"To think you can't even do this properly! I have no face to even stand before the Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan!"
The Third Internal Officer's kicks rained down on Woo's body. Curled up, Woo endured it. He was used to holding back groans of pain. Because if he complained of pain, he'd get beaten even more.
Why was he getting beaten today...?
He couldn't even remember anymore. Sometimes there was a reason, sometimes he was beaten for no reason at all. Even so, he never thought of resisting. If he just dropped his hands and accepted it, sometimes he even forgot that he had been hit. It made him feel stupid. But it was somewhere in between. If he drank Mangjeong Water that was said to flow along the River of the Afterlife, could it erase that memory still vividly etched in his mind?
Was it even something that should be erased?
It hadn't always been like this.
"Even punishing you now makes me sick. Get lost and wash yourself."
The man spat with a loud ptui. The Third Internal Officer, who's in charge of the Black Sky Clan's servants, particularly despised Woo. That was also the will of his master.
Ye Jin-rang, Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan.
The ruler of Black Sky Clan and the current greatest figure of the Demonic Path, one of the two powers that divide the martial world.
Woo owed him more than his life. However, even if Ye Jin-rang had bestowed grace upon Woo, that did not necessarily mean he held goodwill towards him.
After the Third Internal Officer, who had spewed contempt and violence, left the room, only then did Woo stagger to his feet. There wasn't a single spot on his body that didn't ache after being thoroughly beaten. But since he had been ordered to wash, if he kept lying there, the Third Internal Officer would surely tear into him harshly.
Woo moved, limping. Even normally, he already had difficulty walking. But after the beating, it was even worse. Every step felt like he was walking on shards of glass.
He had never thought he'd end up living like this. For he had once been a man shaped by glory.
But that was all in the distant past.
The place he reached while limping was a low streamside. When it rained, the water would rise deep enough to sweep someone away, but normally it only reached knee height. Woo slowly took off his ragged clothes and laid them out on a rock, then walked into the water.
The stream water was bone-chillingly cold. If it were his old self, neither cold nor heat would have affected him much. But the body that was once strong had deteriorated completely. His whole body trembled from the cold, and his teeth chattered. That wasn't all. The wounds from the beating stung unbearably each time the water touched them, and his fatigue-stiffened legs cried out as though they would collapse at any moment.
But Woo held out firmly. Things like being cared for by others were a distant memory. Only the trickling sound of the water remained with Woo.
Just then, a sound came from the forest. Woo, who hadn't even realized someone had approached this closely, froze.
"Hmm… I seem to have taken the wrong path."
A young man appeared between the trees. He had a manly appearance, but his lips were particularly red. His thick eyebrows and deep black eyes gave off a captivating aura. It was clearly broad daylight, and yet looking at him gave the illusion that it might be night.
There was a strangely depraved allure to him.
His broad shoulders, powerful limbs, and the imposing aura radiating from his entire body made him resemble a martial god said to have existed in ancient times. He was draped in dark red fabric, and beneath it, his sleek but solid muscles were clearly defined.
He exuded a distinctly masculine scent, yet there was also a certain aspect of him that provoked the desires of those who looked at him. But what captivated Woo about the man's face wasn't just that he was beautiful.
'You've grown well.'
Woo, who had been staring blankly at the man without realizing it, became alarmed by the thought that had unconsciously arisen in his mind and immediately threw himself flat onto the ground. The fact that he was naked since he was bathing, and the fact that dirt was getting on the wounds he'd just barely managed to clean through pain, none of it mattered. At that moment, Woo felt as though his mind was about to go blank.
'Why now?'
He had lived in Black Sky Clan for over ten years, but not once had they run into each other, even by coincidence. Therefore, this encounter now felt like a bolt of lightning to Woo.
"A servant, is it."
The man looked at the bowing Woo, and furrowed his brow at his naked body. It wasn't because he was displeased at the sight of another man's body. Rather, It was because Woo's naked body was beyond wretched.
Under the sunlight, the servant's back was a mixture of old scars and new wounds. Some of the wounds were so severe, they resembled whip scars. And that wasn't all. As if blood had just rushed there, red and purple bruises were scattered all over. As though he had just been beaten.
