Wooyun heard the door open and was immediately greeted with Kang Choon-hee's screeching voice. "Where is that insolent boy? When did he think he could run off his mouth like that? Just wait until I get my hands on him. I will—"
"Will what?" Wooyun cut through her angry screeching, a cool smile on his face. He sat there comfortably, leaning back like he didn't have a care in the world. Her head snapped in his direction, her gaze piercing into him as if he were the most foul thing she had ever encountered. "YOU!" She yelled, eyes flaring. "You have embarrassed this family for the last time."
Wooyun raised a brow. "I—embarrassed you?" He scoffed. "Lady, you've been doing an excellent job doing that on your own."
Her face twisted in fury. "You little brat—how dare you speak to me that way! Do you know the sacrifices I made to raise you? Have you finally lost your senses? Because I'm more than happy to bring them back!" She stormed forward, hand rising with the full intention of striking him. But before her palm could even come close, Wooyun caught her wrist mid-air. Not just caught—gripped. Hard. His fingers pressed into her bones like iron shackles, and for a fleeting moment, Choon-hee's breath hitched.
"You've raised your hands at me enough in this life," Wooyun said, voice low and calm, but heavy with a quiet menace. "Try again, and I won't just stop at your wrist."
"Let go of her!" Yu-jun's shout cut through the tension like a whip. He charged in from the side, throwing a wild punch aimed straight at Wooyun's head.
Without even glancing at him, Wooyun shifted his body and raised a single arm—catching Yu-jun's fist with shocking precision and strength. The impact stopped dead in its tracks, Wooyun's grip like a vice. All three Kang family members stared at him in stunned silence.
Surprise, confusion, and anger flashed in Yu-jun's eyes. "This son of a bitch," he didn't waste a single second as he swung a second time, putting more power into his attack this time.
Wooyun heard a whooshing sound suddenly coming his way, and luckily his reflexes kicked in and he was able to dodge the attack. Yu-jun's eyes widened with shock. What in the world? How is it possible that Seo-yoon of all people can dodge my attack let alone counter it? The young man stood there in a daze, and Kang Choon-hee could hardly believe her eyes. Her lips parted, a flicker of disbelief flashing through her eyes.
Then, the realization sank in—cold and bitter. He's been training. Her eyes narrowed, finally taking him in fully.
He was taller. When had that happened? His shoulders no longer slumped—they were squared, purposeful. His body had thinned out, yes, but it was the lean, balanced kind of strength that came from discipline, from hard-won training. And his face—
His face was sharp now. Prettier than she remembered. No, too pretty. The kind of pretty that made people look twice, then whisper. The kind that didn't belong to someone meant to be beneath her heel.
And in that moment, Choon-hee felt it all—jealousy, bitterness, rage, and something she hadn't expected: wariness. "You've betrayed us," she choked. "You ungrateful little snake! You think because the Demon Lord of the North took you in, that you're special now? You're not! You're nothing. Less than dirt! A poor servant boy is all you've ever been and all you'll ever be—no matter how big you get!"
Wooyun tilted his head, releasing Yu-jun's hand as it had burned him.
Then he let go of Choon-hee's wrist, and she stumbled back a step, eyes wide.
He stood up slowly, brushing off invisible dust from his sleeves with deliberate care. "You can keep this house. These walls, these rooms. Tear them down for all I care."
He turned toward the door, then paused, glancing back over his shoulder.
"But I will return one day," he said, voice steady, eyes gleaming with quiet fire. "And when I do—I won't be coming back to beg. I'll be coming back to reclaim it." Not for me. But for Seo-yoon.
"So enjoy my crumbs, Madam Kang," he added with a faint smile. "Because that's all you'll have left when I'm done."
Kang Choon-hee's body trembled with rage. "Fine, go! Who needs a useless waste of space like you anyway? In fact, I insist you leave. With you gone, we might finally be able to go somewhere. Go be someone else's problem!" She yelled.
As soon as I find those tomes your father has kept hidden, I will make sure the merchant group reaches the biggest success yet, and you will have zero claim on it!
~*~
Eun-woo looked up as he was greeted by the colossal flight of stone steps, hundreds—perhaps thousands—stretching endlessly upward.
