Episode 434: Return to the Demonic Sect

On a hill overlooking the Demonic Sect’s headquarters, Sabigang paused, closing his eyes to savor the gentle breeze. It was a strangely pleasant wind, and he turned to look at Yujeong beside him, a faint smile playing on his lips.

Yujeong, still in a daze as if entranced, wore an oversized robe draped over her shoulders, barely covering her undergarments. Sabigang had tried to dress her properly on their way here, but the constant attacks from monstrous insects had left her clothes in tatters.

Pointing towards the headquarters, Sabigang said, “There it is. Your new home.”

“Aah… Oh… Ah…” Yujeong responded vacantly.

“You’ll find others there just as unique and scarred as you.”

“Aah… Oh…”

“Let’s go. You’ll come to like them.”

With that, Sabigang strode forward confidently. They hadn’t gone far when a silver-haired woman came running up the hill, her voice bright and cheerful.

“Darling! Why are you so late? I’ve been waiting forever!”

It was Seol Seorin, who had used her martial arts to reach them in a single bound. Sabigang looked at her with a bored expression, raised his hand, and muttered, “Fireball.”

In an instant, a ball of fire formed in his palm and shot towards Seorin. She leapt into the air, but couldn’t avoid the flames entirely, and had to summon her protective energy.

Boom!

With a loud crash, Seorin was engulfed in flames and thrown back, landing with a groan. Despite the soot covering her, her beauty remained undiminished.

Thud!

Seorin slammed her tail into the ground, her eyes blazing with determination. “If I can’t have you, I’ll destroy you!”

Her tail, like a living creature, lashed out at Sabigang. “Don’t blame me, darling! Even if it’s your corpse, I’ll keep you by my side forever!”

As Seorin’s terrifying words echoed, the sky suddenly darkened. From behind Sabigang, hundreds of monstrous insects swarmed towards Seorin.

“What the—!” Seorin swung her tail horizontally, slicing through the insects with ease.

Sizzle! Crackle!

The burning fragments of the insects fell to the ground, twitching before going still. Seorin stepped back, her eyes narrowing as she noticed Yujeong standing behind Sabigang.

“And who is this…?”

Before Seorin could finish, Yujeong suddenly collapsed, vomiting a dark, bloody mass. Seorin pointed accusingly at Yujeong, but before she could speak, a heavy kick landed on her head, sending her sprawling.

The woman who had kicked Seorin was none other than Mok Danhwa, wearing a triumphant smile. The two women had never gotten along, especially in Sabigang’s presence.

“Welcome back, Master.”

“Ah, you’ve come to greet me?”

“Of course. That courtesan is always trying to seduce you, so I had to step in.”

Mok Danhwa glanced disdainfully at Seorin, who lay at her feet. Sabigang smirked and asked, “And what does that have to do with you?”

“Well… I’m just making sure our esteemed Master doesn’t stray down the wrong path.”

“It seems like our roles have reversed.”

Caught off guard, Mok Danhwa’s eyes darted around until they landed on Yujeong. Her clothes were in tatters, revealing her alluring figure beneath.

“Where did you find someone like her…?”

Mok Danhwa sighed, about to say more when a voice called out, “Master, you’re back!”

Turning, they saw Dang Ihyeop leading his subordinates, kneeling in greeting. “Welcome back, Master!”

As their voices faded, a woman stepped forward gracefully. It was Maeseollan, the chief officer. Her every step exuded elegance and an air of authority that set her apart.

Approaching Sabigang, Maeseollan smiled warmly. “You’re back?”

Sabigang took her hand, nodding. “Yes, I’m back. The view of the headquarters is especially nice today.”

He glanced at the headquarters, then back at Maeseollan. “Thank you.”

Maeseollan understood his gratitude. Sabigang had anticipated many challenges during his absence and had entrusted everything to Maeseollan and Murang. For someone who had always handled things alone, it was a significant step.

Maeseollan replied with a gentle smile, “I aim to be someone you can rely on, not just someone who relies on you.”

“I already do rely on you.”

Their eyes met, filled with unspoken words and emotions.

“Aah… Oh… Onga…!” Yujeong’s voice broke the moment, oblivious to the atmosphere.

The three women turned their gaze to her, while Sabigang looked around and asked, “Where’s Instructor Jaunryong?”

“He’s at the training hall. Thanks to his cooperation, everything went smoothly.”

“I see.”

“Are you hungry? After such a long journey, I thought I’d prepare something special…”

“Aaah! Ooooh! Uwooo…!” Yujeong suddenly began chasing after a flying insect, shouting as she ran.

