Chapter 95

Chapter 94. Changed Situation (2)

She revealed her name to be Haran (何蘭).

Due to her father's gambling debts, she was sold to a tavern around the age of sixteen.

Because of her exceptional beauty, she was resold to a famous brothel at seventeen.

However, it took her less than a year to rise to the rank of a top courtesan.

At eighteen, she caught the eye of the gangsters from the red-light district who had sold her to the tavern.

The gang leader, Changshik, recognized her as the same woman he had sold to the tavern.

Out of curiosity or perhaps seeing a profit, he paid a high price to bring her back to their establishment.

But in fact, her approach to them was intentional.

Using her outstanding beauty, Haran had already paid off all her debts before turning eighteen and investigated why her father had started gambling, borrowed money, and met a tragic end.

She soon discovered that everything was the work of the gang leader, Changshik, and the gangsters.

So she deliberately approached Changshik.

After siphoning off their money, she intended to hire a hitman she had met before.

“I never thought he would be the one to fall.”

In a food stall, she recounted her past.

Her face, which had been swollen from injuries, had much of the swelling gone, likely due to treatment by a doctor on the way.

“Do you mean the hitman you hired was killed by the gang leader, Changshik?”

When Seohui asked, puzzled, she shook her head.

“No. The target of the hitman I hired was someone higher up. The one who collects protection money in the red-light district and runs the loan-sharking business. I planned to kill Changshik afterward.”

“...”

Seohui didn't say anything but had a rough idea of who it was.

Jin Man-jung.

There was no part of the red-light district around this city that wasn't under his influence.

Moreover, loan-sharking was originally his business.

“I still can't believe it. I heard the hitman never failed, but one day... his body was found mutilated and dumped in the market.”

Her voice trembled as she recalled the shock of that moment.

She also occasionally breathed heavily, as if in pain.

“Hmm.”

Seohui remained silent for a moment.

From her perspective, it could be considered a reasonable approach.

Indeed, removing just one gang leader wouldn't easily solve the problem.

In the underworld, the hierarchy is strictly maintained.

If someone like Changshik were killed, an investigation would naturally follow.

Identifying the assassin and the person who hired them is a common occurrence.

So, targeting the actual person in charge above Changshik first, and then eliminating Changshik, was the right strategy.

‘The problem is that it's Jin Man-jung...’

The hitman likely didn't conduct thorough investigations into the high-level experts around Jin Man-jung.

Recently, the people helping Jin Man-jung had been replaced by members of the Hongma Sect.

Thus, the hitman had to act without fully understanding the opponent's capabilities and ultimately met his end.

“Did you hire the hitman through the Haomen branch?”

“Something like that.”

“Seems you've made quite a name for yourself.”

“Despite the rampant betrayal, they say there's also a sense of romance.”

She spoke about her own affairs as if they were someone else's.

Seohui didn't find it awkward.

Starting because of her father's debt, surviving in the underworld for years showed she was no ordinary person.

“However...”

Haran looked up and asked Seohui.

“Why do you want to meet the Haomen branch leader?”

She remembered.

When they first arrived at the food stall, Seohui had said he wanted to meet a Haomen person as a reward for saving her.

Preferably someone with a high position.

That's why she was curious about the reason.

“To find out some things.”

“I already told you, it won't be easy. I heard the branch leader only gets involved if he finds something interesting.”

“That's not a concern. He will definitely want to meet me.”

“...What?”

When Seohui said it casually, Haran looked at him in surprise.

What kind of confidence was this, speaking as if it were a given?

“There are people like that. I investigated, and there's nothing to be found on him.”

Seohui looked up.

Above her head, the words that should have been there were gradually disappearing.

Along with the words in front of him.

[Friendly organization, 'Haomen,' has been activated.]

Haomen.

The reason she was traveling with him and the reason he saved her. Everything stemmed from this.

By contacting Haomen, he could quickly and accurately assess the situation from a third-party perspective.

