Trial by Flame Spear
The sun had yet to rise, leaving the world shrouded in the dim twilight before dawn.
Woo-gang slowly opened his eyes and stared up at the dark ceiling of his room for a moment.
Blinking away the remnants of sleep, he abruptly sat up.
Dong~ dong~ dong~
From afar came the faint tolling of a bell announcing the Mao hour.
Listening to the sound, Woo-gang crossed his legs into a lotus position right there where he sat.
There was still a little time before the Cheonwi Dan's schedule was set to begin.
After finishing his qi circulation, Woo-gang had a simple meal.
He changed his clothes and stepped out of his quarters, where Dok Go-seol-ran— who had arrived despite the early hour— guided him toward the Cheonwi Dan's location.
The Cheonwi Dan warriors had only just emerged onto the training ground, gathering in small groups of three or five to loosen up their bodies.
"Over there. You can go ahead."
Dok Go-seol-ran accompanied him only as far as the spot where the training ground came into view, then stopped and said,
"Guess I have to go alone."
"Of course. I'm with the Hyang-hun-dan, and our basic principle is not to get involved in other units' activities."
Woo-gang nodded at Dok Go-seol-ran's words and steadied his breathing for a moment.
The recent uproar and this first face-to-face made everything feel awkward.
Taking a deep breath, Woo-gang slowly approached the training ground.
The Cheonwi Dan members, initially unaware of his approach, noticed him belatedly and halted what they were doing.
All eyes focused on Woo-gang.
They had heard he would be joining their schedule starting today, but actually facing him created an instantly awkward atmosphere.
Normally, one would welcome a newcomer or stranger, but given the recent events, awkwardness was inevitable.
It was hard to greet each other with smiles after having weapons pointed at one another.
As Woo-gang and the Cheonwi Dan members alike hesitated to speak, standing there stiffly, a savior appeared.
"You're already here."
"Yes."
Dok Go-yeong-mu approached upon spotting Woo-gang, with the Cheonwi Danju at his side.
Though not particularly close to Dok Go-yeong-mu, Woo-gang couldn't help feeling relieved at his arrival.
At Dok Go-yeong-mu's appearance, the Cheonwi Dan members moved with disciplined precision, lining up across the training ground.
Dok Go-yeong-mu brought Woo-gang forward to stand before them and spoke.
"As I mentioned beforehand, this is Yeom Woo-gang, who will be joining the Cheonwi Dan's schedule starting today. If any grudges linger from recent events, I hope you cast them aside after today and get along well."
Having delivered his brief admonition, Dok Go-yeong-mu turned to Woo-gang.
Unsure of the meaning, Woo-gang simply stood there, prompting Dok Go-yeong-mu to send a transmission.
[Say a word of greeting at least?]
Only then did Woo-gang feel the weight of all the gazes fixed on him. He opened his mouth hesitantly.
"I'm Yeom Woo-gang."
Though Woo-gang offered a short greeting, there was no response.
The atmosphere grew only more awkward.
Witnessing this, Dok Go-yeong-mu let out a small sigh and addressed the Cheonwi Dan members.
"Anyone have any questions?"
Questions?
Woo-gang wondered if he'd misheard.
In this atmosphere, who would ask anything, or even care to?
His honest wish was for this moment to pass quickly.
And sure enough, not a single Cheonwi Dan member raised a question.
Even Dok Go-yeong-mu, who had spoken, shut his mouth tightly, looking embarrassed.
The awkward silence stretched on like that— until, at one point,
"I want to hear about Flame King senior!"
A question rang out from deep within the group of Cheonwi Dan warriors.
Dok Go-yeong-mu brightened and looked at Woo-gang.
"You must be curious. Among these folks, probably... no one's seen Flame King senior in person, right?"
He turned to the Cheonwi Danju.
"None."
The Flame King was that much of a mysterious figure.
Most in the Cheonwi Dan were in their thirties.
