Episode 52: Return to the Demonic Academy
Rustle. Swish!
Perched on a swaying tree branch, Jo Muntak silently observed the shadow passing below him.
Just as the shadow paused in front of two tethered horses, he swiftly leapt down behind the tree.
But then—
“Could you bring some hay over here?”
The shadow, Neng Sosu, spoke calmly, her gaze fixed on the tree where Jo Muntak was hiding.
“Darn, caught again.”
Jo Muntak sighed, scratching the back of his head as he stepped out from his hiding spot.
Neng Sosu smiled knowingly, as if she had expected this, and gently patted the horse’s mane.
Jo Muntak picked up a large bundle of hay from beneath the tree and approached her.
“How do you always know?”
“Know what?”
“Where I’m hiding.”
“It’s too easy. Maybe your stealth skills need some work?”
“Ugh!”
Jo Muntak clicked his tongue and placed the hay beneath the horse.
It was Sabigang who had instructed him to approach Neng Sosu whenever he had the chance.
“You have a knack for stealth and agility. Try to approach Neng Sosu discreetly. If you can manage to mark her with this brush, I’ll let you move on to the next stage.”
Sabigang had even informed Neng Sosu of this challenge.
Jo Muntak was confident.
When it came to stealth and agility, he believed he was second to none.
Hadn’t he once helped Yeom Jaryang steal Sabigang’s sword?
“Though, I was too nervous back then to show my true skills.”
Still, he had managed to approach Yeon Woo-gyeong and Mok Dan-hwa without them noticing.
Surely, someone as seemingly oblivious as Neng Sosu would be no problem.
Or so he thought.
“How does she always know?”
Neng Sosu was proving to be the most challenging.
He couldn’t even get close enough to mark her with the brush.
Every time he got within twenty paces, she would inevitably sense him.
“Is Sosu really that perceptive?”
Jo Muntak let out a deep sigh.
“It’s not that I’m lacking; it’s just that your senses are too sharp.”
“That can’t be. I’m sensitive, but I wouldn’t say my senses are extraordinary.”
“No, I’m confident I could mark Yeon Woo-gyeong or Mok Dan-hwa with this brush. But with you, it’s impossible.”
“Strange. I’ve never thought of myself as having exceptional senses.”
“Then how do you always sense my presence?”
“I just… feel it. Like a tickling at the back of my neck? As if the wind is whispering.”
Jo Muntak shook his head in disbelief.
The wind whispering?
“What kind of nonsense is that?”
He grumbled inwardly as he turned away.
“What are you two doing here?”
Suddenly, Yeon Woo-gyeong’s group approached with a cold smile.
It was clear they weren’t coming over with friendly intentions.
Jo Muntak tried to ignore them and move on.
“Muntak. When someone asks a question, you should answer. Or were you two up to something too embarrassing to admit?”
Jo Muntak bristled at the taunt and glared at Yeon Woo-gyeong, who smirked and raised his chin defiantly.
As if to say, “What are you going to do about it?”
Jo Muntak lowered his gaze.
“Come on, let’s stop this. We’re all in the same class. Let’s try to get along.”
“The same class, huh…”
Yeon Woo-gyeong walked up to Jo Muntak.
“Being in the same class doesn’t mean we’re of the same status.”
“What?”
“How dare a lowly insect like you lecture me? All you’re good for is tattling.”
“Tattling? What are you talking about?”
“Playing dumb? Do you think I don’t know you told Instructor Sabigang about our secret plan to kidnap someone?”
Yeon Woo-gyeong’s expression twisted slowly.
A murderous aura began to emanate from him.
Neigh!
The horses whinnied in fright.
“Stop it. You’re scaring the horses.”
Neng Sosu stepped in front of Yeon Woo-gyeong, blocking his path.
A deep frown creased Yeon Woo-gyeong’s forehead.
‘What is this?’
These were the same people who couldn’t even meet his gaze before.
