Bloodbath and the Alliance's Shadow
Drip. Drip. Drip.
Blood gathered at the spear tip fell slowly, one drop at a time, onto the floor.
The ground was already soaked in blood, rippling faintly with each drop from the spear.
Woo-gang's face and body were splattered everywhere.
His shaggy hair was drenched in blood, a sight that would make anyone recoil in horror.
But not a single drop of that blood was his own.
Unscathed, Woo-gang—covered head to toe in the blood of hundreds of Chilseongbang thugs—steadied his breathing and scanned his surroundings.
He stood alone amid the carnage.
Hundreds of Chilseongbang men lay strewn about, the acrid stench of blood and swirling haze of slaughter stinging his senses.
Woo-gang turned his gaze.
There sat Pyo Ha-rim, who had been lounging in his chair. Now he was on his feet, trembling in disbelief.
Pyo Ha-rim was a thorough man.
To capture one Woo-gang, he'd mobilized over a hundred men.
An excessive number, perhaps—but proof of his caution.
Yet Woo-gang's prowess surpassed even that.
Surpassed was too mild a word.
It was utter domination.
Pyo Ha-rim's face drained of color as his eyes met Woo-gang's.
A chilling, indifferent stare.
No killing intent, not even for an enemy.
It was the gaze one might spare a worthless insect.
And that made it all the more terrifying.
He looked like he could crush him without a second thought.
Crash!
Pyo Ha-rim stumbled back involuntarily, toppling his chair.
Flailing, he hurled it aside and glared at Woo-gang.
Woo-gang hadn't moved.
Yet he loomed larger, as if striding forward.
"Eek!"
Pyo Ha-rim shrieked, scrambling on the floor before bolting upright and fleeing.
Woo-gang's head tracked him.
His eyes flicked to Pyo Ha-rim clawing at the wall, desperate to escape.
A small pebble caught his eye at his feet.
Shick.Thwack!
Woo-gang flicked it with the spear tip.
Whiiir!
The pebble spun viciously through the air.
It smashed into the side of Pyo Ha-rim's knee just as he crested the wall.
"Gah!"
His knee buckled at an unnatural angle. He lost balance and tumbled outward.
Riiiing!
Woo-gang shook his spear lightly. A clear chime rang out as the blood flew free.
He started toward the wall to pursue Pyo Ha-rim but paused, turning his gaze.
Through the open main gate, a figure approached slowly.
He didn't flinch at the blood-soaked ground or the piles of corpses.
Stopping just beyond the spear's reach, he cupped his fists and bowed slightly.
"Pleased to meet you. I am Ma Yeong-pung, leader of the Murim Alliance's Cheopun Dan."
The Cheopun Danju greeted Woo-gang courteously.
Woo-gang, knowing little of the Murim Alliance or its Cheopun Dan, regarded him impassively.
"Whether you're from the Murim Alliance or somewhere else doesn't matter. What business do you have here?"
"I came to meet the disciple of the Flame King."
Even after revealing himself, Woo-gang replied curtly, but the Cheopun Danju seemed unperturbed.
For the first time, Woo-gang's expression shifted.
The title "Flame King" had slipped out.
"You know me?"
"Of course. Though I only learned recently."
Woo-gang frowned again.
He couldn't fathom how the Murim Alliance knew of him or why they sought him.
"Why don't we talk after you've washed up and changed? You must have questions."
"I have none. No reason to waste time on you, either."
Woo-gang turned to leave decisively.
As he passed, Ma Yeong-pung spoke.
"Where are you headed?"
"Why should I tell you?"
"To explain why you shouldn't go there—and why you must speak with me."
Woo-gang halted and looked back.
The Cheopun Danju turned to face him.
"If you're thinking of hitting another unorthodox faction, don't. There are countless black path gangs in the Central Plains. Taking them on alone is impossible. Even if you could, it'd take too long—making it harder to find the Flame King."
Woo-gang's resolve wavered slightly.
"Besides, searching the vast Central Plains alone is nearly futile. The Murim Alliance's aid would save you effort."
It rang true.
His only clue was that Si-woo's disappearance tied to his sect.
He'd inquired everywhere about the sect's name and more, but found nothing.
The Murim Alliance might know something—that thought flashed through his mind.
"...Fine."
"Wise choice. My subordinates outside will provide water and fresh clothes. Then we talk."
Woo-gang turned and exited Chilseongbang.
Once he was gone, another approached the Cheopun Danju.
"What about the gang leader?"
"Forget him. A small fry like that—catch him or not, the outcome's the same. We've done our part; time to pull back. Plenty of others are itching for him. No need to bloody our hands."
"Understood. We'll clean up here first."
