A Written Warning
I picked up the blue orb and pondered a few questions.
To begin with, the core of the mystery was why Namgung Seong had come to the Martial Alliance in person.
Sancheon Gwiin was an unorthodox martial artist who had fled after killing a martial artist of the Namgung Clan, and he had gone on to kill more of them at Mount Tai in Anhui.
Since the Martial Alliance was the one that killed Sancheon Gwiin and kept his corpse, it made sense for a direct bloodline of the family to show up to assess the situation.
On the surface, there was nothing strange about it.
But was that really it?
It was nothing but a convenient excuse.
I judged that to be the case.
I couldn't be sure before we met, but once we did, it became clear.
He's not the type to care about such things.
I could tell just by the feel of him.
His eyes said so, and so did his breathing.
His goal wasn't the dead martial artists of the Namgung Clan, nor was it Sancheon Gwiin.
Then what was it? The reason why the Socheonggeom had gone out of his way to visit the Martial Alliance.
Is it me?
The news that the successor of the Sword Saint had appeared.
Did the Socheonggeom show up after hearing that?
It's possible.
It made sense. But.
The timing doesn't add up.
The time it would take for the news to spread through the Martial Alliance and reach the Namgung Clan in the southeast.
And the time it would take for him to set off immediately and bring an entire investigation team all the way here.
Factor in the preparation time at the family estate and planning what to say, and the timeline simply didn't fit.
Of course, one could argue he threw a plan together in a rush inside his carriage.
But both he and I knew this wasn't an issue so urgent and desperate.
That left only one conclusion.
His target wasn't me to begin with.
I could understand a direct descendant showing up simply because the Sword Saint's successor had appeared in Anhui.
But now, I had to realize that wasn't his sole motive.
That was why I had remarked that he arrived faster than expected when I first heard of his arrival.
Then what was his goal?
I looked down at the orb in my hand.
"Is it this?"
An orb of unknown purpose.
The old man said he took it from Sancheon Gwiin's bosom, and that it was something the Namgung Clan valued deeply.
I wondered what kind of grand story could possibly be attached to a mere orb, but...
There must be a reason Sancheon Gwiin stole it.
This was just a guess... No, honestly, I was certain.
Sancheon Gwiin killed the Namgung Clan's martial artists and fled.
So they issued a kill order and pursued him.
That was plausible enough.
But would the Namgung Clan keep this up for months?
The victim wasn't even a direct blood relative, just a martial artist.
I didn't know much about the Namgung Clan, but were they really a family bound by such deep affection?
Or did they take Sancheon Gwiin's actions as a direct declaration of war against their clan?
No.
That couldn't be it.
There had to be another reason.
A reason they absolutely had to capture Sancheon Gwiin at all costs.
I concluded that the reason was this orb.
And the old man did mention it, after all.
The hidden significance of the blue orb.
Namgung Seong must have come to the Anhui branch for that very reason.
The Martial Alliance would have immediately notified the Namgung Clan when they captured or found Sancheon Gwiin. He probably heard about the Sword Saint on his way here.
I had pieced together this much, but...
Who is pulling the strings behind Namgung Seong, and what about Cheon Ui-jin?
Someone was backing Namgung Seong.
That much was clear from our conversation.
I'll think about that later.
For now, I had to handle the most pressing matter.
"So, what exactly are you planning to do?"
Wrecking the Socheonggeom.
I asked what Yoo Chun-gil meant by those words.
[Hmm? What else? We break him.]
"...I mean, how?"
[Is there a special method to wrecking someone? Isn't it just a matter of beating them to pieces or cutting them to shreds...?]
"That is incredibly violent and simple-minded. Thanks for the help."
I massaged my throbbing temples and swallowed a sigh.
So he wants to completely ruin the Socheonggeom.
I had a vague idea of the reason.
But I couldn't understand why we had to go that far.
Well, he must have his reasons.
Since it came from that sly old man, he surely had a plan.
Trusting him, I had quietly sent the letter.
Ah, of course.
I didn't write exactly what he told me to.
I have what you're looking for.
So come back to see me quietly.
The old man told me to write something along those lines.
But that felt insufficient, so I added a little extra.
It was nothing major.
I just made use of my ability.
I simply wrote down what I saw.
It would definitely have an effect.
A very strong one, at that.
Drip... drip...
Inside the damp cave, water dripped slowly.
Torches illuminated the surroundings.
The ground was still damp with blood, and the metallic stench of slaughter hung heavy in the air.
Surveying the interior, the handsome young master, Socheonggeom Namgung Seong, narrowed his eyes.
"Is this all?"
"Yes, that is correct, Young Master."
Go Gyeong, the leader of the Martial Alliance's First Squad, replied to Namgung Seong.
Watching him, Namgung Seong spoke with a heavy, complicated expression.
"...So such a cruel slaughter took place here... Our clan's martial artists met their end at the hands of that unorthodox scoundrel."
Clench.
He clenched his fists as if overcome with rage, looking every bit the grieving young master.
Namgung Seong, lamenting the deaths of his family's men.
Seeing this, the squad leader couldn't help but nod in approval.
