusing all her energy on the sword in her right.
Handling a wild serpent of a sword had been enough to make her break into a sweat.
Naturally, the fiercer the serpent, the harder it was to control.
But now, it felt as if she had become one with the serpent, as if it were an extension of herself.
It moved precisely as she willed, leaving her with a sense of ease.
And so, she noticed the emptiness in her left hand.
If only there were another…
The desire to wield two serpents freely began to stir within her.
As Sabikang had said, the time had come.
“Ugh…!”
Frustrated by the duel’s unexpected turn, Lee Chung let out a distorted cry and leapt back.
In that instant, a murderous aura emanated from him.
But realizing his mistake, he quickly suppressed it, revealing only his fighting spirit.
“This won’t do. I need to teach him a lesson…”
Mae Seol-ran smiled coldly.
Her smile seemed mocking, causing Lee Chung’s eyes to flare with anger.
“Take this!”
With a roar, Lee Chung unleashed the advanced form of the Bamboo Forest Sword Technique, Bamboo Leaf Seven Changes.
Swish, swish, swish!
His sword flashed and darted erratically, unlike anything before.
It was as if not one long sword, but several short daggers were raining down chaotically.
The onlookers gasped in awe, their mouths agape.
“What an incredible technique.”
“Can the commander handle this?”
Even Meng Ga-sook and Yoo Song-ryeong, watching beside Choo Ryung, were captivated.
“That’s a tough one.”
“Damn, she can’t lose to someone like him.”
They were so engrossed in the duel that they forgot they were rooting for Mae Seol-ran.
Yet, Mae Seol-ran remained unshaken.
She moved instinctively. Or rather, it was more accurate to say the serpent she wielded moved first.
Thud!
As Mae Seol-ran kicked off the ground, the serpent slithered through the bamboo leaves, coiling around Lee Chung’s body and climbing upward.
Ssssss!
”…!”
Lee Chung felt a chill run down his spine.
Swoosh!
The two passed each other, standing back to back.
The spectators held their breath, swallowing hard.
After a moment, as if on cue, they slowly turned to face each other.
In that fleeting moment,
Rip. Riiip.
Lee Chung’s robe was shredded, falling away like paper.
In an instant, he was left standing completely exposed.
Mae Seol-ran’s gaze naturally drifted there, and she remarked,
“Pathetic.”
Her words were cold, leaving it unclear whether she referred to his skills or something else.
Watching, Choo Ryung had to bite his lip hard to suppress his laughter.
“Wow!”
“Amazing!”
“To think the commander’s martial arts are at this level!”
“Incredible!”
Instructors, trainers, and students alike cheered, regardless of their affiliations.
Choo Ryung looked around at the crowd with a satisfied expression.
“Do you see this, Commander? The entire academy stands united.”