They left the Broken Sword Sect at dawn.
A haze of mist clung to the cliffs, painting the path in fading silver. Yeon walked ahead as usual, silent and watchful. The others followed in staggered formation, occasionally stopping to inspect strange symbols carved into trees.
"Trail markers," So-Ri murmured, tapping one. "Not Murim standard."
"Encrypted?" Yul-Rin asked.
"Just old. From before the last unification," Jang Cheol-Oh answered. "That was back when alliances meant something."
Ma-Rok raised an eyebrow. "You make it sound like ancient history."
"It is," the old man replied.
Creak.
A bamboo grove bent under a strong breeze as they passed through a narrow trail. Somewhere, a bird cried thrice. Ominous. Too regular.
Sun-Ho's hand dropped near his sword hilt. "Trap ahead."
No one questioned it.
---
Ghost Steel in the Forest
They walked another twenty paces before the world snapped.
Shfff!
Dozens of kunai shot from the trees like silver rain.
Clang!
Sun-Ho parried two with a flick of his fingers, the third caught in his sleeve.
Yeon ducked low, sweeping So-Ri behind him instinctively. Ma-Rok leapt forward, his arm glowing faintly with qi as he tanked a volley, scattering them with a roar.
From the mist emerged figures in gray, masks plain but blades gleaming. No words. Only movement.
Fwip.
Ssst.
Their blades cut air and silence both.
"Not assassins," Jang muttered. "Too synchronized. Too clean."
"A test?" Sun-Ho guessed, twisting to sidestep a slash and counter with a fiery palm strike.
Fwoosh.
The attacker staggered back, cloak singed.
Yul-Rin flanked from the right, launching small needles dipped in paralytic poison. So-Ri stayed near Yeon, both supporting and watching him closely. Ji-Mun fought with half-hearted precision, muttering all the while.
"Do they not know we were already attacked this week? We need punch cards for these ambushes."
---
The Golden-Eyed Stranger
Amid the chaos, a tall figure dropped from the canopy. No mask. Just piercing golden eyes and robes of pale blue.
With a single gesture, all gray-cloaked fighters ceased attacking and fell back.
"I apologize," the man said, bowing with exact politeness. "My name is Gwan Yeong, emissary of the Thousand Veins Sect."
Sun-Ho raised a brow. "Is this how emissaries greet people now?"
Yeong's expression didn't change. "Only those who are rumored to be too strong for polite conversation."
Master Jang gave a gruff laugh. "Well, he's not wrong."
Yeong studied Sun-Ho, then added, "We had to be sure."
---
Alliance in the Making
Under a clearing sky, they sat on smooth stones while Yeong poured herbal tea. The masked warriors stood at a distance, unmoving.
"You've made enemies," Yeong said. "The Jinrok Clan has already begun summoning allied sects to isolate you."
"Let them," So-Ri said coldly. "The more they gather, the easier they are to count."
Yeong chuckled. "They also offer bounties for those who bring them information on your masked 'Elementless Sovereign.'"
Sun-Ho's face remained impassive. "And what about you?"
Yeong nodded slowly. "We don't care about masks. We care about purpose. The Thousand Veins Sect wishes to support those who resist the Five Clans."
Sun-Ho didn't answer right away.
Then: "We don't need followers. We need allies who can think."
"And fight," added Ma-Rok.
Yeong smiled. "We wouldn't be here otherwise."
---
Campfire Talks and New Fire
That night, the Thousand Veins left a token of goodwill: rare herbs, forged qi beads, and a map of recent Jinrok movements.
As they unpacked their small camp, Ji-Mun leaned back against a tree. "We now have backup. Actual, scary, secretive backup."
"I still vote we give them codenames," Yul-Rin said. "It's more fun that way."
So-Ri raised an eyebrow. "You want to nickname an entire sect?"
"Yes," Yul-Rin said, completely serious. "Let's call them 'Vein Squad.'"
Sun-Ho stifled a laugh. "No."
Meanwhile, Yeon sat with his eyes closed, gently holding one of the qi beads from their new allies.
Master Jang glanced toward Sun-Ho. "You realize, don't you… every alliance you make deepens your weight in this war?"
"I know," Sun-Ho replied. "But without them, I'll end up being the kind of leader I swore not to become—one who tries to fix everything alone."
So-Ri's voice was soft. "That's not who you are."
"Maybe not now," he said. "But I've been that before."
Wheee.
The wind stirred the campfire. Shadows danced on their faces.
---
Foreshadowing Flame
Later, as the fire died down, Sun-Ho sat alone with Yeon.
"You felt it, didn't you?" he asked.
Yeon nodded.
"The Jinrok Clan," Sun-Ho said, "will likely move soon. They'll send someone stronger next time."
Yeon looked down. "Then what do we do?"
"We finish this," Sun-Ho said. "Piece by piece. Fire by fire. And we protect our own."
A long silence.
Then Yeon said, "Will you burn them all?"
Sun-Ho didn't smile. "Only the rot."
---
End of Chapter 45