Episode 644: Return to the Demonic Sect

“Tch!”

Mok Dan-hwa clicked her tongue in frustration as she scanned her surroundings. The trail had gone cold, and she couldn’t sense any presence nearby.

‘Who could have shot that arrow?’

Resting her chin on her hand, Mok Dan-hwa pondered deeply. The arrow had been fired from an impressive distance. Whoever shot it must be a master archer, likely a martial artist specializing in archery.

If that’s the case…

‘It’s unlikely that the Black Heaven Sect is behind this…’

This was an unexpected turn of events. She had been certain that either the Stone Sword Clan or the Black Heaven Sect had kidnapped the girl. After all, those two families were always on the brink of conflict.

‘Could it really not be the work of the Black Heaven Sect?’

Then again, if the Black Heaven Sect were involved, they wouldn’t be so quick to deny it. Even if Seok Tan-gang and Yoo Song-ryeong were not the most learned, they weren’t the type to lie so blatantly.

So, has the Stone Sword Clan truly vanished?

If this isn’t the doing of the Black Heaven Sect and the two have disappeared…

‘Is there a third party involved? Who would dare?’

Mok Dan-hwa sighed softly. Whoever it was had some nerve. Not only did they meddle with her family in Songbaek-hyeon, but they also dared to provoke the Black Heaven Sect. A misstep with them could lead to dire consequences, regardless of one’s martial prowess.

‘Thinking back, those two seemed genuinely surprised. Something must have happened to the Stone Sword Clan.’

It had been a long time since she had scrutinized their expressions so closely. When was the last time? Ah, yes, on the day they were married in Songbaek-hyeon. They had looked so happy then. Mok Dan-hwa had sincerely congratulated them.

Since that day, had there been a time when they truly looked into each other’s eyes and spoke? Initially, they had used busyness as an excuse to neglect each other, and later, they brushed off various issues. The rift had grown deeper until finally…

‘Where did it all go wrong for us?’

Even as she tried to recall, she couldn’t pinpoint it. Nearly thirty years had passed, and things had changed. How could she remember every detail of that process?

For now, she needed to return to the Black Heaven Sect and get to the bottom of this.

With a swift motion, Mok Dan-hwa took off, moving like the wind. Time passed after she left, and a gentle breeze blew. Flower petals drifted down, landing on the pond.

At that moment—

Splash!

Two figures suddenly emerged from the water’s surface.

“Gasp, gasp, gasp!”

“Whew…!”

The two who surfaced were none other than Dan Ri-hyuk and Sa Bi-ran. Climbing onto the bank, they used their internal energy to dry their soaked clothes. As their garments puffed up and dried in an instant, Dan Ri-hyuk let out a sigh of relief.

“We almost got caught. How can someone be that fast?”

“Well, she isn’t the head of the Seomgeom Mok family for nothing. Master Mok’s swordsmanship emphasizes speed, so her lightness skill is naturally quick.”

“Good thing I helped. If it weren’t for me, we would have failed. Someone that perceptive and fast…”

“We were almost caught even now. We were just lucky.”

“Th-this was all part of the plan…”

Sa Bi-ran chuckled at his awkward formality. She looked at Dan Ri-hyuk with a serious expression.

“When your father, Master Dan Ri, was the leader of the Celestial Destruction Sect, the other masters spoke casually to each other. They didn’t use honorifics, but they always obeyed Master Dan Ri’s words. That’s how the organization stayed intact.”

”…”

“I won’t insist on formal speech if it’s more comfortable for you. But remember, my words are not requests—they’re orders. If you plan to defy them, it’s best to leave now. At least during missions, we’re not friends.”

“Alright.”

Dan Ri-hyuk nodded in agreement. The power dynamic was clear. Though Sa Bi-ran had scolded him, she was inwardly impressed by his skills.

‘I planned to shoot from two hundred paces, but he did it from three hundred. If I had done it, we might have been caught. He truly inherited Master Dan Ri’s blood.’

Dan Ri-hyuk looked down at his bow and said, “If it were my father’s bow, I would have shot even better.”

“But didn’t you say you wouldn’t use a bow?”

“Well… I did.”

Dan Ri-hyuk quietly gazed at the bow, but Sa Bi-ran could sense the turmoil within him.

‘If this incident makes him pick up the bow again, it would be a good sign. It might even bring harmony to Master Dan Ri’s family.’

Dan Ri-hyuk asked, “What do we do now?”

“We’ve set the bait; now we catch the fish.”

With that, Sa Bi-ran strode forward purposefully.

**

“What happened?”

Yeon Woo-gyeong hurried over to ask. Mok Dan-hwa shook her head.

“I lost them.”

Yeon Woo-gyeong’s face showed disbelief, while Seok Tan-gang and Yoo Song-ryeong sighed quietly. Mok Dan-hwa scrutinized their expressions closely.

‘It’s not an act.’

Yeon Woo-gyeong spoke, “To evade your lightness skill… Who in Songbaek-hyeon could do that?”

“It might not be someone from Songbaek-hyeon.”

“Then…?”

Yeon Woo-gyeong’s gaze shifted to Seok Tan-gang and Yoo Song-ryeong, as if questioning their innocence.

