The clink of fifty gold taels in my hands felt heavier than I expected. Not because of the weight — but because of what they meant.
Power. Possibility. A step closer to pulling my family out of the dirt.
Yoon-Hee stared at the coin pouch as we walked through the bustling streets of the market town. "That's… more money than I've ever seen," she whispered.
"Not enough," I said. It never would be — not until my parents and my sister were safe, not until no one could ever threaten them again.
But I knew what this was: a start.
We found an inn on the quieter side of town, one that didn't ask too many questions. I paid for a room and food — real food — and when the warm broth and rice hit my stomach, I realized how long it had been since I ate properly.
Yoon-Hee ate in silence, but her eyes kept flicking to me. Finally, she spoke. "What now?"
I wiped my mouth and leaned back. "We get stronger."
"And how do we do that?"
I let the question hang in the air. The Murim world wasn't kind to the weak — and I'd already made a name for myself by taking down the Iron Fang Bandits. That meant attention. And not all of it would be good.
As if on cue, a knock came at our door.
Yoon-Hee's hand went to her dagger. I nodded, and she stepped behind me as I opened the door.
A man stood there — older, lean, and dressed in the dark robes of a wandering martial artist. His eyes were sharp, and there was something dangerous in the way he held himself.
"You're the one who claimed the bounty on the Iron Fang Bandits," he said. It wasn't a question.
I didn't answer.
He smiled faintly. "My name is Bai Shuren. I represent the Crimson Serpent Pavilion."
A sect. One I'd heard of — notorious for training assassins and mercenaries. They weren't righteous, but they weren't fully demonic either. They walked the line between power and ambition.
"I'm not interested," I said.
"You should be," Bai Shuren replied. "You have talent — and the Pavilion rewards talent well."
"I work alone."
His eyes flicked past me to Yoon-Hee. "Do you?"
I felt her tense behind me. My patience ran thin. "If you came here to threaten me—"
He raised his hands in mock surrender. "Not at all. Just offering opportunity. The Murim world is vast, boy — and you won't survive it without allies."
"I'll take my chances."
Bai Shuren studied me for a long moment. Then he nodded. "Very well. But when you're ready to stop crawling and start climbing, the Pavilion's doors are open."
He turned and disappeared down the hall.
When I shut the door, Yoon-Hee exhaled slowly. "You really don't want to join a sect?"
"No." My voice was hard. "I won't owe anyone. I'll rise on my own terms."
But Bai Shuren's words lingered. The Murim world was vast — and I had just made my first ripple in it.
It wouldn't be long before the waves came crashing back.