The Fallen House of Ak
The door creaked open.
The figure who appeared had a face that made it impossible to tell if he was a martial artist or just a servant of the Ak Family.
He wore martial robes, suggesting he was a warrior, but his expression was utterly listless.
It was as if he were merely clinging to life through shallow breaths.
The moment Geomwang saw that face, he turned away in clear disapproval.
No matter how dire the family's circumstances, he was disappointed by the complete lack of a warrior's spirit.
"Could you repeat that one more time?"
Whether he hadn't heard or couldn't believe his ears, the man asked Woo-gang about his identity again.
"I am Yeom Woo-gang, disciple of the Flame King."
Woo-gang calmly reintroduced himself.
A heavy silence followed.
The man stared blankly at Woo-gang, as if struggling to process the words.
Then, focus slowly returned to his dazed eyes.
"D-disciple of the Flame King! P-please wait just a moment!"
The startled Ak Family warrior hurriedly dashed inside.
Geomwang clicked his tongue at the sight, watching from the corner of his eye.
"Tsk tsk tsk! How can they believe people so easily without even basic verification!"
Geomwang's words rang true without a single flaw.
How would they know Woo-gang's face? Had they even received word of his arrival?
Even if he claimed to be the Flame King's disciple, there was no proof—yet they reacted solely on his word. It was a glimpse into the Ak Family's current pitiful state.
As Geomwang continued shaking his head in dissatisfaction, hurried movements stirred from within.
Soon, the main gate swung wide open, and a crowd emerged.
"Are you truly the Flame King's disciple?"
The middle-aged man at the front asked Woo-gang in a trembling voice.
Geomwang answered in Woo-gang's stead.
"The boy is indeed the Flame King's disciple. You should have verified that first. How has the once-glorious Ak Family fallen to this? Tsk tsk tsk!"
"Who might you be?"
The middle-aged man cautiously asked the tongue-clicking Geomwang.
"I am Geomwang."
"G-G Geomwang!"
The man clamped a hand over his mouth in shock at Geomwang's curt declaration.
The arrival of the Flame King's disciple was shock enough, but the appearance of Geomwang—the strongest figure in the current martial world—without fainting was a miracle in itself.
"Aren't you going to verify me?"
"N-no need, I believe you."
Though he'd never seen Geomwang's face in person, the man's fame and distinctive features were too well-known for further checks.
Geomwang's expression remained sour, clearly displeased by the entire affair.
"My business is with the boy. I'm just tagging along, so don't mind me."
The middle-aged man glanced at Geomwang's irritable demeanor before turning to Woo-gang.
"I am Ak Jung-san, head of the Ak Family. It is an honor to meet you."
Ak Jung-san used the utmost formal respect toward Woo-gang, who was far his junior.
To the Ak Family, the Flame King was like the heavens themselves.
It was only natural to receive his disciple with utmost courtesy.
"Ah, yes."
"Please, come inside first."
Ak Jung-san led Woo-gang and Geomwang within.
For the first time in ages, the Ak Family buzzed with life.
Ak Jung-san and the family's key members gathered with Geomwang and Woo-gang.
Everyone's faces flushed with excitement at the visitors.
"This is the place you wanted to come to, so speak your piece."
Woo-gang nodded at Geomwang's words and addressed Ak Jung-san and the others.
"I heard someone from the Murim Alliance visited recently."
"Ah... yes."
Ak Jung-san's expression darkened at the mention of Ak So-cheon.
"I'd like to hear the details."
"We told the Cheopun Dan warriors who came then, but my son So-cheon is bedridden. He met with an accident during cultivation training. He's been cycling between recovery and relapse, and now his condition is quite poor."
"I see."
Woo-gang had known this, but hearing it firsthand stirred unease in his heart.
Deep down, he might have hoped it wasn't true.
"May I ask why they wanted confirmation of that fact?"
"You don't know?"
"Yes. They confirmed it and left immediately. They didn't explain the reason."
Woo-gang glanced at Geomwang, silently asking permission.
Geomwang nodded.
"Actually, I met Ak So-cheon at the Murim Alliance."
"What?"
Ak Jung-san and the Ak Family members were stunned.
How could a bedridden man appear at the Alliance?
"Of course, the one I met wasn't the real Ak So-cheon. It was someone impersonating him."
"Wh-who was it?"
"I don't know. But someone infiltrated the Alliance using his identity and approached me."
"Did they do anything else?"
"Nothing noteworthy."
Woo-gang answered flatly.
He omitted the part about the impostor trying to plant dangerous ideas through conversations.
With their son already bedridden, it wouldn't help their mood.
Ak Jung-san and the others fell silent in shock.
