“I have heard a great deal about the previous Captain. But didn’t I also meet him a few times in his later years? Though I never went on missions with him…… But as I recall, even back then, our Captain did not exactly observe every bit of etiquette either……”
“Ahem, ahem. Talking about old stories that have already passed will only make both our mouths hurt.”
Just then, perhaps pain had risen from his wounds, Na Han-il had been snickering when his face twisted slightly.
The Captain of the Pursuit Squad, Bright Moon Sword Song Gwang-sik.
He looked at Na Han-il and smirked.
“You call that little scratch enough to fuss over? You’re still in your prime, so you should be springing right up. Back in my day, you bastard, wounds like that healed if we just put spit on them.”
“They healed just by putting spit on them?”
“Of course.”
Na Han-il was so dumbfounded that even through the pain, he could not hold back and giggled.
Song Gwang-sik also laughed along, blood flowing from his split lips.
Then Na Han-il calmed his aching body and slowly began telling the story of what had happened that day.
After hearing the whole story, Song Gwang-sik remained lost in thought for a moment.
Then he spoke with a serious expression.
“I heard from the physician here earlier that you lot need to recuperate for at least one or two months, minimum.”
“Yes. Since I am not as healthy as our Captain, just putting spit on it will not be nearly enough.”
“Right. Weaklings should rest a little longer. What could be better than lying around for free while collecting your salary?”
“Yes. I will enjoy the solid benefits of the clan for the first time in a while.”
According to what Song Gwang-sik had heard from the physician.
When his subordinates had arrived here.
Their injuries were so severe that not only their muscles, but even their bones had been damaged.
It was only this much because they had taken a great number of emergency medicines.
Including a special Life-Redeeming Pill that had been prepared by the Namgung Clan.
The physician had frankly added that he could not guarantee there would be no aftereffects.
So they could not recklessly move them to the main house under the pretext of recuperation either.
“Stay right here without moving an inch and take care of yourselves. I will closely monitor that mysterious brat called Il-hyang.”
“Alone? No. That is too dangerous.”
Na Han-il widened his eyes and tried to stop him, but Song Gwang-sik shook his head with a tired complexion.
“No. Moving alone is actually less dangerous. Besides, when you look at that fellow, he goes around hiding Blood Jiangshi, doesn’t he? He does not seem like the sort to separately cause a bloodbath. Seeing as he just let you lot live.”
“Still, that is just a guess, is it not?”
“Then should we just sit around doing nothing, you bastard? When a fellow that suspicious is roaming around in our territory?”
“Do not do that. Call an elder at least. The Youngest Elder should be able to move right now, should he not? For a mission like this, he would come running in his socks, without even stopping to put on shoes with excitement.”
“Unfortunately, that old man cannot come out because of another urgent matter. It seems the Clan Head is determined to put a leash on the Youngest Elder. He has been too free until now.”
“……That is true.”
“Do not worry. I will not overdo it. My instincts are uncanny, you know.”
“Please do not actually become a ghost and come visit me.”
“You bastard…… Are you being this blunt because you know I cannot hit you while you are injured?”
Na Han-il looked at Song Gwang-sik without saying much and said, “You will not listen even if I try to stop you…… But I will not prepare memorial rice for you.”
“You cold bastard. Do not worry. I will live until I am old enough to smear shit on the wall.”
Song Gwang-sik said that and rose from his seat.
Then Na Han-il was startled and said, “Where are you going? With that body.”
“I am going to the next room to rest, you bastard. Did you think I would go out in this state?”
“Ah…….”
Like that, Song Gwang-sik rested fully for one day.
Then he immediately moved and lingered near Il-hyang.
Since it was dangerous, he did not openly conduct focused surveillance.
Instead, he used a disguised identity plaque from the Vagabond Association that he had received in the past and solved requests.
While only confirming Il-hyang’s movements somewhat loosely.
Then yesterday.
Song Gwang-sik learned that Il-hyang had suddenly accepted a subcontracted request and would be leaving Giyang County.
