Hwan Sa, the Spirit Lord (
Appearance & Personality[]
Hwan Sa was a mysterious man who always wears a hooded robe, completely obscuring his face. Under the hood, he had long black hair and a rugged face with many scars covering the entirety of his face and neck.
In the past before disfiguring himself, Hwan Sa had his hair tied in a ponytail with two long bangs that hanged down his face.
He appeared to be a very manipulative person and a master subterfuge. Hwan Sa also held a life-long grudge against the Murim.
Image Gallery[]
History[]
In his youth, Hwan Sa was a member of an illusionist faction. When Hwan Sa's brother was wronged and crippled by the young master of the Order of Martial Arts they served, he killed them in revenge. Afterwards his clan was exterminated with Chamberlain Huang and Hwan Sa being the only survivors. Traumatized and considering the Murim corrupt, Hwan Sa joined Dokgo Ryong, who declared to his followers that they would go to the Middle Kingdom and cut away the rot of the current Murim to create a new balance under the order the Heavenly Destruction Sect. Hwan Sa stared at his master in awe, declaring that he was the one sent by heaven to fulfill his wish of destroying the Murim.
Some time before the illusionist faction was destroyed, Hwan Sa used a forbidden spell to bring a dead animal back to life, and though it was very small and died the next day, that kind of incident could throw the world into confusion so an illusionist agency under the Grand General's Command was shook up about it. The agency was ordered to arrest everyone involved immediately but had to go through formalities due to the pact signed between the imperial house and the Murim. When they finally went to arrest the perpetrators, Hwan Sa's clan was already annihilated. However, one agent was on a secret mission and found traces of Hwan Sa's and Chamberlain Huang's whereabouts.[1]
During the Heavenly Destruction Sect's conquest of the Murim, they learned of their master's friendship with Gang Yoon and feared that it may make him deviate from their goal. Hwan Sa refused to believe that someone carrying out the will of the heaven could allow such meager emotions to shake him. Later, he reasoned to Hyeol Bi that their master was merely steadying himself and that he would not give up on the great cause blessed by heaven for a martial artist of the name Gang Yoon. Hwan Sa then said that it was time for them to act and that he gathered a team for his plan, and all he needed was Hyeol Bi's approval., resulting in the "Haidong Sword Clan incident", and the death of Gang Yoon. After finding out about the incident, Dokgo Ryong angrily confronted his disciples who pretend that by the time they received a report about people attacking the Haidong Sword Clan, they were too late to stop them, and that it wasn't their orders. The Four Heavenly Kings begged him to forgive them since they did it out of loyalty to the Sect but the Supreme Overlord refused. Dokgo Ryong then punished them before slaughtering the perpetrators outside. After being disciplined, Hwan Sa pleaded for Dokgo Ryong to explain his will and the latter declared that his cause was one of purification, not destruction. At that, Hwan Sa decided that the Heavenly Destroyer was only an obstacle to his dream and not the man who would fulfill his wish. He decided to go seek out someone who could fulfill his life long dream, Okcheonbi!
Due to the incident with the Haidong Sword Clan, Dokgo Ryong became extremely distant with his disciples, to which the Four Heavenly Kings took notice of and started discussing about. Meanwhile, Hwan Sa sought out the advice of Okcheonbi who told him if there was an obstacle, he must remove it, and that an illusionist of his caliber should have no problems persuading his comrades too. At some point, Hwan Sa eavesdropped on Dokgo Ryong and his doctor, finding out that his master was affected by Sa Paecheon's poison. Eventually, the Four Heavenly Kings betrayed and secretly took down their master. It is unclear how Dokgo Ryong was injured by his disciples and abandoned in a valley but after scouring through records and intel, Yang Jeonghak speculated that they baited the Heavenly Destroyer with a woman disguised as Gang Ryong's mother which when combined with his leg being crippled by poison and loss of composure due to his mother, made it difficult for him to respond to their deliberately planned trap.
But soon after, rumors of the Heavenly Destroyer's death began spreading as well as signs of mutiny. Once again, Hwan Sa sought out the advice of Okcheonbi who told him that the best course is not to stand against the flow of fate but to stand aside. He then claimed that if Hwan Sa wanted to eliminate Dokgo Ryong discreetly, he should have brought his master to him as his great powers would have helped in his recovery. Hwan Sa mused about the Asura Demon Lord's words and feared that the latter will walk the same path as the Heavenly Destroyer so he needed insurance against him, someone who will never betray him and has the martial power to surpass Okcheonbi. More specifically, someone born of a true body type for martial arts like the Heavenly Destroyer and also has ki like that of Okcheonbi (sounds like Gang Ryong).[2][3][4]
The Heavenly Destruction Sect collapsed not long after and the Four Heavenly Kings supposedly died due to in-fighting between them.[5] However, in truth, Hwan Sa went into hiding alongside Mak Sapyeong and Hyeol Bi, forming a faction of their own.
