An Unexpected Encounter
"I've heard plenty of stories about the former squad leader. But didn't I also meet him a few times during his final years? Though we never went on a mission together... Even back then, I don't recall our squad leader being particularly well-mannered..."
"Ahem. There's no point wasting our breath on old stories that are long past."
Right then, Na Han-il grimaced slightly, his grin faltering as a sudden throb of pain flared from his wounds.
Song Gwang-sik, the Bright Moon Sword and leader of the Pursuit and Kill Squad, looked at Na Han-il and let out a soft chuckle.
"Making such a fuss over a scratch like this. You're in your prime; you should be bouncing right back up. Back in my day, kid, a wound like this would heal if you just rubbed some spit on it."
"Healed with just spit?"
"That's right."
Na Han-il couldn't help but chuckle despite the pain, dumbfounded by the claim. Song Gwang-sik laughed along, fresh blood trickling from his split lip.
Once he managed to soothe his aching body, Na Han-il slowly began to recount the events of that fateful day.
Song Gwang-sik listened intently, falling into deep thought before speaking with a serious expression.
"I spoke with the physician earlier. He said you boys will need at least a month or two of absolute bed rest to recover."
"Yes, well, since I'm not as robust as you, Squad Leader, spit alone won't do the trick."
"Indeed, weaklings like you ought to rest. Besides, what's better than getting paid to lie around and do nothing?"
"True. I suppose I'll enjoy the generous benefits of the clan for once."
According to what the physician had told Song Gwang-sik, when his subordinates first arrived, their injuries were severe enough to have damaged not just their muscles, but their very bones.
It was only because they had consumed a vast quantity of emergency medicines—including the rare Life-Redeeming Pill they had brought from the Namgung Clan—that they had survived. Even so, the physician added that he couldn't guarantee they would make a full recovery without lingering side effects. Because of this, they couldn't risk moving them back to the main estate for recuperation.
"Just stay put here and focus on recovering. I'll keep a close eye on that mysterious brat, Ilyang."
"By yourself? Absolutely not. It's too dangerous."
Na Han-il protested, his eyes widening in concern, but Song Gwang-sik shook his head, his face etched with fatigue.
"No, it's actually less dangerous if I move alone. Besides, looking at how he operates, he keeps those Blood Jiangshis hidden, doesn't he? He doesn't seem like the type to go around causing a bloodbath. The fact that he spared your lives is proof enough."
"But that's just a guess, isn't it?"
"So what, kid? Should we just sit on our hands and do nothing while someone so suspicious roams around our territory?"
"If that's the case, why not call one of the elders? The youngest elder should be free to move by now, right? He'd probably rush over barefoot with excitement for a mission like this."
"Unfortunately, that old man is tied up with other urgent matters. It seems the Patriarch has decided to put a tight leash on him. He's been running wild for far too long."
"...Well, that's true."
"Don't worry, I won't overextend myself. You know I'm as sharp as a whip when it comes to reading the room."
"Just make sure you don't actually end up as a ghost visiting me."
"You cheeky bastard... Are you being this blunt only because you know I can't hit a wounded patient?"
Na Han-il stared back at Song Gwang-sik quietly before speaking.
"I know you won't listen even if I try to stop you... but don't expect me to set up a memorial table for you."
"How cold. Don't worry, I plan on living until I'm old and senile."
Song Gwang-sik stood up as he spoke. Na Han-il looked up, startled.
"Where do you think you're going in that state?"
"To the next room to rest, you idiot. Did you really think I'd head out like this?"
"Ah..."
After taking a full day to rest, Song Gwang-sik set off immediately to tail Ilyang.
Given the danger, he avoided overt, high-intensity surveillance. Instead, he used a disguised identity token from the Nangin Association he had acquired in the past, taking on minor requests while loosely keeping tabs on Ilyang's movements.
Then, just yesterday, he learned that Ilyang had suddenly accepted a subcontracted request to leave Giyang County. Song Gwang-sik moved swiftly, ahead of schedule, to infiltrate the Jinsung Escort Agency.
That was a close call.
In truth, the additional information he had gathered on Ilyang over the past month was trivial at best. It consisted of minor details, such as the list of requests Ilyang had completed or the fact that he had spent the last month diligently studying literature.
Yet, Song Gwang-sik was satisfied. Even these minor details served as crucial clues to understanding what kind of person the boy was.
"I am Jang Geoi. I hold a bronze plaque."
Through his disguise, he had managed to formally introduce himself to Ilyang in a perfectly natural, unsuspicious manner. He had finally closed the distance, embedding himself right next to his target.
It was a flawless piece of espionage, even by his own high standards. However, there was one minor variable he had failed to anticipate. And that was the fact that the subcontracted request Ilyang had accepted happened to be deeply intertwined with the Namgung Clan.
"What in the world is the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader doing here? Are you on a secret mission?"
"Well... it is rather complicated to explain."
"Hmm, I see. However, this places us in a bit of a difficult position."
Namgung Min, the Startling Heaven Sword.
He was one of the core rising stars that the Namgung Clan proudly boasted to the Murim world, and a direct bloodline descendant who stood at the very forefront of the five potential successors to the position of Patriarch.
At the mere age of thirty, Namgung Min was already a sword prodigy who had achieved the rank of Peak Master. Yet, what was truly astonishing was that despite his incredible talent, his martial prowess did not overwhelmingly eclipse that of the other successors. This was a testament to the staggering, bottomless depth of the Namgung Clan's power.
Consequently, the candidates had to be evaluated on criteria beyond mere swordsmanship. In accordance with the long-standing traditions of the Namgung Clan, the potential successors were required to resolve a special, independent mission to test their worthiness.
