EP.5 Haomen (1)
When the Sword Sovereign was still called the Gale Sword (疾風劍).
Taking advantage of the Tang Family Head's absence due to the Zhenma Mirror Gate that opened near Sichuan, the Black Dragon Sword attacked the Tang Family.
The Black Dragon Sword (黑龍劍) and the Black Dragon Squad (黑龍隊) numbered at least several hundred.
The Black Dragon Sword was a martial artist who had transcended the pinnacle, and the vast majority of the Black Dragon Squad were first-rate martial artists.
It would have taken a long time for the Tang Family Head to receive the message and arrive at the estate.
It was the Black Dragon Sword's plan to swallow up the Tang Family, the hegemon of Sichuan, while the Tang Family Head, Tang Zhiak, was away, and dominate the entire region of Sichuan.
If there hadn't been a special anomaly, perhaps the Tang Family would have been exterminated that day.
Unfortunately for the Black Dragon Sword, an anomaly did exist.
The anomaly was that the Gale Sword happened to be at the Tang Family at the time.
What happened afterwards was something those who didn't see it firsthand couldn't believe.
Hundreds of the Black Dragon Squad and the pinnacle expert Black Dragon Sword were all killed by the hands of the Gale Sword.
Someone who watched the Gale Sword facing hundreds of people alone, even from a distance, said
The sword dance wielded by the Gale Sword was as beautiful as the crescent moon floating in the night sky at the time, but
the trail left by the sword was purely cruel, they said.
After the not-so-short bloody battle ended, the only ones standing in that place were hundreds of corpses and the Gale Sword.
After this incident, the Tang Family took out ten-thousand-year cold iron and gifted the Gale Sword a sword forged from it.
That sword was carried by the Gale Sword as his beloved blade even after he became the Sword Sovereign.
The Moon Flash Sword (月閃劍).
It was the name of the sword forged with all their might by countless artisans of the Tang Family, renowned as the best in the Central Plains at handling iron.
But where did that sword, like a work of art, go...
"It's a broom, a broom."
In the Sword Sovereign's hand was a broom.
...Is this really right?
******************
The time just past Mi-shi (13:00~15:00).
I was sitting on the veranda, basking in the warm sunlight.
What was I doing, you ask? I would call it meditation, but
if I looked deeper, I was watching the small back of someone sweeping diligently with a broom in the distance.
An old man with a slightly stooped back and thick white hair was sweeping the floor slowly but powerfully.
It was hard to believe even for myself, but the old man was the Sword Sovereign.
"...To see the Sword Sovereign sweeping the floor with a broom in my house."
Is this really the right thing?
It had been two days since the Sword Sovereign and Wi Seol-ah came into my quarters as servants, claiming to serve me.
I had been half out of my mind during that time.
I asked the chief steward why they suddenly came in, but
'It is the Family Head's order.'
That was the end of it. Actually, it was the answer I expected.
Even so, I couldn't just barge into the Family Head's office and argue with Gu Cheol-un. Or could I? Would it have been better to argue?
I thought a lot, but couldn't easily reach a conclusion, and time just passed.
I wondered if it was okay to leave them as they were, or if causing a scene to kick them out would be the right choice for the future, but
I didn't have multiple lives to dare cause a scene with the Sword Sovereign, so I gave up on that for now.
Turning my tired gaze away from the Sword Sovereign, another problem came into view.
"Seol-ah, it's dangerous to carry too much alone. Should we carry it together?"
"No! Seol-ah can do it!"
"Uht, uh! Seol-ah! There's a rock in front...!"
"Hmm? Uwah!"
"...."
I looked at that sight and turned my gaze away.
Wi Seol-ah seemed to be treated like the youngest sister among the servants and received their affection, but
she was terribly bad at work.
She must have outstanding talent as a martial artist, but could it make sense that she was so bad at physical chores?
Didn't she just spill all the laundry she was carrying right now?
The servants coaxed and comforted the tearful Wi Seol-ah.
Still, the laundry that rolled on the dirt floor didn't just return to its clean state.
The fortunate thing was that it was before washing. I watched up to that point and stood up.
Perhaps seeing me about to move, Wi Seol-ah ran up to me quickly.
"Why aren't you doing your work?"
"Grandpa said I must follow you wherever you go!"
"...Who said that?"
"Grandpa!"
"....I see."
Why would he do that...
On paper, it was a fancy-sounding title like 'direct attendant', but
To me, it just looked like passing the buck.
The real reason the other servants treated Wi Seol-ah so well was probably because they had semi-forcibly dumped their most disliked chores onto her.
It also helped that the uncomfortable atmosphere in my quarters, where the servants could only watch my mood, was resolved once Wi Seol-ah came in.
I am the son of a prestigious family; is it really okay to assign my exclusive attendant so haphazardly?
Since it concerned the family's servants, the chief steward must have had a hand in it.
'Do my father and the chief steward actually know the Sword Sovereign's identity? Or did they just assign her because so many servants quit, thinking "whatever"?'
