Great Demon (1)
Blood Envoy Ghost, Mosigal, crouched in the shadows beneath a wall, sending a soundless transmission to his subordinates.
— All prepare yourselves. The moment the men move forward, we strike.
— Yes, understood!
Mosigal had arrived in Inhoe, Guizhou Province—where Mount Sword Sect was based—just the day before.
He had heard the rumors of Heaven's Peerless Beauty, Yeon Hae, and simply could not restrain himself.
With the Great Demon's permission, he had come to abduct her, accompanied by another peak-level master with seventy years of inner strength, Gui Zando So Yu-reung, along with four elite first-class subordinates.
But the rumored Peerless Beauty had remained holed up inside Mount Sword Sect, showing no signs of emerging.
Mosigal had resolved to wait until tomorrow, and if she still didn't appear, he planned to break into the sect itself.
Yet now, by fortune, she had come out on her own. Mosigal couldn't help but be delighted.
He licked his lips, grinning lecherously.
"Heheheh! Beautiful… truly beautiful. What would I have done if she hadn't shown up?"
A subordinate's transmission came to his ears.
— What about the riffraff nearby, brother?
Mosigal frowned.
— Have you already forgotten the Great Demon's orders? No reckless bloodshed. We have no time to kill riffraff. Once we seize the girl called Yeon Hae, we withdraw immediately.
— But… there are two other women nearby, and they're rather pretty too.
At this, Mosigal finally glanced at Cheon Ju-eun and Na Seo-yu.
Indeed, overshadowed by Hae Cheong-yeon, they had gone unnoticed, but both were undeniably rare beauties. His men likely found it a shame to leave them.
— Do as you like. But no delays will be tolerated.
His permission made the subordinates giddy.
— Yes, brother!
Mosigal and So Yu-reung were both masters with seventy years of inner strength—on par with Sect Leader Heo Gyeong of Mount Sword Sect.
Thus, they had never once doubted their ability to abduct Heaven's Peerless Beauty.
Still, because of Minor Demon General Sa Won-yang's prior warning, they wanted to avoid drawing attention.
So Mosigal had sent a subordinate into a tavern with orders to start a commotion on signal.
The moment the men guarding the women moved forward to stop the disturbance, Mosigal's group would strike from behind and snatch Yeon Hae.
It was a seemingly simple, yet carefully refined plan born of much experience.
"Men are always most reckless when standing beside a beautiful woman. Alone, they might ignore such things—but in front of beauties, they cannot help but act. That's just how men are. Heheheh."
And indeed, everything unfolded exactly as Mosigal expected.
As the men moved toward the tavern, the three women were left together—perfect prey.
Mosigal sent the signal.
— On three. One, two, three—attack!
Swish!
With Mosigal and So Yu-reung at the lead, the five Blood Sect members surged like wolves at the backs of Hae Cheong-yeon and her companions.
But at that instant, Hae Cheong-yeon suddenly turned her head.
Mosigal's predatory charge faltered.
Her eyes held not the slightest hint of fear or surprise.
"What? Frozen stiff?"
But no—he realized too late.
From behind her, a figure leapt like a raging tiger straight at him.
It was none other than Chang Hyuk, the second of the Five Eagle Siblings.
Mosigal gasped.
"How?!"
His plan, his ambush—it had been flawless. How could they have known?
He couldn't understand. He didn't know that the whole outing had been staged as bait, nor that Seol Pung had detected their ambush long before.
And he had no time to wonder.
Seol Pung's kick came crashing down like a thunderbolt, his body spinning like a whirlwind in midair.
Boom!
"Khhk!"
Even with arms crossed in defense, the shock numbed Mosigal's entire body and hurled him backward.
Barely regaining his balance midair, he shouted:
"A master! Kill him first!"
But as his eyes darted, he froze.
So Yu-reung was already locked in combat, blades clashing with a broad-shouldered young swordsman.
Clang! Clash!
The duel was even, neither yielding. That man was no inferior.
"Who are these people…?"
And when Mosigal recognized the young man's swordplay—Sail Sword Art of Jeomchang Sect—one of his subordinates' throats split open behind him, blood spraying.
Splurt!
"!"
Mosigal's eyes widened.
The killer was none other than Heaven's Peerless Beauty, Yeon Hae herself.
Azure sword-qi radiated dazzlingly from her blade.
"She… she's a peak master?!"
He couldn't let himself be distracted.
Seol Pung was still upon him, ferocious as a tiger.
Whoosh!
"Uh?!"
Too late—Seol Pung's form was already within arm's reach.
Mosigal raised his arms desperately to block the incoming strike.
But instead of striking, Seol Pung seized his arm with a sudden grab.
Snap!
"Khhk?!"
Drawing his arm down in a small circle, Seol Pung exposed his defense—then drove a lightning-fast straight punch at his face.
Crack!
"Ghhk!"
Mosigal twisted just barely, avoiding a direct hit.
Even so, the grazing force nearly ripped off his ear.
The gust alone chilled his spine.
And that was the last thing he ever felt.
Seol Pung's opposite fist struck his jaw an instant later.
Crunch!
Mosigal's head exploded like a smashed melon.
So Yu-reung, locked against Je Won-yeong, reeled in shock at the sight of his comrade's headless body spraying blood like a fountain.
He didn't know what had happened, but one thing was certain—
If he kept fighting here, he would meet the same end.
"Uuaaahh!"
Clang! Clash!
