The First Steps of Chivalry
A middle-aged couple greeted him at the door. Their complexions were so gaunt and ashen that both appeared to be suffering from a grave illness. In truth, they were sick—afflicted not in body, but in soul.
“Thank you for agreeing to meet with me on such short notice.”
“Are you not an esteemed guest from the Namgung Clan? A master of Namgung is always welcome beneath our roof.”
Up to that point, it was mere polite formality. But the words that followed carried the man’s desperate, unvarnished truth.
“And we were told you might be able to help us find our lost child.”
Tears welled in the woman’s eyes. Her husband comforted her gently, wiping them away with trembling hands. Anyone could see how deeply devoted they were to one another, which only made their current misery all the more tragic.
Namgung Yun took a seat and began listening to their story.
Though the wife broke down in tears, she never stopped speaking. The burning, agonized desire to recover her child kept forcing words from her lips. Yet when all was said and done, they knew virtually nothing. Their only son, a late-born blessing who was the apple of their eye, had vanished into thin air.
They did not know where he had disappeared. They did not even know whether the boy had stepped outside on his own or not. One day, he was simply gone without a trace.
“Please, warrior, find our boy! We will do whatever you ask! We are more than willing to make a substantial donation to the Namgung Clan!”
Namgung Yun shook his head.
“There is no need for that. Furthermore, this is a personal investigation of mine. The clan itself will not be getting involved.”
The household appeared reasonably well-off, but hardly wealthy enough to turn the heads of the martial nobility. No matter how much they strained to scrape together a donation, the sum would be modest at best. The current Namgung Clan would never trouble itself for such petty coin.
“How could this be…”
Their final sliver of hope crumbled into utter despair. Namgung Yun watched the weeping couple in silence before speaking quietly.
“I will do my utmost.”
It was a brief promise. Yet sensing the weight of conviction behind his words, the woman sobbed openly.
“Please… We beg of you!”
From that day on, Namgung Yun combed the region, visiting household after household where children had gone missing. The parents’ accounts were largely identical. None could fathom who was responsible, nor could they say where their children had vanished. Rumors had even begun circulating that it was merely an awful string of coincidental accidents that happened to overlap.
A coincidence, perhaps, but not entirely impossible.
Even so, Namgung Yun remained skeptical.
Seo Won-gil.
A man clearly tied to Yoma in one way or another resided right here, and suddenly a wave of serial child disappearances broke out in the exact same territory?
It would be far stranger not to suspect a connection.
Under normal circumstances, if an uproar of this scale occurred within their home territory, the Namgung Clan should have intervened directly. At the very least, they should have dispatched regular patrols. But expecting that from the current clan was a fool’s errand.
Fat chance of that happening.
In fact, one might consider it a blessing if the Namgung Clan was not the one responsible for the atrocity in the first place.
Corrupted as they are, surely they haven't fallen that far… Still, the mere fact that such a suspicion crossed his mind spoke volumes about the clan's deplorable state.
Wait… surely this isn't the work of the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, is it?
If he were still at the helm, he would have roared at them to cease such pathetic antics and challenge their enemies head-on. But there was no telling how the Cult had changed in the century and a half after his passing.
Hmm. I’d really rather not clash with the Divine Cult.
They had twisted his life, and they were an insufferable pack of lunatics, but it was still the faction he had once ruled. It was his home and his birthplace.
Still, what must be done must be done. Whatever ties bound me to them were severed the moment I died.
Besides, given the prime suspect, he could hardly rule out their involvement.
I exiled Yoma, but who knows how the Cult treated his faction after I was gone.
It was unlikely that Yoma himself had survived until Yun's death. Yun was in the prime of his youth when he ascended as the Heavenly Demon and cast Yoma out, whereas Yoma was already past seventy at the time. Yet Yoma could easily have left a successor, and later generations of Heavenly Demons might well have welcomed that lineage back into the fold.
For now, I need to keep a close watch on Seo Won-gil.
