"Ta-da!"

"For the endless prosperity of our family!"

"Cheers!"

As Namgung Chae-gong raised his cup high and shouted the toast, everyone followed suit. The atmosphere quickly became boisterous.

The elderly members of the Namgung family criticized the Patriarch for his lack of dignity, but with his cloud-like temperament drifting wherever the wind blew, the Patriarch was simply enjoying himself, downing drinks in high spirits.

It was a grand banquet. Even if the hosts had maintained formality, the mood would have lightened eventually, but with the Patriarch leading the revelry, the excitement was unstoppable. One martial artist even offered to perform a sword dance, claiming such gatherings needed entertainment.

Namgung Chae-gong threw his arm around Namgung Pae's shoulders.

"Pae, it's a good day! Have a drink with me!"

"Patriarch, I'm the head of security. Someone needs to stay alert and keep watch... gack!"

"How dare you refuse a master's cup!"

His skill at grabbing Pae's chin and forcing him to drink with his refined martial arts technique was quite natural. While the birthday celebrant was making such a commotion, one corner by the wall remained relatively quiet.

Envers fiddled with his cup as he asked Namgung Myeong:

"...The Patriarch seems quite informal, doesn't he?"

"It's embarrassing..."

Namgung Myeong, perhaps ashamed of his father's behavior, couldn't bring himself to look up and kept his head bowed.

"Better to be warm than cold-hearted."

It was actually enviable.

If Duke Redburn had been such an affectionate person, many things might have been different. Envers tilted his cup and drank the plain water in one go. His mouth tasted bitter.

"Taoist Cheong-hwi."

"Why do you call me?"

"Do you have a dream?"

"Of course. That is... to become a master. Strong enough to defeat the Heavenly Demon."

With that level of strength, he would have nothing to fear in the world. He would surpass Benett to become first in class at the Academy, and be equal to or greater than the professors.

He could even kiss Luna, fulfill his secret wishes, and accomplish everything he desired.

Namgung Myeong looked at Envers with bright, curious eyes and asked:

"What do you want to do after becoming a master?"

"I need to see my mother, return to my family to reclaim my position, and also... meet my brother."

"Ah, so Taoist Cheong-hwi has an older brother too! But... do you really need to become a master to do those things?"

"...I'm not sure about that."

Perhaps not.

"Ah, I'll join you."

"Thank you. Have a cup too."

"Hehe."

Clink.

The two youngsters pretended to be adults, passing plain water back and forth. As Envers picked up a piece of tofu from a plate and chewed on it, he suddenly felt a passing breeze.

Whooosh. Rumble.

"...?"

A vibration... spreading through the air like a very shallow ripple.

A faint tremor tickling the hairs on his skin. Envers turned to look in the direction of the Namgung family's main gate. The surroundings were noisy, and the banquet was still in progress, but.

Envers pushed all that commotion to a corner of his mind and concentrated.

"...? Taoist Cheong-hwi?"

Thud. Boom.

The sound of collision. And the faint smell of blood wafting to his nostrils. Envers slowly rose from his seat, tensing every muscle in his body.

Sensing something was amiss, Namgung Myeong also put down his cup and stood up, staring intently at the main gate. Only then could he feel it.

"Insightful Gaze."

The murky killing intent glaring at him from far away.

===============================================================

Woooooââ.

Midnight. Outside the walls of the Namgung family compound, where the banquet was in full swing, complete darkness had settled. The bright moon was out, but its light was insufficient to illuminate every corner of the shadows.

Rustle.

The branch of an old tree bent down and sprang back up, trembling. Something, some flying creature, had stepped on it and passed by. Swish swish swish. The sound of leaves brushing against each other evidenced the creature's presence.

Tap. Tap.

It jumped onto a stall set up by the roadside. However, its movement was rather strange. There was an odd, unsettling quality to it, as if it were human yet not quite human.

