The Scent of Blood and Death
The imperial family currently ruling this world bore the surname Yu.
The Yu Empire.
The empire was divided into twenty-three massive administrative regions called provinces.
Each province was vast enough to rival an ordinary kingdom in size.
The Yu Empire boasted a long, illustrious history spanning roughly eight hundred years.
The founding ancestor, who first united the continent, was the very first to claim the title of Emperor, and to this day, the common folk revered him as a demigod.
Immediately upon unifying the continent, the Yu Empire standardized all weights and measures.
The state poured its entire strength into restructuring the local administrative systems to centralize power, successfully maintaining a highly centralized authoritarian regime.
Yet, despite the empire's grand history, eight hundred years had passed since its founding.
The Emperor's authority was no longer as absolute as it once was.
Under these fragile circumstances, the current Emperor suddenly collapsed from a severe illness.
The central nobility reacted instantly, throwing their weight behind the successors favored by their respective factions.
The problem was the current Emperor's offspring.
He had fathered no fewer than twenty children.
Under imperial law, every single one of them was eligible to ascend the throne.
Thus, the future of the empire was plunged into utter chaos.
Among the twenty-three provinces of the Yu Empire, there was a place called Myeong.
In this province of Myeongju, Tvalier—who had opened his eyes in this unfamiliar world—was, in a way, quite fortunate.
Though the provincial capital of Myeongju was casually referred to by the common folk as the Myeongju Provincial Capital, its true name was Cheonjung Castle.
And the Namgung Clan, which had grown and established its stronghold within Cheonjung Castle, was the most renowned martial family in the current Murim.
"Uncle! We've found traces of those Blood Sect bastards!"
"Oh? So the rumors were true. Where did you find them?"
"At the border between Giyang County and Pyeongyo County."
"Hmm? That's not far from our branch family's estate. Did those lunatics actually dare to cause trouble right under our main family's nose? They must have a death wish."
The current patriarch of the Namgung Clan was the Sword King, Namgung Jin-cheon. He was one of the twenty-three absolute masters of the realm, widely considered the strongest under heaven.
And his younger brother, a master ranked among the top five within the Namgung Clan, was Namgung Hyeok.
Known throughout the Jianghu as the Lightning Swordsman, he stroked his thick, wild, reddish-black beard with a flourish and let out a cold, savage laugh.
"So, what does the Pursuit Squad say? Can we catch them if we start tracking now?"
"Actually, the Pursuit Squad Leader mentioned in his report that too much time has passed, making tracking difficult."
"Tsk... Well, those rat-like bastards have probably tucked their tails and run by now."
The group known in the Jianghu as the Blood Sect was originally called the Cheonhyeol Sect.
Though they wielded swords as skillfully as any martial artist, they were a twisted breed.
They practiced bizarre, heretical arts and were madmen who ground human flesh into pills to consume for power.
They even kidnapped people and burned them alive as human sacrifices. Because of this, the Murim Alliance had long since branded the Cheonhyeol Sect as the 'Blood Sect' and declared them public enemies of the realm.
"Have you contacted the Murim Alliance?"
"Yes, we've sent word through the Beggars' Sect... but it's unlikely they'll arrive in time."
"Hmm, what to do? It's a shame to let them slip away like this."
It had been nearly fifteen years since the Blood Sect last showed its tail. Letting them escape now would be a massive waste.
Fortunately, there was more to the report.
"Actually, the Pursuit Squad Leader mentioned something rather strange."
"Something strange? Gwang-sik did?"
"Yes."
Namgung Hyeok tilted his head and looked at the young man standing before him.
A rising star of the Namgung Clan, the Thunderous Sword, Namgung So-jin, raised his characteristically blank, dopey eyes to look up at his youngest uncle.
"He said that while tracking the Blood Sect, he discovered traces that appeared to belong to the Mansi Sect."
"What? Those garbage scumbags from the Mansi Sect showed up too?"
This was massive news.
The moment he heard the name 'Mansi Sect,' the Lightning Swordsman, Namgung Hyeok, could not contain himself and leaped to his feet.
What on earth was going on?
The Mansi Sect!
"We've finally found those absolute sons of bitches! Well done, Gwang-sik!"
His reddish-black hair and eyebrows—the distinctive physical traits of the Namgung direct line—shook with excitement as he stared at his nephew with fierce, eagle-like eyes.
"Where is it? Where did he find the traces? Those bastards are even worse than the Blood Sect. I need to tear them limb from limb right now!"
Instead of letting the dead rest in peace, they desecrated corpses, turning them into jiangshis to serve as their slaves.
Such were the necromancers of the Mansi Sect.
Naturally, the Mansi Sect was also a public enemy designated by the Murim Alliance.
"Well, he did find traces, but..."
"Ugh, spit it out! Stop dragging your feet, you brat! Didn't I tell you before? The way you drag out your words drives me absolutely insane!"
"It's just that this is so important, I'm having trouble organizing it in my head. And I knew that if I told you this part, you'd definitely go out and cause trouble..."
"Cause trouble, my foot! What is it? Why are you hesitating so much?"
Though pressed with harsh words by his notoriously hot-tempered uncle, Namgung So-jin hesitated for a long moment before squeezing his eyes shut and speaking.
"It seems the Blood Sect and the Mansi Sect clashed."
"What? The Mansi Sect and the Blood Sect fought? Did Gwang-sik really say that?"
