---

EP.5 Hao Gate (1)

Back in the days when the Sword Sovereign was still known as the Gale Sword.

Thanks to the opening of the True Demonic Gate near Sichuan, the master of the Tang Clan was away, leaving an opportunity for the Black Dragon Sword to launch an ambush on the Tang Clan.

The numbers of the Black Dragon Sword and the Black Dragon Squad reached at least several hundred.

The Black Dragon Sword itself was a martial artist beyond his peak, and most of the members of the Black Dragon Squad were top-tier martial artists.

It was still a while before the master of the Tang Clan, Tang Jia-Ok, would receive the letter and arrive at the clan.

Without Tang Jia-Ok, the master of the Tang Clan, the Black Dragon Sword aimed to swallow the Tang Clan, the ruler of Sichuan, and dominate the region.

Had there been no extraordinary event, the Tang Clan might have faced full annihilation that day.

However, for the Black Dragon Sword, there unfortunately was an extraordinary event.

That event was the fact that the Gale Sword happened to be at the Tang Clan at that time.

What occurred afterward was something unbelievable for those who did not witness it firsthand.

Hundreds from the Black Dragon Squad and the formidable Black Dragon Sword fell to the hands of the Gale Sword.

Those who witnessed the Gale Sword facing hundreds of opponents from a distance said that the sword dance was as beautiful as the crescent moon shining in the night sky.

Yet, the trails left by the sword were nothing but brutal.

After a lengthy battle, only hundreds of corpses and the Gale Sword remained standing.

Following this incident, the Tang Clan took out Evergreen Iron and gifted a sword to the Gale Sword.

That sword became a cherished possession that the Gale Sword carried with him even after he became the Sword Sovereign.

The Moonlight Sword.

The name of a sword crafted by many artisans with utmost effort, hailing from the Tang Clan, famed for handling iron in the Central Plains.

Yet, what of that artful masterpiece…?

“It’s a broom, just a broom!”

In the hands of the Sword Sovereign was a broom.

…Is this really right?

As the clock struck 1 PM to 3 PM, I sat on the porch basking in the warm sunlight.

You could say I was meditating, but…

I was keenly watching a small figure vigorously sweeping the floor in the distance.

With a slightly hunched back and unkempt white hair, the old man was slowly but energetically cleaning.

It’s hard to believe, but that old man was the Sword Sovereign.

“…To think I’d see the Sword Sovereign sweeping the floor in our house.”

Is this really happening?

It had been two days since the Sword Sovereign and Wi Seol-Ah entered my residence as attendants, claiming they were here to serve me.

During that time, I had been half-dazed.

When I inquired with the Head Officer why these people suddenly came to stay, the answer was simply, “It’s the Clan Leader’s order.”

That was the answer I had anticipated.

But could I just storm into the Clan Leader’s office and confront Gu Cheolun? Probably not, right? Perhaps confronting him would have been the right thing to do.

I mulled over this for a long time, but ultimately couldn’t reach a conclusion, and time passed.

Is it really okay to leave things as they are? Should I throw a fit and chase them away for the future’s sake? But I didn’t have several lives to spare to go around making a fuss at the Sword Sovereign, so I decided to give that up for now.

Turning my tired head away from the Sword Sovereign showed me another problem.

“Seol-Ah, it’s dangerous to carry so much alone; how about moving together with your sister?”

“No! Seol-Ah can do it!”

“Uh, uh! Seol-Ah! Watch out for that rock in front of you…!”

“Hmm? Ouch!”

“….”

As I watched that scene, I diverted my gaze.

Wi Seol-Ah seemed to be treated like the youngest sister among the attendants and was adorably pampered by them.

Yet, she couldn’t manage even simple tasks.

She must possess remarkable talent as a martial artist, but how could she be so clumsy with physical work?

Just earlier, she had dropped a basket of laundry while trying to carry it.

The attendants were trying to comfort her, but even if they did, the dirtied laundry she had knocked over wouldn’t return.

Fortunately, it was before washing, so that was a relief. After witnessing that spectacle, I stood up.

Perhaps seeing me move, Wi Seol-Ah rushed over to me.

“Why aren’t you doing what you were working on?”

“You told me to follow you wherever you go!”

“…Who said that?”

“Grandpa did!”

“…Alright.”

Why did he say that…?

On the surface, it seemed like a prestigious statement of being a personal attendant, but I felt like it was just a way to shift the responsibility.

The real reason other servants were treating Wi Seol-Ah especially well might have been that they were forced to take on the tasks they feared most.

I guess Wi Seol-Ah’s presence eased the uncomfortable atmosphere in the residence that had been previously felt like a burden to me.

Is it really okay for someone of a noble family to just carelessly pick a personal attendant like this?

Given that this pertained to household servants, the Head Officer definitely had a hand in it.

