The Shadow of the Black Killer Yaksha
As Woo-gang frowned, Sa Ma-gang continued speaking.
"To be precise, it's not so much an out-of-the-blue rumor as the simple spread of facts. Facts related to you."
"Related to me?"
"Yes. I once mentioned the moniker Black Killer Yaksha to you, didn't I?"
At Sa Ma-gang's question, Woo-gang nodded.
He recalled the conversation about how such a nickname didn't suit the disciple of the Flame King.
"The fact that the Black Killer Yaksha is the Flame King's disciple has spread. We tried to keep it under wraps as much as possible, but it seems there are limits to what manpower alone can achieve."
With that, Sa Ma-gang wore an expression of genuine apology.
This was the first time Sa Ma-gang, who had always treated Woo-gang without showing any emotional expressions, had reacted this way.
Yet the person directly involved, Woo-gang, spoke as if it were no big deal.
"I've been curious about this for a while, but I don't see what the problem is. It's a fact that I earned that moniker, and I don't care how people call me."
Moreover, when he'd first encountered the nickname, far more people had cheered him on than not. It didn't seem like much of an issue.
But Sa Ma-gang quietly shook his head.
"In the jianghu murim, a moniker carries more weight than you might think. Some people go their entire lives without earning one, and once it's attached, it rarely changes."
"No matter what moniker I get, it doesn't bother me."
At Woo-gang's response, Sa Ma-gang frowned slightly this time before speaking.
"Looking at you, it seems you have a tendency to think only of yourself. You're hypersensitive about your master's affairs, yet sometimes you act like a complete stranger, detached from it all."
"Does my moniker connect to Grandfather too?"
"Exactly. The title of Flame King's disciple carries far more weight than you realize. Just that alone makes people expect great things and look up to you. If your words and actions only affected you, I wouldn't say a word. But your conduct ties directly to Elder Flame King. In the worst case, people might say he raised his disciple poorly."
Woo-gang fell silent, mulling over Sa Ma-gang's words.
"Many of the people you've met were probably favorable toward the Black Killer Yaksha. But that's only among ordinary folk not involved in the jianghu. In the murim, the reaction is different. Especially now that it's known the Black Killer Yaksha is the Flame King's disciple."
"A different reaction..."
"Yes. Regardless of what you think, your conflicts with the Black Path weren't without brutality and excess. You killed countless people. Elder Flame King possessed strength everyone acknowledged, but he always avoided taking lives with it whenever possible. Your display against the Black Path is the exact opposite of that image. It's having a negative impact."
Woo-gang frowned.
He didn't care at all how others perceived him.
But if it affected Siu, he couldn't ignore it.
Sa Ma-gang watched Woo-gang quietly.
In truth, what Sa Ma-gang had said was half right and half wrong.
He'd framed Woo-gang's moniker and his clashes with the Black Path as being negatively received in the jianghu, but that wasn't accurate.
To be exact, neither the Black Killer Yaksha moniker nor Woo-gang's conflicts with the Black Path were major topics in the murim.
Such events were commonplace in the jianghu.
Of course, facing multiple Black Path factions single-handedly meant it wasn't entirely unknown.
But it hadn't drawn much attention from the jianghu masters, and with time passed, it had faded into obscurity.
"So, what do you want me to do?"
Woo-gang asked.
From the rumors about Siu's death to this incident.
He strongly felt Sa Ma-gang was hiding his true intentions and guiding him.
Frustrated, he'd asked directly.
But Sa Ma-gang looked at him as if he had no idea what he meant, countering with a question of his own.
"What I want you to do? I'm just letting you know this has happened. Now it's up to you to decide what to do about it."
Sa Ma-gang surely understood the intent behind Woo-gang's question.
Yet he played dumb, and Woo-gang stared at him intently for a moment.
Even under Woo-gang's piercing gaze, Sa Ma-gang's expression and eyes didn't waver in the slightest.
A man like Sa Ma-gang, seasoned by years in the jianghu and countless encounters, wouldn't be shaken by this.
"Then what should I do?"
Woo-gang asked a similar but slightly different question.
"Hm... I can't pinpoint a specific method and say 'do this.' It's rude for an outsider to meddle too deeply, and we have too much on our plates anyway. But it would be good if an opportunity arose for you to show yourself publicly—something that could shift people's perceptions."
"Understood. I'll keep that in mind."
Woo-gang replied curtly.
"If you need help, come find me anytime."
Woo-gang gave a small nod at Sa Ma-gang's words and left his office.
After Woo-gang departed, Cheopun Danju entered the office a short while later.
"He went to Cheonhwa Hall, not his quarters."
Cheonhwa Hall was where Dok Go-yeong-mu, the Musang, resided.
It seemed Woo-gang had gone there to seek Dok Go-yeong-mu's advice after hearing Sa Ma-gang out.
Even though he'd gone to Dok Go-yeong-mu, who could be seen as a rival, Sa Ma-gang's expression remained unchanged.