The creature's ears caught human voices. Two martial artists guarding the Namgung family's main gate were chatting with each other.

"...It's quite lively inside. How much longer until our shift change?"

"Still a while to go. The full moon hasn't moved from that pavilion yet."

"Damn, when I get off duty, I'm going straight for the drinks..."

Thump.

It climbed onto the roof.

"...Hey. Wait. Over there."

Backlit by the moon, a silhouette with pitch-black shadows and white eyeballs without pupils. A body unnaturally thin, discernible only by its outline. Disheveled hair.

"...Is that... a person?"

"Whether it's human or ghost, it's no good omen. Ring the bell! I'll buy some timeâ"

Tap.

The creature leaped on all fours.

Its hands and feet crossed chaotically as it ran in a bizarre manner unlike any animal in the world. Half centipede, half dogâthat's what its gallop resembled. Tap. Tap-tap-tap-tap-tap-tap.

And in an instant, it arrived before the martial artist.

Crack.

It broke his neck.

Looking at his fellow warrior who had been taken down in an instant, the remaining martial artist was terrified. The speed was too fast to even react. He would probably die too.

"Y-you monâ"

Thing.

Before he could finish his words, the creature grabbed his colleague's broken neck and used it as a weapon. The martial artist witnessed his colleague's crown flying toward his face.

That was the last thing he saw.

Thud, boom.

Two corpses with shattered heads. But it wouldn't end with just two.

Tap.

The creature leaped over the wall.

===============================================================

Commotion is like fireâgiven a little time, it spreads uncontrollably fast. But the creature was a bit faster than fire.

At the edge of the banquet, by the wall where Namgung Myeong was positioned. The disheveled creature ran on all fours to end the young boy's life.

The banquet lights revealed the creature's body.

Bloodless gray skin, tightly shrunken muscles all over its body, and a stomach so sunken it seemed to have no internal organs. Those with knowledge recognized this monster as a jiangshi.

The Namgung family warriors in its path drew their swords.

"Block it!"

"Stop it!"

A jiangshi is also called a first-class nightmare.

This is because its grayish-white skin possesses hardness and strength beyond imagination. Unless one has reached a level where they can cut through iron, they cannot inflict meaningful damage on a jiangshi.

So the warriors blocking the jiangshi's path knew they couldn't defeat it.

But their victory conditions differed.

The Namgung family warriors only needed to hold out. Even if they lost an arm or a leg, if they could buy just a little time...

"Rining my birthday banquet, you damn thing!"

Because the Namgung family's best swordsman, Namgung Chae-gong, would handle it!

Hisssss. Steam erupted from Namgung Chae-gong's body. He had expelled all the alcohol from his system with precise internal energy control. He drew the sword at his waist and charged. The Patriarch would reach them in ten seconds.

The Namgung family warriors smiled. Even if swords were ineffective, surely they could hold out for just ten seconds!

They extended their swords. They believed that by infusing their blades with internal energy and pressing down, they could restrain the jiangshi's movements no matter how strong it was.

"You shall not pass... ugh?!"

In an instant, they realized their thinking was presumptuous.

The jiangshi seemed to know all the Namgung family's sword techniques, slipping through gaps that couldn't be covered by their blades. As it passed by a warrior, it slashed with its sharpened fingernails.

Slash.

Blood gushed from the sliced throat. The warrior clutched his neck and moved his lips. This was no ordinary creature. Beyond mere strength.

It knew the Namgung sword techniques. It knew how to counter them...!

But how could he convey this message with a bleeding throat? It was too late.

Slash, swish.

Moving like a possessed shaman with jerky movements, the jiangshi avoided sword techniques coming from all directions and killed two more warriors.

While some guests screamed, and others retreated or reached for their weapons, the jiangshi had already reached Namgung Myeong's vicinity. Namgung Chae-gong shouted:

"Stopââ!!"

As if words would work on a monster made from a corpse.

