When you talked about the Central Plains, it was, by nature, a world pickled in blood and violence.
You could call power itself authority and not be wrong, and because everyone knew that, this was a place obsessed with either grinding themselves raw to hone their martial arts or gathering martial artists under them to expand their influence.
But if you asked me whether that was really all there was to it, I’d say no.
Power was truth, yes, but depending on how efficiently you used it, the results could differ by worlds.
And by that same logic, you could say that information held value on a very similar level.
Information on martial artists.
Information on factions.
Information on regions and the structures built around them.
Whether you knew those things or not could flip the board in any world.
Even in the Central Plains, where violence was treated as the highest law, that didn’t change.
That was why the Beggars’ Union, despite being spread wide and judged comparatively weak in raw force, could stand proudly among the Nine Great Sects.
It was also why they could be called one of the greatest pillars of the orthodox faction.
Because they dealt in information.
The eyes and ears of the orthodox faction.
There was a reason they were called that.
And the orthodox faction wasn’t the only one that had a place like that, one that turned information into immense value.
The Demonic Cult had once had one too. It was just that it had been annihilated during the war and disappeared.
Which meant that if both the orthodox faction and the Demonic Cult had such things, then the unorthodox faction could have one too.
And when it came to the information branch of the unorthodox faction, there was already one name famous throughout the world.
The Hao Clan.
If the Beggars’ Union was a den of beggars,
then this place had started, once upon a time, with gutter trash and street punks gathering together and forming a power of their own.
Like the Beggars’ Union, they handled information, but—
They were rougher. Dirtier. More willing to go too far.
They killed without hesitation if it meant gathering information, and the information they held was on an entirely different level of nakedness.
There was plenty they didn’t bother dressing up, and they weren’t easy to approach.
Especially now.
With the orthodox faction’s prestige scraping the heavens like it did in the present day, even getting close to the Hao Clan wasn’t easy. Nobody knew where to start or how to reach them.
They were part of the unorthodox faction. Naturally, they were far more sensitive about that sort of thing.
And yet—
“Long time no see?”
I found the Hao Clan without any trouble at all.
A woman smiled at me in a syrupy way. She had one smooth leg crossed over the other and was looking straight at me, beaming.
“Sure has. It’s been a while, Branch Chief.”
Hoyeon, branch chief of the Hao Clan’s Liaoning branch.
We had some history.
“I hadn’t heard from you at all, so I figured you’d died. But look at you. Still alive and pretty, too.”
Snap.
Hoyeon opened her fan as she spoke. I let out a short laugh.
“Come on. That’s ridiculous.”
No contact, so she thought I’d died?
What nonsense.
“You already know everything I’ve been doing. Why pretend you don’t? Between us?”
From the moment I left Liaoning. From the moment I entered the Murim Alliance. From the moment I became a martial artist of the Azure Moon Sect.
She would know all of it.
So seeing her act like this was just funny to me.
“Between us? That’s a very affectionate thing to say. You almost made my heart flutter.”
Her eyes curved at me in a sweet smile.
“So? Want to leave that jealous girl from the Mo Yong Family and come to your older sister instead?”
“Ha.”
I laughed.
And then—
Click.
I put my hand on my sword.
At that instant—
A cold wash of killing intent brushed out from every direction.
It looked like no one was there, but I was surrounded by enemies.
I’d gotten strong enough to feel that much.
I’d known it before I did it anyway.
“You think I came here to joke around?”
My tone changed.
That was enough greeting.
“There’s no way. Our prince wouldn’t come without a reason.”
Hoyeon didn’t look surprised at all.
This had been the real me from the start.
“Impressive. I think it’s been, what, a year? Two? You’ve become a completely different person.”
“I’m at that age. Time to eat well and grow.”
“Your bad jokes have grown along with your height, I see. So? How does it feel, having moved up in the world?”
“It’s fucking miserable.”
“So it seems.”
The killing intent didn’t go away.
Didn’t matter.
