The Master of Nightmares (1)
The morning sunlight gently draped over the roof of the inner residence.
The sky above Pungsan was clear, and a gentle breeze carried the scent of plum blossoms on such a peaceful morning.
“Young Master! Young Master!”
Deokheum made his way to Seomun Hwan’s room, just as he always did.
It was a servant’s duty to wake the young masters early, like the others.
But Deokheum had never once succeeded in completing that task.
No matter how loudly he shouted for Seomun Hwan to rise, the young master simply kept on sleeping.
In the end, Seomun Hwan’s waking hour was always when the sun had already climbed high into the sky.
Today, as always, he was certain his efforts would be in vain.
“Young Master, good morning once again. Please wake up……”
The moment he flung the door open, Deokheum’s words cut off abruptly.
To his surprise, the room was empty.
The bedding was neatly folded, and the pillow showed no trace of having been slept on.
After years of repeating this routine, it was a sight he had never seen before.
“Huh?”
At that moment, a familiar voice called out from the courtyard outside.
“Deokheum, over here.”
“Pardon? Young Master?!”
Startled, Deokheum rushed out into the courtyard in a fluster, only to witness an astonishing scene.
At the center of the courtyard, atop a wooden platform, sat Seomun Hwan.
Surrounding him were dozens of crows perched everywhere—on the roof tiles, the walls, the tree branches, and even on Seomun Hwan’s shoulders and knees.
Strangely, the crows neither cawed nor flapped about wildly.
They merely reacted quietly to Seomun Hwan’s slightest movement, tilting their heads in curiosity.
“Young Master, what… what is all this?”
Deokheum asked cautiously, clearly shocked.
Seomun Hwan, with the sun at his back, replied calmly.
“Pets.”
“……Pardon?”
“My crows.”
Seomun Hwan raised his fingertips to stroke one of the crows perched on his shoulder.
The crow seemed to enjoy the touch, closing its eyes with a soft cooing sound.
Deokheum looked around with a dumbfounded expression.
This wasn’t simply a matter of keeping birds.
The crows’ behavior and gestures resembled beasts revering their master.
“Y-Young Master, why would you… no, how did you even……”
“Don’t worry. They’re not dangerous.”
When Seomun Hwan raised his hand, the crows that had filled the courtyard took flight all at once.
Flap, flap!!
The flock soared away and vanished into the distant sky in an instant.
For a moment, Deokheum wondered if he was dreaming and pinched his cheek.
“Ow!”
It was no dream.
Seomun Hwan spoke nonchalantly.
“You heard they caught the thief who was stealing goods a few days ago, right?”
“Yes, Young Master. Of course I know. It was Han Man-deuk, wasn’t it? He always seemed so diligent and had a pleasant face—I never would have guessed.”
“That’s right. It was him.”
Seomun Hwan cut Deokheum off and dropped a shocking statement.
“They locked him in the storehouse, and he died yesterday morning.”
“What?! He… he died? Why?”
“Suicide. He hanged himself.”
“Eek! S-Suicide?”
When Deokheum jumped in surprise at the word, Seomun Hwan snorted.
“Sounds ridiculous even to you, doesn’t it? Committing suicide over a bit of theft? Even if he got a beating, he’d only end up dragged off to the authorities in the end.”
“N-Now that you mention it, you’re right.”
“Something’s off about it. That’s why I started keeping crows.”
“……What?”
Deokheum couldn’t understand at all.
What did Han Man-deuk’s death have to do with raising crows?
Seomun Hwan continued.
“Pungsan’s been noisy lately, hasn’t it? Strangers keep loitering around.”
“Y-Yes, that’s right. I heard the back alleys have been restless. It seems some unorthodox martial artists from outside have come in. But how did you know about that, Young Master……”
Seomun Hwan pointed at the sky.
“The crows told me.”
“……What?! Come on, you’re joking again.”
Deokheum naturally assumed it was a joke and pouted, but as a servant, he didn’t press the matter.
“I desperately want to do nothing at all, yet these pests keep getting in the way. This is why knowing too much is a problem.”
There were mosquitoes buzzing around his ears.
If he simply ignored them, wouldn’t it harm the clan?
Unlike his previous life as a lonely orphan, things were different now.
There was his father and brothers, who scolded him constantly yet cherished him.
And his parents, who showered him with boundless affection no matter how much he lazed about and disappointed them.
For their sake, he supposed he had no choice but to move, even if it was a bother.
“Deokheum.”
“Yes, Young Master.”
“Prepare to go out tonight.”
At those words, Deokheum cried out in shock.
“Surely not… You’re planning to visit the pleasure district again?! Are you going to defy the Clan Head’s orders?”
This was the young master who frequented the pleasure houses at every opportunity.
In the end, the furious Clan Head had issued a strict ban, yet here he was, intending to break it once more.
“If the Clan Head catches you this time, you’ll surely face severe punishment. He might even roll up his sleeves and swing the club himself!”
Deokheum warned while mimicking the motion of swinging a club, but Seomun Hwan remained unfazed.
“As long as I don’t get caught, it’s fine.”
“……Haa!”
