The Price of a Conversation

Akasha, confirm whether my senses are right. That old man—something is off. His appearance and the flow of qi he gives off don't match at all.

At his request, Akasha immediately dispatched several nanobots on the wind toward the old man's body. They slipped inside through the pores of his skin. For a murim martial artist to detect nanobots infiltrating the body was all but impossible—smaller than a red blood cell, they existed in a realm beyond even the most refined qi perception of a Peak Master. Of course, someday, if the pinnacle of martial arts reached the domain of myth, he might encounter a supreme master capable of noticing them, but that person was certainly not the old beggar sprawled before his eyes.

Moments later, having completed her precision scan, Akasha's voice resonated through Ouyang Qiangang's mind.

Certain now, he approached the wine-soaked old beggar and stood before him. Ouyang Qiangang's shadow fell across the old beggar's face, blocking the winter sunlight he had been basking in.

Without even opening his eyes, the old beggar hurled a curse in a voice thick with sleep.

"What cursed bastard is this? Cold enough to freeze the marrow, and now some thieving dog has to steal the only pleasure this old man has left—the sun on his face!"

His words came bundled with a wave of potent liquor fumes and a stench beyond description. But Ouyang Qiangang didn't so much as blink at the old beggar's insolence. He offered a respectful cupped-fist salute and spoke.

"Pardon the intrusion, but I have come looking for Sangchwi-gae No Hae, Branch Leader of the Beggars' Gang's Jiujiang Branch."

Only then did the old beggar crack open one eye. Bloodshot, murky pupils scanned Ouyang Qiangang's unremarkable face and shabby clothing from head to toe, his gaze making it abundantly clear that he found everything in the world a tiresome bother.

"No Hae? Whose dog-bone name is that supposed to be?" He let out a raucous belch and continued. "Never heard of him. So quit blocking my sun and piss off, whelp."

He closed his eyes again and rolled over onto his side—a blatant dismissal, as good as telling the man to get lost.

Instead of taking offense, Ouyang Qiangang drew the gourd bottle from his belt. This was the very gourd the Heavenly Fragrance Fairy had casually pressed into his hands while advising him about Sangchwi-gae, saying it would prove useful when he met the man. The moment he pulled the stopper, an intoxicatingly fragrant and elegantly refined aroma—as though moonlight and flower blossoms had been distilled into liquid—spread through the alley.

The nostrils of the old beggar, who hadn't stirred an inch, began to twitch. As if struck by lightning, he bolted upright and stared intently at the gourd in Ouyang Qiangang's hand. Not a trace of drunkenness remained in his eyes.

Observing his reaction, Ouyang Qiangang calmly plugged the gourd shut again. With an expression of pure agony, the old beggar asked urgently.

"That thing in your hand... don't tell me that's the Moonlight Fragrance, the brew only served at the Heavenly Fragrance Pavilion?"

"It is."

"You pulled that out because you want something from me, don't you?"

"Naturally."

"And what would that be?"

"Only a conversation, Elder."

"A conversation... you mean all I have to do is talk, and you'll let me drink the Moonlight Fragrance?"

"That is correct."

"Carrying something that rare... I figured you weren't an ordinary fellow, but still. Fine."

The old beggar, No Hae, fixed Ouyang Qiangang with a clear, piercing gaze—as though he had never been drunk at all.

"Follow me."

Springing to his feet, he swayed forward as if still half-drunk, leading the way. Ouyang Qiangang assumed No Hae would head for the abandoned temple where the Beggars' Gang branch was stationed, but his expectation proved wrong. No Hae made for a deep, secluded stretch of riverbank instead, pushing without a moment's hesitation into a dense thicket of reeds taller than a man.

Rustle— rustle—

There was no one around. Only the whisper of wind through the reeds and the soft lapping of the river broke the silence. How much farther had they gone? No Hae came to a halt in a small clearing at the heart of the reed field. Walled in on all sides by swaying stalks, it was the perfect spot for a private conversation.

No Hae spoke first.

"No ears here but ours. So what is this conversation you wanted?"

"I am looking for the Venerable Ju Pyo, the Singular Prodigy of Heaven and Earth. I was told you were the last person to see him. If you know his whereabouts, I ask that you tell me."

At those words, the foolish grin No Hae had been wearing while eyeing the gourd froze solid.

"Who the hell are you?"

"That is difficult to say for now."

"Playing secret, are you? Then let me pry that mouth open."

The instant No Hae's low voice fell silent, his swaying form launched at Ouyang Qiangang like an arrow. His movements were impossible to read—he seemed to topple left, only to materialize on the right; he appeared to stumble forward, then a sneak kick came flying from behind.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—

It was the Drunken Eight Immortals Steps, a secret art of the Beggars' Gang. His hands, meanwhile, twisted into bizarre angles like a dog's claws, relentlessly probing for Ouyang Qiangang's vital points. Though no killing intent laced those hands, it was clear that a single grab would snap a bone without effort. This was the Dog-Catching Golden Net Hand, a secret martial art of the Beggars' Gang said to be used for subduing mad dogs.

Yet Ouyang Qiangang, standing at the center of that storm of attacks, remained as still as its eye.

On the surface it looks like senseless flailing, but every technique is a cunning weave of feint and truth. The moment I try to defend, I'd fall into a trap. There's no need to wrestle with an old-timer anyway.

There was no need to activate maximum combat mode. No Hae was a Peak Master, but he wasn't fighting at full strength. Even so, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠his martial arts could not escape Ouyang Qiangang's superhuman dynamic vision. He unfolded the Nine Palaces Subtle Steps and leisurely evaded every one of No Hae's attacks. Not a single wasted motion marred his movements, nor did the slightest hint of instability show. The fiercer No Hae's assault grew, the steadier his footwork became and the more precise his evasion.

