Back when the Sword of Swift Wind was still known as such.
Due to the opening of the Demon Gate near Sichuan, the Black Dragon Sword took advantage of the absence of the head of the Tang family to launch an attack on the Tang family.
The number of the Black Dragon Sword and the Black Dragon Corps was at least several hundred.
The Black Dragon Sword was a martial artist who had surpassed the peak, and most of the members of the Black Dragon Corps were first-class martial artists.
It would take some time for the head of the Tang family, Tang Zhaoyue, to receive the message and return to the manor.
The Black Dragon Sword's plan was to swallow the Tang family, which had been the dominant force in Sichuan, and to dominate the entire region of Sichuan while Tang Zhaoyue was away.
If there had been no special circumstances, the Tang family might have been wiped out that day.
Unfortunately for the Black Dragon Sword, there was a special circumstance.
The special circumstance was that the Sword of Swift Wind happened to be at the Tang family at the time.
What happened afterward was something that those who did not witness it firsthand could not believe.
The Sword of Swift Wind killed all the several hundred members of the Black Dragon Corps and the peak martial artist, the Black Dragon Sword.
Those who watched from a distance as the Sword of Swift Wind faced several hundred people said that the sword dance of the Sword of Swift Wind was as beautiful as the crescent moon in the night sky.
However, the places where the sword passed were nothing but cruel.
After the long and bloody battle, only the bodies of several hundred people and the Sword of Swift Wind remained on the scene.
After this incident, the Tang family took out the eternal steel and made a sword as a gift for the Sword of Swift Wind.
The sword, which the Sword of Swift Wind carried as his favorite weapon until he became the Sword Master, was called the Moon Flash Sword.
The name of the sword, which was made by many skilled craftsmen from the Tang family, known for handling steel the best in the Central Plains, was the Moon Flash Sword.
But where has such a work of art gone...
"It's a broom, a broom."
In the Sword Master's hand was a broom.
...Is this really right?
******************
Just past 1 PM.
I was sitting on the veranda, basking in the warm sunlight.
If you ask what I was doing, I would say meditating.
But if you look closely, I was watching the small back of someone sweeping diligently from a distance.
An old man with a slightly bent back and thick white hair was slowly and vigorously sweeping the floor.
It's hard to believe, even for me, but the old man was the Sword Master.
"...To see the Sword Master sweeping the floor with a broom in our house."
Is this really right?
It has been two days since the Sword Master and Weixuea entered the residence as servants to assist me.
I had been half-dazed during this time.
When I asked the chief steward why they suddenly came in,
"It's the head of the family's order."
That was the end of it. It was the answer I expected.
I couldn't just storm into the head of the family's room and confront Guchaiyun. Or should I have?
I thought a lot but couldn't easily come to a conclusion, and time passed.
Is it okay to leave things as they are? I wondered if chasing them out and causing a commotion would be the right choice for the future.
But I didn't have enough lives to cause a commotion to the Sword Master, so I gave up on that.
When I turned my tired head away from the Sword Master, I saw another problem.
"Xuea, it's dangerous to carry too much by yourself. Shouldn't you carry it with your sister?"
"No! Xuea can do it!"
"Oh, oh! Xuea! There's a rock in front of you…!"
"Uh? Ouch!"
"...."
I turned my gaze away from the sight.
Weixuea seemed to be treated like a younger sister and pampered by the servants.
But she was terrible at her work.
She had outstanding talent as a martial artist, but how could she be so bad at physical tasks?
She just knocked over all the laundry she was carrying.
The servants comforted the pouting Weixuea.
Even if they did, the laundry that had fallen on the ground wouldn't come back.
Fortunately, it hadn't been washed yet. I got up after seeing that.
When Weixuea saw me trying to move, she hurriedly ran to me.
"Why aren't you doing your work?"
"Young master said to always follow you when you go somewhere!"
"...Who said that?"
"Grandpa did!"
"....I see."
Why did he do that….
In name, it was a respectable position as a direct servant.
But to me, it seemed like a way to pass the buck.
The reason other servants treated Weixuea well might be because they had forced her to do the most unpleasant tasks.
The uncomfortable atmosphere in the residence, where everyone was watching me, might have been relieved by Weixuea's arrival.
Is it okay to just randomly assign a direct servant to a child of a prestigious family?