Deokheum let out a sigh.
If they were caught, the trouble would fall on him as well as his master… but what could he do?
The one he served was the third young master, after all.
“This really is the last time. Enjoy yourself today, but next time you must get permission first!”
“I know. I know.”
Deokheum’s nagging seemed to be increasing by the day.
* * *
That night.
An old house in the back alley west of Pungsan.
From the outside, it looked like nothing more than an abandoned ruin, but inside, the story was different.
This was the headquarters of the Black Dragon Sect, which ruled the market’s back alleys.
Atop the table sat a pile of copper coins, and between them sat a man with a rice cake in his mouth.
He was a man in his mid-thirties with a partially flattened head and a silver earring in his left ear.
Frowning, he counted the coins one by one.
“Ahem! Look at this. We’re short half a tael of silver again today. They always make me check everything myself.”
His name was Dongjeongwi—the Copper Coin Ghost.
The nickname came from his extreme greed for money.
He was the leader of the Black Dragon Sect and a local ruffian who held some sway in Pungsan’s back alleys.
“Boss! Boss!”
A subordinate burst through the door after rushing up the stairs.
“Why are you so out of breath? Got a death wish or something?”
“No, that’s not it. More outsiders are loitering around the southern passage again today.”
“Outsiders? Again?”
Dongjeongwi frowned as he cleared the coins away.
“What kind of people this time?”
“Never seen them before. They’re all armed… and it looks like they’re threatening the merchants for protection money. They’ve even snatched some of the payments we usually collect.”
Dongjeongwi pursed his lips and tapped the coins on the table.
“Ha! Haven’t they crossed the line? We already claimed the southern protection fees. I’ve even shown proper respect to the officials and sweet-talked the merchants… This won’t do.”
Dongjeongwi strapped on the sword leaning against his chair and spoke.
“I can’t take it anymore. It’s war. Time to teach those outsiders a lesson.”
As Dongjeongwi looked ready to charge out immediately, his subordinate spoke cautiously.
“B-Boss. I hear they’re no ordinary people. The Red Tiger Sect has been strangely quiet. Something must have happened. For now, we should carefully investigate their identities……”
“Hey!”
Dongjeongwi flicked a coin, striking his subordinate’s forehead.
“This big brother made sure you never went hungry with those protection fees, and you’re saying that? In this world, once you look weak, it’s over—don’t you know that?!”
Dongjeongwi stood up and lightly stretched his shoulders.
“We can’t just let people spit in our rice bowl. If we leave them alone, they’ll snatch our entire territory right before our eyes.”
At his words, the subordinates nodded in unison.
“Let’s go!”
“Yes, Boss!”
Just as the entire Black Dragon Sect was about to depart with enthusiasm—
BOOM!
Suddenly, the main gate of the Black Dragon Pavilion was blown apart as if it had exploded.
Thick wooden planks flew like paper, and dust billowed through the air.
“……What the—?”
The subordinates drew their weapons in alarm, while Dongjeongwi gripped his sword and clenched his teeth.
A shadow approached through the dust.
Step. Step.
Three figures slowly emerged.
Men clad in black robes.
Expressionless faces, movements that were far too composed.
Two of them already had their swords drawn, while the one in front made no effort to hide the killing intent radiating from his clenched fists.
Though dozens of Black Dragon Sect members filled the room, it was these three who dominated the air.
“……Who are you?”
Dongjeongwi’s voice trembled.
Distinguishing those stronger than oneself was the bare minimum instinct for survival in this world.
That instinct was now sounding an alarm.
“Damn it! Martial artists? So you’re the ones who’ve been invading our territory?”
Not just anyone who practiced martial arts was called a martial artist.
Dongjeongwi himself had trained enough to reach the third-rate level, but he was merely called a ruffian.
Yet the approaching men appeared to be at least first-rate.
“Why? Why come all the way to our territory and do this?! What could you possibly lack?”
The back alleys were a dog-eat-dog world for lowlifes like them.
Even extorting merchants only brought in pocket change.
Why would true experts who had properly honed their martial arts dip their feet into this mire?
The leading man spoke curtly.
“No need for long words. Kill them all.”
Before the words had even finished, the two men moved simultaneously.
Shhhk!
A sword cleaved through the wall, sending one Black Dragon Sect member flying into it.
Another was slashed across the chest before he could even react and rolled across the floor.
“Graaah!!”
“Damn it! These bastards!”
In the span of a single breath, two Black Dragon Sect members had fallen.
Their strikes were filled with killing intent.
Both of the fallen men were clearly dead at a glance.
The Black Dragon Sect members were thrown into panic, and even Dongjeongwi’s sword hand trembled violently.
These were first-rate experts far beyond comparison to himself.
Cold sweat trickled down Dongjeongwi’s brow.
“This is insane……!”
When the leading man gestured lightly, the other two swung their swords once more.
Sharp sword qi tore through the air, and the Black Dragon Sect members were sent flying without putting up any real resistance.
“Gah!”
“B-Boss…!”
“Damn it! Everyone, run! Quickly!”
Was he trying to buy time?
Dongjeongwi stepped in front of his subordinates and raised his sword.
