The silent night over Pungwollu had passed, and Yu Cheon-rin and Seol Yeon-hwa made their way toward the headquarters of the Cheonuhoe. A storm of emotions churned within them. Memories of old rivalries with the Cheonuhoe still lingered, but the harsh reality of their current position made it clear—they had no choice but to reach out.
Yet their approach did not guarantee smooth diplomacy.
Upon arrival at the Cheonuhoe's inner sanctum, they stood before the hall where the sect's masters and elders convened. Their presence alone stirred tension. Old wounds ran deep, and many in the Cheonuhoe viewed them with suspicion—two former leaders of a once-hostile force now knocking on their door. It wasn't mere change of heart. Everyone knew this visit carried far more weight.
Inside the chamber, Cheonuhoe masters and senior figures gathered, including Lee Do-hyun. Once a fierce adversary of Yu and Seol, Lee now understood the larger picture. With Magyo gaining ground and Cheongpunghoe drifting into chaos, an alliance—even a temporary one—might be essential. But for that to happen, the past had to be confronted.
"I understand why they're here," one elder said sharply, his voice edged with years of resentment. "But we can't simply ignore our history. Have you forgotten the pain they brought us?"
Another elder spoke up. "But they may be the key to standing against the Magyo. If Cheongpunghoe won't join our fight, Magyo's power will continue to grow unchecked."
Lee Do-hyun silently studied the room before him, then glanced at the documents in his hand. Calmly, he spoke.
"Yes, Yu Cheon-rin and Seol Yeon-hwa were once our enemies. But the current state of Cheongpunghoe proves that our predictions were right. It has fallen to outside manipulation, and these two now find themselves cast out by the very thing they built. They're not here by accident—they were cornered. And that gives us a rare opportunity. Not for a short-term alliance, but to consider something deeper: trust."
A tense silence filled the hall. Yu and Seol could sense Do-hyun's effort to mediate, but they also knew that everything hinged on this moment—the decision that could either forge a path forward or burn the bridge forever.
Lee Do-hyun continued, "Cheonuhoe must weigh this carefully. This cannot be a one-off gesture. Any alliance requires mutual benefit and long-term accountability."
Debate erupted among the elders. Some stared at Yu and Seol with visible distrust. Others exchanged glances, clearly considering the tactical merit of such a union.
Yu and Seol exchanged a look. Their resolve had hardened, but deep inside, they couldn't shake the unease. Even if they joined hands now, would they ever truly be accepted?
Finally, one elder raised his hand and spoke. "I support their proposal. We need allies in this war against Magyo. If they can help turn the tide, then perhaps it's worth placing our trust—just once more."
But not all were convinced. Another elder countered, "You expect us to forget everything? Trust must be earned. If they want an alliance, they should be the first to prove it—with action, not words."
The room remained divided, voices clashing until Lee Do-hyun stepped in once more.
"This won't be settled by rhetoric alone," he said. "Let each of us cast a vote. One vote per person. No more, no less."
The vote was cast—and by the slimmest margin, the alliance was approved.
Cheonuhoe would accept the offer of cooperation.
But victory was laced with tension. The vote may have passed, but beneath the surface, mistrust lingered.
"Very well," Lee Do-hyun said. "This alliance exists solely to counter the threat of Magyo. From this moment on, we observe each other with care. There will be no second chances if betrayal follows."
Yu Cheon-rin and Seol Yeon-hwa had achieved what they came for, but they could not shake the unease in their hearts. As they aligned with the Cheonuhoe, the question remained—how long could they keep walking this path before history repeated itself?
For now, cooperation was born. But its future was anything but certain.
****
Chapter : A New Alliance, and the Spark of Doubt
The stronghold of the Cheonuhoe was no stranger to tension, but today, the air felt heavier than ever. It had been a few days since Yu Cheon-rin and Seol Yeon-hwa, former heads cast out from Cheongpunghoe, had arrived. Their presence, once whispered about, now drew open stares. Some were curious about the implications of their fall. Others, openly wary.
Han So-yeon found herself torn. While she acknowledged the strength and leadership the two possessed, their past—leading Cheongpunghoe and now arriving with revenge in their hearts—raised unsettling questions. How could Cheonuhoe, still locked in enmity with Cheongpunghoe, truly accept those once at the helm of its rival?
Baek Wol-hee took a more pragmatic stance. She trusted Cheonuhoe's systems, and she believed that Yu Cheon-rin and Seol Yeon-hwa's thirst for revenge could be turned into a weapon, if wielded wisely."Revenge," she said to Han So-yeon, "can be a sharp weapon. But mishandled, it cuts the one who wields it. What we need is control—not fear."
Cheong Woon-jin was less forgiving. To him, the scars of betrayal didn't fade easily. "Their rage wasn't just aimed at Cheongpunghoe. If they've been betrayed twice, they won't stop with words. That blade they carry? It can turn on our enemies—or on us." He cast a cautious glance toward Baekjo, ever the sentinel of internal order.
Namgung Hwi disliked the suffocating atmosphere but remained optimistic. "We need unity for the sake of peace in the Murim. It's time we stopped nursing old wounds and started building new bridges," he urged, drawing from personal experience, his voice calm yet persuasive.
The elders and warriors of Cheonuhoe wrestled with their thoughts, each trying to read the true intent behind Yu and Seol's arrival. But one man among them trusted his instincts above history: Yoon Baek-do.
Yoon Baek-do, sharp-tongued yet deeply intuitive, had a gift for seeing past façades. "They aren't here with nothing but arrows of vengeance. What I see is a wind of change behind their eyes. Their betrayal fuels not hatred, but resolve. And that resolve may be exactly what we need," he told the council.
Yu Cheon-rin and Seol Yeon-hwa, though once the founders of Cheongpunghoe, had begun to let go of that legacy. Within them, two forces clashed: the sting of betrayal, and the hope of forging a new path. They quietly stoked the embers of vengeance—not for chaos, but for justice.
Still, their intentions remained clouded in ambiguity. Even Lee Do-hyun, watching them closely, knew this much: their anger wasn't gone. But he also understood their value, and the necessity of keeping that fire from consuming the alliance.
"You have every right to feel what you feel," he said to them. "But in the Cheonuhoe, we fight together. Private vendettas must not disrupt the path forward."
Yu Cheon-rin nodded slowly, Seol Yeon-hwa offering a bitter smile beside him."We vowed not to be betrayed again," she said. "And this time, we're determined to build a new future—with you."
They meant what they said. They were ready to work alongside Cheonuhoe. Yet the pain lingered—and with it, the flicker of vengeance, held close and quiet.
The alliance between Cheonuhoe and Cheongpunghoe's exiles remained fragile. What came next was uncertain. Yu Cheon-rin and Seol Yeon-hwa stood on a knife's edge, caught between retribution and rebirth.
The question was no longer whether they would fight—but who they would fight for, when the moment came.