Episode 439: Return of the Demon Instructor

Yeogon sat bound tightly to a chair, his body a canvas of blood and bruises. From head to toe, he was a tapestry of wounds, with barely a patch of unscathed skin. Blood-tinged saliva dripped slowly from his slightly parted lips, a testament to the brutal torture he had endured. Occasionally, his body would shudder involuntarily, a reflex to the relentless agony.

Watching him, Maeng Gasook, drenched in sweat, shook his head in disbelief. “This one’s tough as nails. It’s been a while since I’ve seen someone this stubborn.”

“Do you think he can’t feel pain?” Jin Jo-young, standing nearby, wondered aloud, shaking his head.

Dobi-cheon, however, disagreed. “No, he definitely feels it. He screamed, and that wasn’t an act.”

“Then how is he holding out like this? Even the toughest would have cracked by now.”

“Maybe he’s just gotten used to the pain.”

“Either way, he’s a tough nut to crack.”

Dobi-cheon and Jin Jo-young exchanged weary glances, shaking their heads in frustration. Maeng Gasook let out a long sigh and ordered, “Wake him up.”

Dobi-cheon nodded, picked up a bucket of water, and splashed it over Yeogon.

The cold shock jolted Yeogon awake, his swollen eyes struggling to focus on the three figures before him. Despite the situation, a faint smile played on his lips.

“Is he… smiling?” Maeng Gasook’s eyebrow twitched in irritation. Most would be terrified to open their eyes in such a predicament, perhaps even wishing for death. But this man was smiling?

“Have you lost your mind?” Maeng Gasook growled.

Yeogon chuckled weakly. “Heh. You think this is enough to break me? No matter how much you tickle me, my lips are sealed.”

“Tickle you…?” Maeng Gasook echoed incredulously.

Yeogon spat on the floor defiantly. “What else would you call it? Torture? Ha! I thought you were giving me a massage!”

Thwack! Thwack! Crack!

Dobi-cheon, who had been silent, swung a club with brutal force. Teeth flew from Yeogon’s mouth as his head snapped to the side.

Even with three front teeth missing, Yeogon grinned through the gaps. “You’ll need to work on your massage skills.”

“You arrogant bastard!” Jin Jo-young stepped forward, gripping Yeogon’s shoulder and channeling his inner strength to crush the bones beneath.

“Ugh!” This time, Yeogon couldn’t suppress a groan, his brow furrowing in pain. Yet, he still managed to laugh through ragged breaths. “Come on, put some muscle into it, you idiots.”

“Step aside. I’ll make sure he never speaks again,” Maeng Gasook rolled up his sleeves, ready to finish it.

Dobi-cheon and Jin Jo-young quickly intervened. “Sir, hold on! If he dies, it’s all for nothing.”

“Damn it!” Maeng Gasook cursed, caught between anger and frustration. Just then, the door creaked open, and Sa Bi-gang entered.

“Master!” The three men turned, bowing their heads in shame.

Sa Bi-gang glanced at Yeogon and asked, “How’s it going?”

“Apologies, Master. This one’s exceptionally tough.”

“Hmm.” Sa Bi-gang studied Yeogon, who smirked back.

“Well, if it isn’t the famous Sa Bi-gang. An honor to meet you,” Yeogon taunted.

Sa Bi-gang smiled slightly. “I hope that feeling lasts.”

“Ha! You think you can torture me? I’m well-acquainted with pain. You’ll never make me talk.”

“We’ll see.” Sa Bi-gang turned to Maeng Gasook. “Leave us.”

“But Master, this one’s not ordinary. Even you might not—”

“Leave us.”

“…Understood.”

Reluctantly, Maeng Gasook, Jin Jo-young, and Dobi-cheon bowed and exited the room. Sa Bi-gang cracked his neck and focused on Yeogon.

“I want two things from you.”

“You won’t get anything,” Yeogon sneered.

“We’ll see. First, tell me where your people plan to descend.”

“I don’t know.”

“Second, where have you taken the patients from Cheongang Valley?”

“I told you, I don’t know.”

Sa Bi-gang chuckled, leaning in close. “Seventy-two stages.”

Yeogon frowned. “What?”

“There are seventy-two stages of torture used in the demon realm. The first ten are for humans. Most can’t endure beyond that.”

“Ridiculous. You think that scares me?”

“Low-level demons can withstand up to twenty stages. Mid-level, thirty. High-level, forty. The top-tier can handle fifty.”

“Enough with the nonsense.”

