Episode 525: Return of the Demon Cultist
Jonya slowly opened her eyes.
“Are you awake now?”
The man holding her asked quietly.
The sun blazed brightly overhead, making it hard to see his face clearly.
She slowly sat up and looked around.
Her whole body felt stiff and sore.
Stretching her arms high above her head, she let out a long yawn.
Her gaze was filled with the sight of a vast field of flowers spread across the valley.
Butterflies and bees lazily flitted about above them.
A gentle breeze played with her hair, tugging at it persistently.
It was serene and peaceful.
Perhaps because she hadn’t fully regained her senses, Jonya sat there in a daze for a while.
Sitting on the porch of a quaint little house.
Maybe it was an instinctive desire not to disturb this tranquility.
“What are you thinking about?”
The voice came again from behind her.
Jonya turned slowly.
Seventeen tilted his head, looking at her.
His smile.
Just as beautiful as it had been that day long ago.
“Brother, always look at me with that smile.”
Jonya felt a sudden urge to be playful today.
She crawled over and nestled into Seventeen’s embrace.
“Why the sudden change in behavior?”
“Just… I want to stay like this for a bit.”
“Then let’s do that.”
Seventeen gently stroked her shoulder and back.
A comforting touch. A pleasant breeze. Warm sunlight.
Nothing was lacking.
This was their dream.
Simple, yet deeply cherished.
Seventeen furrowed his brow slightly and asked,
“Why are you crying?”
“Brother… I had a dream.”
“A nightmare?”
“Yes. A terrible one. It felt so long.”
“Don’t worry about it. A dream is just a dream.”
“You’re right. But I was so tired, sad, and lonely. You weren’t there.”
“But I’m here with you now, aren’t I?”
“Yes. And that makes me happy.”
Jonya held Seventeen’s hand tightly.
As she felt the gentle breeze, sleep began to overtake her once more.
“Brother… I’m getting sleepy again…”
“Don’t worry, just sleep. You’ll only have happy dreams now.”
“Promise you won’t go anywhere else, okay?”
“Of course. Where would I go, leaving my dear Yeoni behind?”
“Okay… I’m going to sleep…”
“Lullaby, lullaby, my dear Yeoni…”
“Brother, really. I’m not a child…”
Seventeen’s soft, sweet song echoed in Jonya’s ears.
Yes. My name… was Yeoni.
Even if I don’t remember my surname… the name my brother gave me.
A name meaning ‘the one kept close and loved.’
‘Yeoni…’
**
Jonya was smiling faintly.
Her small hand held tightly onto Sabigang’s.
Her smile, almost fading, was wet with tears.
And with that, Jonya took her last breath.
“Rest in peace. May you find happiness there.”
He had never felt such compassion for an enemy he had to kill.
Or for one he had already killed.
Perhaps it was the influence of the illusionary martial arts she had used against him, risking her life.
He had lived decades in her body within that world of consciousness.
Believing he was her.
Thus, he understood her more than anyone else could.
Sabigang was surprised at himself.
To feel such sorrow over the death of an enemy, a sworn foe.
And he was angry.
At the demons who had created this situation!
Though perhaps the demons were merely scapegoats.
Ultimately, it was humans who had brought about this despair.
The demons had merely nudged things along.
But if he unleashed his anger on humans here, he would become another Jonya.
So Sabigang consciously directed all his fury at the demons.
And when that anger reached its peak, he kicked off the ground and soared onto the roof.
Thud!
Whoosh!
A fierce black wind blew across the sky.
Fierce battles raged throughout the Blood Lotus Pavilion.
Sabigang roared with a lion’s voice.
“Everyone, stop right there!”
It was as if thunder had struck and the heavens roared.
His shout shattered roof tiles, shook the pavilion, and the ground trembled.
The demon knights and Blood Lotus warriors, who had been fighting fiercely, flinched and looked up at the sky.
Sabigang spread his palm wide and murmured softly.
“Blizzard!”
Whoosh!
A bone-chilling wind, accompanied by a blizzard, began to swirl.
Crack…!
Corpses froze in an instant, and the blood they had spilled turned to ice in the blink of an eye.
The warriors and demon knights, caught in the fierce battle, had no way to escape the sudden cold.
“Ugh…!”
“Ahh…!”
Those who tried to leap away from the cold froze in place like statues.
The demon knights, too, were frozen solid, unable to move.
Whoosh!
A natural breeze swept by.
The calamity Sabigang had unleashed came to an end, and a heavy silence descended around the Lotus Pavilion.
Under normal circumstances, he would have found a way to spare the humans mixed in with the demons.
But now, he had no desire for such considerations.
His anger towards the demons was matched by his anger towards humans.
After all, warriors wouldn’t die from being trapped in this cold.
