Chapter 46

Qing helped the old man steady himself.

“Grandma, you okay?”

“Is that you, Sir? Then please help me find my son. Please…”

“Well, let’s try. For now, could you stay home today? What’s your son’s name…?”

“I-ha-sam, I-ha-sam. You’ll understand if I mention I-ha-sam from Somyeong Village.”

There’s a saying, “Jang-sam Lee-sa.” In the Central Plains, the most common surnames are those of impoverished clans. It refers to people who are as common as the third son of the Jang Clan or the fourth son of the Lee Clan.

If you look for I-ha-sam, he’s the third son born in summer from the Lee Clan. It’s a name so common that you could find hundreds of I-ha-sams in the Central Plains.

But saying, “I can’t find him because your son’s name is too common!” was no way to get away with this. Qing tried to calm the old man down, promising she would do her best.

“Oh, thank you. Thank you, Sir!”

The old man muttered his gratitude repeatedly, visibly relieved, before leaving with his bent back.

Qing awkwardly asked as she watched him go, “By the way, does anyone know how to find people? Raise your hand!”

—-

Unexpectedly, Chang-bin moved into action right away.

He asked the gatekeeper martial artist to request permission to enter and then spoke to the group.

“I’ll investigate at Hao Wen and over at Gaebang. Pang Bro, come with me. Namgoong Bro and Young Lady Seomun, you stay at the Great Justice Gate and listen for any news.”

To Qing, he looked a bit too gentlemanly for a klutz, but Chang-bin was the eldest brother of the rising dragon gathering. At twenty-nine, no one among the young masters of famous families had such a diverse experience in the martial world.

“Wow, our Chang-bin is quite the smart one, huh?”

Qing declared they should be friends right then and there, not as a suggestion, but as a statement.

Chang-bin was older, and Qing had a higher standing, so they should just consider it as done, just like that, right?

For Qing, this was a significant concession. Strictly speaking, she was above him in both age and status.

What lacked between them was nothing but wealth and common sense.

Meanwhile, Chang-bin felt a bit overwhelmed.

In matters of rank, status surpassed age by a long shot.

Plus—

“Chang-bin, you really are reliable. Ooh, I feel so secure!”

Qing elbowed Chang-bin repeatedly.

…What kind of woman is so casual with a guy!

Is this how women throw caution to the wind? All rules of propriety seem to fly out the window!

How could a woman forget to act modestly like this!
…Could it be she’s got feelings for me?

Of course, it was Chang-bin who turned red and looked away in front of her.

“Um, just go ahead, Pang brother.”

Pang Dae-san took a weary look at this and said, “Hyung, do you have to go with me?”

“Well, I did say I was going to Hao Wen.”

Hao Wen was the most peculiar faction in the martial world. Originally, “Hao” referred to the five most lowly professions in the martial world. It was a faction of those who lived aimlessly at the bottom of society.

One could argue what could possibly come from such lowly individuals gathering together.

But they showcased their skills with something incredible—an art of invisibility that others couldn’t recognize!

These lower-class individuals were masters of stealth, like invisible men.

When central plain folks sit in a tavern, they often don’t even notice Jeomsoi, the tavern hand, cleaning the floors. Sometimes they wouldn’t even consider that such a lowly being could comprehend human language.

Porters, coachmen, and ferrymen were all essentially invisible. Peddlers and gisaeng were often thought of as deaf-mute types.

Through this, Hao Wen evolved into a top-notch information broker, thriving on smuggling, black market dealings, and diverse business operations.

And the sellers of information at Hao Wen were beautiful gisaengs. They actively used their feminine charm. Not only did they sell information, but they were also skilled at tricking others to obtain information in return.

Yet there was one entity that dug into all the weaknesses of every woman—a strikingly handsome man known as the Most Beautiful in the World.

“It would only make sense that Pang Brother goes with me for some decent information, considered pros at ripping people off.”

Pang Dae-san completely agreed.

Not long after, a face burst through the gate of their faction.

It was Wang Gae-yuk, the leader of the Great Justice Gate.

Typically, the side gate was used by servants, housekeepers, and other employees. It’s not a good look for a sect leader to be coming through that door.

