Episode 472: Return of the Demon Sect
“What… what is that?”
The martial artists of the Justice Alliance stared in bewilderment at the ships floating on the river.
With a sharp gaze, Lee Jajun focused on the largest ship and recognized the man standing on its deck.
In the next moment, he shouted with joy.
“It’s the General Commander! The General Commander has arrived with reinforcements!”
“Uwaaah!”
“Long live the General Commander! Long live Commander Gu Yoon!”
The martial artists embraced each other, their cheers echoing in the air.
As if in response, the ships on the river unleashed a barrage of fire.
Boom! Boom-boom-boom!
A massive shell sliced through the sky, crashing into the midst of the monsters and exploding.
Boom! Boom-boom-boom!
The shells that landed on the hillside showed no mercy, shattering the monsters into pieces.
“Kiieeek!”
“Kraaaah!”
The monsters’ screams pierced the air, while the surviving three hundred warriors raised their voices even higher.
**
Standing on the deck, Gu Yoon watched the monsters pouring down the hillside and couldn’t help but click his tongue in disbelief.
“Their movements are incredibly organized.”
“It’s like watching a human army,” Bi-ryeong commented beside him, and Gu Yoon nodded in agreement.
If they knew these creatures could communicate, they’d be even more astonished.
Still, he felt grateful to have arrived not too late, silently thanking the heavens.
Yet, he couldn’t help but blame himself for not arriving sooner.
The cheers of the survivors reached him faintly.
They must have waited with bated breath.
Or perhaps they had given up hope, succumbing to despair and death.
He felt a deep sense of guilt for those who had already perished.
“Let’s head to the riverbank.”
At his command, a middle-aged man beside him nodded and issued orders to his subordinates.
“To the riverbank!”
“Yes, sir!”
The martial artists responded in unison, preparing to disembark and engage in battle.
As Gu Yoon’s ship moved toward the riverbank, the other ships followed suit.
Once they were close enough, a martial artist with long, flowing hair leaped from another ship, seemingly flying through the air.
Following his lead, the martial artists on that ship began to sprint across the water toward the shore.
Soon, the man beside Gu Yoon also leaped from the deck, running across the water with determination.
“Leave none of those vile creatures standing!”
“Yes, sir!”
**
Leader Neung Un-pa immediately recognized the figure darting across the sky.
“Isn’t that the head of the Kunlun Sect, Cheong Heo Jin-in?”
Once the most powerful among the Nine Great Sects, the Kunlun Sect had dominated the martial world.
Though the fame of the Nine Great Sects had waned, the Kunlun Sect remained an exception.
Being an external force, they hadn’t joined the Justice Alliance and had voluntarily stepped back from the limelight.
Yet, here they were, meeting again in such a place.
Perhaps it was fate, given how close Mount Giryeon was to Qinghai, where Mount Kunlun stood.
Indeed, Cheong Heo Jin-in skillfully executed the Kunlun’s signature Cloud Dragon Nine Techniques, reaching the shore in a single bound.
His martial arts prowess was an inspiration and a beacon of hope for the survivors.
With his hair streaked with gray, Cheong Heo Jin-in, the head of the Kunlun Sect, exuded a distinct Western aura.
Even in the midst of urgency, he greeted Neung Un-pa with a fist salute, speaking in the unique dialect of the Kunlun region.
“I am Kwak of Kunlun, here to meet the pillar of the martial world.”
“I am humbled to meet the master of Kunlun in such times. Truly, it is an honor.”
“Haha, you are too modest, Leader.”
Cheong Heo Jin-in laughed heartily, extending his sword without even glancing to the side.
Swish!
Thud! Thud! Thud!
With his swordsmanship, he swiftly dispatched an ogre, three goblins, and a cyclops in quick succession.
As the massive bodies fell, the martial artists watching nearby gaped in awe.
Without looking, Cheong Heo Jin-in caught his returning sword with his right hand.