So he quickly moved first and joined the Jinsung Escort Agency.
‘That was close.’
In truth, the things he had additionally learned about Il-hyang over the past month were only minor.
The list of requests Il-hyang had taken over the past month, or the fact that he had devoted himself to studying letters for a month.
Only slightly miscellaneous information like that.
But Song Gwang-sik was satisfied.
Even that much provided very important clues that let him grasp what kind of person that fellow was.
“I am called Jang Geo-i. I hold a Bronze Plaque.”
Like that, he had somehow managed to exchange formal greetings with Il-hyang under his disguised identity.
Naturally, and without seeming suspicious.
He had finally approached the surveillance target closely enough to establish a very intimate connection.
Even by Song Gwang-sik’s own estimation, it was a perfect intelligence operation.
But there was one small accident he had not predicted.
And that was.
The subcontracted request Il-hyang had accepted this time happened to be very closely related to the Namgung Clan.
***
“Why is the Captain of the Pursuit Squad here? Are you perhaps in the middle of a secret mission?”
“Mm…… Explaining that would be very complicated.”
“Hmm, understood. However, this has become somewhat troublesome.”
Heaven-Shaking Sword Namgung Min.
He was one of the core rising talents of the younger generation that the Namgung Clan boasted of to the martial world.
And he was a direct bloodline member standing at the forefront among the five heirs who might one day become the Clan Head of the Namgung Clan.
Moreover, Namgung Min was a swordsmanship genius who had reached Peak Expert level at only thirty years of age.
But the surprising fact was.
Despite possessing such astonishing swordsmanship, he did not overwhelmingly surpass the other heirs in skill.
That meant the Namgung Clan’s underlying strength was simply that tremendous.
Therefore, aside from swordsmanship, the heirs had to be evaluated in other areas.
According to the traditions of the Namgung Clan passed down through generations.
In order to evaluate the candidates for the next Clan Head, they had to resolve separate special missions.
‘Of all things…….’
Song Gwang-sik clicked his tongue inwardly.
Of all times, during that important special mission.
By coincidence, he had run into Song Gwang-sik, who was carrying out a different mission.
Even Heaven-Shaking Sword Namgung Min had never dreamed he would meet the Captain of the Pursuit Squad in this manner.
Originally, he had to pass the special mission without any assistance from the clan.
Because he had run into a clan expert like this, the situation had become somewhat awkward and difficult for both of them.
At first, they had tried to pretend not to know each other until the end.
But they thought at least one conversation would be needed to sort out the situation, so the two had secretly slipped away during the escort run and were now speaking like this.
The first to break the long silence was Song Gwang-sik.
He glanced at the wanderers gathered far away, then scratched the back of his head and whispered,
“My apologies. Judging by the situation, you were in the middle of a qualification test.”
“Mm…… Yes. This sort of case will not become a deduction factor, will it?”
“No. In any case, neither of us knew we would meet like this. When I return to the main house, I will explain properly to the elders. My subordinates also knew about my mission, so they will testify.”
“Phew, thank you.”
“Not at all. It is only the proper procedure .”
The Namgung Clan.
To become the heir of a clan that dared to be called the Greatest Clan Under Heaven, one had to overcome countless difficulties.
According to the clan’s rules, if one lacked ability, even the Clan Head’s own blood kin could not become heir.
Because of that, if one’s evaluation score in the special mission called the qualification test was low.
It had to be considered difficult to become the heir.
That was why Namgung Min had pretended to be calm, but the moment he ran into Song Gwang-sik.
He had inwardly worried that his evaluation score might decrease.
But now that the other side had first offered to explain, his heart became a little more comfortable.
“Then it seems we each need only perform the work we have been entrusted with properly.”
“Understood.”
“I think it would be best if we continued pretending not to know each other as we do now. What do you think?”
“Yes. Then I look forward to working with you, Wanderer Jang Geo-i.”
Once Namgung Min first settled the form of address with a smiling face.
