Episode 418: Return to the Demon Sect

Sabi Kang and Murang sat on the second floor of Daru, watching Jeong Ryugwang, who was quietly seated at a roadside stall.

For over an hour, Jeong Ryugwang hadn’t moved an inch from his spot. A few passersby glanced at the items laid out on the stall but soon lost interest and walked away.

“Do you think he’ll show up today?” Sabi Kang asked, breaking the silence.

Murang, after counting on his fingers, replied, “He’ll come. We’ve got the date right, and the time seems about right too. Let’s wait a bit longer.”

Sabi Kang took a sip of tea and slowly circulated his energy. Though the sensation was still foreign, it felt more familiar than before.

Just then, Murang stroked his white beard and looked across the street. “Looks like he’s here.”

Sure enough, a stranger with a wide-brimmed bamboo hat was standing in front of Jeong Ryugwang, speaking to him. The noise around them made it impossible to hear their conversation, and controlling their inner energy was difficult.

After a lengthy exchange, Jeong Ryugwang nodded seriously, accepting a piece of paper from the stranger, who then handed over a heavy pouch of money before leaving empty-handed.

Sabi Kang and Murang remained still, their eyes fixed on Jeong Ryugwang. The stranger had left without receiving anything in return. The real question was what Jeong Ryugwang had given them.

“Looks like it’s time to move,” Sabi Kang said, as if on cue, Jeong Ryugwang began packing up his stall. The sun was setting, casting long shadows on the street.

Jeong Ryugwang slung a bundle over his shoulder and started walking. Sabi Kang and Murang rose to follow him.

Jeong Ryugwang seemed to be using some subtle movement technique, making it hard to close the distance. Sabi Kang, still struggling to freely control his inner energy, felt himself tiring. Murang, however, was moving with surprising speed.

“This won’t do. I’ll take to the rooftops and follow him from above. You keep an eye on me and follow. If we lose him, it’s over,” Murang suggested.

“Can you use lightness skills? Did you train in martial arts?” Sabi Kang asked, surprised.

“Not at all,” Murang replied with a grin. “But this is the Dream Realm. Once you understand and adapt, even the highest levels are possible. It’s not easy, but for someone like me, it’s doable.”

With that, Murang leaped onto the roof, sending a mental message to Sabi Kang. [Follow me. We can’t afford to lose him.]

“Even telepathy?” Sabi Kang marveled.

[It’s manageable. But remember, this is Guang Ah’s Dream Realm, so my strength has its limits. After all, Guang Ah is the master of this world.]

“Understood. Let’s go.”

Murang nodded and took off at a run. Sabi Kang followed him through the alleys, feeling a bit ridiculous. In reality, he could soar through the skies, but here, even running was a challenge.

[Be careful. I’m taking shortcuts. If you push too hard, you might cross the boundary of consciousness.]

“Even in these cramped alleys?” Sabi Kang asked incredulously.

[Of course. If it’s a path Guang Ah has never taken.]

“I see.”

As Sabi Kang turned left at a fork in the alley, a bell chimed softly.

Ding.

Sabi Kang stopped, looking down the alley. “The bell rang!” he shouted, startling the people around him, who glanced at him in confusion.

Murang’s voice came through again. [That fork must be it. The left path will close the distance, but it’s a path Guang Ah has never taken. Go right. It’s a longer route, but it’s safer.]

Jeong Ryugwang seemed to be deliberately taking a convoluted path, aware of being watched.

Sabi Kang took the right path, and the bell fell silent. Murang’s voice reached him once more. [We’re getting too far apart for me to keep sending messages. Head northeast. I’ll keep following him!]

Sabi Kang ran northeast, feeling his body gradually adapting. His steps grew lighter, and controlling his inner energy became easier. Initially, moving felt like flailing in the air, but now his feet felt firmly planted on the ground.

Ding… Ding…

The bell occasionally chimed, warning him of unseen dangers. Though the paths seemed clear, entering them would lead to getting lost. He wisely avoided them.

As he ran, Sabi Kang kicked off the ground, leaping into the air. “Got it!” he exclaimed, feeling his body lift effortlessly as his control over his energy improved.

Thud, thud, thud!

He kicked off walls, leaping onto rooftops, but before he could fully adapt to the Dream Realm, he found himself falling short of the roof.

“Tch!” Sabi Kang clicked his tongue, grabbing onto a ledge to pull himself up. Once on the roof, he rotated his shoulders and resumed running. The more he moved, the faster he adapted, now able to leap between rooftops with ease.

As he continued northeast, he spotted Murang in the distance. Sabi Kang quickened his pace, catching up to him. Murang turned, surprised.

