Chapter 365
Chapter 365
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 365
Chapter Title: Hao Gate
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Hao Gate.
Low and filthy.
As its name implied, the members of the Hao Gate consisted of inn staff, courtesans from pleasure houses, street thugs, and the like.
At a glance, they seemed indistinguishable from any other black path sect, but they possessed one key advantage that set them apart from typical black path groups.
Information.
They had a mastery of worldly intelligence.
To a degree rivaling the Beggars' Sect.
It was astonishing.
For centuries, the Beggars' Sect had been famed as the jianghu's premier information sect, yet the Hao Gate—which looked no different from the black path—was threatening that throne and hot on their heels.
But perhaps it was only natural.
Inns, taverns, pleasure houses, and so on.
The venues where they gathered intelligence were places where people inevitably let their guards down.
Especially men smitten with courtesans—their lips grew remarkably loose.
From such lowly origins, they had astonishingly expanded their influence at a rapid pace.
Even though it had only been a little over two hundred years since they had truly made their name in the jianghu, they had solidified their standing as an information sect.
Cheonhwi stepped out of the inn.
He had pulled low a bamboo hat roughly bought from the marketplace, with his two swords hanging at his waist as usual.
"Customer, our inn..."
"Aigoo! Our tavern's brew is second to none!"
Cheonhwi glanced at the touts calling out to passersby on the street, then turned his gaze elsewhere.
To the spot, right after leaving the inn, where eyes had been fixed on him.
At Cheonhwi's glance, they hurriedly averted their stares, but their opponent was no pushover.
'Nine of them?'
Cheonhwi had already taken stock of them all. Sweeping his eyes over each one by one, he stepped into the street and approached a single man.
A fellow who had been hawking to passersby for quite some time.
The man, Jeong-woo, flashed a bright smile as Cheonhwi drew near and spoke in a jovial tone.
"Customer! Why not grab a drink at our tavern? We've just stocked some new liquor—it's exquisite."
Jeong-woo spoke with brazen nonchalance, as if he had never laid eyes on Cheonhwi before. Cheonhwi lowered his gaze calmly and parted his lips.
"I'm here to buy information. Where's the local branch?"
"Pardon? What do you mean...?"
As Jeong-woo tilted his head in feigned ignorance, Cheonhwi flicked his hand and drew a money pouch from his sleeve.
Jingling—
At the heavy clink and the glint of gold peeking from the half-open pouch, Jeong-woo swallowed hard and worked his mouth.
"You already knew it all?"
"Moving that obviously? It'd be weirder if I hadn't noticed."
At Cheonhwi's matter-of-fact reply, a wry smile tugged at Jeong-woo's lips.
He had suppressed his presence as best he could, or so he thought.
Yet they had all been seen through.
'All of us busted.'
Bitterly chuckling, he spoke up.
"Follow me."
With that, he started walking.
It looked utterly natural, as if simply leading to the tavern he had been promoting.
Cheonhwi followed behind.
Jeong-woo thus passed through the bustling street with Cheonhwi before abruptly turning a corner and halting.
Before a flashy tavern.
"Please wait just a moment."
Leaving those words, Jeong-woo approached the burly guard at the tavern door and whispered as if to bar entry.
"Customer."
"Priority?"
"Upper tier at least, maybe top."
The guard's eyes chilled briefly before he ducked inside.
Cheonhwi let their exchange flow past one ear while quietly scrutinizing the tavern.
The liquor scent teasing his nose was enticing.
"Smack, makes me crave a cup. Guess the good stuff is real."
As Cheonhwi smacked his lips briefly.
'Tracked me all the way here.'
Sensing a Beggars' Sect disciple's presence some twenty zhang off, he turned and looked that way.
Ban-u-gong, perched on a rooftop watching, met Cheonhwi's eyes and sheepishly scratched his head.
『Why'd you come all this way?』
『Curiosity.』
At Cheonhwi's sound transmission, Ban-u-gong replied without hiding his embarrassment, then sent another.
『What're you asking about?』
『Same as you.』
Ban-u-gong fell silent, sending no further transmissions.
That was when.
"You can enter now."
Jeong-woo returned and said.
He then stepped inside the tavern.
"Hahaha! Drinks all around!"
"Drink till we drop today!"
Hearty roars from drunken revelers and gulps of liquor echoed.
Jeong-woo bypassed them and ascended the stairs.
How high up the spiral staircase? Soon, they reached the top floor.
Lower floors had been wide open, but this one was sealed tight on all sides.
Jeong-woo proceeded down the hall and halted before the end room, knocking.
Knock, knock.
"Branch leader, a guest has arrived."
"Come in."
No sooner said than Jeong-woo threw open the door, revealing the interior.
Austere space.
Just a table and two chairs in the center.
And opposite sat an elder, eyeing Cheonhwi.
"Pleased to meet you. This old man is Seon-gyeong, branch leader of the Hao Gate's Jeongyang branch."
At the elder's greeting, Cheonhwi advanced.
And sat in the chair.
