Episode 487: Return to the Demon Sect
Thud!
Deung Bu-hyeong placed the small bottle firmly on the table.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a dignified glow on the bottle.
What a beautiful sight it was.
‘How long has it been since I last took an elixir?’
Even the most trivial of elixirs cost dozens, if not hundreds, of nyang. The thought of acquiring something as rare as a thousand-year-old snow ginseng was beyond his wildest dreams on a disciple’s salary.
Yet here he was, with a bottle of Baekcho Giwhan Tang, an elixir as potent as the legendary snow ginseng.
Could he ever save enough to buy such a treasure, even if he saved every penny for ten years?
But Sa Bi-gang had given it to him without a second thought. It was a stroke of luck, a windfall.
“Inhale, exhale!”
Deung Bu-hyeong steadied himself and took a deep breath.
Though Baekcho Giwhan Tang didn’t require any special breathing techniques to digest, it was best to approach it with a focused mind.
With reverence.
‘Alright, let’s drink!’
The elixir had a strict consumption method. But once taken, it would instantly boost one’s internal energy without any need for additional techniques.
‘This will increase my power by half a cycle!’
Resolute, Deung Bu-hyeong slowly reached for the bottle and removed the stopper. A unique aroma wafted up to his nose.
‘Ah, this is good. Very good.’
He closed his eyes and brought the bottle to his lips.
The method required him to take five sips, spaced out by a single breath, repeated three times. If not followed, it would be no different than drinking plain water.
Gulp, gulp, gulp…
Exactly five sips!
He set the bottle back on the table. Two more rounds to go.
Already, he felt a warm energy gathering in his stomach, ready to surge.
‘Heh heh! Half a cycle! Half a cycle!’
To gain the internal energy that would normally take thirty years of training in just three breaths—how could he not be excited?
He felt like dancing with joy, but he restrained himself.
Even though the method was foolproof, a single mistake could ruin everything.
So he cautiously circulated his internal energy.
Nothing had changed yet.
‘Good, just a little longer.’
As the time for the next sip approached, Deung Bu-hyeong reached for the bottle again.
But then—
Bang, bang, bang!
Someone was pounding on the door.
Startled, Deung Bu-hyeong turned his gaze toward the noise.
Bang, bang, bang!
“Deung Instructor! Are you in there? It’s Muk Yang-je!”
‘Why is he here all of a sudden?’
Deung Bu-hyeong furrowed his brow, deep in thought.
There was a time when he considered joining forces with Muk Yang-je at the Demon Sect.
But Muk Yang-je had coldly rejected him, and since then, they hadn’t spoken.
And now, of all days, he shows up.
‘No, don’t let it bother you. Don’t let it bring bad luck.’
Deung Bu-hyeong closed his eyes and picked up the bottle.
He couldn’t afford to be distracted and mess up the method.
Bang, bang, bang!
“Deung Instructor! If you’re in there, answer me! Let’s talk!”
‘Now is not the time for chit-chat!’
Ignoring the noise, Deung Bu-hyeong lifted the bottle to his lips.
Gulp… gulp… gulp…
Just then, a shadow fell across the window, and a man suddenly appeared, demanding an answer.
“Why aren’t you responding when you’re clearly inside?”
Gulp… cough…! Cough, cough!
Startled, Deung Bu-hyeong choked and coughed violently.
Even amidst the chaos, his mind raced.
‘Did I take five sips just now? Yes, definitely five. Luckily, I didn’t spit it out! But why is this guy here…!’
Furious, Deung Bu-hyeong slammed the bottle down and shouted.
“What does it matter if I answer or not in my own room? Why are you bothering me out of the blue?”
“Come on, I just came to visit.”
“I’m not in the mood for a chat, so leave!”
As Deung Bu-hyeong moved to close the window, Muk Yang-je quickly blocked him.
“Hey, why are you so angry? Are you still upset about how I treated you before? If so, I’m sorry. I wasn’t in a good mood back then…”
Muk Yang-je offered an apology, looking off into the distance.
