Volume 5 – Embers in the Storm
A crescent moon carved its silver smile across the night sky.
The party camped near the misty edge of the Weeping Pines Forest, lantern light flickering against the gnarled trees like fireflies dancing in mourning. The battle earlier still echoed in their bones, but rest came uneasily.
Baek Sun-Ho sat cross-legged near the fire, eyes closed, pulse steady. His Qi moved in spirals, adjusting to the faint shifts in spiritual pressure.
Crack—snap.
A twig broke underfoot somewhere beyond the trees.
Ji-Mun turned sharply. "That wasn't wildlife."
So-Ri rose smoothly, her glaive in hand before her shadow caught up. Ma-Rok stepped in front of Yeon, who didn't flinch but stared curiously into the darkness.
Yul-Rin dipped a finger into a vial and whispered, "Poison ready."
Master Jang sipped from his gourd. "Late visitors aren't always polite."
Another branch cracked.
Snap.
Then they appeared—ten masked figures in ash-colored robes, each one moving with the grace of trained assassins. Their leader wore no mask. He smiled as if greeting old friends.
"You're the ones causing all this fuss," the leader said. His voice was rich and sharp, like wine mixed with glass. "Congratulations. You've stepped on toes bigger than mine."
"Who are you?" Ji-Mun asked, hand on his fan.
"Call me Yu Mok. I'm here with a... message."
Sun-Ho stood slowly, cloak brushing the grass. "Let me guess. Someone important doesn't like that a group of nobodies is winning too many fights?"
Yu Mok's grin deepened. "You catch on quick. Some of the great sects feel you're upsetting a delicate balance. There's no room for unpredictability in their game."
"And you're here to kill us?" So-Ri asked, rotating her weapon once.
Yu Mok chuckled. "Please. I only kill when paid well. Tonight's merely a test. If you pass… we won't have to meet again. If you fail—well, I suppose you won't need to worry about Murim politics anymore."
Sun-Ho's gaze sharpened. "Then let's not waste time."
---
Combat Erupts
With a snap of Yu Mok's fingers, the assassins lunged forward.
Whish! Clang! Paff!
Blades clashed in a blur of steel and sparks. So-Ri met two opponents at once, her glaive spinning in wide arcs that scattered their formations. Ma-Rok tanked a flurry of attacks, fists like shields, feet planted like a mountain. Yul-Rin darted between shadows, flicking poisoned needles that hissed through the air.
Yeon, silent as always, sidestepped an assassin and calmly slammed a palm into their chest—sending them flying into a tree with a dull thud.
Ji-Mun flicked his fan open and snapped it forward. "Wind Talon!" A razor-thin slice of air cut across the field, slashing one attacker's weapon clean in half.
Sun-Ho moved like mist in moonlight.
He danced between enemies without drawing his blade, dodging by inches, letting them feel the weight of missing. He struck pressure points with surgical precision, not to defeat—just to dismantle.
One assassin cried out as his knee buckled.
KRAK.
Another's sword flew from their grip as Sun-Ho caught their wrist and twisted gently.
Fwup.
Yu Mok watched it all from a tree branch. He leaned forward, mildly amused, yet eyes narrowing with each second.
"So it's true," he muttered. "You're not just lucky."
---
Mid-Fight Shift
Two assassins leapt for Yeon at once. For a moment, panic bloomed—until Sun-Ho moved.
He blurred across the field.
Fwsshhh!
A pulse of elemental pressure rippled as he tapped fire beneath his palm—just enough to stun, not burn.
He slammed both attackers into the ground with a single sweeping motion.
"Back off my student," he said calmly.
Yu Mok whistled. "Protective and precise. I think I like you."
Suddenly, he vanished from the tree.
Sun-Ho turned just in time to block a strike from Yu Mok's palm—barely.
THWACK!
The impact sent him skidding backward, boots carving furrows into the dirt.
Yu Mok appeared before him. "You're stronger than you show."
"And you're testing limits."
Yu Mok grinned again. "It's the only way to measure someone."
Sun-Ho's hand drifted toward his sword, but he stopped. "I don't need the blade for you."
"Bold."
"I only draw it when I want to end something."
Yu Mok feinted forward—only to stop mid-strike. He looked around. His entire unit had been taken down, though mostly still breathing.
Even So-Ri, panting, stood triumphant over her foes.
Yu Mok stepped back. "Message delivered."
"Was it in the form of bruises?" Ma-Rok asked, flexing his shoulders.
Yu Mok vanished without another word, leaving behind only wind.
---
Aftermath
The forest quieted. Crickets resumed their chirping like a delayed orchestra.
Yul-Rin collapsed onto a rock. "Anyone else feel like we're going to keep getting 'messages'?"
Ji-Mun rubbed his chin. "This was coordinated. Someone's really threatened now."
Master Jang grunted. "If they weren't before, they will be soon."
So-Ri looked toward Sun-Ho. "What now?"
Sun-Ho watched the trees. "Now… we move faster. They're watching our shadows. But they'll never see the fire behind it."
---
End of Chapter 50