Of all the times...
Song Gwang-sik clicked his tongue inwardly. Of all the moments, he had crossed paths with Namgung Min while the young master was in the middle of this crucial trial.
Namgung Min, the Startling Heaven Sword, had never dreamed he would run into the Pursuit and Kill Squad Leader like this either. Since the trial strictly forbade any assistance from the clan, encountering a high-ranking expert of their own family made the situation incredibly awkward and delicate for both of them.
Initially, they had intended to feign ignorance and ignore each other entirely. However, realizing they needed to align their stories to avoid complications, the two had slipped away from the caravan during a brief rest to hold a quiet conversation.
Song Gwang-sik was the first to break the heavy silence. Glancing back at the vagabonds gathered in the distance, he scratched the back of his head and whispered.
"My apologies. It appears you are currently undergoing your succession trial."
"Indeed... This won't result in a penalty for me, will it?"
"Of course not. Neither of us could have anticipated this encounter. Once I return to the main estate, I will explain the situation clearly to the elders. My subordinates are aware of my assignment as well, so they can testify on your behalf."
"Whew. Thank you."
"Think nothing of it. It is only natural."
To become the successor of the Namgung Clan—a family bold enough to be called the greatest under heaven—one had to overcome countless trials. The clan's laws were absolute: without sufficient capability, not even the Patriarch's direct offspring could inherit the title.
Therefore, if one's score on the special mission—the succession trial—was poor, their chances of becoming the heir were practically nonexistent. Although Namgung Min had maintained a calm exterior, the moment he saw Song Gwang-sik, he had been secretly panicking about a potential deduction. Hearing the squad leader offer to clear things up brought him immense relief.
"Then it seems we simply need to focus on our respective duties."
"Understood."
"We shall continue to act as strangers, just as we have been. How does that sound?"
"Very well. I look forward to working with you, Vagabond Jang Geoi."
As Namgung Min smoothly adjusted his form of address with a smile, Song Gwang-sik clasped his hands together in a polite salute.
"And I as well, Great Hero Startling Heaven Sword."
With that, the two parted ways with pleasant smiles.
After concluding the conversation, Song Gwang-sik took a wide detour back toward the carriages where the vagabonds were gathered, his mind racing.
In truth, when he had first learned that the Jinsung Escort Agency's destination was the Namgung Clan's estate, he had been utterly shocked. The Namgung Clan already operated its own private escort agency, after all.
Yet, the Namgung Clan had commissioned the Jinsung Escort Agency? And the Startling Heaven Sword, Namgung Min, was personally accompanying them? The pieces fell into place instantly. Song Gwang-sik had immediately realized that this escort mission was indeed the special trial designed to evaluate the successors.
Sigh, if only the youngest elder had come, we wouldn't have had to deal with this.
The Lightning Swordsman, Namgung Hyeok. Among the direct elders of the Namgung Clan, he was a Transcendent Master renowned for being the most hot-tempered and restless.
The fact that such a man had not immediately rushed to the scene even after hearing about the Mansi Sect was a variable Song Gwang-sik had honestly failed to predict.
Well, from what I heard, his schedule has been packed tight since the Autumn Jiangnan Wulin Assembly.
Regardless of the reasons, the situation had become far more convoluted than he had initially anticipated. On the bright side, however, since the final destination of the Jinsung Escort Agency was the Namgung Clan's estate in Cheonjung Holy City, Song Gwang-sik didn't even need to scheme. His primary target of surveillance was practically delivering himself straight to their doorstep.
But something still feels off.
As he monitored Ilyang from the shadows over the past month, Song Gwang-sik had been plagued by a persistent, jarring sense of dissonance.
It was an undeniable fact that Ilyang controlled Blood Jiangshis. This had led them to assume he was a high-ranking expert of the Mansi Sect. Yet, the boy had gone and slaughtered a high-ranking necromancer of that very same sect. This was where the confusion began.
Moreover, leaving aside the fact that he doesn't actively summon the jiangshis, he hasn't made any attempts to perform human sacrifices in secret.
The reason the Mansi Sect had become public enemies of the Murim was because, much like the Blood Sect, they routinely slaughtered humans—especially young children—to offer as sacrifices to the heavens. It was this sheer cruelty that had earned them a permanent spot on the Murim's most-wanted list.
Yet, Ilyang had shown absolutely no signs of such depravity.
Of course, the brat did kill someone.
When they first arrived in the town, Ilyang had quietly disposed of Pyeong So-byeok—the notorious scoundrel of Giyang County's Pyeong Clan—deep in the mountains and burned his corpse. But honestly, that was just poetic justice.
The bastard tried to pull a fast one first, so he got what he deserved.
Song Gwang-sik had heard rumors that Pyeong So-byeok was a degenerate, but he had never imagined the man was a cannibalistic lunatic. A monster like that deserved to die.
Aside from that minor incident, Ilyang displayed none of the distinct, manic madness characteristic of the Mansi Sect. If it was an act, it was a terrifyingly perfect one. But if it wasn't?
Then how does he have those Blood Jiangshis?
The pieces simply refused to fit together.
Could he be an expert from the Mosan Sect?
The Mosan Sect also manipulated jiangshis. The key difference between them and the Mansi Sect was that the Mosan Sect's Taoists reanimated the corpses of those who had died far from home to return them to their grieving families. Because of this service, the Murim barely tolerated them as an orthodox sect.
Hmm, I just don't know.
Unable to reach a conclusion, Song Gwang-sik let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.