As I went down beneath the Cheonghoe Tower, goods were being moved around.
A merchant from the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild opened a few boxes to check the contents of the medicinal herbs inside. Wrapped around the well-dried herbs were fine cloths and illustrations made by the disciples of Hongseong.
Chaejin glanced over at it, puzzled, and asked.
“Did you hire a painter too?”
“I drew that myself.”
“That’s not too hard, is it?” Hongryeon shrugged her shoulders at a surprised Chaejin.
“Oh my. You didn’t know?”
“…You knew, didn’t you?”
“Hehe. It’s just this much.”
“Then, Innkeeper, can you draw my portrait later?”
As Chaejin naturally held my arm while asking, I pondered. A portrait, huh? I could draw, but for someone like Chaejin, I could definitely get a better painter.
“I like the Innkeeper’s painting.”
“I understand.”
“Ah! Then me too!”
“I shall draw it.”
What’s so hard about drawing a portrait?
Still, now that I’m at it, I should also draw the disciples of Hongseong later and maybe even Sayoon’s while I’m at it.
After watching all the items being taken into the Cheonghoe Merchant Guild’s storage, two people came down from above. Gi Noya and Wiyeol.
“Oh. Teacher. Where are you going?”
“I’m going to meet someone. But what about you two…?”
“We’ve been ordered to escort the teacher.”
Wiyeol said politely, then glanced at Hongryeon and Chaejin.
“Of course, with you two here, there shouldn’t be any problems. But still, the more escorts, the better, right?”
“Haha. Four high-ranking fighters escorting a simple villager from Seomhwa Village? I’m flattered.”
“Hehe. You’re too big to be called a simple villager, aren’t you? Anyway, don’t think too hard about it. It’s more like we’re just going together. Oh, and if there’s anywhere you can’t go…”
“Not at all. I’m just planning to go to Giru for a bit.”
“…Huh?”
Gi Noya tilted her head, and Wiyeol narrowed her eyes. I didn’t know what they were thinking, but it wasn’t anything like that.
“I’m going to meet Hano from Hao-mun in Hajinru.”
“Oh, Hajinru. But that place is a bit… wouldn’t it be better to meet here?”
“Their place feels safer, so what can I do?”
Giru was within the territory of the Sapa, and Gi Noya seemed less than thrilled about that.
However, because of my relationship with Hano and the fact that Hao-mun helped the government, he only nodded.
“Still, there are some troublemakers over there. Of course, with Nakil’s Sword and the Moonlight Sword, they can’t be too reckless…”
“There might be those who don’t recognize the two ladies. So, ladies, please protect Yu Seonsaeng well.”
“Understood.”
“Of course.”
Thus, I ended up heading to meet Hano with more people than I’d expected.
It became.
As we walked through the bustling streets of Yangwiseong and ventured into a more secluded area, the burly figures in the alleys stole glances at us.
However, perhaps due to Wiyeol’s icy glare, Gi Noya’s smirk, and the fierce demeanor of Hongryeon and Chaejin, they chose to merely look away.
Usually, if you meet someone’s gaze here, a fight is the standard ritual.
Last time I came, there were so many people looking for trouble.
Anyway, we arrived at an old tavern that stood about three stories high, lit by both blue and red lanterns.
From the entrance, half-naked courtesans were selling smiles, while inside, one could hear the melodies of songs and the shouts of drunkards.
As we stood in front of this typical tavern, two large men blocked our path.
“Excuse me, but you’re not from the righteous faction, are you? The Falling Sun Sword and the Moonlight Blade. You two…”
“I’m just their escort. We’ve come to meet Hano, so don’t worry and let them in,” I replied from the back.
One of the burly men looked at me, smirked, and then lowered his head.
“Oh, it’s you, Innkeeper. The elder has been waiting for you.”
It seemed they had no choice but to be cautious in this area dominated by the underworld. It was an unavoidable situation.
However, it seemed they were reluctant to let the two renowned female warriors of the righteous faction inside. Eventually, one man went in to get permission before we were allowed entry.
“Don’t take it too personally,” he said.
“Pardon? What do you mean?”
“Is there a problem?”
I shrugged at the puzzled looks from Hongryeon and Chaejin.
But still, they’re renowned female warriors of the righteous faction; wouldn’t it feel bad to be blocked by the underworld?
Realizing the turmoil inside me, they both broke into bright smiles.
“Haha, we came here to talk, after all,” said Hongryeon.
“And it’s not like we don’t know your relationship with the Innkeeper. We should just laugh it off,” added Chaejin.
“I appreciate your kindness,” I replied.
“Why thank us for such a small thing…”
“Hehe. Then I’ll remember that!”
While the two of them were flirting, Gi Noya and Wiyeol glanced around.
After all, they are also individuals connected to the military, likely trying to find who among the warriors of the underworld might be problematic.
“Gi Noya.”
“I know. I know. I’ll just be observing.”
As we moved further inside and opened a large door, a neat corridor unfolded before us, contrasting with the outside chaos.
Walking down the quiet corridor, we entered an open door at the end, where an old man was sitting in a corner, surrounded by several beautiful courtesans preparing to leave.
As soon as he saw me, he rose from his seat and welcomed me.
“Well, well. It seems a remarkable gathering of strong personalities. Normally, when such powerhouses come here, I should be making a run for it.”
“It wouldn’t be right to invite guests and then flee, would it? And I must insist, lovely courtesans, could you please excuse yourselves?”