Deung Bu-hyeong frowned slightly.
‘What’s he playing at? Ignoring me before, and now suddenly apologizing? Hmph!’
He composed himself and replied.
“I just want some peace and quiet. Please leave.”
“Let’s just talk for a moment.”
“What do you want to talk about?”
“By the way, what’s that? In the bottle.”
“What does it matter to you?”
“No reason, just curious. Why so prickly?”
“It’s none of your business. I was just having a drink because I’m feeling down.”
“Ah, it’s alcohol. Anyway, let’s talk. I’ll just come in for a moment.”
“Hey! Where do you think you’re going?”
Startled, Deung Bu-hyeong jumped up.
The sudden movement caused the bottle on the table to wobble.
Panicking, he reached out to steady it, but—
Muk Yang-je snatched it up first, stepping over the windowsill and sitting across from him.
“That, that…!”
“This?”
Muk Yang-je lifted the bottle, and Deung Bu-hyeong nodded fervently.
Muk Yang-je shrugged and laughed.
“Surprised by my reflexes? Anyway, did you hear?”
“Hear what?”
“About Sa Bi-gang, the sect leader. He found a treasure trove of elixirs and pills and distributed them mainly to the Demon Sect warriors.”
“Yeah, I heard. So what?”
“So what? Aren’t you upset? You’ve known him since the Yongcheon Sect, but you were left out this time. I was too, of course.”
‘Heh, not me.’
Deung Bu-hyeong hid his thoughts and shrugged.
“Well, it’s up to the giver to decide who gets what. It’s not my place to complain.”
“Why don’t we go see Sa Bi-gang together? We’ve spent time in the Demon Sect too…”
“No. Don’t you have any pride? I won’t beg.”
“It’s not begging, it’s a rightful…”
Muk Yang-je trailed off, realizing it didn’t quite fit.
Frustrated, he brought the bottle to his lips without thinking.
“Ah! That’s…!”
But Muk Yang-je, too upset to care, gulped down the contents of the bottle.
Deung Bu-hyeong froze like a statue.
Muk Yang-je, having emptied the bottle, let out a long burp and grimaced.
“What’s with this taste? The alcohol’s gone bad. Why are you drinking this stuff?”
“You bastard!”
Enraged, Deung Bu-hyeong lunged at Muk Yang-je, grabbing his collar and swinging his fist.
Thud! Thud!
“Ugh! Why are you doing this? Are you crazy? Do you know who I am? I’m from the main branch…”
“Shut up! You’re just a lackey doing grunt work at the Demon Sect!”
“Ugh! A lackey? You crazy…!”
“Die, you bastard!”
“Did you take some crazy pills? What’s wrong with you?”
“Because of you, I couldn’t take my medicine! You rotten scoundrel!”
“Ha! You son of a…!”
Thud! Thud! Whack! Thud!
The two men were now locked in a full-blown brawl, fists flying as they grabbed each other’s collars.
Tears streamed down Deung Bu-hyeong’s face.
‘Chief Cheon, what should I do? Is this my karma? Is this my fate? How should I live from now on?’
**
‘Live with remorse.’
Cheon Sae-myung looked up at the sky and murmured to himself.
From now on, he would live with a repentant heart.
Whoosh.
A chilly winter breeze tousled his hair as it passed by.
He lowered his gaze to the path leading down the hill.
Following this road would lead to a village, and beyond that, up the mountain, lay the Yongcheon Sect.
It had been exactly three months.
A long time, or a short one, depending on how you looked at it.
Three months ago, he had abruptly resigned from his position as the head instructor at the Yongcheon Sect and set off on a journey through the martial world.
There was no particular reason.
Everything just felt meaningless.
He had thought he was living fiercely, striving for even the slightest improvement.
The person he had envied and resented so much, Sabigang, had become the head of the Myeolma Pavilion and was now the center of attention. Meanwhile, he remained stuck as the head instructor at Yongcheon Pavilion.