Though Black Sky Clan's notoriety is widespread both within and beyond the martial world, they didn't normally treat servants who hadn't learned martial arts so cruelly. The man normally paid little attention to others, but this was too extreme.
"Yes, My Lord."
"You know who I am?"
"H-How could someone as lowly as I, living under the grace of the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan, not recognize his youngest disciple?"
Woo shamelessly spat out the lie.
Ye Kang-oh, Third Disciple of Black Sky Clan, was the youngest and most beloved disciple of Ye Jin-rang, the strongest man in the Demonic Path. A genius among geniuses, he was building his fame as the next leader of Black Sky Clan.
But Woo didn't know Ye Kang-oh because he was Ye Jin-rang's disciple. Woo had known Ye Kang-oh before he ever knew Ye Jin-rang.
Woo was at a loss over the one-sided reunion. He didn't even know whether this emotion was joy, sorrow, or regret. The only fortunate thing was that Ye Kang-oh didn't recognize Woo at all. Even if he did have a memory of him, he wouldn't connect it to the current Woo.
The past and present were so different, like night and day, so much so that even Woo himself sometimes felt unfamiliar with himself.
As he prostrated on the ground, he saw the dirt on his hands. A life worse than a bug crawling across the dirt on its knees didn't feel particularly pitiful anymore. But he could clearly feel the distance between him and Ye Kang-oh. Ye Kang-oh was someone who had already left. A past connection. Coincidence had brought them to the same place, but that was all. They would never meet again.
Woo forced himself to stay calm.
"Who caused those wounds on your body?"
Ye Kang-oh asked.
"I-it's nothing, really. I just… I was punished because I was clumsy with my work, that's all."
Ye Kang-oh frowned as he looked at the servant bowing so low, his forehead nearly touching the ground.
"I asked because anyone who treated the Black Sky Clan's rules with contempt must be punished. There's no need for you to make excuses for them. So speak. Who's the assailant?"
Woo opened his mouth slightly. At first, no sound came out.
"Th-tha... I mean…"
Seeing how Woo was acting like his tongue had frozen, Ye Kang-oh judged that it would be difficult to extract a confession from this servant. As he was wondering whether he should grab and interrogate each member of the Black Sky Clan, Woo finally shut his eyes tight and opened his mouth.
"I-I need to go see the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan. I was ordered to wash up quickly, but I was t-too l-late..."
"You're saying you're Master's servant?"
Ye Kang-oh's face took on a cold, composed expression. Though he wasn't in a position where he should dare lie, it was still difficult to take the servant's words at face value.
Even if all of the martial world criticized Ye Jin-rang's rough personality, the master he knew was, in his own way, quite affectionate. If this servant truly served the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan, he wouldn't be walking around covered in signs of abuse like this. Ye Jin-rang wouldn't have let that slide.
At least, that's what Ye Kang-oh believed.
"Y-yes. I'm only a lowly servant, b-but I do serve the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan."
"Is that so? Then lead the way."
"E-excuse me?"
Woo reflexively asked back, hoping he'd heard wrong. Even though he knew he shouldn't, the situation was so shocking he asked without thinking. He almost snapped his head up reflexively.
Ye Kang-oh let out a sigh at the servant's frustrating attitude.
Woo unconsciously shrank his body at the sigh scattered above his head. At times like this, a hand or foot would usually come flying his way. Ye Kang-oh's eyes narrowed when he saw Woo curling his body into a ball. Could it be… he thought he was going to get hit and shrank like that?
"I was going to see Master. You guide me."
Ye Kang-oh's voice flowed out, slightly softened.
"Y-Yes!"
Woo hurriedly got up. Though he was naked, he didn't seem to feel any shame as he moved to put on the clothes he had left on the rock. His back was so thin, without even the slightest hint of muscle or flesh, it made one feel sorry for him.
