Episode 53: Return to the Demon Sect
At first, I thought it was a dragonfly shimmering in blue light.
But upon closer inspection, it had a human form.
Nung Sosu felt as if she were dreaming.
A person no bigger than her thumb.
It was impossible to tell if the tiny figure was male or female, but it had long, delicate wings like a dragonfly.
Despite the strangeness of the sight, she didn’t scream.
The little being was too small, too beautiful, and too mysterious for that.
In fact, the fear she felt when she couldn’t see it vanished.
The tiny creature flitted about, appearing and disappearing in various places.
It seemed there was more than one.
After a long silence, Nung Sosu finally found her voice.
“Was it you… who laughed?”
To her surprise, the little creature answered, though it felt more like the words resonated in her mind than reached her ears.
“Who are you?”
Even as one Sylph spoke, others whispered and giggled among themselves as if playing.
“Sylphs…”
“Call you? Did I summon you?”
“I don’t understand. What do you mean by ‘pact’?”
The Sylph fluttered up, hovering in the air as if gathering its thoughts.
“Was it you who helped me dodge the wooden sword earlier?”
“But I never made a pact.”
Nung Sosu fell into deep thought.
Was this a dream or reality?
The sudden appearance of a winged creature talking about pacts made everything feel surreal.
‘Could this be the wondrous experience the instructor once mentioned?’
It was indeed enchanting.
The mysterious being before her felt incredibly familiar.
A pact.
The word was heavy and formal, yet the winged creature was nothing but endearing.
In the end, as if entranced, Nung Sosu nodded.
“Alright. I’ll make a pact.”
With a burst of laughter, the Sylph vanished into thin air.
Even after it disappeared, Nung Sosu sat there, dazed.
Rustle.
A sudden noise snapped her back to reality.
Fear gripped her.
‘What have I done?’
It felt like waking from a dream, returning to reality.
A pact? Did she even know what that meant?
Was it something more frightening than she imagined?
‘Will they really appear if I call?’
As she pondered whether to try calling them, a familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.
“So, you’ve made a pact with the Sylph.”
“Instructor!”
Nung Sosu turned, her face lighting up.
Sabi Kang approached with a faint smile.
“You know about the Sylphs, Instructor?”
“Of course. They’re spirits of the wind.”
“Spirits of the wind? So, are they like ghosts or souls?”
“Not quite, but you could say they’re similar.”
At that, a strong gust of wind swirled around Sabi Kang, as if in protest.
“Sylphs are lower spirits.”
“Lower? Does that mean there are higher ones?”
“There are intermediate, high, and supreme spirits. And then there’s the Spirit King.”
“I don’t understand any of this. I didn’t even know such things existed or that you could talk to them.”
“That’s because in the Central Plains, martial arts have developed focusing on internal cultivation rather than external environments.”
“It sounds like you’re saying other places use external environments more.”
“Exactly. That’s why you must prepare to face their way of fighting.”
Nung Sosu didn’t understand a word but listened quietly.
“You have a natural talent for spirit arts. Don’t neglect your training.”
“But I don’t know how to train…”
“Heh. Haven’t you been training every night?”
“Then… could it be…?”
“Yes. The techniques I taught you are all related to spirit arts. The breathing exercises too.”
“So, if I train hard, can I make pacts with other spirits besides the wind spirit?”
“Of course. Water, fire, earth, even spirits that govern emotions. Though reaching that level is quite challenging.”
Nung Sosu looked at Sabi Kang with a bewildered expression.
It all seemed like chasing clouds.
But having just made a pact with a Sylph, she couldn’t dismiss it.
“By the way, only you will be able to see the spirits. And it’s best not to talk about this yet. It could easily be mistaken for dark arts.”
“Yes, Instructor. I’ll remember.”
“Spirits are summoned from the spirit realm. So even without mana in this world, if your mental strength and affinity are exceptional, you can summon them. But the more difficult the spirit, the more mana you’ll need.”
“Mana… what’s that?”
“You’ll learn in time. Anyway, congratulations. Your hard work has paid off.”
Sabi Kang smiled warmly.
Nung Sosu lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed.
**
After Sabi Kang’s return, morning came.
He said nothing.
The day was spent in outdoor training.
Sabi Kang taught his unique breathing techniques, energy circulation, and provided individual guidance.
Of course, some students refused the individual guidance.
Namely, Yeon Woo-kyung’s group.
Finally, as the sun set and night deepened.
“Alright, everyone, return to your places and rest. Tomorrow, we leave this place.”
As Sabi Kang spoke, the students began to disperse.
“Isn’t it time you told us?”
“Hmm? Told you what?”
Sabi Kang furrowed his brow, looking at Yeon Woo-kyung.
Yeon Woo-kyung smirked, gesturing towards Gok Bo-ok.
“We’ve heard everything. About what’s inside that canyon.”
All eyes turned to Gok Bo-ok.
For some reason, he stood alone, slightly apart from Yeon Woo-kyung’s group.
Sabi Kang tilted his head, puzzled.
“What are you talking about?”
“Are you going to keep pretending? It’s time you explain what’s inside that canyon! Why do people call it a cursed place? We have a right to know!”
As Yeon Woo-kyung pressed, the students began to murmur.
Sabi Kang sighed and finally responded.
“Since you’re so curious, I’ll tell you.”
The students, including Mae Seol-ran, swallowed nervously, waiting for his words.
“Inside there…”
”…”
”… live warriors.”
“What?”
Yeon Woo-kyung frowned.
The other students exchanged confused glances.
Was that really an answer?
“They’re quite strong warriors. I need their help, so I’ve come to ask them. I’ve given them two days to think, and now I’m waiting.”
The students murmured again.
This time, Mae Seol-ran spoke up.
“Warriors? Who are they? They’re not from the unorthodox sects, are they?”
