The pavilion was thick with tension. So-Yeon stood in the center, qi flaring like wildfire. Her voice cracked the night.
"Enough!"
The elders, gathered around the central table, rose to their feet. Ryul had placed a trembling hand on her shoulder moments earlier.
"It's true, Sis," he had whispered. "It's Jiung."
The name shattered something in her. A tear welled, unbidden. Then rage.
"You've even corrupted my little brother with your lies," she hissed. "You ignorant old men..."
And without warning, her blade flicked out and stabbed Blue in the shoulder. Blue's body jolted. Cold steel bit through muscle. He barely registered it before blood stained his robes.
Then the elders erupted into motion. Qi exploded from every corner of the pavilion. Blades shimmered into being.
Wu Jin's sheath cracked against the floor, his voice colder than steel. "Tang So-Yeon. Drop it. Now. Or I will end you myself."
Yeol stepped forward, sorrow shadowing his features. "My beautiful niece, you are surely strong—but if you don't release that sword, every master here will cut you down."
Ryul was already at Blue's side, hands trembling. Wu Cheng's gaze darted to the archway. "You four! Help Ryul! Get Blue out of here. Shut the doors behind you. Now!"
Jinhu didn't hesitate. "He's our brother. What are we waiting for?!" Ilho, Hanjo, and Ryu surged forward, catching Blue as Ryul helped guide him away. The massive pavilion doors slammed shut behind them. Silence fell.
So-Yeon stood still, her blade slack in her grip. She stared at the blood on her hand. At the empty space where Blue had stood. Then she collapsed to her knees, covering her face. "What have I done? I just stabbed a boy who'd done nothing to me..."
Yeol stepped closer, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "This isn't easy, I know. But trust in Ryul's words." She slapped his hand away.
Her eyes, red and raw, locked on him. "How can I? After the lies you all fed me? Saying that boy is my brother? That makes no sense. I told you to come prepared with answers. And this… this is what you offer?" She stood, trembling. "Fine. I'll find out the truth my own way."
Turning, she leapt to the doors. Before disappearing, she tossed a pouch toward Wu Jin.
"I'm sorry for hurting your disciple. These elixirs should compensate you plenty. I'll be taking my leave." And she vanished into the night.
Moments later, the elders sat again. No one spoke. Until Monk Baek murmured, "Amitabha. Buddha watches. There's more to that boy than I was led to believe."
Wu Cheng sighed. "We didn't mean to hide it from you. If you wish Hanjo to return to Shaolin, we understand."
The doors flew open.
Jinhu marched back in, Hanjo in tow. "He's not going anywhere. He's my rival. He stays."
Hanjo bowed calmly. "Amitabha. I will do what Buddha wills."
Baek chuckled and nodded. "Then go to your brother. I believe he needs you now more than any of us." They left.
The pavilion settled. Gyeom finally spoke, breaking the still. "You all heard the Alliance Leader at the tournament. His words were meant to divide. Not praise."
Wu Jin nodded. "He called out our victory like a threat. Then said a representative would come in a few days to escort Blue to the vault. That was no reward. That was a leash."
Yeol folded his arms. "He won't let us grow. Not quietly. He's already made that clear."
Wu Cheng added, "And we still have to deal with Wudang. If we want Ryul out of the Iron Order, it won't be easy."
Gyeom slammed his fist on the table. "After what So-Yeon did to her brother, you still want to help her?"
Cheng smirked. "Not for her. For Ryul. You saw him defeat your son. That kind of talent... we can't let it rot under the Alliance."
Yeol nodded slowly. "Tomorrow, Cheng and I will go speak with my brother—the Wudang Patriarch. See what cards we still hold."
Baek leaned forward. "And the Alliance Leader?" Cheng's smile faded. "We've all seen the signs."
Wu Jin nodded. "Entire squads from smaller sects vanishing. No bodies. No survivors. Always tied to missions routed through him."
Gyeom's voice dropped. "He says nothing. But his hand is in too many jars."