And now they stood there, hands on hips, staring him down?
How dare they, with their lowly status.
“You’ve got some nerve. Move aside, I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a girl.”
Yeon Woo-gyeong drew a practice wooden sword.
“Sosu, it’s okay. Step back.”
Jo Muntak said to Neng Sosu, drawing a short practice dagger.
But Neng Sosu didn’t budge.
Instead, she glared sharply at Yeon Woo-gyeong and spoke.
“All those noble words coming from your mouth are so vulgar. You must have been born in the wrong place.”
Everyone present gaped at her in shock.
Jo Muntak was no exception.
He had always thought of Neng Sosu as shy and reserved.
Who knew she could deliver such biting words?
Yeon Woo-gyeong’s face turned a furious shade of red.
He gripped his wooden sword tightly.
“You wretched girl!”
In a flash, he swung the sword at her.
“Ah!”
Jo Muntak cried out in alarm.
Though still young, Yeon Woo-gyeong was the second son of the Paegeomyeonga.
If the unguarded Neng Sosu were hit by that wooden sword, she would surely be seriously injured.
But then—
Whoosh! Thud!
The wooden sword narrowly missed Neng Sosu’s shoulder and struck the ground.
‘What just happened? Did she dodge? No… was he just trying to scare her?’
Jo Muntak’s eyes widened in disbelief.
Neng Sosu hadn’t moved an inch.
In truth, she hadn’t even thought to dodge.
Yeon Woo-gyeong had been too fast.
So even Neng Sosu couldn’t comprehend what had just happened.
Yeon Woo-gyeong was equally bewildered.
His brow furrowed deeply.
‘How did this happen…?’
He was sure he had struck Neng Sosu.
He had swung with enough force to dislocate her shoulder.
Yet just before the sword made contact, it veered off course as if pushed by an invisible force.
Furious, Yeon Woo-gyeong raised his sword again and took a step forward.
But then—
Slip!
Thud!
His foot slipped, and he fell flat on his backside.
The sight was so ridiculous that Jo Muntak couldn’t help but chuckle.
Yeon Woo-gyeong sprang to his feet, shouting in rage.
“You filthy insects! I’ll kill you all!”
At that moment—
“Isn’t your language a bit too harsh?”
Yeom Jaryang approached, his steps unhurried.
Yeon Woo-gyeong glared at him, seething.
“Stay out of this.”
“Whether I get involved or not is up to me. By the way, where’s Gok Bo-ok, who always hangs around with you?”
“None of your business.”
“I’m asking because I’m concerned. You’re not up to something shady again, are you?”
Yeom Jaryang’s words made Yeon Woo-gyeong’s brow furrow.
Everyone seemed to be defying him.
In the past, they would never have dared.
They would have groveled and flattered him.
‘It’s all because of that instructor!’
Yeom Jaryang pressed on.
“Where’s Gok Bo-ok? When someone asks, you should answer.”
Just then—
“Here I am. Why are you looking for me?”
A voice called out from the forest.
Gok Bo-ok emerged, pushing through the underbrush.
He seemed out of breath, as if he had been running.
A smirk appeared on Yeon Woo-gyeong’s lips.
“Your precious Bo-ok is here. Is that answer enough?”
Yeom Jaryang silently observed them.
A tense atmosphere hung in the air.
“Are you guys practicing dueling under the moonlight?”
This time, a clear voice rang out as Maeseollan appeared.
The students turned to her, caught off guard.
She surveyed them with a cold gaze.
“Let’s all take it easy tonight.”
”…”
“What are you waiting for? Go and rest.”
Reluctantly, the students began to disperse.
“Bo-ok, come with me.”
Maeseollan smiled at the flustered Gok Bo-ok.
**
“Tell me. What did you see?”
Maeseollan narrowed her eyes, scrutinizing Gok Bo-ok.
He fidgeted nervously, mumbling.
