Chapter 56
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 18
Chapter Title: Reorganization (1)
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"Calling me 'auntie'? Why do you think that?"
The woman with the endearing features shot back in a voice suddenly cleared of any drunken haze. But she pouted slightly, as if feeling a touch aggrieved.
"Your face and the way you carry yourself make you look like a charming young lady, but for someone your age, the traces of time in your eyes run far too deep and heavy."
"......"
"If it bothers you that much, should I call you 'Senior' instead?"
The woman whipped her head around with a grumble of, "Tch, who's anyone's senior?" But when she turned back to Flying Tiger, the person was the same, yet her aura had completely shifted.
"Let me introduce her. This is Ui, agent for Hidden Moon. Heard of her?"
Flying Tiger looked at the woman disguised as a gisaeng with renewed scrutiny.
The day before, when Flying Tiger had left for the Red Lantern Temple to take the Face Pursuit Squad's entrance exam, the guide assigned by the Western District Hall had been Iron Scripture. A square-jawed middle-aged man, known as Hidden Moon's right hand, who typically appeared to deliver polite 'warnings' to others. His face was fairly well-known as a result.
On the other hand, Ui was equally renowned as Hidden Moon's left hand and closest confidant, yet hardly anyone claimed to have actually seen them. In fact, most people, like Flying Tiger, didn't even know their gender.
A figure shrouded purely in rumors.
Hidden Moon's blade.
"I've heard the name. So, is this the will of Hidden Moon and the Western District Hall?"
Flying Tiger fiddled with his wine cup in his right hand as he asked in a dry voice. The fact that someone who hid their face had now revealed themselves left plenty of room for grim interpretations.
As he shifted his gaze, his left hand under the table subtly drew the dagger from the rope dart wrapped around his wrist.
"And what will you do about it?"
Ui's eyes gleamed dangerously.
In that instant, Flying Tiger nearly hurled the dagger in his grip, drawn in by that glint. The psychological pressure was immense.
His instincts whispered to him.
'This one's from the same shadows as you. And their mastery surpasses yours. So if you see an opening, don't hesitate—cut their throat first!'
The atmosphere in the room chilled in a heartbeat, and Flying Tiger spoke heavily.
It was an ultimatum.
"This is getting burdensome. If it's a joke, call it off here."
"Heh."
Ui let out a dismissive chuckle, but the flicker in her eyes suggested she was wrestling with her own conflict.
Yet Flying Tiger, having already made up his mind, stared straight at her without wavering.
The silence didn't last long.
Ui raised both hands in surrender with a broad smile.
"Fine, let's drop it. Keep this up, and Hidden Moon will scold me again. But someday, in some other place, I really want to cross paths with you properly."
"......"
"Hidden Moon has a message. It's the response to the requests you made through Aruk."
"Let's hear it."
"For the Face Pursuit Squad's target list, you asked for a fortnight's grace? They understand the difficulties and agreed. But the longer it takes to retrieve them, the more their value drops, so they asked you to hurry."
"I'll do what I can."
"Second, they guarantee your woman's safety. On top of that, regarding her treatment, they'll arrange a meeting soon to give a full report on her progress so far and clarify their future plans."
"That's something to be grateful for."
"Third, you asked them to investigate that 'Dawn Vanguard' organization and block them from digging into your background? Hmph. But word is, you pulled a sneaky trick that day."
Ui fixed Flying Tiger with a cold stare.
It seemed her mood had soured over the Dawn Vanguard cleaners who'd stormed the Western District Hall's secret branch because of Flying Tiger the day before. A lot of her organization's people had died as a result. If Flying Tiger had given proper warning, the damage might have been less.
But it had been Aruk's call.
Flying Tiger shrugged.
"You think a little trickery makes people drop like flies? They're the mad ones. Besides, I did warn you, and it was your side that let it go in one ear and out the other."
"Aruk did say it was too risky and tried to back out. Fair enough, but shouldn't you have been more careful anyway?"
"I've heard it all now. Let me ask one thing."
"......?"
"What exactly do you want from me? Loyalty, or a deal? If it's loyalty, show some trust first. If it's a deal, let's make it fair."
"Hah~ Fine, we won't talk about trust since we can't claim the high ground. But calling for a fair deal? We agreed on terms upfront—what gives you the right to tack on extra requests now?"
"Extra fees."
"Extra fees?"
"Exactly. The kind of additional costs that crop up in any job. I'm not asking you to cover it all—just split it. Isn't that reasonable and proper?"
"Oh~ And if we say no?"
"Ridiculous. Did I ask you to take on the Dawn Vanguard for me? All I want is for you to do what you already do: gather and share information. If you lack the will or the capability for even that......"
Flying Tiger paused to cool his temper before speaking earnestly.
"Then you don't deserve to hold the Face Pursuit Squad's roster. And in the jianghu, those without qualification who get greedy don't meet pretty ends."
"So you're saying if we can't provide that level of support, we should cut our losses and bail now?"
"Precisely."
"Heh heh heh, what an insolent brat. How. Ever!"
Ui eyed Flying Tiger with displeasure.
"Looks like Hidden Moon takes a liking to your type. Your requests are accepted. We've already latched onto a few leads and are digging in—meaningful results should come soon."
"Good to hear."
"Hmph, all thanks to you. You knew that, right?"
