Chapter 10: 10 On the Methods of Searching for an Object

10 On the Methods of Searching for an Object

Midnight, the third watch, the snoring was thick.

The night wind blew, and the window paper rustled.

Although the campfire was growing cold, there were at least four walls to block the wind, carving out a small, peaceful nest that sheltered the children as they drifted into a sound sleep.

Bang—

A loud noise shattered the momentary peace.

The people inside started up in alarm, flustered for a moment.

Bang—

Another loud noise, and the main door swung wide open.

Cold wind rushed in.

Someone stood at the doorway.

The child lying beside the fire pit rubbed their eyes and looked over, their whole body shivering.

Under the dim firelight, one could see that the person was extremely tall and thin, standing there like a flagpole, draped in a large black cloak, with a shock of startling white hair spilling over their shoulders. In the darkness, their features were unclear, but their gaze felt sharp as a spear, as if it could pierce through the endless night.

The white-haired person's gaze swept across everyone, finally resting on the face of the fattest person, who was sitting furthest inside.

That person had a large head and was sleeping in the spot where the straw was thickest in the dilapidated village hut.

"Who are you?"

The white-haired person asked.

The large-headed man scrambled to sit up, stunned by the question; this person had kicked down the door in the middle of the night to wake him, only to ask him who he was?

With a rustle, five or six people stood up nearby, all of them burly men like iron towers, surrounding the white-haired person; the room suddenly felt much smaller.

The large-headed man cleared his head a little more and barked, "Light the fire."

Several people struck fire-starters, and the light grew bright.

The large-headed man saw the white-haired person's face clearly.

The person's face was very pale, and at first glance, it was hard to tell their age; they seemed to be only in their twenties, but their brows and eyes already had many wrinkles. Besides the wrinkles, that otherwise handsome face bore other marks.

Scars.

Scars crisscrossed their face, making it look like a mended bowl, but those scars were very faint, as if they were old wounds from long ago, each one white and nearly blended into the skin, yet they were ultimately distinguishable under the bright firelight. Once they could be distinguished, one couldn't help but imagine what this face looked like when it was shattered, and one couldn't help but shudder.

The large-headed man took some effort to shift his attention away from the other's face, then looked behind them.

The white-haired person carried a sword on their back; the blade was very long, and while the details were unclear, everything from the sword sheath to the blade was exquisite.

After one glance at that sword, the large-headed man's expression changed abruptly; all his previous confusion, annoyance, and disgust vanished instantly, leaving only a smiling face.

He cupped his hands and said, "This lowly one is Baorenxing, a Tooth Broker. May I ask, Sword Guest..."

The white-haired person's expression remained unmoved. "A human trafficker?"

Baorenxing smiled. "A human tooth—a legitimate Tooth Broker. I conduct legitimate business; from the Imperial Court down to wealthy households, in the heavens and on earth, in the Human World and beyond, they are all our clients." As he spoke, he gave a subtle signal for his men to back away.

The white-haired person stopped looking at him and only looked at the ground, where a dozen or so children were sitting scattered about.

This dilapidated village hut was the only room that could still block the wind. Baorenxing prided himself on being a legitimate broker and a kind man who pitied the poor and weak, so he didn't occupy the room alone; he had everyone crowded together. Of course, he slept on the softest spot, his men got some straw, and the remaining children had to huddle together for warmth.

Seeing that the white-haired person had looked at every child without showing any reaction, Baorenxing speculated on the visitor's intent while fawning, "Sword Guest, do you need two children to run errands? Shall I recommend two? Although these children are already spoken for, as long as you find them suitable, it's all on me; I will certainly squeeze a few out for you."

He called the visitor a Sword Guest twice, and the other did not deny it, so it seemed to be true. It wasn't as if he hadn't done business with such figures before, but this was his first time facing a Sword Guest directly. He forced himself to act experienced and kept fawning; after all, one never strikes a smiling face.

The white-haired person looked at them one by one carefully and asked, "Where did you collect all of these?"

Baorenxing said, "From the refugee camp to the east. I collected sixteen in total."

The white-haired person said, "The east—the Ash Demon Cave."

