A thoroughly angry old man stroked his beard as he sat at the head of the room and spoke.
"It has been 100 years since the Heavenly Demon vanished."
"Yes."
"With the Heavenly Demon's whereabouts unknown and the Blood Palace subsequently closing its doors, the rampaging ghosts (Gwi) are also no longer seen."
'Gwi' refers to the souls of humans or animals bearing grudges that remain on earth.
They are hideous beings that sometimes take form according to that grudge, but they have become almost impossible to find since the Heavenly Demon disappeared and the Blood Palace sealed its gates 100 years ago.
A calm voice settled over the tea table. The old man, who had placed his fists on his comfortably seated knees, spoke to his son kneeling before him.
"I hear the Murim Alliance is still searching for traces of the Demonic Cult?"
"That is correct, Father."
"Do you believe that talk?"
The old man clenched his fists tight. As if fueling his faint anger, the son replied.
"I do not believe it."
"Indeed."
The old man glared.
"The Murim Alliance Leader, that bastard just hates to let go of the power he holds."
Bang!
The old man's palm struck the tea table hard. The old man's son nodded while maintaining his formal sitting posture.
"We can no longer be toyed with by that old raccoon-like bastard. The prestige of our Namgung Clan is in shambles."
He growled like an old tiger. Namgung Hwi-cheon, the Head of the Namgung Clan who was over eighty years old but whose martial prowess was still high and frame robust, warned his son Namgung Hyeon-won.
"The power of the Nine Great Sects and One Beggar Gang clustered around the Murim Alliance Leader is formidable, so it is right that our families join forces at times like this."
At those words, Hyeon-won kept his mouth shut for a moment. Hwi-cheon clicked his tongue without hiding it.
"Be grateful that the rootless girl brought from outside has been made useful like this."
"Yes."
Hyeon-won bowed. But he couldn't know if this matter was truly a blessing as the Family Head said.
Namgung Sayeol, born outside, was only sixteen this year.
"Living in the Zhuge Clan will be better than living like a ghost here."
Because Hwang-ho, the Head of the Zhuge Clan whom Sayeol would marry, was over forty this year.
"It would be fortunate if she gets lucky and bears a son. Though I don't know if she can bear a child with that body."
What could Hyeon-won do now?
"I doubt she can understand anything with that stupid head of hers, but reason with her well and prepare her."
"Yes, Father."
Even if she was a half-daughter, he passed over that child, Sayeol, so indifferently while wearing the name of a father.
If he hadn't been so indifferent, would the tragedy not have occurred?
They knew nothing of what was about to happen back then.
If he hadn't been so indifferent, perhaps that small life wouldn't have been extinguished and this tragedy wouldn't have happened. A tragedy solely for the Namgung Clan.
Bang-!
The sound of striking a table fell like lightning.
Outside, only where the shadows fell was pitch black like a beast's maw, while everywhere else was radiant with light from the large full moon.
Someone's roar cut between that darkness and light.
"Just what is going on!"
Namgung Hwi-cheon's roar rang loudly through the Family Head's room. His spirit pressed down on the breathing of those standing there like a rampaging tiger.
"To think the Head of the Zhuge Clan was attacked at the Namgung Clan's main gate!"
"Please calm down, Family Head...!"
The Young Master, Namgung Hyeon-won, barely opened his mouth to speak, but it wasn't anger that would subside with just that.
"Are you saying the Heavenly Demon who vanished 100 years ago appeared in front of the Namgung Clan's gate! Or did a ghost (Gwi) appear and overturn this Namgung Clan?"
Hyeon-won bit his lip tight. It would have been easier to report if the Heavenly Demon or a ghost had actually appeared.
He barely parted his dry lips.
"...Sayeol."
At the unexpected name, Hwi-cheon furrowed his brow sharply.
"Sayeol, they say that child stabbed the Zhuge Family Head."
Even Namgung Hwi-cheon couldn't say anything for a moment. Because it was an absurd story.
"Are you saying that sick girl, who had trouble even walking let alone practicing martial arts, stabbed Zhuge Hwang-ho?"
"Those present said so."
Namgung Hwi-cheon rather felt his head cooling down.
Hearing such an absurd story made even the mood to be angry disappear.
"That's nonsense."
"I think so too."
"Unless she's possessed by a ghost, it makes no sense."
But that couldn't be. How could a ghost (Gwi), whose seeds dried up during the 100 years of peace, really appear now? Hwi-cheon stroked his beard and then commanded.
"What did you do with that girl?"