For those without human hearts, only martial force would be effectiveâNamgung Chae-gong's urgent cry was useless.

Thwack-!

Envers's club, however, was effective. The jiangshi hesitated slightly, and in that moment, Envers blocked its path with his body and shouted:

"...Namgung Myeong, run!"

"I'll help too, Taoist Cheong-hwi!"

"It's after you, so stop arguing and run, ugh...!!"

Slash-slash-slash!

The jiangshi's fingernail stabs came in a flurry. Guided by Insightful Gaze, Envers barely avoided them, suffering only skin-deep cuts.

Then the jiangshi extended its leg at an incomprehensible angle.

A movement with unclear intent. But Envers understood. This wasn't a mere mistake. This was... like that monstrous Heavenly Demon's strategy, reading several moves ahead!

Whooshââ!!

"How can a ghoul use the Heavenly Demon's martial arts...?!"

Envers racked his brain until it hurt. Thinking and thinking again about what attack would come next.

"Luna...!"

When in doubt, she had told him to sit down.

He dropped to the ground right where he stood. Confused by this unexpected movement, the jiangshi momentarily froze. Envers's eyes flashed.

Supporting himself with both arms on the ground, Envers extended both legs together and delivered a kick.

Thwack!

The jiangshi was pushed back. It seemed the jiangshi itself wasn't very heavy. If he used pushing techniques, he could buy time. Envers kept this fact in mind.

And then, Namgung Chae-gong arrived.

"I'm here, little master. Focus on evasion!"

"Patriarch!"

Whoooosh-!

Blue flame-like sword energy erupted from Namgung Chae-gong's sword. It was swung like lightning, drawing a cross pattern.

But before the Patriarch's sword could even complete its arc, the jiangshi moved as if it knew what attack was coming. And easily avoided it.

"...You wretch!"

Technique that surpassed raw power.

The extreme skill of the Heavenly Demon who could deflect the Explosive Shatter Bind with a child's strength.

It couldn't be said to have reached that level. But the jiangshi was using its characteristic as an already dead body to mimic the Heavenly Demon's techniques. An ordinary jiangshi would have been sliced apart long ago.

Crack.

Breaking its neck to dodge.

Crack. Crunch.

Twisting its ankle 360 degrees to rotate and avoid attacks.

It countered using methods that were chilling just to watch. It created space by crumpling its own body, wielding itself like a tool without hesitation.

Shiver.

Envers's instinct sounded the maximum warning. Think. If it could do "anything" to achieve its goal, what method would it use?

He couldn't be bound by common sense. See everything as a tool, and assume anything possible could happen. Follow the Heavenly Demon's way of thinking, even approximately. Thenâ

While engaging with Namgung Chae-gong, the jiangshi subtly changed its position. And energy gathered around its elbow.

"...Explosive Shatter Bind?!"

Envers realized.

The direction the jiangshi's fingertips were pointing was toward Namgung Myeong. It intended to cause an explosion inside its own arm to 'launch' it!

Rip. Tear. The sound of muscle fibers tearing came from the jiangshi's arm.

Suppressing the intense pain rising from his mana organs, Envers squeezed out mana to his limit. He recalled his duel with J. If he could suppress it with the Explosive Shatter Bind before the jiangshi's arm was launched!

In what seemed like slowed time, as Envers tried to employ the principles of the Explosive Shatter Bind.

"...Ugh!"

He felt dizzy and his vision spun.

...Poison. There was poison on the jiangshi's nails. He thought he had avoided serious injury, but even those shallow cuts were fatal.

Bangââ!!

An explosion occurred at the jiangshi's elbow, and its pale arm shot through space.

Namgung Myeong seemed to barely twist his body to avoid it, but he was too young to completely evade. The launched arm lodged itself in Namgung Myeong's lower abdomen.

"Aaaaargh...!!"

No.

With the boy's scream, Envers's vision also went dark.