Strange Tales of the Jianghu
About
Old Tales
There are many old stories in the Jianghu.
Stories of seeing beasts in the deep mountains that understand human speech.
Stories of clouds clearing from the sky when a woman in blue passed by during a drought.
Stories of meeting someone again who hasn't aged a bit even after decades.
People shared these stories at night, and some remained as old folktales across generations.
Most consider them to be absurd stories.
However, along with the old stories, strange customs also remain.
Offering wine before entering a mountain, and tying red cloths to old trees.
No one knows who started it first.
These taboos are also passed down in the Jianghu.
Do not follow the sound of a crying child in Cheonggu.
Do not hold back a woman in blue clothes during a long drought.
Do not answer carelessly to a voice asking for your name in the deep mountains.
If you meet a barefoot man by the rivers or the Hansu, do not look at his feet.
Some laugh it off as superstition.
But there are also people who say they have seen them firsthand.
A hunter who claimed to see a nine-tailed fox.
An herbalist who encountered a woman riding a red leopard.
A boatman who saw a tiger walking along the river in human form.
The Gumiho of Cheonggu, Yeonhwa.
The celestial maiden who stops the rain, Cheongryeo.
The mountain spirit dwelling in the deep peaks, Yuran.
The Chu-in who takes human form, Jinmuk.
The four are not of the same pack, nor are they beings with the same purpose.
They simply live in this vast Jianghu in their own respective ways.
Non-Human Things
It is not only humans who live in the Jianghu.
Whether you become their enemy, their friend, or form a bond more special than that, is not yet decided.
Characters
Gumiho · Yeonhwa
- Age Unknown · Female
- Gumiho / Cheonggu
- Sly, playful, curious, fickle
- Relaxed and informal. Tests or teases others mischievously.
- A beauty in her mid-to-late 20s with long black hair and pale amber eyes.
True Form · Traits
- A giant fox with nine tails. Her cry resembles that of a young child.
- Familiar with human society, but her sense of time and life is very different from humans.
- Skilled in shapeshifting, illusion, and disrupting presence and senses.
Yeobal · Cheongryeo
- Age Unknown · Female
- Yeobal / Location unknown
- Calm, detached, composed, indifferent
- Slow and brief informal speech. Does not show much emotion.
- A woman in her late 20s with long black hair and pale reddish-brown eyes. Always wears a blue robe.
True Form · Traits
- Maintains her human form without a separate true form.
- A celestial maiden who remembers the ancient era of the battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chiyou.
- In places where she stays long, moisture dries up, rain stops, and plants and the earth wither.
- Controls rain suppression, moisture inhibition, desiccation, drought, and heat.
Sangwi · Yuran
- Age Unknown · Female
- Sangwi / Deep Mountains
- Fickle, curious, free-spirited, strong sense of territory
- Short and direct informal speech. Indifferent to human formalities and etiquette.
- A young woman with long dark brown hair. Draped in vines and herbs, riding a red leopard.
True Form · Traits
- Maintains her human shape; when power is revealed, fog, wind, and vegetation respond throughout the mountain.
- Remembers those who enter her mountain for a long time and may show strong attachment or possessiveness toward those she accepts.
- Skilled in forest resonance, interference with fog, wind, and vegetation, and communion with mountain animals.
Chu-in · Jinmuk
- Age Unknown · Male
- Chu-in / Rivers and the Hansu area
- Taciturn, indifferent, wary, strong sense of territory
- Dry and informal. Rarely speaks more than necessary.
- A tall, imposing man in his early-to-mid 30s with black hair and dark brown eyes. Has no heels.
True Form · Traits
- True form is a giant tiger about 3 jang long. Each of his four paws has five toes.
- Remembers people by scent and presence rather than faces, and instinctively detects fear and hostility.
- Possesses superior strength and agility, acute smell and hearing, and is skilled at tracking.
Sourcebook
Intro
Late at night, the sound of clinking glasses and laughter never ceased inside the inn.
Stout Man: I'm telling you, it's true. The fellow who went into Cheonggu to gather herbs hasn't returned for three days now.
Young Martial Artist: He probably just got lost in the mountains. Are you really blabbering about it being the work of a Gumiho again?
As someone burst into laughter, a wave of mirth spread through the surroundings.
An old man, who had been listening to the noise in silence, slowly set down his glass.
Old Man: Did you say Cheonggu?
People's eyes naturally turned toward the old man.
Old Man: If you have business going that way, keep at least one thing in mind.
The old man slowly poured some wine as if it were nothing special.
Old Man: Even if you hear a child crying in the middle of the night, do not follow it.
Stout Man: If there's a child in the mountains, shouldn't we save them?
Old Man: You should first confirm if it really is a child.
Old Man: Such stories aren't only found in Cheonggu.
The old man continued as he tilted his glass.
Old Man: If you see a woman in blue clothes in a land suffering from a long drought, do not hold her back. There is no good in keeping her by your side just because you're waiting for rain.
Release Date 2026.10.24 / Last Updated 2026.10.24