Seol-an slowly walked back into the courtyard.
The sect was still repairing the destruction from earlier.
Broken tiles.
Collapsed pillars.
Disciples carrying wood and stone while whispering about the previous battle.
Then—
She froze.
Ji-ho was already standing there waiting.
Arms crossed.
Looking directly at her.
"…Where have you been, Seol-an."
"…I was checking on Kōin."
Silence.
Then suddenly—
GRAB.
Ji-ho's hand landed on her shoulder.
Not violent.
Yet heavy.
His eyes narrowed immediately.
"Seol-an."
His voice lowered dangerously.
"You reek of Ashura."
A pause.
"What did you do?"
"…."
"Seol-an."
She immediately panicked slightly.
"IhelpedKōinOpenHisDantian."
She said it absurdly fast hoping he would miss it.
Ji-ho stared at her blankly.
Then his eyes widened.
"…You what?"
FWMP!
He immediately turned to storm toward the underground chamber.
"WHOA WHOA GRANDMASTER PLEASE LET HIM REST ALONE!"
Seol-an grabbed his sleeve desperately.
Ji-ho stopped.
His expression twisted between disbelief and exhaustion.
"You helped THAT brat open his dantian?!"
"I thought it would help!"
"HELP?!"
Ji-ho pointed toward the underground prison furiously.
"Seol-an that child already has enough problems inside him!"
"I KNOW!"
"Then why would you help him cultivate now?!"
"Because he wanted to get stronger!"
"That idiot wants many things!"
Ji-ho grabbed his forehead groaning.
"Haah…"
He looked genuinely stressed now.
"Do you even know if it succeeded properly?"
Seol-an immediately went silent.
Ji-ho narrowed his eyes.
"…Seol-an."
"…It opened."
Ji-ho froze slightly.
"…Actually?"
Seol-an nodded slowly.
"…Yeah."
A pause.
"…His circulation stabilized."
Ji-ho's expression slowly shifted from frustration to stunned disbelief.
"That fast…?"
Even talented disciples usually needed months.
Sometimes years.
That boy opened it in mere moments?
Ji-ho immediately frowned again.
"…Wait."
His instincts suddenly flared.
He looked directly at Seol-an.
"…Why do you smell THIS strongly of Ashura?"
Seol-an immediately looked away.
Ji-ho's eyes narrowed further.
"…Seol-an."
"…."
"What happened down there?"
Ji-ho immediately stormed down the underground chamber.
His footsteps echoed violently through the halls.
"Grandmaster wait please let him rest!"
Seol-an hurried after him desperately.
Too late.
The chamber doors slammed open.
BANG!
Ji-ho stopped.
Kōin remained chained unconscious against the wall.
Yet something else caught his eyes immediately.
The circulation beneath Kōin's skin.
Glowing.
Crimson.
Ji-ho's pupils shrank.
"…Blood Demon?"
His killing intent exploded instantly.
FWOOSH!
A white streak flew through the corridor.
CLANG!
His heavenly celestial tiger sword snapped directly into his grasp.
"WHOA WHOA GRANDMASTER LET'S NOT BE RASH NOW!"
Seol-an immediately jumped between Ji-ho and Kōin.
Ji-ho pointed his blade furiously.
"AFTER ALL THIS I TOOK IN A BLOOD DEMON?!"
"NO YOU DIDN'T!"
"THEN WHAT IS THAT?!"
He pointed toward Kōin's glowing circulation.
"RED CHI?!"
Ji-ho's face twisted with rage.
Red chi.
The symbol of the Blood Demon sects.
The same cursed power used by the murderers of Hu Senniang.
The same crimson aura drenched across battlefields during the Imperial War.
The hatred buried inside his scars instantly resurfaced.
"PLEASE LISTEN FIRST!"
"KŌIN TO THINK YOU WERE WITH A BLOOD DEMON SECT THIS WHOLE TIME—"
"NOOOOO!!"
Seol-an spread both arms shielding Kōin entirely.
Ji-ho's blade stopped inches from her throat.
The pressure alone cracked the stone floor beneath them.
"Move, Seol-an."
"No!"
"Do you understand what red chi means?!"
"NO YOU DON'T EITHER!"
Ji-ho froze slightly.
Seol-an bowed her head breathing heavily.
"Seol-an…"
His voice lowered dangerously.
"Red chi IS and has ALWAYS been exclusively used by Blood Demon sects."
"DO YOU EVEN KNOW WHO THEY ARE?"
