110 - Heavenly Demon of the Huashan Sect

Chapter 110 "Mmm, this is delicious." Arriving in the bustling city of Xianyang, Cheonhui savored a drink he hadn't had in a while, while observing his surroundings. Perhaps it was because this city was the busiest in Shaanxi province. From the second floor of the inn, the streets below were teeming with people, their faces filled with vitality and energy. How long had he been watching them while sipping his drink alone? "May I join you for a moment?" A middle-aged man approached, asking to share the table. It was a sudden request. Cheonhui glanced at the man, twisted his lips into a semblance of a smile, and nodded. "Sure." "Thank you." The middle-aged man sat down with a grateful smile. As had been promised. Sangye had mentioned, while giving Cheonhui a cloth, that the process would be quite complex, making it difficult to strike the first deal with the Hao clan. The cloth that Sangye had provided was now on the table in front of him. "I heard you just need to leave it visible at any inn, yet they came faster than expected." He had only been there for a short while. Simply placing the cloth in plain sight had resulted in a swift arrival, indicating that members of the Hao clan were indeed nearby. As if to confirm this, "Would you like to order anything?" The waiter approached as if he had been waiting for the signal. The middle-aged man placed the order skillfully. Once the waiter had left, the man looked at the cloth on the table and asked, "...May I inspect it?" Cheonhui chuckled at the man’s cautious tone. "Go ahead." Without hesitation, the middle-aged man picked up the cloth. After carefully examining it from various angles, he quietly tucked it into his coat. "I've verified it." "Then..." "How about we finish our meal before proceeding?" The middle-aged man subtly scanned the surroundings. Perhaps because it was the time between lunch and dinner, the inn had few guests, yet he remained cautious of potential onlookers. "It would indeed be odd to leave in such a hurry." Cheonhui nodded in agreement. "Alright." "Thank you for understanding." After a short while, the waiter brought their food, and silence fell as they ate. Clink— Quickly finishing his meal, the middle-aged man drank the tea in one go and stood up. "Please, follow me." Exiting the inn, the man led Cheonhui into a side alley instead of the main street. As they stepped into the alley, the atmosphere shifted. The vibrant, lively main street was left behind, replaced by a narrow, gloomy alley between tall buildings. Sunlight barely reached this place, and those they encountered were far from ordinary. Men adorned with scars and bearing swords. People staring blankly at the sky, mumbling to themselves. Women in extravagant attire enticing these individuals. It was clearly a gathering place for the underworld. At that moment, Cheonhui sensed eyes on him. "Indeed, they were partners." Cheonhui exchanged glances with those watching him and let out a small laugh. "This is the place." The middle-aged man stopped. They had arrived at a quiet building. "Follow me." The man opened an old door and entered, with Cheonhui following behind. Inside, darkness greeted them. There were no windows, nor any lanterns to illuminate the passage. They walked for what felt like a brief moment. As Cheonhui continued to follow, he yawned and spoke up. "How long are we going to keep circling around?" The middle-aged man's steps faltered slightly. "...What do you mean?" "It seems like you're trying to hide a room or something..." Cheonhui turned his head to the side. He could clearly hear the presence and breathing of others, distinct in the surrounding silence. "I already know, so stop wasting energy and let's get to the point, shall we?" "..." "You're only wasting time." As the startled man clammed up, "Hahaha." Laughter echoed from beyond the wall. "So, all this was unnecessary." "Indeed." "..." The laughter ceased as Cheonhui replied in agreement. Then, a voice full of mirth pierced through the wall. "Let the guest in." "Understood." The middle-aged man, who had been silent, turned around. Standing beside Cheonhui, he busily manipulated something with his hands. Creak— The unpleasant sound resonated for a moment. The darkness split open, allowing light to seep through. Screech— Soon, a peculiar room revealed itself. "Isn't this a strange place?" Cheonhui quickly surveyed the room. It was devoid of any furnishings. The room, bathed in a crimson light, contained just a lone table and two chairs. "An improvised base, perhaps?" A young man seated on one of the chairs caught his attention. "Welcome. I am the head of the Hao clan's Shaanxi branch." The young man, revealing himself as the branch leader, appeared ordinary. In looks, in demeanor, in everything. "Branch Leader." The middle-aged man approached and handed the cloth from his pocket to the branch leader. Upon seeing the cloth, the branch leader's eyebrows twitched. He then spoke in a low voice. "Leave us." At the branch leader's command, the middle-aged