Rudely, sans courtesy. Yet branch leader Seon-gyeong showed no reaction and spoke.
"What information do you seek?"
Cheonhwi narrowed his eyes at the question.
"I came to speak with the branch leader."
"What do you... Kugh!"
Suddenly, Seon-gyeong paled.
Overwhelmed by Cheonhwi, who had surged his internal energy.
Cheonhwi glanced back calmly.
Jeong-woo watched from the still-open door.
"Why stand there? Come in."
Jeong-woo's eyes darkened at Cheonhwi's words.
He turned to Seon-gyeong curtly.
"Out."
"Y-yes, sir."
The once-bold Seon-gyeong cowed instantly and scurried out.
Jeong-woo glanced at him, entered, and shut the door.
"This stood out too?"
"Hao Gate branch leaders all hide like that."
"...You know our sect well."
"Somewhat."
Jeong-woo scoffed incredulously and shook his head at Cheonhwi's reply.
"What information do you want?"
"Heavenly Demon Divine Cult."
"..."
Jeong-woo's eyes flickered.
"For Heavenly Demon Divine Cult intel, the Beggars' Sect knows far more."
"But Hao Gate might have others."
"Second choice, then."
Cheonhwi smirked wordlessly.
"Understood. I'll compile it..."
"Oh, right. Need lots from three hundred years ago, Absolute Heavenly Demon era."
"Absolute Heavenly Demon era?"
"Focus there... and on Demon Brain from then."
"Demon Brain... Got it."
Jeong-woo nodded, adding tersely.
"Will take time."
"How much?"
"Ten days minimum."
"No waiting here till then?"
"Check any branch."
"Fine, then."
Cheonhwi nodded.
"Price?"
"One tael silver."
"Huh? Cheap."
"Not new intel—just relaying known facts. Can't charge much. This covers compilation labor."
"Surprisingly straightforward."
"How else to survive the jianghu?"
Jeong-woo muttered flatly.
Hao Gate lacked elites, so business sustained them.
Cheonhwi nodded, drawing silver from the pouch.
"I'll retrieve it later."
He set it on the table, rose, and exited.
Footsteps receded.
Long after they faded, Jeong-woo—still seated—finally took up the brush and ink.
Soon, a hawk soared gracefully from the window.
A paper tightly bound to its ankle.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Cheonhwi roamed the jianghu, pressing onward.
From Henan's southernmost Jeongyang to Shanxi took considerable time.
Twelve days later, he arrived.
In Shanxi, Cheonhwi headed straight for a Hao Gate branch.
"H-here."
The neck-grabbed Hao Gate man led with a grimace.
A dingy alley building.
Inside, a middle-aged man in the open room welcomed him.
"We've been expecting you."
Not mere words—he placed a booklet on the table.
"Hm? One volume?"
"Omitted common knowledge."
"Oh?"
Pleased, Cheonhwi opened and read.
'Nothing new.'
His eyes narrowed while scanning.
Identical to Beggars' Sect records.
Slightly different: demonic adepts who had surfaced in jianghu, compiled.
Reading indifferently, then.
'Hm?'
Cheonhwi's gaze iced.
Upon reaching the end and Demon Brain's info.
— Later, reports of Demon Brain, post-Demonic Cult departure, appearing in Western Regions and Central Plains.
One line. Plenty to provoke.
'Western Regions and Central Plains...?'
Cheonhwi's brow twitched.
What business after forging that Heavenly Demon Divine Cult?
Head spinning, then.
'...'
Spotting the last page's line, Cheonhwi surged internal energy.
Whoosh—
Samadhi True Fire consumed the booklet.
Branch leader gawked, but Cheonhwi turned indifferently.
No more intel needed.
No cause for delay.
'Coincidence? No, this...'
Recalling the final line, Cheonhwi's eyes deepened mysteriously.
— Rumor once spread of one resembling Demon Brain visiting Mount Bang.
Cheonhwi advanced horseless.
Plum Blossom Divine Art at perfection endlessly cycled Great Heavenly Circuits, fueling extreme-speed Skyflying Steps.
Overwhelming lightness skill.
Horse-outpacing velocity brought him swiftly to Mount Bang.
Yet Cheonhwi pressed on.
Swish—
Parting thick foliage, he halted at a cliff tangled in half-severed vines.
Nature's flow broken cliff.
Flow Severed Entering Void Transforming True Formation.
Illusion array guarding Shadowless Divine Throw secret chamber's entrance welcomed him.
Cheonhwi strode toward the cliff, hurling his body in.
Squelch—
Body pierced the cliff.
Then, vision warped, scenery shifted in a fleeting instant—Cheonhwi's senses sharpened.
'...Well now?'
Presences everywhere.
Not few—at least a hundred.
They scrambled to conceal as he entered the array.
Through the array, Cheonhwi rocketed forth.
A streak of light.
Before a youth gaping at his vanishing form—peeking entrance to hide—Cheonhwi materialized, seizing his throat.
"...!"
Facing the panicked youth, Cheonhwi met his eyes coldly.
Then smirked.
"Where do you think you're fleeing to?"