Believing that only the one who possessed the Dan could destroy another Dan, Hwan Sa began experimenting on creating a Dan that he could control. Realizing Hyeol Bi would not be strong enough, Hwan Sa lied to Hyeol Bi saying that he could fulfill his lifelong wish, but secretly planned to find a backup. After he found out that his master had a fifth disciple who inherited his powers, he shifted his plans to include Gang Ryong as the one keep Okcheonbi in check by controlling him and injecting the Dan into him. Hwan Sa created a second blue Dan for this plan and gave a visibly different red Dan to Hyeol Bi.
At some point, Hwan Sa coveted the power of the Saintly Celestial Maiden, since the value of her Dragon Sight was extremely valuable to illusionists. Hwan Sa secretly asked the Saintly Celestial Maiden for help many times and due to his persistence, she relented and lent him her power. As a consequence of such an action, Hwan Sa used it for a forbidden spell and it might have something to do with her sudden death.[6]
Plot[]
Mak Sapyeong[]
Hwan Sa grinned devilishly as Gang Ryong was subjected to the horrors his late master had inflicted in the past. However, this did not last long when he sensed his power being interfered with by someone with the "Dragon Sight". Looking at his broken charms, he was then summoned by the Martial Eminence.
Revived Heavenly Destruction Sect[]
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Informing Hyeol Bi of Sapyeong's death
He informed Hyeol Bi of Mak Sapyeong's demise at the hands of Gang Ryong and then discussed bringing about the revival of the Heavenly Destruction Sect, with Hyeol Bi noting that Ryong would be a suitable sacrifice as he was the personification of the Heavenly Destroyer's reputation. Hwan Sa then told him he would set things in motion by pitting the Murim Alliance against the Baekma Valley.
Meeting with the Murim High Lord
He later 'visited' the Murim High Lord but became suspicious when he noticed the amount of righteous faction leaders in attendance. Openly calling out the High Lord for the Murim Alliance's betrayal despite all the things they had done for them, the High Lord hurriedly asked for his guards to capture Hwan Sa. As he was restrained, Hwan Sa merely grinned and told them they would pay the consequences for their decision as his body suddenly evaporated into black smoke.
Back at Sky Gorge Mountain, he informed Hyeol Bi of the Murim Alliance's alliance with the Baekma Valley with Hyeol Bi responding that heralding the rise of the Heavenly Destruction Sect would have to be done with their own hands. At that, Hyeol Bi told Hwan Sa he would set the Seven Slayers of the Sky Gorge out to terrorize the Murim Alliance. Later, he discussed Hyeol Bi's insistence to move the Sect's headquarters to the Middle Kingdom, noting his unease at moving so soon. However Hyeol Bi asserted that they would be moving soon regardless. After Gang Ryong killed Ze Wungang and defeated Nameless, Hwan Sa gave his views and advice to Hyeol Bi on what they should do in response to one of the Seven Slayers being killed. Hyeol Bi eventually ordered the Pro-Heavenly Destruction Sect Alliance to deal with Ryong.
However, the Pro-Heavenly Destruction Sect Alliance was stopped due to the intervention of Hong Ye-Mong and after hearing the news from the Alliance, Hyeol Bi decided it's time for action, stating to Hwan Sa that he would travel to the Middle Kingdom and eliminate Gang Ryong and the Baekma Valley. With Hwan Sa flustered, they were suddenly informed that two of the Sage Forest were approaching, much to Hyeol Bi's surprise. In a meeting with Goo Hwi and Yongbi, they discussed the terms of the war, coming to a deal that the champions of the Revived Heavenly Destruction Sect and the remaining Murim Alliance would battle to determine the outcome of the war, with the Sage Forest as mediators. Hyeol Bi also proposed that Goo Hwi and Yongbi themselves participate in the battle and Goo Hwi readily accepted. As the elders left, Hyeol Bi asked Hwan Sa if he had made another hasty judgement, but the latter merely said his opinion no longer mattered. Hwan Sa then wondered exactly what reason the Sage Forest elders had for coming and making such a foolhardy proposition, despite the clear risks, noting that something felt off.
Later during conflict between champions of the Sage Forest and the Revived Heavenly Destruction Sect, Gang Ryong killed Hyeol Bi. In the Sky Gorge Mountain, Hwan Sa detected that the Black Dragon King had been slain and wondered why Ryong was the one who fought instead of Goo Hwi and Yongbi. Meanwhile, as Goo Hwi, Yongbi, and Ilgak secretly travelled through some tunnels, Yongbi accidentally knocked over a barrier stone, alerting Hwan Sa to their presence and triggering a trap. Enormous rocks rained down on them and the elderly trio rushed to escape it while Hwan Sa called for Hwang Zu and Gwak Sojong. He ordered them to go tell Hyeol Bi a message; urging him make haste to their headquarters.
