Episode 97: Return to the Martial Arts Academy
“And Bo-ok.”
At Sa Bi-gang’s call, Gok Bo-ok turned around eagerly, his face full of anticipation.
“Yes, Instructor! Gok Bo-ok is here!”
“Catch.”
Sa Bi-gang reached into his leather pouch and tossed something to him.
Gok Bo-ok’s grin stretched wide.
“Oh, what is this?”
It was a small vial filled with a red liquid, about the size of a thumb. Its small size suggested it was something incredibly valuable. The liquid’s radiant, mesmerizing red hue was captivating.
‘Of course, the instructor wouldn’t overlook me!’
Sa Bi-gang replied nonchalantly.
“Drink it.”
“Yes, sir! I’ll drink it right away!”
Gok Bo-ok responded confidently and downed the red liquid in one gulp. It was less viscous than honey but thicker than water.
Gulp.
‘Hmm. Let’s see if I feel any changes now.’
Gok Bo-ok closed his eyes, focusing on the flow of his energy.
”…”
Nothing changed.
No way, he thought.
He slowly circulated his energy through his body.
Still, nothing.
‘What’s going on?’
Gok Bo-ok tilted his head, puzzled.
“This is… strange.”
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t feel any change in my energy flow. Did I fail to absorb it?”
“What nonsense are you talking about? What you drank was just a healing potion.”
“What?”
“For your back. You got burned, remember? It’s to heal that.”
Now that he thought about it, the burning sensation had disappeared.
Jo Mun-tak nodded in agreement.
“Wow, the burn on your back healed like magic. That’s some amazing medicine.”
In truth, what Gok Bo-ok drank was a healing potion. He had just mistaken it for some extraordinary elixir due to his high expectations.
“Oh… I see.”
Gok Bo-ok scratched the back of his head, a bit disappointed, but his eyes couldn’t help but wander to Jo Mun-tak’s shoes. He tried not to show it, but he couldn’t hide his envy.
Sa Bi-gang chuckled and pulled something else from his leather pouch.
“Here, take this.”
Before Gok Bo-ok could respond, something was tossed his way, and he caught it instinctively.
“Put these on your arms.”
It was another leather item, seemingly meant to protect his arms. As Gok Bo-ok strapped the leather guards onto his forearms, he felt a distinct change.
“Whoa!”
Strength surged through his hands. He focused his energy into his fists.
Vroom!
‘There’s definitely a change!’
While his internal energy hadn’t increased, he could now channel it more efficiently into his hands, enhancing his strength.
Gok Bo-ok’s face lit up with excitement.
“Can I test it out?”
“Of course.”
With Sa Bi-gang’s nod, Gok Bo-ok walked over to a nearby boulder. Taking a deep breath, he struck it with his fist.
Boom!
The boulder shattered into pieces. Remarkably, he hadn’t even used his full strength. This was power beyond human capability.
‘Amazing!’
Gok Bo-ok marveled at his own fists.
Just then, Sa Bi-gang pulled a dagger from his coat.
“Bo-ok, block this.”
Without warning, he hurled the dagger at Gok Bo-ok.
Swish!
In an instant, Bo-ok raised his arm to block it.
Snap!
The dagger, which had been flying towards him with great force, shattered upon impact with his forearm.
Gok Bo-ok was astonished once more.
“Incredible.”
“It’s called the ‘Protector of Yaltam.’ It enhances your strength and maximizes your defense.”
“Instructor…”
Tears welled up in Gok Bo-ok’s eyes as he looked at Sa Bi-gang.
Sa Bi-gang frowned slightly.
“Don’t make that face. It’s creepy.”
Regardless, Gok Bo-ok bowed deeply, overwhelmed with gratitude.
“Thank you, Instructor! I’ll never forget this kindness.”
“Forget it if you want. Just make sure you do your part.”