"Good."
With that loaded exchange, the Cheopun Danju departed Chilseongbang as well.
A few nights before Woo-gang arrived at Chilseongbang.
A guest had visited.
None other than the Cheopun Danju.
A faint smile played on his lips, exuding leisure.
Five Murim Alliance warriors, there as escorts, waited outside.
They guarded the entrance, barring Chilseongbang men from approaching.
"The Murim Alliance visiting a black path gang like ours? Unexpected."
Pyo Ha-rim eyed the Cheopun Danju, his words laced with sarcasm.
"The Murim Alliance concerns itself with all murim matters—black path, orthodox, demonic. But concern and intervention are different."
"So this time, it's intervention?"
"Not quite. Just sharing information. Judgment and choice are yours."
"Speak."
Pyo Ha-rim looked skeptical.
"The Black Killer Demon is heading here to Chilseongbang."
"I know. Preparations are complete."
The Cheopun Danju shook his head.
"Preparations won't help you win. One misstep, and Chilseongbang vanishes without a trace."
Pyo Ha-rim scowled.
"You speak as if you know this Black Killer Demon well."
"Indeed. Very well."
"Then why not share his intel? That'd be more useful."
But the Cheopun Danju refused.
"Information won't save you. All we can say is he's strong enough to take on all of Chilseongbang alone."
No need to reveal he was the Flame King's disciple.
Reasons abounded, but Woo-gang's brutality played a part.
The disciple of the revered Flame King slaughtering black path gangs freely? Bad for his reputation.
The spear linked them inevitably, but time would separate "Black Killer Demon" from "Flame King's disciple."
"That's all. Choose wisely."
The Cheopun Danju rose and left.
Afterward, Pyo Ha-rim pondered long.
"If he's that strong, all the more reason not to miss the chance."
In the end, he stuck to his plan—a decision that doomed them all.
The Cheopun Danju's men led Woo-gang to a nearby spot.
Chilseongbang's remote location meant a dedicated bathing area—large enough for many, built outdoors.
Showing up bloodied in a village would've caused panic. A fortunate setup.
After washing off the blood and donning clothes prepared by the warriors, Woo-gang boarded a nearby carriage.
The Cheopun Danju waited inside.
"Welcome. Washed and dressed, you look like a new man."
Woo-gang sat opposite, unmoved by the praise.
A bit awkward, the Cheopun Danju cut to the chase.
"My proposal: join us at the Murim Alliance."
"The Murim Alliance?"
Woo-gang frowned.
"Yes. As I said, finding the Flame King alone is impossible. But our intelligence spans the Central Plains. We haven't found traces yet, but the search continues. Better to wait there and move on leads than wander solo."
Woo-gang pondered.
Going to the Murim Alliance felt off—unfamiliar, no one he knew.
"And do you know the moniker Black Killer Demon?"
Woo-gang nodded; he'd heard it en route.
"The disciple of the once-praised Flame King bearing such a grim title? Word spreads, and it doesn't suit. Good intentions, but the ring is violent. Staying quietly at the Alliance until the rumors fade would help."
Long-winded, but it boiled down to: the title tarnished the Flame King's fame.
No disciple would recklessly stain his sole master's name.
"Hoo... Fine. I mean, yes."
Correcting his curt reply to agreement, Woo-gang consented.
Satisfied, the Cheopun Danju continued.
"Good decision. It's a ways to the Alliance. Take this carriage straight there."
Woo-gang nodded, and the carriage set off for the Murim Alliance.
"If you skip your meds out of laziness, you're in for trouble! Take them right after meals, before your butt leaves the seat!"
"Yes, yes! Got it! I'll head out!"
As dusk fell, the apothecary owner sent off his last customer with a weary sigh, locking the door.
He extinguished the flickering candles, rubbed his back, and headed home through the back door.
"Hoo..."
Inhaling the cool night air deeply, he glanced up.
Stars twinkled through drifting clouds.
Gazing at them, he frowned slightly.
"Big changes coming for that child. Good or bad, who knows."
He murmured at a particularly bright star.
As Si-woo had once told Woo-gang, the owner wasn't a true expert but could read the heavens a bit.
He studied the sky, focusing on Woo-gang's star and its flows.
His face hardened.
"Hm... What happened at the Bing Palace? Good for surviving the brutal jianghu, but... too much change."
He hadn't noticed when he first met Woo-gang after leaving Bing Palace for the Central Plains.
But the stars revealed it: Woo-gang's nature had shifted greatly.
"Balancing on a knife's edge. Good and evil oppose, yet like a hand's front and back. He must tread carefully..."
Worry filled the apothecary owner's voice.