“Get out of our territory!!”
Dongjeongwi had become the leader of the Black Dragon Sect because he was naturally the strongest.
But that was only by back-alley standards.
Having never learned proper martial arts in his life, he remained stuck at the third-rate level.
He stood no chance against them.
When his sword clashed with the opponent’s, it was effortlessly knocked away.
Clang!
“Gah!”
In a single exchange, the wrist that had swung his sword snapped.
The gap in power was clear.
Overwhelming fear and helplessness washed over Dongjeongwi.
“Why…… why are you doing this?”
When Dongjeongwi cried out, the leading man sneered.
“A corpse has no need to know.”
The moment the sword was raised high, everyone squeezed their eyes shut.
But then—
[Caw!]
At the ominous caw of a crow, the attackers flinched and looked toward the sound.
To their astonishment, a crow with dark blue feathers was perched on the ceiling beam.
When had it gotten in?
“What the……”
Just as they instinctively sensed something ominous, a languid voice rang out.
“Yawn! You people sure are diligent. You’re two hours earlier than I expected. I hadn’t even gotten to enjoy myself properly at the pleasure house after so long.”
The owner of the voice was Seomun Hwan.
Today, he had put some effort into his appearance.
His usually messy, unkempt hair was neatly combed and gleaming. His jet-black, lustrous locks were tied back cleanly.
Seomun Hwan leisurely stepped over the broken door and walked inside.
In one hand, he held a half-empty bottle of liquor, and he gazed at his enemies with the same bored expression.
“Who are you?”
The leading martial artist asked sharply, and Seomun Hwan replied indifferently.
“Me? Just a passing traveler.”
Seomun Hwan’s gaze swept over Dongjeongwi and the others sprawled on the floor in the corner.
“But this neighborhood has quite a few taverns I frequent. If you keep breaking things like this, it’ll become rather troublesome for me.”
The leading man furrowed his brow.
“You’re sticking your nose in without fear. It seems you don’t value your life.”
Seomun Hwan let out another long yawn.
“Well, is there anyone who doesn’t value their life? I’m sure you feel the same.”
When Seomun Hwan looked up at the ceiling, the dark blue crow from earlier let out another sharp caw.
At that moment, the black-robed martial artists instinctively shrank back.
“You three—care to tell me why you came here? It doesn’t seem like you’re just here to take over the back alleys.”
The attackers narrowed their eyes and stared at Seomun Hwan.
The opponent was a scholar radiating noble bearing.
His face was pale, almost sickly, as if it had never seen sunlight, and his hands looked soft and delicate, like a baby’s, with no calluses.
They felt they could snap his neck in an instant if they charged… yet somehow, their instincts warned against it.
The three exchanged glances, turning their heads toward one another.
Still, the conclusion was simple.
“Kill him!”
At the leading martial artist’s command, the two men immediately lunged toward Seomun Hwan.
As they infused their inner qi, a thin layer of sword qi formed over their blades.
Seeing this, Seomun Hwan nodded and spoke.
“Oh? Peak experts, as expected.”
The distinction between first-rate and peak lay in whether one could manifest tangible inner qi onto their weapon.
Dongjeongwi and the Black Dragon Sect had mistaken them for first-rate experts, but in truth, they were at the much higher peak level.
Peak experts could command high regard anywhere in the martial world.
Why would such skilled individuals be slaughtering third-rate ruffians here?
Whoosh!
A swift and sharp sword qi surged toward Seomun Hwan’s neck.
Seomun Hwan did not move.
He merely curved his lips into a faint smile.
It happened in an instant.
Seomun Hwan’s figure suddenly wavered and melted away into the air.
“Huh?!”
The two black-robed martial artists turned around in shock.
Seomun Hwan was no longer where he had stood moments ago—he was leaning against the far wall, still holding his liquor bottle.
“Aren’t you the ones who are drunk? Where exactly are you attacking?”
Seomun Hwan casually brought the bottle to his lips.
“Damn it! It’s an illusion technique. Stay calm!”
Realizing their opponent was using a strange spell, the three cautiously approached and surrounded Seomun Hwan.
Even then, Seomun Hwan remained leaning against the pillar, sipping from his bottle.
“Kill him!”
At the leader’s command, all three charged simultaneously and thrust their swords.
Their angles, trajectories, and heights differed slightly, but the timing of their strikes was nearly identical.
A perfect coordinated assault that could only be achieved through countless battles and sweat.
‘We’ve got him!’
They had no doubt their swords would tear through flesh.
Sure enough, they felt the sensation of their blades piercing human skin.
Thud!
Red blood splattered across the floor.
Both the attacking martial artists and the anxious Black Dragon Sect members watching believed Seomun Hwan was surely dead.
But then……
“……Huh?”
When they came to their senses, Seomun Hwan’s figure was nowhere to be seen.
The attackers felt their vision waver and their sense of direction twist.
And above all, a pain as if red-hot pokers had been driven into their bodies.
To their shock, the three swords had formed a triangle, stabbing into one another.
“What the……”
A still-languid voice echoed in their ears.
“What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare?”