Jo Mun-tak named his shoes ‘Swift Wind Boots,’ while Gok Bo-ok called his armguards ‘Iron Man Gear.’ Naturally, they teased each other for their childish naming choices.
**
The Seven Stars Sect.
Located in the Guangxi region of southwestern China, it was the most powerful sect in the area. As a result, many local sects paid more attention to the Seven Stars Sect than to the righteous alliance.
The Seven Stars Sect, straddling the line between righteousness and evil, often took a somewhat independent path. Some thought they might be more righteous than the evil sects, but that wasn’t always the case. In short, they were opportunistic.
When the evil sects were in power, they allied with them. In times of righteousness, they supported the righteous factions. Despite this, they survived because they were located on the relatively remote coast and didn’t challenge the powers of the time.
Thus, the current righteous alliance didn’t go out of its way to provoke the Seven Stars Sect. For these complex reasons, the Seven Stars Sect dominated the Guangxi region.
But then…
“Who would have thought this day would come…!”
Yeop Seong-dang, the head of the Seven Stars Sect, gritted his teeth as he surveyed the scene. The sound of clashing weapons echoed all around, and the bodies of Seven Stars Sect members lay scattered across the training grounds.
‘Blood Lotus, was it?’
Exactly seven days ago, he had received a letter. The message was simple: surrender to the Blood Lotus and swear loyalty within five days.
Blood Lotus? He had never heard of such an organization.
Yeop Seong-dang scoffed. Yet, a part of him felt uneasy. No one in Guangxi would dare play such a prank on him.
Five days passed quickly, and two more days went by. Then, out of nowhere, they were attacked.
Men in blood-red robes stormed in, calling themselves the ‘Annihilation Squad.’ The Seven Stars Sect members were helplessly slaughtered by them.
Yeop Seong-dang’s eyes were bloodshot with rage.
“These bastards! Do they know where they are?!”
He roared and lunged at a man.
It was the leader of the Annihilation Squad, Je Yak-seung.
Clang!
Je Yak-seung blocked Yeop Seong-dang’s sword, the sound of metal ringing out.
“You scoundrel!”
Yeop Seong-dang shouted again, swinging his sword.
Swish! Clang! Clang!
“Ugh!”
Je Yak-seung gritted his teeth, retreating under the fierce assault. Yeop Seong-dang’s skills were indeed befitting the leader of a dominant sect in Guangxi.
Finally, Yeop Seong-dang’s sword knocked aside the Annihilation Squad leader’s blade and aimed for his neck.
“This is the end!”
But then.
“Hold your ground, Sect Leader.”
A sharp voice struck Yeop Seong-dang from behind.
He stopped his sword, turning to see his daughter, Yeop Ah-ryeong, held captive by a martial artist. A dagger was pressed against her throat.
“Father…”
Yeop Ah-ryeong called out, her voice trembling. Her face was a mix of fear, humiliation, anger, and despair.
The fact that his daughter was captured meant her bodyguards had likely been killed.
Next to the martial artist holding his daughter, an imposing old man clicked his tongue.
“What a sight. If only you had responded appropriately to the letter.”
He was Ak Cheon-gwe, the leader of the Blood Lotus’s Vermilion Bird Division.
Yeop Seong-dang was consumed by uncontrollable humiliation and rage.
“You despicable bastards!”
“I won’t say it twice. Kneel and swear loyalty, and we’ll stop here. Make the wise choice.”
Ak Cheon-gwe remained calm.
“You bastards! Let’s settle this fairly!”
“Tsk, tsk. The Seven Stars Sect Leader doesn’t listen. I said I wouldn’t repeat myself.”
Ak Cheon-gwe gestured with his chin.
In an instant.
“No!”
Yeop Seong-dang screamed.
But it was too late. The dagger had already sliced through Yeop Ah-ryeong’s neck.
Thud!
Her body fell, lifeless, blood pouring from the wound.
Yeop Seong-dang’s eyes turned wild.
