SDG 15

Chapter 15

When one thought of the Hao Clan, the first things that usually came to mind were brothels or gambling dens.

And that wasn’t entirely wrong.

Most members of the Hao Clan were indeed directly or indirectly connected to such places.

But not all Hao Clan members were like that.

Among the common innkeepers you could find in any town, or among porters, even among the drivers of horse-drawn carts, there were members of the Hao Clan.

And more than that—
there were even boatmen belonging to the Hao Clan.

The boy in front of me was one such case.

“Elder Doosanbaek of the Gujung Society.”

“What—who?”

When I spoke not of a place but of a person, the boatman looked dumbfounded.

“Hey, I was asking if you were getting on the boat, why are you suddenly bringing up someone’s name….”

I cut him off lightly.

“How much will it cost me to meet him?”

Meeting a Hao Clan disciple wasn’t that difficult in itself.

Together with the Beggar’s Union, the Hao Clan boasted the largest number of members in the world.

Wherever you went, there were beggars of the Beggar’s Union and disciples of the Hao Clan.

But meeting them and buying information were two different matters.

Unless you knew the proper contact method, Hao Clan disciples never revealed themselves.

Just like now.

“So you are a guest of the Hao Clan.”

Though I had spouted something that made no sense, the boatman’s attitude changed immediately.

That was because what I’d said was, in fact, one of their contact signals.

And I had to admit, he handled both acting and people with considerable skill.

Had I not been told in advance by the old Chief, I too would never have guessed that this boy in front of me belonged to the Hao Clan.

That was the frightening part of them—
you never knew who belonged to them, nor where their branches truly lay.

So that part hasn’t changed since the old days.

The boatman—no, the Hao Clan disciple—who introduced himself as “So-gum” (Little Sword), spoke.

“You can explain your business once we’re aboard.”

Following So-gum’s guidance, I stepped onto the small ferry.

Now that I thought about it, this was my first boat ride in this body.

Back in the Sword Saint’s life, I often rode boats.

Sometimes great ships that crossed entire rivers, other times small boats like this just for leisure.

Even though the Mount Hua Sect shunned worldly pleasures, they were still human.

Few sect leaders hated boat rides.
In fact, many enjoyed them.

Back then, I had thought it was simply because, after spending nearly their whole lives in the mountains, rivers and lakes felt fresh and novel.

But standing on a boat now, with my own two feet instead of my sword, my thoughts changed somewhat.

“How refreshing.”

The river breeze cooled not my body but my very heart.

Curiously, a drink I’d never even tasted before popped into my head.

I laughed quietly.

Now I understood why the former sect leaders of Mount Hua would always crave liquor whenever they boarded a boat, even though they couldn’t hold their alcohol.

While these thoughts drifted through my mind, the ferry moved steadily across the water and finally stopped at a certain spot.

“This is the best scenic view around here.”

“It does seem so.”

Indeed, even to eyes that had lived among the peerless scenery of Mount Hua, this view carried a certain charm.

Especially that nameless ridge stretching in the distance—it caught my eye.

It could not compare to Mount Hua, but it was enough to remind me of it.

Had I not been interrupted, I might have gazed at it for quite a while.

“I’ll give you plenty of time to appreciate the view later. For now, may we talk, Young Master Jamun?”

My gaze shifted from the mountain ridge back to So-gum.

“So you know who I am.”

“You’re a rather well-known figure. Especially of late.”

“Famous, you say. Aside from being bedridden for years, I’ve done nothing noteworthy.”

“Haven’t quite a few things happened to you recently?”

As expected of the Hao Clan.

He spoke as if he knew everything.

But that was never the case.

He had only sensed something was going on and was probing to see how I’d respond.

That was their specialty.

Vague, suggestive talk designed to fish for truths.

“That is true enough.”

Since they already had me under watch, there was no point in stubbornly hiding things.

At least before them, it was better to appear that way.

The more you tried to hide, the more eager they became to dig.

I answered calmly.

So-gum’s gaze shifted briefly before returning to normal.

This boy—
he wasn’t interested in the Golden Flower Merchant Guild.

His curiosity was aimed at me.

He’s probing me.

So that’s how it was. Even as young as he was, he was still a child of the martial world.

I had no idea what exactly he saw in me, but I had to admit—he wasn’t bad.

Originally, I had planned only to state my business and leave.

But perhaps I would indulge him a little.

“Seems you’ve forgotten I’m your guest.”

I deliberately let irritation show, just to see how he’d react.

This time, he looked genuinely flustered.

“Ah! If I’ve said anything offensive, I apologize. I haven’t been doing this long, so I still lack experience.”

“For someone lacking, you seem rather skilled.”

“If that’s how you see it, I’m grateful.”

He rubbed his nose shyly as though embarrassed by the compliment.

I couldn’t help but chuckle.