"T-That is.... I had already ordered maids to drag that child out of the room, but for some reason, they say they cannot enter the room."
"Cannot enter?"
"Yes, as if there is an invisible wall...."
"Hah."
Hwi-cheon distorted his face sharply and bared his fangs ferociously.
"If that's the case, that girl must have learned something wicked."
"If it's something wicked...."
Hyeon-won also frowned. Even if the Heavenly Demon vanished 100 years ago, wicked religions and remnants of the Unorthodox Faction still existed.
Especially the 'Blood Palace' and 'Ice Palace' which stopped activity at the same time the Heavenly Demon disappeared.
"Drag that girl here immediately! Jae-won, Jae-cheon!"
"Yes."
As Hwi-cheon called two names, the two guards standing outside the door answered.
"She's probably just imitating it clumsily anyway. Such pranks won't work on first-rate masters."
Hwi-cheon wanted to handle this matter as quietly as possible. That's why he hid the commotion.
There was nothing good about letting it be known that a problem had arisen.
Namgung Sayeol. He didn't know what trick that girl played, but if he made sure she couldn't use wicked sorcery again and sent her off tied up to Zhuge Hwang-ho after he finished treatment, it would be fine.
The Zhuge Clan also needed Namgung's power, so if he soothed them well, it was certain they would overlook it.
'She stupidly kicked away the chance to live receiving at least some human treatment at the Zhuge Clan with her own feet.'
Hwi-cheon clicked his tongue, tsk tsk. Perhaps because her bloodline was bad, she was incredibly dull-witted.
And so, time flowed silently.
Whish-.
The sound of wind blowing outside the room could be heard, but for some reason, there was no sign of anyone returning. Even though it had been quite a while since the two guards left for the annex.
"Just what are these guys...."
The sorcery that girl used couldn't possibly be strong enough to trouble first-rate masters. So why was there no news....
Creak, slide-.
Thud.
Creak, slide-.
Thud.
The sound of someone stepping on the wooden floor was heard.
Creak, slide-.
Thud.
Creeeak-.
Slide-….
The eerie lantern light cast over the paper sliding door created the shadow of a young girl who hadn't fully grown yet.
"W-Who is it."
Hyeon-won stammered without realizing it. Strangely, everywhere was silent. Even the sound of the wind that was heard intermittently couldn't be heard.
The shadow seen through the paper sliding door didn't move an inch and gave no answer.
"I asked who it is...!"
Silence continued even after he shouted loudly.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
While time passed, silence blocked their senses as if a ghost called silence was crawling on the floor.
Then.
"It's me."
A thin voice was heard.
"Sayeol."
The girl who usually couldn't even speak in front of her father was chattering naturally.
"Please open the door. Father."
"Y-You can just open it yourself and come in!"
Despite his shouting, Sayeol's voice, like a dreary wind, was heard.
"Father-."
Laughing with a giggling voice.
"Please – open – the – door."
Scrape, scrape, scratch, scrape, grrr.
Scrape, scrape, scratch, scrape, grrr.
Scrape, scrape, scratch, scrape, grrr.
Scrape, scrape, scratch, scrape, grrr.
Scrape, scrape, scratch, scrape, grrr.
The sound of fingernails that seemed to scratch the inside of the ears dug into the eardrums and chewed on the nerves. Goosebumps rose all over the body even from the small gesture. Hyeon-won, feeling a sense of fear he didn't want to admit beyond just being bizarre, said.
"...W-Why did you come alone! I surely sent guards."
Then, the sound of scratching the paper sliding door stopped abruptly.
"Don't worry too much. We came together."
Hyeon-won looked at the shadow once again.
"...But why is there only your shadow?"
For a moment, a deathly silence flowed. Unable to endure it, Hyeon-won shouted.
"J-Just what are you...!"
Crash!
Splat!
Something pierced through the paper sliding door and entered. Something the size of a human head....
A human head?
"Keuk...!"
Hyeon-won swallowed a scream.
That was definitely the head of Jae-won, one of the guards who went to fetch Sayeol.
Blood trickled down through the burst head. The clotted flesh was messily torn apart, and the open mouth was just black inside.
It was certain his tongue had been ripped out.
Hyeon-won sat collapsed on the floor and stared blankly at that head.
The two eyes were hollow, and red marks were deep on the cheek scratched by something sharp.
"Hic...."
The two men bit their tongues.
Scritch. Click.
Scratch. Grrr.
Only the sound of scratching the door without a word continued again.
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