It was only after unexpectedly running into Woo that Ye Kang-oh got to see his face for the first time. His twisted skin, as if burned, and the sunken features buried in it were so grotesque they made people flinch. But Ye Kang-oh didn't show any attitude of looking down on Woo as if he were the ugliest man alive. He simply set his lips tightly.
Because when he thought of him as merely an abused servant, the determination he felt to eliminate the one responsible was accompanied by a strange sense of confusion.
He truly could not understand it at all. The Black Sky Clan was a massive sect made from remnants of the Righteous path and the Demonic Path. its master, Ye Jin-rang, the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan and Ye Kang-oh's master, would never use just anyone as a servant. Even if not necessarily handsome, he only selects people with proper conduct.
However, this man who claimed to be the servant of the Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan had a hideous face and stuttered when he spoke. And that wasn't all. Judging from the way he walked, he was limping, and his awkward posture made it look like his back was slightly hunched.
"What's your name?"
At the question, tossed out as if it had just suddenly come to mind, Woo flinched in surprise. Even if Kang-oh had spoken thoughtlessly, to Woo, it was like a pebble heated in lava.
Is it okay for him to say it?
"W-Woo. My name is Woo."
Kang-oh nodded at the stammered reply.
"Got it. I'll remember it."
Asking the name of a servant had been half impulsive. But the surprised eyes, as if he never expected such a question, were peculiar. It felt as if he knew Ye Kang-oh well.
Kang-oh's instincts were generally accurate. But this time, he couldn't help but to hesitate. He had no memory of this servant. If he served his master, they should've at least crossed paths briefly, but this was the first time he had seen Woo.
Even if he tended to be indifferent to those around him, someone with a different gait like Woo should've at least left a faint impression…
Woo stole a quick glance at Kang-oh's serious expression and shrank back even more. Every single one of his reactions kept bothering him. It would be better if he were a complete stranger, then he wouldn't be this shaken.
He hadn't eaten anything, but his stomach felt uncomfortable. His chest tightened from the tension, and even while walking in front, he tried hard not to keep glancing back. It had been years since he had been so conscious of his limping leg. Because of that, his steps were slow.
But Kang-oh matched Woo's stride without a word of complaint. A sturdy man who could obviously walk much faster than Woo even without using qīnggōng¹ didn't say a single word of frustration, making Woo feel both sorry and also perceive his inherent nature. It was clear Ye Jin-rang had carefully and meticulously trained his disciple.
No, Kang-oh had always been a kind child ever since he was young.
As past memories resurfaced for the first time in a while, Woo's steps slowed. At that moment, Kang-oh, who had been quietly following behind, opened his mouth.
"Does your leg hurt a lot?"
"Huh? Ah, no. I-If my slow pace is frustrating, I can go faster."
Woo stammered, flustered as if he was about to bow down again, and Kang-oh frowned.
"No. I just asked because I wondered if you were forcing yourself to walk because of me."
It was true. Cold sweat was beading on Woo's neck. Kang-oh, who had been slowly walking behind him, spoke when he realized he was rushing someone who was injured.
"I'm fine. This lowly one disturbed Third Disciple-nim's peace of mind. I can only beg for forgiveness."
Woo bowed his head deeply. It was true that he wasn't in good condition. But after years of enduring pain, this much was bearable. As he continued to live like this, patience had become Woo's companion.
"…"
Looking down at Woo, Kang-oh didn't feel entirely at ease. Strangely enough, he even felt the urge to carry this servant himself. It was very unlike the Third Disciple of the Black Sky Clan, who had absolutely no interest in such things.
It was at least a relief that they were almost at the Master's residence.
Ye Jin-rang, the No.1 of the Demonic Path and the Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan, was standing in front of the residence.
The Grandmaster's courtyard was filled with rare and exotic flowers, making it hard to tell if this was the immortal realm or the human world. But the most beautiful thing among the scenery was Ye Jin-rang himself. Contrary to his reputation as the strongest in the Demonic Path, he didn't have a face full of scars or a menacing look, but rather possessed strikingly beautiful features. Only his sharp eyes hinted that his personality was anything but ordinary.
The man, walking around the courtyard with his hands clasped behind his back, sensed the approach of his youngest disciple just from the faint presence, lifted his head, and smiled.
