Value Of Information. (2)

As expected, his thoughts didn’t betray him.

The group was once again traveling somewhere by boat.

Even Yu Jinsan, known for his patience, felt he was reaching his limit.

‘I guess we will meet this time.’

He couldn’t take his anger out on the boatman.

With that frustration, they traveled another half a day. When the river surrounded them, it made it tougher to discern their location.

A boat approached them from the opposite direction.

A man in a black robe, adorned with a crescent moon and wearing a mask, stood on it.

The boat was approaching on its own with no one rowing it, which meant he was using his qi to propel the boat.

Was it his intention to show off his skills and intimidate the opponent?

No matter what the man thought, there was no reason for Yu Jinsan to back down or feel overwhelmed. He could easily do it, too, if he wanted.

“Please, cross over. I will wait at a distance until your talk is over.”

The boatman helped the three transfer and then moved a bit farther away.

“Do you want to deal with the Black Night Clan?”

First, it was necessary to verify their information to some extent.

Yu Jinsan sent a message to Dong-gu, who was hesitant, and then continued the conversation.

“Do you know who we are?”

“Aren’t you the third son of the Dong family head? And these are your two children.”

“How much do you know?”

“And also that your son took down the Hahu family.”

Yu Jinsan was taken aback.

He couldn’t believe that they were aware of something so recent. Though it seemed they hadn’t grasped his true identity, their information network was impressive.

First, they had to discuss more with Dong-gu to understand.

“Do you belong to the Black Night Room?”

“No, let me just say that I their a partner in a way. If you tell me your request, a price will be set for the information, and then it will be delivered.”

Even so, they had come all this way, investing so much time, yet no one directly related to the clan had appeared. Yu Jinsan was confounded.

“Please provide us with direct contact with the Black Night Clan. It is sensitive information to inform anyone.”

The man in the black robe shook his head without a second thought.

“You are the lowest level customer, so it isn’t possible for us to do that, according to our rules. If you reach the highest customer level, then you will be able to meet them in person anytime.”

Yu Jinsan clenched his fists but then released them.

It was clear that hitting the person in front of him would be futile. And the man must know how people react and the appropriate responses.

But Yu Jinsan had to meet a member of the clan because he had a reason.

Dong-gu, who had received a message from Yu Jinsan, spoke nervously.

“I don’t know how much the information costs, but the truth is, I don’t have any money right now. So we have to meet them in person and negotiate.”

A hint of murderous intent flickered in the eyes of the man in black.

Without a second thought, he blew a whistle, summoning the distant boat, clearly intending to send them back.

“Under the rules, we cannot refund the meeting costs, so please understand.”

Yu Jinsan had already spent five silver coins.

And they couldn’t back down like this.

Finally, Yu Jinsan gave up on sending a message to Dong-gu and said,

“But this old man cannot back down like this, so how about we do this…”

The eyes of the man shook at that.

He knew the child in front of him wasn’t normal, but what he felt now was so different from before.

And he had just referred to himself as an old man. That one word carried so much weight.

“…?”

Yu Jinsan took out a rough tablet from his pocket and held it out to him.

“Did you think we came here unprepared? I intend to entrust this as collateral for my debt.”

Suddenly, the man in black’s eyes shook.

He recognized the plaque of the Evil King, which the Evil Way Alliance Lord, a supreme figure of the Evil Sect, had handed down to him.

Without even thinking to hold the plaque to check it, he bowed down in front of Yu Jinsan.

“Cheon Kwang-il of the Sun and Moon Clan. I greet the Evil King.”

Dong-gu and Yu Seol tilted their heads at this unexpected reaction.

Only Yu Jinsan managed to keep his expression calm, as if he had anticipated it.

“I have no intention of using this plaque to get work done, so don’t worry. I am not even a member of the Evil Sect. Anyway, I am thinking of putting this up for auction. What do you think?”

“…”

Cheon Kwang-il was confused.

What was this Evil King’s Plaque? It was a sacred item that was only given to the key figures of the Evil Sect.

The warriors of the Evil Way Alliance must cooperate with anyone possessing this plaque.

The plaque’s value or the information it represented wasn’t the problem; it was an item that couldn’t be purchased for a thousand coins.

“One might be surprised to hear that I am not a member of the Evil Way Sect. Just take it.”

Cheon Kwang-il took the plaque and then carefully examined it.

He checked the name engraved on it and was extremely shocked.

“Yin Yang Twin Monsters…?”

“I tried to hide my identity until I met someone from the clan, but in this situation, I guess it cannot be helped. I don’t know about the others, but you are different since you handle information.”

Had he been arrogant in front of someone of such stature?

Cheon Kwang-il, whose shoulders were more slumped than before, glanced at Yu Jinsan’s side.

There stood Yu Seol, holding his hand and looking shocked.

“…”

“Ugh. This is the Yin Monster who terrorized Shaanxi. You must know. If Yin decides to move, it will not be a problem to take down the Black Night Clan. Of course, I am not saying we will do that…”

The warrior, who had defeated Moyong Seong, stood right before him. Cheon Kwang-il faced the decision of whether to break the rules.

His worries were short-lived.

He avoided Yu Seol’s gaze and returned the jade plaque.

“I will arrange the meeting with the Black Night Clan directly. And as soon as possible…”

“Thank you. I will do my best to find a place to stay around here.”

There was no need to choose a specific meeting place. If it was the Black Night Clan, they would have no trouble locating it.

He had roughly guessed that the next meeting would occur in about five days.

Yet, the Black Night Clan defied his expectations and arrived in less than two days.

Dong-gu opened the door upon hearing someone approach.