Yeol muttered, "If he's being used... the question is, by who? Or what?"
Baek stood. "Then we must all prepare. Whatever darkness is moving through Murim... it has a face. And we may have just seen its shadow."
Silence settled like snow. And outside the pavilion, the wind stirred.
So-Yeon now stood on the limb of a tree overlooking the medical pavilion. She stared at Blue, bandaged and surrounded by his friends through the window. She doubted the words that were spoke to her.
But something about the way that boy said little sister. "I'll have to follow this boy for now, figure out if their words are true. If they aren't i will finish what i started here."
In a flash she was gone, leaving behind a faint puff of her poisonous qi behind.
In the infirmary Blue laid, He felt her qi again.
As Blue turned his head toward the tree his sister had just been standing on, he smiled and whispered. "I forgive you little sister."
The morning sun crept lazily across the courtyard stones, its golden light warming the cool hush of dawn. Blue stood at the center, his bandaged shoulder already soaked with a fresh patch of red, the mark of yesterday's battle still clinging to him. He didn't flinch. Neither did the four who stood beside him.
To his right, Ilho stood with arms crossed, a quiet smirk playing at the edge of his lips. On Blue's left, Jinhu bounced slightly on his heels, his usual fire dimmed just enough to respect the morning. Flanking them were Hanjo and Ryu—the monk serene, the swordsman silent. Ryul was left asleep in his guest bedroom.
Before them stood two figures: Sa Gwan, grim and immovable as a mountain, and Mu Jang, posture loose but eyes sharp. Then Wu Jin stepped forward, arms behind his back.
"First, let me say this," Wu Jin began, his voice cutting clean through the morning air.
"Blue, congratulations on winning the tournament. And to the rest of you—congratulations as well."
He paused, letting the weight of those words settle. "You boys put on one hell of a show. You made every Silent Edge member proud. You've cemented our sect as a force to be reckoned with in Murim."
Ilho leaned toward Ryu and whispered, "Fear the rod." Wu Jin raised a brow. "Now that that's over..."
CRACK!
His sheath slammed into the ground beside him. "Your journey begins. Training. Missions. Hardship. Victory. Failure.
You five will now operate as a unit—under Sa Gwan and Mu Jang.
Missions will be assigned like any other squad in Silent Edge. As sect leader, I will not tolerate refusal, laziness, or hesitation."
He stepped closer. "Until the day we believe you can stand alone in Murim and face the monsters yourself, Gwan and Mu Jang will guide you. In between missions, you will train. You'll have your moments of freedom, yes, but know this:—"
He pointed to Blue's bandaged shoulder. "That is what happens when you grow strong. But it is also what happens when you grow complacent. Never forget it."
The six boys bowed in unison. "Now,"
Wu Jin said, voice cooling, "you must choose a name for your squad. You have five minutes."
Ilho turned to Blue. "We have to, right?"
Blue nodded. "Only logical."
Jinhu suddenly spun around, hand raised toward Wu Jin. "The Rod Disciples!"
Blue and Ilho both burst out laughing. Hanjo, and Ryu exchanged confused glances. CRACK. Wu Jin didn't even speak. Ilho shrugged. "We tried."
Then Ryu—quiet until now—stepped forward. "How about... Rogue Edge?"
The others turned.
Ryu continued, voice low. "We all came from different places. But my father said Silent Edge was forged in the shadows. We don't follow the path—we cut through it." Hanjo nodded. "Amitabha."
Blue stepped forward, eyes on Wu Jin. "Rogue Edge, master. That's our squad's name."
Wu Jin nodded. "So be it. Rogue Edge."
He turned, gesturing toward the mess of petals, overturned benches, and empty flasks that littered the celebration grounds. "Your first mission—clean my courtyard. It's filthy."
The six groaned in unison.
The morning sun rose higher, lighting the path ahead. Rogue Edge had been born.
