Chapter 110
Chapter 110
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: 화산천마 (110)화
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 110
Chapter Title: Hao Clan Transaction
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"Kuh, delicious."
Cheonhwi, who had arrived in Xi'an, savored the alcohol he was tasting for the first time in ages while surveying his surroundings.
Was it because it was the most vibrant city in all of Shaanxi?
From the second floor of the inn, the street below bustled with people, their faces and strides brimming with energy.
How long had he been sitting there, sipping alone and gazing down at them?
"May I join you for a moment?"
A middle-aged man approached and requested to sit.
It was an out-of-the-blue request.
But Cheonhwi glanced at the man, smirked, and nodded.
"Sure."
"Thank you."
The middle-aged man smiled and took a seat.
They really came, just like Sangyeo said.
Sangyeo had handed him the silk cloth while saying the process was quite complicated, making first deals with the Hao Clan difficult.
That was why the cloth now sat on the table—the one Sangyeo had given him.
'Just leave it visible in any inn,' he said, but they came faster than I expected.
He had only been sitting in the inn for a mere two gak.
The fact that they arrived so quickly just from placing the cloth meant there were definitely Hao Clan members nearby.
And as if to prove it...
"Sir, would you like to order?"
A waiter approached as if he'd been waiting, and the middle-aged man smoothly placed his order.
Once the waiter left, the man looked at the cloth on the table and asked,
"...May I take a look?"
Cheonhwi chuckled at the reaction.
"Go ahead."
The middle-aged man immediately picked up the cloth.
After examining it closely from every angle, he quietly tucked it into his bosom.
"I've confirmed it."
"Then now..."
"How about finishing your meal first?"
The middle-aged man subtly glanced around.
Being between lunch and dinner, the inn had few patrons, but he remained wary of them.
'Yeah, leaving right after arriving would look suspicious.'
Cheonhwi nodded.
"Sure."
"Thank you for your understanding."
A moment later, the waiter brought the food, and a silent mealtime passed.
Clink—
The middle-aged man, who finished eating hurriedly, downed his tea in one gulp and stood.
"Follow me."
Leaving the inn, the middle-aged man headed not to the main street but into an alley.
The moment they entered the alley...
Swish—
The air—no, the atmosphere—changed.
The street they'd walked moments ago had been bright and lively, but this alley was decadent and sinister.
The narrow path between tall buildings got no sunlight, and the occasional people they passed were anything but ordinary.
Men covered in scars, carrying swords.
Those staring blankly at the sky, muttering to themselves.
And the gaudily dressed women tempting them.
It felt like a gathering place for those who lurked in the shadows.
At that moment, Cheonhwi sensed eyes on him.
Figures, they were in on it together.
As Cheonhwi locked eyes with those glaring at him and smirked...
"This is the place."
Just then, the middle-aged man stopped.
They had arrived at a quiet building.
"Follow me."
The middle-aged man opened an old door and entered, with Cheonhwi following behind.
Darkness greeted them inside.
There were no windows to be seen, nor even lanterns to light the passage.
After walking for about one da gyeong...
Cheonhwi, who had been following along, let out a yawn and spoke.
"How long are you going to keep circling around?"
The middle-aged man's steps faltered slightly.
"...What do you mean?"
"You tried to hide the room and all..."
Cheonhwi tilted his head to the side.
The presence and breathing from beside the passage were crystal clear in his ears.
"I already know everything, so drop the pointless tricks and let's get inside already?"
"..."
"You're just wasting time."
As the flustered middle-aged man shut his mouth...
"Hahaha."
Laughter came from beyond the wall.
"We did something pointless."
"Right?"
"..."
The laughter cut off at Cheonhwi's agreement.
Then, a voice full of mirth pierced through the wall in his place.
"Bring the guest inside."
"Understood."
The silent middle-aged man turned around.
He stood beside Cheonhwi and busily fiddled with something.
Creak—
A grating sound echoed after a moment.
At the same time, the darkness split in two, light leaking from between.
Creeak—
A bizarre room appeared shortly after.
This place is odd.
Cheonhwi quickly scanned the room.
There was nothing inside.
In the room lit by red lanterns, there was only a lone table and two chairs.
A temporary hideout?
Then, a young man sitting in one of the chairs caught his eye.
"Pleased to meet you. I'm the branch chief of the Hao Clan Shaanxi branch."
The young man who called himself the branch chief was utterly ordinary.
His appearance, presence—everything.
"Branch Chief."
The middle-aged man approached him then and pulled the cloth from his bosom, handing it over.
"He had this on him."
The branch chief's eyebrow twitched at the sight of the cloth. He muttered lowly.
"Get out."
At the branch chief's dismissal, the middle-aged man backed out of the room.
