The morning sun shined through the trees that lined the path to the central courtyard of Wudang. Yeol and Wu Cheng walked side by side as they approached the Wudang Patriarch, Zhenghai, as he sipped his morning tea. His guards lined the courtyard.
Zhenghai sipped his tea as the two sat down. "Where is Ryul? He had duties as a guard." He sat his cup down. "I allowed him one night to celebrate, he claimed he made friends. That he'd represent Wudang well... the fun is over now."
"That's why we came little brother. We request that you allow Ryul to stay with Silent Edge."
Yeol leaned forward. "So-Yeon agrees as well. As the Tang Matriarch and his sister, she believes Ryul would be best served by Silent Edge. He's still a Tang."
"I don't care what that barbarian woman wants... Ryul chose Wudang. He gave up his Tang affiliation. And now, the Alliance Leader has his eye on him for the Iron Order." He took another sip of his tea. "Clearly a testament to his growth under my leadership."
Cheng leaned back calmly. "You were unaware of who Ryul even was, until you found out So-Yeon was his sister. When I was the patriarch, you ignored the boy. Treated him as trash to be discarded. Now the Alliance Leader has shown interest, he suddenly is a testament to your leadership? Suddenly he's a great Wudang talent?"
Zhenghai placed his cup down, kicked his chair out and stood. "Exactly, brother! You gave up your position as Patriarch. You walked away to play 'sect' with your son, your orphans and trash you picked up along the way. You are a traitor, a joke. RYUL STAYS. HE IS WUDANG!" Zhenghai cleared his throat. "You are not big brother."
He turned and glared at Yeol. "He's not a Tang, not anymore... the boy abandoned the Tang Clan the moment he entered Wudang. He wears our robes. He follows our teachings. Whatever blood flows through him is irrelevant. Now, this is the last I will hear of this. Oh and Yeol, stop playing house with him." Zhenghai pointed his hand at Cheng. "Return to the Tang Clan. Pretend to be an elder, at least. Instead of sticking your nose in Wudang's business... need i remind you Chengdu isn’t controlled by the Tang Clan any more. All of Murim, outside the Imperial Court, belongs to the Martial Alliance."
Yeol rose without a word. His poison qi swirled around him. Before any guards could react. He had Zhenghai pinned against a stone pillar, lifted by his collar.
"The day you're stronger than me..." Yeol growled. "... Will be the day I heed your advice. You forget why Tang ruled over Chengdu. Shall I remind you?" Yeol's qi surged more as Zhenghai started to cough. "Ryul is Tang, I don't care what mask he wears. And I swear, Zhenghai, you, the Alliance Leader, or even Buddha himself will not use my nephew for your games. I will turn this once peaceful sect into ash and poison before I let you disgrace the Tang name again."
Wu Cheng placed a calming hand on Yeol's arm. "Easy, old friend. Release him."
Yeol let go. Zhenghai collapsed, clutching his throat. "Tch..." Yeol muttered. "Speak contempt on the Tang name again around me... i promise, I will take your life. Patriarch or not."
Wu Cheng exhaled and turned to his brother. "Let's settle this the old way. One on one. Your strongest master or below, against ours. One weeks time. If we win, Ryul stays with us. If Wudang wins, Ryul returns and we pretend this little ordeal never happened. What do you say little brother." Cheng reached a hand to Zhenghai. He slapped Cheng's hand away.
"Or, I can let Yeol settle it his way then." Cheng turned to get Yeol's attention.
"Fine, fine. One week. But you better stay true to your word, brother." Zhenghai stood and waved off his guards who rushed to help him up. "Now go. I have other matters to attend to."
As Yeol and Cheng walked through the gates Yeol spoke. "Who will fight on Ryul's behalf?"
Cheng smiled. "Blue of course."
Yeol let out a tiny laugh. "Against a master? Are you crazy, he's not ready for that. And what if your brother turns to Hyeon for help?"
"I'm counting on it." Cheng muttered. "Zhenghai's loyalty runs deep. If the Alliance Leader interferes, we have cause to act. That is the crack in their armor."
Yeol scoffed. "You are always playing at something." Yeol kicked a rock. "If something happens to Blue, I will paint Wudang red. And if So-Yeon ever realizes Ryul's words about him we're true. She may come after you."
Cheng smirked. "You worry too much old friend. That won't happen." Cheng placed his arms around his back while they walked. "They won't risk killing Blue over a spar. Not while monsters knock on Murim’s gates."
Yeol didn't respond. He took one last look at the Wudang compound. He clenched his fist. Both men walked down the road in silence.
That afternoon Zhenghai made his way to the Alliance. Inside the Alliance Leader's office Hyeon and Jaegal Li sat in front of a map of Chengdu and the surrounding area. A knock came. "Enter." Li yelled.
A boy entered and bowed. "The Wudang Patriarch wishes for an audience."
Hyeon nodded his head. Zhenghai entered as the boy remained bowed. He walked toward the the table they both stood at. BOOM. The doors slammed shut. Zhenghai twitched. "Yeol and Cheng have formally requested a spar between disciples." Zhenghai said softly. "They wish to take Ryul under Silent Edge's banner. May i?" Zhenghai gestured toward a chair.
Jaegal Li pulled the chair our for him. "Go on."
Zhenghai sat snd sighed. "They say it is at the request of So-Yeon. Yeol argues that Ryul is still a Tang. My men overheard them as they left. They plan to use the boy who won the tournament in the spar."
Namgung Hyeon slammed his fist on the table. "Those two old decrepit bastards. Refusing to come under the Alliance. Always challenging my authority. They are a thorn in my side."
