The road into Mistshade Valley curved like a forgotten snake, cloaked in fog so dense it swallowed sound. Wind whistled faintly between the branches—
Wheee...
Even the birds seemed hesitant to sing here.
"Well," Ji-Mun muttered, brushing dew from his shoulder, "this is cozy."
Ma-Rok trudged beside him, eyes scanning the mist. "I'd rather face ten rogue assassins than one more wet leaf."
"Swamp fever getting to you?"
"No. It's the way the trees watch us."
Yul-Rin twirled a tiny vial of green liquid between her fingers. "They say this place once had a temple that trained peacekeepers. Until the peacekeepers vanished."
So-Ri, walking near Sun-Ho, glanced up at him. "That temple... is it connected to your memories?"
"Possibly," Sun-Ho replied, voice distant. "But more than that, it could hold records—evidence of how the Murim structure was twisted over time."
Master Jang Cheol-Oh walked just ahead, staff gently thudding on the stone path.
Thok. Thok. Thok.
"Stay alert. Legends rarely rot alone."
---
The Temple of Silent Balance
It took two more hours to reach it. A crumbling stone structure nestled between cliffs and wrapped in thorn-covered vines.
"Looks abandoned," Ji-Mun said, squinting. "But smells... preserved."
Yul-Rin pointed to the door. "Runes. Defensive seals."
Sun-Ho stepped forward. As he placed his hand near the carved gate, an invisible force trembled against his palm.
Fzzzmm.
The door swung inward. Not with rusted groans, but with a dignified calm.
Inside was a circular chamber of cracked marble. Etchings on the floor glowed faintly—the seal of the Balance Sect.
Master Jang let out a breath. "I haven't seen this in over seventy years."
"You've been here before?" So-Ri asked.
"Not inside. I trained near here when I was young. This temple was said to hold philosophies... not techniques."
"Philosophy can be deadlier than any blade," Sun-Ho murmured.
---
Visions of the Flame
As the group explored the inner sanctum, Yeon wandered into a back chamber. There, he paused before a faded mural.
A warrior cloaked in white, surrounded by five colored flames, stood between battling sects.
"He looks like you," Yeon whispered.
Sun-Ho entered behind him, startled. The resemblance was haunting. The mask, the robes, the stance—all familiar.
So-Ri joined them. "Did the Balance Sect foresee this?"
"Or did someone guide them to record it," Sun-Ho said, half to himself.
A sudden breeze swept through the hall—
Wheee...
The torches flickered, and Sun-Ho stiffened. A memory surged up from his past life.
---
Flashback: A Meeting in Shadow
Two youths stood beneath a tree—one, Sun-Ho of his past life, the other, a boy with defiant eyes.
"You want to protect people?" young Sun-Ho asked.
"Yes. Even if I have no talent."
He knelt and drew a diagram in the dirt. "Then remember: strength is not power. True strength is the ability to choose when not to use it."
The boy frowned. "That's confusing."
Sun-Ho smiled. "Good. Confusion forces thought."
---
Return to Mistshade
The memory faded.
Sun-Ho exhaled. Yeon was watching him, quietly thoughtful.
So-Ri placed a hand on his arm. "You remembered something again."
He nodded. "Not pain this time. Just... clarity."
Ji-Mun called from another room, breaking the stillness. "Uh... guys? We found something weird."
---
The Sealed Room
The next chamber contained a sealed pedestal. Atop it was a tome, floating within a protective orb.
Yul-Rin studied the inscription. "'Scripture of Harmonious Flame.' This isn't just lore. This is technique."
Sun-Ho approached cautiously. The orb pulsed as he neared.
Whumm... Whumm...
Then, with a hiss like breath, it parted for him.
"It accepts you," Master Jang said. "As its heir, perhaps."
Sun-Ho reached in and took the tome. The pages shimmered as he opened it, revealing not only fire-based techniques, but notes on concealing spiritual presence using elemental transference.
His eyes lit up. "This... this will help me refine the Elementless Sovereign persona. I can mask elemental Qi fluctuations entirely."
---
Outside, Eyes Watch
From the woods beyond the cliffs, a scout turned.
"He found the Harmonious Flame Scripture," he whispered to a masked figure behind him.
The figure wore robes bearing a black sun insignia.
"Then the Black Sun Sect must act. If he finds the remaining scriptures... the balance we broke may return."
The scout vanished into shadow.
---
Back at Camp
That night, the fire crackled gently. The party sat in a loose circle, eating and resting.
Ma-Rok chewed thoughtfully. "If we had a temple like that at home, I might actually read."
Ji-Mun leaned back. "If we had a temple like that, it'd be crawling with bugs."
Yul-Rin glanced at Sun-Ho. "That book... could it make the masked hero even more untouchable?"
He smirked. "Let's just say the Sovereign might get a wardrobe upgrade."
So-Ri chuckled. "Great. Just what the Murim needs: a stylish, cryptic vigilante."
Master Jang raised his cup. "To balance."
They all drank.
But the mist outside crept closer, and the valley whispered still.
End of Chapter 39