Chapter 46: Searching for Someone

"Come on, old hag, just go home already. I'm telling you, your son or whoever he is didn’t come here. If you make a scene and they hear about it inside, things will get real bad."

"No, he said he was coming here… Please, my son, Ha-sam, he told me he had an important job from the Daizheng Sect[^Direct translation would be "Great Righteous Sect" or "Grand Justice Clan." I'm going to use some phonetic resemblance while maintaining a Chinese-inspired name, because calling a sect Grand Justice or Great Righteous sounds off.]. He said once he finished this, he’d find a wife again and live a good life. He promised. Sir, please, just check one more time for my son, Yi Ha-sam, is there...?"

"Tch. This old hag… Just go away already. Of all times, why does this nonsense have to happen during my shift?"

There was no particular reason to interfere.

But then again, there was no reason not to.

More than anything, Qing had never been one to just watch an unpleasant scene unfold.

She was about to speak—

"Now, now. There's no need to be so heartless, is there? Surely, you understand a mother’s desperation when searching for her child, don’t you? Wouldn’t you feel the same if it were your own father or mother?"

Surprisingly, Changbin spoke up first.

Qing was startled.

What the hell—he actually talks?!

And so eloquently, too!

The guard straightened his posture as soon as he recognized Changbin.

For anyone who had trained in martial arts, this was natural.

The plum blossom insignia embroidered on Changbin’s robe was the mark of the Mount Hua Sect.

Anyone who didn’t react with caution upon seeing that symbol had no right to call themselves a martial artist.

…Of course, Qing was exactly that kind of person.

"Are you a Daoist of Mount Hua?"

"I am Changbin. I merely stepped in because I found this situation unpleasant to witness."

"Ah, Daoist Changbin. Well… the truth is, this isn’t the first time this has happened. At first, we did search for this ‘Yi Ha-sam’ fellow, but we found he had no connection to our sect whatsoever."

"Hmm."

"Even so, she has continued showing up, making a scene for over a month now… I suppose my patience has worn thin."

Qing stepped forward and helped the elderly woman up.

"Grandma, are you alright?"

"Are you a warrior? Then please, please help me find my son."

"Of course. We’ll look into it. But for now, why don’t you go home and rest? Can you tell me your son’s full name?"

"Yi Ha-sam, Yi Ha-sam. If you ask for Ha-sam from Somyeong Village, people will know who he is."

There’s an old saying—"Jang Sam and Lee Sa[^The western version of this saying would be "every Tom, Dick, and Harry"]"—referring to how common the surnames Zhang (Jang), Li (Yi), and Wang were in the Central Plains.

"Jang Sam" means "third son of the Zhang family," and "Yi Sa" means "fourth son of the Li family"—in other words, ordinary, unremarkable names.

By that logic, Yi Ha-sam meant "third son of the Yi family, born in summer."

If you searched for Yi Ha-sam in the Central Plains, you'd probably find hundreds of people with that name.

But Qing couldn't exactly tell the old woman, "Sorry, but your son’s name is too common for us to find him."

Instead, she reassured her.

"We’ll do what we can, grandma."

"Oh, thank you. Thank you, warrior…"

The elderly woman, looking much more at ease, muttered words of gratitude over and over before slowly disappearing down the road, her hunched back fading into the crowd.

Qing watched her leave, then turned to the group and asked awkwardly,

"So… does anyone here actually know how to find a missing person? Hands up?"

—

Unexpectedly, Changbin took charge.

He requested permission from the gatekeeper to investigate further, then turned to the group and issued orders.

"I will gather information from the Hao Clan and the Beggar’s Union. Brother Peng, you will accompany me. Brother Namgung and Lady Ximen, you two will stay here and listen to what they say at the Daizheng Sect."

Even though Qing always thought of him as an overly composed, trembling old monk, Changbin was actually the eldest member of the Hidden Dragons Association.

At twenty-nine, he was one of the most well-rounded martial artists of his generation—someone who had amassed a diverse range of experiences in the martial world.

"Wow, our Changbin. Turns out you’re a smart guy, huh?"

Qing had already declared them friends.

Not asked. Declared.

Their age gap was large, but Qing’s seniority in the martial hierarchy was higher—so if they just ignored both factors, it evened out.

A huge concession on Qing’s part.

Technically speaking, she outranked him in both age and status.

The only things she lacked were money and common sense.

Meanwhile, Changbin felt… deeply uncomfortable.

In martial society, seniority always trumped age.

And yet—

"Changbin, I can count on you. Wow, you're so reliable."

Qing nudged him repeatedly with her elbow.

What kind of woman acts this casually around a man?!

Men and women were supposed to have boundaries—yet she was acting like this was nothing!

Did she… have feelings for him?!

…Of course, in reality, the only one blushing in front of a woman was Changbin himself.

Face burning, he quickly averted his gaze.

"Ahem… Let’s go, Young Brother Peng."

Peng Daesan, watching this ridiculous scene, sighed and said,

"Elder Brother, but why are you bringing me along?"

"Because we’re going to the Hao Clan, of course."

—

The Hao Clan—The Strangest Sect in the Martial World

In the martial world, the word "Hao[^Hao (하오) in Korean literally translates to "inferior" or "lowly" in English. ]" originally referred to the five lowest professions in society.

In other words, the Hao Clan was a sect composed of the lowest classes—a brotherhood of beggars, outcasts, and commoners.

At first glance, one might wonder: What could a bunch of lowly vagrants possibly accomplish?

But they turned their disadvantages into strengths.

Their specialty? Invisibility.

The lowest of the low were masters of concealment—they were the invisible people of society.