The chief steward couldn't possibly be unaware of what was happening in the estate, so there must have been some reason, but
....from the look of it, I felt it was the latter.
Wi Seol-ah, who followed me out, tried to tidy my clothes, but with her clumsy skills, I eventually stopped her, saying I would do it myself.
Perhaps upset by the rejection, her eyes slightly welled up with tears.
However, she was so clumsy that it was still hard to entrust it to her.
'No, is it even right to make her do these kinds of chores in the first place?'
It felt like there was still plenty of time left, but to quell my anxiety, there was some need to move with a bit of haste.
Going outside the estate right now was one of the reasons.
After finishing my outing preparations, I sent Wi Seol-ah, who tried to follow me all the way to the streets, to another servant.
It was easy to send her away under the pretext that she hadn't finished learning her duties yet.
Wi Seol-ah looked disappointed at the fact that she couldn't go out.
For me, it was difficult to know how exactly I should treat Wi Seol-ah.
If I treated her strictly as a servant, considering the future, that wouldn't do; but treating her differently also posed its own difficulties.
As I was stepping out of the quarters, my eyes met the Sword Sovereign's.
The Sword Sovereign then composed his manners and bowed his head.
Feeling a profound sense of discomfort, I quickly stepped out of the quarters.
Stepping outside, my guard Muyeon was waiting for me.
"I heard from the chief steward. You are heading to the streets."
"It won't take long. I'll probably return to the estate before the sun sets."
"Understood."
He didn't ask about anything further. It was a sign of his fine training as a guard.
'The problem is that it's a bit pitiful that I'm the one being guarded.'
Walking about an hour after leaving the estate, the streets where I first met Wi Seol-ah came into view.
I had felt it last time as well, but just how little training had I done to feel out of breath from walking such a short distance?
I wanted to rest a bit, but since I had to return before sunset, I pushed on.
Navigating through the crowded streets, I rummaged through the alleys.
Muyeon expressed his concern, saying it was a dangerous area, but he didn't stop me.
"Found it."
After searching for a long time, I finally found a building with a mark written on it.
It was an old, shabby-looking building, but it was definitely the place I was looking for.
"I was worried they might not be around at this hour, but that was a needless worry."
"Young Master... for what reason did you come here?"
"Why? Does it look strange?"
"Yes... honestly, it does. The building aside, the vibe of the surroundings is not good at all."
"Your senses are quite sharp. Yeah, exactly that."
Creak-
When I pushed open the old door and walked in, the gazes of the people inside focused on me.
"What the, some brat? Did someone secretly sire a kid among us?"
"Why are you saying such disgusting things? He probably just took a wrong turn."
"Who's the guy standing behind him? Look, he's carrying a sword."
At the dark interior and the unmistakably aggressive atmosphere, Muyeon placed his hand on his sword hilt. The thugs didn't care whether he did or not.
One of them spoke to me.
"Kid, you're just wandering around, but this ain't a very peaceful neighborhood. What business brings you all the way here?"
It had been a really long time since I felt this way. Being treated like this after being treated as a high-ranking person lately actually felt familiar and comfortable.
To the man's words, I replied with a slight smile.
"Why else would I come? I came as a customer."
"Our brat's tongue is a bit too short, huh? Should we cut it down to size so he can come to his senses?"
As the guy chuckled and spoke, Muyeon finally tried to draw his sword, but I swiftly stopped him.
"Young Master, this bastard dares to..."
"Just stay still for a moment."
Leaving Muyeon, who looked ready to swing his sword at any moment, I spoke to the guy who was only wearing a cruel smile.
"You probably know who I am anyway, and you've known since I set foot around here. Let's make this easy."
I wanted to play along with the atmosphere a bit, but unfortunately, I didn't have much time allowed for my outing.
At my words, the smile on the guy's face disappeared.
"Let's not test the waters, I don't have much time. I came knowing everything anyway, so let's drop the useless acting."
"What nonsense are you spouting!"
At my words, the guy tried to resume his act, but it was too late to restore his already shattered expression.
"You seem worried that the Gu Family will find out and wipe this place out. But they have no justification to do so rashly, and if a conflict breaks out, we'd both suffer losses, right?"
Cold sweat could be seen running down the man's cheek.
"I told you, I'm a bit pressed for time. Since I've clearly come as a customer right now, hurry up and call the branch head. Before you create the situation you're so worried about."
At my threat, the man's pupils shook.
In truth, I didn't have even a sliver of such ability, but they were the type who would only understand if I bluffed first.
At the seemingly changed situation, Muyeon asked with a bewildered voice.
"..Young Master. What exactly is this situation..."
"It's nothing. I had something to look into, so I originally planned to go to the Beggar's Sect, but there was a problem with doing that."
Muyeon flinched. Was it because he had a guess about my words? He had much better intuition than I thought.
It would have been nice to leave him behind and come alone, but with my body in its current state, it was absolutely impossible.
"I'm sorry for dragging you along, but it's an unavoidable situation."
