The Pursuit
Muyoung followed Ju Woo-jin's orders and stood guard over the kitchen.
He watched and memorized every single person who entered or left, leaving nothing out.
Finally, just as Ju Woo-jin had predicted, the household erupted into chaos, and Muyoung spotted one figure slipping away in secret.
That's the one.
Muyoung immediately whistled to signal Ju Woo-jin, then began tailing the man.
He kept his presence hidden, maintaining the perfect distance so he would not be noticed.
The target was one of the cooks working in the Yu household kitchen.
Unlike the servants rushing to fetch physicians or report to the family head, this man crept off in the opposite direction.
He reached the back of a deserted storehouse.
Once there, the cook pulled a letter from his robes and glanced around.
Confirming he was alone, he retrieved a pigeon from a cage hidden beneath the wall and tied the letter securely to its leg.
“……”
Then he released the bird into the sky.
Muyoung had no time to waste.
He drew a cylindrical object from his robes, placed it in his mouth, and blew sharply toward the cook.
A tiny, nearly invisible needle shot out and embedded itself in the cook's calf.
The needle was so small that the man felt nothing at all.
Once Muyoung confirmed the needle had struck, he launched himself in the direction the pigeon had flown.
A pigeon can fly nearly three thousand li in a single day.
Pigeons are not particularly fast, but their endurance makes them popular as messenger birds.
For speed, messenger hawks are far superior.
Pa-bat!
Muyoung pushed his lightness skill to the limit.
He shot forward like lightning.
The surrounding scenery blurred as he closed the distance in an instant, drawing right up behind the pigeon's tail.
Pyuk! Pi-yuk!
He did not forget to plant needles along the way.
The needles he fired were tracking needles, a highly advanced tracking technique that reacted only to a special fragrance. Only the Ju family used this method.
Hm?
Since the man had used a pigeon, Muyoung assumed the message was being sent far away, but the bird soon stopped.
Watching the pigeon circle and then descend, Muyoung gradually slowed his pace.
He looked around.
Jangpyeong Gate.
It was exactly the place Mopyeong had mentioned.
The pigeon landed, and someone caught it.
He's insane.
Muyoung recalled Ju Woo-jin's words and felt a chill.
Ju Woo-jin had predicted this exact situation.
Someone will try to send word. And that place will be Jangpyeong Gate.
How had he known?
He was only fifteen years old.
Moreover, he had never shown the slightest interest in martial arts or tracking techniques before.
Muyoung, listen carefully. If the person who receives the pigeon at Jangpyeong Gate has a blue mark on the back of his neck… come straight back. Do not pursue any further.
He had warned that continuing the chase would be dangerous.
But Muyoung was confident.
The young master underestimates my level far too much.
He was one of the most promising talents in the Seungryongdae.
His skills were exceptional; he might even become the youngest squad leader at the next promotion exam.
Just find out which direction he heads in and return. Understood? Remember that.
Kkadeuk!
Muyoung had agreed, yet he could not bring himself to turn back.
A blue mark!
Just as Ju Woo-jin had said, the man had a blue mark on the back of his neck.
By all rights, Muyoung should have retreated, but…
He's the one who tried to harm the lady of the house.
His loyalty to the Ju family ran deep.
He had to see the face of the man who had poisoned the matriarch.
Besides, Ju Woo-jin still did not truly know him.
Muyoung could handle this much.
Pyuk!
After firing another tracking needle, Muyoung resumed the chase.
He completely ignored Ju Woo-jin's warning.
“Damn it.”
I grew anxious.
Much more time had passed than it should have taken for Muyoung to return.
“Did he follow them after all? That would mean the target had no blue mark.”
A blue mark.
This was the incident involving the attempt to poison the Ju matriarch.
Yet the mid-level operative had no blue mark?
Impossible. The Blood Hand Poison Emperor is no fool.
The blue marks were the monsters created by the Blood Hand Poison Emperor.
At Muyoung's current level, he could not possibly survive even one of them.
What do I do?
I was torn.
Night was deepening, and Muyoung showed no sign of returning.
There was no choice.
I took out a small pill from my robes.
It was a tracking pill prepared by the Ju family, capable of detecting the scent of Muyoung's needles.
After rubbing it beneath my nose a few times, I began following the faint trail of the tracking needles.
That bastard.
Before long, I found one of the kitchen servants.
A tiny needle was still embedded in his calf, and the tracking fragrance wafted from it.
“Hey.”
I grabbed the back of the servant's neck and spoke quietly.
“Walk quietly. Don't draw attention.”
“……”
He looked startled, but quickly composed himself and obeyed.
I led him behind an empty storehouse.
“Listen carefully. Do you really think the Ju family only sent me?”
“……!”
The servant's face turned deathly pale at my lie.
The mere mention of the Ju family crushed any will to resist.
Moreover, I sensed no inner energy from him at all.
He was an ordinary person who had never learned martial arts.
Yet he had poisoned the food on the Blood Hand Poison Emperor's orders.
Why?
“Blackmail? No. He wouldn't use such an obvious trick.”
“W-what are you talking about, Young Master?”
“You're the one who poisoned Mopyeong.”
“What? That… that's…”
He feigned confusion, but his pupils contracted sharply from tension.
