Became a God-Level M Chapter 203 : To Gansu Province

Chapter 203: To Gansu Province

Reception Room of the Seong-un Inn.

Jin Seong-un sat across the table from Elder Byeok and a Beggars’ Union mber.

Jin Seong-un had shown his sincerity by specially serving Cheongtang Bamboo Stew to the Beggars’ Union mbers who had co after scrubbing themselves clean in the river.

“Seong-un, the information I brought today is sothing even the Beggars’ Union doesn’t know yet. In other words, it’s information that those greenhorns loitering outside won’t have access to.”

Elder Byeok boasted with a triumphant expression. She was in an exceptionally good mood—rare for her.

The Beggars’ Union was, after all, a symbol of information.

However, not a single person across the entire Murim had co to her for intel.

The reason was simple: due to her characteristic boldness and frequent troubles across various places, the Sect Leader of the Beggars’ Union had personally severed her intelligence network.

She wasn’t particularly regretful.

Her nature leaned far more toward throwing punches than delicately gathering and organizing information.

Jin Seong-un could tell what she wanted through her expression, tone, and deanor.

Years of experience working as an inn waiter hadn’t gone to waste.

Jin Seong-un nodded deeply and said,

“An elder of the Beggars’ Union is more impressive than I thought.”

It wasn’t particularly extravagant praise.

But for soone like her—often disregarded as a proper Beggars’ Union mber—that simple complint struck a chord.

With a truly satisfied look, she began listing off the information she had obtained.

“About the Baek Li Clan. I heard they’ve kidnapped quite a number of children, right? And they were preparing to move them sowhere.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“They recently purchased an estate in Lanzhou, Gansu Province. It’s said to be an enormous estate.”

A glint passed through Jin Seong-un’s eyes.

That ant the Baek Li Clan had been planning to move the children to Lanzhou.

Elder Byeok smirked and looked at the beggar sitting beside her. Perhaps they had gotten into a scuffle on the way, as his eye was bruised and swollen.

Elder Byeok asked,

“How did you find out?”

The middle-aged beggar straightened his back and began to speak in a tense tone, like a soldier standing at attention.

“I was loitering around a large estate that had long been empty, thinking I might get a bite to eat since it was suddenly being cleaned. When I looked into the new owner, I found out it was a branch family of the Baek Li Clan, so I backed off imdiately. They’re the kind who live for their own pride. Villains who rarely show charity.”

That was the Beggars’ Union’s standard.

Those who generously gave to others were considered good, while those who hoarded and looked down on beggars were deed evil.

“So, it’s certain that you haven’t passed this information on to the Murim Alliance yet?”

“Y-yes! Absolutely! How could I ever lie to you, Elder?”

“And what happens if you’re caught lying?”

“I get beaten to a pulp until I die.”

Elder Byeok nodded with a satisfied smile, then turned to Jin Seong-un.

‘See?’ Her eyes seed to say. Jin Seong-un responded with a thumbs up.

Seeing the thumbs up, Elder Byeok looked even more pleased.

Then she lowered her voice and said,

“I have no intention of handing this information over to the Murim Alliance. Seong-un, handle it as you see fit.”

“Is that really okay?”

“After what happened with the Baek Li Clan, I can no longer fully trust the Murim Alliance. The sa goes for the people outside.”

Jin Seong-un nodded.

Hadn’t Hwamyeong and Tang So-yeon said sothing similar the day before?

Clearly, sothing unusual was stirring within the Orthodox Faction.

Elder Byeok continued,

“This one’s not soone you need to worry about. He’s a direct junior of my faction.”

With that, Elder Byeok gave the middle-aged beggar a hearty slap on the back. The beggar imdiately straightened up and launched into a sudden self-introduction.

“Gansu Province Branch Leader Hwang Geol-gae of the Dirty Clothes Faction of the Beggars’ Union! I pledge my loyalty to Elder…!”

“That’s enough.”

When Elder Byeok waved her hand, Hwang Geol-gae shut his mouth tight.