“Well, well. You refuse every time I bring a courtesan. Why is that?”
“It’s not that I dislike beautiful women; I am a man, after all. But I came to have a conversation.”
Talking to Hano was a great opportunity for me to gather information.
I could get the kind of intel that money couldn’t buy.
So, even while drinking, I needed to focus as much as possible, but the constant fiddling next to me was really distracting.
That’s why after I had my first drink, I explicitly asked him not to call a courtesan to my side, but Hano loved to tease and summon one anyway.
He wasn’t my subordinate, so I couldn’t really order him not to summon a courtesan; I just asked a few times, and every time we met, he mustered one up. It was quite a dilemma for me.
“I was just about to ask them to leave, as I heard there are other guests.”
Hano glanced at Hongryeon and Chaejin standing behind him. When the courtesans smiled and waved goodbye, he gestured for everyone to take a seat.
“Please, everyone, have a seat. I’ve seen the Moonlight Sword before… Nice to meet you. I’m Hano, the branch head of Hao-mun. And you two over there…”
Gi Noya and Wiyeol merely nodded slightly. Once the brief introductions were over, Hano paused for a moment and then came over to me, speaking softly.
“But are they allowed to be here?”
“Well, it’s something everyone will find out anyway. Aren’t we talking about the movements of the Sa-pa? About how they are aiming for Seomhwa Village? General Cheon mentioned he would temporarily send those two to Seomhwa Village.”
“Wise of you. It’s a loose alliance. If Seomhwa Village is attacked, their strength will grow stronger. If they use that power to launch an attack on Yangwi-seong, it would be a disaster for General Cheon. Also…”
He crossed his arms and smirked.
“If there’s a shadowy force like the Iron Blood Clan behind them…”
Hongryeon tightened her grip on her clothes. I gave her a sideways glance and shook my head. I signaled her not to meddle since I would ask anything she was curious about, and Hongryeon took a deep breath and nodded.
“Do you know anything about the Iron Blood Clan?”
He extended his palm, and I placed a gold coin in it. Only after receiving it did Hano start to spill what he knew.
“To be honest, I don’t have any detailed information. Just the name ‘Iron Blood Clan.’ They have a leader based on the Five Elements and are said to be wreaking havoc in places where spiritual energy gathers across the continent to create chaos.”
“Oh…”
“Moreover, their power is significant enough that ordinary sects would struggle to stop them. Yet, they don’t come out openly, which is why the Murim Alliance, the Dark Demonic Corps, and the Empire all seem hesitant to engage.”
“Have they allied with the Demonic Cult?”
That was likely the most crucial point for Gi Noya and Wiyeol.
If the Iron Blood Clan and the Demonic Cult had joined forces, it would mean that the Empire’s enemies were growing stronger.
But that wasn’t the case, and Hano had found no evidence of such an alliance.
“It has been determined that it is absolutely not the case.”
“From the Demon Cult’s side as well, there are those who have suffered at the hands of the Iron Blood Clan.”
“The Demon Cult is still in the midst of the successor competition. If that’s the case, one of those forces…”
“Oh, that’s not it. Evidence has been found suggesting an attempt to unleash the spirit of Cheonma, an important region for the Demon Cult. Cheonma is like a holy site to them. To try and unleash it would be like saying they want total annihilation…”
In other words, it means that the Iron Blood Clan can also be considered enemies of the Demon Cult. Hano continued speaking.
“Currently revealed, the leader of the Iron Blood Clan is a person named Cheolhyeol Geumje, who wields a spear and uses bizarre techniques.”
“Is it something like summoning evil monsters using water?”
“Oh, that’s similar.”
“The Cheolhyeol Master attacked Hongseong and was killed by the Master…”
“Exactly. Cheolhyeol Geumje creates monsters made of metal to attack. Their personal combat ability is also quite substantial. But if they were defeated by the Sword Saint… With the Sword Saint stepping in, it shouldn’t be a big problem.”
“The issue is to reduce the damage to Seomhwa Village.”
I stated firmly, and Hano nodded.
“I’ve been keeping an eye on their movements as well. If anything happens, I’ll let you know right away. And this is the information I’ve found so far. The details are written there, so read it and let me know if you have any questions.”
Hano handed me a thick bundle of papers. I took it and bowed my head.
“Thank you.”
“What, giving what I should and receiving what I should is just how it goes. Now then, let’s talk about the world as usual…”
“No, I’m sorry, but I must head back today. There are people waiting, and I have a lot to do.”
“Really? That’s too bad. Having a chat with you is one of my great pleasures.”
“Come visit Seomhwa Village later. Though there are no courtesans, I’ll treat you to good food and drinks.”
“Oh, by the way, I heard that Yohwan works at your inn? Great. I’ll drop by soon.”
After smiling back at the grinning Hano, I stood up.
As I stepped outside and arrived at Cheonghoelu, I felt gazes from both sides.
“Is there something you want to say?”
I immediately asked, looking at Chaejin and Hongryeon, who were standing on my left and right, and they giggled and shook their heads.
“Do you always meet Hano here?”
“If he comes out to greet me when I arrive, it’s at Hajnilu, and if he doesn’t come out, then I meet at the fortune-teller’s place in Ha-tong, where I went with Chae-soja. But most of the time, we meet at Hajnilu. Is there a problem with that?”
Hearing my words, Hongryeon and Chaejin broke into wider smiles.
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