The thunder had long faded.
But silence remained.
Kang Woo walked off the platform like he'd done nothing more than yawn — while the entire sect stared at him as though a deity had just stepped down from the heavens.
Even the Sect Leader was silent, arms crossed behind his back, eyes sharp as blades.
> Dual roots.
One of beasts — rare and violent.
The other… divine.
The elders snapped out of their shock first.
"Kang Woo! Join my peak!" cried Elder Qian from Iron Flame Peak.
"He should be in Earth Flow Peak! His bloodline root would evolve best here!" shouted another.
"Nonsense! We offer the best resources and technique manuals!"
"He must cultivate under me!"
"He belongs with my lineage!"
A dozen elders spoke at once — some tried bribery, some flattery. One even knelt.
Kang Woo raised a hand. "I reject."
They froze.
"…Excuse me?" said Elder Qian.
"I'm not joining anyone's peak," Kang Woo said. "I'm not here to chase power. I already lived a life full of chasing things."
"But—your roots—!"
"Keep them."
---
At that moment, Elder Hui — who had been silently observing with a subtle smile — stepped forward and turned to the Sect Leader.
"If I may," he said, voice smooth, "this man's potential is… chaotic. If no elder can tame him, then perhaps…"
He turned toward the center of the pavilion.
"…we should skip a few steps and simply make him one of us."
The arena fell dead silent again.
The Sect Leader's eyes narrowed, calculating.
"…You propose we offer him… Elder status?"
Hui smirked. "He is older than many here. Has tamed a beast no disciple can. Carries divine roots. Even his rejections have weight. Why fight for him… when we can have him on the council?"
The Sect Leader closed his eyes briefly, then opened them.
"Very well. Kang Woo."
Kang Woo looked up mid-sip from a rice tea gourd someone had handed him earlier.
"You are hereby invited to serve as a Guest Elder of Cloudmist Sect. You will be granted access to our forbidden scrolls, beast training domains, sect council, and retain command of one private peak."
Kang Woo blinked. "…No."
"...What?"
"Still not interested."
---
Day 2
Another elder visited his guest house.
"Kang Woo, allow me to show you the perks. Personal chefs. Your own cultivation garden. A mountain full of phoenix rabbits—"
"Still no."
---
Day 4
A group of outer disciples performed a musical tribute outside his door. Someone even released paper lanterns into the sky shaped like his face.
He shut the door.
---
Day 6
Hajin peeked in, laughing. "They offered you a jade throne. Who even uses jade thrones?"
Kang Woo sighed, scratching the back of his head. "I should've just lied about my roots."
The Shadowfang Panther nuzzled against his leg like a smug house cat.
---
Day 7
He walked up to Elder Hui's chamber with a scowl.
The elder was sipping wine beside a koi pond.
"I give up."
"Oh?"
"I'll take the damn position."
Elder Hui smiled warmly, fan snapping open.
"I knew you'd come around."
---
That evening, an announcement was made across Cloudmist Sect:
> "From this day forward, Kang Woo shall serve as Guest Elder of the Beast Path — First Seat of the Unbound Peak."
"Those who wish to study the soul of spirit beasts, taming, or freedom cultivation may apply under him."
And so, the man who wanted peace…
…became an Elder of war, spirit, and legacy.
Whether he liked it or not.