Song Gwang-sik also comfortably clasped both hands and showed courtesy.
“I also look forward to working with you, Great Hero Heaven-Shaking Sword.”
Like that, the two parted with smiles on their faces.
After speaking with Namgung Min.
Song Gwang-sik circled around as far as possible and moved toward the carriage where the wanderers were gathered, while his mind worked quickly.
In truth, when he had belatedly heard that the Jinsung Escort Agency’s escort run was headed for the Namgung Clan.
He had been truly startled.
After all, the Namgung Clan already had a separate Escort Agency operated by the clan.
And yet the Namgung Clan had commissioned the Jinsung Escort Agency for an escort run?
On top of that, Heaven-Shaking Sword Namgung Min was on that escort run?
The conclusion came from there.
Song Gwang-sik could immediately realize that this escort run was a special mission meant to evaluate the heirs.
‘Haa, none of this would have happened if the Youngest Elder had come.’
Thunderbolt Swordsman Namgung Hyeok.
Among the direct elders of the Namgung Clan.
He was a Transcendent Expert famous for being the most hot-blooded and the quickest to leave his seat.
The fact that such a man had heard the story of the Mansi Sect and still had not rushed out to the scene until now.
Was, frankly, a variable even Song Gwang-sik had not expected.
‘Well, from what I heard, his schedule after the Autumn Gangnam Murim Assembly was rather packed.’
Whatever the case, the situation had become considerably more tangled than he had first predicted.
But viewed another way, the Jinsung Escort Agency’s final destination this time was the Namgung Clan in Cheonjung City.
Even though Song Gwang-sik had not pulled any particular trick in the middle.
He had now become able to bring an important surveillance target to the Namgung Clan very naturally.
‘But something is a little strange.’
In truth, while monitoring Il-hyang from nearby all this time.
Song Gwang-sik had continued to feel a strong sense of incongruity.
It was true that Il-hyang handled Blood Jiangshi.
So he had presumed that Il-hyang was an expert of the Mansi Sect.
But then Il-hyang had killed a high-ranking Sorcerer of the Mansi Sect.
From that point on, utter confusion.
‘Moreover, aside from not commanding Jiangshi at all, he did not secretly attempt anything like human sacrifice either.’
The reason the Mansi Sect fellows had become public enemies of the martial world.
Was because, like the Blood Cult, they periodically killed humans, especially children, and offered them as sacrifices to heaven.
Thanks to that, the Mansi Sect had very proudly listed its name among the public enemies of the martial world.
They were extremely vicious bastards.
But Il-hyang had not particularly shown that sort of behavior until now.
‘Of course, that little brat did kill someone.’
When he first entered the village.
He had secretly dealt with that delinquent from Giyang County’s Pyeong Family, Pyeong So-byeok or whatever his name was, in the mountains and burned him.
But honestly, that had to be considered Pyeong So-byeok’s own doing.
‘He tried some dogshit trickery first, so it was karmic retribution.’
He had heard the rumors that the fellow named Pyeong So-byeok was utter trash, but to think he was a madman who enjoyed human flesh.
A bastard like that deserved to die.
Aside from that minor incident.
Il-hyang did not show any of the characteristic madness seen in the Mansi Sect fellows.
If that was an act, then it was impressive.
And if it was not an act?
‘Then what are the Blood Jiangshi?’
It was a very confusing situation in many ways.
‘Could he perhaps be an expert from the Mount Mao Sect?’
The Mount Mao Sect also handled Jiangshi.
However, if there was a difference between the Mount Mao Sect and the Mansi Sect.
It was that the Sorcerers of the Mount Mao Sect turned the corpses of those who had died away from home into Jiangshi and provided a service by delivering them to their distant bereaved families.
Because of that.
The martial world barely acknowledged the Sorcerers of the Mount Mao Sect as part of the righteous faction.
‘Hmm, I do not know.’
Song Gwang-sik continued his thoughts, then shook his head with a sigh.