Gently prying away his uncle's hand, which was gripping his collar as if ready to swallow him alive, Namgung So-jin reluctantly continued.
"Yes. In fact, the Pursuit Squad Leader believes that during the clash, a large number of the Mansi Sect's necromancers were either killed or captured. Judging solely by the traces, he concluded that the Mansi Sect was utterly annihilated by the Blood Sect..."
"...Ha! How is that possible? Those Mansi bastards are scum, but they have their jiangshis. They shouldn't have fallen so easily to the Blood Sect."
Namgung Hyeok looked genuinely bewildered.
What kind of people were the Mansi Sect?
They were like cockroaches—no matter how many times you killed them, they kept surviving to plague the Jianghu.
Their notoriety and the actual damage they caused were so immense that almost every major incident in the Jianghu was rumored to have the Mansi Sect's jiangshis pulling the strings from the shadows.
"But surely that's not all? Our dear Gwang-sik wouldn't just stop there. He's definitely not that kind of guy."
"Ah, actually, the Pursuit Squad Leader has already moved to another location."
"I knew it! Where did he go?"
"He moved to the county seat of Giyang County. He said there were some concerning traces leading there."
"What kind of traces, exactly?"
"Traces that look like a jiangshi's, but he said he couldn't be certain. He promised to send a report as soon as he finds anything."
"I see!"
Namgung Hyeok nodded, naturally turning to open the door and head outside.
Namgung So-jin quickly blocked his path and asked, "Where do you think you're going, Uncle?"
"Gwang-sik is in Giyang County, right? I have to go there."
"This is exactly why I hesitated to tell you! If you leave like this, who is going to host the clan's upcoming Autumn Jiangnan Murim Assembly?"
"What about Second Brother?"
"Second Uncle is busy. He went to Solim Temple on another urgent matter."
"Then what about Third Brother?"
"Did you forget? He went to the Mount Hua Sect and hasn't returned yet. He's participating in some Plum Blossom Discussion or whatever."
"Ah..."
"And you know the Patriarch is far too busy to leave, right? So, the only direct descendant with enough prestige to host this event who is currently at the main estate is you, Uncle."
The Lightning Swordsman, Namgung Hyeok, looked momentarily shell-shocked.
He dragged both hands down his face and muttered, "Why didn't Father have more children? He should have had at least three more."
"Four sons and five daughters is already a monumental effort, don't you think? I heard it's an all-time record for our main family."
"And I'm saying even that isn't enough! What kind of family is so busy that even the youngest, like me, is run ragged!"
"Ours is! It just means our clan's influence in Myeongju is growing, so try to look on the bright side. Besides, it's best to leave this matter entirely to the Pursuit Squad Leader."
"But still, this is a massive incident involving both the Mansi Sect and the Blood Sect. Shouldn't someone of my stature go to give the investigation some weight? It's too dangerous. You think so too, don't you? Huh?"
When Namgung Hyeok asked this, his eyes blazing with his trademark intensity as he stared at his nephew—one of the top young experts of the rising generation—Namgung So-jin simply let out a long sigh.
"Just so you know, the Patriarch gave me specific instructions. He said if you abandon your post without permission one more time..."
"One more time...?"
"He will personally beat you to death."
"Ah, Big Brother said that himself? Then you should have led with that, you brat! You always have this terrible habit of saving the most important part for last!"
Namgung Hyeok's eyes, which had been sparkling with excitement just a moment ago, instantly softened in fear before blazing with anger once more.
He smacked his cheeky nephew on the back of the head, huffing in frustration.
Yet, Namgung So-jin took his uncle's rough affection in stride and smiled.
"Haha, doesn't it add a nice bit of tension?"
"Tension, my foot! It's just perfect for pissing me off, you brat!"
"Ah, let go of me first, Uncle. Anyway, since the Pursuit Squad Leader went himself, you should take your mind off this matter. You already have a mountain of work to do. See that pile on the desk? You need to personally review and approve every single one of those by today."
"Me... A brilliant talent like me, helplessly locked away just for some family event? This is a monumental loss for the entire Jianghu!"
"Then you shouldn't have caused so many accidents in the past!"
The direct descendants of the Namgung Clan had to shoulder immense responsibilities that matched the lavish privileges they enjoyed.
As the youngest son, Namgung Hyeok had previously been relatively free from those duties. However, due to the chronic shortage of direct descendants in the Namgung Clan, he was ultimately destined to be squeezed for every drop of labor.
Though he had been called a wild storm in his youth, racking up countless legendary exploits across the Jianghu, within the family, Namgung Hyeok was merely the powerless youngest brother.
Even after that, whenever Namgung Hyeok tried to find any excuse to escape the office—squirming as if having a sudden fit during the tedious paperwork—Namgung So-jin thoroughly subdued him by invoking the Patriarch's name.
Then, as if coaxing a child, So-jin spoke.
"Come now, the Pursuit Squad Leader will send word soon, so please just endure it."
"How can I endure this! I'm dying of curiosity! Do you know how much fun Gwang-sik must be having right now?"
"Honestly, you're not a child. Why do you do this every single time? It's driving me crazy."
And indeed, at that very moment...
The hound of the Namgung Clan.
The Pursuit Squad Leader, the Bright Moon Sword, Song Gwang-sik, was finally facing the owner of the traces he had been tracking for ten long days.