As Flying Tiger nodded, Ui let out a sound somewhere between admiration and a sigh.
"As expected. You planned it from the start."
"I'll be frank. I hoped for some clash between the Dawn Vanguard and the Western District Hall, but I didn't expect them to charge in so recklessly. Still, I figured they'd approach me aggressively, so I turned it against them."
"And you expected us to step in?"
"More like I hoped. I just set the stage. Figured if things got messy enough, someone would poke around. Couldn't be sure you'd take the bait, though."
The night before, Flying Tiger had roamed the city, slaughtering Dawn Vanguard warriors left and right.
But as a secret organization, they'd have constraints on their movements. Covering up an unexpected massacre of comrades quietly and perfectly wouldn't be easy.
Gaps were bound to appear.
For instance, witnesses from that night, or some involved in the cleanup whose identities leaked outward.
"Speaking of which."
Ui broached the subject she'd been dying to ask.
"Do you really plan to take on the Dawn Vanguard alone, just with our intel support?"
"I'm reckless, but not that much. I know full well I can't handle them solo."
"Then?"
"Once you feed me the info, I'll use it to maneuver the Face Pursuit Squad into the fray. I'm one of them anyway."
"Hah~ That's bold."
Ui sounded impressed, but that wasn't the whole picture.
If the Dawn Vanguard brass extended a polite invitation as he'd anticipated, he planned to meet them too.
Afterward, Ui addressed Flying Tiger's final request: where Jin Ga-yong had been for the past ten days.
"Word is he went into secluded training for seven days after you left. Common enough for a martial artist."
"But no witnesses, then."
"Want us to dig deeper?"
"Can you?"
"Hidden Moon's taken an interest in the Zhao Family Manor on Ye Mountain anyway, so it's on the agenda. No extra legwork needed."
"Then I'll leave it to you. Why the sudden interest in the Zhao Family Manor?"
"Shaanxi's Three Ghost Treasures."
"......!"
Earlier, Zhao Baek-bing, daughter of the Zhao Family Manor, had mentioned it.
The Shaanxi's Three Ghost Treasures referred to three demonic artifacts: the Ghost Mask, Ghost Hand, and Ghost Pick. Each possessed remarkable power on its own, but donning all three unlocked special abilities.
She'd added that the Zhao Family Manor on Ye Mountain had passed down the 'Ghost Mask' through generations.
But with the manor lord dead, its whereabouts were now unknown, she'd claimed.
"Which power player in Shaanxi wouldn't eye those ghostly treasures? They've just kept quiet about it."
"Everyone assumes the Ghost Mask artifact is at the Zhao Family Manor. Even though they claim it's gone."
"If you said a golden calf vanished from your house one day, who would believe you? They'd nod along like, 'Oh, really?' But deep down, everyone's itching to tear the place apart. Human greed, right?"
"Hmm. But if everyone's so eager, why hasn't anyone bared their fangs yet? It's been over half a year since the manor lord and young master died. Is it because of that second disciple, Division Chief Jin Ga-yong?"
"The Swordless Blade Jin Ga-yong? Hah, you think the jianghu is that soft? He's definitely a tiger cub, but still just a cub. The reason folks are holding back isn't the Zhao Family Manor—it's fear of the one who first sinks their teeth into that golden calf. Any guesses who?"
"Shaanxi's overlord, Lion Hall."
Flying Tiger clicked his tongue.
Even dodging the beast called Lion Hall somehow, what came after would be packs of lesser predators circling and salivating.
'The situation looks way worse than I thought. Tch, the division chief and Zhao Baek-bing aren't fools—they'll handle themselves. No need to worry; focus on my own business.'
While Flying Tiger sorted his thoughts, Ui wet her parched throat with wine and waited patiently. Once he seemed done, she spoke.
"That covers all the responses to your requests via Aruk. So, do you trust Hidden Moon and the Western District Hall a bit more now?"
"My thanks. I'll prove mine with actions, not words. Could I get some brush, ink, paper, and inkstone?"
"Hm? Why the stationery?"
"You said you wanted quick handling, right?"
"......"
Ui summoned a young attendant from the pleasure house to prepare the writing tools. The place saw its share of poets and scholars, so such items were on hand.
Flying Tiger took the paper and began filling it densely with characters. His handwriting was atrocious—like chicken scratches—and his speed made it worse, but the numbers trailing two or three per line stood out neat and clear.
One sheet, two, three...
The stack grew.
Ui watched expectantly, thinking it might be the Face Pursuit Squad roster, but her expression soon turned puzzled. No prescription could be this long. And those numbers everywhere...
It looked almost like...
"Is this some secret document in code for the Face Pursuit Squad?"
"No. These are ledgers of money spent and received in transactions."
"Why would you—?"
"Hidden Moon will figure it out, but since you've been kind to me, Ui, I'll explain. When I was a kid, I worked briefly for a merchant caravan. An elder there told me this."
Flying Tiger finished the last sheet, set down the brush, and flexed his stiff fingers as he spoke.
"Want to know what someone truly desires? Follow the flow of their money!"
Before dawn, instead of the roster, Flying Tiger had cherry-picked financial ledgers stamped by executives from the Face Pursuit Squad headquarters archive.
Not copied elsewhere, but memorized wholesale in his head.