The future of the Namgung Clan is bright.
A youth so talented his name was already widely known.
If such a benevolent man, who cared so deeply for his subordinates, were to become the family head, the Namgung Clan would surely shine even brighter.
I must secure a connection with him before that happens.
As Go Gyeong quickly calculated his self-interest and steeled his resolve,
...
Namgung Seong, looking around, secretly furrowed his brow.
Useless insects.
He thought of the Namgung Clan's martial artists who had died here in droves.
Namgung Seong bit his lip in irritation.
To die without even being able to catch a single unorthodox rogue. How could they be so utterly incompetent?
Sancheon Gwiin, who had stolen the Blue Dragon Orb from the main estate and fled.
They had deployed every resource to capture him.
Yet, the rogue had proved frustratingly elusive.
But now he knew why.
It was because a rat had interfered.
A shadow guard of Cheongwol Gate had harbored treacherous thoughts and meddled.
Because of that, information had leaked, making it difficult to capture Sancheon Gwiin.
It was all because of that rat.
Losing Sancheon Gwiin to the Martial Alliance, and failing to find the Blue Dragon Orb.
Everything had been thrown into disarray.
This has become troublesome.
The battle for the position of Young Family Head was fast approaching, and this complication would cause problems.
If he failed to retrieve the Blue Dragon Orb, he knew exactly how his father would look at him.
One wrong move, and I might lose the opportunity to "him."
Though he held the upper hand due to his political savvy, it wouldn't be surprising if he was overtaken at any moment.
There was also a non-zero chance the elders would use the loss of the Blue Dragon Orb as an excuse to turn their backs on him.
Disgusting old geezers.
They knew exactly what cards he held.
Yet they were still wavering.
So, I must find it at all costs.
He had to secure it before any more annoying complications arose.
The Anhui branch hasn't said anything specific...
If they had found something, they would have spoken up immediately. They would have already sent a letter to the family head.
The fact that they remained silent meant they either hadn't found it...
Or they are keeping their discovery a secret.
If they were keeping it a secret...
Are they trying to threaten me?
It meant they knew he would be in trouble if this got out, and they wanted something from him in return.
Ha.
How dare they? Who would have the audacity? Namgung Seong's eyes turned cold as he considered the suspects.
There were at most three possibilities.
The three survivors of this incident.
Yoo Hyeong-in, the eldest son of a fallen family. His strength was surprisingly first-rate.
The second, and most likely suspect, was Cheon Ui-jin.
A troublesome fellow.
The son of the Cheongwol Sect Leader and one of the candidates for the position of Young Sect Leader.
Though calling him a candidate was generous. His standing was far too weak compared to the others.
Is that why he hid the Blue Dragon Orb?
The motive was clear. If he had indeed found and hidden the Blue Dragon Orb, he could use it to bring the Namgung Clan to his side.
But.
I doubt it.
Despite the plausible motive, Namgung Seong didn't believe it.
Cheon Ui-jin was too righteous.
He was smart and talented, but his overly upright character was his downfall.
He was terrible at politics and lacked the malice required to navigate human relationships, leaving him with a precarious position.
That was why he had been betrayed and nearly killed.
Could someone like Cheon Ui-jin hide the Blue Dragon Orb to play tug-of-war with him?
Namgung Seong deemed it unlikely.
He probably has his hands full digesting whatever he swallowed here.
Cheon Ui-jin had definitely obtained something from this place.
Traces of the Sword Saint? A secret treasure he left behind?
Whatever it was, he had surely claimed it.
Since a descendant of Cheongwol Gate had claimed it, even the Martial Alliance wouldn't be able to interfere easily.
Namgung Seong was curious about how significant the treasure was, but that was the extent of his interest.
No matter how grand a treasure he obtained, his vessel cannot support it.
He wouldn't be able to digest it.
That was how Namgung Seong evaluated Cheon Ui-jin.
That was why he remained unbothered.
In that case, did that leave only one suspect?
Bang Seong-yeon... was it?
The Yoryeong Bang Clan.
A fallen family that was once famous. The place where a man named Bang Cheon-ho ruled as the family head.
There's nothing notable known about them.
There was very little information.
Since their downfall, the family head had been led around by women's skirts, the eldest son was a good-for-nothing, and the eldest daughter had run away from home.
It was an absolute mess of a family.
And yet, from such a family...
The successor of the Sword Saint suddenly emerges?
And not even the eldest son, but a concubine's son who had stayed in Yoryeong before coming to Anhui just a year ago.
Is he hiding something?
It was so bizarre that it almost seemed plausible.
Or perhaps he wasn't the real Bang Seong-yeon, but someone who had borrowed his identity.
After all, Cheon Ui-jin had done exactly that.
Tsk.
The information was dreadfully lacking.
The appearance of an unexpected variable.
This was the kind of situation Namgung Seong hated most.
Furthermore...
He's like a snake.
Bang Seong-yeon was a strange fellow.
He was highly eloquent, subtly shifting the flow of conversation to take control.
He possessed a skill that could never be acquired by someone who had done nothing but swing a sword all their life.
