The morning mist clung to the cliffs like a desperate ghost, reluctant to let the party leave Mistshade Valley. Birds called faintly from the branches above.
Caw. Caw.
So-Ri stretched, her fingers brushing the cool dew off her robes. "The air smells clearer today."
Ma-Rok squinted into the sun. "Or maybe that's because we're finally getting out of that cursed fog."
Yul-Rin was already packing vials and herbs, whispering to Yeon who sat beside her with his usual silence. His fingers traced lines in the dirt—perhaps a habit, perhaps a calculation.
Ji-Mun adjusted his sash. "So... back on the road again. What's the plan, masked philosopher?"
Sun-Ho didn't answer right away. His gaze lingered on the horizon. "We head north. There's a sect that split off centuries ago after a great ideological divide with the Murim Alliance. They're secretive... but not cruel."
Master Jang nodded. "Ah. The Monastic Gale Sect. I haven't heard their name in decades."
"They once believed that the world should be guided only in spirit, not in sword," Sun-Ho explained. "If any faction might quietly back us while avoiding the central conflict, it's them."
---
Through the Wind-Torn Pass
The journey took them through Wind-Torn Pass—a narrow gorge where the cliffs seemed to breathe with howling gusts.
Wheeeeeeeee!
"This wind is like a furious auntie chasing after debt," Ji-Mun complained, his braid flapping wildly.
"You'd know a lot about both," Yul-Rin muttered.
They pushed forward, each step careful along the rocky trail. At one point, a small avalanche of pebbles clattered down from above.
Clack clack clack clatter!
Yeon instinctively jumped in front of So-Ri.
Sun-Ho, noticing this, gave a small nod of approval.
"You've grown," he whispered.
---
Arrival at the Hidden Refuge
By twilight, they reached a clearing veiled in bamboo. An old stone archway greeted them, etched with flowing script: "He who listens to the wind hears truth before words."
Monks in dark-green robes stepped from behind the trees, eyes calm, hands empty.
One bowed slightly. "We sensed the balance shifting. You bring a flame that does not consume."
Master Jang smiled. "Old friends."
Sun-Ho stepped forward. "We do not seek war, only guidance... and perhaps an ear willing to hear what the central sects won't."
A pause. Then the monk gestured. "Then enter. But know this: words carry weight here. Speak with intent."
---
Inside the Gale Hall
The sanctuary was modest—wooden structures built into the hillsides, waterfalls feeding streams that coiled like veins. The wind here didn't howl. It whispered.
Sun-Ho stood before the elders, hood lowered, mask removed.
"My name is Baek Sun-Ho. I am a candidate for the Murim Alliance succession... and I do not wish to be a puppet."
Murmurs echoed around the circle.
"I speak plainly," Sun-Ho continued. "The Murim has grown bloated with power. But power is not the sickness. It is the excuse."
One elder, the eldest among them, leaned forward. "And what are you then? The cure?"
Sun-Ho smiled. "No. Merely the blade that clears the path for healing."
Silence. Then, slowly, the elder chuckled.
"Very well, Blade. Then you may lodge with us. But beware: fire needs wind to grow—and wind does not always blow in the direction you expect."
---
Fireside Speculation
That night, the party gathered near a small fire under starlight.
Ji-Mun leaned close. "So what's the plan? Do we recruit them? Learn from them?"
"Neither yet," Sun-Ho replied. "We let them see who we are. Let their trust grow like tea, not wine."
Ma-Rok grinned. "Philosophical again. You must really like it here."
Yul-Rin added, "They may become one of the few factions that back you quietly, but you're still being hunted by half the continent."
So-Ri laid back, watching the stars. "Then maybe it's time for the Sovereign to make another appearance."
Sun-Ho was quiet.
Then, a sudden rustling in the bamboo.
Rustle. Snap.
Everyone stood, blades drawn, senses sharp.
From the shadows emerged a young monk, panting.
"Intruders. Just outside the western grove. Not bandits. They... they move like assassins."
Sun-Ho's expression darkened. "Then it begins again."
End of Chapter 40