Whoosh whoosh whoosh whoosh—

In the blink of an eye, more than thirty exchanges ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠had passed. Yet not once did No Hae's fingertips so much as graze Ouyang Qiangang's collar.

How is this possible!

The last of the drunken haze vanished from No Hae's eyes, replaced by a light of sheer disbelief. Granted, he was only drawing upon his Seven Stars internal energy, but even so, this was a relentless offensive that few first-rate masters of the murim could withstand for three exchanges. And the young man before him was dodging it all as if out for a casual stroll. This was something that could not happen unless one knew his martial arts inside and out.

But once you understood the reason, it was only natural. Ouyang Qiangang wasn't merely dodging—every technique No Hae unleashed was being analyzed in real time by Akasha.

Akasha, is the analysis complete?

Now, in Ouyang Qiangang's eyes, it was not No Hae's next move but the entire flow of every technique he would unfold that lay revealed as clearly as lines on a palm.

At that moment, No Hae—realizing that further fighting was pointless—halted his assault and fell back. He stared at the young uninvited guest before him with eyes that refused to believe what they were seeing.

"Goddamn... where in the hell did this monster crawl out from..."

A curse spilled from his lips. He had never coveted fame or fortune, but admitting that the secret techniques he had honed his entire life had been toyed with by a young man who wouldn't even reveal his identity was no easy pill to swallow.

"Who are you? What is it you do?"

Only then did Ouyang Qiangang reveal himself plainly.

"I am Ouyang Qiangang, eldest son of the Ouyang Clan of Nanchang."

"The Ouyang Clan? You mean that family that would've vanished without a trace long ago if not for that old man Dong's help?"

A bitter smile touched Ouyang Qiangang's lips.

"That is correct, Elder."

"The eldest son of that house... I've heard he has Nine Yin Severed Meridians and is just waiting for the day he crosses the River of Three Crossings... You're telling me you're that boy?"

"I am."

Tilting his head this way and that as he scrutinized every detail of Ouyang Qiangang's appearance, No Hae asked with a deeply furrowed brow.

"No matter how I look at you, you don't seem like a man with one foot in the grave. Are you really the Ouyang Clan's eldest son?"

"Yes."

"Then why do you look perfectly healthy?"

"I have an interest in medicine, so I've made some progress with the severed meridians."

No Hae grasped the implication immediately, and his eyes widened.

"You're healing yourself?"

"I am."

"Hah... you're an even more fucked-up genius than I took you for."

"I... suppose I am."

"And you know how to lacquer your own face too, I see."

"I am merely stating facts as they are."

"People must call you an insufferable smartass pretty often."

"No one has said that to my face so far."

"Of course they say it behind your back. Tell a man who might drop dead any day that he's a smartass, and they'll think he'll crawl out of hell to haunt them for it."

"Well... that may be true."

"Kukukuku, now this—an interesting one has come calling."

Letting out an eccentric laugh, No Hae glanced at the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠gourd of Moonlight Fragrance and continued.

"That face—is it a human-skin mask? I hear you're quite the looker."

"It is."

"You took this old man's drunken ranting without a word of complaint, so I can tell you're no ordinary fellow. I can see your resolve too. Anyway, now that I've confirmed you've got the basics down, let's change venues and start the real conversation."

"Pardon? If it's a conversation, surely here—"

"Shut up and follow me."

Closing his mouth, No Hae began ambling off toward somewhere new. Left with no choice, Ouyang Qiangang followed.

This time, No Hae's destination was a shabby tavern without even a signboard, on the edge of a nearby fishing village. An old man with a face full of wrinkles, who had been wiping tables with a ragged cloth, scowled deeply at the sight of No Hae.

"That damn beggar's still not dead, and here he comes again."

No Hae replied with perfect composure.

"I won't die before I've tasted every fine wine under heaven. So you'd best give up early on any hope of never seeing this face again, innkeeper."

"Goddamn freeloading beggar."

"A beggar begs, damn it! You ever seen me buy food with money?"

Ouyang Qiangang watched the two old men bicker without malice, his expression calm and neutral. No Hae pointed a finger at him and continued.

"But you'll get your money today. That young man there is paying."

The innkeeper looked at Ouyang Qiangang with obvious doubt.

"Is that beggar telling the truth?"

"Yes. Whatever he drinks today, I will cover the bill."

"You have money?"

Ouyang Qiangang smiled and drew a coin pouch from his robe, opening it for the innkeeper to see. The moment the innkeeper saw it was full of silver coins, his attitude transformed.

"A man of wealth, I see."

No Hae bellowed.

"Innkeeper! Bring out every jar of liquor in this establishment. Today I'm going to drink you into bankruptcy!"

"Drink as much as you like."

As the innkeeper disappeared into the kitchen, No Hae gestured for Ouyang Qiangang to sit. Seated across from him, Ouyang Qiangang asked with a puzzled expression.

"We have the Moonlight Fragrance. Why drink something else?"

"With just one bottle? You fill your belly with the cheap stuff first, then you savor the good wine. Otherwise it's a waste."

Ouyang Qiangang had rarely drunk alcohol in this world, and he hadn't enjoyed it in his days on Earth either. So he found No Hae's logic hard to follow, but this hardly seemed the moment to suggest abstaining, and he held his tongue.

No Hae spoke.

"If you want answers from this old man, you'd best first prove you've earned them."

"And that would be drinking capacity?"