“Even the Demon King can’t endure all seventy-two stages. Or so they say.”

“Such drivel.”

“So hang in there. I want to see someone surpass human limits. Since you’re so tough, try to last until the final stage.”

“You lunatic…”

For the first time, Yeogon felt a chill of fear. There was no bravado in Sa Bi-gang’s eyes, only a genuine, unsettling anticipation. His eyes gleamed with a madness that sent shivers down Yeogon’s spine.

‘Why… why am I afraid? I’ve faced all kinds of pain before!’

Sa Bi-gang reached out slowly toward the trembling Yeogon. “Let’s begin with the first stage.”

**

Outside, Dobi-cheon turned to Maeng Gasook. “Do you think the Master will get anything out of him?”

“It’ll be tough. Yeogon isn’t just anyone. I’m worried the Master might lose his temper and kill him.”

“I agree. I can’t imagine that stubborn bastard talking,” Jin Jo-young muttered, grinding his teeth.

It was a first for them—feeling more frustrated than their captive during torture.

As they sighed in unison, the iron door creaked open, and Sa Bi-gang emerged.

“Why are you out so soon?” Maeng Gasook asked, concerned.

“Did you… kill him?” Jin Jo-young added, worried.

“I told you, that guy’s not ordinary. Now we have no one to interrogate,” Dobi-cheon lamented.

Sa Bi-gang frowned. “What are you talking about? I found out where they’re planning to descend.”

“What?” The three men were taken aback.

“And where the patients from Cheongang Valley were taken. We might need to move out soon, so be ready.”

“But how did you…?”

“Oh, and clean up inside. He didn’t even make it past the third stage. Tsk.”

“Clean up… third stage…?”

Without another word, Sa Bi-gang walked away, leaving the three men in stunned silence. They exchanged bewildered glances before rushing back inside.

“Ugh! The smell…!”

“He soiled himself!”

“Disgusting!”

They pinched their noses, shouting in disgust. But what they saw next left them speechless.

Yeogon lay on the floor, foaming at the mouth, trembling uncontrollably, and muttering endlessly.

“I’m sorry… Please forgive me… I’m trash… I’ve told you everything… I was born in Anjeong, raised by a single mother, joined the Demon Sect at thirteen, and rose to a high position. I know all about the selected descent site… The descent site is currently…”

On and on he rambled, tears streaming down his face.

Maeng Gasook muttered, his cheek twitching. “What on earth did the Master do to him?”

**

Chirrr. Chirrr!

The spikes on Makan’s tail moved with a slithering sound, like a snake gliding through grass. As Seol Seorin channeled her energy into the handle, flames flickered along the tail.

“Try channeling more energy,” Sa Bi-gang instructed, watching closely.

Seol Seorin focused her energy into her right hand.

Suddenly,

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A sharp, metallic screech cut through the air!

In an instant, the insect-like appendages stiffened like blades, slicing through the surroundings. Then, just as suddenly, they shot out from the handle, extending like arrows.

“If you’re facing multiple enemies, there’s no better weapon than this!”

What she thought was just a decorative handle with a pretty gem had transformed into something entirely different.

Makan’s tail could become rigid and sharp like a blade, or it could bend and twist like a supple whip.

The more intense her movements became, the more Makan’s tail demonstrated its terrifying destructive power, slicing through the air with ease.

It was said that the collaboration between the Master of Divine Beasts and the Sage of Martial Arts had created this, and indeed, the results were astounding.

As time passed, the tattoo on Seol Seorin’s cheek began to glow a vivid red.

Swoosh!

Finally, she landed gracefully on the ground, tracing a semicircle in the air.

Whip-crack!

The whip, which had been writhing in the air, snapped back into her hand, coiling neatly.

“This is incredible. With this, I can execute a myriad of techniques. Is this, by any chance…?”

Seol Seorin turned to look at Sabigang.

“Is this a token of your love for me?”

Sabigang dismissed her gaze with a casual reply.

“I thought you could handle it well. You’ve already mastered controlling Makan’s tail. But be cautious—the soul-devouring insects have a strong tendency to seize control of one’s spirit. Don’t lose your mind.”

“Of course. But, my dear… may I say just one thing?”

“No.”

Sabigang turned away.

Seol Seorin, indignant, shouted after him.

“I said I want to say something!”

“No.”

“I’m going to say it anyway! My dear, I’m touched! I love you!”

As Seol Seorin rushed towards him,

“Fireball.”

With a whoosh and a bang, a fiery orb erupted from Sabigang’s palm, sending Seol Seorin flying back.