They might suffer internal injuries and need treatment for a while, but their lives wouldn’t be at risk.
Sabigang slowly descended to the ground.
Just then, someone came running towards him.
It was Maesellan and Churyang.
Churyang’s complexion was poor, as if he had been injured.
Maesellan, entering the courtyard, widened her eyes at the sight of the frozen demons and humans.
“What happened here?”
“Are you alright, Master?”
Sabigang nodded slightly and sighed.
“Just… blew off some steam.”
“Then these people…”
“They’ll be fine. Just leave them until they thaw. The cold will have seeped into their bodies, so they’ll be sluggish for a while. In severe cases, they might be paralyzed for days.”
“Look! Even the Black Ghost is here!”
Churyang waved at the Black Ghost, who was frozen with eyes wide open.
Thinking of how the Black Ghost had always challenged him, Churyang felt a bit smug.
He stuck out his tongue, thinking the frozen ghost wouldn’t notice.
“Even frozen, he can see everything. He’ll remember it all when he thaws.”
“Oh! You should have told me sooner!”
Whether Sabigang was serious or not, Churyang quickly adjusted his posture and cleared his throat.
“Ahem! Ahem!”
Maesellan chuckled and looked at Sabigang.
“What do we do now?”
“What else? Pick out the demons and take them down.”
“Got it. I’ll handle it.”
Maesellan stepped forward and began to swing her twin swords.
Swish! Swish!
Two streaks of light weaved through the frozen statues like swimming fish.
Finding and eliminating immobilized enemies was child’s play for her.
Crash! Boom! Crash! Boom!
The ice statues shattered one after another under her swords.
Churyang watched Maesellan, inwardly impressed.
“She’s incredible.”
It wasn’t just flattery.
Even though the enemies were immobile, her ability to glide naturally over the frozen ground, picking out and attacking only the enemies, was astonishing.
And she did it all without touching any allies.
Her elegant swordsmanship suited her perfectly.
“What’s wrong with you?”
Sabigang’s gaze fell on Churyang.
He had noticed that Churyang wasn’t in normal condition.
“Ah, well… actually…”
As Churyang explained what had happened with Chuhuiryong, Sabigang furrowed his brow and sighed.
“Hmm… then it’s likely the Blood Demon took the scroll.”
“What do we do now? If they use it all up…”
“There’s no need to worry. They won’t know how to use the scroll.”
“Oh…!”
“First, let’s find Onggiseung.”
“Yes, Master!”
They quickly found Onggiseung.
He was lying naked at the entrance of the Lotus Pavilion, frozen solid.
Just then, Maesellan finished destroying the frozen demon knights and approached them.
“Is Onggiseung alright?”
“Fortunately, for now.”
Sabigang gestured towards the frozen Onggiseung with his chin.
“But what happened? Demons, all of a sudden. Were they after Onggiseung too?”
“Seems that way. Jonya was here too.”
“Jonya? Where?”
Maesellan looked around in surprise, and Sabigang silently moved.
He led them to where Jonya’s body lay peacefully.
Sabigang’s eyes held a complex mix of emotions as he looked down at her.
Maesellan approached and murmured softly.
“I’m surprised.”
“By what?”
“He looks much more human than I expected.”
“Indeed.”
Sabigang nodded in agreement.
Maeseollan found herself lost in thought.
In a short span of time, her preconceived notions about the Sapa and the leader of the Malyongyo had crumbled.
She let out a brief sigh.
“Being here like this… it makes me wonder what truly makes us human.”
“Perhaps it’s that very contemplation that defines our humanity.”
Sabigang replied with a wry smile, settling into a chair with a broken backrest.
Just then, Churyang rushed over and asked, “Shouldn’t we be pursuing Hyeoldosagoe and Chuhui-ryong?”
“You’re confident in your tracking skills, right?”
“Absolutely!”
“Then how much time can we afford to take?”
“Well, as long as we catch up within three days, I’m sure we can find them.”
“Then let’s rest for a moment. We’ve been fighting for too long.”
“What? Oh, yes…”
Churyang scratched the back of his head, looking puzzled.
It was understandable. Sabigang had charged in, and by the time Churyang arrived, the battle was already over.
Considering the battlefield, a sea of blood and bodies, it seemed the fight had ended in the blink of an eye.
Yet Sabigang said it had been a long battle…?
What Churyang didn’t know was that Sabigang had lived through decades in those brief moments.
Sabigang was mentally exhausted.
He crossed his arms and said, “I’m going to catch some sleep. Let me know when the others wake up. Some of them might not survive without immediate care.”
“Understood, Master.”
Churyang looked at Sabigang with deepened eyes.
He couldn’t quite grasp what had happened, but today, Sabigang seemed more formidable than ever.
And so, Sabigang, as if in mourning, bowed his head and fell asleep in front of Jonya’s body.