Even after at least a decade in the Murim Alliance, they had never so much as glimpsed his shadow.
They knew how incredible he was from stories, but that was all.
Hearing the question, Woo-gang briefly recalled the time he'd spent with him.
Though not that long ago, it felt hazily distant, as if much time had passed.
As Woo-gang reminisced about his moments with Si-woo, he slowly spoke.
"He's a warm man. He took in someone like me, without a shred of experience, and taught me the meaning of living. He never once raised his voice at me. He was endlessly kind and forgiving, giving without reserve."
A spark of interest appeared on the listeners' faces.
What they knew of the Flame King was only his strength, how he faced enemies.
Thus, their image of him was one of cold precision, unyielding integrity, and fearless resolve.
Learning of the side Woo-gang described behind that facade seemed quite unexpected.
"I want to witness Flame King senior's martial arts."
Another voice piped up abruptly.
The feats Woo-gang had displayed were deeply etched in everyone's minds.
His figure charging alone through hordes of Murim Alliance warriors.
Though they'd never seen the Flame King's prowess firsthand, they imagined it must resemble Woo-gang's.
Even if Woo-gang fell short, they yearned to see it properly.
As warriors, encountering powerful martial arts.
And using that to advance themselves.
It was the shared desire of everyone gathered on the training ground.
The enthusiasm spread through the entire Cheonwi Dan in an instant— Woo-gang could feel it plainly.
"Danju."
"Speak."
"How about replacing this morning's training with that?"
"No reason for me to object."
Smiling at the Cheonwi Danju's reply, Dok Go-yeong-mu turned to Woo-gang.
"It's your call. Can you show them Flame King senior's— no, your martial arts?"
Dok Go-yeong-mu corrected himself mid-sentence.
By calling it Woo-gang's martial arts rather than the Flame King's, he showed respect for Woo-gang as a warrior in his own right.
Some Cheonwi Dan members, their hearts pricked, lowered their heads slightly.
Woo-gang pondered Dok Go-yeong-mu's proposal for a moment.
No one knew his thoughts, but all watched with bated breath and subtle expectation.
The awkward tension from moments ago had vanished without a trace, replaced by a fervent heat filling the training ground.
In truth, the Cheonwi Dan warriors harbored no resentment toward Woo-gang whatsoever.
What they felt was awe.
Though it had ended with Dok Go-yeong-mu's intervention, the prowess they'd witnessed that day was extraordinary.
And as the disciple of the Flame King— a figure all warriors revered— he had been hard to approach casually.
They figured that day's events were just following orders, with some reason they didn't know.
Give their all to the mission at hand, and leave no grudges once it was done.
That was how the Cheonwi Dan warriors lived as the Murim Alliance's strongest combat unit.
"Hoo... How should I do it?"
In the end, a positive response came from Woo-gang's lips, brightening the Cheonwi Dan warriors' faces.
Having felt their passion for martial arts up close, Woo-gang found his own enthusiasm igniting.
"A spar would be best, right?"
Woo-gang nodded at Dok Go-yeong-mu's words.
The spar at the Bing Palace had been a must-win ordeal, leaving little room for enjoyment.
But now, the pure exchange of techniques and encounter with new arts brought a strange excitement surging within him.
"Alright, then. Get ready."
At Dok Go-yeong-mu's command, the Cheonwi Dan warriors moved swiftly.
Evidently familiar with such situations, they quickly cleared a spacious area sufficient for a spar between two.
Dok Go-yeong-mu also stepped back to a spot with a good view.
It had been ages since he'd last seen the Flame King's arts, and he was eager to properly gauge Woo-gang's skill.
Woo-gang took up his spear and stood at the center of the broad space cleared by the many who had retreated.
Meanwhile, within the Cheonwi Dan, discussion brewed over who would step forward first.
Knowing Woo-gang's skill was formidable, they couldn't send just anyone.
The goal was to witness the arts passed down by the Flame King, but this was still a spar— they couldn't afford to lose.
