I woke to the scent of herbs and the sound of crackling fire. My body ached, but the sharp, burning pain in my side had dulled. For a moment, I wasn't sure where I was — until the events of the night crashed down on me.
The bandits. The fight. The two strangers.
And Yoon-Hee.
I pushed myself upright, wincing. The room was simple — wooden walls, a low table, and a mat where I lay. A warm blanket slid off my shoulders as I sat up, and I realized my wounds had been carefully wrapped in fresh bandages. Whoever had treated me knew what they were doing.
The door slid open.
Yoon-Hee burst in, her eyes wide the moment she saw me awake. "You're alive!" she cried, and before I could say a word, she was kneeling beside me, her hands hovering as if afraid I might break.
"You shouldn't be moving," she scolded, but her voice trembled with relief.
"Where are we?" I asked, my throat dry.
"A safe place," said a new voice.
The old man stood in the doorway, his gaze calm and unreadable. The younger boy followed him in, arms crossed and a faint smirk playing on his lips.
"You're lucky," the old man continued. "Few survive wounds like yours without proper treatment. Even fewer survive an encounter with the Black Viper Bandits."
"Who are you?" I asked warily.
"My name is Elder Bai of the Azure Sky Sect," the old man said. "And this is my disciple, Jian Mu."
Azure Sky Sect. One of the most powerful righteous sects in the entire Murim world. My heart pounded in my chest. What were people like them doing out here?
"You fought well," Jian Mu said, his eyes glinting. "For a half-dead peasant."
I bit back a retort. I didn't have the strength for pride right now.
"We saw potential in you," Elder Bai said. "And… we saw what happened with the girl."
Yoon-Hee stiffened beside me.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
"The wind answered her," the elder said softly. "That kind of power… it's rare. And dangerous if left untamed."
I looked at Yoon-Hee, but she wouldn't meet my eyes.
"You both have potential," the elder continued. "And I have an offer."
I waited, my breath caught.
"Come with us to the Azure Sky Sect. Train. Grow stronger. You'll never have to fear bandits again."
It was tempting — so tempting. Strength was everything in this world. And yet…
"My family," I said. "My parents, my sister—"
"They would be well taken care of," Elder Bai promised. "The sect does not neglect its own."
It was everything I had ever wanted. Safety. Power. A chance to give my family the life they deserved.
But I couldn't shake the feeling that nothing in this world came without a price.
"What's the catch?" I asked.
The old man smiled faintly. "You'll find out soon enough."