man exited the room with cautious steps. Thud! Moments later, the split wall fused back together, leaving only the branch leader and Cheonhui in the room. The reddish glow from the lantern cast light on both, and the branch leader initiated the conversation. "What brings you here?" I like this approach. A smile crept onto Cheonhui's face. Instead of asking where I got the cloth or why I came, diving straight into the main point was refreshing. Cheonhui sat down, replying, "The identity of those occupying the inn." The branch leader nodded. "It's the inn managed by Sangye, is it not?" Cheonhui's lips curled upward. As expected of an information guild. It seemed like they already knew what he was going to inquire about. "We haven't gathered intel on them yet, so we'll only take a deposit for now. If we uncover information about them in the future, we'll set a price separately and provide it. If we fail to gather intel, we'll return the deposit to you." Satisfied with their systematic method, Cheonhui inquired with an approving gaze. "Alright. How much is the deposit?" "The deposit is one liang of silver." "The deposit is quite steep, isn't it?" A single liang of silver was the living expense for a family of four for a month. Yet, as a deposit for unknown information, it seemed quite exorbitant. "According to the rules of our guild, unverified information is always fixed at one liang of silver," the branch leader said. "Is that so? Then I guess I'll take the risk." With those words, Cheonhui reached into his sleeve. 'Good thing I held onto this from the last job.' He retrieved the silver liang he had received from Ilsim Trading and handed it over. The branch leader examined the coin closely before nodding slowly in confirmation. "Verified." Tucking the coin into his robe, he asked, "Is there anything else you need?" "Nothing in particular." "Understood. We will contact you once we gather the information." "When should I check back in?" "The Hao guild exists everywhere, yet nowhere. Whether you remain in Shaanxi or leave, we will reach you anytime, anywhere." Impressive. The assuredness of these words, spoken with such confidence, made Cheonhui smile at the branch leader. "Sounds good." As a satisfied Cheonhui rose from his chair, Tap. Tap. The branch leader tapped twice on the wall. Was that a signal? The closed-off wall began to open. "Take care." With the branch leader's farewell, Cheonhui stepped outside to find the middle-aged man waiting for him. "Let's not take the roundabout way this time, shall we?" "...Understood." The time Cheonhui spent inside was brief, not even a quarter of an hour. Just as he was about to step out, "Hm?" "Huh?" He unexpectedly ran into a familiar figure. "What brings you here?" "Why are you here?" It was Biyeon Geomgun, Haujin, whom he had parted with at Baekgwi Castle, unexpectedly meeting him again here. * * * An hour later, sitting at the inn with a cup of tea, Haujin took a seat hastily. "Whew, sorry to keep you waiting." Catching his breath, Haujin asked, "But what brings you to the Hao guild?" "To gather some information." "Information? Why not request it from the Gae Bang instead of the Hao guild...?" "But isn’t it the same thing?" Haujin shook his head at Cheonhui's reply. "Our situations are different." "Our situations?" "Didn't you hear about the recent incident between the Murim Alliance, the Bon Sect, and the Gae Bang?" "Such an incident?" Cheonhui tilted his head in confusion. "I heard from Sa-baek nim that you were involved in that incident, Cheonhui..." "I was? What incident... Ah!" Cheonhui paused, realization dawning on him. Haujin was referring to the incident where the Hwasan Sect and the Gae Bang had worked together to expel the Jongnam Clan from the Murim Alliance. 'Right, I had almost forgotten.' As the one at the center of that incident, Cheonhui scratched his head and nodded. "That did happen." He continued, "I had my reasons for requesting information from the Hao guild instead of the Gae Bang." Cheonhui spoke vaguely. Explaining the situation in detail was too complicated, and he found it bothersome. "Is it related to you leaving Hwasan?" "Yes, it is." "What happened?" "I'm afraid I can't say." Cheonhui's refusal was firm. Haujin studied Cheonhui with curiosity, wondering what had brought him here. Then, he shook his head. 'Hmm, Haujin, why are you questioning him when you yourself are here for reasons you can't share?' Haujin calmed his wandering thoughts. He too had visited the Hao guild for a sensitive reason, something he couldn't disclose even to Cheonhui. "I asked unnecessarily." At that point, Haujin narrowed his eyes slightly. He hadn’t waited for Cheonhui just to probe him about such matters. Looking Cheonhui straight in the eye, Haujin slowly asked, "Do you have any plans, or places to go next?" "No, nothing specific." "If that's the case, would you visit the Jongnam Clan with me?" "The Jongnam Clan? Why?" Haujin answered Cheonhui's puzzled question in a sincere tone. "There's someone at the Jongnam Clan I’d like you to meet."