Since it was a matter related to the household servants, the chief steward must have been involved.
'Is my father, and the chief steward, aware of the Sword Master's true identity? Or did they just appoint her because the servants were quitting?'
The chief steward couldn't be unaware of what was happening in the manor, so there must have been a reason.
...But from my perspective, it seemed to be the latter.
Weixuea, who followed me, tried to straighten my clothes, but I stopped her because of her clumsy skills.
Her eyes were slightly teary, probably because she was upset at being rejected.
But her lack of skill was so bad that I couldn't entrust her with anything yet.
'Or, is it even right to give her such tasks in the first place?'
Although there was still plenty of time left, I felt a sense of urgency to cover up the unease.
One of the reasons I was leaving the manor was to deal with this.
After finishing my preparations for going out, I sent Weixuea away with another servant.
Since she hadn't finished learning her tasks, it was easy to send her away.
Weixuea looked disappointed at not being able to go.
I was at a loss about how to deal with Weixuea.
It didn't seem right to treat her as a servant, considering her future, but treating her differently was also a difficult problem.
As I was about to leave the residence, I met the Sword Master's eyes.
The Sword Master bowed politely.
The uncomfortable feeling was significant, so I quickly moved out of the residence.
Outside the residence, Wuyan, my bodyguard, was waiting for me.
"I heard from the chief steward that you're going to the market."
"It won't take long. I'll be back to the manor before sunset."
"Understood."
He didn't ask about the other details, showing that he was well-trained as a bodyguard.
'The only problem is that I'm the one being protected, which is a bit pitiful.'
After leaving the manor and walking for about an hour, I arrived at the market where I first met Weixuea.
I felt out of breath from the walk, which I hadn't done in a long time.
I wanted to rest a bit, but I had to hurry to get back before sunset.
I passed through the crowded streets and searched the alleys.
Wuyan expressed concern, saying it was a dangerous area, but he didn't stop me.
"I found it."
After a long search, I finally found the building with the sign I was looking for.
It was an old and shabby building, but it was definitely the place I was looking for.
"I was worried that no one would be here at this time, but it was a needless worry."
"Young master... Why did you come here?"
"Why? Does it look strange?"
"Yes... To be honest, it does. The building is one thing, but the atmosphere around it is not good at all."
"You have a good sense. That's exactly it."
Creak
When I opened the old door and entered, the eyes of the people inside focused on me.
"What? What kid is this? Did someone secretly have a kid?"
"What disgusting talk. He probably just took a wrong turn."
"What about the guy standing behind him? Look, he's carrying a sword."
In the dimly lit building with a clearly aggressive atmosphere, Wuyan put his hand on the hilt of his sword. The guys didn't seem to care.
"Kid, this isn't a peaceful neighborhood. How did you end up here?"
This feeling is really rare. After being treated like a high-ranking person recently, it felt strangely comfortable to be treated like this.
I smiled slightly and replied to the man.
"Why did I come? As a customer, of course."
"Our kid talks short. Maybe we should cut his tongue to make him more sensible?"
The guy chuckled, and Wuyan was about to draw his sword, but I quickly stopped him.
"Young master, this guy is daring to—"
"Just wait a moment."
I told the guy, who was smirking, that Wuyan was about to draw his sword.
"You probably know who I am, and you've known since I stepped into this area. Let's make this easy."
The guy's smile disappeared at my words.
"Don't test me, I don't have much time. I already know everything, so let's skip the unnecessary act."
"What nonsense are you talking about!"
The guy tried to act again, but it was too late to recover his broken expression.
"You're worried that the Gua family will find out and tear this place down. But there's no reason for them to do that, and it would be a loss for us if there's a conflict."
I could see the cold sweat running down the man's cheek.
"I'm in a hurry. I'm here as a customer, so quickly go and call the branch manager before we create the situation you're worried about."
The man's pupils trembled at my threat.
I don't have the ability to do that, but I had to say it to get their attention.
Wuyan, sensing the change, asked in a confused voice.
"....Young master, what's going on here?"
"It's nothing much. I originally planned to go to the Beggar Gang, but there were some issues."
Wuyan flinched. Maybe he had an idea of what I was talking about. He was a better friend than I thought.
I would have preferred to come alone, but my current condition wouldn't allow it.
