The Martial Unity

Still, he couldn't help but be surprised that they had managed to pull it off so well. They had mastered the art of hiding in plain sight. This was what it meant to disguise, as opposed to conceal.

However, these measures weren't all they took. 

Rui quickly noticed something strange when they entered the building to find rows of people scribbling away on books.

No one exchanged a word with another.

Even the girl that led him in did not actually utter a word. They just seemed to stare at each other in silence.

'No...' Rui narrowed his eyes as he paid attention to their body. 'This is non-verbal communication. They're relying on subtle body movements and twitches to convey what they're saying.'

Had it not been for the fact that he had mastered Fauna Flow, he would not have been able to detect this in the first place. However, he was clearly able to see it thanks to his background in non-verbal communication and his senses. 

However, even if he knew, he had no idea what was being communicated.

'I see, rather than developing an extreme dependence on high-grade esoteric communication technology, they use simpler and more humble means to communicate without it being intercepted.' Rui realized.

"How were our sales today?"

"Not bad."

"Do we have anything to drink? I'm quite thirsty."

"There's some punch in the cupboards."

"Did you get good sleep?"

"Not at all, I'm afraid."

Rui simply listened to an incoherent exchange with furrowed eyebrows. 'Coded language on top of non-verbal language.'

Apparently, she had learned what she needed to. She turned towards him, nodding at him simply. "Follow me."

They went deeper and deeper into the abandoned complex that had now been turned into a mini book bazaar, before taking him into a small room with a table, two chairs, cupboards, and shelves filled with documents. "Have a seat."

She closed the door behind them, and immediately, he felt a powerful familiar field of sensory suppression.

A measure to ensure the privacy of a conversation. Yet Rui found it to be rather dangerous

"Setting up a powerful anti-sensory field is no different from announcing that something important is happening here," Rui remarked. "Martial Artists nearby will easily be able to detect the field hampering their senses, creating a small area that they cannot sense."

"That is why we have activated tens of thousands of similar and even stronger fields across the entirety of the Derimont Bazaar." She remarked impassively. "Making this one insignificant."

"..." Rui was actually left speechless by such extravagant measures to ensure that they didn't draw any attention.

"Let's begin without further ado," She declared. "Let me begin by stating that any disclosure of valuable information of the Beggar's Sect that you have already learned will be interpreted as an act of hostility. Do not think you can get away with doing so. We are everywhere. Every time. We know everything. Betray us, and you will die. Not only will you die, but everyone you care about in the Floating Sect will also die. Fast."

Despite the fact that she was a sixteen-year-old girl sitting before a Martial Senior, she didn't display even the slightest bit of discomfort as she boldly threatened him.

More importantly, she knew that he was from the Floating Sect. He felt like he should be shocked, but he wasn't. They were living up to their hype, so in actuality, the impact of this revelation wasn't even that great.

The deputy director of the intelligence department who reassured him that the Beggar's Sect could not gain access to the Floating Sect had actually entirely underestimated who he was dealing with. 

No, it was possible that he himself was a spy for the Beggar's Sect. The very existence of the Beggar's Sect actually shattered Rui's ability to trust normal people.

"...It's hard to believe that you're a sixteen-year-old girl." Rui sighed.

She smiled. "That's because I'm not. I'm old enough to be your grandmother, this appearance is the result of esoteric cosmetic surgery. I am Sian, a senior member of the foreign affairs department of our Saiful branch. Ah, you don't need to introduce yourself, Senior Falken."

Rui cocked his head back in surprise, completely stunned at the multiple revelations that she had dropped on him. "You had me completely fooled."

"It is what I was trained for, after all." She spoke. "Now then, I'm sure you have some questions. You can ask them and get them out of the way."

Rui stared at her for a moment. "Those tests earlier... they were to ascertain my capabilities?"

"Just as a rough minimum." Sian nodded. "We also wanted to verify the intelligence that claimed you broke through to the Senior Realm."

"...I presume you already know why I have reached out to the Beggar's Sect?" 

She simply stared at him for a moment, before responding. "We are aware that it has something to do with the chairman of Deacon Industries based in the Shionel Confederation; Deacon Vernes. One of the reasons we chose to approach you was that we wanted to gain clarification on what exactly it is you wanted to purchase from us."

The moment had arrived.

"I want any and all strategic intelligence on the measures, failsafe, and contingencies that Chairman Deacon has taken to protect himself from threats to his life." Rui narrowed his eyes. "I want to know every single challenge I will face, right down to every detail, if I were to mount an assassination or an assault on him."

Rui didn't even bother hiding his intentions. They were too obvious in the first place, there only ever was one reason that anybody would require such kind of information on another person. 

She simply stared at him for a few seconds, considering his response. "Intelligence on Chairman Deacon is not easy to obtain. His corporation and intelligence department have adopted the strictest of a need-to-know basis policy, making it difficult to gain all the intelligence you seek through our modus operandi."