After careful deliberation, one man stepped forward.
He appeared a bit older than the others, likely at the rank of Il Daeju.
Everyone watched the two in tense silence, lips pressed tight.
His opponent was the Cheonwi Dan's Il Daeju.
Having earned his position through skill, his expression brimmed with confidence.
"Begin."
No sooner had Dok Go-yeong-mu's words fallen than Il Daeju charged first.
Judging that he couldn't yield distance to Woo-gang's spear, it seemed.
Woo-gang had no intention of retreating either.
A faint smile on his lips, he rushed to meet Il Daeju head-on.
Whoooosh!
Wind howled.
The gust stirred by Woo-gang's Chu Pung Gu Hwan Bo swept once around the surroundings.
Whoosh!
At the same moment, flames erupted from Woo-gang's spear.
It was the first time since the Bing Palace spar.
A sign that Woo-gang was in earnest.
Though scorching heat enveloped him, Il Daeju did not falter.
"Haaap!"
Gripping his sword with both hands, he swung with all his might.
The raging flames that had swirled around split apart, fully revealing Woo-gang's form.
Il Daeju then accelerated, surging toward Woo-gang.
Woo-gang did not hesitate.
His spear, still wreathed in unquenched flames, whipped out with ferocious momentum.
Boom!
An ear-shattering explosive crack.
A fierce gale whipped outward from their clash.
Those who had squeezed their eyes shut against the sudden blast wind opened them to expressions of disbelief.
Il Daeju staggering greatly.
And Woo-gang, seizing the moment, lunging forward.
The Il Daeju— said to be the strongest after the Danju himself— had been overpowered in raw strength.
Even as he lost his balance, Il Daeju's gaze remained locked on Woo-gang.
He knew all too well that a disrupted focus meant defeat.
Bracing his legs to steady himself, Il Daeju used the recoil to launch a thrust.
Screeeeech!
The added momentum amplified the sword's piercing power.
At that instant, Woo-gang halted his charge.
He extended his left hand forward while drawing back his right, which gripped the spear.
A posture like drawing a bowstring taut.
Everyone watching could sense it.
Woo-gang was gathering his power intensely.
It felt as if the surrounding air was being sucked toward him at the center.
And in that moment—
"Hup!"
Woo-gang drew a short breath and thrust the spear forward with all his strength.
Screeeeech!
As Woo-gang drove the spear ahead, he twisted his arm slightly.
The spear spun violently within his grasp, launching forward.
Boom!
Woo-gang's spear tip met Il Daeju's sword precisely in collision.
A point-to-point clash.
In that instant, it was as if a flash of light erupted.
What everyone then saw clearly was Il Daeju's body floating limply in the air like a severed kite string, along with shards of his sword scattering around.
In contrast, Woo-gang remained frozen in his thrusting stance.
Thud!
Il Daeju's body, airborne for quite some time, finally crashed to the ground.
The shocked warriors rushed to the Daeju.
Some checked his pulse, others held fingers to his nostrils, and some pried open his eyelids.
The verdict: pulse steady, breathing normal.
He had simply lost consciousness momentarily from the overwhelming force.
Whirrrl! Thud!
Whoosh!
Woo-gang whirled his spear to reset his stance, then slammed its butt into the ground with a thud!
The dispersed energy around him coalesced and shot skyward.
His hair and clothes fluttered upward for an instant before settling back.
"Even I can't vouch for you confidently."
Dok Go-yeong-mu, who had watched Woo-gang's display, murmured in a faintly trembling voice before glancing sidelong at the Cheonwi Danju beside him.
The Danju's body trembled just as subtly as Dok Go-yeong-mu's voice.
His eyes fixed unblinkingly on Woo-gang.
The raw battle lust of a warrior, dying to cross swords with him right then, shone plainly.
"Let's arrange a match soon."
A thick smile spread across the Cheonwi Danju's lips at Dok Go-yeong-mu's words.