Observing him over several days revealed that he spent his daylight hours treating patients at the clinic.
Which means whatever foul business he conducts, it happens under the cover of darkness.
It seemed he would have to enjoy some nighttime strolls for a while. It ought to have felt like a chore, but Namgung Yun found himself in surprisingly high spirits. If anything, he was eager.
In my past life, I strove endlessly to understand righteousness and chivalry, but I never once put them into practice.
Back then, bearing the mantle of the Cult Leader of the Demonic Cult, he could hardly waltz into the Central Plains to perform chivalric deeds. Now, however, no such shackles bound him.
Time to put righteousness and chivalry into action.
Following that decision, Namgung Yun spent every single night outside the clan estate. Unaware of his true purpose, whispers began to ripple through the compound.
“They say Yun has been prowling outside every night.”
“Has he fallen into wine and women?”
“Tsk. Just when I thought he had finally come to his senses and was making strides in his sword arts…”
“No matter how brilliant the talent, a rotten spirit cannot be mended.”
“Shouldn't we force him onto the training grounds?”
“Force him? This isn’t the Third-rate or Second-rate realm where mere diligence will carry you forward. He has already stepped into the First-rate realm. What could compulsion possibly achieve for someone like him?”
“What a pity. What a waste.”
Naturally, the rumors reached the ears of the Clan Head, Namgung Jeongcheon.
“Clan Head! You must summon Yun at once and reprimand him severely!”
Namgung Myeongcheon, who had harbored bitter resentment toward the boy from the start, seized the opportunity to slander him with undisguised relish. Yet Namgung Jeongcheon merely replied with his usual, unreadable countenance.
“We shall watch and wait for now.”
There was no definitive evidence that the youth had strayed down a wicked path. Jeongcheon had no intention of revoking Yun’s privileges based on rumors of nighttime outings alone. Whether he was indulging in vice or pursuing some other design, the fact remained that he had achieved an unprecedented breakthrough and set foot into the First-rate realm.
As one of the strong, Yun was afforded the leeway for minor transgressions. Yet if such neglect persisted, his martial cultivation would inevitably stagnate.
Did the boy truly lose his way?
Jeongcheon still remembered the fierce determination in Yun’s eyes as he stared down the clan's greatest master and boldly proclaimed he would surpass him. Those eyes had burned with sheer martial hunger. Could a youth possessing such fire truly throw himself into petty debauchery and neglect his sword?
Frankly, I find it hard to believe.
Or was it merely the paternal affection he believed he had buried deep within his chest refusing to accept it?
Regardless, one truth remains absolute.
If Yun neglected his arts and grew weak once more, he would be cast straight back into the dirt where he had started.
Of course, Namgung Yun heard the rumors, but he did not give them a second thought.
Let them chatter all they want.
The fickle gossip of the clan was beneath his notice. By day he investigated the disappearances, and by night he kept vigil over Seo Won-gil. Before long, whispers began to stir among the common folk in the city streets as well.
“Have you heard? Someone from the Namgung Clan has been going around asking questions about the missing children.”
“Could the Namgung Clan finally be taking action?”
“Heaven knows that would be a relief. I’m terrified to let my kids out of the house these days.”
“Honestly, with a crisis of this scale, it’s only right for the Namgung Clan to step in.”
Most townspeople, however, snorted in cynical derision.
“The Namgung Clan stepping in? You lot are dreaming with your eyes wide open.”
“Do you really think the Orthodox sects these days are genuinely righteous? They’re all hollow pretenders wrapped in fine banners.”
“And the Namgung bastards are the worst of the lot. You think they’d lift a single finger for the likes of us?”
“A pure pipe dream.”
Yet the dissenting voices persisted.
“Still, it’s a fact that someone from the clan is actively investigating the disappearances.”
“Even if the whole clan isn’t moving, isn't it possible that at least one of them has taken it upon himself to resolve it?”
“I know one of the families whose boy was taken. They said he visited them in person. Said he looked genuinely determined to get the child back.”