"NO I DON'T!"
Her voice echoed through the chamber.
"But I believe Kagemiya explained how it formed!"
Ji-ho's expression shifted slightly.
"…Kagemiya?"
"And why he tried to stop Kōin from opening his dantian!"
Silence.
Only heavy breathing remained.
Huft.
Huft.
Ji-ho slowly lowered the tip of his sword slightly.
His eyes remained sharp.
"…Explain."
The chamber went dead silent.
Only the faint sound of dripping water echoed through the stone walls.
Ji-ho stood motionless.
Sword still raised.
Seol-an was breathing hard, forcing the words out like she was dragging them through fire.
"While we were given the training manuscript to open Kagemiya realized something important about chi colors."
Her voice cracked slightly as she continued.
"Primary chi colors are rare."
"White. Black. Blue. Yellow. Green."
She swallowed.
"Except red."
Ji-ho's eyes narrowed instantly.
"…Red."
Seol-an nodded quickly.
"Grandmaster RED."
The pressure in the room spiked again.
Ji-ho's grip tightened on his sword.
"THAT'S BECAUSE THE IMPERIAL ERASED THE EXISTENCE OF BLOOD—"
"MAYBE. BUT NO!"
Seol-an stepped forward, desperate now.
"When you punished Kōin to assist with the imperial scrolls, he found a forbidden manuscript."
"He didn't even care at first."
"But Kagemiya read it."
Ji-ho's expression shifted slightly at the name.
"…Kagemiya?"
Seol-an nodded rapidly.
"He said red chi is formed when someone opens their dantian while already carrying Ashura."
Silence.
The words sank in.
Ji-ho's blade lowered a fraction.
"…You believe that?"
Seol-an didn't hesitate.
"There is proof in the manuscript."
A pause.
Then softer.
"Grandmaster… please."
"He is not a Blood Demon."
Ji-ho stood still for a long moment.
His expression unreadable.
Then—
He turned.
Clack.
Without another word, he sheathed his sword.
And walked out of the chamber.
Seol-an froze.
"…Grandmaster?"
No answer.
Only his footsteps fading down the corridor.
Straight toward his office.
To confirm it himself.
He slid the door open so hard it nearly slammed into the wall.
Inside his office—
Imperial scrolls.
Stacks of them.
Where was it.
Where—
His hand froze.
There.
A sealed document.
"From Yang Zhi."
Ji-ho's breath caught slightly.
His late brother-in-arms.
Tian'an Star of the 108.
The seal of Song Jiang still faintly visible.
Old.
Nearly torn.
Ji-ho carefully unrolled it on the desk.
His hands steadied out of instinct.
Then he read.
Colors of Celestial Chi.
Contents...
White chi.
Black chi.
Blue chi.
Green chi.
Yellow chi.
His eyes moved faster now.
Then stopped.
Red chi.
Chi of an Ashura.
His grip loosened slightly.
"…No…"
He kept reading.
For Brother Ji-ho.
I know what you've been through.
I know what happened to the Dihui Star.
We and Song Jiang have watched your pursuit of red chi bearers.
We wanted to tell you sooner.
But we couldn't.
You are walking a dangerous river of blood, brother.
I feared your Ashura would consume you.
When I wrote this, I believed red chi belonged to Blood Sect lineage.
I was wrong.
The man you killed… the so-called blood demon farmer…
He was not a sect member.
He was a farmer.
Forced to kill raiders.
And he awakened Ashura.
We captured a Blood Demon follower afterward.
It took everything to interrogate him.
What he revealed—
His body collapsed before he could finish speaking.
Under days of investigation.
We found something… unsettling, brother.
We located a man with red chi.
We detained him under assumption he was Blood Demon sect.
We confirmed—
He was not.
His name is Higan.
A farmer.
He underwent Ashura transformation after defending his village from raiders.
The Khanate Empire's raid.
He was struck by Shuraka.
Then descended into Ashura.
What he revealed to us… chilled us.
He had not opened his dantian when it happened.
BADUMM.
BADUMM.
Ji-ho's breath stopped for a moment.
The heartbeat in his ears felt louder than the room.
The report continued.
He later trained in martial arts under a local instructor in his village.
Only afterward—
His dantian opened.
Red chi manifested.
Red chi.
We fear we have been killing those with no ties to Blood Demon sects.
We confirmed it further.
A second case.
A candidate with Ashura but no prior dantian opening.