When a Central Plains noble sat down at an inn, he wouldn’t even register the young servant scrubbing the floors.

Even if he saw them, he wouldn’t believe such a lowly creature could understand human speech.

Porters, coachmen, and boatmen were transparent.

Street vendors and courtesans? Practically deaf and mute in the eyes of the elite.

The Hao Clan used this to their advantage.

They became the greatest intelligence network in the martial world.

Spies, smugglers, black-market dealers, and brokers—they ran it all.

The Hao Clan had a rather unique way of selling information.

Their information brokers were beautiful courtesans—women who wielded their charms as weapons.

Not only did they skillfully overcharge their clients, but they were also adept at extracting information in return.

However, there was one kind of man who could disarm even the most cunning of women.

The handsomestman under heaven.

"Brother Peng should come with me if we want reliable information. These people are absolute masters at swindling others."

Peng Daesan immediately understood.

—

Meanwhile, at the Daizheng Sect, the side door suddenly swung open, revealing a stern face.

It was Wang Gae-yuk, the sect leader.

Normally, side doors were used by servants, cooks, and seamstresses—not the master of the sect himself.

For someone of his status to appear here was highly improper.

But Wang Gae-yuk had deliberated long and hard before making this decision.

After all, important guests never came through the side door.

"This location is hardly suitable for receiving such distinguished guests. Come, escort them to the main entrance instead."

It was a compromise meant to satisfy both pride and practicality.

By personally greeting them, he upheld the dignity of his guests. But since he hadn’t personally stepped through the side door, his own honor remained intact.

From the guests’ perspective, they weren’t forced to enter through a servant’s passage, and the sect leader had greeted them in person—a brilliant diplomatic move.

However, Qing was just confused.

"Wait, why do we have to go all the way around to the main entrance?"

"I know you prefer simplicity, but a true lady does not enter through the side door. You, as a future swordmaster of great renown, must always be mindful of such things."

In other words, entering through a side door was shameful for a swordsman.

Qing just shrugged.

"Huh. Okay, then."

These orthodox martial artists and their nonsense rules.

They really overcomplicated everything.

—

As the group circled the high walls of the sect, Wang Gae-yuk found himself slightly disappointed.

He had heard that a Daoist from Mount Hua had come to visit.

He also knew about the rumors—that the Jade Qilin had arrived in the city.

So, when he heard that a Mount Hua Daoist and their companions had arrived, he could easily guess who they were.

But then—

Instead of the great figures he expected, he was met with…

A young swordsman and a pretty girl in a Daoist robe.

The young man was handsome, sure.

But he was no “Handsomest Man Under Heaven.”

And he didn’t seem important enough for the sect leader to personally greet him.

Had he been too hasty?

Was this really worth stepping out of his training hall for?

In the end, Wang Gae-yuk decided to send his eldest son, Wang Son-seok, to greet the visitors at the main entrance instead.

Wang Son-seok was a member of the Earthly Valor Unit, and as soon as he saw the visitors, he immediately recognized them.

"Grandmaster Namgung Shin-jae! Thank you for gracing our sect with your presence! I am Wang Son-seok. Do you remember me? We’ve met a few times at the Alliance."

"Is that so? Good to see you."

Wang Son-seok felt slightly taken aback.

Namgung Shin-jae’s attitude was lukewarm.

"Grandmaster?"

"I didn’t expect the Daizheng Sect to be a half-sword[^They use sabers] sect. But since you are fellow allies of the Orthodox faction, I suppose I must understand. My apologies for the sudden visit."

Half-sword sect?

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

It seemed like this was the reason Namgung Shin-jae was acting so coldly.

Had the Daizheng Sect somehow offended the Namgung family?

But Wang Son-seok couldn’t think of any incident that could explain this.

He started sweating.

As a proud member of the Orthodox faction, he had always lived with dignity—so what had gone wrong?

"Ah! But let’s not dwell on that. May I ask what your plans are? Will you be staying the night?"

That was his way of asking—“Are you staying for dinner?”

They needed to know in advance so they could prepare.

"I’m not sure about that yet, but we do have more companions. The Drunken Sleep-Fighting Sword and the Jade Qilin have gone to take care of some business for now."

That meant—they would at least stay for dinner.

And that also meant—prepare more food.

"Ohh!"

Wang Son-seok’s face lit up.

Three members of the Celestial Martial Unit!

And not just any members—these were heirs to legendary martial families.

An opportunity to build personal connections with them had fallen right into his lap.

"And this young lady is…?"

"Ximen Qing."

Her introduction was brief.

No clan name, no sect, no title.

That meant she was a nobody.

But she was a strikingly beautiful female swordsman, so Wang Son-seok assumed she was just another woman trailing behind one of them.

"Lady Ximen, I see."

He immediately lost interest.

Trying to get involved with the women of Celestial Martial Unit members was a dangerous game.

There was no benefit in pretending to be overly familiar.

"Grandmaster, do you think your other companions will be much longer? My father has prepared refreshments."

"Ohh, refreshments. A man with proper etiquette! Hey, Sword Comrade—at a time like this, it would be rude not to accept, right? Ignoring an already prepared table would also be impolite, right? Just say yes, will you?"

"Of course. No sect in the world would dare disrespect my Sword Comrade."

Wang Son-seok felt completely bewildered.

He understood what "Sword Comrade" meant from context.

But…

Who the hell was this woman, really?

And why was the Namgung family heir speaking as if she was someone who must be honored?

Was she—

The future lady of the Namgung family?

Had he just failed to show enough courtesy to an important woman?

Damn it!

Wang Son-seok immediately adjusted his mental ranking of Qing, moving her up three levels.