"Will that be alright?"
Instead, Cheopun Danju asked with more concern.
"Cheopun Danju."
"Yes, sir."
"Do you know why I'm treating Yeom Woo-gang this way?"
"I know well."
At Cheopun Danju's response, Sa Ma-gang shook his head.
"If you know well, you shouldn't worry."
"What do you mean...?"
Cheopun Danju asked, looking puzzled.
"My goal is solely to make Yeom Woo-gang someone who fits into the Murim Alliance—someone we can handle. The Flame King couldn't be contained that way, but now there's a chance to bring his disciple under our wing. We can't let it slip."
Cheopun Danju nodded as if he understood.
But his expression remained stiff with lingering concern as he spoke again.
"But if Yeom Woo-gang ever joins hands with Musang..."
"Would that change anything?"
"Musang is the Sword King's bloodline, and Yeom Woo-gang is the Flame King's disciple. If those two join forces, the board could shake."
At Cheopun Danju's words, Sa Ma-gang gave a faint smile.
"If the board was going to flip, it would have already. Musang isn't skilled in politics. Despite his fame as the Sword King's son, he hasn't surpassed me. And Yeom Woo-gang? He's even further from it—just a green novice. The jianghu prioritizes martial prowess, but the Murim Alliance does not."
Confidence laced Sa Ma-gang's words.
"In any case, Dok Go-yeong-mu is still the Murim Alliance's Musang. He knows well that Yeom Woo-gang joining the Alliance would be helpful. If his aid brings Yeom Woo-gang into our fold, it saves us effort— isn't that good?"
"True, but I can't fully relax. Not that I doubt the literary leader's strategy, of course."
"Huhu. Fair enough. We can't keep Yeom Woo-gang on our side forever anyway. We can't let that martial talent go to waste. Cheonwi Dan under Musang directly would be better."
"But doesn't Chuhon Dan, under the literary leader directly, exist for that?"
"Chuhon Dan draws less attention. It's not fitting for the Flame King's disciple. No offense to them."
At Sa Ma-gang's words, Cheopun Danju could say no more.
He seemed to have firm convictions and a plan to match.
It was always like this when Sa Ma-gang showed such composure.
Cheopun Danju could only acknowledge it and leave the office.
As Cheopun Danju had said, Woo-gang was in Dok Go-yeong-mu's office.
Dok Go-yeong-mu welcomed Woo-gang, who was visiting for the first time since that day.
But seeing Woo-gang's uncharacteristically grim expression, he quickly set aside the pleasantries and grew serious.
"Something's happened, I take it."
"I just met with the literary leader."
"Hm..."
Dok Go-yeong-mu nodded deeply.
He didn't know what they'd discussed, but given past events, he could guess Woo-gang's mood wasn't great.
"What did he say?"
At Dok Go-yeong-mu's question, Woo-gang relayed everything Sa Ma-gang had told him.
Dok Go-yeong-mu, listening silently, pondered deeply, his face troubled.
"You didn't come just because you're frustrated. You're seeking advice?"
"Yes."
"Advice... That's tricky. Advice shouldn't be given lightly. It could greatly impact someone's life."
Even after saying that, Dok Go-yeong-mu continued to deliberate.
Woo-gang sipped the tea prepared for him and waited patiently.
'A lack of experience.'
That was Dok Go-yeong-mu's diagnosis.
If Woo-gang had grown up immersed in the jianghu murim from childhood, he wouldn’t be struggling like this.
Training in martial arts amid that world, meeting countless people, he would have learned his place and how to judge accordingly.
But Woo-gang, trained in isolation with Siu, lacked that.
"What you need to focus on now isn't monikers or others' gazes."
"What do you...?"
"What you lack is experience, in the end. Meet more people, live through more things, and you’ll learn where to draw the line. Your current troubles stem from that deficiency."
"I see."
"How about this?"
After much thought, Dok Go-yeong-mu made a cautious proposal.
"I have Cheonwi Dan under me—the Murim Alliance's premier combat unit. Why not live by their schedule for a while? You need to stay in the Alliance until you hear news of Elder Flame King anyway, and you don't have much else to do. People's perceptions don't change overnight with some grand gesture either."
"That's true."
"So, mingle with Cheonwi Dan, build experience, and train together for better results. The choice is yours."
He made the offer for the reasons stated, but also because leaving Woo-gang as-is might draw him unwittingly into Sa Ma-gang's schemes.
It was a form of protection, in a way.
After pondering Dok Go-yeong-mu's proposal, Woo-gang looked at him with resolve.
"I'll do it."
"Good choice. I'll inform the literary leader."
"Understood."
Dok Go-yeong-mu responded to Woo-gang's answer with a smile.
But all of this was already accounted for in Sa Ma-gang's mind.
Upon hearing from Dok Go-yeong-mu that Woo-gang would live by Cheonwi Dan's schedule, Sa Ma-gang smiled.
"I knew it would be like this."
He murmured softly.