His facial muscles trembled ever so slightly.
Thanks to my heightened senses, I caught every micro-expression.
“You're lying.”
Woodeuk!
I seized his collarbone and yanked hard.
“Kkuk, kkeueuk!”
The pain must have been excruciating.
I covered his mouth and forced him to his knees.
“Who is the man at Jangpyeong Gate?”
“……!”
His shocked expression was plain to see.
“I won't ask twice. The next time, you die.”
I pulled harder on his collarbone, channeling a trace of inner energy.
He was experiencing hell.
“I-I'll talk! I'll tell you everything, Young Master! Please…”
“Good.”
I eased the pressure.
“You're just a pawn anyway. The one waiting for your message at Jangpyeong Gate—I want to know who he is.”
“T-that person is…”
“He has a blue mark on his neck, doesn't he?”
“How did you…”
I chuckled.
“So I was right.”
I released my grip.
A man with a blue mark.
And Muyoung, who had not returned.
The scattered pieces slowly fell into place.
“He followed them. Damn it. I told him not to.”
Muyoung had ignored my warning after all.
It was my fault for not explaining properly.
“Where will he go from Jangpyeong Gate? Do you know that much?”
“……”
I stared at the servant.
He could only tremble, unable to speak.
“I-I don't know anything! I really don't! I can't possibly know about that person…”
“Is that so? Then you die.”
I grabbed his collarbone again and applied force.
“Kkik, kkeuaaaak!”
His scream burst out.
“If you truly know nothing, you die. If you give me anything useful, I'll let you live.”
“Kk, kkuk…! A-actually… I do know that he stays at the Wind and Thunder Inn…”
“Wind and Thunder Inn?”
I loosened my grip slightly.
The servant nodded frantically, tears and snot streaming down his face.
“Huk, hic. If you go about fifty li east from here, there's a small village. The Wind and Thunder Inn is there. It's true!”
“Really?”
His pupils did not waver.
It was the truth.
“Is that all you know?”
“Yes! I've told you everything!”
“Good.”
I nodded and pressed down on his collarbone once more.
“I have personal reasons as well. I prefer not to leave loose ends like you alive.”
“Kkuk! Kkeueuk…! You said you'd let me live…!”
Woodeuk! Woodudeuk!
His collarbone collapsed.
His ribs followed, shattering like kindling, and the man crumpled.
Instant death.
The broken bone fragments pierced his heart, lungs, and windpipe.
For the final few seconds, he must have felt pain worse than hell.
This was the price for stepping into the demonic path, whether he had wanted to or not.
After cleanly disposing of him, I quickly left the area.
Muyoung continued following the man.
He concealed his presence, moving stealthily so the target would not notice.
The man walked endlessly along the mountain path.
How long had he walked?
The entrance to a small village appeared, and with it, an inn.
The man looked around, then entered the inn.
Wind and Thunder Inn?
An odd name.
Muyoung hesitated for a moment.
Should I follow him inside or not?
The inn was strangely quiet.
There were no sounds of people talking, no aromas of food or wine.
Why was it so silent?
A trap?
Muyoung steadied his breathing.
I've already come this far. It's too late to turn back now.
If these people were the culprits, this was his only chance to catch them.
Who knows where they'll run next? Better to capture them now.
With that thought, Muyoung opened the door and stepped inside.
Kkiiik!
The loud creak of unoiled hinges sounded especially ominous.
Once inside, Muyoung froze in place.
“Hmm.”
A group of men had surrounded him.
All wore black stealth uniforms and pointed their swords at him, as if they had been waiting.
“It was a trap.”
Kung!
The door behind him slammed shut.
Someone revealed their presence at his back.
“You've been following me this whole time. A Ju family warrior.”
“……!”
It was him.
Muyoung's pupils trembled.
I couldn't sense any energy from him at all…
Being unable to sense a person's energy meant one of two things.
Either they were an ordinary person who had never learned martial arts,
or they were a master who far surpassed you.
In this situation, it was clearly the latter.
Muyoung slowly turned around.
“You lured me here?”
“Speak properly. I didn't lure you—you followed me.”
The man smirked.
“Interesting. So someone actually noticed our existence. And it had to be some Ju family trash.”
His attitude was relaxed.
It was only natural.
He completely overpowered Muyoung.
“Enough talk. Just die here.”
The moment he finished speaking, the surrounding men retreated, widening the distance.
At that instant, the man lunged at Muyoung.
Kwaang!
The inn floor shattered, sending fragments flying.
The man descended like an arrow.
Tu-kwaaaang!
Muyoung's body was sent flying helplessly.
Kwadeudeudeuk!
Muyoung barely managed to slam his sword into the floor and regain his balance.
“Kkuk.”
As he tried to stand, Muyoung staggered.
A single strike.
That one blow had likely broken one of his arms.
“Impressive. I didn't expect you to block that…”
Kwaang!
The man charged again, ferocious.
Ah, damn it.
Regret flooded in too late.
He wished he had listened to Young Master Ju Woo-jin's warning.
But it was already too late.
“Fine.”
Muyoung gripped his sword hilt tightly.
If he was going to die, he would die fighting like a true Ju family warrior.
Jjeo-eong!
His sword flashed out of its scabbard.