Episode 503: Return of the Demon Sect Leader
Footsteps echoed behind him, and Neung Un-pa turned around.
Standing a short distance away was none other than Lee Ja-jun.
“Leader…?”
Lee Ja-jun glanced around, his expression a mix of surprise and concern.
Neung Un-pa regarded him with a calm, unreadable gaze.
“Lee, you’ve arrived?”
“What on earth… Are you alright, Leader?”
“I’m fine.”
“And these people…?”
“Well, you see…”
Neung Un-pa began to speak, slowly sheathing his sword.
Just as he was about to move,
“How chaotic it must have been with the sudden attack, wasn’t it?”
“Hmm…?”
Neung Un-pa frowned, looking at Lee Ja-jun.
Lee Ja-jun approached, his footsteps steady.
“Many who were infected with the poison fell into a state of madness. They turned on each other, leading to this tragic outcome.”
With that, Lee Ja-jun picked up a fallen sword and, without hesitation, sliced his own side. He quickly applied pressure to stop the bleeding.
Neung Un-pa’s frown deepened as he asked, “What are you doing?”
“As you can see… assessing the situation. I was caught up in it too.”
Lee Ja-jun gave Neung Un-pa a meaningful smile, and Neung Un-pa, sensing something, nodded slowly.
“Ah…”
“As expected, you’re remarkable, Leader. To subdue them without a scratch.”
“You too are a skilled warrior.”
Neung Un-pa replied with a faint smile, and Lee Ja-jun bowed his head respectfully.
“You’re too kind. I still have much to learn.”
“Yet, I feel a sense of guilt towards them.”
“They were already lost to madness. In a way, you granted them peace, Leader.”
“Thank you for seeing it that way.”
Just then, another presence was felt, and Mae Seol-ran appeared.
Her eyes widened at the sight of the fallen warriors.
“What happened here? Are you and the Leader alright?”
“The warriors, affected by the poison, turned on each other in madness. I suffered a minor wound, but thankfully, the Leader is unharmed. Without him, I might not have made it.”
“Oh my…”
Mae Seol-ran accepted Lee Ja-jun’s explanation without much suspicion. It was unthinkable that the Leader or Lee Ja-jun would harm their own.
Moreover, she had seen others affected by the poison, struggling in madness.
Soon, Sa Bi-gang arrived with more warriors.
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine. It’s fortunate you arrived when you did. It was a dire situation.”
Sa Bi-gang glanced at the scattered bodies, his expression troubled.
Lee Ja-jun stepped forward, saying, “It’s truly tragic. They fought with all their might, never expecting to turn their blades on each other.”
“At least you two are safe.”
Neung Un-pa spoke with a somber expression, “Though I ended their lives with my sword, my heart is not at ease.”
“It was a necessary choice.”
“Let’s return for now. Was there any news while we were here?”
“Ah, the demons have launched a full-scale invasion. There’s a battle ongoing in Sichuan.”
“Already?”
Not only Neung Un-pa but the other warriors around him were taken aback.
Neung Un-pa furrowed his brow and asked, “What do you think will happen?”
“Sichuan is likely to fall. We must minimize the damage as much as possible.”
“Even so, Sichuan has many renowned sects…”
Indeed, Sichuan was home to some of the most prestigious sects, known for their strength.
“You should return and discuss strategies with the chief strategist. The situation is urgent.”
“Understood. Let’s go.”
Neung Un-pa led the group away, his steps purposeful.
Sa Bi-gang lingered, gazing at the fallen bodies.
Mae Seol-ran, standing nearby, asked quietly, “What’s wrong?”
“It’s just… something feels off.”
“What do you mean?”
“The bodies… they seem too clean for those who supposedly went mad.”
Mae Seol-ran’s expression turned serious, but she quickly dismissed the thought.
“Come on, you know the Leader’s skills. If he decided to act, no one could stand against him. Except maybe you.”
“True. But it’s hard to imagine the Leader would willingly cut down his own men.”
“When you’re responsible for so many, sometimes harsh decisions are necessary. Perhaps this was one of those times for the Leader.”
“Perhaps.”
Sa Bi-gang nodded, though he couldn’t shake his unease.
‘The problem is, people don’t change so easily.’
**
“Haah!”
A battle cry rang out as a blue flash streaked through the air.
Shiiing!
With a metallic clang, an ogre staggered back, its axe raised.
Seizing the opportunity, another warrior swiftly struck with his sword.
Swish, swish, swish!
The blade seemed to split into dozens, piercing like daggers.
The initial blue sword light was the signature move of the Cheongseong Sect’s Blue Wind Sword technique, while the subsequent flurry was the Pine Wind Sword’s ‘Blue Wind Pine Leaves’ technique.
Both were among the most esteemed techniques of the Cheongseong Sect.
As expected, the ogre, struck by the Pine Wind Sword, collapsed with a heavy thud, blood gushing from its wounds.
Thud!