"So it's you, Kang-oh."
That smile was so lovely that, for a moment, it was hard to tell whether it was a flower or a person. Moreover, although martial artists aged more slowly the stronger they became, Jin-rang looked as if he had reversed aging entirely. He appeared to be a young man. Considering the fact that he had already passed the age of fifty, such a youthful appearance was almost like a supernatural being, like a yokai¹.
"Master."
Kang-oh bowed to show his respect. But Jin-rang, who approached lightly, pulled him upright immediately.
"I told you there's no need to greet me like that."
Jin-rang said gently. Jin-rang, known for his prickly attitude in everything, especially insisted his youngest disciple not to be formal. Even so, Kang-oh continued to show proper respect every time they met. Because his position in the Black Sky Clan was special.
In many ways, the Third Disciple's position in the Black Sky Clan was unusual. One day, Jin-rang suddenly brought a boy covered in wounds and took him as his disciple. Not only that, but the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan had even given the boy a name and even bestowed upon him his own surname. Considering that Jin-rang's other two disciples had both come from prestigious families, the affection poured onto Kang-oh, who had no connections at all, was extremely unexpected. Moreover, even the First Disciple, known as a genius among geniuses, had never been granted his master's surname. The Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan cherished Kang-oh that much. So it was not unreasonable for rumors to spread that the Third Disciple had been internally designated as the successor.
It was an awkward and troublesome rumor for Kang-oh, who had absolutely no interest in his master's position. He acted as if he knew his place as much as possible. The First Disciple may act like a gentle and refined gentleman all the time, but how could one know his inner thoughts? Even if Jin-rang treated him without formality, he could only behave properly.
"And…"
The Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan's gaze slowly shifted away from Kang-oh and turned toward Woo, who stood next to him.
"Did you bring Kang-oh here?"
"Y-Yes, My Lord."
At Jin-rang's appearance, Woo immediately bowed with his forehead touching the ground and answered. His stammering speech made it seem as though he had been completely shrunk under the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan's authority. However, Jin-rang knew that Woo's stiff attitude was not due to him, but due to Kang-oh.
"What a surprise for a worm to actually be useful. You may leave for today."
"Th-Thank you."
Kang-oh frowned. Jin-rang may have a rough and foul-mouthed nature, but this was the first time Kang-oh had seen him treat a servant so carelessly. After confirming that Woo had left, Jin-rang turned back to his youngest disciple and saw discomfort on his face.
"Is something wrong? If that guy behaved rudely toward you, speak up now. I'll make sure to give him a good punishment."
"No. It's just that, since someone in poor physical condition kindly guided me all the way here, I wanted to express my gratitude."
"That wretch's job is to do that. It's not something for you to concern yourself with."
Jin-rang, who was generally kind to the youngest disciple, blatantly tried to cut off Kang-oh's interest in Woo. Because he possessed such overwhelming power, he didn't need to care about others' opinions. Jin-rang's inner thoughts tended to show themselves right away. That was Jin-rang's trait.
Kang-oh felt that Jin-rang's attitude toward Woo wasn't formed in just a day or two. For the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan to so openly dislike someone… If something displeased him, Jin-rang never hesitated to eliminate the cause of it. But then, how is that man still alive? And more than that, judging from what he himself said and Master's attitude, that man was even Jin-rang's servant.
That man named Woo was, in many ways, far from ordinary.
"Is that so? I met him by the stream, and he was covered in wounds."
When Kang-oh, who usually listened well, kept pressing the issue of Woo, Jin-rang's expression visibly hardened. After a brief pause, as if recalling what Kang-oh had just said, Jin-rang asked him about it.
"…You said you wanted to express gratitude? What exactly do you plan to do?"
"First, I think it would be best to send some wound medicine and let him rest until he fully recovers."
"Fine. Do that."
Jin-rang nodded obediently. He had no desire to send Woo any medicine, nor did he want to let him rest. However, for now, it was more important to extinguish Kang-oh's interest in that bastard first.
"…You're not asking."
