There is a vast difference between the two.

The man is clearly a sociopath. He lies and kills on a whim, for pleasure even, and he breaks some of his people's deepest social mores and laws. Of disregarding common human decency.

Somehow he was tipped to talk to Asmodean about adding the Dragons to his wrists. That means that he has contacts in the Shadow. He's willing to deal with someone who is clearly a Dreadlord without flinching.

That implies some serious ties to the Shadow to me.