“It’s quite a noisy place.”
“Indeed, the Great Qing Sword lives up to its name.”
“You flatter me. Let’s save the formalities for later.”
“Agreed.”
With that, Cheong Heo Jin-in charged toward the enemies with terrifying speed.
The Cloud Dragon Nine Techniques, named for its resemblance to a dragon soaring through the clouds, was truly a marvel of martial arts.
Stepping on goblin heads as if they were stepping stones, Cheong Heo Jin-in mercilessly pierced and slashed through giants like cyclopes and ogres with the Great Qing Sword.
To the weary survivors, he was a fresh burst of energy and hope.
Soon, another middle-aged man, using water-walking techniques, reached Neung Un-pa and offered a fist salute.
“I am Yang of the Kongtong Sect, here to meet the Leader.”
Neung Un-pa widened his eyes in recognition.
He realized this was Hyun Jin Dojang, the head of the Kongtong Sect.
“Master Hyun Jin, your assistance is deeply appreciated.”
“It is only natural for our sect to aid the Justice Alliance! Given the urgency, let’s save the formalities for later.”
“Thank you!”
Hyun Jin Dojang also let out a battle cry and charged at the monsters.
He skillfully wielded the Kongtong Sect’s renowned Demon Subduing Sword, subduing the monsters with ease.
True to its name, the Demon Subduing Sword left the monsters powerless before his swordsmanship.
Following him, the head of the Lan Zhou Huang family, known as the “North Star of Mount Tai,” and the head of the Lan Zhou Sword Sect arrived.
They too exchanged brief greetings with Neung Un-pa before unleashing their killing intent on the monsters.
The martial artists of the Blood Demon Sect watched with deep emotion, though some were puzzled.
The formal greetings of the orthodox sects, even in such dire circumstances, felt unfamiliar to them.
But how could they question their saviors?
Only the ever-cynical Ak Cheon-gwe grumbled under his breath.
“Even in the face of death, they insist on their formalities. With monsters swarming ahead, who has time for such niceties?”
“That’s their way, and sometimes it’s what makes them strong,” Sa Bi-gang remarked, appearing beside him.
Normally, Ak Cheon-gwe would have retorted or argued, but not this time.
Sa Bi-gang’s martial prowess was akin to that of an immortal, making it difficult to speak casually to him.
“Still, I just don’t get it.”
With a disgruntled expression, Ak Cheon-gwe muttered and dashed off somewhere.
Sa Bi-gang chuckled softly and swiftly decapitated an approaching ogre with a single stroke.
Swish!
Splat!
Thud!
The ogre, headless, collapsed, spewing blood.
Though it seemed simple and effortless, each strike consumed energy.
Thanks to the mana potion he had taken, Sa Bi-gang decided not to overexert himself now that reinforcements had arrived.
As the four sects led the charge with their superior martial arts, the monsters, who had relied on sheer numbers, began to retreat.
Finally,
Boom…! Boom…! Boom…! Boom…!
Drums sounded from the hilltop, signaling the monsters’ reluctant withdrawal.
In truth, they had no reason to annihilate the remaining three hundred survivors.
They attacked simply because they could.
But now, realizing the difficulty, they chose to retreat.
For the first time since the monster attacks began, they voluntarily withdrew.
The survivors erupted in triumphant cheers, louder than ever.
“Uwaaah! They’re retreating!”
“You bastards! Did you think we’d just roll over and die?”
“Next time, we’ll repay you double, triple for what you’ve done!”
“Long live the General Commander!”
“Long live Commander Sa Bi-gang!”
“Long live the Kunlun and Kongtong Sects!”
As the chaos subsided, the survivors finally embraced each other, tears of relief and sorrow flowing freely.
They cried for the relief of survival and the grief for those who had fallen.
As a small boat reached the shore, Gu Yoon and Bi-ryeong leaped off and ran toward them.
“Leader! Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. Thanks to you, everyone survived. You’ve done a great deed.”
