"Stop! That's the third time you tried to eat a medicinal root!" Yul-Rin swatted Ma-Rok's hand.
"But it smells like roasted yam!"
"It'll roast your intestines from the inside out!"
Master Jang sighed, "At this rate, he'll become the first man to poison himself from pure optimism."
Snrk. Even Yeon chuckled.
The forest canopy swayed gently above them, a rhythmic wheee of wind slipping through pine needles. Their footsteps rustled the golden undergrowth, the leaves crunching beneath their boots with every step.
Krch. Krch.
Baek Sun-Ho led the group silently through the high mountain trail, his cloak fluttering slightly behind him. Master Jang Cheol-Oh walked a few paces behind, arms folded, brow furrowed as if constantly chewing on his thoughts. So-Ri and Yeon moved up ahead to scout the path, while Ma-Rok and Yul-Rin bickered over who was to carry the heavier pack.
"I swear you packed bricks in this," Ma-Rok grunted.
"Only antidote stones. You eat too much poison-spiced jerky," Yul-Rin shot back.
Sun-Ho's lips curled faintly. Then he stopped walking.
Whmp.
The others halted, turning. His expression was different this time. Calmer, yes—but weighted. Purposeful.
"It's time I tell you all something. No more secrets."
Ma-Rok tilted his head. "Oh no, you're secretly married?"
Sun-Ho exhaled. "I am Baek Sun-Ho, one of the final heir candidates to become the leader of the Murim Alliance."
Silence. Even the birds seemed to pause.
Chirp— Nothing.
Yeon blinked slowly. So-Ri, already knowing, simply nodded.
Yul-Rin raised one brow. "I knew it. No one that smugly quiet could be normal."
Ma-Rok squinted. "So… does this mean you can pardon my crimes? Hypothetically?"
Jang Cheol-Oh sighed, "About time you told them."
Sun-Ho continued. "This journey... it won't stay simple. I need to act cautiously. You saw what happened when Yeon lost control. Now imagine what would happen if I revealed my strength outright in front of Murim's elders."
He lowered his voice.
"They want a wise and steady leader. Not someone who can break a mountain with a punch. If I show too much power... I risk everything."
There was a pause as the wind whistled past them again.
Wheee.
Yul-Rin tapped her chin. "So you're saying you need to stay... weak in public?"
Ma-Rok nodded thoughtfully. "That's hard for someone who shatters boulders with his sighs."
So-Ri crossed her arms. "Then what do we do? Keep hiding your strength forever?"
Yeon muttered, almost to himself, "Pretend to be someone else."
The group paused. Slowly, the idea settled.
Sun-Ho raised an eyebrow. "You mean... like a separate persona?"
Yul-Rin grinned. "Oh yes. Let a 'mysterious masked warrior' handle the dangerous tasks while our soft-spoken genius keeps smiling like a baby deer."
Ma-Rok clapped his hands. "Like a masked vigilante! I knew this would turn into a drama."
Master Jang Cheol-Oh stroked his chin, then smirked. "You've always talked about the humble leading Murim. Maybe it's time the terrifying helped from the shadows. Not a bad balance."
Sun-Ho exhaled, half in amusement. "So I take all the dangerous fights... but in a mask?"
So-Ri nodded, amused. "With dramatic flair."
He paused. "You all support this?"
---
Their Reasons:
Yul-Rin: "Plausible deniability. Plus, masks are stylish."
Ma-Rok: "People won't chase me anymore for your fights!"
Yeon: (Thumbs up. Then pulls a strip of dark cloth from his sleeve.)
So-Ri: "You were already acting like a masked martial hero. Just needed the mask."
Master Jang: "It's a clever way to outwit the Murim politicians. Play the fool, strike as the storm."
---
The group burst into laughter, even Yeon smiling faintly.
Sun-Ho's gaze drifted toward the horizon. A memory stirred—of the old Alliance, and the way it fell to greed hidden behind smiling faces. His hand clenched. "Then Musang Oje it is... The Elementless Sovereign."
Jang Cheol-Oh raised a brow. "You're even naming yourself now?"
"Irony helps the disguise," Sun-Ho replied. "If they see the face of someone with no elemental Qi, they won't suspect the firestorm hiding beneath."
As the group continued down the trail, So-Ri walked beside him.
"You're sure about this?"
"No," Sun-Ho replied. "But we've come too far to stay in the shadows without using them."
The terrain shifted, sloping downward into a lush, misty basin. Soon they crested a ridge overlooking a hidden valley. Smoke rose from the cliffs near a veiled waterfall. Strange banners fluttered—fire glyphs on black silk.
Yul-Rin's expression tightened. "There's a sect here. Poison and fire... they blend it. I can feel the Qi. It's unstable, corrupt."
So-Ri narrowed her eyes. "That style... it's familiar. From old bounty lists."
Jang Cheol-Oh scoffed. "Fire-Venom Sect. They were purged decades ago. But like roaches, corruption crawls back."
Ma-Rok sniffed. "I smell breakfast. And burning hair."
Yul-Rin gagged. "That's definitely burning hair."
Sun-Ho stepped ahead, his voice quiet but firm.
"Let's test the mask idea."
He reached into his pouch, pulled out the black cloth Yeon had offered, and folded it in half. The setting sun painted the cloth a faint red as it dangled from his hand.
Wheee.
The wind picked up.
Sun-Ho tied the cloth around his lower face. With a calm inhale, he let go of the last trace of hesitation.
"This time, we'll take the fight to them… and they won't even know who hit them."
---
Before they moved out, Master Jang halted them. "Wait. This may be the right moment for a test. Sun-Ho, go alone. We'll stay back."
So-Ri frowned. "Alone?"
He nodded. "If your disguise fails, the sect will know exactly who you are. But if you succeed... it proves Musang Oje can operate even within enemy eyes."
Sun-Ho accepted with a nod.
Ma-Rok handed him a pouch. "Take snacks. You can't assassinate on an empty stomach."
Yul-Rin tossed him a vial. "In case they poison the air. I hate those guys."
So-Ri met his eyes, more serious. "If anything feels wrong, send a signal."
He nodded. Then disappeared into the mist below.
Thmp.
The group watched his silhouette vanish, the newly masked figure swallowed by dusk.
From the cliff above, they waited—watching, hoping, and wondering what kind of legend was being born in silence.
Fade to black.
---
[End of Chapter - 21]