Clack!

A woman with an old-fashioned appearance stood at the door.

She wore silk clothes embroidered with a lotus pattern and exuded an air of elegance.

Although she appeared to lack martial arts skills, there was something peculiar about her.

“Nice to meet you. I am the branch leader, Eun Hwa-rin.”

If she was the branch leader, she would have to manage this territory. That meant she occupied an executive role.

Her guard waited outside the door, which was somewhat unusual.

“The elder will speak with you directly, so please have a seat here.”

Yu Seol lay on the bed, her eyes already heavy with sleep, while Yu Jinsan was seated at the table.

The woman, who introduced herself as Eun Hwa-rin, took a seat across from Yu Jinsan.

“It is an honor to meet you like this.”

“No, the honor is this old man’s. To have the esteemed members of the clan, who are difficult to meet, come to visit me in person…”

“Please understand that our clan operates under complex rules. Our survival depends on it.”

“Yours is an organization that thrives on information and money, not strength, so it makes sense to function in such a manner. I understand it.”

A faint smile appeared on Eun Hwa-rin’s face.

“Thank you for understanding.”

“But what is the reason for you to come in person? I think there must be some reason for the branch leader to make the trip personally.”

Slowly taking a deep breath, she looked serious as she spoke.

“Right. Let me get straight to the point. From now on, our Black Night Clan is going to provide all information to you, the elder, free of charge, without any compensation.”

Yu Jinsan’s reaction was more one of embarrassment than happiness.

If the Black Night Clan’s cooperation was because of the Evil King, that was not the outcome he desired.

This was because the moment he used the plaque, it would be no different from admitting that the Yin Yang Twin Monsters were Evil Sect people.

“I said that the Evil King was simply lending a hand and that I had no intention of using them. Have I not also made it clear that I’m not a member of the Evil Sect?”

“It has nothing to do with that.”

“Then is it out of fear? Your location hasn’t been exposed, so that can’t be it.”

“I don’t know the reason; the order came from higher up. The clan leader wants to meet you in person.”

He couldn’t help but wonder.

Why would the clan leader, the one hidden in shadows, want to meet him directly? Could it be a trap?

Even so, something didn’t add up. They had no apparent reason to set such a trap.

Yu Jinsan pondered for a moment, and suddenly a connection appeared in his mind.

‘Black Night Clan… Black Mountain Tea… eh?’

Although the likelihood was small, he considered the possibility that this Black Night Clan might be the one he knew of.

If his hunch was correct, then the situation began to make sense.

But first, he needed to meet him.

“Where?”

Eun Hwa-rin whispered softly so that only he could hear.

“Seek out the Snow Mountain Escort Service.”

“Escort service, eh…”

Since the number of people permitted to operate within a province was limited, obtaining a movement permit was difficult. Since an escort service was a group that could legally possess weapons and move freely, its operation must be strictly regulated.

Normally, this wouldn’t have been possible without connections to the governor.

He still couldn’t believe that an organization in the shadows was influencing the world to this extent. The more he learned, the more surprised he became.

Soon after finishing their business, the woman stood up and bowed to him.

“Thank you for your time.”

“No, I am the one who is grateful.”

“I am glad things worked out.”

“If it weren’t for Dong-gu, would things have gone so smoothly? It was a series of tough situations piling up.”

Now it was time to go their separate ways.

Dong-gu, who was carrying the luggage, smiled at Yu Seol.

“Our Seol needs to be happy and healthy during this time.”

Yu Seol had tears in her eyes, as if she were upset about their parting.

“Mister, will you not see me anymore?”

“Is that possible? Whenever you get a chance, come visit the Dong family with Grandpa, okay?”

“…Yes, I will definitely come and be there.”

Dong-gu patted Yu Seol on the head and then bowed to Yu Jinsan.

“Thank you so much, Elder.”

“Yes, we will meet again one day. Do not neglect your training.”

“Yes. And this…”

Dong-gu took something out of his pocket. It was a three-colored bracelet made of beads.

“What is that?”

“I bought it from a street vendor yesterday. I wanted to keep some memories.”

“A grown adult man shouldn’t…”

Contrary to his words, Yu Jinsan actually took the bracelet right then and put it on.

Although he wasn’t interested in wearing jewelry, he couldn’t refuse this.

‘I am wearing a seashell necklace, so this isn’t much…’

Unlike him, his granddaughter was all happy and hopping around.

“Very pretty. Mister Dong-gu, thank you!”

“Right, and if we meet again in the future, we can see this and find one another.”

“Haha. I see.”

Now this felt like a real farewell.

Dong-gu bowed his head to Yu Jinsan.

“Then I will see you again, but with a different appearance.”

“Yes, I look forward to it. I’ve had lots of fun, thanks to you.”

After parting ways with Dong-gu, Yu Jinsan and Yu Seol took their first step toward their destination.

From now on, there was no reason to move around aimlessly.

“Let’s leave too.”

“Uh!”

The two walked, shoulders side by side.

Their destination was Kaifeng County.

Wasn’t it said that it was dark under the lamp? Even though the Beggars Union was running around cleanly, the reason why the Black Night Clan operated like this was to hide in the shadows of the officials.

To pass through the city gate, one needed a pass called a ‘Road Guide,’ and it wasn’t something that beggars could obtain, given their identity.

Above all, Kaifeng County was now a center for cultural and economic growth, and the entry of beggars was blocked right at the entrance of the city.

Even if they managed to come in, how could the city allow people to attack the Black Night Clan members who had stepped in? It could be said that this was the safest location.

‘Maybe I can see the faces I want to see this time.’