And a guy like that spent a year as a low-ranking grunt in this branch?
Spending a year treated as a third-rate martial artist.
Was this cave the reason the Sword Saint's successor had gone to such lengths?
How could the Sword Saint, who died over a decade ago, have left a successor?
And how did Cheon Ui-jin verify it?
As the inconsistencies piled up, deepening the furrow in Namgung Seong's brow,
Enough. What I need right now isn't his identity. It's the Blue Dragon Orb.
He quickly reordered his priorities.
Bang Seong-yeon, the one who killed Sancheon Gwiin. He was the most likely to have the Blue Dragon Orb.
Sancheon Gwiin might have left it behind somewhere, but he dismissed that possibility for now.
If that was the case...
Let's withdraw for now and try to approach him.
Just as Namgung Seong made his decision and was about to order the investigating martial artists to withdraw,
"Young Master."
Someone approached Namgung Seong from behind.
It was a martial artist of the Namgung Clan.
"What is it?"
There were many members of the Martial Alliance around.
Namgung Seong quickly composed his expression and asked.
The man handed him a letter.
"A letter sent from the branch, sir."
"From the branch?"
"Yes. They said you would understand if they mentioned it was sent by Young Master Bang."
"Hmm?"
Bang Seong-yeon?
Surprised by the unexpected turn of events, Namgung Seong frowned.
Does he want to talk about sponsorship again?
If so, he would be disappointed.
It would mean he was no different from the other rats who desperately sought the backing of the Namgung Clan.
Keeping his brow furrowed, Namgung Seong unfolded the letter.
...
Namgung Seong froze solid the moment his eyes scanned the open letter.
"...Young Master?"
Sensing something was wrong, the man called out to him hesitantly.
Still, he did not budge.
"Young—"
In that instant,
"Where is he?"
Namgung Seong asked, breaking out of his trance.
The man flinched at the sight.
Namgung Seong's expression was bizarre.
He was trying to force a smile, but it contorted his face into a grotesque grimace.
What was worse,
"That bastard... Young Master Bang. Where is he right now?"
A terrifying, inexplicable murderous intent flickered in his eyes.
I lay lazily on my back, staring up at the ceiling.
I counted every single line I could see, then moved on to the stains.
Had it been about fifteen minutes?
Knock, knock.
I sensed someone outside. It was likely the news I had been waiting for.
I raised my head slightly and called out.
"Who is it?"
"Young Master Namgung has arrived to see you."
Hearing the servant's voice, I scratched my cheek.
It felt a bit strange to be treated like this.
A servant.
My family was so ruined that we didn't even have proper servants. The closest thing we had were the family guards.
Ordering someone around like this felt somewhat uncomfortable.
Not that it's a feeling I need to get used to.
It wasn't my place.
With that thought, I sat up.
"Yes. Let him in."
Creak.
The door swung open almost immediately. A young man smiled and bowed slightly to the servant who had opened the door.
It was Namgung Seong.
The servant blushed in embarrassment and closed the door.
...
The moment the door shut, Namgung Seong's expression shifted instantly.
Wow, look at that glare. Terrifying.
I chuckled softly and spoke to him.
"What brings you—"
"What is this?"
Cutting me off, Namgung Seong strode closer.
He threw a letter down in front of me.
"It's a bit rude to throw trash in someone else's room."
I picked up the letter from the floor.
A few short lines were written on it.
Every word was written by my own hand.
The contents of the letter were as follows.
[Fair skin. A mole on the bridge of her nose. Bobbed hair reaching her shoulders. Around nineteen years of age. Cause of death appears to be strangulation.]
[Slightly dark skin, with two moles beneath her eye. Waist-length hair and brownish eyes. Around sixteen or seventeen years of age. Cause of death is the same.]
[Average skin tone, monolid eyes. A small burn scar visible on her neck, appearing to be just under thirty...]
"I asked you what this is."
As I read, Namgung Seong's voice cut through the silence.
He was staring at me with eyes full of venom.
Looking at him, the corners of my mouth curled upward.
"Dropping the formalities? Fine, I'll drop them too."
"What?"
Namgung Seong's eyebrows twitched at my casual tone.
"Why ask what it is? You already know. That's why you came here."
My words caused Namgung Seong's face to contort.
The composure he had struggled to maintain shattered completely.
"They're all the women you tortured and killed. Am I right?"
Good-looking bastards always live up to their faces.
My father was a prime example, but this guy took it to a whole new level.
Just how bad was it?
Look at all the vengeful spirits clinging to him.
From the moment I first saw him, the spirits of the women he had killed were glaring at him as if they wanted to tear him apart.
Lest I accidentally make eye contact with them, I kept my gaze fixed solely on Namgung Seong.
They say a woman's grudge can bring frost in the heat of summer.
That saying was no lie.
"I have no idea what you're talking about. I merely—"
"Ah, cut the crap."
I cut him off, having no desire to listen to his excuses.
"If you don't want me doing anything rash with this information..."
My main point was simple from the start.
"Let's just have a fight, you perverted bastard."
"...What?"
Wrecking the Socheonggeom.
It was time to carry out the old man's wish.