The Misfit of the Martial World

Tamlang, a Joseon warrior once notorious for his insolent arrogance, served as the Emperor’s personal bodyguard within the Chinese Imperial Palace. At the very center of power—a viper’s nest of palace intrigue and assassination plots—he ruthlessly eradicated traitors at the root, earning a reputation as the Emperor’s sharpest blade. Yet, he refused to remain caged in a court where he never truly belonged. The Emperor hoped he would return to Joseon, but the news that eventually arrived was stunning: the realm’s strongest combatant had abandoned absolute power to become a humble escort warrior at a small agency in the borderlands. Even the Emperor was left speechless by such an eccentric choice.

The place Tamlang chose was the Ewha Escort Agency. On the surface, it is just an ordinary, mid-sized escort outfit, but Tamlang’s presence transforms their missions into something else entirely. Simply transporting goods becomes a perilous journey across warring factions and political power struggles, where a minor commission can ignite tensions across the entire martial world.

It all begins with the marriage crisis of Peng Yerin, daughter of the Hebei Peng Clan. Refusing an arranged political marriage meant to preserve her clan’s face, Yerin resolves to meet the Emperor herself and hires Tamlang as her personal bodyguard. Speeding through treacherous mountain paths to evade relentless pursuers, the two share a brief yet intense journey. Though Tamlang maintains his cold, stoic demeanor, the experience leaves an indelible mark on his life. It is a decisive moment of defending an individual’s free will over cold political calculation.

The subsequent Namgung Clan episode further skyrockets the Ewha Escort Agency’s prestige. When Tamlang unleashes his Joseon martial arts in the clan’s arena, he shatters the rigid pride of the prestigious family. Meanwhile, the arrival of the Sword Youth—who instantly reads the surging energy of the Ascending Dragon—hints at a massive shift in the Murim’s power dynamic. Rather than conforming to the strict hierarchy of the Great Clans, Tamlang establishes himself as a force capable of shaking their very foundations.

Around that time, the Zhurong Blade—a relic of pure legend—gains physical coordinates in reality. When the ancient poem of Chuiha Zhurong Peak is deciphered and three cups of liquor are poured at the Tanghyung Waterfall in Bosan, the rushing waters halt, unveiling the lost treasure of the Southern Kingdom. This discovery convulses the martial world. The Jeomchang, Hyeongsan, and Yunnan sects swarm in demanding a cut, turning negotiations into bloodbaths. However, Tamlang chooses mediation over massacre. He displays overwhelming force without overturning the board, elevating the Ewha Escort Agency into the linchpin of the Murim’s balance of power.

The Southern Kingdom’s treasure is no simple trove of gold; it is a war chest capable of funding armies and the key to overturning the Imperial succession. Amidst the escalating war for the throne, Princess Yeonhwa, the Emperor’s daughter, visits the Ewha Escort Agency. Outwardly a surveillance mission, her true objective is to gauge the dangerous variable known as Tamlang. Recalling his past intervention when the Emperor attempted to force her into a political harem, she approaches him with a volatile mix of political calculation and lingering personal emotion. Yet Tamlang never crosses the line. That unwavering emotional distance only heightens the razor-sharp tension between them.

Simultaneously, a shadowy organization known as the Blood Flower makes its move. Marked by black robes, crimson flower crests, and the distinct curvature of Western crescent blades, their dark influence spreads. Even after the Three Blood Flowers are struck down, their mastermind refuses to step into the light. They monitor the Ak Clan, make clandestine contact with the King of Jenam, and the shadow of an entity called “The Master” looms ever darker. Whether the Bloo