At the same time, across the city of Chengdu, two figures made their way through the morning haze. Wu Cheng and Tang Yeol walked side by side up a winding stone path, quiet but resolute, leaving behind the newly forged bonds of Silent Edge.
Today, they would face the old ties of Wudang — and perhaps break them for good.
A pale morning sun filtered through the mist-covered peaks of Wudang as three figures sat beneath a tiled canopy at the mountain's edge. Wu Cheng, Tang Yeol, and the Wudang patriarch Wu Zhenghai were gathered around a weather-worn tea table, guarded on all sides by silent disciples in long grey robes.
Zhenghai sipped his tea slowly, then broke the silence. "Did you bring Ryul with you? He has duties as an elite guard. I allowed him one night to celebrate—he claimed he'd made friends. Represented us well. But the fun is over now."
Wu Cheng giggled faintly. "That's what we came here for, little brother. We want you to allow Ryul to stay with Silent Edge."
Yeol leaned forward. "So-Yeon agrees as well. As Tang matriarch and his sister, she believes Ryul belongs with us. He is still a Tang."
Zhenghai placed his teacup down sharply. "I'm afraid that can't happen." He slammed the cup against the table. "Ryul chose Wudang. He gave up his Tang affiliation. And now, the Alliance Leader has his eye on him for the Iron Order."
Cheng sat straighter, voice cold now. "You didn't even know who Ryul was until you found out So-Yeon was his sister. When I led Wudang as Patriarch, you ignored that boy. He was an afterthought. But now that the Alliance Leader has shown interest, suddenly he matters to you."
Zhenghai stood, eyes narrowing. "Exactly! You gave up your position! You walked away to play 'sect' with your son, orphans, and nobodies. You are no longer Patriarch. You are a traitor. A joke. Ryul stays. He is Wudang."
He turned his glare to Yeol. "Not a Tang. Not anymore. This is the last I will hear of this. And you, Yeol—stop playing house with him. Return to Tang. Pretend to be an elder, at least." Yeol rose without a word.
A wave of poison qi surged around him. Before any of the guards could react, he had Zhenghai pinned against a stone pillar, lifted effortlessly by the collar. "The day you're stronger than me," Yeol growled, "is the day I heed your advice. Ryul is a Tang. I don't care what mask he wears. And I swear, Zhenghai—you, the Alliance Leader, or even Buddha himself will not shackle him to your games. I will burn this sect to ash before I let you disgrace our name again."
Wu Cheng placed a calming hand on Yeol's arm. "Easy, old friend. Release him." Yeol let go, and Zhenghai collapsed in a heap.
"Tch," Yeol muttered. "Speak contempt on the Tang name again, and I'll take your head—Patriarch or not."
Wu Cheng exhaled and turned to his brother. "Let's settle this the old-fashioned way. One-on-one, Murim style. Your strongest—grandmaster rank or below—versus ours. One week. If we win, Ryul comes with us. If we lose, we return him and pretend this conversation never happened." Zhenghai dusted himself off.
He met Cheng's eyes. "One week, big brother. Here. At Wudang. We'll crush your little sect. Now go."
As they passed through Wudang's gates, Yeol finally spoke, his tone grim. "Who fights for us?" "Blue," Cheng said without hesitation.
Yeol let out a bitter laugh. "Against a grandmaster? He's not ready. And what if Zhenghai turns to the Alliance Leader?"
"I'm counting on it," Cheng murmured. "Zhenghai's loyalty runs deep. If the leader interferes, we have cause to act—a crack in their armor."
Yeol scoffed. "You always play the long game. But if anything happens to Blue, I will paint Wudang red. And if So-Yeon ever accepts Ryul's words and realizes Blue is Jiung—she may come after you."
Cheng smirked. "That won't happen. The leader and Zhenghai aren't fools. They won't risk killing Blue over a spar. Not while monsters knock on Murim's gates."
Yeol didn't respond. But his fists clenched as they walked downhill, both men silent as the path curved deeper into the unknown