The Price of Information
After descending for quite some time through a dark, narrow passage, a space leaking red light appeared before them.
Jang Muhwi clicked his tongue inwardly.
As expected, it's the main headquarters of Haomen.
In truth, this was Jang Muhwi's second visit to this place.
Of course, the first time existed only in his memories from his previous life.
Galmu-ryang, following close behind, was too busy looking around with a dazed expression to speak.
A moment later, Jang Muhwi found himself seated inside a crimson room.
A woman dressed in red silk lounged on a plush bed, gazing at him with languid eyes.
Beneath the red canopy, her pale skin appeared even more striking.
Two warriors in black robes stood nearby, idly stroking their sword sheaths.
Anyone stumbling upon this scene might easily mistake it for Jang Muhwi and Galmu-ryang being brought in as captives.
The black-masked warriors encircling her stood like statues, even their breathing silenced.
An awkward silence stretched on for some time.
When Galmu-ryang kept clenching and unclenching his fists while swallowing nervously, Jang Muhwi gave his shoulder a subtle press.
At that moment, the woman's crimson lips parted.
"Welcome, Young Hero Jang. And it's a pleasure to meet you as well, Young Hero Gal."
"A pleasure, Miss Sa."
"You know who I am?"
"This is our first time meeting face to face, but your reputation precedes you."
"Pfft."
The woman burst into laughter.
Jang Muhwi responded with a polite fist salute.
"I am Jang Muhwi of Qinghai."
"I know who you are. I am Sa Hwayeon."
At those words, Galmu-ryang's eyes widened beside him.
The earlier conversation between Jang Muhwi and the clerk had suddenly come back to him.
Jang Muhwi had requested flowers embroidered on silk redder than blood itself.
Of course, accompanied by snakes.
Putting all the pieces together, the contact Jang Muhwi had been seeking was undoubtedly Sa Hwayeon.
Noticing Galmu-ryang's surprise, Sa Hwayeon spoke.
"Please, sit down first. My neck is starting to ache from looking up at you both."
"As you wish."
Jang Muhwi nodded, guided Galmu-ryang to a seat, then turned to face Sa Hwayeon directly.
Her demeanor was soft as silk, yet it concealed something razor-sharp within.
Jang Muhwi was the first to break the silence.
"It is an honor to meet you while you are so busy, Sect Leader."
"Let's skip the pleasantries and get to the point."
Sa Hwayeon lightly tapped the red armrest with a slender finger.
"Very well."
Jang Muhwi carefully withdrew two objects from his robes and placed them on the table.
One was a broken shard of metal faintly radiating dark red energy. The other was a fragment of a wooden plaque, marred with black scorch marks.
"Are these traces from Paryun Valley?"
"They are."
"I'll accept them. But the price won't be cheap."
Sa Hwayeon smiled faintly as she regarded him.
Jang Muhwi crossed his arms.
"It seems you're under a misconception, Sect Leader."
"A misconception, you say?"
"Yes. I did not come here to purchase information."
"Then why show me these?"
"I came to sell information."
"Pfft."
As Sa Hwayeon covered her mouth with her sleeve, Jang Muhwi continued.
"Aren't you curious?"
"Curious about what? The investigation is already complete. I even read the report you submitted to the Sichuan Branch. So what exactly are you trying to sell?"
"And you believe that report?"
"Pardon?"
Sa Hwayeon's eyes widened.
Jang Muhwi pressed on.
"You don't know about the martial artist who confronted the madman, do you? Or the madman's true identity. If you're not interested, I'll take my leave."
Jang Muhwi rose from his seat and grabbed Galmu-ryang's sleeve.
Sa Hwayeon raised her palm.
"Wait a moment. You're terrible at negotiation, aren't you? And did you just say only one person faced the madman?"
"Does that interest you?"
"If that's true, the report I received is completely worthless."
Sa Hwayeon gestured toward the corner of the bed.
