Episode 3
The sudden appearance made all my senses go on high alert.
When I met the fierce man’s eyes, I felt like I might die on the spot.
Forget about protecting me like in the vision—his gaze looked like he wanted to kill me.
His face looked calm at first glance, but the aura around him was terrifying.
I had never felt anything like it before.
It was like standing in front of a wild predator instead of a person.
I was shaking all over, but I still tried to fight back with all my might.
“Let me go!”
I bit his hand.
But all it left behind were tiny teeth marks—not even real wounds.
The man didn’t even care. He let out a short, amused laugh.
“Child, is that all you’ve got?”
Even though he looked young, his way of speaking was like an old man from my village.
That’s when it clicked in my head:
He wasn’t a grandpa, and he wasn’t a big brother.
He’s… just an uncle.
I opened my mouth to answer, but no words came out.
He kept talking.
“Even the beggars from the Beggar’s Sect would laugh at that.”
“H‑hey! That was my best attack!”
“Look—there’s not even a proper bite mark.”
He even showed me his hand to prove it.
At first, I thought he was attacking me, but maybe he was just some bored uncle.
Even though his face looked scary, for some reason I felt I could trust him—maybe because of that vision.
It felt like, good or bad, one day he would be on my side.
He’s strong.
Even though I couldn’t sense his inner energy, I could feel it instinctively.
His calm, steady eyes proved it—he was a master who had trained in martial arts for years.
If that future happens, then I must have been in danger.
Mom and I once tested my visions, and we learned that they show fated moments…but they can be changed if I try.
That meant if I did things right, I could stop whatever dangerous event would make him have to protect me.
But… how?
I decided to talk to him.
I boldly looked up into his eyes.
“Uncle, what’s your name?”
His expression cracked a little, surprised by my sudden question.
“I bet it’s a really pretty name… sir.”
I quickly added “sir,” worried I’d been rude.
His face tightened even more.
Did I say something wrong?
I tried again with a big smile:
“I’m curious. What’s your name?”
His sharp gaze hit me, but I kept looking back without flinching.
After a long pause, he sighed and set me down on the ground.
“It’s not a name you need to know.”
“Why not?”
“Just think of me as a passing traveler… and forget about me.”
“Traveler? What’s that?”
He didn’t answer.
His look clearly said, “Talking to this kid is a waste of time.”
Come on, don’t ignore me like that…
I stamped my feet and grabbed his sleeve.
His scary face got even scarier, but since he spoke politely, I didn’t think he’d hurt me.
“…Are you one of the servant girls?”
“Yes! My name’s Yeon‑hwa. Uncle, what’s your name? …But if you don’t want to tell me, that’s okay. So… where are you going? Can I come too?”
Before I even finished, he started walking away.
He pushed through the bushes and headed off.
I hurried after him, running to keep up.
I can’t lose him!
…Did I lose her?
The man—Sama Ryun, the master of Heukmunbang—didn’t even look back.
He felt her presence fade behind him, and his red robe fluttered as he walked away.
That was dangerous.
She was no match for him.
If he had lost control, he could have killed her instantly.
But the girl wasn’t an assassin.
She had bright, innocent eyes—like a normal child.
He had seen countless children, but this one… felt different.
She reminds me… of my daughter.
His daughter had been gone for years, yet just looking into Yeon‑hwa’s eyes took him back to those days.
She had an innocent, pure air about her, even in a harsh place like this.
But he hadn’t spoken much to her because of his condition.
Ever since his battle with the Heavenly Demon, he sometimes lost control—a dark, violent energy would surge inside him, making him hurt people without meaning to.
He wasn’t like the true villains of the dark path, those who killed and stole for fun.
That’s why he hated that feeling even more.
And that girl…she was the same age as his daughter had been.
If he lost control and killed her, there would be no going back.
But… how did she get into the garden?
She must have gotten in by accident.
The guards must have been careless.
She could have been in real danger.
I should’ve just used my light‑foot technique to leave right away.
He took a deep breath, forced his aura down, and disappeared into the trees.
That night, after losing track of that strange uncle, I thought I’d never get to sleep.
But somehow, I slept deeply.
Well… sort of.
Because I had a dream.
A bad one.
Does dreaming about deadly assassins mean good luck or bad luck?
In the dream, I wasn’t the one being chased—but it was so vivid.
The assassins were attacking…that same uncle.
Black hair, fierce eyes… black and red clothes… it was him.
Yawning, I walked quickly through the bushes.
My hands were wrinkled from doing all the laundry for the Heukmunbang uniforms.
I pushed branches aside with my small hands, carefully avoiding places that looked unsafe.
This garden looked pretty, but I kept seeing flickers of purple light in my vision—a sign of danger.
It meant there were traps hidden around.
Whenever I saw those lights, I had to avoid them.
“Red flowers… red flowers…”
I whispered to myself as I hopped up the steps.
I needed to find that garden with the red flowers.
If there’s a building nearby, maybe that’s where he stays.
I didn’t even know his name or who he was, but I couldn’t stop thinking about that vision of him.
I couldn’t forget that look on his face.
“…So come out, Uncle!”
Tired from searching, I finally shouted into the empty garden.
My voice echoed, but no one answered.
Then I panicked.
What if someone comes and scolds me?
Mom always said not to make noise in unfamiliar places.
Scared, I decided I would count to ten and then leave.
One.
Two.
Three—
“…You again.”
I froze and looked up.
“Uncle!”
“Hm.”
“So you’ve given up calling me ‘child’ like an old man?”
I smiled brightly.
He frowned, then bent down to my level.
“Where do you keep popping out from, little one?”
“I’m not little…”
“Sure, sure. Every kid says that.”
“I mean it! I’m not little, and I’m not a baby!”
No matter what I said, he didn’t listen.
He leaned closer and asked seriously:
“How did you get in here? The main gate was locked.”
I didn’t hesitate.
“I came through there.”
I pointed to the narrow path I’d crawled through.
His face twisted in disbelief.
“A hole in the wall? You crawled through that?
Did you step on the trap runes?”
“Trap runes? What’s that?”
“Simply put—traps. Step on them, and you’d get hit by poison arrows or worse.”
“…Oh…”
I’d thought it was just like an animal trap from my village.
But poison arrows?
I suddenly remembered: this was Heukmunbang, the base of the dark alliance.
Cold sweat ran down my back.
The uncle looked at me steadily and asked:
“Were you sent to kill me?”
“What?! How could I kill you?”
“In the martial world, you must beware of old men, women, and children.
Countless assassins have disguised themselves to get close to me.”
I tilted my head in confusion, but his aura grew heavy.
The air itself seemed to press down on me.
I… I can’t move…!
I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t even twitch a finger.
“A mere child avoided all the traps and got in through a hidden path?”
“…”
“That makes no sense.”
My head spun.
He thinks I’m suspicious!
Tears welled up in my eyes.
That’s not fair…!
Then he pulled his aura back.
I gasped for air and started coughing, wiping my eyes with my sleeve.
But I couldn’t just give up now.
I had seen assassins in my vision.
I needed to warn him.
I couldn’t look weak.
I glared up at him with all my courage.
“Oh… you’re tougher than you look.”
He gave me an intrigued look—and then vanished from my sight.
When did he—?!
Before I could even react, I felt something strange enter my back, like energy flowing in.
“Ah—ouch!”
A burning, chilling pain spread through my whole body.
I collapsed to the ground.
It felt like my blood was on fire,
and a strange energy rushed through all my veins.
I had never felt anything like it before.
When I finally looked up, his face was filled with pure shock.
“…The Heavenly Martial Body…?”
(To be continued…)