‘Do my father and the Head Officer both know the identity of the Sword Sovereign? Or were they just so exasperated with the servants quitting so often that they threw caution to the wind?’

The Head Officer couldn’t possibly be unaware of the happenings in the clan, so there must have been some reason behind it.

….From what I could see, it seemed more like the latter.

As Wi Seol-Ah came closer to tidy my clothing, her clumsy skills caused me to stop her, insisting I would do it myself.

She seemed hurt at being refused, and her eyes were slightly glistening with tears.

But she was simply too unskilled for me to allow her to handle such tasks just yet.

‘Wait, is it even right to make her do this kind of work in the first place?’

Although it seemed like we still had plenty of time, the underlying anxiety made me feel a hurry that I couldn’t shake off.

This was part of why I was stepping out of the clan now.

After final preparations, I sent Wi Seol-Ah away to another attendant as she was about to follow me to the marketplace.

It was easy to send her off under the pretext of not having completed her training yet.

Seeing her express disappointment at not being able to go made it hard for me to decide how to treat her.

Given the future, it wouldn’t do to treat her merely as a servant, yet treating her differently presented its own challenges.

As I went outside, I locked eyes with the Sword Sovereign.

He bowed his head respectfully, and I felt a deep discomfort from the implication, prompting me to quickly step outside.

Once out of the residence, my guard, Muyeon, was waiting for me.

“I heard from the Head Officer. You’re heading to the marketplace.”

“I should only be gone for a little while; I’ll likely be back before sunset.”

“Understood.”

He didn’t inquire further, which showed that he was well-trained in his role as a guard.

‘It’s a bit pitiful that the person he’s guarding is me.’

Having left the clan and walked a little while, I soon found myself at the marketplace where I first encountered Wi Seol-Ah.

As I had felt last time, I noticed how out of breath I was from just a little walking, considering how little training I had done lately.

I wanted to take a break, but I had to hurry back before sunset.

I passed through bustling streets and started searching through alleys.

Muyeon expressed concern about the dangerous regions but did not stop me.

“Found it.”

After rummaging around for a while, I finally located the building marked with a sign.

Though it looked dilapidated and shabby, it was certainly the place I was looking for.

“I was worried they wouldn’t be here at this hour, but that turned out to be needless worry.”

“Master… why have you come here?”

“Why? Does it seem odd to you?”

“Yes… to be honest, it certainly does. I can overlook the building, but the atmosphere around here isn’t very pleasant.”

“Sharp senses, you got that right.”

Creeeak

As I pushed the old door open, all eyes in the building turned to me.

“What’s up with that kid? Did someone sneak in and have a kid?”

“What gross stuff are you saying? It’s probably just someone who took a wrong turn.”

“Who’s the guy standing behind him, though? Look at that, he’s even got a sword.”

In the dimly lit interior of the building, an aggressive atmosphere was palpable as Muyeon placed his hand on the hilt of his sword. It didn’t seem like the troublemakers paid any mind to him.

One of the men turned to me and said, “Hey kid, it’s not really a nice place to be running around. What brings you here?”

It felt like a long time since I faced this kind of reception; given how recently I’ve been treated like a high-ranking person, it was strangely comfortable.

I smirked slightly at the man’s condescending words and replied, “Why did I come? I’m here as a guest.”

“Seems like our little brat isn’t very talkative, huh? Should I cut your tongue shorter to wake you up?”

As the man chuckled, Muyeon finally drew his sword, but I quickly stopped him.

“Just hold on for a moment.”

With Muyeon poised to strike any second, I turned to the grinning troublemaker.

“Since you already know who I am, you’ve known since you stepped foot in this area. Let’s just take it easy.”

I wanted to blend in with the atmosphere, but regrettably, I didn’t have much time since I was allowed to go out.

Upon hearing my words, the grin on the man’s face vanished.

“Let’s cut the nonsense; I don’t have much time. I know why I came, so let’s skip the pointless games.”

“What the hell are you babbling about?”

The man attempted to play along again, but it was too late to recover his initial expression.

“I hear you’re worried about the Gu Clan knowing you’re here. You can’t go reckless since you don’t have the justification, and if a fight breaks out, it’ll end up being a loss for both sides, right?”

I could see the cold sweat trickling down the side of the man’s face.

“As I said, I’m a bit pressed for time. Right now, I’m here strictly as a client, so you’d better call the Branch Leader quickly before you create a situation you’re worried about.”

At my threat, his pupils shuddered.

Truthfully, I lacked even a trace of that capability, but I had to act boldly for their understanding.

In this unusual situation, Muyeon, in a flustered voice, queried, “…Master, what on earth is going on here?”

“It’s nothing, I’m just here to look into something. Originally, I intended to go to the Beggar Clan, but there were some complications.”

Muyeon flinched. Maybe he had guessed where I meant. He seemed to have an impressively sharp intuition.