Several sheets of paper lay scattered there.
As expected of Haomen.
To have already obtained the report that had been exchanged for precious elixirs.
It must have been sold by someone inside the Sichuan Branch.
Information always found its way around.
The culprit could have been a senior clerk or even Jin Cheon-un himself.
Of course, none of that mattered right now.
What mattered was the transaction with Haomen.
The woman before him hid a blade behind her gentle appearance.
In his previous life, Jang Muhwi had worked with her several times.
She would make a reliable ally against a common enemy, but she could just as easily stab him in the back if their interests diverged.
Even so, Jang Muhwi had decided to make active use of Haomen moving forward.
To uproot the Demonic Cult's influence, which might have already spread deep into the orthodox factions, the most critical factor was secrecy.
And the organization best equipped to maintain absolute secrecy was Haomen, concealed in the shadows.
If his suspicions proved correct, incidents like this would continue to occur. Jang Muhwi resolved to build a lasting connection with Haomen beyond this single request.
Sa Hwayeon rested her chin on her hand and studied him quietly.
"How much do you want?"
"First, I wish to state my conditions. What I desire is secrecy. I avoided going to the Beggars' Sect because I cannot trust the orthodox factions."
"What did you just say? Is the Jang family not part of the orthodox factions?"
"Among all enemies, the most dangerous is the one within."
"Hmm, an internal enemy... Very well. I will ensure the information is used only where necessary. Now, what is your price?"
"Not money. I want information. Five pieces of information will suffice."
"Hoho. What an interesting man. An exchange of information, then. Consider our deal concluded."
"This is a fragment of the axe the madman used. He referred to it as the Raging Slash Twin Axes. It could be the name of his martial art or the weapon itself. This plaque was found alongside it. The fire damage makes it nearly unrecognizable, but I brought it hoping you might identify the madman's identity or his backers through it."
"Is that information? Or a request?"
"Both. It is information, and it is also a favor I ask of you. Please pursue the madman's trail."
"The madman used extreme yang fire qi, correct?"
"Yes."
"Then who was the martial artist who faced him?"
Sa Hwayeon's gaze lingered on the axe fragment.
Her expression showed little emotion, but her lips trembled faintly.
She reached out cautiously and touched the shard.
Her shoulders gave a slight shiver.
She was reconstructing the scene from the fragment alone.
The madman's martial prowess had been extraordinary, but the skill of the one who opposed him defied imagination.
This was the true meaning of a world-shaking battle.
Sa Hwayeon turned her quiet gaze toward Galmu-ryang.
She wondered if he might have been the one.
But she shook her head.
She was certain the martial artist had been Jung-yong, the Taoist of the Kunlun Sect.
It couldn't possibly have been the young man sitting before her.
Haomen had already completed its investigation into Jang Muhwi.
Though he had luckily passed through the Dragon Gate Assembly, a snake could not transform into a dragon overnight.
Even an imugi required a thousand years of cultivation before it could ascend as a true dragon.
It was then that Jang Muhwi spoke casually.
"That was me. I'll provide the rest of the details gradually. For reference, the madman emanated an eerie aura unlike anything seen in ordinary martial artists. It was clearly demonic energy."
"Did you just say demonic energy? Young Hero Jang, you continue to astonish me."
Sa Hwayeon lowered her teacup from her red lips.
Clack.
Setting the cup on the table, she narrowed her eyes.
"The scale of this is larger than I anticipated."
"Then the benefits should be equally substantial, shouldn't they?"
"I have my concerns, but I cannot refute your words. The information you requested will be delivered to you in fifteen days."
"Understood. I look forward to it."
"It would be improper to send guests away empty-handed. Please have a simple meal before you leave. One of my subordinates will guide you."
"Then we shall."
Jang Muhwi offered a slight bow and left the room.
The clerk from the fabric store once again led them through the maze-like passages.
The constant turns and twists were enough to disorient even one's senses.
