Episode 424: Return of the Demon Sect Leader
”…!”
The man with a face painted entirely white widened his eyes in shock.
Slowly, he rose from his bed.
“The seal… has been broken.”
With a somber expression, he sat in thought for a long while before suddenly standing up and striding purposefully out of the room.
His destination was the room of the man with the golden mask.
“What brings you here at this late hour?” the golden-masked man inquired.
“The seal has been broken,” the white-masked man replied.
“The seal?” The golden-masked man looked at him, surprise etched on his face.
He furrowed his brow and asked, “Is it because Jeong Ryugwang is dead?”
“Even if that were the case, the seal wouldn’t have reacted this way. But the seal I placed has definitely been broken.”
“Then… does that mean Jamyeon failed?”
“That’s highly likely.”
Just then, a subordinate rushed in, urgently reporting to the golden-masked man.
“Jamyeon and the Blood Killing Eight Ghosts have been defeated.”
”…!”
The golden-masked man let out a low sigh and sank into his chair.
The white-masked man spoke with a grave expression. “If Sabikang knows about Jonya, he will surely come for us. And soon…”
“He will come.”
“Before that happens, we must act.”
“If we can’t avoid it… perhaps confronting them first is the best strategy.”
“What do you plan to do?”
“I will handle it personally. And we should use that child as well.”
“He’s not fully ready yet.”
“How much longer?”
“He’s at eighty percent.”
“That’s enough. We can’t wait any longer.”
“Shall we take a look first?”
“Let’s do that.”
The golden-masked man stood up.
**
Splat! Splat!
With a chilling sound, blood and flesh flew through the air.
Shadows darted and danced among the crowd, leaving chaos in their wake.
Each time, screams of agony echoed, and blood splattered.
“Argh!”
“Aaah!”
Some warriors had their heads severed, others lost limbs.
Some were crawling on the ground, their bodies split in half, spilling their innards.
The expressions of those who survived the horrific injuries were filled with terror rather than pain.
“Stay back…! Get away!”
“It’s a monster! This is… Argh!”
The injured warriors stumbled backward, trembling in fear.
But standing before them was a frail-looking woman, her appearance unexpected.
Anyone else might have tilted their head in confusion.
Her vacant expression seemed almost entrancing, evoking a protective instinct due to her delicate and ethereal appearance.
The only oddity was that she wore not a single thread of clothing, which perhaps intensified the urge to protect her.
Yet, the injured men were paralyzed with fear and dread.
Suddenly, five warriors, mustering their courage, charged at her with a battle cry.
“Die, you mon…!”
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
What happened next?
Dark tendrils shot out from the woman’s back, and the five charging warriors were torn to shreds, their remains scattering in all directions.
The gruesome sight made the injured warriors swallow hard.
Their teeth chattered uncontrollably.
The tendrils, resembling the legs of an insect, writhed and slithered back into the woman’s body.
It was as if a giant centipede had taken residence within her.
Ssssss…
The insect-like tendrils retracted completely into her back.
At that moment, the white-masked man appeared in the upper passageway of the cavern, visible to the injured warriors.
They cried out.
“Master! Save us! Mas…!”
Swoosh!
But their pleas were cut short.
Hundreds of tendrils burst from the woman’s body, piercing through them.
The warriors, now resembling porcupines, collapsed, blood gushing from their wounds.
Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!
In the next instant, the tendrils vanished back into the woman’s body.
She turned slowly, as if nothing had happened.
She looked up at the white-masked and golden-masked men who had appeared midway up the cavern wall.
The golden-masked man nodded slightly.
“Is there any issue with control?”
“I’ve placed a suggestion on her. However… there’s still a risk of her going berserk since she’s not fully stable.”
“If we can ensure Sabikang’s death, that risk is worth taking.”
“Then let’s dig a hole.”
The golden-masked man nodded.
“Yes. Dig it deep. So deep that there’s no escape.”
**
On the hill where the pavilion stood.
“The Soul Bead isn’t just a simple bead?”
“That’s right.”
Sabikang nodded at Murang’s question.
“Of course, I know that. It’s a bead that traps souls…”
“That’s not what I mean. It’s not a bead at all.”
“What are you talking about?”
Murang furrowed his brow in confusion.
Sabikang continued, lost in thought.
“The Soul Bead is actually a colony of demonic insects called ‘Soul-Sucking Worms’ in the language of the Central Plains.”
Of course, Sabikang had named it in the style of the Central Plains.
Murang tilted his head.
“So, you’re saying the bead is a ‘nest of worms’?”
“It’s a mass of worms. When they absorb souls, they cluster together and fossilize into what we call a Soul Bead. Like fish frozen in ice, the Soul-Sucking Worms lose their vitality and solidify into a bead, no longer living creatures.”
“That’s why they could travel between dimensions. But what’s the problem? If the soul has already left the Soul Bead and possessed Jonya, isn’t it just a useless stone now?”
“Not quite. A Soul Bead that has lost its soul can always be filled with another. If you implant it into a human body, the Soul-Sucking Worms can regain life and start moving.”
“Wait. So you can implant the Soul Bead into a human?”