“I’m not sure what you mean…”
“Do I seem so oblivious that I wouldn’t notice you leaving the group?”
”…!”
“So, what did you see in the canyon?”
Gok Bo-ok squeezed his eyes shut.
After a moment, he opened them with a determined expression.
“Instructor! We need to leave this place!”
“What?”
“We have to get out of here.”
“Why?”
“Inside that canyon… there’s…!”
Gok Bo-ok bit his lip.
He couldn’t bring himself to say, “It’s a leper colony!”
If he admitted that, he would be labeled as a suspicious element who had entered and exited the colony.
He could be isolated until he completed all the academy’s courses.
Shunned by everyone.
“What is it that’s there?”
“Well… um…”
“Speak up.”
“There’s… a ghost in there!”
“What?”
“I saw a ghost! It’s true! This place is even called ‘Jigwi.’ Please believe me.”
He had no choice.
He had to lie.
But he was sincere about needing to leave this place.
His expression was more earnest than ever, which only made Maeseollan more exasperated.
‘Despite everything, he’s still just a kid, isn’t he?’
She had deliberately allowed Gok Bo-ok to leave the group.
He wanted nothing more than to follow Sabigang himself, but he couldn’t easily leave the cadets unprotected. Especially after the recent incident with the Black Twin Demons, he was on high alert.
But seeing a ghost?
Perhaps Sabigang had already noticed Gok Bo-ok tailing him. Maybe he had conjured up an illusion to throw him off. It seemed like something Sabigang would be capable of, though he couldn’t quite figure out how.
Maeseollan let out a deep sigh. “Is that all?”
Gok Bo-ok hung his head low. ‘I can’t tell the truth. If I do, they’ll treat me like a leper.’
When he nodded, Maeseollan waved him off. “Alright, you can go.”
Gok Bo-ok stepped down from the carriage, his shoulders slumped. As he walked away, a voice stopped him.
“You weren’t planning on telling me ghost stories, were you?”
He looked up to see Yeon Woo-gyeong blocking his path, a cold smile on his face. “Let’s find a quiet place to talk.”
Neung Soso sat cross-legged, practicing the energy flow technique Sabigang had taught her. Her mind gradually cleared. Finally, she opened her eyes to the tranquil forest around her. She sat on a large rock, scanning the silent surroundings. In the past, she wouldn’t have dared to venture out alone at night like this. But now, she often walked a little away from the group to practice, with Sabigang and Maeseollan’s permission.
‘What was that earlier?’ she wondered. When Yeon Woo-gyeong had struck her, she felt a strange sensation, as if she were being protected by an unseen force. It could have been a coincidence, but Neung Soso was convinced it wasn’t.
“One day, destiny will speak to you. When it does, you’ll feel something extraordinary,” Sabigang had often told her at night.
“Could it be related to what happened earlier?”
Just then, she heard a burst of laughter. Startled, Neung Soso turned her head quickly, but saw only leaves rustling in the breeze. Then again, the laughter echoed—soft and lilting. She whipped her head in the opposite direction, but again, it was just the sound of wind through the leaves.
‘What’s happening? Am I losing my mind? Why am I hearing these strange sounds?’ Terrified, she clamped her hands over her ears.
But the whispers and giggles continued, surrounding her. Her heart pounded wildly. Was this what they called a mental breakdown? She had never experienced one, so she had no idea what the symptoms were. All she knew was that she was alone, yet she could hear voices.
‘Stop it. Please! Enough!’ Neung Soso pulled her knees to her chest and squeezed her eyes shut.
Tap, tap.
Someone lightly tapped the top of her head.
‘Stop it. Stop it.’ She muttered to herself, slowly opening her eyes.
A faint blue light flickered on the ground. Tap, tap. The tapping came again. Neung Soso slowly lifted her head.
And there it was, floating in the air. Her eyes widened in shock.
“Oh my god.”