That night, Sargon sat in his room, gazing at the cold moonlight filtering through the dark clouds. As he organized his thoughts, he looked at the flickering light coming from the mountainside.
"The Quarang Estate…" In a calm but firm tone, he said.
The area consisted of several streets, each leading to a specific neighborhood. Each neighborhood was separated from the others and connected by several cobblestone roads, ultimately leading to the Quarang Estate.
Sargon was staying in the recreational district. This district included several tall buildings and inns, both large and small. These buildings were perched on a vast cliff, beneath which a roaring river flowed, hidden under the shade of broad-leaved forest trees.
This river had several calmer branches that circled the cliff, with a number of boats floating on them. Locals, wearing straw hats and long clothes, stood on these boats, fishing in silence.
A little further away, behind the tall forest trees and in a lower area where the land was flat, was another neighborhood known as the commercial artery of the region. Just behind it, a few miles away, was a poor neighborhood where the lower-class people lived, with slums at its lower end. This was the place Sargon went to meet the beggars.
The cobblestone path connecting these separate neighborhoods was lit by red lanterns, illuminating the lifeline of this fragmented community.
Sargon had met Black Clover in one of the local inns at the lower end of the cliff, connected by a stone staircase to one of the narrow alleys of this neighborhood. But now, he had come to one of the largest inns and was admiring the beautiful view and the cold moonlight reflecting on the river from his room window.
"Tomorrow, the beggars will have to answer, but two other events will also put them under a lot of pressure."
He poured himself some chamomile tea from a jade cup, adding a piece of dried lemon and a flower petal. "Jing-Wei Tian and the Sword Sect's expedition group. Both will arrive here tomorrow. Jing-Wei Tian is extremely cautious, and now, having been betrayed, he certainly won't show himself easily. He will definitely go to the poor neighborhood to disguise himself as an ordinary person. There, he will wait for an opportunity to attack the Beggars' and take his revenge."
Then he laughed. "Although the Beggars' will be occupied with the Tian Clan, they will also have to restrain themselves against the Sword Sect. Will they be willing to capture Jing-Wei Tian and hand him over to the Sword Sect?"
He stroked his chin. "Ah, now that a second path has been found, what if that old fox, the patriarch of the Tian Clan, has thought of this and sends reinforcements?"
Then he raised his cup and laughed: "In that case, won't the pressure on the Beggars' increase? Hahaha…"
"If I hadn't accepted back then, would I be able to enjoy the beauty of this view?" He touched the bandage over his eyes and said sadly.
He let go of the earth's spiritual vein and suddenly couldn't feel anything.
"I may be deprived of seeing these sights, but by borrowing the spiritual energy vein in the earth, I can clearly see everything in this area."
"Although it puts a lot of pressure on me." He felt a bit dizzy.
He staggered and sat down on the chair. At that moment, the sound of a dulcimer being played from the lower floors, accompanied by dancing and singing, filled the air.
Sargon leaned back in the wooden chair. The cold moonlight reflected on his face. With a withered smile on his lips, he followed the melancholic tune.
The next day, the Quarang area seemed to have been turned upside down. The markets came to life, and more people were seen in the streets and alleys. All the houses had hung red lanterns from the corners of their roofs. Even more boats appeared on the river.
Somewhere in the upper floors of the inn, Sargon had summoned Jia to his room and placed a set of old clothes in front of her.
"What are these, Sargon?!"
"Your new mission."
"I'm sure that…"
Before she could finish her sentence, Sargon tossed a pouch of spirit stones at her.
"Use this for unforeseen expenses."
Jia weighed the pouch a few times. It was about the same size as the one given to Black Clover the night before.
[I knew this stingy man had a lot of money, but hasn't he been loosening the purse strings a bit too much lately?!]
Jia was a bit surprised. But before she could digest this, Sargon explained her mission.
"You'll need to live in the slums for a while. Based on last night's conversation, you probably understand what I mean. Disguise yourself and try not to draw too much attention. From now on, you're a hunchbacked maid!"
Jia clenched her fist and gritted her teeth.
[That jerk!!]
Sargon smiled and dismissed her with a wave of his hand. When Jia left the room, he put his hands behind his back and stared into the distance.
[Let's see what you do now, Jing-Wei Tian.]
Then he turned his gaze towards one of the deserted alleys and shook his head.
The lower floors were filled with people from various neighborhoods. Even people from the back sections of this area, which included a few brothels, had flocked here, hoping to offer services to the high-ranking guests from the Sword Sect. Among them was a thin man who entered the inn with a few fairies, seated them at a table, and then mingled with the crowd.
He was the manager of one of the brothels called Spring Petal. It was located a bit further from Sargon's inn and mainly operated from midnight.
Sargon took a seat near them. The cloth covering his eyes and his modern way of dressing stood out, but after a while, he blended in. This was thanks to a structure that diverted attention from him. Sargon carried several talismans that made him less noticeable.
The man, who never revealed his real name, introduced himself as Mr. Tangor.
Mr. Tangor twirled his waxed mustache. His mustache, shining like New Year's fireworks, drew everyone's attention. They were like the thin branches of a willow tree, swaying with his occasional head movements.
"Oh, Mr. Tangor! You're in high spirits today."
Mr. Tangor stroked his greasy mustache, which looked like violin strings. He puffed out his chest and said, "Hmph, of course! Finally, a new group is coming to Quarang. The market has been quite dull lately. Those rebellious Murimians set up a base on the other side of the passage, and the estate ordered the passage to be closed. No one else dares to come near the city! Ah, my dear girls!! These Spring Petals haven't tasted love in a while!!!"
The people present struggled to force a smile at Tangor's face.
[I'm sure those girls welcomed this break. You money-grubbing scoundrel!]
"The Sword Sect is really full of righteous people! For the past three years, wherever the reactionary Morimians tried to act, they sent their forces." one of the people said.
The others nodded.
Mr. Tangor ordered a cup of chamomile tea and raised an eyebrow.
The others eyed him suspiciously.
[This sly man must know something!]
Seeing this, Mr. Tangor shrugged and said calmly, "Well, maybe if I had a cup of tea, I could talk about some secrets…"
Sargon, seeing this move, chuckled to himself.
[He knows he has no choice but to talk, but he's trying to appear benevolent and even get a free drink out of them!]