Underground Organization
The next day, Khoru immediately went out into town for one specific reason.
And that was to try and find some information regarding the underground organization that participated in the monster expedition. He didn't know anything about the organization except that Hao Jianyu was apart of it.
'Where should I start looking? Perhaps the frugal part of the town?' Khoru decided to check that part of town first, since that was where most shady things went down. Most shady deals, encounters, and events.
It took him half an hour or so to get to the frugal part of Yellow Apple Town, which soured his mood. He didn't like the scene around him, or rather, the environment around him. Naturally, he knew there was a poor side to Yellow Apple Town, but he didn't expect it to be this bad.
Almost everyone here looked like a criminal!
'That's probably just my mind. This place can't be filled with criminals that are up to no good.' Khoru reassured himself and walked through the town only to stop and stare in shock at what was an attempted murder.
An ordinary man was being threatened by a bandit, one that seemed awfully familiar to Khoru.
'No way.' He thought to himself in disbelief. He thought that warning he gave those bandits yesterday would be enough to scare them back to their own town!
Heck, he even watched them leave the town himself!
"Those bastards." Khoru's eyes harbored immense cold as he quickly approached the bandit and summoned his Martial Spirit.
"Hey, who are you? You're getting a little too close to me with that flimsy sword of yo-" The bandit's face turned a few shades paler when he realized who he was making those cocky remarks to.
He was about to try and plead, but before he could do that Khoru stabbed his sword forward. Without the slightest bit of resistance, the sword went through the bandit's body completely and lifted him off the ground.
"I told you that I'd kill you if I ever saw you here again. You knew that, so don't resent me after death!" Khoru said. He wasn't a justice knight, and he was never one to truly abide by rules, but what he hates is when someone completely disregards his warnings.
The bandit's skin turned pale and Khoru ripped his sword out of the bandit's body. He swung it in the air, throwing the filthy blood off of it in the process.
The bandit covered the stab wound and spoke with a shaky voice.
"T-The boss will make you pay for this!" His words were cruel and he revealed a devilish expression before dying.
'The boss?' Khoru was confused and wanted to get to the bottom of whatever he had gotten himself into. He knew Hao Jianyu was apart of some organization in the town, but even those bandits?
Khoru looked at the man who was being threatened beforehand and was about to speak until the man's expression turned grim and he spoke.
"I-I'm sorry! I-I'm sorry for smuggling some of Hao Xinfu's goods! I'll turn myself in, so please don't kill me!" The man got on the ground and pleaded with tears in his eyes.
'Why is everything escalating so quickly?' Khoru was confused and thought that the man was ultimately innocent.
Turns out he might not have been.
Khoru didn't kill him just yet, as he wanted to get some answers out of the man.
"...Who's Hao Xinfu?" He bowed down and asked.
The man stopped pleading and looked up at Khoru with a confused expression.
"Y-You're not apart of the organization? W-" The man's face turned even paler than before and he suddenly covered his mouth.
A frown appeared on Khoru's face as he grasped his sword and plunged it through the man's stomach. He came to the conclusion that the man was apart of the same organization that the bandit and Hao Jianyu was apart of.
Plus...
'Who is this Hao Xinfu? They have the same surname as Hao Jianyu... I hope they're not related...' Khoru didn't feel so good about the words that echoed in his mind.
Hao Jianyu was already at the 5th stage of the foundation building realm, and if Hao Xinfu was indeed her sibling, could they be stronger?
'I'm not at Hao Jianyu's level yet... I need to get stronger before I encounter someone who I can't beat...' Khoru's expression turned solemn and he quickly left the frugal part of the town. He didn't go home, and instead went to the Moonberry Inn to consult Marley.
He hoped maybe she'd know something about the underground organization in the town.
"Can I talk to Mar-Merchant Marley? It's urgent." Khoru said to the lady at the counter. She nodded her head before going to the back of the inn for a while. A while later, Marley came from the back of the Inn and gestured for Khoru to follow her.
"What do you need to talk to me for?" Marley said as she took a sip of tea from a cup. She and Khoru sat on opposite sides of a small table and the atmosphere was heavy. Khoru still had a solemn expression on his face.
"Do you know of an underground organization in Yellow Apple Town?" Khoru said. His tone was serious and his gaze remained on Marley the entire time he spoke.
"Yes, I do." She immediately responded. Khoru's body twitched and he was about to respond when she spoke again.
"But it'll cost you." Marley said as she took another sip of tea.
Khoru was inwardly shocked at how she knew he wanted information regarding the underground organization, but dismissed it.
"How much?" Khoru quickly asked.
"10 gold coins." Khoru's pupils shrank when he heard this.
10 gold coins just for some information about an underground organization?
Was it valuable?
Top secret information?
Classified?
Khoru couldn't find the answer, but he coughed up the money anyways. He was apart of the town's most dominant family, so he had no choice but to know everything about the town.
"Alright then..."