False Corpse, True Doubts
"At last, we've met. I was wondering when this moment would come."
Having heard the news that the situation had settled and Dok Go-yeong-mu had finally met Woo-gang, Sa Ma-gang spoke calmly.
It was a uproar that had turned the Murim Alliance upside down, and though it wasn't entirely unrelated to him, Sa Ma-gang reacted as if it were someone else's problem.
"Still, considering the ongoing operations, it seems they've met at just the right time."
Sa Ma-gang nodded at Cheopun Danju's words.
"Skip this phase and move straight to the next one."
"Is that alright?"
"It is. If Mu-sang has already met him, the second phase is pointless. Better to jump right into the third and tighten the noose."
"Understood. We'll proceed immediately."
"How long will it take?"
"A few days at most."
"Hurry it up a bit. We need to strike while his emotions are still rattled."
"Understood. Then."
Cheopun Danju bowed slightly and left the office.
Sa Ma-gang sat blankly in his chair for a moment before lighting the candle on his desk.
Soon, the wax melted, and a faint fragrance began to spread through the office.
Sa Ma-gang closed his eyes, savoring the scent, then leaned back in his chair and drifted into a brief nap.
Having steeled his resolve through his conversation with Dok Go-yeong-mu, Woo-gang returned to his quarters for now.
Dok Go-seol-ran, who had witnessed Woo-gang's utterly icy demeanor before anyone except Sa Ma-gang, couldn't bring herself to approach him.
And Woo-gang had no spare attention for her either.
His emotions had calmed, but his heart was far from at ease.
Right now, Woo-gang's mind was filled with rumors of Yeom Si-woo's death.
He tried to steady himself by recalling Dok Go-yeong-mu's firm assertion that it couldn't be true, but the mere possibility that it might be real made his chest tighten again.
Whenever that happened, Woo-gang sat in the lotus position and entered meditation.
By focusing solely on the flow of his pure qi and losing himself in a trance-like state, he could at least alleviate the suffocating pressure somewhat.
If even that didn't work, he would go outside and swing his spear like a madman.
He didn't stop even when sweat poured like rain, soaking the ground, or when friction turned his palms red and raw.
It reminded him of his childhood days, when he had thrown himself into martial arts to forget his wretched memories.
Watching Woo-gang like this, Dok Go-seol-ran seemed somewhat relieved.
The image of him that day was still vividly etched in her mind.
He had seemed on the verge of exploding, yet colder than anything in the world.
Even if it hadn't been Woo-gang, she had never seen anyone else like that in her life, which made it all the more shocking.
They weren't particularly close to begin with, but after that day, a massive wall had risen between them.
Yet seeing Woo-gang gradually pull himself together, Dok Go-seol-ran felt that wall slowly lowering.
Shrieeeek!
The spear blade tore through the air with such force that it felt like a vacuum formed in its wake.
Woo-gang was still sweating profusely, drops falling to the ground with every movement.
Dok Go-seol-ran cautiously approached Woo-gang, who wielded his spear with grave seriousness.
She seemed to have something to say.
But Woo-gang didn't notice, utterly absorbed in his spearwork.
He only stopped after a long while, when his body finally signaled that it needed rest.
Only then did Woo-gang notice Dok Go-seol-ran, who had been waiting nearby for over an hour.
In her hand was a soft cloth, which she carefully offered to him.
"Thank you."
Woo-gang took the cloth and wiped his sweat.
"They say the corpse has arrived at the Murim Alliance."
Woo-gang's hand paused briefly at Dok Go-seol-ran's words.
Then he resumed wiping.
"Aren't you going to see it?"
"I'm fine."
Woo-gang answered flatly, but his heart pounded as if it would burst.
Now that the corpse had actually arrived, he couldn't bring himself to face it.
What if it really was Yeom Si-woo's body?
He couldn't even imagine what he'd do then.
"When they first found it, decomposition had already set in, so they couldn't identify it right away. They brought it to the Murim Alliance for a proper investigation, so if you just wait a little..."
"I understand."
Woo-gang cut her off with a curt reply.
Seeing his reaction, Dok Go-seol-ran clamped her mouth shut and watched his face carefully.
Woo-gang had only interrupted because he felt continuing would make things harder for himself, but Dok Go-seol-ran wondered if her words had upset him.
An awkward silence flowed between them.
"I'm sorry about that day."
Woo-gang broke the silence first.
At his apology, Dok Go-seol-ran widened her eyes and looked at him.
"Looking back, I did something I shouldn't have. You did nothing wrong, Lady Dok Go. I exploded my emotions on you unfairly. I'm sorry."
It was a sincere apology from Woo-gang.
Hadn't he gone through the same thing as a child?
He'd had to bear the brunt of someone else's emotions over something unrelated to him.
More than anyone, Woo-gang knew how painful and agonizing that was.
Yet that day, he'd done the same to Dok Go-seol-ran, and it filled him with regret.