It was hope dashed into despair—the Ak Family's reality.
Already struggling, why would someone exploit Ak So-cheon's name like this?
A heavy atmosphere blanketed the reception hall.
Even Woo-gang, who had spoken, couldn't continue.
A long silence stretched on.
Finally, Ak Jung-san spoke with difficulty.
"What was the one who used my son's name like...?"
"Nothing special. Quiet, avoided attention. His infiltration and approach to me suggest intent, but outwardly, he seemed unremarkable."
"I see."
Ak Jung-san replied steadily.
After digesting the shock, he spoke again.
"Powerlessness is such a bitter thing. I feel it anew. If we had the fame and strength of a great house like the Five Great Families, would he have dared impersonate So-cheon? Maybe. But we'd have risen to punish him once we knew. We lack that power now."
Self-mockery laced Ak Jung-san's voice.
Silence returned.
Then Woo-gang spoke.
"I'll find that man."
All eyes turned to him as he declared it firmly.
"Because the one disguised as Ak So-cheon likely ties to my grandfather's disappearance."
"No..."
Ak Jung-san was shocked anew, never having considered that far.
"If my guess is right, an impure element impersonated your son. Will you just sit idly by?"
Ak Jung-san had no reply.
Ideals clashed with reality in his heart.
"Bunch of frustrating fools."
Geomwang, who had listened silently, finally interjected.
The stifling mood evaporated instantly.
"Can't you understand what the boy's saying? The Flame King is his only family—meaning he has no one else in the world. Are you in a more desperate state than him? He's ready to act alone, so what's your excuse for sitting there?"
Ak Jung-san and the others couldn't utter a word against Geomwang's sharp criticism.
Each barb struck like a dagger.
"This isn't about some lofty alliance of spirits. At least thrash about and try to stand! Is this the look of warriors?"
Geomwang's rebukes continued, heads bowing lower with each one.
"Hoo..."
After venting his frustration, Geomwang let out a deep sigh.
Otherwise, he might have kept berating them harshly.
"Could I see Ak So-cheon, by any chance?"
"My son?"
"Yes."
"Of course. Please come with me."
Ak Jung-san replied dazedly.
Truthfully, after someone misused Ak So-cheon's name with ill intent toward Woo-gang, he wouldn't have wanted to see him if roles were reversed.
It would dredge up bad memories.
But Woo-gang felt differently.
The fake had ill intent, but Woo-gang held an inexplicable fondness for the name.
The deceiver was at fault, not Ak So-cheon.
He simply wanted to see what the man was like—and if there was any way to help.
Woo-gang and Geomwang followed Ak Jung-san's lead out of the reception hall.
Ak So-cheon lay in deep slumber.
Since falling ill, he often slept so soundly that he wouldn't notice visitors.
Woo-gang sat by his side.
Seeing this face—so different from the one he knew—felt strange.
This is the real Ak So-cheon...
"He's grown so gaunt. He used to be quite handsome. If you'd met the young hero in his healthy days, he would have been overjoyed."
Ak Jung-san murmured while gazing at his son's face.
"How's his condition?"
"Turbidity keeps building. Using inner energy makes it surge and accumulate more. We tried expelling it, but failed. The harder we tried, the more pain he endured."
"Hm..."
Geomwang sat beside Woo-gang, took Ak So-cheon's emaciated wrist, and sent a tiny thread of qi through his pulse.
"Ugh...!"
Even in deep sleep, Ak So-cheon let out a faint groan of pain.
Just a trace amount—not enough to notice—had caused agony.
Geomwang frowned.
It was a symptom even he, with vast experience, had never seen.
"Not poisoned?"
"That's not it, they say."
"Who said?"
"We called every renowned physician. They all said no poison."
Geomwang scowled at Ak Jung-san's words.
"What do they know of rivers-and-lakes poisons? If you're checking, do it properly. Bring paper and brush."
Ak Jung-san quickly had them fetched.
Geomwang wrote swiftly, waited for the ink to dry, folded the letter, and handed it over.
"Send this to the Dang Family. No one knows poison like them."
"Th-thank you!"
"You must have thought of the Tangs too..."
"We did, but..."
Ak Jung-san trailed off.
Geomwang tsked again.
"Giving up without trying? And you call yourself the head of Shandong's hegemon Ak Family? Forget that—even as a father to one boy?"
Ak Jung-san couldn't lift his head under the rebuke.
"Anyway, with this letter, the Tangs will help. If they say no poison... then it's just the boy's misfortune."
"Thank you."
"No need. This isn't to help you or him. If it's poison, it could be another clue to finding the culprit."
Geomwang replied gruffly.
But Woo-gang and the others knew.
It wasn't the only reason.