“Already adapted?”

“Not completely, but I think I can manage at a decent level,” Sabi Kang replied.

“Haha. A master in reality, but only decent here. This Dream Realm favors people like me. I can soar higher than in reality. But you’re already superhuman in the real world…”

“Where’s Jeong Ryugwang?” Sabi Kang interrupted.

“He’s heading there. Looks like he’s moving into the mountains to avoid attention. He’s not moving too fast, probably to avoid drawing eyes.”

As they reached the village outskirts, Sabi Kang and Murang prepared to jump down from the roof.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Suddenly, the sound of something cutting through the air reached them, and daggers flew towards them.

“Whoa!”

“Watch out!”

They twisted their bodies, narrowly avoiding the attack. Dark figures surrounded them, exuding a sinister aura.

‘Demonic energy…!’

The masked figures were clearly emitting demonic energy. One, who seemed to be the leader, stepped forward.

“Who are you?” he demanded.

Sabi Kang narrowed his eyes, responding, “Are you from the Demon Sect?”

The leader and his men seemed taken aback. The Demon Sect hadn’t yet made its presence known, so their surprise was understandable.

“How do you know about us…?”

“There are ways. We’re from the future,” Sabi Kang said with a sly grin.

The leader’s expression darkened. “Attack! But leave him alive enough to talk.”

“Yes, sir!” the masked men replied, charging at Sabi Kang and Murang.

Sabi Kang sent a mental message to Murang. [Find an opportunity to go ahead. I’ve provoked them, so they’ll want to capture me alive. They’ll be curious how I know about them. Leave a mark for me to follow later.]

[Understood. I’ll carve a cross-shaped mark.]

Sabi Kang nodded, grabbing the arm of an attacker and twisting it with a sickening crack.

“Argh!”

As the masked man screamed and fell, another lunged at Sabi Kang with a sword.

“You brat! Don’t get cocky!”

“I’m not,” Sabi Kang replied coldly, kicking the sword away.

Thwack!

“Ugh!”

With a swift palm strike, he sent the attacker flying.

“You bastard!”

“Die!”

The masked men attacked from all sides, swords flashing. Sabi Kang twisted his body, dodging with a smirk.

“Didn’t your leader say not to kill me?”

Some swords narrowly missed him, while others clashed against his defenses and bounced off. But he couldn’t block or dodge them all. Still not fully adapted, he took a cut to the thigh and a stab to the side.

“Ugh…!”

As Sabi Kang staggered back, Murang kicked away an attacker and leaped into the air.

[Be careful!]

Seeing Murang escape, the masked men prepared to pursue him.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

Sabikang erupted in a furious roar.

The masked figures, who had been about to leap into action, hesitated and stepped back, sensing the power behind his voice.

“Damn it!”

“Is his inner strength really that formidable?”

Their eyes wavered with uncertainty.

Sabikang twisted his lips into a smirk, feeling the heat and pain radiating from his side and thigh.

‘The more pain I feel, the faster I adapt!’

According to Murang, this place was called the Dream Realm, but dying here was akin to the death of one’s soul.

So, he couldn’t afford to be reckless with his body. Yet, a certain level of pain was undeniably helping him acclimate to this strange world.

He scanned the masked men and shouted defiantly, “Come on, you filthy bastards!”

“That lunatic…!”

“We’ll tear you apart!”

Fueled by anger, the masked figures launched themselves at him.

Swish! Swoosh! Whoosh!

“You should’ve done that from the start!” Sabikang taunted as he charged forward to meet them head-on.

Bang! Thud! Crack!

The air was filled with the chaotic clash of blades.

Sabikang’s swordplay was undeniably rough. Though he had mastered a high level of martial arts, his body wasn’t yet accustomed to executing such techniques here. It felt awkward and unrefined, but this very dissonance was enough to bewilder his opponents.

‘What kind of swordsmanship is this?’

‘Who on earth is this guy?’

With each passing moment, Sabikang grew stronger. The masked men, who had initially thought him to be of a mere first-rate level, were becoming increasingly unsettled.

The leader of the masked group bit his lip in frustration.

‘Who is this guy, really?’

They had been monitoring the area to intercept any followers of Jeongryugwang, but this stranger, who didn’t even seem to be one of them, had suddenly appeared.

And despite his apparent first-rate level, he was still holding his own against their forces.

Of course, his body was a wreck.

Sabikang was covered in wounds from head to toe, with blood streaming from numerous cuts.

Yet, he stood his ground, grinning like a demon.

“What are you hesitating for? Come at me. I’m just starting to enjoy this.”