“Yes. It won’t remain a bead; it will transform into hundreds of worms, merging with the human body and parasitizing it. They will try to dominate the host by partially absorbing the human’s soul.”
“In other words, it creates a soulless demon?”
“Exactly. They even alter the human’s physical form.”
“That’s horrifying.”
“In the demon realm, they call it a ‘Chimera.’”
“How strong is it?”
“Strong enough to devastate the Demon Extermination Hall if I’m not there.”
“Then there’s nothing to worry about.”
Sabikang narrowed his eyes and looked back at Murang, who shrugged.
“Because you’re at the Demon Extermination Hall.”
Sabikang chuckled.
“That’s not the issue. I was thinking I might gain something by using it wisely.”
“Are you coveting the Soul Bead now?”
“Why not?”
“Well, I’m not interested in such grotesque creatures.”
Murang clamped his mouth shut and turned his head away.
Sabikang squinted and asked, “Really? Well, if that’s the case, I might hand it over to the Divine Beast Pavilion…”
“Come on, what would the Divine Beast Pavilion do with such a creature? It’s a living being.”
“Then maybe the Alchemy Hall could use it as a medicinal ingredient…”
“Good grief! It might be a dangerous creature, so I should take a look at it first!”
“I haven’t even said I’d get it yet. But if you’re really curious about the Soul-Sucking Worms, I’ll consider it.”
“Why not just ask politely?”
“Why not just say you’re interested and ask me to get it?”
Murang clicked his tongue and turned his head away.
Sabikang chuckled and gazed into the distance.
Down below, Wigumjong was walking along the path, with Deungbuheong and Jaunryong following a short distance behind.
“Those two seem to be getting along well these days.”
Murang responded to Sabikang’s casual remark.
“I hear Instructor Deung suspects Instructor Wigumjong.”
“What do you mean?”
“He claims to have seen Instructor Wigumjong sending letters somewhere.”
Sabikang narrowed his eyes and asked, “Letters?”
“But it’s just Instructor Deung’s word. Despite being aloof, Instructor Wigumjong is quite respected among the students.”
“What do you think, Master?”
“I think Instructor Deung might be biased.”
“Biased against the unorthodox sects?”
“Exactly. What do you think?”
“I…”
Sabikang watched the three walking in the distance.
After a long pause, he spoke.
“I’ve been suspicious too.”
“What?”
Murang’s white eyebrows shot up, revealing his eyes.
He asked, surprised, “You’ve been suspicious? Even before I mentioned it today?”
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“I’m about to tell you.”
Sabikang turned to Murang with a serious expression.
**
Swish! Swish! Swish!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
Daggers flew through the forest, embedding themselves in tree trunks.
Thud!
A masked man kicked off a tree trunk, using all his strength to propel himself forward with a swift movement technique.
He clutched his side with one hand, where blood was seeping through his fingers.
Suddenly, a branch snapped, and the masked man tumbled to the ground.
Crash!
His face hit the ground hard, leaving it covered in cuts and bruises.
If his body had been in its usual condition, he would never have made such a mistake.
But he didn’t care. He got up and kept running.
“Stop, you scoundrel!”
“Make sure you kill him!”
“Don’t let him escape!”
A dozen masked warriors were in hot pursuit.
They all wore white martial arts uniforms, their garments fluttering wildly in the wind.
The masked man, staggering as he ran, realized he couldn’t keep fleeing. He drew his sword and turned to face them.
Clang!
He quickly counted his opponents.
“Five, ten… twelve.”
Twelve in total!
He could handle this.
If his ultimate technique worked, he might survive.
Better to deal with them swiftly and escape this place.
“I must survive and report back to Lord Gwanju!”
With determination blazing in his eyes, he glared at the twelve pursuers, let out a battle cry, and launched himself forward.
“Die!”
“Hyah!”
Thirteen figures clashed at once.
Swoosh! Clang! Clang!
He poured every ounce of his remaining strength into a single, devastating attack.
Raging Heaven’s Destruction!
The masked man staked his entire life on this moment.
After a fierce clash, he broke through their ranks, stumbling to a halt.
Thud!
The twelve warriors in white stood frozen, like statues.
A moment later,
Splat!
Blood erupted from the twelve, and they fell like ancient trees.
Only then did the masked man exhale in relief, dropping to one knee, exhausted.
Drip! Drip! Splat!
The wound in his side had worsened, and new cuts marred his back, shoulder, and thigh.
Tap, tap, tap!
He quickly applied pressure to his pressure points to stop the bleeding, then staggered to his feet.
He scanned the area with his senses.
Fortune seemed to favor him; no more pursuers were nearby.
If he could just reach the village and hide, he might recover enough strength to return to the Demon Slayer’s Hall.
With that thought, he moved away as stealthily and swiftly as he could.
Shortly after he left,
Thud!
A white-masked figure and a gold-masked figure landed where the white-clad warriors had fallen.
The white-masked figure, watching the direction the masked man had taken, murmured softly.
“This should suffice.”
The gold-masked figure nodded.
“Now, we just wait for him to fall into the trap.”