He'd meant to apologize sooner, but various reasons had delayed it until now.
"It's okay. Anyone would have reacted that way in the situation. Don't worry about it."
"Thank you. And again, I'm sorry. Then I'll..."
After apologizing, Woo-gang felt even more remorse and hurried away.
Watching his retreating figure vanish quickly, Dok Go-seol-ran smiled quietly.
As Dok Go-yeong-mu had declared, the corpse brought to the Murim Alliance was confirmed not to be Yeom Si-woo's.
Though decomposition made identification difficult, there were no traces of martial arts cultivation or injuries from combat.
In the end, the Murim Alliance concluded it was the body of an ordinary civilian, not a martial artist, and decided to hand it over to the family.
They also officially announced that the rumors of the Flame King's death were false, and they would continue their utmost efforts to find him.
Hearing the news while resting in his room, Woo-gang let out a deep sigh of relief.
A wave of relief washed over him, and all the suppressed emotions surged up at once.
His heart finally eased, freed from the relentless torment of grim imaginings.
With thoughts of Yeom Si-woo's death gone, something else filled the void.
Thoughts of the Murim Alliance's warriors.
He recalled how Dok Go-yeong-mu's appearance had stopped him just fifty zhang from the main gate.
What if he hadn't shown up... Could I have reached the gate?
The prowess of the Murim Alliance warriors.
Their coordination and relentless determination to achieve their goal.
At the time, he'd been single-mindedly focused on escaping, but reflecting now, he could only marvel at how extraordinary they were.
The Murim Alliance... truly an amazing place.
Woo-gang marveled once more.
First, he'd been awed by its scale; now, by the sheer number of exceptional martial artists.
Han Si-rang, the palace lord, might take offense, but he'd never felt the Bing Palace was this impressive.
Back then, he knew even less, and even in actual sparring with them, he hadn't sensed it.
But the Murim Alliance was different.
Now he understood why Jang Hak-jin had been so proud.
His thoughts, starting from the Alliance warriors, turned to Dok Go-yeong-mu.
Though it was just a brief clash and he was fatigued, the man's effortless nullification of his attacks was burned into his memory.
That is the prowess of the Murim Alliance's Mu-sang.
He wondered: if they fought at full strength, who would win?
Suddenly, he wanted a proper spar with him.
It was a thought that would shock anyone who heard it.
A match with Dok Go-yeong-mu, the Mu-sang of the Murim Alliance, was unthinkable.
His position within the Alliance and the murim world made it impossible just by wishing for it.
Beyond that, few would even dare to think of challenging him.
Dok Go-yeong-mu's skill was unrivaled in the current murim, with few equals.
The outcome was obvious, so no one entertained the idea.
Perhaps Woo-gang could think it only because he didn't fully grasp Dok Go-yeong-mu yet.
Woo-gang sprang to his feet.
He grabbed the spear leaning against the wall.
He couldn't just sit idle like this.
His body itched for action.
The uproar over Yeom Si-woo's supposed death passed, and peaceful days followed for a time.
Woo-gang's routine remained unchanged, always the same.
With no duties, he immersed himself in training to pass the time.
Then one day.
For the first time in ages, he heard that Sa Ma-gang wanted to see him.
Woo-gang's immediate reaction was a frown.
After his talk with Dok Go-yeong-mu, he sensed Sa Ma-gang's intentions weren't entirely pure.
He was convinced the death rumors were deliberately spread by Sa Ma-gang.
There had to be some purpose, tied to him somehow, but he couldn't fathom what.
So when the summons came amid these doubts, he couldn't help but scowl.
Still, summoned he was, so he went to his room to wipe off sweat and change clothes.
Knock knock.
"Come in."
At Sa Ma-gang's voice, Woo-gang opened the door and entered the office.
Just like their first meeting, Sa Ma-gang stood with hands behind his back, gazing out the window, then turned.
His welcoming expression was no different—neither warmly glad nor coldly indifferent, a subtle smile that might or might not be there.
But to Woo-gang, the situation felt utterly uncomfortable.
Their last encounter had left him flushed with emotion, after all.
"Sit."
Woo-gang silently took the seat Sa Ma-gang indicated.
Sitting opposite, Sa Ma-gang glanced at him before speaking.
"It's a relief the corpse wasn't Senior Flame King's."
"Yes."
Sa Ma-gang chuckled softly at Woo-gang's curt reply, then continued.
"Still harboring some emotions, I see? My apologies for that. In matters of such importance, emotions must be set aside for cold precision to yield accurate results. I apologize for not explaining properly."
Sa Ma-gang frankly acknowledged his own shortcomings and apologized.
Woo-gang couldn't refuse to accept it.
"It's fine. I've forgotten it."
"Good to hear. Anyway, the reason I called you today... it's about a certain rumor."
Woo-gang frowned at the word "rumor" from Sa Ma-gang.
He didn't know what rumor it was, but the very mention made him bristle.