Thud!
Moments later, the split wall closed again, leaving only the branch chief and Cheonhwi in the room.
The reddish lantern light illuminated the two, and the branch chief spoke.
"What brings you here?"
Nice.
A smile formed on Cheonhwi's lips.
No need for annoying questions about where he got the cloth.
Getting straight to the point like this was right up his alley.
Cheonhwi sat in a chair and answered.
"The identities of those who occupied the inn."
The branch chief nodded.
"The inn under Sangyeo's care, I presume."
Cheonhwi's lips curved up.
As expected of an information sect.
He spoke as if he already knew what the request would be.
"We haven't grasped any information on them yet, so we'll take the advance payment only. If we obtain info on them later, we'll set a separate fee and deliver it. If we can't get any, we'll refund the advance."
Cheonhwi asked with a satisfied expression at the systematic approach.
"Good. How much for the advance?"
"The advance is one tael of silver."
"That's quite pricey for an advance?"
One tael of silver was enough for a family of four to live on for a month.
For an advance on info they didn't even have yet, it felt expensive.
"By our clan's rules, all unconfirmed information is set at one tael."
"Is that so? Then I'll pay it."
With that, Cheonhwi rummaged in his sleeve.
Good thing I brought the silver from last time.
He pulled out some silver he'd received from the Ilsim Merchant Group just in case and handed it over.
The branch chief examined the silver meticulously before slowly nodding.
"Confirmed."
He tucked the silver away and asked,
"Nothing else you need?"
"Not really."
"Understood. We'll contact you separately once we have the info."
"When should I come back?"
"Hao Clan members are everywhere under heaven—and nowhere at all. Whether you're in Shaanxi or not, we'll contact you anytime, anywhere."
Reliable.
Cheonhwi smiled at the branch chief, words no ordinary man could say with such confidence.
"Good."
As the satisfied Cheonhwi rose from his chair...
Tap. Tap.
The branch chief knocked on the wall twice.
As if that was the signal, the closed wall began to open.
"Take care."
Leaving the branch chief's farewell behind, Cheonhwi emerged to find the middle-aged man waiting.
"No circling around this time—just take me out?"
"...Understood."
Cheonhwi had been out in less than one da gyeong—a very short time.
The moment he stepped out the door...
"Huh?"
"Eh?"
They ran into an unexpected person.
"Why are you here?"
"Why are you here?"
It was someone he had parted with at White Ghost Castle.
He had an unexpected reunion here with Haujin, the Flying Swallow Sword Lord.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ A short while later, as Cheonhwi sat in the inn sipping tea, Haujin plopped down hurriedly.
"Hoo, sorry to keep you waiting."
Haujin caught his breath and spoke.
"So, what brings you to the Hao Clan?"
"To get some information."
"Information? For info, why go to the Hao Clan instead of the Beggar Clan...?"
"It's the same thing, isn't it?"
Haujin shook his head.
"Our positions are different."
"Positions?"
"Wasn't there that recent incident between our sect and the Beggar Clan at the Murim Alliance?"
"Was there?"
As Cheonhwi tilted his head...
"I heard from Martial Uncle that you were there too, Cheonhwi..."
"Me? What incident... Ah!"
Cheonhwi realized mid-sentence.
Haujin was referring to the incident where Mount Hua Sect and the Beggar Clan joined forces at the Murim Alliance to drive out the Chungnam Sect.
'Tch, I forgot about that for a sec.'
As the central figure in that event, Cheonhwi scratched his head and mumbled,
"Yeah, that happened."
Cheonhwi acknowledged it and continued.
"I had some business, so I went to the Hao Clan instead of the Beggar Clan for info."
Cheonhwi gave a vague answer.
Explaining the full situation would be too much of a hassle.
"Must be related to you leaving Mount Hua, then."
"Something like that."
"What's going on?"
"Hard to say."
Cheonhwi stated firmly.
Haujin eyed Cheonhwi curiously, wondering what had brought him down the mountain, then shook his head.
'Haha, Ujina. You're hiding your own reasons for coming here, so why ask him?'
Haujin composed himself.
After all, he too had visited the Hao Clan for a secret reason he couldn't even tell Cheonhwi.
"I shouldn't have pried."
Then Haujin narrowed his eyes slightly.
He hadn't kept Cheonhwi waiting just to probe like this.
Soon, he met Cheonhwi's gaze directly and slowly spoke.
"Do you have any plans next—like somewhere to go or an appointment?"
"No, nothing in particular."
"Then how about visiting the Chungnam Sect now?"
"Chungnam Sect? Why?"
To Cheonhwi's puzzled question, Haujin replied earnestly.
"There's someone there I want you to meet."
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