Same result.
Red chi manifestation.
Red.
Song Jiang did not believe it at first.
He ordered further testing.
Unopened Ashura cases.
Subjects who had not yet formed dantian.
They found five.
Five survivors of raids, wars, and forced awakenings.
With Emperor Song Shi's assistance—
They guided them through controlled dantian opening.
Carefully.
Step by step.
Months passed.
Then confirmation arrived.
All five manifested red chi.
Red chi.
Ji-ho…
How many victims of war did we kill wrongly?
How many, Ji-ho?
…
That was the final line.
Ji-ho lowered the scroll slightly.
His hand trembled once.
Then stopped.
Silence filled his office.
Only the faint sound of wind through the paper windows remained.
He exhaled slowly.
So Kōin…
He is not Blood Demon sect.
That thought came immediately.
Certain.
Firm.
He almost killed that boy.
His jaw tightened slightly.
If Seol-an had not intervened…
He would have cleaved him down without hesitation.
The image returned again.
Red chi.
That glow beneath the skin.
The same as the reports.
The same as the "mistaken" kills.
His grip tightened.
…
How many?
The question lingered.
Not spoken aloud.
Just sitting inside his chest like a weight that would not move.
Was he any different from the Blood Demon Leader?
Hunting primary colored chi users.
That was the Blood Demon Sect's obsession.
Hunting red chi—
That had been Ji-ho's rage.
…
He stopped the hunt after adopting Seol-an.
A decision that once felt like peace.
Now it felt like distance.
He looked toward the window.
Disciples were still sweeping rubble in the courtyard below.
Ordinary movements.
Steady hands.
Alive voices.
His anchors.
His reminders.
He had almost killed one of them.
The realization settled without drama.
Just weight.
Heavy.
As if trying to erase more than the stain.
Then he exhaled.
He turned away from the window.
Because he knew—
His end would not be where Hu Senniang lay.
Seol-an stayed seated beside Kōin's unconscious form.
The image from the blood sea still lingered in her mind.
That demon.
That pressure.
That presence that felt like the end of everything.
The door creaked open again.
Ji-ho entered quietly.
No sword this time.
No rage.
Just silence.
He lowered himself to the damp floor beside her.
Seol-an pulled her knees closer, hiding her face slightly.
"…Is it true?"
A pause.
Ji-ho nodded once.
Seol-an exhaled, but it wasn't relief.
It was heavier than that.
She knew the truth already.
Kōin was not Blood Demon sect.
He was something worse misunderstood.
Something tired.
Something human.
If he truly had been Blood Demon…
The sect would already be gone.
Reduced to red mist.
No courtyard.
No rubble.
No survivors.
Only silence.
Seol-an buried her face into her knees.
"…Seol-an."
"Hm?"
Ji-ho didn't look at her.
"I've realized something."
His voice was lower than usual.
"I killed people who had nothing to do with Blood Demon sect."
"Because of their chi."
A pause.
"…Do you regret it because you found out?"
"Of course."
"Do you hate it because you didn't know?"
"Yes."
Seol-an lifted her head slightly.
"…Do you hate him because of his chi now?"
Ji-ho closed his eyes.
"…No."
A beat.
"…And never."
Silence returned.
His posture remained lowered.
Not defeated.
Just aware.
Of everything he could not undo.
Seol-an stared at Kōin for a long moment.
Then finally spoke.
"…Do you wish to repent, Grandmaster?"
"…Of course."
Ji-ho reached out slowly.
And gently brushed Seol-an's hair back from her face.
Then his gaze moved to Kōin.
The boy still unconscious.
Still breathing.
Still alive.
Seol-an pointed lightly toward him.
"Help this boy then."
Ji-ho let out a faint, tired breath.
A small smile formed.
"…Do you even need to ask?"
Kōin had been asleep for days.
No movement beyond shallow breathing.
No reaction.
Just silence.
At some point, Seol-an removed the chains.
Replaced them with soft cloth bindings so his arms wouldn't bruise under pressure.
She told herself it was temporary.
When he woke up—
He would be him.
Not Kagemiya.
Not Ashura.
Just Kōin.
She kept repeating that thought.
Like it made it more real.
The courtyard outside had changed.
Rubble cleared.
Broken pillars replaced.
Workers sent by the righteous emperor rebuilding what had been destroyed.
Life continuing like nothing had happened.
Seol-an sat quietly at the edge of it all.
Kōin's head rested in her lap.
She didn't move much.