Kang-oh murmured as if puzzled. It was a voice so low it was almost to himself, but Jin-rang's sharp hearing didn't miss his disciple's words.
"What do you mean?"
"Master's servant was injured enough to need wound medicine. But since you haven't asked how that happened, this disciple found it a bit strange."
"That's…"
Jin-rang bit his tongue, inwardly cursing. In his desperation to remove Woo from Kang-oh's sight, he unintentionally exposed his usual harshness in front of his youngest disciple.
"May I find the one who mistreated Master's servant?"
"There's no need for you to step in for such a trivial matter. I'll have one of my subordinates look into it."
Because it was something that had continued until now due to his own neglect of the abuse toward Woo, Jin-rang stopped Kang-oh
But his youngest disciple was unusually firm.
"It is an outrageous act to lay a hand on someone who hasn't even learned martial arts within Black Sky Clan's territory. What's more, he is Master's servant. Please permit this disciple to personally step forward and uphold the rules of the Black Sky Clan."
Kang-oh, who bowed with clasped fists, looked as though he wouldn't rise until he got permission. Jin-rang bit his lips hard.
If it had been any other disciple, he would've just rejected the request. But the other party was Kang-oh. Jin-rang was soft on his youngest disciple. People thought the master of the Black Sky Clan had everything, but in reality, there was little left in his hand. After years of nothing but loss, the one he met like a miracle was Kang-oh.
So Jin-rang had no choice but to yield, at least when it came to Kang-oh.
"Do as you wish."
"Thank you. Then this disciple shall take his leave."
Jin-rang waved his hand, sending Kang-oh off. Though he had given his permission to investigate Woo, his heart felt uneasy. The fact that those two had crossed paths once again unsettled his heart.
How much effort had he poured into making sure Kang-oh and Woo didn't meet over the past ten years?
And yet, in the end, they met. If fate really exists, it was truly an insolent bastard.
Jin-rang clenched his fist. Blood dripped from his palm, where his nails had dug in.
The moment Woo and Kang-oh reunited, seeing Kang-oh take interest in him as though he were a piece of iron drawn to a magnet, his heart couldn't help but sink.
"Grandmaster!"
The servant, who was always on standby to serve the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan, turned pale at the sight of blood pooling on the ground and cried out in alarm. Jin-rang furrowed his brow. Without realizing it, he had torn open his palm. It was his old habit to turn to self-harm whenever he was unable to contain his fury. It was a habit he had abandoned after bringing Kang-oh in, but the moment Woo and the youngest disciple reunited, it ended up returning again.
"Silence. It's healed, so stop making a fuss and summon the Third Internal Officer."
As if he had never been injured, only a faint scar remained on his quickly healed palm. It was possible only because he was a martial artist who had reached an unimaginably high level, with a superior healing ability.
Even that faint scar soon vanished, but Jin-rang's eyes were bloodshot as he looked down at his palm.
He even found it deeply regrettable that he was not able to directly witness that bastard's flesh and blood suffer. If there was such a thing as justice in this world, then it was only right that the man's son lose his name, his honor, and live like the filthy offspring of a mangy beast.
But for now, separating Kang-oh from that bastard was the top priority. He would never let them get entangled again. Resolving to call the Third Internal Officer, who was in charge of managing the servants, and have Woo sent far away from Kang-oh's line of sight, Jin-rang lifted his head.
In the end, it would be an act of deceiving Kang-oh, but Jin-rang firmly believed this was the right thing to do.
Kang-oh immediately began the investigation. In truth, he had just returned from being dispatched outside the Black Sky Clan, and though his body carried significant accumulated fatigue, he had a hunch that he shouldn't just go back and rest like this.
Since he had capable subordinates, it wasn't particularly difficult to gather information on a single servant. Within just a few hours, Kang-oh began reading the prepared report.
Woo had started working in the Black Sky Clan eight years ago. The most unexpected detail in this servant's background was that the one who brought him into the Black Sky Clan was Ye Jin-rang himself.