One thing was clear, however.
This was not the same path they had taken to arrive.
The clerk guided them to an unexpected destination.
The place was the restaurant known as the Eight Flavors Pavilion, where they had arranged to meet the warriors of the Murim Alliance.
It earned its name because it offered all eight of Sichuan's most famous dishes.
The clerk showed them to a table by the window.
Jung-yong and the other Murim Alliance warriors were already seated there.
It was all a thoughtful arrangement by the Haomen Leader, Sa Hwayeon.
Ten days later.
The Murim Alliance warriors who had completed their escort duty arrived at the Qinghai Branch.
After some deliberation, Jung-yong returned to Kunlun while Galmu-ryang remained at the Qinghai Branch.
The other two elite warriors promised to meet again someday and returned to their respective sects.
The lower-ranking warriors resumed their daily duties and kept silent about the incident.
It was all due to the promise they had made with Jang Muhwi.
Still, they could not entirely hide the way they looked at him.
Rather than returning to his family estate, Jang Muhwi remained here, waiting for Haomen's information.
That was when a faint creak sounded from the window.
A single note had been slipped into the window frame.
It was the promised information from Haomen.
Jang Muhwi unfolded the note.
After reading its contents in silence, he let out a long sigh.
"Hoo. Quite a formidable opponent."
With those words, Jang Muhwi opened the door and headed toward Wang Jimak's office.
His steps felt unusually heavy.
The identity of the madman Jang Muhwi had confronted was the chief disciple of the Thunderbolt Sect.
That sect had vanished without a trace.
The Thunderbolt Sect had wielded twin axes.
Their internal energy was of the extreme yang nature.
The chief disciple had emerged to save his declining sect and made his way to a certain merchant group.
For a nameless rogue, escorting merchant caravans was one of the few ways to earn money.
It had been his final journey.
The merchant group's name was the Jangryong Merchant Group.
It was located in the western region of Qinghai.
Lost in thought, Jang Muhwi arrived at Wang Jimak's office.
When Jang Muhwi entered, Wang Jimak spread both arms wide in greeting.
"Thank goodness you're safe."
"It has been some time, Branch Chief."
"I've heard all about your exploits. The Sichuan Branch Chief couldn't stop singing your praises."
"Thank you."
Jang Muhwi bowed his head humbly.
"Not only that, he praised you until his mouth went dry. He even said you refused a generous reward?"
Wang Jimak's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"I didn't refuse it. I simply postponed it. And it is precisely because of that reward that I've come to see you today."
Jang Muhwi spoke with firm resolve.
Wang Jimak laughed heartily and gestured for him to continue.
"Haha. Let's hear it, then."
"Before we discuss the reward, there is something I must tell you. The report does not contain everything that happened that day."
A grave tone had entered Jang Muhwi's voice.
Wang Jimak's eyes sharpened.
"The report doesn't contain everything?"
"I am the only one who truly saw the madman's features as described in those documents."
Jang Muhwi met his gaze directly.
"Hmm. So that's how it was. You didn't fight him together. You faced him alone."
Wang Jimak nodded and stroked his chin.
"To speak frankly, I sensed an ominous demonic energy from that madman."
Having finished, Jang Muhwi quietly observed Wang Jimak.
Wang Jimak was a man who had fought the Demonic Cult to the very end during the Righteous-Demonic War.
Moreover, he had shown Jang Muhwi special consideration during the Dragon Gate Assembly.
In short, he was someone who could be trusted.
At Jang Muhwi's confession, Wang Jimak's expression hardened.
"...Demonic energy? Is this true?"
Wang Jimak's voice carried both shock and deep concern.
"Yes. It was unmistakably the aura of the demonic path. I strongly suspect that someone is secretly colluding with the Demonic Cult."
As Jang Muhwi spoke calmly, Wang Jimak fixed him with a piercing stare.
"Why did you not report something this critical to the Sichuan Branch immediately?"