To most cultivators who walked the righteous path, reputation was as precious as life itself — more so for those who had only just stepped into a sect. A single stain on their name could become a shadow that followed them for decades. Even if Min Ho succeeded in joining the Iron Clad Sect, the whispers would never cease. They would mock him, sneer behind his back, and brand him with a cheating label. Over time, even fresh rumors could sprout like weeds, each one twisting his image further until the righteous saw him as nothing more than a lurking demonic cultivator. For that reason, Min Ho could not — must not — be caught, even if his intentions had been pure. In the heat of battle, he had accepted help from outside, and that alone was enough to doom him in the eyes of many.
Yang Zhai had almost cornered him completely, but help intervened in the form of Zuh Qil. With impeccable timing, the man's interference snatched Min Ho from the jaws of mockery.
Yang Zhai's body shuddered, a sharp cough forcing a spray of blood from his lips. He staggered, steadying himself before raising his eyes toward Zuh Qil.
"Master… why?" His voice trembled, the question barely more than a breath.
Zuh Qil's eyes were cold as abyss. Without warning, he reached out, his right hand clamping tightly around Yang Zhai's throat and lifting him effortlessly into the air. Yang Zhai's hands flew to his Zuh Qil's wrist, fingers grabbing into unyielding wrist, struggling desperately for breath.
Then, with a casual flick of strength, Zuh Qil hurled him aside like a discarded puppet. The impact drove the air from Yang Zhai's lungs. Zuh Qil approached with measured steps, his shadow stretching across the dirt, before lowering himself to sit before Yang Zhai. His gaze lingered, sharp and unreadable.
Time passed in a tense silence. Finally, Yang Zhai forced himself upright, his body trembling with pain. He walked over to where the others stood and said, voice hoarse yet steady,
"Master says we are all companions and should put aside our quarrels. He hopes we can act with generosity and forgive one another… so, he asks that we forget this matter entirely."
The others exchanged glances but kept their tongues still. Their eyes, however, darted toward Yang Zhai — toward the blood trickling from cuts and bruises across his body.
How ruthless, they thought.
Mil Do Nim and Min Ho remained silent as well. Min Ho knew his own hands were not clean, and Mil Do Nim — a newcomer — understood that making enemies so soon could end his path in the sect before it began. If he wanted to survive in the sect, he couldn't make enemies out of them right away. Both recognized the chance to let the storm pass and took it. And after what they had just witnessed from Zuh Qil, neither dared to open their mouths and risk ending up like Yang Zhai.
Yang Zhai retreated to a corner, lowering himself to the ground to heal to his wounds. Before long, Zuh Qil joined him, settling into a meditative posture, eyes closing as though nothing had happened.
Days passed in uneasy calm. Then, with only two days remaining before the group's departure, Yang Zhai made his move.
He approached Mil Do Nim, giving him a light nudge with his right foot before walking away without a word. Mil Do Nim caught the signal and followed after him, leaving the residence behind.
They walked until the noise of the others faded, stopping in a secluded stretch of forest where the shadows of trees loomed long. Yang Zhai waited, arms folded, until Mil Do Nim arrived.
"Brother Yang, do you want to say something?" Mil Do Nim asked bluntly.
Yang Zhai nodded, his expression unreadable. "The fight you had a few days ago… I believe Min Ho cheated."
Mil Do Nim studied him in silence, his thoughts racing. What's his game? Why bring this up now, after letting the matter rot for days?
"I think so too," he admitted at last. "But why are you suddenly talking about it?"
Yang Zhai's shoulders sagged, and a faint sadness crept into his tone. "Because I might know who helped him. It was Master Zuh Qil. I kept silent these past days so as not to draw his suspicion."
Mil Do Nim's lips pressed into a thin line. Even if Yang Zhai's words seemed to lean in his favor, caution burned in his brain. In this world, no one gives help freely — especially not to strangers. There was something Yang Zhai wanted, and Mil Do Nim could feel it.
Though not as experienced as Yang Zhai, Mil Do Nim had traveled the previous continent, braved its storms, and learned to read the undercurrents in men's eyes. Yang Zhai was no exception. This person's offer is not charity.
"Why help me?" he asked at last. "The one you're accusing is your own master. Can you even go against him? And what's in it for you?"
"Why?" Yang Zhai's eyes hardened. "Because I want to. As for him being my master — you saw what he did to me. Going against him? I can't… but you can. And what I want in return…" His voice rose, carrying an almost feverish edge. "Freedom."
His expression darkened, and his tone sank. "When I was a kid, he enslaved me with a Ka. Though its power has long since faded, my mind has been shaped by years of obedience. Even now, I respond to his orders without thinking, like a dog that flinches at the crack of a whip. Perhaps it's fear… or perhaps the Ka still lingers, a phantom that clutches at my thoughts. Either way, he uses it to keep me in chains."
Mil Do Nim's skepticism did not waver. Was this truth… or manipulation?
Yang Zhai read the doubt in his eyes but pressed on. "Even if I were free of the Ka's influence, he's strong — far too strong. You've seen it yourself. I can't harm him, not even in my best moments."
He is right about that.
Mil Do Nim admitted this much was true. That man was a monster. Even with all his strength, Mil Do Nim doubted he could so much as wound him.
Sensing the slight shift in his expression, Yang Zhai allowed himself a thin, calculated smile. "And he is not as simple as you might think…"
"What do you mean?" Mil Do Nim asked, brow furrowed.
"Forget that for now. I'm offering to help you prove that Min Ho and Master Zuh Qil cheated — if you, in turn, help me break my chains."
Mil Do Nim said, "So you want me to pick a fight with those two for your sake? No thanks. I'm fine as long as they leave me alone. If freedom's what you want, find it yourself. I'm not standing against that monster for anyone." Without another word, he turned and walked away.
Yang Zhai's smile deepened, faint and knowing. "Cautious, aren't you? But this was never the way I intended to win you over…"
Mil Do Nim had just left when a familiar presence pricked his senses. From a distance, Zuh Qil appeared, closing the gap with unhurried steps. Mil Do Nim stopped in his tracks.
Zuh Qil halted directly before him, his eyes calm yet unreadable.
"Master, why are you here?" Yang Zhai's voice called from behind, as he moved to stand beside them.
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