Since Jin-rang rarely brought anyone into the Black Sky Clan, there had been such a commotion ten years ago when Kang-oh arrived that it was as though the Black Sky Clan had been turned upside down. Then the same should have happened when Woo was brought in as well, yet there had been no such disturbance eight years ago.
As if it had been deliberately concealed.
Kang-oh furrowed his brow and turned to the next page of the report. The shadows cast by the candle he had lit late at night flickered across the paper.
Woo was soon handed over to the Third Internal Officer, and he was assigned to serve the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan. The fact that, of all people, the Third Internal Officer became the one in charge of Woo was puzzling to Kang-oh.
The Black Sky Clan had three Internal Officers overseeing internal affairs, and among them, the Third Internal Officer was known for being the most ruthless and cold-hearted. If Jin-rang had personally brought Woo to the Black Sky Clan, it must have meant he held some degree of interest in him. So why entrust him to the Third Internal Officer? Wasn't there the blunt but fair and upright First Internal Officer, and the Second Internal Officer, who may have a quick temper but is bold and open-hearted?
According to the information that followed, even the Third Internal Officer initially showed Woo some consideration. After all, Woo was a servant personally assigned by the Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan. However, one day, when Woo made a mistake, the Third Internal Officer struck him without thinking. And even upon witnessing it, Jin-rang did not tell him to stop. From that day on, the Third Internal Officer's abusive behavior surged like a steep, rushing current.
This so-called 'special treatment', though not really special treatment, only pushed him further away from the group. Woo, unable to ever blend in with those around him, had simply lived alone in the Black Sky Clan for eight years.
It was a simple record. So much so that it could be summarized in only a few sentences. However, as a person's life, it was also true that it was as dry and gritty as desert sand.
"Strange…"
He had been bothered by it from the moment he first saw it. There was no mention of his origins, nor was it clear why his master had personally brought him in and made him a servant.
This man named Woo clearly carried secrets far beyond what could be seen.
The most puzzling thing was his master's attitude. Though he eventually permitted the investigation into who abused Woo, his expression remained unsettled the whole time. Considering the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan, who was usually endlessly soft toward his youngest disciple no matter what happened, there was a suspicious aspect to that attitude.
Wasn't it like someone who feared the backlash he'd face if he refused?
Kang-oh burned the report over the candlelight.
Acting in a way that went against his master's will was not something he could feel at ease about either. So it would be right to let this servant's matter be buried here. He wasn't some great master nor the descendant of a prestigious clan. He was nothing more than a servant crawling on the ground.
He was about to scatter the report that had turned to ash, but Kang-oh's hand paused. Strangely enough, the character for Woo (愚) that had not burned kept lingering in his eyes. Who would use a character meaning 'foolish' as a name? Unless that child had been born under the deep contempt of his parents...
No, was that even his real name to begin with?
At the sudden thought, Kang-oh froze. He'd clearly tried to stop caring about Woo, but kept thinking of him.
They say in Buddhism that even the brushing of sleeves is fate, but this felt different. Kang-oh was not the type of person who paid much attention to his surroundings. If a great master appeared, wanting to test himself against them at least once was the full extent of his interest in others. But the worn-out body of that servant named Woo, no matter where one looked, was not that of a trained martial artist. He was just a very thin and gaunt commoner who had been abused.
"Keep a close eye on the Third Internal Officer. If he lays a hand on Black Sky Clan's assets, stop him."
"Understood."
At Kang-oh's command, his subordinate, who had been standing by, bowed low to the ground and vanished. His graceful movements were like mist. He was a member of the Honamdan that Kang-oh had personally selected and trained within the Black Sky Clan. At his master's suggestion that it was about time he took in subordinates, Kang-oh personally selected the people himself. Since he had no interest in becoming the next Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan, most were from minor clans or without any backing. But in terms of talent, they were all exceptional.
For fear that it might seem like he was aiming for the Grandmaster position, the Honamdan remained in the shadows. One might expect complaints, seeing as their lord lacked ambition, but the Honamdan served the Third Disciple Ye Kang-oh with utmost sincerity. Kang-oh, in turn, made every effort to repay them accordingly.
