Juwon’s consciousness drifted between darkness and fleeting sensations.

  A dull ache weighed on his body, his limbs refusing to move. Slowly, awareness returned—the warmth of a bed, the scent of aged wood, and the faint sound of rustling leaves carried by the mountain breeze.

  His eyelids fluttered open.

  Before him stretched an awe-inspiring view. Through the large window beside his bed, the landscape unfolded—rolling mist-covered peaks, ancient trees swaying in the wind, and a serene lake reflecting the sky like an endless mirror.

  The golden hue of sunrise bathed the world in an ethereal glow.

  Juwon’s breath hitched slightly.

  He had read about this place before.

  "Enjoying the view?"

  A voice interrupted his thoughts, playful yet composed.

  Juwon turned to see a man leaning lazily against the wooden frame of the doorway, his arms crossed, an easy smirk on his face.

  The very presence of this man seemed effortless yet commanding.

  "Welcome to Wudang Sect, little brother."

  The man pushed himself off the frame, walking into the room with casual elegance.

  "Zhang Yunfei. Core disciple of Wudang. You must be the troublemaker Yuxian can’t stop talking about."

  Juwon’s gaze flickered back toward the lake. "Taichi Lake…?" His voice was hoarse.

  Yunfei chuckled. "Fascinating, isn’t it? This is Tianzhu Peak, overlooking the Taichi Lake of Tianshan. Of course, normal people don’t even realize this place exists. From here, you can see everything—but from down there, no one can see us. A little trick of nature, enhanced by careful design."

  Juwon frowned slightly.

  "But historically, Taichi Lake was created by the South-North Water Diversion Project, meant to combat water scarcity."

  Yunfei’s brows rose, amusement dancing in his eyes. "Ah, so you really are a historian. You’re right—on paper. But long before modern construction, this area was already home to countless villages. Sects, martial arts schools, and their influence shaped history in ways most people will never know."

  Juwon’s interest piqued. "You mean, Wudang was involved in this?"

  Yunfei nodded, gazing at the distant lake. "A long time ago, people migrated here, drawn by the sect’s protection and prosperity. But as times changed, so did our approach.

  Today, under the guise of multiple private enterprises, Wudang built and maintains this lake—not just for our secrecy, but for the people." He turned to Juwon, smirking. "You don’t need armies when you control the land and water itself."

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  Juwon silently absorbed the weight of those words. The true power of the sects wasn’t just in their martial prowess—but in their control over infrastructure and history itself.

  After a moment, he exhaled and asked, "What happened to the demon?"

  Yunfei’s smirk faded slightly. "It fled. The battle dragged on, but eventually, even its frenzied rage couldn’t keep up. It disappeared into the forest—not out of strategy, but out of helplessness.

  Maybe its Qi had finally run too thin."

  Juwon’s fingers clenched against the sheets. "You let it go?"

  "I prioritized bringing you back," Yunfei said simply. "Chasing a mindless beast into unknown terrain wasn’t worth losing a brother over."

  Juwon remained silent.

  He wasn’t sure if he agreed or not. But he was alive because of that choice.

  Yunfei stretched, glancing toward the door. "The sect leader wants to meet you. Along with the elders. Rest up—you’ll need it."

  As Yunfei left the room, Juwon stared at the ceiling, his mind unraveling the weight of everything that had happened.

  "The killing…" Juwon whispered to himself. "The way my Qi flared… It was like something primal inside me was clawing to get out, craving destruction."

  "How did I change so much?" His own voice felt distant, unfamiliar.

  Juwon's palm covering his face, "I used to struggle with killing a spider… but now, I’ve slaughtered two people."

  "But why did it feel… different?"

  "Liang Rui… Her Qi was demonic, but I did not feel the same bloodlust towards her"

  "But Ren Shi and Wei… Their Qi… It felt vile, unnatural. My killing intent… was stronger against them. It was like something inside me rejected their existence." He clenched his fists. "Why?"

  Before he could dwell on it further, a familiar voice rang out.

  "Look who’s finally awake!"

  Yuxian strode into the room, arms crossed, a cocky grin plastered across his face.

  "I was starting to think you’d sleep through the sect leader’s summons. Guess even monsters need their beauty rest."

  Juwon huffed out a tired laugh. "Good to see you too."

  Yuxian dragged a chair closer and sat down, arms resting on the back of it. "You really had us worried, you know. You looked half-dead when we brought you in."

  Juwon smirked slightly. "Only half? That's an improvement."

  Yuxian rolled his eyes. "Figures you'd joke about it. But seriously, you’re lucky to be alive."

  Juwon looked out the window, the view of Taichi Lake calming his restless mind.

  "I suppose I should thank you, then. You and Yunfei."

  Yuxian waved a hand. "Yeah, yeah, don’t get all sentimental on me now. Besides, I wasn’t the one who dragged your unconscious body up the mountain. That was all him. He’ll probably remind you of it every chance he gets."

  Juwon nods with a pleasant smile.

  Yuxian’s expression softened slightly as he took a seat by the window. "You feeling alright?"

  Juwon exhaled, glancing at his hands. "Physically? I’ll live. Mentally? That’s a different story."

  Yuxian studied him for a moment before nodding. "Yeah, I get it. First real kills hit harder than you’d think."

  Juwon looked up at him. "So, you too..."

  Yuxian exhaled, nodding.

  "Wudang Sect has many enemies. And since the government helps us a lot, they ask us to do their bidding in return—breeding even more enemies. I didn’t expect to be thrown into the mix as a kid, but..."

  He leaned back, staring at the ceiling for a moment before smirking. "Ah well, guess that’s a story for another time."

  Followed by a momentary silence.

  Juwon looked up at him. "How did you deal with it?"

  Yuxian leaned back. "You don’t. Not entirely. You just keep moving forward. Sometimes, that’s all you can do."

  Once again, silence settled between them, not uncomfortable, but heavy with unspoken thoughts.

  Then Yuxian clapped his hands together. "Alright, enough brooding. Sect leader’s waiting, and trust me, you don’t want to keep him waiting."

  Juwon let out a slow breath, pushing himself up. His body still ached, but he felt steadier now.

  "Wait—what about Xiulan? The medicine she needed... was it found?" Juwon asked, his voice firm despite his exhaustion.

  Yuxian nodded. "Yeah, don’t worry. The sect took care of it. She’s being treated by our best healers. With the right herbs and techniques, she’ll recover soon enough."

  Juwon exhaled, a weight lifting from his chest. "Good... that’s good." He glanced at Yuxian. "Let’s go."

  With that, they stepped out into the halls of Wudang, where fate awaited.