Maeseollan glanced at her, then continued, “Anyway, for the first time, I wanted to cook something for you…”

“Uuuuu! Aoooo!”

Yujeong’s voice interrupted again. Maeseollan took a deep breath, trying to maintain her composure, and spoke firmly, “Enough chatter, let’s go! I’ve prepared a special meal…”

“Awooooo!”

In unison, Maeseollan, Mok Danhwa, and Seorin turned to Sabigang, exasperated. “Where on earth did you pick her up?”

**

Bound to a chair, Yeogon was a bloody mess. Unconscious, his mouth hung open, drool mixed with blood dripping down.

Jaunryong looked at him coldly, muttering, “This method won’t make him talk.”

“What makes you so sure?” Murang asked, his expression equally cold.

“He’s a high-ranking member of the Demonic Sect. You don’t get there without being incredibly tough.”

“Like you?”

Jaunryong gave a bitter smile. “He’s probably tougher than me.”

“Perhaps. So, he knows about the location of the Sacred Ground, something even you don’t know.”

They were trying to extract the location of the Sacred Ground from Yeogon, but he remained silent despite the torture.

After Yeogon lost consciousness for the thirty-second time, Murang stopped the torture and joined Jaunryong in the room.

Jaunryong suggested, “Why not use a truth spell? You’re a master of sorcery; surely you can enter his memories?”

Murang shook his head. “Entering someone’s memories isn’t easy, especially if they resist.”

“But you can do it, can’t you?”

“Not with him.”

“Why not?”

“If I try to access his memories, he’ll die instantly.”

“There’s a curse on him!”

“Exactly.”

The Demonic Sect had placed a curse on him. While Murang, a master sorcerer, could potentially break it, it would take time—perhaps a year or more. At least six months, which was too long. They needed to find the Sacred Ground sooner.

Murang sighed, then turned to Jaunryong with a question.

“Do you truly know nothing about the Descending Grounds?”

“Are you doubting me now?”

“Come on, you’ve come this far. What would you have to hide? It doesn’t seem like your memory’s been sealed. But if even someone like you, an Unseen, doesn’t know about the Descending Grounds, it must be quite the challenge. That’s why I asked.”

“I don’t know. Ever since my conflict with the Order, they’ve kept me out of all the important matters.”

Just then, a voice called from outside.

“Master Murang, are you in there?”

It was Sabigang’s voice.

Jaunryong reacted before Murang could.

He rushed outside and immediately questioned Sabigang.

“Master Sabigang! Did you see a child there? Master Murang already told me! You said you saw the child in the Dream Realm! You know what I’m talking about, right?”

Sabigang looked at Jaunryong intently, then casually picked at his ear.

“Shouldn’t you apologize first?”

“I’m… sorry. But in the end…!”

“Doesn’t matter how it happened, as long as the result is good?”

“That’s not what I meant…”

“Regardless of the process, that child tried to kill me. Why should I show mercy?”

“You can’t mean…”

“Oh, calling her a child is a bit of a stretch. She was quite the mature woman. Anyway, I don’t show mercy to those who try to kill me.”

Jaunryong’s expression faltered for a moment.

He stepped back, his voice trembling.

“You don’t mean…?”

“Yes, I killed her.”

“How could you…! You… you…!”

“Why should I have spared her? She was trying to kill me, after all. Are you listening to me?”

But Jaunryong stood there, head bowed, unmoving.

Instead, a fierce aura emanated from him, swirling into a massive storm.

Whoooosh!

His hair lifted strand by strand into the air.

After a long pause, Jaunryong finally raised his head, glaring at Sabigang with a ghostly expression.

“You bastard. I’ll kill you!”

In a flash, Jaunryong appeared right in front of Sabigang.

The phrase “in the blink of an eye” was made for moments like this.

Swoosh!

A streak of light shot towards Sabigang’s neck with terrifying speed.

Clang!

In an instant, Sabigang’s sword, Veritas, was drawn, blocking Jaunryong’s blade.

“Ugh! Sabigang!”

“I’m not deaf.”

Their faces were so close they could feel each other’s breath.

Then Sabigang smiled slyly.

“You passed.”

“What?”

In the next moment,

“Huh?”

A voice came from behind Sabigang.

Simultaneously, Jaunryong found himself unable to move, as if frozen in place.

Instead, he rolled his eyes to see the woman standing behind Sabigang.

”…!”

The woman tilted her head, looking at him.

The moment their eyes met, the fury in Jaunryong’s eyes turned to tears.

“Jeong-ah…”