Only adjusted him when his breathing shifted.
Rumors had already spread.
Whispers among disciples.
Looks from passing workers.
"Senior Brother Seol-an…"
"…likes him?"
She heard it.
Of course she did.
She just didn't respond anymore.
At first she denied it.
Then she got angry.
Then tired.
Now it just passed through her like wind.
What kind of situation even leads to this?
A "senior brother" sitting in a courtyard holding another man's head like this.
It should feel wrong.
It should feel embarrassing.
It did.
Sometimes.
But not enough to make her stop.
She glanced down at Kōin.
Still asleep.
Still quiet.
"…Idiot."
She muttered under her breath.
Then softer.
"…wake up already."
Her fingers lightly brushed his hair back from his face.
The rumors didn't matter.
The looks didn't matter.
Not right now.
Because for the first time in days—
It felt like he might actually come back as himself.
And if sitting here made that happen even slightly—
She wasn't moving.
A warm cup of tea appeared beside her.
Seol-an looked back slightly.
"Saikan."
He sat beside her quietly.
No loud movements.
No staring.
Just calm as usual.
"…Did he know?"
Seol-an already knew what he meant.
"…Yes."
Saikan glanced toward Kōin sleeping peacefully on her lap.
"You're not bothered by the rumors?"
Seol-an scoffed lightly.
"What choice do I have."
"A lot."
"…."
Saikan was one of only two people who knew the truth.
Her identity.
That she was a woman.
Seol-an looked down at Kōin.
Only three now.
A strange feeling settled in her chest at that realization.
Saikan sipped his tea quietly before asking—
"What do you actually see in him?"
"Me!? Oh um…"
She immediately stiffened.
Saikan's eyes remained calm.
"An Ashura?"
"A demon?"
"A monster?"
Seol-an's fingers tightened around the tea.
"…Lee Sai—"
"Or a man?"
Her eyes snapped toward him.
This bastard.
Is he teasing me?
First Kōin.
Now him too?
Saikan?
The same stone-faced Saikan who looked emotionally constipated since childhood?
Yet there it was.
A tiny smug pull on his lips.
Seol-an nearly threw the tea at his face.
"…Hah."
She looked away quickly trying to regain composure.
"Did you know…"
Her voice lowered slightly.
"…he just awakened his dantian."
Saikan almost dropped his tea.
"…What?"
She nodded toward Kōin.
"Recently."
"…Impossible."
"That's what I said."
Saikan stared at the unconscious boy longer now.
Then narrowed his eyes slightly.
"…Wait."
"He awakened it after all that?"
"Mm."
Silence.
Then Saikan slowly looked toward her again.
"…So the monster learned how to cultivate."
Seol-an immediately smacked his shoulder.
"Don't call him that."
Saikan rubbed his shoulder blankly.
"…You really are gone."
Saikan scoffed once.
"But I mean it."
"He is a monster."
He glanced toward Kōin sleeping peacefully.
"Just like you."
A pause.
"…Maybe worse."
Seol-an rolled her eyes immediately.
"Don't need a peanut brain to figure that out."
"Seriously though."
Saikan shook his head slightly while sipping tea.
"Who the hell fights like that?"
"Could you even properly follow his movements?"
Seol-an remembered the courtyard battle.
The distortions.
The sudden appearances.
The invisible slashes.
"…Barely."
"And if he learns Tiger Claw techniques?"
Saikan grimaced visibly.
"Guh…"
He rubbed his forehead.
"That sounds horrifying."
Seol-an smiled faintly.
"You know…"
She looked toward the reconstruction outside.
"Our sect has been lacking powerhouses."
"The other great sects have ten or eleven elite disciples."
"And we only have two."
She pointed between herself and Saikan.
"Us."
Then she lightly tapped Kōin's forehead.
"But if we add Kōin to the Imperial Tournament…"
A grin slowly formed.
"…we might actually win."
Saikan nearly choked on his tea.
"You want to bring an Ashura to the Imperial Tournament?!"
"There's only three years left!"
He pointed accusingly at her.
"Even if we somehow survive that stupidity…"
"How are we supposed to teach him advanced techniques?"
Seol-an tilted her head.
"…Does he even need them?"
Saikan stared at her like she lost her mind.
"IT IS LITERALLY ILLEGAL TO USE UNKNOWN FOREIGN TECHNIQUES IN THE TOURNAMENT, SEOL-AN!"