Jin Seong-un could tell that Hwang Geol-gae had gone through quite a bit on his way to Yichang.

Suddenly, Jin Seong-un asked curiously,

“The Beggars’ Union has factions?”

“Yes. The Dirty Clothes Faction and the Clean Clothes Faction.”

“I’ve never heard of them.”

Elder Byeok nodded as she fiddled with her teacup.

“Not surprising. These days, that distinction has beco rather blurry. The Dirty Clothes Faction is just as the na suggests—filthy folks. You could say they’re beggars in the truest sense.”

“You must be one yourself. Keepers of tradition, I’d say.”

“Perfect understanding. On the other hand, the Clean Clothes Faction wears clean clothes. At a glance, it’s hard to tell whether they’re beggars or rchants.”

“To which faction does the current Sect Leader belong?”

“He was originally from the Dirty Clothes Faction. But ever since becoming the Sect Leader, he’s been putting in effort to wash regularly.”

“…I see.”

Jin Seong-un recalled the Dragon Head Bangju he had t previously. Contrary to that claim, the man had reeked rather powerfully despite his supposed cleanliness.

Elder Byeok’s explanation continued.

“Before he beca the sect leader, he had been extraordinary. I even disliked getting close to him.”

“……That’s impressive.”

“However, after becoming the sect leader he tried to erase the distinction between the O-eui faction and the Justice faction by personally acting like the Justice faction. In fact, the Later Beggars also singled out soone from the Justice faction. There had been a ti when the two factions did not get along. They had weakened their forces by constantly striking at one another.”

Only then did Jin Seong-un roughly understand the inside story of the Beggars’ Union.

Even at the Seong-un Inn, Chef Seo and the Seomun inn-waiter would fight at the slightest chance and it was exhausting; if an organization the size of the Beggars’ Union split into two and fought every day, the damage would have been severe.

“Anyway, that’s enough about the Beggars’ Union. Do you know why I’m telling you information that I would not even pass to the Murim Alliance?”

“To forgive my debts?”

Elder Byeok flinched for an instant.

That was actually the biggest reason, but he pretended otherwise and continued.

“Ahem, of course that played a small part. But there was a decisive reason. Fundantally, you have no reason at all to do shady things. Usually when shady things happen in the martial world there are two causes: martial arts or money. But you have no reason to covet either.”

Jin Seong-un nodded.

It was certainly true.

He had cultivated the techniques of the Martial Gods, so there was no reason to covet others’ martial arts, and as for money, he had so much that it was difficult to even determine the exact amount.

While Jin Seong-un was secretly admiring the surprisingly logical reasoning, Jin Seong-un, Elder Byeok, and the head of the Gansu Bunta simultaneously looked toward the ceiling.

Soon a sharp sound of a ssenger bird ca from outside.

At first it sounded like a thrown dagger striking sothing, but when they listened closely it was an animal cry.

Hwang Geol-gae, the master of the Gansu Bunta, widened his eyes.

“A ssenger raptor?”

It was literally a raptor that delivered ssages.

It was several tis faster than an ordinary saker falcon and it understood human speech fairly well, so in the martial world it was treated as sothing half-supernatural.

Elder Byeok’s brow tightened.

“There were not many places that handled ssenger raptors in the world. Let’s go out and see.”

When Jin Seong-un and the two beggars went outside, a brave-looking hawk circled in the sky and looked down at them.

Although the ssenger raptor had clearly never t Jin Seong-un before, it imdiately recognized his face and descended.

It seed to drop almost vertically, and its speed surpassed that of a thrown dagger to such an extent that even Jin Seong-un tensed for a mont.

When it ca close it expertly spread its huge wings to slow its speed and then settled softly on Jin Seong-un’s shoulder.

When Jin Seong-un lightly stroked its head and back with his fingers, it made a purring sound as if pleased.

“Who on earth sent this precious ssenger raptor? Open it at once.”

At Elder Byeok’s words Jin Seong-un finally checked the pouch tied to the raptor’s leg.

A small letter lay inside.

“Hwa-un Trading Company.”