That was acting—
but very natural acting.

Fall for it, and you’d have your throat slit in a heartbeat.

Such people weren’t limited to the Hao Clan; the martial world was full of them.

And with such people, the only way was to push harder.

“So I may take it you admit your mistake, then?”

“Eh? But I already apologized….”

“You don’t mean to brush it off with just words, do you?”

“Well…”

“I trust you’re not shameless.”

So-gum stared at me, baffled.

It was the first truly genuine expression I’d seen on him today.

But just as quickly, he composed himself again.

“I hadn’t realized Young Master Geum was such an amusing person. True, I did make a mistake, but your jest is a little much.”

Trying to slip away, eh?

“I’m not jesting.”

At that, a brief contest of wills flared between us.

He was seasoned for his age, but a child was still a child.

Losing such a contest of presence to me was impossible.

“…Very well.”

So-gum averted his eyes, sighed lightly, and continued.

“I did commit a discourtesy, so in today’s discussion, I’ll accept taking a loss. Not much, but some.”

The curiosity that had gleamed in his eyes faded.

He now looked at me more as a guest than a target to probe.

So, I’ve disappointed him.

Over something as trivial as nitpicking words.

But that had been my intention.

Flexibility isn’t bad. But letting a few words shake your own judgment—that only proves you’re still young.

Still, overall, he wasn’t bad.

I couldn’t tell how high he stood within the Hao Clan yet, but given time, he might earn a place of his own.

Not that it was any concern of mine.

The short probing game was over. Now it was time to get to the point.

“I want information on the Gujung Society and its elder, Doosanbaek.”

Since I had already mentioned Doosanbaek, the answer came quickly.

“That request is normally classified as first-rank information. And starting from first-rank, it isn’t just about the price—we don’t sell such data to just anyone. Only to top-tier clients. But since this is within my discretion, I’ll make an exception. Consider it repayment for my earlier discourtesy. Will that suffice?”

He didn’t seem to be bluffing.

Though I hadn’t intended it, pressing his mistake earlier had led to a favorable outcome.

“That will do well enough.”

“Not just well enough… sigh. Never mind.”

I let his muttered sigh slip past and moved to my next question.

“So how much must I pay?”

Had I been too harsh earlier?

Instead of answering, So-gum shook his head.

For a moment, I wondered if he had changed his mind about the deal, but fortunately that wasn’t the case.

“Before that, we need to narrow the scope of your request. The Gujung Society alone is vast beyond expectation. Surely you don’t need all of it?”

He was right.

I didn’t need much.

All I needed to know was whether Doosanbaek was acting alone, or being backed by the Gujung Society.

“I want to know if the Gujung Society has recently expanded its power by swallowing other factions.”

That would reveal whether they had a hand in the matter, or if it was Doosanbaek’s solo scheme.

And to be safe—

“It would also help to have a rough idea of their strength. For example…”

“For example?”

“…compared to the Mount Hua Sect.”

Perhaps an unusual request—
So-gum gave me a puzzled look.

Out of countless sects, I had chosen to compare them to Mount Hua.

But for me, this was the only reliable measure.

I knew little of other sects, but I knew Mount Hua’s strength fairly well.

Though curious, So-gum nodded obediently.

“Not precisely, but I can compare their revealed forces. I’ll include that as well. However…”

He raised another concern.

“The first request you made is rather difficult. When a society absorbs another force, it’s usually done very discreetly.”

He complained, but he didn’t say it was impossible.

So, perhaps narrowing it further—

“I don’t need everything. Just check if any merchant guilds were among those they swallowed.”

That seemed to work.

“Yes, that should be possible. So let me summarize. You want information on Doosanbaek, a comparison of the Gujung Society’s strength to Mount Hua’s, and whether they’ve ever absorbed a merchant guild. Correct?”

I considered, then nodded.

That much would suffice for now.

“Please proceed.”

“Very well. I’ll prepare the report accordingly.”

With the request accepted, what remained was price and payment.

So-gum named his price first.

“Though the scope has narrowed, these are still first-rank items. For the Gujung Society alone, the fee is twenty taels of gold. However, because of my earlier mistake, I’ll give you the Doosanbaek data free of charge. As deposit, you must pay ten taels of gold now.”

Twenty taels of gold.

That was equivalent to four hundred taels of silver—
enough to buy one or two prime-location inns with ease.

“Hm.”

From the moment I heard the price, I held my tongue.

Not because it was too high.

And certainly not because I lacked money.

The Golden Flower Merchant Guild, after all, was counted among the Hundred Great Merchant Guilds of the world.

It had little power, but no shortage of money.

Expensive though it seemed, the price was within reason.

In my breast pocket were banknotes given to me by the Chief before I left.

I hadn’t counted them, but they certainly exceeded four hundred taels of silver.

Still—