So Yu-reung thrust his blade with all his might, then immediately spun on his heel to flee, shouting:
"Retreat! Everyone scatter!"
But there was no one left to hear him.
Of the three elite first-class subordinates he had brought, one had already been cut down by Hae Cheong-yeon, another by the combined assault of Na Seo-yu and Cheon Ju-eun, and the last had just been slain by Bae Jong-gwan's crescent blade.
So Yu-reung fled in panic, more frenzied than he had ever remembered running in his life.
The monstrous fighters behind him didn't seem to give chase, but still he ran until his lungs burned and his breath tore ragged from his chest.
Only once he was certain no pursuit followed did he finally stop and steady his breathing.
"What in the world…?"
His mind reeled.
Two peak masters with seventy years of inner strength and three elite first-class fighters—more than enough to storm Mount Sword Sect's headquarters itself.
Yet here, against mere so-called "rogues," they had been annihilated.
To lose Mosigal and three subordinates in an instant… only the one who had caused the tavern disturbance remained, and even he might not return.
It was a devastating loss.
Of the Great Demon's forces, only himself, one peak master in early stage, and three first-class elites at the hidden base remained.
That was assuming the tavern man survived.
"What now…?"
So Yu-reung muttered, his face twisted with dread.
The thought of reporting this failure to Ma Jeo-ungwon terrified him.
No—what terrified him even more was that Minor Demon General Sa Won-yang might learn of it.
If this blunder disrupted their plans even slightly…
"N-no… that must never happen."
Just imagining it made him shudder violently.
Sa Won-yang's wrath would be worse than death itself. Suicide would be kinder.
So Yu-reung stood dazed for a long time before finally forcing his body to move.
One way or another, he had to report to Jeo-ungwon.
Heavy-footed, he leapt away into the night.
But he didn't know—
that three figures were shadowing him unseen.
Seonu jin sent a soundless transmission to Bi Sa-yeong, who trailed farther back than he or Sak Muhun.
— Follow. He's on the move.
— Got it. But… you think it's really them?
— Hard to say. But two peak masters with seventy years of inner strength came just for Lady Cheong-yeon. That level of madness makes it almost certain.
— Hm. True enough.
So Yu-reung was heading toward Sichuan.
Bi Sa-yeong gauged the direction and added:
— If it's this way, then it leans more toward the Righteous Alliance than the Yun Clan estate.
— Too soon to be certain. It could still be a Sichuan forward base of the Yun Clan.
After an hour's pursuit, So Yu-reung arrived at a secluded manor deep in the forest, straddling the border between Guizhou and Sichuan.
As he entered, the three infiltrators scaled the wall, peering inside.
Then, a thunderous roar erupted from within.
"What?! You lost Mosigal—and three subordinates besides?!"
In the front courtyard, So Yu-reung knelt, trembling.
Before him loomed a towering, bald giant with skin darkened like bronze, his frame like a bear.
Bi Sa-yeong transmitted swiftly:
— Found him!
The man's appearance matched perfectly the descriptions of Great Demon Ma Jeo-ungwon.
Judging by the scene, no further confirmation was necessary.
Sak Muhun sent quietly:
— Let's fall back now.
The plan had always been to locate the Great Demon's hideout, return to their allies, and attack with full force.
After all, only Seol Pung could contend with a ninety-year inner strength master.
But even as Sak Muhun urged retreat, Seonu jin and Bi Sa-yeong could not easily pull away.
Behind the Great Demon stood three more subordinates—
and one of them clutched a woman tightly, leering greedily.
Bi Sa-yeong transmitted grimly:
— She's been sealed at the pressure points. Can't move.
— Aye… she's weeping constantly. Judging by her clothes, they haven't touched her yet…
But all three knew the truth: yet.
It was obvious what they had nearly done, and what would happen soon if no one intervened.
If they turned back now, the woman's fate was all too clear—
a death far worse than death.
Sak Muhun sighed heavily, sending them a sobering warning.
— I know you feel pity, but sometimes you must abandon what's impossible. The three of us cannot hope to stand against the Great Demon.
He was right.
They all knew it.
They couldn't risk everything for a woman they didn't even know.
But knowing and doing were different things.
They also knew what became of the women the Great Demon's forces had seized at the front lines. Not even corpses were ever found.
If they left her now, her end would be torment beyond imagination.
At that moment, Bi Sa-yeong signaled them to withdraw a little farther. His eyes burned with grim resolve.
In a hushed voice, he said:
"I'll lure the Great Demon away. While I do, Sak hyung, Jin—you rescue the woman."
Both had guessed his intent, but hearing it aloud made them sigh bitterly.
"Too dangerous. No matter how fast your footwork, he's a master just shy of transcendence."
"Exactly. Your movement arts are unmatched, but the risk is still too high."
Bi Sa-yeong only grinned.
"Come now. I'm the head disciple of Bi Sect, and even Captain Seol Pung acknowledged me as the greatest in movement arts. You really think that brute could catch me?"
Then, more seriously, with steel in his eyes:
"And… I can't just walk away. Not when I think of our female comrades. If she were to die cleanly, perhaps. But knowing she'll suffer horrors worse than death? I can't bear it."
Seonu jin exhaled slowly.
Bi Sa-yeong's gaze was unshakable. He couldn't be persuaded.
And truthfully, Seonu jin himself felt the same.
He asked heavily:
"Are you sure?"
Bi Sa-yeong smirked.
"Trust me. It's the perfect mix: I draw him out with speed, and you two strike to rescue."
And so, their course of action was decided.