“The trading company in Sichuan? How on earth did they obtain a ssenger raptor? At most there were two or three in the Murim Alliance and four or five in the imperial palace, as far as I knew.”

Jin Seong-un shrugged and slowly read the letter’s contents.

Earlier he had sent a question to Hwa-un Trading Company, specifically to Hwa Yeon-seol.

‘If one were to obtain a thousand cold-attributed spiritual herbs, how would one manage them?’

He had thought rchants would know best about rchantly thods, so he sought advice from Hwa Yeon-seol.

The reply had just arrived, and its contents were rather striking.

If the herbs were to be used in the short term, they would purchase ice from various places so the herbs would not wither; but if they needed to be stored long-term they would hire an artisan skilled in alchemical refinent to preserve the efficacy and make them into a spiritual dicine.

It also ntioned that artisans from the North Sea region were renowned for handling cold-natured dicines well.

Cold-type spiritual dicines were extrely rare, so the artisans capable of handling them were exceedingly few.

Astutely, Hwa Yeon-seol had discerned the hidden aning behind Jin Seong-un’s question and even wrote down the location where the artisan lived.

Coincidentally, it was Lanzhou in Gansu Province, where the Baek Li Clan had reportedly bought an estate.

There were two routes from Yichang toward Lanzhou in the northwest. One was to move northward via Shaanxi, the other was to move westward via Deyang where Deyang was located.

That was all that had been written, but Jin Seong-un thought that Hwa Yeon-seol secretly hoped he would go via Deyang.

Of course she would have wanted to see Seo Yu-gyeom rather than Jin Seong-un himself.

Pocketing the letter, Jin Seong-un briefly looked at Elder Byeok and the Bunta master. Elder Byeok half-smiled as if he knew everything and said.

“You don’t have to say anything to us, so don’t worry about appearances. But if you need help, ask again at any ti.”

“I will repay your kindness.”

“You have already repaid it, it seems.”

Elder Byeok said that and pointed to the inn.

Then the beggars who always accompanied Elder Byeok stepped out, patting their full bellies.

“When else will they get to eat such food if not now? But if they co looking for food separately while I’m away, do not give them anything.”

Elder Byeok knew the beggars’ habits well.

If Jin Seong-un began giving them food even once or twice, they would forget their place and co into the inn as often as they pleased.

Beggars must remain beggars. That had been the way Elder Byeok had lived to this day.

“Then our business is done and we will be going. If we are needed, contact the Beggars’ Union or the Gansu Bunta.”

Jin Seong-un bowed to show his gratitude.

The first eting had been rather unpleasant, it was true, but once Elder Byeok had opened his heart he was kinder and more dependable than anyone.

Shortly after Elder Byeok and the Beggars’ Union left.

Jin Seong-un gathered Seo Yu-gyeom, Seomun Ak, and Lee Seowon and shared the information.

Seo Yu-gyeom said in an offhand tone.

“So the place called Mu-gung was in Gansu. Indeed, Hanryeonghwa could be obtained near the North Sea, so that made sense. Moreover, if that great technique truly belonged to the Demonic Cult……”

Seo Yu-gyeom unusually trailed off.

It was a rather weighty remark that was not easy to put into words.

Gansu Province stretched long from east to west and was adjacent to the North Sea, but it was also not far from the north of Xinjiang, that is, Hanma-cheon (Cold Demon Heaven), one of the Seven Demon Heavens of the Demonic Cult.

And Hanma-cheon was a demonic clan that owned a great technique that forcibly raised insight.

A brief heavy silence flowed.

The Demonic Cult’s presence was that weighty.

Seomun Ak suddenly clenched his large fist. A smile that mingled tension and exhilaration flickered at the corner of his mouth.

Just as Seomun Ak was about to speak with a solemn voice, Seo Yu-gyeom spoke first.

“If you bring up that annoying knight-errant theory again today, you’ll get us both killed. Say sothing else or shut up.”

Seomun Ak closed his mouth.

Thus, in the silence their next destination was set: Gansu Province.