"The moment he uses that blood power everyone will think he's Blood Demon sect!"
Seol-an shrugged carelessly.
"I just want a rival who can reach finals."
She sighed dramatically.
"I'm tired of pretending to struggle and intentionally losing so nobody suspects anything."
Saikan looked horrified.
"…You intentionally lose?"
"Obviously."
"YOU PSYCHOPATH."
Seol-an grinned smugly.
Saikan looked toward Kōin again.
"…Fucken hell."
"He's going to kill contestants."
"Nah."
Seol-an looked down at the sleeping boy on her lap.
For some reason—
Her expression softened.
"I believe him."
Saikan stared at her completely deadpan.
"…Celestials above."
"What even is his technique?"
Seol-an immediately looked smug.
"Shroud."
"Shroud?"
She leaned back slightly, remembering the sea beneath the clear sky.
"That thing is ridiculous."
"A complete cheating technique."
"Perfect for assassination."
Saikan frowned.
"…Explain."
"It's a framework that attacks perception itself."
Seol-an tapped her temple.
"Sight."
"Hearing."
"Smell."
"Prediction."
"Your brain loses track of where he is because the technique manipulates the assumption of movement."
"That's why you can't perceive him properly."
"You think he moved there."
"So your body reacts there."
"But he was never there."
Saikan's expression slowly stiffened.
"…That sounds impossible."
"Hm."
Seol-an looked down at Kōin.
"The scarier part is…"
"He was holding back."
Saikan nearly snapped his neck toward her.
"Holding the FUCK back?"
"What do you mean holding back?!"
Seol-an shrugged.
"If you can't perceive him moving…"
"What exactly stops him from slicing your tendons immediately?"
"Or your throat?"
"Or severing arteries instead of clashing blades dramatically?"
She narrowed her eyes slightly.
"Why did he slow down before impact?"
"Why clash at all?"
"Why not destroy our spines instantly?"
Saikan opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
"…That's not martial arts anymore."
"Says who?"
Seol-an smirked.
"It's an assassination skillset."
"One requiring a specifically conditioned body."
She stretched her arm slightly.
"Even my Celestial Demonic Body can't replicate that movement."
"I can't even begin understanding how he moves like that."
"Let alone how he suppresses perception itself."
Then her lips curled upward.
"…But that thrill when blades clash."
A visible shiver ran through her shoulders.
Saikan immediately looked concerned.
"Don't get consumed by your martial obsession again."
"Haaah…"
Seol-an waved him off lazily.
"I know."
"I know."
Seol-an sneered smugly at Saikan.
"You should try clashing with him once."
"I'd become a thousand pieces and six feet underground."
"Nah."
She waved her hand casually.
"Red mist would probably be your remains."
"…You are not helping your argument."
"But it's fun."
Saikan stared at her like she lost her sanity.
"I still prefer living without constant mortal danger in my head."
"So respectfully…"
"No."
Seol-an groaned dramatically.
"Oh come on."
"You almost defeated Baleful Gyujingu last years."
Saikan immediately looked offended.
"Almost."
"And it wasn't fun."
"He beat me half to death."
"You're asking me to fight a literal Ashura now?"
"I'm good."
Seol-an leaned forward excitedly.
"But if you adapt to it you could beat anyone!"
Saikan pointed directly at her.
"IF."
"Aww…"
She grinned.
"Don't be a running rat."
"We're tigers here."
Saikan looked toward the unconscious Kōin.
Then back at Seol-an.
"What exactly is a tiger against a demon?"
Seol-an burst into laughter.
A real one.
Loud enough that nearby disciples glanced over briefly.
Then—
SMACK!
She slammed her hand onto Kōin's chest far harder than necessary.
Kōin immediately jolted violently.
"KHK—!"
He coughed hard and shot upright instantly.
"SEOL-AN!!!"
Saikan nearly jumped backward.
Kōin's eyes darted around immediately.
Alert.
Sharp.
His hand flew to his forehead.
No horns.
He froze.
Then quickly looked around again.
No blood sea.
No crimson abyss.
Just the courtyard.
Warm daylight.
Construction noises.
Disciples.
Tea.
"…Huh?"
His breathing slowed slightly.
Didn't he…
He frowned deeply.
Wasn't he opening his dantian with Seol-an?
Then—
Fragments flashed through his mind.
The sea.
The demon.
Kagemiya.
Red mist.
His hand grabbed his forehead tighter.
"…Was that a dream…"
He turned slightly.