“It’s strange. The prince who used to find the whole world nothing but a pain has become the Sword Saint’s inheritor. What happened? There shouldn’t be much about you I don’t know.”
“Funny. You’re asking me that? That sounds like a question with a price tag attached.”
If you wanted information, you paid for it.
That was absolute law, whether it was the Hao Clan or the Beggars’ Union.
“Oh, dear.”
So Hoyeon smiled awkwardly at my jab.
“Expensive?”
“Probably. More than you can afford right now.”
“...Hmm.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“Fine. Forget that part. I am curious, but right now I’m more interested in why our prince came to see me.”
“That’s a relief.”
“Want some tea?”
“As long as you’re not putting poison or a sleeping draught in it.”
“Oh my. Then I guess I can’t.”
“You a thug?”
“I’m joking.”
Tea arrived a little later.
There were three cups in total.
A sweet fragrance drifted up from the cups set on the table.
“The little miss came with you, so I had something sweet prepared. That’s fine, right?”
At the words little miss, Bow Ghost, standing behind me, flinched.
I could see the irritation settle into her eyes.
“Though it’s interesting. I didn’t expect you to be walking around with something like that. The rumors made you sound like the last man in the world to have anything to do with women.”
“There are rumors about me like that?”
“Oh, there are. That you work Poison Dragon like a slave, keep peerless beauties around you, and lord it over the world.”
“That’s an insane rumor.”
“Is it? Is any part of it false?”
“...”
I thought about it seriously.
Had I worked Poison Dragon like a slave? No. It was a sign of closeness.
Peerless beauties around me? Well, I did have them around.
Though that wasn’t the point, and lording it over the world?
That phrase didn’t suit me at all.
“Baseless nonsense.”
“Hm... really?”
Hoyeon wore a strange expression.
It was the expression I found most irritating.
“So why did you bring that girl?”
“I didn’t bring her. She followed me on her own.”
“She followed you? Be honest. You just allowed her to.”
That wasn’t wrong.
Half wrong, anyway.
“I’m not that meticulous.”
“Sure you aren’t.”
Chuckling, Hoyeon took a sip of tea.
With the fan gone, the beauty marks under her eye and beneath the corner of her mouth stood out more clearly.
“So. Why are you here?”
Straight to the point.
I liked that part.
There was no need for us to waste time on useless back-and-forth.
“The reason anyone comes looking for the Hao Clan is obvious. I’ve got something to ask.”
“Why? You could use the Beggars’ Union. It wouldn’t be good for the Hero of Henan to have people whispering that he’s mixed up with the Hao Clan.”
At that, I looked at Hoyeon with a blank face.
A threat?
Maybe.
“That wouldn’t be good, no. But what can I do? You people are useful.”
If I were going to be entangled with them, that had happened a long time ago.
And if it had truly bothered anyone—
“If they didn’t like it, they would’ve wiped you out already.”
“Oh my. How scary.”
“Luckily, I’ve finally got a little strength myself now.”
“So while I wasn’t looking, it wasn’t just your height that grew. Your personality got nastier too. I think I’m trembling.”
Bullshit.
The fact that she was smiling like she found this entertaining told me everything.
“Enough. Give me the information.”
I was done with the posturing.
Too tired to keep at it.
“What information do you want?”
Maybe she sensed that, because Hoyeon dropped the act too.
“I need the movements of the unorthodox bastards operating around Liaoning. Especially...”
I called to mind their name.
“The Sama Sect.”
“Hoh?”
The faction that had been kidnapping women and killing them.
At the mention, Hoyeon tilted her head.
“I want their activity records, and a full compiled record of the incidents they’ve been involved in recently. Give me that.”
“...The Sama Sect. That’s a random question. I didn’t think our prince would be interested in a place like that. You always hated dealing with the unorthodox faction.”
“I think I’m going to need it. Can you give it to me or not?”
I wasn’t asking whether they had records.
Of course they did.
The question was whether she was willing to hand them over.
