Chapter 17 - 16: Beneath the Blade’s Shadow
The stars hung low above Mugang Martial Pavilion, their faint light filtering through the clouds like whispers over steel. Silent as a drifting shadow, Jinmu clung to the roof’s edge, not a whisper of wind stirring his robes. His fingers, gloved and steady, found grip on a narrow beam, and in one smooth movement, he hoisted himself onto the tiled spine of the pavilion.
It’s strange how easy this feels now, Jinmu mused as his gaze scanned the layers of walls and watch posts below. When I first started cultivating ki, I couldn’t even stand on a rooftop without trembling. Now...
He let the thought fade. This wasn’t the time for pride.
He crouched lower, his body wrapped in a loose gray robe stitched with thin strips of softened beast-hide—the same material as his mask and blade sheath. The way the material absorbed sound was uncanny, and it was perfect for what he was doing tonight.
Infiltrating the Mugang Martial Pavilion.
It’s not like I want to be a thief, he exhaled silently, adjusting his position behind a stone guardian statue. But if I don’t move first, this place will be swallowed by its own blades. Do Giseon’s influence is already spreading.
His technique, GHOST BLOOM STEP, rendered his presence as little more than a shimmer in the night—a petal caught on a breeze, barely perceptible to anyone below the level of Master.
As he passed the outer defense wall, a group of patrolling disciples turned their heads in unison. For a heartbeat, Jinmu thought someone had noticed—but they just murmured amongst themselves and kept walking.
They’re tense. Which means whatever’s going on inside, it’s spreading even to the lowest ranks, he noted. So much for discipline in the Pavilion.
Moving swiftly between the tiled roofs and inner pavilions, Jinmu navigated the terrain like a spider weaving between leaves. Each building bore the characteristic Mugang architecture—steel-gray tiles, black wooden panels, and the twin-blade insignia embossed above every doorway.
He landed soundlessly on the highest structure—the roof of the Grand Pavilion’s topmost floor.
And that’s when he felt it.