Then immediately froze.
Saikan was already half-standing.
Hand near his weapon.
Ready to fight if necessary.
Meanwhile Seol-an casually raised her arm in front of him.
"Relax."
"He's awake."
Kōin blinked slowly.
"…Senior Brother Saikan?"
Saikan narrowed his eyes carefully.
"…You recognize me."
"Of course I do."
"…Good."
The tension eased slightly.
Seol-an leaned closer toward Kōin suspiciously.
"…Who are you?"
Kōin stared at her blankly.
"…Yako Kōin?"
Seol-an immediately sighed in relief.
Then punched his shoulder.
"OW."
"Good."
Kōin rubbed his shoulder weakly.
"…Why does waking up here always involve violence?"
Seol-an immediately grabbed Kōin by the shoulders and spun him around before he could finish processing anything.
"Now then."
She started dragging him across the courtyard.
"Let's get you to Grandmaster."
"He requested your attendance."
"O… Okay?"
Kōin stumbled slightly trying to keep up.
His mind was still spinning.
"…How long was I asleep?"
"Six days."
"…What."
"And before you ask yes."
Seol-an glanced back at him.
"The sea happened."
Kōin froze mid-step.
"…So that demon was—"
FWP.
Seol-an immediately shoved cloth into his mouth.
"MMPH?!"
"Nope."
"Not here."
She continued dragging him forward.
Kōin muffled aggressively behind the cloth trying to speak.
Saikan watched them go while sipping his tea calmly.
"…That poor bastard woke up for two minutes."
Kōin glared helplessly behind Seol-an while getting hauled away across the rebuilt courtyard.
A knock echoed against the office door.
"Come in."
Seol-an slid the door open and immediately pushed Kōin inside.
Ji-ho looked up from his desk.
His eyes widened slightly.
"…You're back."
Kōin lowered his head instantly.
"…."
Then he grabbed his own shoulder tightly.
"Forgive me, Grandmaster."
His voice remained steady.
"I endangered the sect."
Ji-ho stared at him quietly.
"Indeed you did."
He pulled his robes aside slightly.
Showing the injuries left behind from the battle.
Cuts.
Bruises.
The remnants of Kagemiya's assault.
Even Seol-an still carried bandages from it.
Kōin lowered his head further.
"…I would gladly offer my neck for punishment, Grandmaster."
Silence.
Tap.
Tap.
Tap.
Ji-ho's fingers drummed slowly against the desk.
Then stopped.
"…Brat."
Kōin stiffened.
"Did you know…"
Ji-ho's gaze sharpened.
"…I almost killed you while you were unconscious?"
…
The room became still.
Even Seol-an stopped moving.
Kōin slowly raised his head slightly.
Not shocked.
Not afraid.
Just listening.
Ji-ho continued quietly.
"I saw your red chi."
"And I mistook you for Blood Demon sect."
His jaw tightened faintly.
"If Seol-an hadn't stopped me…"
A pause.
"…you would already be dead."
Silence lingered heavily between them.
Kōin slowly lifted his head.
His expression had changed.
The softness from earlier was gone.
There was disappointment in his eyes now.
Deep enough that for a brief moment—
It didn't feel like Yako Kōin speaking.
"Why did you hesitate, Grandmaster?"
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"I almost slaughtered this entire sect."
A pause.
"So why offer me mercy?"
Seol-an's expression immediately darkened.
"Kōin—"
But Ji-ho raised his hand stopping her.
He looked directly at the boy.
"Why do you desire death so much…"
"…when you finally have fellowship here?"
Kōin's eyes shifted slightly toward Seol-an.
Toward the visible disappointment on her face.
…
Silence stretched.
Then Ji-ho spoke again.
"Kōin."
"Do you know what Murim calls a demon?"
Kōin answered immediately.
"…Someone who indulges their Ashura willingly."
Ji-ho nodded once.
"Yes."
"Not every Ashura bearer is a demon."
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"Just like not every red chi bearer is Blood Demon sect."
…
Kōin's eyes narrowed faintly.
"…Red chi?"
Ji-ho studied him carefully now.
Then asked quietly—
"Do you know the primary colors of chi?"
Kōin looked toward Seol-an instinctively.
She crossed her arms.
Clearly refusing to help him answer.
Kōin slowly shook his head.
Ji-ho exhaled once.
"Celestial chi."
"The foundation colors."
He raised one finger.
"Blue."
Seol-an closed her eyes.