“Well, I’ll be. So there really is someone left among the Orthodox who holds chivalry in their heart?”
“What did you say his name was?”
“They call him Namgung Yun.”
Despite his enthusiastic start, Namgung Yun failed to uncover any decisive clues. The children’s disappearances remained completely devoid of eyewitnesses, and Seo Won-gil never stepped foot outside his clinic.
Even so, Namgung Yun felt no urgency. Seo Won-gil might be playing the docile physician for now, but once the day arrived when the Seven-Fold Traceless Poison was slated to take effect, seeing Yun walking around completely unscathed would force his hand. And once he caught Seo Won-gil, the mystery of the missing children would unravel on its own.
Soon, ten days had passed since he ingested the final dose of the poison. It was the exact day qi deviation was supposed to ravage his body and shatter his meridians.
Naturally, nothing of the sort occurred.
His morning circulation of qi was as smooth and pristine as a placid mountain lake, his physical condition at its absolute peak. The morning breeze tasted sweet and refreshing.
Well then, shall I pay our good physician a visit?
How would the man react upon seeing him bursting with vitality? Namgung Yun felt a twinge of genuine anticipation. The clan compound seemed unusually noisy this morning, but he paid it no heed. Clan squabbles were trivial compared to his grand chivalric crusade.
Namgung Yun pushed open the estate gates and strode with bold, leisurely steps straight toward Won'am Clinic.
“A pleasant morning to you, Physician!”
“……!”
It went exactly as anticipated. The moment Seo Won-gil laid eyes on him, his face morphed into a mask of pure shock.
“Is something amiss? You look as though you’ve taken ill yourself.”
“A-Ah, no! Not at all, Young Master! I was merely startled. I did not expect you to grace my humble clinic again so soon…”
“Hahaha! My apologies, I didn’t mean to give you a fright.”
“No, please, think nothing of it.”
Seo Won-gil scrambled to collect himself, but his composure was far from intact. Every gesture and inflection reeked of unnatural stiffness.
“So… what brings you to my clinic today?”
“I came with a small request. Pardon the intrusion, but could you brew me another batch of that medicinal tonic I took before? I will cover all expenses, of course. If the ingredients are rare, I can easily procure them through my clan.”
“…You seem to have taken quite a liking to it.”
“Haha! To be frank, I made remarkable progress in my martial arts after drinking it.”
“That must be a mere coincidence. That medicine possesses no properties capable of advancing martial prowess.”
“I suspect as much myself. But at the very least, it elevates my spirits. Enlightenment is deeply intertwined with one’s state of mind, so perhaps it might help me grasp another thread of martial insight.”
“Medicine improperly used becomes poison. I cannot in good conscience recommend taking medicine when nothing ails you.”
“Mmm, is that so? Well, if the physician says so, then so it must be. A pity, though. Every time I drank it, I felt a surge of vigor coursing through me. In that case, could you brew me something to invigorate my vitality instead? I’ve been rather occupied lately, you see.”
“I have heard the rumors. They say you are investigating the disappearances of the children.”
“Oh? You already knew?”
“The streets are buzzing with the news. They say a true chivalrous hero has emerged from the Namgung Clan.”
“Hahaha! Come now, you flatter me so much I hardly know where to look.”
“Flattery? Not at all. You are performing a noble and righteous deed. Such praise is only natural for someone of your conduct. But tell me… have you made any progress?”
“Indeed. Faint as it is, I believe I have finally caught the scent.”
“…That is a relief. If I may ask, what kind of clue is it?”
“My apologies, but I cannot share that. I’ve only just barely grasped the tip of the thread, you see. Besides, secrecy is the lifeblood of an investigation like this, so I cannot divulge it even to you, Physician.”
“I understand. That is only reasonable.”
“Do not fret, though. It won’t be long before I drag the culprit kicking and screaming into the light!”
Namgung Yun thumped his chest with a hearty, booming laugh.