Gu Yoon blushed at the leader’s praise, waving his hands modestly.
“Not at all. If only I had planned better… if only…”
Gu Yoon bit his lip, struggling to hold back tears.
Neung Un-pa patted his shoulder reassuringly.
“Don’t say that. None of us could have predicted this, not even Commander Sa Bi-gang.”
“Yes, sir…”
“It was truly a hard-fought battle. At the last moment, even I was ready to give up… but you came. Thank you for not giving up.”
“It was my duty!” Gu-yun shouted, tears brimming in his eyes.
Neung Un-pa smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling, and took a weary step forward. “I could use some rest.”
“Ah, Ryeong! Quickly, show the leader to a room where he can rest!”
“Understood!” Bi-ryeong swiftly supported Neung Un-pa and helped him onto a small boat.
Neung Un-pa looked as though he had aged several years, having expended all his energy.
As the boat drifted away, Gu-yun turned back to look at Sabi-gang, who approached with a faint smile.
‘Ah… that smile.’
Even as a man, Gu-yun found it disarmingly charming, a smile that could melt away any tension.
As Sabi-gang drew near, Gu-yun bowed deeply. “Thank you!”
“Why the sudden gratitude?”
“Just… thank you for everything! For protecting them, for standing with us until the end! And… and for sending him to protect me!”
He was referring to Heuk-gwi.
Sabi-gang gave a wry smile. “I see. Is he… dead?”
“I’m sorry! We sent out a search party, but there’s been no news yet.”
“That’s fine.”
“What?”
Gu-yun looked up, bewildered, and Sabi-gang chuckled softly.
“He’s not the type to die so easily. You said the search party hasn’t reported back yet, right? That means they haven’t found a body.”
“But…”
“He’s a special one. I’m sure he’s alive.”
Gu-yun stared at Sabi-gang, still dazed. Where did such unwavering belief come from?
Of course, Sabi-gang knew Heuk-gwi was under the protection of a dark deity, but Gu-yun interpreted it differently—as a firm conviction in one’s own judgment.
It made him feel somewhat inadequate by comparison.
He should have been like that too.
When the warriors of the Justice Alliance disappeared, he should have immediately devised a plan instead of succumbing to despair.
Even now, if he acted, he could save at least one more person.
But he hadn’t.
His head bowed involuntarily, and tears fell from his eyes.
Sabi-gang frowned slightly. “Why are you crying? Did I say something wrong?”
“No, it’s just… if I had handled things more wisely… there wouldn’t have been so many casualties.”
“That’s nonsense.”
”…What?”
“Don’t try to gather spilled water. Instead, look at them.”
Sabi-gang’s gaze shifted to the survivors.
They were all crying, but there was a hint of joy in their smiles.
“They’re alive because of you. Because you didn’t give up and kept searching. You saved three hundred lives that even I couldn’t. Three hundred lives weigh more than you think.”
”…”
“You may not remember each person who was lost, but don’t forget the fact that they were. That’s the responsibility of those who must bear it. To never erase the memory of the fallen.”
“Sabi-gang, you’re truly an enigma.”
In the end, Gu-yun broke down, sobbing, overwhelmed by the indescribable comfort and insight he had gained from Sabi-gang.
Meanwhile, someone watched him quietly from the drifting boat.
“The soldier is crying,” remarked Neung Un-pa.
“He must have been through a lot,” Bi-ryeong replied softly, as Neung Un-pa gazed at his reflection in the water with a somber expression.
‘He asked if I was okay. And he thanked Sabi-gang.’
The rippling water distorted Neung Un-pa’s reflection, making his expression appear more complex than ever.
“The soldier worries about me and relies on him.”
”…Pardon?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing.”
Neung Un-pa closed his eyes and shook his head.
Splash.
Bi-ryeong’s oar broke the surface of the water, shattering his reflection as it gently propelled the boat forward.