The woman met William's unwavering gaze.
"The one who asked about your son..."
She paused briefly.
"...posed only a handful of questions."
"They wanted confirmation that the child truly existed."
"They asked about his approximate age."
"And whether the rumors circulating among certain forces were genuine."
William remained silent.
She continued.
"They did not ask for his location."
"They did not attempt to discover the Evergreen Family's internal defenses."
"They did not investigate your wife."
"They did not purchase information concerning your daily movements."
"They simply confirmed one fact."
"That you had become a father."
She closed that particular document.
"For now..."
"I see no indication that they intend to act."
William gave a slow nod.
"For now..."
Those two words carried enough meaning.
A lack of hostile action today...
Did not guarantee the same tomorrow.
The woman reached for another collection of documents.
This one was noticeably thicker.
She opened it carefully.
"The information you truly came here for begins here."
William's attention sharpened.
"Since your rise during the Cosmic Tournament..."
"...and especially after the beginning of the Golden Era..."
"Many forces have quietly begun investigating you."
"Not your cultivation."
"Not your techniques."
"They already understand those are nearly impossible to uncover."
"What interested them..."
"...was everything surrounding you."
She slowly read from the records.
"The Black Abyss Sect."
"The Crimson Heaven Pavilion."
"The Ashen Mountain Family."
"The Azure Moon Sect."
"The Nine Rivers Academy."
"The Thousand Stars Chamber of Commerce."
"The Heavenly Orchid Family."
"The Silent Crow Organization."
"The White Serpent Clan."
"The Scarlet Lotus Sect."
"The Golden Earth Family."
"The Void Lantern Pavilion."
"The Frost Spirit Palace."
"The Endless Marsh Alliance."
William listened without interrupting.
Each name...
Settled firmly within his memory.
The woman continued.
"Their questions differed slightly..."
"But they all revolved around the same objective."
She glanced toward William.
"'Who is William?'"
"'Where did he come from?'"
"'Who raised him?'"
"'Who were his parents?'"
"'What shaped his personality?'"
"'What events caused his current temperament?'"
"'Does he possess attachments strong enough to influence his decisions?'"
"'Who can make him hesitate?'"
"'What would force him to abandon a battle?'"
"'What are his weaknesses?'"
She slowly closed the file.
"Some attempted to reconstruct your childhood."
"Others searched for surviving relatives."
"A few even investigated every known location where you had lived."
"They sought patterns."
"They hoped that by understanding your past..."
" predicting your future."
William remained expressionless.
Yet...
William's gaze remained fixed upon the list.
After several moments of silence...
He asked a different question.
"How are they connected?"
The woman looked at him with clear interest.
"You aren't asking who they are."
"You want to know how they influence one another."
William gave a slight nod.
"An enemy standing alone..."
"...and an enemy backed by ten allies..."
"...are two entirely different opponents."
A faint smile appeared on her face.
"This is something interesting."
She reached for another document.
Unlike the previous files...
This one contained no names alone.
Instead...
Lines extended between countless forces.
Some were thick.
Others were so thin they could barely be noticed.
"The Black Abyss Sect and the Crimson Heaven Pavilion frequently exchange information."
"They are not allies."
"But neither wishes to see the other weakened."
She pointed toward another line.
"The Thousand Stars Chamber of Commerce maintains commercial ties with the Heavenly Orchid Family."
"Those relations are purely economic."
"They would collapse the moment profits disappeared."
Her finger moved again.
"The Silent Crow Organization has sold information to nearly every force listed here."
"They remain neutral."
"But neutrality does not prevent business."
Another page followed.
"The Ashen Mountain Family and the White Serpent Clan have maintained a marriage alliance for generations."
"They publicly deny any military cooperation."
"Our investigations suggest otherwise."
She continued explaining one relationship after another.
Old friendships.
Ancient grudges.
Trade agreements.
Temporary alliances.
Hidden exchanges of intelligence.
Mutual interests.
William listened without interrupting.
Every connection...
Every dependency...
Every point of friction...
He carefully engraved them into his memory.
Only after the final page had been explained...
Did he quietly close the document.
"I understand."
The woman studied him for a moment.
"Most people only ask who their enemies are."
"You..."
She smiled faintly.
"You ask how those enemies become dangerous."
William answered calmly.
"People rarely win because of the strength they possess."
"They win because of the strength others are willing to lend them."
Within his mind...
Every organization received its own place.
He did not merely memorize their names.
He categorized them.
Families.
Sects.
Academies.
Commercial organizations.
Independent intelligence networks.
He silently began constructing connections between them.
Who might cooperate.
Who might exchange information.
Who could become dangerous if united.
Years of studying connections...
Had become instinct.
Several minutes passed in complete silence.
Finally...
William looked up.
"Did any of them succeed?"
The woman smiled faintly.
"They succeeded in gathering fragments."
"But fragments..."
"...rarely reveal the whole picture."
She leaned slightly forward.
"Still..."
"I advise you not to underestimate curiosity."
"It often becomes ambition."
"And ambition..."
"Has a habit of becoming hostility."
William nodded once.
"I never underestimate anyone."
He reached into his spatial ring.
A second ring appeared in his hand.
Unlike the previous payment...
This one was considerably heavier.
He gently placed it upon the table.
The woman inspected its contents.
For the first time since their meeting...
A trace of genuine surprise crossed her face.
She quickly concealed it behind a composed smile.
"Our organization appreciates generous clients."
William calmly replied,
"I appreciate accurate information."
She chuckled softly.
"I hope this won't be our last meeting."
William neither agreed...
Nor refused.
Business had ended.
Nothing more needed to be said.
He rose from his seat.
The hidden doors opened one after another.
As he walked through the underground corridors...
The sounds of the nightclub gradually returned.
Music.
Laughter.
Conversation.
The contrast was almost surreal.
Above...
People immersed themselves in pleasure.
Below...
Entire wars could begin with a single exchanged sentence.
William stepped outside.
The cool night air brushed against his face.
He looked toward the endless sky.
Fourteen organizations.
Some merely watched.
Some investigated.
Some searched for weaknesses.
And somewhere among them...
There would inevitably be those who would one day mistake his silence...
For vulnerability.
A faint breeze stirred his cloak.
Roman adjusted it before disappearing into the crowded streets.
His journey had only just begun.
And now...
He finally knew where to look first.