Strategist Li, composed as ever, have them a sly grin. "I assume you accepted, or else you wouldn't be here yes?" Zhenghai nodded. "Wonderful. Did Cheng back you into a corner, force you to accept?"
Zhenghai thought for a moment. "I'm not sure. If it wasn't for Yeol, I wouldn't have accepted so hastily."
"Interesting, so he used Yeol's strength as a way to scare you. Indeed a brilliant man. I understand why Wudang was so feared when he was Patriarch. What are the stipulations for the spar?"
Zhenghai sat straighter. "Only that the opponent must be a master or below. Strategist."
"Very well. We shall assign a master from the Iron Order to cripple the boy. A devastating outcome, but Yeol and Cheng won't sit still. Not if that boy becomes critically injured."
Zhenghai's brow furrowed. "You mean to provoke them? Yeol and Cheng are monsters. Not many in Murim can match either of them."
"That's exactly my intention." Jaegal Li stroked his thin beard. "They will break their stance to shield Ryul. When they do." Jaegal nodded to Zhenghai. "You can step in and paint them as traitors. Let Murim see their insubordination. And then Hyeon, you can step in as the benevolent Leader, you will hold the sword that can sever their heads. Or be the light offers them redemption."
"What about the treasure. If that boy gets a hold of an artifact, it could help him actually win."
Hyeon stepped forward with a smile. "We will delay the vault ceremony." He chuckled. "If the boy dies, we save ourselves an artifact. If he survives, we use him to bait the elders. Either way, Silent Edge loses."
"You know those two, they could wipe my sect out by themselves. If they wished to. Who's to say they won't?"
"I say they wont." Hyeon sat in his chair. "I'll be waiting with the Iron Order just outside the Wudang compound. I'll make sure Emei and Mt. Hua also attend. So make this spar a grand event. When those old bastards move, they will submit... or die."
The chamber fell silent.
Hyeon leaned back as he gestured Zhenghai to leave.
"Finally Li. I can start getting rid of those thorns."
As Zhenghai walked out and the door closed, the temperature of the room dropped. A low hum echoed through the chamber. Dust kicked up from the floors. The smell of sulfur and scorched metal filled the air. Hyeon didn't flinch.
The red gate tore itself open behind his throne. No warning, no invitation. Just a tear in space. Behind Hyeon stepped out a towering figure. Eight feet tall. The demon's skin was crimson, thick, with blackened runes seared into its flesh. Horns curled upward like a crown, and below two eyes glowed a deep yellow. He wore nothing but a coarse cloth around his waist. His nails were long, curved like scythes. The demon's hand reached Hyeon's shoulder.
"So." The demon rumbled. "How did the farming go, this year?"
Hyeon's voice dropped. "Yes. Much better than the last harvest. A few promising prospects. More than in years past."
The demons grinned widened. "Good. Because the one's you sent lately. Barely useful. Most burn out before they can even serve as shields. HE is growing... impatient."
The demon stood straight and looked at Jaegal Li. Li took a few steps back. "We are aware, sir. We will send better ones."
Hyeon's fingers curled on the arm of his chair. "We do not need a reminder. Nor your threats."
The demon dug his claw back into Hyeon's shoulder. Just enough to draw blood. "Don't mistake this as either of those. It's a warning."
Hyeon finally turned his head and met the demon's eyes. "You don't need to warn us. This is my world. When your master is finished, I'll be the one sitting above it all."
The demon smiled. "Spoken like a man clinging to delusion. Just do your job. Little king."
With a flick of his finger, the demon tossed a leather sack onto the Alliance Leader's desk. The bag burst open as it landed, spilling red crystals across the papers.
"These will help. They corrupt the gifted, those blessed by the golden pantheon. Drain their system's light and fill it with hatred. Their thoughts will twist. Their will, bend.
Hyeon picked up a crystal and stared at it. "And those without systems?"
"If they consume the power from them, they will become strong, and mindless, but obedient. Loyal only to HIM."
The demon took a step back toward the rift and paused. "Use them wisely. You know what happens to those who fail HIM."
The rift surged, swallowing the demon. With a loud crack, the demon and rift were gone.
Hyeons face began to twist. "I'll start with Silent Edge." He whispered. He stared at the crystals once more. His mind wandered to old grievances. He tightened his grip on the crystal.
"I'll do to them, what I did to Jinho and his pretty wife. That Tang bastard dare choose a barmaid over my sister. Forced my sister into a depression she never recovered from, and eventually took her own life. Tch. Yoryeon let him run off and live peacefully. Even after knowing what happened to my sister" He looked up Jaegal Li. "Do you know how I handled it?"
"I heard you sent men dressed as mountain bandits, cornered him, and slaughtered him and the merchants."
"And no one ever questioned it." Hyeon started the laugh. "He died swinging though, I even lost a few men."
"Sir, may I suggest you put the crystal down." Li noticed Hyeon's expression changing.
Hyeon stood, still gripping the crystal. His voice raising with each sentence. "Then I made sure that pretty barmaid met her demise. You should've seen her searching through all of Chengdu looking for answers. Until she met an assassin. I had her body dropped off to their family home. LET THE TANG REMEMBER WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THEY CROSS NAMGUNG."
"Sir, drop the cr-"
Li lifted his hand to his cheek as blood ran down. When he turned around the crystal was now lodged into the wall behind him. Hyeon was panting.
"Alliance leader!" Li rushed to Hyeon. He simply raised his hand. "I'm fine." Hyeon regained his composure. "They dare defy me? When I am gracious enough to bring a Tang into the Iron Order. This... will be their end."
Jaegal Li nodded.
Hyeon brushed another crystal with his finger. "Yes. Silent Edge first. Then, Tang will follow."