Hwan Sa sat in his chamber when three of the candles in front of him snuffed out, signifying the death of three of the slayers. Meanwhile Hyeol Bi returned to his Sect's headquarters. Hwan Sa then goes to talk with the Old Man who had just returned. The Old Man informed Hwan Sa that he was leaving since the obligations of his contract were fulfilled but the latter asked for one more favor and the Old Man agreed to it. Then Hwan Sa suddenly sensed that Gang Ryong was waking up and feared that because the Dan implanted in him hasn't awakened yet, he would be in no condition to fight Gwak Sojong and Hwang Zu. Hwan Sa then told the Old Man to take all of their Sect's warriors and delay him from reaching the Sky Gorge Mountain. Hwan Sa then sent an apparition of himself to have a meeting with Hyeol Bi. The Black Dragon King accused of Hwan Sa being a traitor and the latter pleaded that he wasn't. With the arrival of the champions from the Sage Forest's side, Hyeol Bi goes out to meet them but not before wringing Hwan Sa apart who bursts into a flurry of burning charms.
Then with Jin Garyeong, Doh Gyeom, and Soh Jinhong defeated by Hyeol Bi, Gang Ryong showed up to fight him. With Gang harnessing the power of the Dan to defeat Hyeol Bi, this allowed Hwan Sa to control Gang with a spell. He used it to fill in the gaps in Gang's memory. As a result, Gang falsely recalled his master Dokgo Ryong telling him that Goo Hwi and Yongbi were the ones responsible for plotting his father's death. However due to the arrival of Song Yerin, she used her Dragon Sight to free Gang from his control.
With Goo Hwi and Yongbi having discovered Okcheonbi's presence in the Sky Gorge Mountain, they went to deal with him while Gang Ryong confronted Hwan Sa. The Spirit Lord acknowledged Gang's power compared to Hyeol Bi, praising the young man's ability to move within the Thousand Circle Formation without resistance and Gang declared that he had come to avenge his master. Hwan Sa callde Gang impatient and that he went through the trouble of luring him there so his companions don't get in the way. The young man questioned if Hwan Sa's motivation for luring him there was because he was afraid of Hong Ye-Mong intervening and the Spirit Lord denied it.
In their ensuing clash, Hwan Sa used a multitude of powerful illusions, martial art techniques, and spells against Gang Ryong but was ultimately slain by the young man.
Powers & Abilities[]
As one of the Four Heavenly Kings who learned the Divine Heavenly Destruction Techniques from the Heavenly Destroyer, Hwan Sa can be assumed to be an incredibly powerful combatant.
Weapons[]
Whip Mastery: Hwan Sa was incredibly proficient with the whip being able to manipulate their movement effortlessly, using it to bind, tear at, impale, and cause serious damage to his enemies. He wielded Sa Paecheon's trademark Flying Venom Steel Whips (
Divine Heavenly Destruction Technique:
- Thousand Circle Formation: While Hwan Sa never personally demonstrated use of this technique, it is most likely he knows how to perform it as Okcheonbi used it and Hwan Sa is the only person who could have taught him it.[7]
Illusion Techniques:
Life Drain Technique: Hwan Sa was somehow able to learn a special technique of the Life Drain Technique where a person can gain power through a spirit-eating tree. It involves accumulating ki by feeding a vampiric tree their own flesh and blood to grow it into a spirit-eating tree, and Hwan Sa later taught Okcheonbi it.[7] Since the Life Drain Technique was taught under great secrecy, it is still yet unknown how Hwan Sa was able to learn it.[8]
Poison Hands Divine Technique: Using the Grand Soul Possession Technique, Hwan Sa inherited Na Jongmyeong's martial arts, the Poison Hands Divine Technique.[2]
Spell User:
- Charms: While yet to be expanded upon, Hwan Sa seems to be able to achieve incredible feats such as forcing his victim to see harrowing images of the past[9][10] and creating life-like body doubles[11] all through the use of special charms. He utilizes his ability by setting up a small square roped-off perimeter with each side of rope being lined with charms hanging off of them; it appears whatever feat he is performing is nullified when this perimeter is broken.[9]
- Clairvoyance: Using his Trigram (괘 (卦), gwae), Hwan Sa can predict the movements of others. Through a yet unknown means, Hwan Sa is able to discern and view the whereabouts and actions of others. Doing so, he was able to see that Gang Ryong had fatally downed Hyeol Bi within the melted wax of a large candle.[12]
- Deadly Barrier: Palace of Conception: This is a immensely powerful technique that creates an nillusory space to trap and kill a target. Even gosu such as the Sky Stars found it difficult to break out of.[13]
- Grand Soul Possession Technique:[14] Capable of performing the accursed forbidden technique, Hwan Sa selected hundreds of protégés to undergo the technique. However, despite the vast number of participants, only six of them survived. These six are the Sky Stars of the Seven Slayers of the Sky Gorge.[14]
Quotes[]
- (To the Murim High Lord) "When all the game in the hills are hunted, the hound is cooked…"[11]
- (Warning the Murim High Lord) "You’ve made your choice, and soon, you’ll suffer the consequences!"[11]
Alternate Translations[]
- Hansa, the King of Law (LINE)
- Hansa, the King of Rules (LINE)
- Hwan Sa, the Spirit King
- Hwan Sa, the Soul King
Notes & Trivia[]
- He is the Fourth Brother of the Heavenly Kings.[15]
- Despite his Trigram ability, Hwan Sa is unable to predict where the elders of the Sage Forest go due to their mastery of the Sage Techniques.
- Given his wide range of skills, Hwan Sa is the most dangerous of the Heavenly Kings.