FWOOSH.
A flowing stream of translucent blue chi emerged around her body like drifting water beneath moonlight.
Kōin's eyes widened slightly.
He could see it.
Actually see it.
The circulation.
The flow.
Ji-ho continued.
"White."
A pale white aura flowed from Ji-ho's body like smoke made from light itself.
"Black."
"Green."
"Yellow."
Then—
"…And red."
Ji-ho suddenly tapped Kōin directly in the chest.
THUD.
Kōin's body jerked violently.
It felt like a blade rammed directly into his solar plexus.
"GHK—!"
Red motes burst outward from his body instinctively.
Glowing.
Crimson.
Alive.
Kōin's eyes widened.
He could suddenly perceive everything.
The flow of chi inside the room.
Inside Ji-ho.
Inside Seol-an.
Inside himself.
His body felt light.
Too light.
The stiffness in his arms from years gripping Shinba—
Gone.
The tension in his muscles—
Gone.
Yet something else rose instantly.
Thirst.
A suffocating instinct.
Violent.
Primal.
!!!
NO—
Kōin immediately grabbed his own throat choking himself as the scent of Ashura began leaking outward.
His breathing became ragged.
The room temperature dropped.
Ji-ho immediately sat back down sharply.
Not panicked.
Prepared.
"Seol-an."
His voice turned serious instantly.
"Disturb his dantian."
Seol-an immediately grabbed Kōin before the Ashura scent could fully spread.
Two knuckles pressed directly against his solar plexus.
Then—
THUD!
A short one-inch strike.
That was all it took.
Kōin's circulation shattered apart instantly.
The red flow dispersed violently.
"KHH—!"
Kōin collapsed onto his knees coughing hard.
Pain spread through his body immediately.
Sharp.
Burning.
Yet manageable.
Compared to everything else—
This was nothing.
He steadied his breathing slowly while Ji-ho finally spoke.
"I always believed red chi was connected to Blood Demon sect because of this exact reaction."
Ji-ho's gaze remained fixed on Kōin.
"Red chi naturally invites bloodlust."
"It stirs Ashura."
"It drags the instinct to kill closer to the surface."
He folded his arms slowly.
"To cultivators…"
"That very existence feels blasphemous."
Kōin remained silent listening carefully.
"That is why I believed every red chi bearer belonged to Blood Demon sect."
Ji-ho paused.
Then his expression hardened slightly.
"Until now."
His eyes narrowed.
"When I learned red chi forms from those who awaken their dantian while already carrying Ashura inside them."
Kōin slowly raised his head.
Ji-ho's confession lingered heavily in the room.
"The people I killed because of it…"
His voice was quiet now.
No excuses.
No anger.
"I hunted people because of their color."
A pause.
"Many of them were peaceful."
"Farmers."
"Merchants."
"…Almost a boy."
Ji-ho closed his eyes briefly.
The weight of those words clearly struck deeper than any blade.
Then he exhaled.
"I want to repent."
His gaze met Kōin's directly.
"And I want you to control it."
Kōin remained silent.
"There are currently six known masters of red chi unaffiliated with Blood Demon sect."
Even Seol-an looked surprised at that.
Ji-ho continued.
"I already informed the righteous emperor."
"He helped locate them."
"One among them has agreed to teach you."
Kōin blinked once.
"…Teach me?"
"How to control red chi."
"How to prevent Ashura from swallowing you."
"How to live with it."
Silence settled again.
Then—
Seol-an's expression shifted immediately.
Wait.
Her eyes widened slightly.
If he leaves to train under another master…
That means—
He'll be gone for a long while.
"Would you be willing to study under another master for a while?"
Ji-ho's tone remained calm.
"You may stay here if you wish."
"But I know nothing about red chi."
His gaze shifted briefly toward Kōin's chest.
"If you remain here without control…"
"It may endanger the others."
A pause.
"Still, if you choose to stay, I will respect it."
Ji-ho folded his arms.
"And if the demon resurfaces…"
His eyes sharpened.
"I will subdue it again."
Silence followed.
Seol-an's hair covered her eyes slightly as she lowered her head.
Kōin looked down at his own hands.
Then remembered it.
That moment.
Inside the sea.
Kagemiya piercing through his chest.
Taking his heart away.
And the thirst that followed after.
The same violent instinct that almost consumed him entirely.
His fingers slowly tightened.
He could not allow that to happen again.
Next time—
Kagemiya or that demon might truly decide to kill everyone here.