Baorenxing praised, "You are an expert—this year, only this one Demon Cave has descended in Yuxia Jun, though there are a dozen or so refugee camps. Everything worth picking from that eastern camp is here. Perhaps someone with a sharper eye than mine might find one or two stragglers later, but there are no more good goods."

By now, the white-haired person had looked around once, their expression unchanged. But judging by Baorenxing's shrewdness and sophistication, if the other had come looking for something, they hadn't found it.

The white-haired person suddenly said, "All of you, come out." With that, they walked out the door.

The rest of the people looked at each other in dismay. Baorenxing realized what was happening and said, "Since the Knight-Errant has ordered it, everyone get out." He waved his hand and hurriedly put on his clothes. The others hadn't taken their clothes off, so they naturally lined up and followed him out. One could only hear a clattering sound; that was the chains colliding with each other.

At this time, the bright moon hung high, and the moonlight was like silver. The white-haired person stood in the open space, their full head of white hair like a silver waterfall falling from the nine heavens.

The others stood opposite, having just come out of the room to catch the wind; most were shivering, even the burly men seemed to shrink a few inches, and the children were all like quails.

The white-haired person looked at the young boys and girls one by one again. This time, they didn't just look at their faces; they made eye contact with each one.

The children were filled with fear and confusion. Suddenly, a little girl let out an "Ah," covered her head, and stumbled, the tattered felt hat on her head nearly falling off.

"You, come out."

He pointed at the girl.

The girl froze for a moment, endured the headache, and took a timid step forward.

"What is your name?"

"Mingjing..." the girl said in a low voice, "Chi Mingjing."

This name was not one a wild mountain girl could possess; she came from a good family.

The white-haired person reached out to her, and the girl hesitated before walking a few more steps toward him.

The burly men looked hesitant, not knowing how to handle this. Baorenxing hurried out after putting on his clothes. Seeing the girl being called away by the white-haired person, he couldn't help but suck his teeth; the reluctance bubbled in his throat a few times, but when he hurried up, his face was full of smiles again.

"Since the Sword Guest likes her, she is naturally yours," Baorenxing said with a fawning smile. "This child is the most outstanding of this batch; originally, she was definitely going to be sent to a good place. Now that you have taken a fancy to her, there is nothing else I can offer you. This is a case of a bright pearl finding its owner, and a Treasure Sword being gifted to a hero. Even if my old client kills me, I must first accommodate you."

At this moment, Chi Mingjing finally shuffled in front of the white-haired person. The white-haired person slowly squatted down, looked her in the eye, and asked, "Who is the client?"

Baorenxing laughed dryly. "It's the rules of our trade; the client's name cannot be spoken, otherwise I wouldn't be able to survive..."

"Hmm?"

The white-haired person raised their voice slightly. Baorenxing felt his whole body go numb and immediately said, "It's just the Golden Mountain Firm, the Five Poisons Society, the Taohua Tower, or the Pei Clan."

The white-haired person said indifferently, "Are they all local bullies?"

Baorenxing understood in his heart; this person was indeed from out of town, otherwise he could not possibly be unaware of such a figure in these parts. If he were a true Sword Guest, the Great Hero of this county would have to be someone else. He smiled and said, "They are all... 'local tigers' within the county seat. The Five Poisons Society has great influence, and the Pei Clan is a noble family no less than the Xue Clan. If the Xue Clan's Great Hero were gone, the Pei Clan would take his place. But when it comes to lavish spending, it has to be the Golden Mountain Firm. As for Taohua Tower... mentioning them would only soil your ears."

The white-haired person narrowed his eyes slightly and said, "You know quite a lot. You even know about the Great Hero's affairs."

Baorenxing smiled and said, "One who does business must be sharp-eyed and quick-eared. In this small patch of Heiyang County, aside from news that can only be heard under people's beds, I know at least a little bit about any news that enters people's ears."

The white-haired person's expression was indifferent, but unexpectedly, there was a hint of a smile. He said, "Since that is the case, tell me, what day is the next Calamity Moon?"

Baorenxing was stunned, then gave a dry laugh, clearly rendered speechless by the question. However, his skin was quite thick, and showing no embarrassment, he said, "This lowly one knows at most about things on the ground; how would I know about things in the heavens?"