However, this was the conclusion Wang Gae-yuk had pondered. After all, guests never came through the side gate anyway.

“I think it’s not an appropriate place to welcome such esteemed guests, so please, let’s take you through the front gate.”

It was a compromise satisfactory enough for both parties.

With the leader personally greeting them, it saved face, and since they didn’t go through the side gate, their dignity remained intact.

From the guests’ side, they didn’t pass through the side gate either and were greeted by the host himself, so they would certainly find it quite impressive.

But to Qing, she thought, why?

“Oh, don’t we have to go through the front gate?”

“The Swordmaster may be down-to-earth, but a man shouldn’t be entering through the side. Even a Swordmaster should always keep up appearances as a once-in-a-lifetime swordsman.”

In other words, going through the side gate was considered shameful for a swordsman.

Qing just took it as it was. As expected, those original factions were never ones to overlook the details.

As the guests took a roundabout way along the tall walls of the manor, Wang Gae-yuk within was feeling slightly disappointed.

The news had reached him that a disciple of the Hwasan Clan had come. He had long known about the rumors of Oki-rin being in town.

Considering the Hwasan disciple would be visiting along with them, he could easily guess who they were.

But to his surprise, there was just a young swordsman and a cute young lady in a robe. The young man seemed handsome, but he didn’t shine with the radiance of the Most Beautiful.

It seemed like this was a bit below his expectations. Had he gotten overly hasty?

So, it was Wang Son-seok, the eldest son, who stepped forward to greet the guests at the front gate instead.

Wang Son-seok belonged to the Jiyongdae faction, and he instantly recognized the unexpected visitors.

“Namgoong Shin-jae Great Hero! Thank you for visiting our gate! I am Wang Son-seok, do you happen to remember me? We’ve met a few times at the League.”

“Oh really? Nice to meet you.”

Wang Son-seok was slightly taken aback. Namgoong Shin-jae’s attitude was rather cold.

“Great Hero?”

“I had thought the Great Justice Gate was a half-sword faction. But since we have common goals with the orthodox sect, I can’t complain. Sorry for dropping in suddenly.”

Half-sword faction? What the heck is that? Maybe that’s why the heir of Namgoong has this chilly demeanor towards them. Did something wrong happen on our Great Justice Gate’s part?

However, with Wang Son-seok feeling cold sweat, he could grasp his pride as a member of the orthodox sect.

“Ah! Wait a second. This isn’t how it should go. What’s your schedule like? Are you staying for dinner?”

He was asking if they were going to have dinner. They had to be informed beforehand to prepare the meal, right?

“Not certain yet, but more will be coming. The Pu-long Fair Sword and Oki-rin are out for a bit.”

Even if not to actually rest, it sounded like they fully intended to have dinner. Order more food since there would be more people coming.

“Oh!”

Wang Son-seok’s expression brightened up. Three members of the Heavenly Martial Alliance had shown up.

Among them were genuine potential heirs. This had naturally created a golden opportunity to mix and build connections.

“Then, what about this Young Lady?”

“I’m Seomun Qing.”

That introduction was a bit brief. It conveyed the meaning of being someone unnamed without mentioning her clan, sect, or nickname.

While she was admittedly a strikingly beautiful young lady swordsman, one would expect her to be accompanied by at least one title.

“So, you’re Young Lady Seomun.”

Wang Son-seok’s interest suddenly dimmed. Given how close he was to someone from the Heavenly Martial Alliance, trying to flirt would just end up being awkward, so best to keep a distance from her.

“But Great Hero, will the rest of your companions be arriving soon? My father has prepared some tea and refreshments.”

“Oh, refreshments. Seems the host has some manners! Hey, Swordmaster, would it be proper for me to go?” Wasn’t it kind of rude to ignore the table already laid out? Give me the green light!”

“Of course. No one in the world would dare to give the Swordmaster anything less than your due respect.”

So, this conversation was being exchanged when Wang Son-seok felt quite flustered.

He had a rough idea of what “Swordmaster” meant in context, but this girl boldly emphasized the necessity of honoring someone from the Namgoong family…

What’s this? Is she possibly the next hostess? I should’ve treated her with more respect earlier. Ah, what a blunder!”

Wang Son-seok quickly upped his valuation of Qing by a few levels.