"I'm sorry for dragging you along, but it's a situation I can't avoid."
The Beggar Gang, which secured the position of the Nine Sects and One Gang through information rather than force. Normally, it would be easier to go to the Beggar Gang and make a request.
But the Beggar Gang, being a righteous sect, doesn't do things that could cause problems.
Unless I was willing to pay a huge amount of money.
In any case, since the Beggar Gang couldn't handle my request, I had to find another place.
If the Beggar Gang is the best in information among the righteous sects,
then this place is the best in information among the evil sects.
Haowen (下汚門). I came to Haowen.
*************************
It didn't take long to get proper guidance from Haowen.
After the man made a call, he led us to the basement at the back of the building.
Wuyan said, "I can't just bring young master to such a dangerous place!" but I ignored him, saying it was an order.
In the basement, a young man with a snake-like face and squinting eyes was waiting for us.
"I am Dao Yunchui, the branch manager of the Shanxi branch."
He had very fair skin and was quite handsome. Of course, as a member of Haowen, his face was likely a human skin mask.
"You are quite unexpected for someone looking for us... I apologize for the aggressive behavior."
"Apology is fine, so will you take the request?"
"Before that, may I ask why a righteous family like the Gua family would seek out a sect like us?"
"You keep asking strange questions. I said I came to make a request."
"I'm asking why you came to us instead of the Beggar Gang."
Why would a righteous family seek out an evil sect to make a request when the Beggar Gang is available?
"I came because the Beggar Gang can't do it, but Haowen can. You know that, so why do you keep asking?"
My slightly impatient tone made the snake-eyed young man smile slightly.
"I apologize if I offended you. Given the reputation of young master, we need to confirm a few things..."
A mere fifteen-year-old boy, or a troublemaker who the Gua family seemed to have half-let go, coming to make a request. It's understandable why they would be cautious.
"The only reason I'm here in person as the branch manager is because of young master's surname."
"I know, so will you take the request? This is the third time I'm asking, you know."
"Haowen never refuses a request. As long as the price is right, of course."
Dao Yunchui relaxed his posture, indicating he was willing to listen to the request.
Now I can finally talk.
"I'm looking for a person. A boy, probably a little over ten years old."
I took out a piece of paper with a description and location and handed it to Dao Yunchui.
Dao Yunchui, who received the paper, said with a strange expression.
"I don't understand, young master. If it's about finding a person, there's no need to come to Haowen."
"It's a bit far and the area I know is limited. The Beggar Gang's fees are expensive, you know."
The Beggar Gang, being a righteous sect, is well-known for its high credibility.
And the fees they charge for requests are also quite high.
If I gave the same request to the Beggar Gang, it would probably cost twice as much as what I'm offering Haowen.
However, there is a slight problem.
"Sir, we don't operate on such a small amount of money."
I know, but I came to Haowen because I can afford it.
Dao Yunchui was looking at the paper I gave him.
"The description is unique, making it easy to find, but the area is wide and far from Shanxi, so it's not an easy request."
"So it's expensive, right?"
Dao Yunchui mentioned the corresponding amount.
Wuyan, who was behind me, gasped at the amount.
How much money would I need to save from what the manor gives me? It's a terrifying amount.
But it doesn't matter.
"The price will go down if you can't find him, but for now, this is the amount..."
"I'm sorry, but we can't pay with money."
"...What do you mean?"
It's a risky move to come to Haowen as a righteous person.
Just being associated with the evil sects while representing the Gua family is risky.
But I came to Haowen because they can't talk about it casually and I'm confident they will accept my request.
"I have some very good information. I think it's enough to pay for it."
"...Young master, do you forget where you are?"
This place, in terms of information, is on par with the Beggar Gang in the Central Plains.
"I dare to say that we have more information than the Beggar Gang."
The Beggar Gang, being a righteous sect, has things they can't do, but Haowen doesn't care about the means.
Perhaps that's why they can make such arrogant statements.
"Moreover, there's no way we don't know what you know. If you don't have the request fee, then this matter is—"
"Haowen Master (下汚門主)."
The branch manager Dao Yunchui stopped talking at the sudden mention.
His face, which I couldn't see clearly, was filled with shock.
"The location of the missing Haowen Master. Aren't you curious?"
As soon as I finished speaking, a sword blade rushed towards me.