The white-haired person's mockery was hard to conceal. He said, "Then let me ask you, if I want to find something in Heiyang, where should I go to look?"

Baorenxing straightened his body. He did not feel the other party was making things difficult for him; instead, his confidence surged, wanting to show off his skills. He said, "May I ask what kind of thing you are looking for?"

The white-haired person said, "I am asking you; it is not for you to ask me."

This was clearly a deliberate difficulty. Baorenxing showed no sign of anger and said fluently, "If an item can be bought openly and is extremely valuable, it should be in the warehouse of the Golden Mountain Firm; if it is not there, it is in the treasure vault of their headquarters, Yutang. If the item is contraband and extremely dangerous, it is likely hidden privately by the Five Poisons Society; Black Spider Villa, Golden Toad Island, and Iron Scorpion Castle are all possibilities. If that thing has drifted among the common people and no one knows where it is, and you want to mobilize people to find it, then you must go to Taohua Tower. Their methods in the Lower Five Sects are the wildest; if they cannot find it, then no one can."

The white-haired person suddenly asked, "What about the government?"

Baorenxing said, "The government? They might have large quantities of grain and such, but precious things never make it to the government treasury. Even a lone Sword Guest could swagger in and out of there several times; if there were truly good things, they would have been gone long ago. The government of Heiyang County is useless."

The white-haired person looked thoughtful. Seeing that he was listening, Baorenxing felt even more encouraged and became increasingly eloquent: "If the item is clearly related to a Sword Guest, then... it might not be in Heiyang."

The white-haired person said, "Oh?"

Baorenxing said, "We have a saying: things from the heavens must return to the heavens. A Sword Guest's things will eventually return to a Sword Guest's hands, and there are too many people who want to climb the Heavenly Ladder. And there is not a single Sword Guest on the surface in Heiyang County; truly good things that are openly available will not remain here."

The white-haired person said, "Good things don't stay, what about people?"

Baorenxing paused for a moment. Seeing the white-haired person's hand resting on the girl's tattered felt hat, he immediately realized and said, "Heiyang County does indeed still have people who do this trade, but as I said before, they will always go where they are supposed to go. These aren't 'thin horses'—they are more valuable when raised and trained. These seedlings must be sold off while they are young; if they get too old, they are wasted. No one hoards them; they are all sent to the clients, and most of the time they are no longer in Heiyang County. Besides, there is no good source of supply. The refugee camp can only be searched once; it is very good to get one batch of good goods in a year or so. If there are no disasters or hardships, you have to rely on pure luck to identify good goods... Ah!"

He suddenly slapped his thigh and lamented, "What a pity. Had I known you were coming, I would have risked everything to save that once-in-a-millennium good item for you tonight. Having that one is better than having hundreds of others."

The white-haired person let out a cold laugh and said, "Once-in-a-millennium? Do you know what 'once-in-a-millennium' means?"

Baorenxing said, "This lowly one has mortal eyes, but at least I have traveled to many places and have some experience. I might not recognize ordinary raw jade, but a rare pearl is easy to spot. That child, from across a room, saw the traces of the Art Tool in my hand at a glance."

The white-haired person said, "Recognizing it is recognizing it, what is strange about that?"

Baorenxing shook his head and said, "It wasn't just recognizing it; it was seeing it clearly. Look at this Art Tool of mine."

He extended his hand; the thumb ring on his finger was as bright as a mirror, perfect and flawless.

"One day ago, this was an Art Tool."

The white-haired person said, "A Prime Art Tool?"

Baorenxing said with a fawning smile, "Exactly. That child saw it clearly at a glance, almost seeing into the seams. And I believe it was the first time she had seen this thing. Although the child looked like she had read books for a few days, she had a dull air about her—at most a bookworm, not a young lady of a great family who has seen the world."

The white-haired person said, "Oh, where is she?"