The Beggar's Sect (丐幇), which secured its position among the Nine Sects and One Faction (九派一幇) solely with information power rather than martial force. Originally, it would have been more convenient to go to the Beggar's Sect and make a request.
But the Beggar's Sect was a righteous faction after all, so they didn't do anything that could be problematic.
Well, unless I poured in a fortune overnight.
Anyway, the Beggar's Sect had some issues with the request I wanted to make, so I had no choice but to find another place.
If the Beggar's Sect was considered the best in information power among the righteous factions,
then for the unorthodox faction's information power, this was the place.
Haomen (下汚門). I came to Haomen.
*************************
It didn't take long to receive proper guidance from Haomen.
After the man made contact, he guided us to the basement behind the building.
Muyeon said, "I cannot carelessly take the Young Master to such a dangerous place!" but I didn't have time to persuade him, so I ignored him, calling it an order.
When we went down to the basement, a young man with a snake-like face and slit eyes was waiting for us.
"I am Do Un-chu, the branch head of the Shanxi branch."
With pale skin, he was quite handsome. Of course, since he was from Haomen, it was obviously a human skin mask (人皮面具).
"For someone looking for us, you are a very unexpected person... I apologize for showing such an aggressive attitude earlier."
"Apologies are fine, so will you accept the request?"
"Before that, may I ask why someone from a righteous prestigious family like the Gu Family would go out of their way to find a lowly unorthodox faction like us?"
"Why do you keep asking strange things? I said I came to make a request."
"I am asking why you came to us instead of the Beggar's Sect."
The reason for coming all the way to an unorthodox faction to make a request instead of the Beggar's Sect, which is of the same righteous faction?
"I came because it's a request the Beggar's Sect can't do but Haomen can. You obviously know this, so why do you keep trying to confirm it?"
As I spoke in a slightly annoyed tone at his annoying behavior, the snake-eyed young man smiled slightly.
"I apologize if I offended you. Since the young master's rumors are what they are, we also needed a little confirmation..."
A boy who looked to be barely fifteen years old. A troublemaker, said to be half-abandoned by the Gu Family at best, coming to make a request—it made sense.
"The reason I, the branch head, personally appeared before the young master even in this situation, is solely because of your surname."
"I know, so my name is my name, I'm asking if you'll accept the request. This is already the third time, you know?"
"Haomen never refuses a request. As long as the price is right, that is."
Do Un-chu relaxed his posture slightly. It was a sign that he would listen to the request.
Now I could finally talk a bit.
"I'm looking for a person. A boy who is just over ten years old."
I took out a piece of paper from my clothes with his appearance and the region written on it, and handed it to Do Un-chu.
Do Un-chu, who received the paper, spoke with a peculiar expression.
"I don't quite understand, young master. If it's finding a person, there's even less reason to seek out Haomen."
"The region is quite far, and the scope I know is a bit narrow. And the Beggar's Sect's request fees are expensive."
As a righteous faction of the Nine Sects and One Faction, the Beggar's Sect was well-known, and its credibility was quite high.
And the request fees they charged were just as high.
If I gave the exact same request to the Beggar's Sect, they would probably charge double what Haomen would.
However, there was a slight problem.
"Young Master, we don't operate on such meager amounts either."
Even if double was cheaper, it didn't mean it was actually cheap.
"I know, but I came because I can pay if it's Haomen."
Do Un-chu was looking at the paper I handed him.
"It's true that his appearance is distinctive, making him easy to find, but the region is vast and far from Shanxi, so it's not an easy request."
"Meaning it will be that much more expensive, right?"
Do Un-chu stated the corresponding amount.
Muyeon, standing behind me, gasped for air when he heard the amount.
How long would I have to save the money the estate gives me? It was an amount too terrifying to even imagine.
Still, it didn't matter.
"The price will go down if we can't find him, but for now, this amount is..."
"Sorry, but what we'll pay isn't money."
"...What?"
As a member of the righteous faction, coming to Haomen to make a request was in itself a dangerous act.
Simply getting involved with the unorthodox faction while bearing the Gu Family's nameplate was like that.
Nevertheless, the reason I sought Haomen was because I was certain they wouldn't be able to speak of it carelessly anywhere, and that they would definitely accept my request.
"I have some very good information, and I thought it would be enough to pay with this."
"....Young Master. Have you forgotten where you are?"
Where? In the Central Plains, it's a place that stands shoulder-to-shoulder with the Beggar's Sect in terms of sheer amount of information.
"I dare say with confidence that the amount of information we have is greater than the Beggar's Sect's."
The Beggar's Sect might have things they can't easily do because of their righteous faction title, but Haomen doesn't care about the means or methods.
Perhaps because of that difference, they could make such an arrogant statement.
"Let alone, there's no way we wouldn't know what the young master knows. If you don't have the request fee, let's pretend this never..."
"Haomen Master (下汚門主)."
At the casually dropped words, Branch Head Do Un-chu stopped talking.
His face, which had been hard to read, was dyed with astonishment.
"The location of the missing Haomen Master. Aren't you curious?"
As soon as the words ended, a sword blade lunged at me.