Jang Seon-hak, the top disciple of the Cheongseong Sect, gritted his teeth at the fallen ogre.
“This is getting tiresome.”
Baek Cheon-woon, who had executed the Pine Wind Sword, surveyed the surroundings.
“Senior, we’re at a disadvantage. We should retreat.”
“Where is the master?”
“I can’t see him.”
The forest echoed with the clash of weapons, shouts, and screams.
In this battle between humans and demons, the lines were clear.
But fighting on the mountainside made it difficult to pinpoint allies’ exact locations.
“The Emei Sect and the Sichuan Tang Clan are fighting alongside us. If we retreat first, we’ll be a laughingstock.”
“But we can’t follow them to our doom, can we?”
Jang Seon-hak had no retort to Baek Cheon-woon’s argument.
The battle was indeed unfavorable.
They had rushed to Dujeong Mountain upon hearing of the demon’s appearance, but the demons were stronger than anticipated.
“Let’s find the master first.”
“Understood…”
Shiiing, slice!
Baek Cheon-woon couldn’t finish his sentence.
Splat!
His head, cleanly severed, fell to the ground, blood spurting from his neck, drenching Jang Seon-hak’s face.
Jang Seon-hak’s eyes widened in horror.
“Cheon-woon!”
Covered in blood, he cried out in anguish.
Behind Baek Cheon-woon stood a demon knight, exuding a dark aura.
Towering over most men, with a massive build, horned helmet, and glowing red eyes, the knight’s armor was etched with geometric patterns.
Jang Seon-hak, having lost his junior, trembled but couldn’t move.
Fear and terror filled him, overshadowing his grief and rage.
The demon knight before him was like a harbinger of death.
Step…!
As the demon knight took a step forward, Jang Seon-hak involuntarily flinched and retreated.
In the next moment,
Thud!
The demon knight leaped, thrusting his sword forward.
“Ugh…!”
Despite his fear, Jang Seon-hak was still the top disciple of the Cheongseong Sect.
He quickly countered with his left hand, unleashing the Wind Thunder Palm.
Crack, clang!
The sound of thunder echoed as the sword and palm force clashed and rebounded.
As the demon knight staggered, Jang Seon-hak launched into the Blue Cloud Red Mist Sword technique.
Shiiing!
The red sword energy enveloped the area, while the sword’s aura shone with a blue light.
‘I’ve got him!’
But just before his sword could strike, it was deflected by an invisible barrier.
Clang!
“Damn it!”
Jang Seon-hak, unaware of the shield, was bewildered by the inexplicable phenomenon.
Had he maintained his composure and attacked again, he might have succeeded.
The previous attack had shattered the demon’s shield.
But to Jang Seon-hak, the demon knight seemed invincible, impervious to any attack.
As he hesitated, the demon knight swiftly slashed diagonally with his sword.
“Damn it!”
“Is this really the end for me?”
Once hailed as the rising star of the Cheongseong Sect, he had never let it go to his head. He had secluded himself within the sect, training diligently, waiting for the right moment to step into the world and restore the sect’s former glory.
But the sudden appearance of the demon clan had thrown everything into chaos. Who would have thought he’d meet such a grim fate at the hands of an unknown demon knight?
“Master, forgive me. I’ll be joining you soon.”
Jang Sunhak closed his eyes. Just then, a gust of wind brushed past him.
Swish! Thud!
A chilling sound of flesh being pierced was followed by silence. Jang Sunhak clenched his teeth. Is this what death feels like? Surprisingly, there was no pain. Was it because he was struck by a demon? That couldn’t be. He had felt pain from minor wounds in past battles with monsters. Was it because he was already dead?
Slowly, he opened his eyes.
“What…?”
The demon knight, who had been about to strike him down, was frozen in place, sword raised. And there was a man, his hand plunged into the demon knight’s abdomen, exuding a strange energy. The man turned and gave a sly smile.
“Sorry I’m late.”
“Who are you?”
“Me? Ah, I’m Churyang, the top disciple of Master Sabigang. I just finished my closed-door training.”
Churyang emphasized the words “closed-door training” as he tightened his grip on the demon knight’s abdomen.
In that instant,
Crack… Shatter!
The mana sword shattered into pieces, scattering in all directions. The monsters that had been gathering around the demon knight were struck by the shards, flipping over and collapsing. The demon knight, with the mana sword embedded in his abdomen, exploded and died on the spot.
Jang Sunhak stood there, mouth agape, unable to utter a word. Churyang glanced back at him.
“Come on, don’t just stand there. Let’s go save the others. The situation’s not in our favor, so we should retreat slowly and regroup.”
“Y-yes, let’s do that.”
Jang Sunhak replied, still dazed, and Churyang nodded before calling out.
“Banmyo!”
A cat leapt from his arms, letting out a fierce growl, and transformed into a tiger.
“Let’s go!”
Jang Sunhak watched in astonishment as Churyang and the transformed Banmyo charged forward.
“My God… what on earth is that?”