Murim Debut (3)
Zhongnan Sect – A Daoist sect under the Nine Great Sects, renowned for its steady, weighty heavy swords. They possess the Heavenly Thirty-Six Sword Techniques, allowing perfect swings, thrusts, and blocks in thirty-six directions.
Qingcheng Sect – Another Daoist sect from the Nine Great Sects, inheriting the teachings of the Five Pecks of Rice Dao from Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Masters of dual swords: the soft sword Qingyun that flows like clouds, and the blunt sword Chixia that encroaches like a sunset. They wield the Qingyun Chixia Sword Technique.
Sichuan Tang Family – One of the Five Great Families, experts in poison and hidden weapons. Originally from the unorthodox factions, they've since turned to the orthodox side. The Murim world's mafia. They unleash Heavenly Flower Rain, showering countless hidden weapons from all directions like petals dancing in the wind.
Nangong Family – One of the Five Great Families, a prestigious house of swordsmanship. Specializing in overpowering strong swords and heavy swords. They command the Cangqiong Wuya Sword Art, overwhelming foes like an endless blue sky, and the ultimate technique Emperor Sword Form, dominating space like a king on his throne.
...Looks like I've been influenced by my master more than I thought.
The late talents before my eyes were walking martial arts manuals. Treasure goblins, plain and simple.
Naturally, I started appraising them.
Of course, I wasn't crazy enough to outright assault promising young experts from prestigious orthodox sects. Nah, I was just window-shopping with my eyes.
Still, if the chance arose, I'd love to pick up Heavenly Flower Rain or the Emperor Sword Form.
Personally, I'm curious what it'd be like to unleash Heavenly Flower Rain with thunder bombs instead of hidden weapons. And Emperor Sword Form? The name alone is badass. King of swords, baby~ Sword cutie!!
As Mancheon sipped his tea leisurely with such thoughts, a Salmak assassin hiding his presence in a second-floor room overlooking the inn's first floor furrowed his brow while watching the late talents.
"What's up with that guy?"
"Just some random loafer passing by, right? Don't mind him."
He was definitely a new face. Not one of the prestigious orthodox late talents.
...But something about him felt familiar, nagging at the edges of his mind.
Gazing at that unnecessarily affable loafer's face, the old scar across his right eye—inflicted by the Sima family head—began to throb.
The assassin rubbed his chin, scrutinizing Mancheon's features intently. The narrow-eyed man sitting across from him, who bore an uncanny resemblance to a fox, took interest as well.
"Know him?"
"Looks like he's already had his tea. Want me to lift the curse?"
"Nah, probably just my imagination. More importantly, what poison did you use in that tea? Even the Tang girl hasn't noticed and keeps drinking."
At the assassin's question, the narrow-eyed man—Curse Merchant Hyeonho—flashed a gentle smile and explained politely.
"To be precise, it's not poison. It's a curse called Dosengbeop: infuse grudge into food, feed it as a gu parasite. Since it's a curse, even a Tang girl expert in poisons can't detect it."
"A curse, huh... I get why they call you the Curse Merchant if it works, but it's still hard to buy into."
Hyeonho chuckled softly at the probing, his laugh eerily reminiscent of a fox's cry.
"Don't overthink it. It's just the kind of sorcery Murim folk love."
"Fine, I'll throw in extra coin. Can you use that fancy sorcery to quietly kill off the Nangong young master right now instead?"
"Sorry, but I don't sell curses that kill people. Too much bad karma."
It wasn't said in earnest anyway. Their deal was to render Nangong's Sword Dragon and the other late talents incapacitated for the night. And honestly, the payout was already absurdly generous for that. No extra cash for this shady bastard.
The one-eyed assassin thought as much, glaring down at his tricky target—Namgung Soso—sipping tea quietly on the first floor with his remaining eye.
I blinked up at the unfamiliar ceiling.
Exhausted from the journey, and needing to set off at dawn to reach the Jegal family manor tomorrow, I'd turned in early. But my eyes just popped open.
I tried closing them to drift back off, but after such deep sleep, my mind was too sharp. No drowsiness in sight.
Sighing, I sat up and checked the time. Around Samgyeong—a bit past midnight.
Not a bad hour for a night stroll. A limited-time luxury from the pre-electric light era.
Throwing on a light coat to gaze at the star-studded sky, I ambled out to the inn's backyard.
There, under the moonlight, someone had beaten me to it—swinging a sword.
A petite frame that'd fit perfectly in my arms from behind, gray hair shimmering faintly in the lunar glow.
No matter how I looked, she was a beautiful girl. The self-proclaimed cross-dressing boy, Namgung Soso.
"......"
I knew staring silently at someone was rude.
But I couldn't tear my eyes from Soso.
Her blade traced blue arcs through the darkness, unfurling like the Milky Way.
...It was an exquisitely beautiful sword dance.
I'd once glimpsed the Nangong sword arts as a kid, peeking while my master practiced.
It instilled awe and intimidation, each form flawless and regal—like an emperor's dignity.
Yes, magnificent swordsmanship.
I'd been overwhelmed by its grandeur, but never called it beautiful.
...Yet Soso's Nangong sword was beautiful.
Heavy and fierce, yet proud and poignant.
No other words came to mind. Speech failed me. I felt outmatched.
I just stood there, dazed, watching the sword princess dance under the moon.
‧ ‧ ‧
Soso finished her training, her calm gray eyes immediately catching the glint in the shadows—like a beast's greedy, starlit gaze.
"...I thought you were asleep."
"Couldn't stay down for some reason. Got a hell of a show out of it, though."
Soso sheathed her sword at Mancheon's roguish grin and replied.
"My skills are still lacking."
"Might be like a pup critiquing a butterfly, but I once got a lucky glimpse of Nangong swordsmanship."
Step by step—rough, impatient, ravenous—he closed the distance.
Like a wolf or tiger descending the mountain, stomach growling.
Soso looked up at Mancheon, now right in her face. Up close, their height difference felt even more pronounced.
"...What do you want to say?"
Those greedy, star-filled beast eyes licked over her slender form, sticky and hot.
He savored her, smacking his lips.
And under that scorching gaze, Soso's body heated up in response.
Her cheeks flushed, breath quickened. Rough pants escaped her lips.
"Haa... haa..."
Why is my body... suddenly like this?
1 a.m. The disease demon implanted per their contract awakened, stirring to life.
As fever gnawed her body and consciousness faded, Soso instinctively realized.
She didn't know the method, but this was a trap laid to kill her.
The others were in danger too.
Through blurring vision, she looked up at Mancheon.
Mysterious man or not, she couldn't let him die after just meeting today.
This was Nangong family business. She had to warn him to run—now.
"Ru..."
But her wish went unfulfilled.
Drained by the disease demon's assault, Soso's body collapsed straight into Mancheon's arms.
What the? Why'd she just drop?
Caught off guard, Mancheon peered down at Soso nestled perfectly in his embrace, bewildered.
She looked feverish enough, and pressing a hand to her forehead confirmed it—scorching hot.
Sickness had its protocols, but going from sword-dancing fine to human bonfire collapse? Baffling.
Whatever the case, you couldn't leave a sick person outside.
Mancheon sighed, hoisting Soso over his shoulder and heading back to the inn.
He'd planned to slyly proposition a trade—like swapping Emperor Sword Form for Dog-Beating Stick Technique, Pokémon-style.
Guess he'd aim for next time.