Giant Demon (1)

The Blood-Clawed Ghost Mo Sigal hid in the shadow beneath the wall and sent a silent voice transmission to his underlings.

-Get ready. The instant the men move to the front, we pounce.

-Yes! Understood!

The Blood-Clawed Ghost Mo Sigal had arrived yesterday at Inhoe in Guizhou, where the Mountain Sword Sect was located.

He could no longer restrain himself after hearing the rumors about the Heavenly Beauty, Yeon-hae.

So, after receiving permission from the Giant Demon Jeo Ung-won to abduct her, he came to Inhoe, Guizhou, accompanied by Gwijando So Yurung—a fellow pinnacle master with over seventy years of inner power—and four top first-rate subordinates, waiting for an opportunity.

However, the woman called the Heavenly Beauty, Yeon-hae, seemed holed up inside the Mountain Sword Sect with no intention of coming out.

Thus Mo Sigal resolved to wait only until tomorrow; if she still did not emerge, he would storm the Mountain Sword Sect itself.

And then, right on cue, she came outside on her own—something Mo Sigal could only feel grateful for.

He licked his lips with his tongue and let a lewd smile spread.

‘Heh-heh-heh! She’s pretty. Truly pretty. What would I have done if she hadn’t come?’

Just then, a voice transmission from his men came through.

What do we do about the riffraff nearby, boss?

At that question Mo Sigal scowled and answered.

-Have you already forgotten the Demon Lord’s order not to do anything conspicuous? We’ve no time to kill rabble. We grab that woman Yeon-hae and bolt.

-Uh… but the two girls nearby are quite pretty too.

At his men’s words, Mo Sigal finally noticed Cheon Jueun and Na Seoyu’s faces.

Indeed, though hidden behind Hae Cheong-yeon, they were beauties hard to overlook.

It was clear his men meant it would be a waste to leave them behind.

-Handle it as you see fit. But I won’t tolerate delays.

With his permission, his underlings replied in delighted voices.

-Yes, sir!

The Blood-Clawed Ghost Mo Sigal and Ghost Rending Sabre So Yurung were both pinnacle masters with over seventy years of inner power, no weaker than Heo Gyeong, the Mountain Sword Sect’s leader.

Thus, they had never once worried about the difficulty of abducting the Heavenly Beauty.

Still, because of the previous warning from the Little Demon Lord Sa Wonyang, they wished to avoid drawing attention.

So Mo Sigal had first sent one subordinate into the tavern, planning for him to cause a commotion on signal.

When the men moved forward to stop his subordinate’s rampage, Mo Sigal would ambush from behind and abduct Yeon-hae.

It was a simple plan, but one refined through much experience.

‘Men are the most reckless when standing beside beautiful women. Even a man who wouldn’t care alone will rush forward when accompanied by beauties. That’s men for you. Keh-heh-heh.’

And the scene unfolded exactly as Mo Sigal expected.

With the women left behind, the men began moving toward the tavern.

When at last only three women remained gathered together, Mo Sigal sent the command.

On three we strike. Ready… one, two, three!

Pababak!

Led by Mo Sigal and So Yurung, five Blood Cultists shot toward Hae Cheong-yeon’s back like arrows.

They looked like a pack of wolves descending upon prey—swift and savage.

Just then, Hae Cheong-yeon suddenly turned her head.

Mo Sigal, surging at her in frenzy, abruptly felt a strange unease at her gaze.

For in her eyes was not the slightest trace of panic or fear.

‘What? Is she too shocked to react?’

But he realized at once that wasn’t it.

In that instant, a figure leapt out from behind her like a tiger pouncing—charging straight at him.

It was none other than the second of the Eagle Five Siblings, Chang Hyuk.

Mo Sigal cried out in shock.

“How?!”

His plan, his ambush—everything should have been flawless. How could they have responded as if they knew beforehand?

Mo Sigal could not comprehend it.

He had no idea that this “outing” had been bait all along, and that Seol Pung had sensed their ambush long before.

And he had no time to think further.

Seol Pung’s kick came crashing down upon him with the speed and force of thunder.

Kwaaaang!

“Ghhk!”

Even blocking with crossed arms, the impact numbed his whole body and sent him flying backward.

Barely regaining balance in midair, Mo Sigal shouted.

“He’s a master! Take him first!”

But as he looked around, he faltered in dismay.

So Yurung, his fellow pinnacle expert, was already locked in combat with a burly swordsman.

Cha-cha-chang!

The young swordsman matched So Yurung blow for blow—clearly no weaker than themselves.

“Who are these people…?”

And when he realized the sword art was the Diancang Sect’s Four-One Sword Method, one of his own subordinates suddenly had his throat half-slit, blood spraying.

Puhhak!

“!”

Mo Sigal was stunned.

The killer was none other than the Heavenly Beauty, Yeon-hae herself.

Azure sword-qi blazed from her sword, dazzling like light from heaven.

“The Heavenly Beauty… was at the pinnacle level?!”

But he could not afford distraction.

Seol Pung still pressed forward like a raging tiger.

Shuhaaak!

“Eh?!”

By the time Mo Sigal gathered his wits, Seol Pung’s figure was already upon him.

Desperately he raised his arms to block the descending strike.

But instead of striking, Seol Pung suddenly seized his arm.

Tak!

“Khk?!”

With a small circular motion he yanked Mo Sigal’s arm down, opening his guard, and then thrust his fist at lightning speed toward his exposed face.

Puhwak!

“Ghhk!”

Mo Sigal barely twisted aside, evading with his life.

