Episode 95: Return to the Demon Sect
Maeseollan’s eyes snapped open.
‘Just now…!’
A scream.
Yes, she was sure of it.
A scream had pierced her ears.
Her heart raced.
In the dim surroundings, an unfamiliar ceiling came into view.
‘Where am I?’
For a moment, she couldn’t gather her thoughts.
No, it was hard to keep her mind clear.
Everything was spinning.
‘Right, I was walking with Instructor Sabigang on the mountain path…’
Suddenly, she remembered.
They had sought rest in a strange house.
A secluded home where a handsome couple lived.
This was that very house.
Thud!
She quickly sat up.
“Ah…!”
Her head spun.
As she tried to get off the bed, she stumbled, unable to find her balance.
‘What’s wrong with my body…?’
Something was definitely amiss.
“Instructor Sa! Instructor Sabigang!”
She shouted urgently.
But there was no response.
Staggering, she managed to approach Sabigang’s bed.
‘He’s not here?’
She quickly scanned the room.
The door was ajar.
Determined, she moved towards the open door.
“Ahhhhh!”
Another piercing scream tore through the air.
Maeseollan bit her lip hard to keep her mind from slipping away.
Blood trickled down her chin as she finally pushed the door open and stepped outside, the cold air helping her regain some clarity.
But the scene that met her eyes was hard to comprehend.
In the courtyard stood Sabigang, holding a sword dripping with blood. At his feet lay a man, a fatal wound in his chest.
The man seemed to have died instantly, his heart pierced.
In Sabigang’s other hand was something else, also stained with blood.
“What… what happened here?”
A beautiful woman cradled the man’s body, wailing in despair.
“Nooooo!”
After a long cry, the woman turned her head sharply, glaring at Sabigang.
“You monster!”
“I’m sorry,” Sabigang replied, his voice calm and steady.
“You killed my husband!”
“I had no choice. You people…”
“Shut up! I’ll kill you myself!”
In an instant, the woman leaped towards Sabigang with surprising speed.
‘She knows martial arts?’
Maeseollan’s eyes widened in shock.
But Sabigang swiftly dodged her attack.
“Die!”
The woman screamed, launching another attack.
In a flash, Sabigang caught her wrist with a swift move and struck her with a powerful blow.
Boom!
The force of the strike tore her clothes apart.
“Ugh!”
The woman spat blood as she was thrown back, hastily trying to cover herself.
Watching, Maeseollan shouted urgently.
“What is going on? Instructor Sa!”
“Stay out of it.”
“But why are you fighting them…?”
The woman turned to Maeseollan, shouting.
“That bastard killed my husband and now he’s trying to kill me too!”
“But why…?”
“For a ring! He wanted the ring my husband was wearing!”
The woman’s finger pointed to Sabigang’s left hand.
It was the hand stained with blood.
Maeseollan looked closely and saw something glinting in his hand.
“Could it be… you killed for that ring?”
“Well… yes.”
Sabigang didn’t deny it.
Maeseollan’s brow furrowed deeply.
“What on earth are you doing? For a mere trinket…?”
She stopped mid-sentence, a thought striking her.
Could it be?
The jewelry Sabigang had mentioned before…
Was it related to this situation?
If so, she wanted no part of it.
No matter how valuable, she refused to take something stolen in such a way.
“If this is what I think it is, I absolutely refuse…!”
“I told you, there’s always a reason for everything.”
“What on earth…”
“Miss Maeseollan, stay out of this.”
“I can’t. Did something happen to you while you were captured by those bandits?”
Finally, Maeseollan stepped in front of the woman, blocking her path.
“I can’t just stand by. Give me a reason I can understand.”
“As you can see, there’s no time for that now.”
“But at least explain…!”
“I really have no choice.”
Sabigang’s eyes turned cold.
In the next moment.
Whoosh!
Maeseollan’s eyes widened.
A fiery orb formed in Sabigang’s hand.
In an instant.
Swoosh!
The fireball flew straight towards Maeseollan.
“Ahhh!”
She ducked quickly.
But the fireball wasn’t aimed at her.
It narrowly missed her and exploded behind her.
Boom! Whoosh!
A scream of agony pierced the air.
Maeseollan turned to see the woman engulfed in flames, writhing and screaming.
“No!”
She started to run towards her.
“Just watch.”
Sabigang, who had approached unnoticed, grabbed her wrist.
She tried to protest.
“She was about to attack you from behind. Trust me for now.”
“But that thing in your hand…!”
“Just watch for now.”
Sabigang remained calm.
Maeseollan didn’t argue further.
But watching the burning woman was unbearable, so she turned her gaze away.
Then.
“Now, watch closely.”
Maeseollan glanced up.
And then.
“Gasp!”
She caught her breath.
The woman’s body, writhing in pain, began to transform, turning into a massive serpent.
“What… what is that? How…?”
“Look there too.”
