Sun-Ho had been up before dawn.
The fog was thick that morning, curling low along the trail like steam off a simmering blade. He sat by the cliff's edge, scribbling something quickly in a rolled scroll.
Master Jang appeared, carrying two cups of bitter morning tea. "Writing your will already?"
"No," Sun-Ho replied, folding the scroll. "A speech. For the day someone else takes my place."
"You've grown strangely optimistic," the old master muttered, sipping his tea.
Sun-Ho gave him a sidelong glance. "Or prepared."
---
The Message in the Shadows
An hour later, a bird with jade-green feathers swooped low from the northern wind. A letter capsule tied to its leg bore the stamp of the Wujang School—a minor sect known for producing tacticians rather than warriors.
Ji-Mun read aloud as everyone gathered:
> "To the so-called Masked Sovereign of Balance… we wish to remain neutral. But your actions stir more than rebellion—they wake sleeping dragons. The Jinrok Clan has dispatched an enforcer to your region. If you survive the week, we may reconsider neutrality."
Ma-Rok frowned. "That's not a warning. That's a dare."
So-Ri shook her head. "They're baiting us to move first."
Yul-Rin tapped the letter. "And confirming we've become enough of a threat to be considered real."
Sun-Ho folded the letter neatly and set it into the fire.
Crackle.
Flames licked the paper into ash.
"We move at dusk," he said.
---
The First Domino
The party traveled southward through a forest of twisted birch trees. There, a village named Gwonyang nestled in the valley—one Sun-Ho had marked during their early mapping.
"Jinrok territory?" Yeon asked quietly.
"Formerly," Sun-Ho replied. "Now it's ours—if we survive tonight."
They entered as merchants, bearing nothing but trinkets and food to share. The villagers looked warily from windows, their fear rooted deeper than the surface. No guards. No laughter. Only silence and tightly bolted doors.
Yul-Rin whispered, "Something's wrong. Not scared of us—scared in general."
That was when a man bolted from a cellar with shackles still chained to his wrist. He tripped and fell in front of them, eyes wild.
"Help me," he gasped, "he's coming back—!"
Boom.
The ground shook as a figure landed thirty feet away, sending a shockwave through the dirt.
He wore crimson robes, a jagged black spear across his back, and a cruel grin carved into his face like it had never known kindness.
"I was wondering where the rats ran off to."
The villagers fled indoors. Doors slammed. Windows closed. And only Sun-Ho stepped forward.
---
Enforcer of the Burning Vow
"Name?" Sun-Ho asked, cracking his knuckles.
The man grinned wider. "I am Jin Mu-Gak, Burning Vow Enforcer of the Jinrok Clan."
Sun-Ho tilted his head. "Terrible name."
"You won't be laughing when I turn your spine to steam."
"Actually," Sun-Ho said, drawing his sword, "I might."
Clang.
Mu-Gak attacked first—spear slicing through the air with shocking speed. Sun-Ho parried with a crescent sweep, redirecting the spear upward as he dashed inside Mu-Gak's guard.
Whump.
Palm strike. Heat. Sun-Ho's hand glowed faintly red—suppressed Fire Qi leaking out.
Mu-Gak snarled and spun, sweeping the spear in a wide arc. It tore through the cobblestones.
Yeon stepped forward, but So-Ri held him back. "Not yet. He's measuring him."
"He's using Low Inner Core strength again," Yul-Rin muttered. "But… Mu-Gak isn't."
---
Between Flames and Silence
The fight stretched long. Sparks lit the air. The villagers peeked from behind shutters. Whispers started again.
"That masked man… is this him?"
"Did he come to save us?"
Ji-Mun stood near the well, arms crossed. "Guess the legend grows another inch today."
Master Jang didn't speak. He only smiled faintly.
Sun-Ho suddenly pivoted, twisting his foot and slamming it into the side of Mu-Gak's knee. The man buckled.
Snap.
Then, in one smooth motion, Sun-Ho sheathed his blade and struck with open palm—right into Mu-Gak's chest.
Boom!
Qi surged—but just enough. Controlled. Tempered. And yet overwhelming for someone less disciplined.
Mu-Gak coughed blood and slumped. Not dead. Just thoroughly defeated.
The silence was deafening.
Then a child clapped once. Then another. Then a roar of applause rippled through Gwonyang.
---
The Mask and the Man
Later that night, So-Ri handed him a new mask—slightly cracked from earlier use.
"You need a spare," she said. "Or ten."
Ji-Mun snorted. "Why don't we mass produce them already?"
Yul-Rin added, "We can get a discount if we order in bulk."
Sun-Ho just leaned against the fence, watching the villagers rebuild their broken homes with laughter on their lips.
"Today," he said, "we stopped a rot."
"But it will spread again," So-Ri said.
"Then we'll burn it again," he replied. "Flame by flame."
Yeon whispered from beside them, "He'll remember this."
"Who?" Ma-Rok asked.
Yeon looked up. "The one who sent that man. He'll come next."
---
End of Chapter 46