The disciples.
Grandmaster.
Seol-an.
…
Seol-an quietly looked away.
Looks like having him stay in the courtyard longer would have to wait.
Finally—
Kōin spoke.
"I will go."
Ji-ho nodded once.
"You will likely remain there for at least two years."
"Would that be acceptable?"
Kōin smiled faintly.
"Even if it takes a lifetime."
Ji-ho smiled back slightly.
Proud.
Relieved.
Seol-an only sighed quietly beside them.
"Then you will depart in three days."
Ji-ho looked toward Seol-an.
"Give him the Tiger Sect's basic manuscripts."
"At minimum…"
"…he should have homework during the journey."
Seol-an nodded once.
Then suddenly grabbed Kōin's hand boldly.
"Come on."
Before he could react properly she already pulled him toward the door.
Ji-ho watched them quietly.
Then spoke one last time.
"And Kōin."
Kōin paused and looked back.
Ji-ho smiled faintly.
"I await the fruit of your labor."
A small pause followed.
Then—
"Go, Wolf of the Tiger Den."
…
Kōin smiled softly at those words.
Then Seol-an yanked him harder.
"MOVE."
"Ow—"
The office door shut behind them.
Soon—
The archives of the Tiger Sect.
Tall shelves.
Stacks of martial manuscripts.
Dust.
Ink.
The smell of old paper.
Seol-an marched straight inside before abruptly shoving several scrolls directly into Kōin's arms.
THUMP.
"Read."
Kōin blinked.
"…That's a lot."
"Hmph."
She crossed her arms tightly.
Kōin looked at her carefully now.
She was irritated.
No—
Angry.
Or maybe upset.
"…Senior Brother Seol-an?"
No response.
"…Did I do something wrong?"
Seol-an finally looked at him.
And somehow that expression felt more dangerous than when she activated her demonic body.
"Hmph."
Kōin looked even more confused now.
Then slowly—
Something clicked.
Every time they tried training together…
Something happened.
He got knocked unconscious.
Dragged into Ashura.
Thrown into battles.
Or nearly killed.
And now—
Right when things finally settled—
He was leaving.
For years.
Kōin looked down at the pile of scrolls in his arms.
Then smiled faintly.
"…I'm sorry."
"HMPH."
Seol-an turned her face away harder.
Kōin scratched his cheek awkwardly.
"I promise I won't be gone long."
"Hmph."
"And…"
He looked at her properly now.
"You wanted a rival, right?"
Seol-an's eyes shifted slightly toward him.
Kōin laughed softly.
"You can't exactly have a demon as a rival."
"…."
"At least if I learn properly…"
His smile became smaller.
"…I can stand beside you."
Silence.
Seol-an's fingers tightened slightly against her sleeves.
Then suddenly—
THWACK.
She smacked another scroll directly into his chest.
"Then don't die."
Kōin blinked once.
"…Okay."
"And don't come back weak."
"…Okay."
"And don't suddenly lose control somewhere and become some mountain legend."
"…I'll try?"
"Hah."
Seol-an finally looked at him again.
Still annoyed.
Still upset.
Yet her expression softened just slightly.
"…Good."
Seol-an suddenly handed him another manuscript.
Unlike the others—
This one had no Tiger Sect seal.
No Tiantui insignia.
Nothing official.
Just a black binding.
Plain.
Worn carefully by hand.
Kōin tilted his head slightly.
"Huh?"
He instinctively tried opening it.
SLAP.
Seol-an immediately slammed it shut with both hands.
"Read it only during training."
Kōin blinked.
"…."
Her tone carried no room for argument.
Kōin looked down at the manuscript more carefully now.
The binding was different from ordinary sect scrolls.
The stitching.
The wrapping.
The edges.
Handmade.
Then he noticed the small writing pressed subtly near the corner.
By Seol-an.
Kōin looked back at her quietly.
"…You wrote this?"
Seol-an immediately looked away.
"Hmph."
That alone answered him.
As Kōin turned to leave—
A hand suddenly stretched out and grabbed the back of his robe.
"We still have three days before you leave."
Seol-an's voice came from behind him.
"Don't rush everything."
A pause.
"I just got you back from that sea."
Kōin stopped.
Then slowly smiled.
A genuine one.
"…Alright."
"Alright."
He carefully placed the black manuscript down beside him on the table instead of storing it away.
Seol-an finally released his robe.
Good.
At least he understood.
For now—
He was still here.