Baorenxing sighed and said, "That is exactly why it is a missed opportunity. She had an Art Tool for Body Protection at the time, and I was afraid she had backers, so I didn't pursue her. Had I known, I should have brought her to you. Regardless of who is behind her, how could they compare to you, sir? Sigh, sigh, it is useless to say these things now; the person cannot be found. Unless we find Taohua Tower; they also have a knack for finding people."

The white-haired person pondered and said, "Taohua Tower is one of the Lower Five Sects... You are a Tooth Broker, so naturally you are also a member of the Lower Five Sects, and you also belong to Taohua Tower."

Baorenxing said, "This lowly one is an Official Broker; it has long been a different matter from them. I have always looked down on those base methods of theirs. However, I do indeed have a few acquaintances at Taohua Tower. If you have any errands, I will lead the way for you. Even the First Incense Master of Taohua Tower would certainly be willing to perform the labor of a dog or horse. I wonder what you think?"

When he said this, he was exceptionally earnest, knowing that if the other party agreed, he would not only escape a disaster but also gain an opportunity for success.

The white-haired person said, "Very... well."

As he spoke, he suddenly lifted the tattered felt hat on the girl's head, revealing a patch of gray-white!

With her hat as the boundary, the lower half of the girl's hair remained oily black, while the upper half had turned completely gray-white. The top and bottom were completely different; it was not even the white hair of an aged person, but extremely withered and gray, like extinguished ashes.

This girl named Chi Mingjing had been shrinking her head and listening to the two talk, not making a sound, clearly accustomed to being a silent ornament. Suddenly, her hat was lifted, revealing her hair. She screamed and pressed her hands desperately against her hair, tears and snot streaming down.

"Don't—don't look... go away!"

She shrieked, completely out of control; even the shackles on her feet could not stop her hysteria.

Baorenxing was somewhat shocked and angry, opening his mouth to rebuke her, but he saw the white-haired person pull the young girl close. With one hand he helped her press down her hair, and with the other he held her shoulder, comforting her just as a parent would comfort a child. He whispered, "It's alright, relax, don't care about it. Your hair is very beautiful; that is proof of how outstanding you are. Look at how outstanding you are."

Baorenxing was dumbfounded. He had not expected that this white-haired person could speak with such warmth.

Suddenly, his whole body turned cold.

The gaze from across the way passed over the little girl's head and shot onto his face.

The Tooth Broker, who had vast experience, suddenly trembled.

Baorenxing's seasoned intuition made his whole body shudder; his legs went soft uncontrollably, and with a thud, he knelt down.

The white-haired person, holding the girl's hand, said faintly, "Very well, I am just about to have you perform the labor of a dog or horse. So I will keep you—"

Only a 'chi' sound was heard, and fresh blood splashed—

A fat hand, looking like a carrot, flew up and slammed onto the ground amidst the Tooth Broker's screams, blood soaking into a puddle. A jade thumb ring was still on the thumb.

Then, the sound of cutting into flesh rang out repeatedly. All the strong men present fell to the ground, some missing hands or feet, others severed at the waist, blood splashing everywhere. In an instant, it was like a slaughterhouse.

Where had Chi Mingjing ever seen such a thing? Although she had just calmed her emotions a little, she could not help but have her legs go soft and fall to the ground. She could not even cry, her teeth only chattering.

"What are you afraid of—" The white-haired person's hand pressed back onto her shoulder.

That hand was slender and powerful, spotless, without a trace of blood.

"Look closely, look at their painful appearance. These pains should have happened to you. And it would be a hundred times crueler than this—a long, endless, desperate torture."

Chi Mingjing tremblingly raised her head, following the sound to look.

She did not see the white-haired person's face, only a section of a snow-bright sword blade.

It hung three feet above her head.

The sword body was as clear as a mirror, reflecting her panicked face.

A light flashed, her face was completely imprinted on the sword body, and she herself had disappeared.

The white-haired person stood alone in the moonlight, holding the unsheathed long sword. On the long sword, the girl's shadow was faintly visible, just like a painting.

A moment later, the long sword was sheathed, and the white-haired person walked to the still-gasping Baorenxing:

"The hand is gone, but the head is still there. Do you still recognize Taohua Tower?"

Just a few miles away, Tang Zhao lay on the straw, tossing and turning, unable to sleep.