Each step was wide and steep, worn smooth in the middle by centuries of disciples, wanderers, and warriors alike. As you climbed, the air grew crisper, thinner, and charged with the faint hum of spiritual energy. The sect's great gate loomed at the summit, a towering structure of gilded wood and reinforced stone, etched with radiant symbols that shimmered faintly in the light. Twin sun-shaped lanterns burned with ever-golden flames on either side, casting a warm glow that never faded, even under the moonlight.
Beyond the gate, the sect sprawled across a massive plateau, with tiered courtyards and gleaming rooftops layered like rising sun rays. The buildings themselves were masterworks of harmony—arched eaves and curved bridges, gold-leaf tiles that caught the morning light like fire, and polished stone paths flanked by rows of sun lotus trees, their petals glowing faintly with lingering qi.
At the heart of it all stood the Celestial Pavilion, the tallest structure in the entire sect. Its spire pierced the sky, crowned with a golden sun disc that turned slowly with the wind, casting slivers of light across the entire mountaintop. From a distance, it looked less like a building and more like a divine throne overseeing the mortal realm.
Eun-woo always thought the building itself was too grand for a sect that was supposedly known for its pious nature. Unfortunately like with many things, desire started to take root, and being known for grandeur was all they cared about. The young man shook at the sight but didn't waste his eyes looking at it. He made his way inside and was greeted by his fellow brothers and sisters who bowed their heads respectively upon seeing him. Eun-woo made his way to his master's pavilion where he found the man buried in another scroll, most likely studying another ancient technique. Unlike the rest of the sect, his master's pavilion was much more modest. Simple in design yet still carried a certain majestic energy that instantly made Eun-woo feel at peace.
His master didn't look up even as he entered his room, but the young man took no offense as this was the norm. Instead, he took a seat at the table and patiently waited for him to finish. It took twenty minutes for his master to finally look up from his papers and acknowledge his disciple's presence.
"Oh? Eun-woo! When did you get back?"
The young man shook his head in exasperation but smiled at the older man. "Not too long ago master. I see you're doing well."
His master let out a cheerful laugh. "Yes, I've been well. I wasn't expecting you to be back so soon. What happened to your lessons with young master Kang?"
Eun-woo's eyes darkened for a fraction before returning to normal, a look his master didn't miss.
"Unfortunately master, I don't think I have any reason to return any more." He said.
The older man took this time to observe his disciple and was able to look through his energy pathways and see that he had in fact advanced. He was now officially a grandmaster.
"I'm glad to see you've overcome that wall that has been keeping you trapped for so long," he smiled.
Eun-woo nodded.
"It's unfortunate things didn't work out with young master Kang, but at least you got something out of teaching him. So for my talented disciple, a reward should be given right?"
Eun-woo didn't hesitate. "If it's not too much trouble, Master… I would like a few elemental pills..especially fire pills."
The older man blinked, momentarily thrown off. Of all the things his disciple could have asked for—access to ancient scrolls, a rare spiritual weapon, even secluded training grounds—elemental pills were among the most basic resources. Especially in a prominent sect like the Sun Sect, where such things were readily available.
"Fire pills?" his master repeated, eyes narrowing slightly. "You've never needed those before. Your inner flame has always burned strong on its own." He leaned forward, folding his hands under his chin. "What are you planning, Eun-woo?"
"I'm not using them for myself," Eun-woo replied, gaze steady. "There's someone… someone who's just started walking the path. A talented young man who presented fire-qi before earth qi."
A silence passed between them, the quiet only broken by the faint rustling of the wind against the paper walls. His master studied him carefully, sensing there was more beneath the request. Not quite secrecy, but protection.
"Ah," the older man said finally, a knowing twinkle in his eyes. "So that's why you left early. This 'someone'… is important to you."
Eun-woo's expression didn't shift, but his silence was answer enough.
"Very well. I'll have the quartermaster prepare a batch for you. I'll even throw in a few extra. Third grade should suffice, no?"
"Yes, that would be perfect." Eun-woo inclined his head. "Thank you, Master."
"You've always been one to act with care," the man mused, rising to his feet and stretching his back with a soft groan. "But don't let sentiment guide your sword hand too far. This path… demands more than just skill. It demands sacrifice."
Eun-woo didn't respond right away. His fingers curled slightly against his knee. "I understand master."
With his reward procured, Eun-woo took his leave.
The older man watched as his cherished disciple left the sect with a small smile on his face—a rare sight. "I wonder who was able to get you to smile like this. Must be quite the person."