“Even if they were, what does it matter if they can help?”
“What? That’s a dangerous statement…”
“Don’t worry. They’re not unorthodox.”
“Then who?”
Mae Seol-ran asked, her brow furrowed.
Her expression showed she wouldn’t back down easily this time.
‘Well, they’ll find out eventually.’
Sabi Kang shrugged and answered.
“Tang Yi-hyeop and his followers.”
“Tang Yi-hyeop…?”
Mae Seol-ran frowned, deep in thought.
The name sounded familiar.
But she couldn’t quite place it.
Then suddenly.
“Could it be…! The Tang Yi-hyeop who was the young master of the Sichuan Tang Clan?”
“Yes.”
“That’s impossible!”
“But it’s true.”
Mae Seol-ran was speechless, her mouth agape.
Who was Tang Yi-hyeop?
Wasn’t he once among the top hundred martial artists in the martial world?
Yet one day, he vanished without a trace.
Along with his followers.
Even so, the Sichuan Tang Clan acted swiftly.
They quickly appointed Yi Gong-ja as the young master to minimize chaos.
As if they had anticipated the young master’s disappearance.
This led to speculation of a power struggle between the young master and Yi Gong-ja.
But the Tang family was known for their exceptional camaraderie.
They were a family renowned for their strong bonds.
So that theory didn’t gain much traction.
Regardless, Tang Yi-hyeop’s disappearance remained one of the greatest mysteries of the era.
And now, the young master of the Sichuan Tang Clan was hiding here?
The mention of the Sichuan Tang Clan stirred the students into a buzz of conversation.
Then, unexpectedly, Yeon Woo-kyung burst into laughter.
“Now it all makes sense! Hahaha!”
“What do you mean?”
“If that’s true, it explains why the young master of the Sichuan Tang Clan is living in such a place.”
“What are you trying to say?”
“You still won’t say it. But we have a witness!”
“And?”
Sabi Kang replied calmly, as Yeon Woo-kyung gritted his teeth and turned to Mae Seol-ran.
“Mae Seol-ran, Instructor! We need to leave here immediately.”
“Why?”
“The people living in that canyon are all…”
Yeon Woo-kyung paused, scanning the students before continuing.
“Leprosy patients!”
“What?”
Mae Seol-ran screamed, and the students gasped, looking at each other in shock.
Maesullan tried to keep her composure as she asked again, “What’s your evidence?”
“Gok Bo-ok witnessed it himself,” Yeon Woo-gyeong replied, pointing a finger at Gok Bo-ok, who stood off to the side.
The cadets scattered, distancing themselves from Gok Bo-ok. He bit his lip and spoke, “It’s true. I saw lepers there.”
His expression was one of utter despair. He hadn’t wanted to tell Yeon Woo-gyeong, fearing he’d be treated as a potential leper himself. But deceiving the sharp Yeon Woo-gyeong was no easy task. In the end, he confessed under pressure.
“Oh my god…” Maesullan looked at Sabi-gang with a shaken expression. “Is what he’s saying true?”
Now it made sense why Gok Bo-ok had insisted they leave last night. The cadets murmured among themselves, their faces pale with fear.
“Lepers? What’s going on?”
“Now that you mention it… the curse people talked about…”
“The graffiti everywhere makes sense now.”
Sabi-gang stepped forward. “Everyone, calm down. Leprosy isn’t contagious. And those living there aren’t lepers. They spread those rumors to focus solely on their training.”
“No, no! I saw them with my own eyes! Their faces were rotting! They looked like walking corpses!” Gok Bo-ok cried out, terror-stricken.
Yeon Woo-gyeong smirked coldly. “So he says. Bo-ok was scrubbing himself raw in the stream from last night until dawn, afraid he might have caught the cursed disease. I saw it with my own eyes.”
He surveyed the now silent surroundings before continuing, “We need to leave this dangerous place and return to the academy immediately. Now that Bo-ok has spoken, and we know the truth, we can’t delay. Unfortunately, the academy will likely hold the instructor accountable for this.”
Yeon Woo-gyeong’s cold smile widened. He had won. He had finally found the eccentric instructor’s fatal mistake. But Sabi-gang nonchalantly picked his ear and muttered, “I’m telling you, he just saw things.”
“That’s impossible…!”
Just then, a sudden rustling filled the air. Figures in black cloaks and wide-brimmed hats descended like rain.
The cadets were startled by the sudden appearance of the strangers. “Who are they?”
In a flash, Gok Bo-ok screamed, “Ahhh! It’s them! They’re the lepers! They’re here to silence us or infect us!”
The cadets drew their swords, ready to defend themselves.
Yeon Woo-gyeong also unsheathed his sword, pointing it at the newcomers. A man in a red cloak approached with steady steps.
“Stop right there!” Yeon Woo-gyeong shouted.
But the man with the wide-brimmed hat ignored him, continuing his approach. He finally stopped in front of Yeon Woo-gyeong and spoke in a gravelly voice, “Accusing me, Tang Yi-hyeop, of being a leper… should I take that as an insult to the Tang family?”
Tang Yi-hyeop slowly removed his hat, revealing his face. To everyone’s surprise, especially Gok Bo-ok’s, he looked perfectly healthy.
Gok Bo-ok rubbed his eyes and looked again. The man had a rather handsome face, far from what one would expect of a leper.
While Yeon Woo-gyeong stood there, dumbfounded, Tang Yi-hyeop approached Sabi-gang, knelt on one knee, and bowed. “Tang Yi-hyeop pledges to follow the instructor’s will for life. Please accept me.”
“Please accept us!” The men in cloaks knelt in unison, their voices echoing powerfully.
As the cadets stood bewildered, a gentle smile played on Sabi-gang’s lips as he watched the scene unfold.