Mok Dan-hwa sighed lightly and said, “It seems like a professionally trained group. They were too fast for me to catch, and their archery was exceptional.”

“Indeed. I felt it too. It would be impossible for anyone but a professional archer. Ah, there was this on the arrow.”

Yeon Woo-gyeong showed a torn piece of paper.

“It’s torn?”

“Yes, well…”

Yeon Woo-gyeong glanced at Seok Tan-gang. With a stoic expression, Seok Tan-gang approached and tossed a piece of paper he had. Yeon Woo-gyeong caught it and showed it to Mok Dan-hwa.

Her expression twisted as she read the words.

“Who dares…!”

“What do you think we should do?”

“Hmm. What do you think?”

“I think we should take the Demon Stone to the ancestral shrine. That way, we’ll naturally find out who they are. There’s no other way, is there?”

“I agree.”

“Then… what do you two think?”

Yeon Woo-gyeong asked hesitantly, feeling a bit guilty for barging into the Black Heaven Sect and causing a commotion.

Seok Tan-gang sneered, “It’s a relief you’re not accusing us of targeting the Demon Stone.”

“It was a mistake.”

“Make another mistake, and our son will be a murderer, not a kidnapper.”

“Ugh.”

Yeon Woo-gyeong pressed his lips together, unable to bring himself to apologize.

Yoo Song-ryeong’s voice cut sharply, “Does the esteemed righteous sect not teach how to apologize for mistakes?”

Mok Dan-hwa raised an eyebrow and retorted, “Haven’t you ever wronged us? How about not being grateful for our help?”

“Bringing up things from over thirty years ago!”

“So gratitude fades after thirty years? Is that the way of the demonic sect?”

“Hmph! You have no right to speak when you can’t even admit your current mistakes.”

“What did you say?”

As the two women flared up, ready to unleash their power, Jang Ryeo-sim intervened.

“Please, calm down and think rationally. Now is not the time for division but for unity. Though I failed to protect the young master, I speak up to fulfill my responsibility. Please don’t misunderstand my sincere advice.”

With his words, Mok Dan-hwa and Yoo Song-ryeong reluctantly stepped back, their expressions sour.

Jang Ryeo-sim sighed in relief and said, “Now, we must find those kidnappers. When we meet them, what will you do…?”

“Of course, we’ll tear them apart!”

“Of course, we’ll tear them apart!”

Mok Dan-hwa and Yoo Song-ryeong shouted in unison. They glanced at each other, then quickly turned away, seemingly annoyed by their shared sentiment.

Jang Ryeo-sim sighed, feeling the tension. The kidnappers were making demands of both families. They needed to unite to overcome this challenge. But here they were, bickering…

How long did the awkward silence last?

Mok Dan-hwa glanced at Yoo Song-ryeong and furrowed her brow slightly.

“Hmm…? Is that…?”

Yoo Song-ryeong followed Mok Dan-hwa’s gaze to her sword, then quickly hid it, looking flustered.

“W-what? What?”

Mok Dan-hwa smirked, “I gave you that.”

“Hmph! You must be mistaken.”

“No, I’m sure. I made it. It’s not something you can buy on the street.”

Mok Dan-hwa was referring to the silk cord attached to the sword. It was a gift she had woven for Yoo Song-ryeong on her wedding day. The cord, made from naturally dyed silkworm thread, had hardly aged over the years.

Yoo Song-ryeong hadn’t given it much thought until she felt Mok Dan-hwa’s gaze.

Having been bound to that place for so long, it was as if he considered himself one with the ancient statue.

Just then, Yeon Woo-kyung chimed in.

“Indeed. That embroidery… it’s definitely your wife’s handiwork.”

“So what? Are you saying I should rip it off and give it to you now?”

When Yoo Song-ryeong responded somewhat childishly, Yeon Woo-kyung and Mok Dan-hwa exchanged glances and let out a small, amused laugh.

Yeon Woo-kyung turned to Seok Tan-gang, his voice softening a bit.

“My daughter once asked me if we were truly friends back then. That night, I thought about it. What did we go through as friends? Honestly, all I could remember was fighting demons.”

“That’s understandable. It was that kind of time,” Seok Tan-gang nodded in agreement.

Yeon Woo-kyung lifted his gaze.

The dawn sky was dotted with countless stars.

As he looked at the stars, he continued speaking.

“There must have been as many events as there are stars up there. Yet, I can’t recall much. So I wondered, ‘Were we really friends?’ After all, it’s been thirty years. But do you know what’s funny?”

”…?”

“I can’t remember any of those events clearly… but the feelings from that time, those I remember. The emotions we shared as comrades… those I remember.”

Yeon Woo-kyung’s eyes met Seok Tan-gang’s.

Seok Tan-gang met his gaze calmly.

Finally, Seok Tan-gang spoke.

“I remember. The feelings from back then.”

“So, what do you think? It seems we have a new threat looming over us… Wouldn’t you like to show them just how formidable we can be, even if only for a moment?”

“Hmph, why wouldn’t I? Whoever they are, they need to learn the hard way what it means to cross us.”

“Then let’s indulge in those old feelings, even if just for a little while.”

Yeon Woo-kyung extended his hand.

“For a little while, then.”

Seok Tan-gang reached out and clasped Yeon Woo-kyung’s hand firmly.