Sabigang pointed to where the man had fallen.
There lay another large serpent, lifeless.
“What is this…?”
“Yin-Yang Twin Illusion Serpents.”
”…!”
“You’ve heard of them, right? Mystical creatures that feed on yin and yang energy. They always come in pairs.”
“So… the couple was never human…”
“Right, they were Yin-Yang Twin Illusion Serpents.”
“Then this house too… Ah!”
Maeseollan exclaimed, looking around in shock.
The house that had stood there moments ago had transformed into a landscape of bizarre rocks.
The bed she had lain on was now a flat stone.
Hissss!
The injured serpent slithered weakly beside the rock, its tongue flicking out.
But it couldn’t move easily due to its deep wounds.
Sabigang approached the serpent.
“This one is the Yin Serpent. The female.”
Hiss!
The Yin Serpent raised its head, flicking its tongue as if to ward off Sabigang.
But it was too weak to pose any threat.
Sabigang used a gravity spell, forcing the serpent’s head to the ground.
Crack!
With a swift motion, Sabigang drove his sword into the serpent’s head.
Maeseollan shut her eyes tightly, turning away.
“Haha. It’s been a while since I’ve had snake soup.”
“Was the treasure you were looking for the Yin-Yang Twin Illusion Serpents?”
“No, this.”
Sabigang lifted the limp Yin Serpent.
Then, he drew a dagger and sliced open its belly.
Inside, something glinted.
‘Earrings?’
They were the same ones the serpent had worn when it appeared as a woman.
“They’re items from another world. They must have been inside a barrier. But these creatures swallowed them.”
“What are they?”
“The ring gradually restores your energy just by wearing it. The earrings increase your mana by fifty percent the moment you put them on.”
“Mana…?”
“Yes. You can convert mana into internal energy…”
“In other words, it increases your internal energy by about half.”
“Exactly.”
Sabigang grinned as he approached.
“Here, a gift.”
“For me?”
“I told you at the inn, I might propose.”
“P-Propose! Here, in a place like this…?”
“Oh? So it’s okay if it’s not here? Haha.”
“That’s not what I meant!”
“Haha. Just a joke. It’s a gift. You’ll be helping me a lot in the future.”
“That’s not funny at all.”
Maeseollan pouted, though she seemed a bit pleased.
‘But this is such a rare item…’
Noticing her hesitation, Sabigang spoke casually.
“Take it. The road ahead with me is long and tough.”
“Well… if you insist.”
“You’re quite the character.”
“That’s a strange nickname.”
Maeseollan turned her head sharply, but a faint smile played on her lips.
**
“He’s gone on a journey?”
“Yes, it seems he’s traveling with Assistant Instructor Maeseollan.”
“A journey at a time like this…”
Guyun murmured to himself, gently swaying his fan.
Biryung continued his report.
“From what I saw, he seemed like a very carefree person.”
“But that lightness shattered heavy injustice.”
“Do you really think… he holds hope?”
Biryung’s voice dropped to a near whisper.
It was a question as sensitive as it was crucial.
Gu Yoon didn’t rush to answer.
It was rare for her to seek his opinion like this.
Usually, it meant she was genuinely concerned about him.
Finally, Gu Yoon spoke.
“I’ve reviewed the reports. This Sabigang character is intriguing. He’s done some significant things at Yongcheon Hall.”
“But…”
“What if he could achieve the same within the Jeongdo League?”
“You can’t equate the academy with the League.”
“Hahaha! So now you’re teaching me, Biryung.”
“I’m sorry!”
Biryung quickly knelt, apologizing.
But Gu Yoon waved it off, seemingly unbothered.
“Don’t worry, I’m not scolding you. Stand up.”
“I overstepped.”
“You’re right, the League and the academy are different. But… corruption behaves the same everywhere. So, couldn’t he pull off the same feats here? Those unbelievable things he did at Yongcheon Hall. Maybe even here…”
“Perhaps you should have Hyesonggak review it?”
Hyesonggak was the agency responsible for gathering and analyzing information from Cheonan Hall.
It was a direct military unit, the only one Gu Yoon fully trusted.
In fact, within Hyesonggak, Gu Yoon had formed a special team called the “Secret Affairs Unit” to gather information independently.
They often investigated the data that Cheonan Hall, under the influence of Deungwangpae, deliberately omitted.
Gu Yoon shook his head.
“Being in the military taught me that analysis and theory can’t solve everything. Sometimes, you need a sense that goes beyond analysis. This is one of those times. The more I analyze this Sabigang, the more contradictions I find. If I just go by the data, he’s clearly a demon. Yet, he didn’t even react to the demon-detecting amulet. Right now, I need intuition more than analysis. And my gut is telling me to use him.”
”…”
Biryung remained silent.
She had never heard her master speak like this before.
Gu Yoon slowly stood up.
“For the first time, I need to act with my heart, not my head. I have to meet him.”