As an organization that trades information, they would naturally expedite the process and enhance the reliability of the information.

When did the Heaven's Hand, Shang Chanzhang, start protecting Jin Man-jung?

Or when and how far have other unknown individuals extended their influence?

Additionally, what is the relationship between them and the Huashan Sect's Yi Guming?

And the relationship between Jin Man-jung and the Dragon Creation Sect's leader.

He needed to re-investigate all the situations.

‘Move by eliminating one at a time.’

The reason Seohui came to Sichuan on a mission.

It was because he could eliminate obstacles to his mission in advance.

When Seohui was young, he heard many stories about Haomen.

The Open Sect, which controlled information across the country.

Haomen is the only information organization that can be compared to them.

In some specific areas, they might even be more proficient.

There are many people in the underworld who risk their lives for a small amount of money.

Seohui followed the method she had told him.

A secret signal used to summon high-ranking members of Haomen.

He overturned a teacup, placed chopsticks across it, and waited for a while.

How much time had passed?

Tap tap.

Haran's gaze shifted to an old woman who had appeared.

The old woman, leaning on a cane, stood next to Seohui and tapped his shoulder.

“Follow me.”

“...Ah!”

She couldn't help but gasp.

A meeting with the branch leader.

She had only seen him from a distance once before, and now he wanted to see her.

“You stay here.”

Haran nodded at the old woman's words.

It was a summons from the branch leader.

She had never intended to accompany him in the first place.

* * *

It was a rather luxurious hall.

After leaving the food stall, they walked down a side street for a while.

Opening the door to a magnificent building, a man turned around.

Inside the room, there was an artificial pond and a water wheel.

It was a surprising sight.

The ability to create such a harmonious pond inside a room and the owner of such a luxurious hall piqued one's curiosity.

“You have arrived.”

The man slowly turned his head.

He was quite young.

Seohui, who had expected the branch leader to be older, was indeed surprised.

Moreover,

“I understand. Everyone is surprised.”

His smile was so charming that he could be called a peerless beauty.

Not just handsome, but a refined and elegant appearance.

“To rise to the position of branch leader at a young age, one must have a unique weapon, right?”

“...”

“Please, have a seat.”

The young man led Seohui to a table next to the pond.

After Seohui sat down, he immediately asked,

“You're not from around here, are you?”

“Why do you think that?”

“After a short investigation, there's nothing significant to be found...”

He paused for a moment.

“The only information is that you came here by carriage through the main road. So, you're not from around here. You're from outside the city... but the information is a bit lacking. That's why...”

“...?”

“In such cases, we usually approach the investigation differently. Instead of focusing on where you came from, we focus on what you did after arriving here.”

“So? What were the results?”

“I heard that you dealt with the gang leader, Changshik, and his gang in the nearby red-light district. On the surface, it was to save Haran, but in reality, it was to meet us. That's my conclusion.”

“What is it?”

“Depending on what you're curious about... I can deduce your background.”

“Hmm.”

Seohui stroked his chin.

It was interesting.

The reasoning process was indeed that of a branch leader who had all the information in the area.

“Then I'll tell you.”

Given the other party's approach, Seohui thought it was pointless to drag it out.

“Do you know anything about Shang Chanzhang, who is around Jin Man-jung?”

“...?!”

His eyes wavered for a moment.

His expression, which seemed unshakable, was now very tense.

It was a natural reaction.

At least in the Central Plains, the weight of the name 'Devil Sect' was not light.

“By any chance, are you...”

“You're right.”

The young man still struggled to maintain his composure.

And it wasn't just because he was facing a Devil Sect member.

It was also because Seohui had asked about Shang Chanzhang.

A Devil Sect member asking about another Devil Sect member.

In other words, he had a gut feeling that there were power struggles within the Devil Sect.

That's why he was even more flustered.

“You must be surprised. You might think that speaking carelessly could lead to internal strife.”

Seohui