“You bastards! I’ll kill you all!”
He leaped into the air, descending upon Ak Cheon-gwe with all his might.
But.
Crash!
Yeop Seong-dang’s sword struck the ground, causing it to crack.
His eyes widened.
The head should have been split open.
Yet Ak Cheon-gwe stood to the side, as if he had been there all along, smiling coldly.
“You should have listened.”
With a chilling voice, he reached out and grabbed Yeop Seong-dang’s neck.
“Gah…!”
Crunch… Crunch.
Finally, Ak Cheon-gwe’s fingers dug into Yeop Seong-dang’s throat.
It was the power of the Ghost Killing Claw technique.
Rip!
Thud!
Yeop Seong-dang’s body collapsed, his neck torn open, never to move again.
In an instant, with the death of their leader, the morale of the Seven Stars Sect plummeted.
The booming voice of Akcheon Goe reverberated throughout the grounds.
“Listen up! Your leader and his daughter are dead. If you value your lives, surrender now. Otherwise, prepare to meet a pointless end.”
Though his voice was calm, the power behind it was undeniable, causing everyone to hesitate and clutch their chests in fear.
Faced with such overwhelming strength, few were willing to stand their ground for the sake of honor.
The Seven Stars Sect had always been opportunistic, straddling the line between right and wrong.
Eventually, most of the warriors dropped their weapons, signaling their intent to surrender.
Akcheon Goe smiled with satisfaction.
“Well, it seems Guangxi is now under my control.”
Soon after, the core members of the Seven Stars Sect were dragged before Akcheon Goe and forced to kneel.
Among them were elders, the head of the sect, and even the family of the former leader.
Akcheon Goe scanned the group, his gaze settling on a particular warrior.
“You there.”
”…I am Shin Mok, leader of the Iron Flag Unit.”
His compliant response drew a fierce glare from Elder An Jang-mu.
Akcheon Goe gave a faint smile.
“From now on, you are the leader of the Seven Stars Sect.”
”…!”
Everyone present, including Shin Mok, was taken aback.
As Shin Mok hesitated, unsure of how to respond, An Jang-mu leapt to his feet, shouting in anger.
“You scoundrel! How dare a nobody like you take over our house…!”
Swoosh!
In an instant, An Jang-mu was seized by an invisible force, his head gripped by Akcheon Goe.
In the blink of an eye.
“Ugh!”
Thud!
An Jang-mu’s head burst like a watermelon in Akcheon Goe’s grasp.
The remaining members of the Seven Stars Sect turned pale with shock.
An Jang-mu had been a master on the verge of reaching the pinnacle.
His sudden, meaningless death was all the more shocking.
“Do you not wish to be the leader?”
Akcheon Goe asked, wiping the blood from his hands.
“No, I do! As the leader of the Seven Stars Sect, I pledge my life to serve the Blood Demon Alliance!”
“That’s the spirit.”
Akcheon Goe’s gaze shifted again.
“You, you, and you.”
These were the warriors second only to Shin Mok in skill.
“Take care of them.”
He pointed to the family of the former leader, kneeling nearby.
He was ordering them to kill the family themselves.
”…!”
“What’s wrong? Can’t do it?”
Akcheon Goe slowly raised his hand.
“We… we will obey.”
The chosen warriors replied with difficulty.
Akcheon Goe nodded.
“Good, that’s how you earn trust.”
It was a cruel and ruthless command.
The family was dragged away, crying out in despair, but he paid them no mind.
Shortly after, a warrior landed gracefully beside Akcheon Goe.
Without turning, Akcheon Goe asked, “What is it?”
“Urgent news. The secret base where the Sa Hwan leader was staying has been destroyed.”
“What?”
Akcheon Goe’s expression faltered.
“Any survivors?”
“None.”
”…The culprit?”
“It seems likely… that it’s Sabikang.”
“That man again…!”
Finally, his expression twisted with anger.