A sense of futility washed over him.
So, he decided to abandon all his positions and set off on a journey.
During the three months of travel, he encountered many ups and downs.
Amidst it all, he gained some insights.
He realized that he hadn’t been striving for personal growth but had been obsessed with climbing the ranks.
Once he accepted this truth, his wanderings through the martial world seemed pointless.
On his way back to Yongcheon Pavilion, he heard rumors of a demonic invasion.
He felt a pressing need to do something for the martial world.
With renewed humility and reflection, he resolved to live modestly and train the next generation of warriors to protect the realm.
“I wonder how the Pavilion Master is doing?”
Just as he was about to move on, he sensed someone behind him. Turning around, he saw a man in tattered rags rushing toward him.
The man was dragging something behind him—a thick, long chain that was shackled to his neck, wrists, and ankles.
Two burly men were chasing after him, shouting sharply.
“Stop right there!”
“Where do you think you’re going, you scoundrel?”
The two men, displaying impressive martial skills, quickly caught up and blocked the ragged man’s path, drawing their swords with a growl.
“Didn’t we tell you to behave?”
“Where do you think you’re going in that condition? You won’t last long. Just come quietly.”
As the two men approached, the man in rags crouched like a beast, growling, but with his hands and feet bound, he seemed to have no way out.
“Come quietly, or we’ll beat you like a dog on a hot day.”
“Grrr…!”
“We’re trying to cure your illness, you know?”
“Grrah…!”
“Looks like talking won’t work. Let’s get him.”
“Understood, brother.”
Just as the two men were about to advance menacingly toward the man,
Whoosh!
A swift shadow landed between them.
Both the burly men and the ragged man looked bewildered at the sudden appearance of a newcomer.
It was Cheon Saemyung.
“Sorry to butt in. I have a habit of meddling. Haha.”
“What do you want?”
One of the burly men glared, and Cheon Saemyung introduced himself politely.
“I’m Cheon Saemyung, an instructor at Yongcheon Pavilion. May I ask what’s going on here?”
At the mention of Yongcheon Pavilion, the two men exchanged glances, slightly intimidated.
They were not far from Yongcheon Pavilion, which had close ties with the Justice Alliance. It wouldn’t be wise to provoke them unnecessarily.
Finally, the two men clasped their hands in a respectful gesture.
“It’s an honor to meet you, Instructor Cheon. We are Jang Doksu and Jang Dokgon, known as the ‘Twin Heroes of All Things.’”
Cheon Saemyung recognized them immediately.
They were infamous for buying and selling anything under the sun.
Though they called themselves the Twin Heroes, people often referred to them as the ‘Twin Heads of All Things.’
They were more merchants than martial artists, dealing in anything that could turn a profit.
The man in chains was likely one of their ‘goods.’
“Nice to meet you.”
Cheon Saemyung gestured for an explanation.
Jang Doksu stepped forward to answer.
“We found this fellow up north. He has a peculiar illness. We’re taking him on a long journey to cure him.”
Cheon Saemyung inwardly scoffed.
‘They’re not trying to cure him; they’re planning to sell him to some wealthy, eccentric doctor.’
It was a common tactic of the Twin Heads.
They lured people with rare illnesses, promising treatment, only to sell them to eccentric doctors or demonic practitioners for a high price.
After that, no one ever saw the patients again.
Whether they were dissected or experimented on, no one knew.
It was a well-known story in these parts.
But Cheon Saemyung feigned ignorance and asked,
“Is that so? That’s quite a noble endeavor. But I might know someone who can cure him. Could you tell me about his condition?”
The Twin Heads exchanged knowing glances, confident that it was an incurable ailment.
Jang Doksu crossed his arms and spoke.
“It’s quite unique. This fellow’s skin burns in sunlight. He has to move like a ghost, only at night. During the day, he can’t function without that rag covering him. So, we’ve given him a nickname.”
“A nickname?”
“Yes, we call him ‘Black Ghost.’”
Jang Doksu grinned.