Yet the brush of the fist was enough to shear off his earlobe. The wind of it felt like a storm passing his face, chilling his spine.

And that was the last sensation he ever felt.

For Seol Pung’s other fist smashed into his jaw in a delayed strike.

Puhseok!

His head burst like a watermelon.

So Yurung, crossing blades with Diancang’s Sword Tiger Je Wonyeong, froze in shock at the sight of Mo Sigal’s head exploding under a single punch.

From the stump of his neck, blood gushed like a fountain.

He didn’t know what had just happened, but one thing was certain:

If he kept fighting here, he would end up the same.

“Uaaaah!”

Cha-cha-chachang!

Pouring every ounce of strength into a desperate slash, So Yurung then turned and fled, shouting.

“Retreat! Everyone run!”

But there was no one left to hear him.

One had already been slain by Hae Cheong-yeon. Another two had just fallen to Na Seoyu and Cheon Jueun’s joint assault. The last had been cut down moments ago by Bae Jonggwan’s Crescent-Moon Sabre.

So Yurung fled in utter terror.

Never in his life could he recall such a panicked retreat.

Though it seemed the monsters were not pursuing, he still ran until his lungs burned.

Only when convinced he was not followed did he finally halt to catch his breath.

“What on earth….”

He could not collect his thoughts.

Two pinnacle experts with seventy years of cultivation and three top first-rate subordinates—enough to storm even the Mountain Sword Sect’s headquarters—had been annihilated by a handful of vagabonds?

To lose Mo Sigal and three men in an instant… even if the one at the tavern returned, it was too heavy a blow.

Among the Giant Demon Jeo Ung-won’s forces, only he himself, one junior pinnacle master in seclusion, and three top first-rates remained.

And that was assuming the tavern man survived.

“What should I do now?”

So Yurung muttered in dread.

He dreaded reporting this to Jeo Ung-won.

No, more than that—he dreaded that word might reach the Little Demon Lord Sa Wonyang.

If this failure derailed the plan….

“No… that must never happen.”

He shuddered violently, as if even imagining the Little Demon Lord’s wrath was unbearable. Better suicide than his fury.

After standing dazed for a long while, he finally forced himself to move.

He had to report back to Jeo Ung-won.

With heavy steps, he leapt away.

But he did not know—three figures were stealthily following behind.

Seonu Jin sent a voice transmission to Bi Sayoung, who followed a little further back than Sag Muhun.

-Follow him. He’s moving.

-Got it. But do you think it’s really them?

-Two pinnacle masters with seventy years of cultivation, all just for Miss Cheong-yeon? Who else but those madmen would do that? I’d say it’s nearly certain.

-Hm, true enough.

So Yurung’s direction was toward Sichuan.

Bi Sayoung gauged the path and spoke again.

-Heading this way means it’s leaning more toward the Righteous Chivalry Guild than the Un Clan.

-Too early to be sure. Could be an Un Clan forward base in Sichuan.

After about an hour of pursuit, So Yurung arrived at a secluded manor in the forest near the Guizhou–Sichuan border.

Entering the manor, he knelt in the front yard before a towering bald giant with a bear-like physique and sun-darkened skin.

A thunderous roar echoed.

“What?! You lost Mo Sigal—and three men besides?!”

At once Bi Sayoung transmitted.

-Found him!

The appearance matched exactly the descriptions of the Giant Demon Jeo Ung-won.

It was clear no further confirmation was needed.

Sag Muhun said to the others.

-Let’s withdraw.

Their original plan was to identify the Giant Demon’s hideout, then return with reinforcements to strike.

For only Seol Pung could contend with a master of ninety years of cultivation.

Yet Seonu Jin and Bi Sayoung lingered.

Behind the Giant Demon stood three more men.

One held a woman in his arms, wearing a greedy grin.

Bi Sayoung spoke via transmission.

-She’s been sealed by pressure point strikes. Can’t move at all.

-Yes… just shedding tears. From her clothes it looks like nothing worse has happened yet….

But all three knew it was only “yet.”

It was plain what the men had intended to do.

If they withdrew now, the woman’s fate was obvious—worse than death.

Sag Muhun sighed inwardly and sent them a message.

-I know it pains you, but sometimes you must accept the impossible. Even the three of us together can’t take on the Giant Demon.

He was right.

And they knew it.

They could not risk their lives for a stranger.

But knowing and acting were different things.

They remembered well how the women the Giant Demon had abducted before were never found alive, not even corpses.

To leave now was to doom her to torment worse than death.

Bi Sayoung gave a subtle signal to fall back. His eyes were resolute with a decision.

In a hushed voice he said:

“I’ll draw the Giant Demon away. While I do, Brother Sag and Jin—you rescue the woman.”

Sag Muhun and Seonu Jin sighed, having suspected his resolve.

“That’s too dangerous. No matter how superb your movement arts, he’s still a supreme master.”

“Exactly. Even with your skill, the risk is too great.”

But Bi Sayoung grinned.

“Why so worried? I’m the foremost disciple of the Bijong Sect, acknowledged by Captain Seol Pung himself as peerless in movement arts. No matter how strong, that brute can’t catch me.”

Then, with firm eyes, he added:

“And besides… thinking of our female comrades, I can’t just walk away. If it were a clean death, fine—but what awaits her is worse. I can’t accept that.”

Seonu Jin sighed deeply.

He saw there was no persuading Bi Sayoung.

And honestly… he himself could not bear to leave, either.

In a heavy voice he asked:

“Are you truly sure?”

Bi Sayoung smirked.

“Trust me. Our combination’s perfect—me to lure, you two to fight directly.”

And thus, their course of action was decided.