“Do you have the price? This one’s going to be expensive.”
Of course she had it.
I smirked at Hoyeon’s answer.
“How expensive?”
“Who knows? A few coins won’t do it.”
“That’s fine, then. I wasn’t planning to pay in money anyway.”
“Not money?”
Interest lit up in Hoyeon’s eyes.
“Then what are you paying with?”
“Information.”
“What?”
Hahaha.
At my answer, Hoyeon laughed out loud.
“...Information? Our prince’s jokes are getting out of hand.”
Trying to bargain with the Hao Clan using information.
Of course she found that absurd.
Naturally.
This place could stand shoulder to shoulder with the Beggars’ Union when it came to information networks.
It was just that far too few people knew it.
Hoyeon started to continue, like she was telling me to stop fooling around.
“Whatever sort of information you think you have, that won’t buy—”
“I’ll find where your father is.”
“Hey.”
In that instant, killing intent flashed.
Shing—!
A sword flew to my throat.
In the knife-sharp air, cold metal touched my skin.
“There are lines even a joke can’t cross. Keep pushing and you’ll die.”
“Do I look like I’m joking?”
With calm eyes, I raised a finger and tapped lightly at the blade resting against my neck.
“This ought to be worth more than most prices. You really treating a valuable guest like this?”
“A guest is still judged by what kind of guest he is, prince. I’m fond of you, but not enough to overlook you crossing a line.”
“Then you know.”
Hoyeon of the Hao Clan.
I knew very well how terrifying that woman was.
All I had to do was look at the karma wrapped around her soul.
She was insane.
And I had to use her anyway.
Fear or not, her ability was the real thing.
“That’s why I’m saying it to you. A price like this should be enough for you.”
“...”
Hoyeon stared at me.
The smile vanished from her eyes.
That gaze stayed on me for a while, and then—
“Put the sword away.”
The order fell.
The blade at my throat vanished.
“How did you know?”
So that was where the questioning began.
“Which part? That you’re looking for your father? Or where he is?”
“What can you answer?”
“Neither. I haven’t been paid yet. Hand over the information first, then pick one.”
“...Ha.”
There was frost in the laugh.
“Bang Seongyeon.”
She changed the way she addressed me.
“If that turns out to be a lie, you’ll be dead by my hand within fifteen days.”
“Oh. I’m touched. You’re giving me fifteen whole days?”
“You’re worth that much.”
For a woman like her, fifteen days was an absurdly long time.
“What did you say you wanted?”
“The Sama Sect. Information on them, and information on recent incidents and movements involving unorthodox bastards around Liaoning.”
“Fine. I’ll give it to you.”
Click.
Hoyeon set down her teacup.
“I’ll mix in everything we have on the Sky-Crushing Palace too.”
“...”
She brought up the Sky-Crushing Palace without me mentioning it.
I looked at Hoyeon and smiled.
“You’re still a terrifying woman. Makes me not want anything to do with you.”
“Thank you for the compliment. Come back tomorrow. I’ll have it organized for you.”
“A day is enough?”
“I’d prefer longer. But I’m curious too, so I’ll prepare it in a hurry.”
“Sounds good. Then I’ll come tomorrow.”
That ended the main business, and I rose.
Then I walked out the door.
Bow Ghost, who had been quietly beside me the whole time, followed after me.
There was still no one visible anywhere.
Even with that thick killing intent filling the room.
*****
Creeeak.
The door shut behind us.
The moment we stepped outside—
“...”
Bow Ghost stared at me.
“What.”
What was she glaring at?
With the way she was looking at me—
“...You. What the hell are you?”
“What?”
“And what the hell was that?”
“What are you talking about?”
I frowned at the nonsense, and Bow Ghost spoke with trembling eyes.
“That woman.”
She meant Hoyeon.
“She isn’t human.”
Oh.
I was impressed.
Like I’d thought before—
“Your instincts are good.”
Bow Ghost had good instincts.
Very, very good ones.