Strangely enough, everything in Black Sky Clan felt as though it had been obtained through a great debt. Like wealth and glory gained by leaving something important as collateral, it sat unpleasantly in his throat. He had never revealed these inner thoughts either to his master, Ye Jin-rang, or to the Honamdan under his command.
Because of that, although Kang-oh was enjoying the Grandmaster of Black Sky Clan's favor, he acted with caution, and people came to know him as someone deeply calculating despite his young age. In truth, he only felt uncomfortable, as though he had put on someone else's clothes that did not fit him.
So how could he possibly develop interest in those around him? This position, and even his master's favor felt like a dream he would eventually wake up from. To him, the only thing that held meaning was the achievements of martial arts he had attained on his own. Thus, the fame of Third Disciple Ye Kang-oh, which had spread both inside and outside the Black Sky Clan, had been earned almost entirely through battles with masters from other sects.
As expected of the Third Disciple of the Black Sky Clan, he was infamous for his brutal, violent nature, along with a notorious reputation for liking blood. Even when he always sent formal duel notices with strict protocol and proceeded with sparring under mutually agreed observers, the rumors still persisted. It was said that if you lined up all the masters of the Righteous path who had died at the mercy of the merciless Ye Kang-oh, the procession would stretch from Anhui to Luoyang.
Even though, in reality, no one had actually died.
But such was the fate of Black Sky Clan, as the representative of the unorthodox sects. Meanwhile, the White Virtue Clan, the leading force of the Righteous path, was never followed by such rumors.
There was once a time when the Grandmaster of the Black Sky Clan and the White Virtue Clan's Grandmaster had stood shoulder to shoulder, driving out the Blood Cult from the Central Plains. During that era, when the whole martial world united as one to resist the cult, upright and sensible martial artists, whether from the Righteous or Demonic factions, raised their cups together in the name of justice and brotherhood.
It wasn't even that long ago. That war had taken place during the peak of Jin-rang's career, Kang-oh's master.
And yet, the martial world's attitude was truly narrow-minded. Simply because they pursued different martial arts, people divided Black Sky Clan and White Virtue Clan in their minds. The gradually escalating conflict between the Righteous and Demonic paths cast doubt on whether the Martial Alliance would even survive into the next generation.
Just like during the era of the Heavenly Demon Cult, there were now whispers among gossipers that it wouldn't be long before the Black Sky Clan cut ties with the Martial Alliance and returned to acting as an independent force.
If the missing White Virtue Clan's Grandmaster were still around, there might have been room for negotiation. But that person had vanished from the martial world ten years ago. The story of the mother searching for the suddenly disappeared White Virtue Clan's Grandmaster had become well known. Even though it was clear that someone who hadn't appeared for so long was likely dead, the White Virtue Clan never gave up and continued to send out search parties. Whenever Kang-oh saw this, he couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
That missing Grandmaster probably didn't know what it felt like to drift like duckweed, like Kang-oh did. Didn't they have family desperately searching for them like this? In contrast, Kang-oh was all alone between heaven and night, a truly solitary existence. Although he received his master's favor, everyone said Jin-rang was a capricious man. Today he might smile as prettily as a flower, but tomorrow he could turn into a demon or a killer. Of course, Kang-oh believed in his master. Still, he wished for a stronger tether that could anchor him to this world.
"Foolish. How foolish…."
Wasn't he himself, unable to be satisfied with what he had been given, also a fool just like the servant's name suggested?
Returning again and again to thoughts of Woo, Kang-oh clicked his tongue. He had thought he could just press it out with a thumb and snuff it out, but it seemed there were still embers burning. If things went on like this, even if he tried to forget, the thoughts would keep resurfacing, leaving his heart unsettled.
His master hadn't been keen on it, but since permission had been granted, there was no reason to stop Kang-oh from investigating. He even had the pretext of correcting the Black Sky Clan's internal order, at worst, he wouldn't be praised, but he wouldn't be scolded either.
Kang-oh exhaled gently, and the candle flame went out. Pitch-black darkness slowly pressed in, as if gnawing, and wrapped around Kang-oh.
It was a silent night.