While I would have preferred to ditch him, right now, such an action was impossible.

“I apologize for dragging you along, but it’s an unavoidable situation.”

The Beggar Clan was the only group that managed to establish their position with information rather than brute force. I figured it’d be easier to visit them and request a mission.

However, being a righteous faction, the Beggar Clan wouldn’t venture into something that could lead to complications.

Maybe if I promised mountains of cash, they might reconsider.

So, I had no choice but to seek out another option.

If the righteous faction had the best intel, then the demonic faction was the place for obtaining information.

That’s why I had come to Hao Gate.

*

It didn’t take long before I received proper guidance in Hao Gate.

After the man contacted someone, he led us to a basement at the back of the building.

Muyeon protested, “I can’t let you bring the master into such a dangerous place!” but there was no time for persuasion, so I ignored him, demanding we move on.

When we descended into the basement, a young man with snake-like features and squinty eyes waited for us.

“I’m Dou Unchuu, the Branch Leader of the Sichuan branch.”

He was quite handsome with pale skin. But given it was Hao Gate, it was likely a human-skin mask.

“It’s quite unexpected to meet someone like you seeking us out… I apologize for showing such a rough demeanor.”

“The apology is fine, but are you going to accept the request or not?”

“Before that, may I ask why someone from a righteous faction like the Gu Clan would seek out someone like us, mere demonic riffraff?”

“Why do you keep asking unusual questions? I told you I came here to request something.”

“I’m asking why you’d come seeking us instead of the Beggar Clan.”

What reason could there be to seek help from a demonic faction like us instead of the Beggar Clan, which is also a righteous faction?

“The Beggar Clan can’t do what we can, so of course, I’d come here. Why do you keep asking me again?”

When I spoke in a slightly irritated tone, the snake-eyed young man chuckled lightly.

“I apologize if I bothered you. It’s just that rumors surrounding your highness have reached us, so we felt it necessary to confirm.”

A boy who looked barely fifteen was here, and given the information that the Gu Clan was half aware of, he came to seek aid.

“In this situation, you’re here in front of me only because of your surname.”

“I know that. So if the name suffices, then are you going to accept my request or not? I’m asking for the third time.”

“Hao Gate has never refused a request. As long as the compensation is appropriate.”

Dou Unchuu relaxed his posture, indicating he was willing to hear the request.

Finally, I might be able to say what I needed.

“I’m looking for someone. A boy just over ten years old.”

I handed Dou Unchuu a piece of paper with the boy’s description and location.

Taking the paper, Dou Unchuu wore a puzzled expression.

“I’m not quite following, your highness. If you’re looking for someone, there’s no reason to seek us out.”

“It’s a bit far and my knowledge of the area is limited. The Beggar Clan charges a high fee, you see.”

Given the reputation of the Beggar Clan as a serious righteous faction, their credit is regarded quite highly.

And, as such, so are their request fees.

If I had presented the exact same request to the Beggar Clan, I wouldn’t be surprised if they asked for double what I was presenting to Hao Gate.

However, there’s a slight sticking point.

“Your highness, we don’t operate on such meager amounts either.”

Even if they’re double the price, that doesn’t mean it’s cheap.

“I know that, but I came to you because I can afford it.”

Dou Unchuu studied the paper I handed over.

“The unique features make it easier to locate, but given the broad area and the distance from Sichuan, it won’t be an easy request.”

“That probably means it will cost a lot, right?”

I could see a bead of sweat trickling down Muyeon’s face as he heard the amount.

How long would it take to accumulate money equal to what the clan provides to me? The thought was rather frightening.

But I didn’t care.

“The price will drop if you can’t find him, but for now, it’s about this amount…”

“Sorry, but what we’re paying with isn’t money.”

“…What did you say?”

Approaching a demonic faction to make a request while being part of the righteous faction was a risky choice.

Simply associating oneself with a demonic faction while under the Gu Clan’s banner was already dangerous.

Yet, I was here because I was certain they wouldn’t gossip recklessly and would take my request without fail.

“I have some very good information; I believe it can cover for the fees.”

“…Your highness. Do you realize where you are?”

Where am I? In terms of information volume, this place runs neck and neck with the Beggar Clan in the Central Plains.

“I’d dare say we certainly have more intel than you.”

The Beggar Clan has the privilege of being a righteous faction and thus cannot do certain things readily. However, the Hao Gate operates without such limits.

Perhaps it’s for that distinction that they could make such arrogant claims.

“Furthermore, there is no way that we don’t know what you know. If you don’t have a request fee, there won’t be a commission for this job…”

“Hao Gate Master.”

The casual mention of the title made Dou Unchuu pause.

I couldn’t see his expression clearly, but it turned to one of shock.

“Information about the whereabouts of the missing Hao Gate Master… Interested?”

Before my words finished, countless sword blades surged towards me.

 

---