The Monk, The Swordsman, and The Mountain God

In a modest village, the arrival of a solitary swordsman triggered a series of extraordinary events.

Tatsuhiro was merely a lone mercenary—without companions or family—embodying solitude.

He continued his quest for employment, but at a village he deemed ordinary, he encountered unforeseen dangers.

After bumping into a young girl and forming a new companionship, he finally experienced a moment of tranquility amidst his otherwise rapid-paced existence.

Unbeknownst to them, they had been manipulated as pawns in a tragic scheme.

As night descended, under the moonlight's veil, a conspiracy unfolded. A trail of blood colored the road crimson. The lone swordsman found himself stranded, caught in the midst of unfolding events.

From a distance, a bloodstained figure approached.

The swordsman, aided by his newly found companion, quickly fled in search of safety after helping him to his feet. 

The monk directed them toward a nearby river where he kept his boat. They collapsed onto the boat with a heavy thud and were carried away by the currents, only to realize they had been transported far from their original location.

Slowly retracing their steps toward the one who orchestrated their misfortune.

They found themselves in the middle of another complex mystery

("Swordsman is the main character of this story; therefore, the emphasis on him will be greater than on other characters. ")

(Characters use Japanese names in the first few chapters because of the world history later explained in the novel; also, they have both Chinese and Japanese names, the former being their real name and the latter being a tradition carried forward in that specific tiny region)