Chapter 140. Maengho Bigo (3)
Hanbin wrinkled his nose, focusing intently on the scent.
As he concentrated, he began to pinpoint the source of the smell tickling the tip of his nose.
It was the odor of lard.
What the hell?
Tilting his head in confusion, Hanbin followed the smell.
He stopped in front of a section of floor lined with bookshelves.
After a moment's hesitation, instead of moving the heavy shelves, he decided to dig beneath them.
As he lightly brushed away the dirt, a faint click echoed up.
Tic.
Glancing toward the sound, he spotted a coppery glint.
Hanbin carefully excavated around the edge of the object.
What emerged was a lump of solidified oil, about the size of a fist-sized stone.
A satisfied smile spread across Hanbin's face.
This was a method used to preserve spirit pills over long periods.
Wrap the pill container in oiled paper, then coat it thickly with lard, and the pill's vital energy wouldn't leak out even after decades.
Finding it could be chalked up to sheer luck.
The thick layer of grease had allowed him to catch the scent.
Hanbin scraped away the lard and carefully unfolded the oiled paper beneath.
It had been wrapped so meticulously that peeling it back took some effort.
Finally, a small silver bead the size of a fingernail appeared.
Just as he'd suspected—a container for a spirit pill.
Hanbin cocked his head.
This wasn't a Demonic Cult item. It belonged to the North Sea Ice Palace.
Anyone else might dismiss it as just a bead, but Hanbin's past-life experience in the murim world wasn't going anywhere.
He knew exactly how to use it.
Gently picking up the tiny silver bead, Hanbin infused it with his vital energy.
Sruruk.
The silver bead spun and split neatly in half.
Hanbin swallowed hard without realizing it.
Now the Heavenly Demon Divine Pill should reveal itself.
What the...?
Hanbin tilted his head again.
Inside the bead was a transparent crystal no bigger than a quarter of a fingernail.
This is the Heavenly Demon Divine Pill?
Clearly not.
Examining the interior, Hanbin's eyes widened.
This was the Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal, a treasure of the North Sea Ice Palace.
Useless right now, but depending on its use, worth enough to buy out an entire minor clan.
Why the hell is this here?
No time for pondering—Hanbin quickly resealed the bead.
Exposing it to the air would diminish its value as the chill escaped.
The Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal wouldn't melt in mere heat, but there was no need to expose it to the world's impurities.
Sruruk.
Once resealed, Hanbin slipped the bead into his necklace—the same one that had held the Qingming Pill before.
There was no way the Heavenly Demon Divine Pill and the Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal would end up in the same spot.
For now, Hanbin gave up on finding the Heavenly Demon Divine Pill and sat cross-legged.
Time to absorb the spirit pill from Seomun Mugeol.
He pulled a small box from his bosom.
Opening it revealed a pristine white elixir gleaming invitingly.
This was the Solar Pill, one of the Seomun clan's three legendary treasures.
Without hesitation, Hanbin swallowed it.
A clear, refreshing aroma teased his nostrils, sliding smoothly down his throat.
He began slow, deep breaths—in and out.
No advanced circulation technique—just the common breathing method used even by common folk.
Everything was preparation for mastering the ultimate circulation art.
A frog doesn't leap high without first crouching low.
Truth be told, if he hadn't learned the Yongrin Sword Art, he wouldn't even attempt this.
Gaining a century's worth of inner power from elixirs without a proper technique?
Without the Yongrin Sword Art's recovery properties, his meridians would have burst.
Even now, he was constantly channeling recovery energy to protect them.
A short while later.
Hanbin opened his eyes.
Auspicious energy flickered briefly in his gaze.
Anyone watching would swear he'd undergone a full-body marrow cleanse.
But Hanbin just tilted his head.
He now understood how insanely difficult it was to reach a century's cultivation without a proper technique.
The energy he'd absorbed amounted to exactly five years of inner power.
Bringing his total base cultivation to fifty-five years.
If it had been his first elixir, it might have netted a solid ten years.
But after consuming so many already, the effect had plummeted.
Well, expected.
Everyone in the murim knew elixirs lost potency with repeated use.
Hanbin gauged how much time had passed.
Probably around five shichen—about ten hours.
He walked slowly to the wall.
Steadying his stance, he executed a form from the Yongrin Sword Art.
'One Touch, Immediate Strike.'
Blue sword energy rippled at his sword tip. He thrust it into the wall like a blade.
Puk!
The tough cyan steel stone wall crumpled like tofu before his energy-wrapped sword.
Staring at the wall for a moment, Hanbin repeated the motion several times.
Puk!
On the final thrust.
Lard began oozing from the hole in the wall.
His goal had been to damage the mechanism.
After multiple attempts, he'd located the passage supplying the grease.
What exactly did Hanbin want?
Simple.
He was eliminating future troubles.
Future troubles? Two possibilities.
Either he hadn't found the Heavenly Demon Divine Pill in Maengho Bigo today, or someone would plant it here later.
Thinking back, someone had likely taken the Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal and left a Demonic Cult marker in its place.
But Hanbin needed to rule out the first option.
What if a Demonic Cult item turned up in Maengho Bigo after all?
And if the Heavenly Demon Divine Pill or some other treasure remained unfound?
No one else should find what he couldn't.
If I can't have it, no one can. That was one of his iron rules.
Hanbin waited until the lard had soaked the floor adequately.
Then he ascended the stairs leading out.
Near the top, he lit the oiled paper that had wrapped the Ten Thousand Year Ice Crystal.
Whoosh.
He casually tossed the burning paper downward.
Flames reflected in Hanbin's eyes for a moment.
With the expression of someone who'd finally pulled a nagging tooth, he sealed the underground door.
Maengho Bigo's design ensured fire wouldn't spread from the basement to other levels, and the underground would be thoroughly incinerated.
The second possibility—future enemies planting evidence to frame the clan—would be resolved by the total burn.
He'd redesign the basement under the guise of fire damage, adding new traps!
"Farewell!"
Muttering to himself, Hanbin turned the handle at Maengho Bigo's entrance.
* * *
Sruruk.
As the handle turned, the guarding warriors' eyes widened.
They'd been debating whether to report to the patriarch that Hanbin, who'd entered a full day ago, might be in trouble.
And now the door was opening.
From outside, it had to be turned as described in the manuals, but from inside, anyone could open it.
Clunk.
The door swung open, and Hanbin stepped out.
He flashed a bright smile at the warriors.
"Thanks for your hard work."
"Y-Young master? Are you alright?"
"Alright? What kind of question is that? What could happen in just a short stay?"
"Ah, just a short stay? It's been over a day since you went in, so we were worried."
"A day?"
Hanbin tilted his head slightly, and the guard continued cautiously.
"Yes. There's no food inside, so..."
Hanbin cut him off swiftly.
"Thanks for worrying."
He waved them off.
As Hanbin departed, one guard tilted his head.
"Was that a whiff of grease?"
"Grease? Must be hunger playing tricks."
"Yeah? Now that you mention it, we haven't eaten either."
The guards meant it.
Only direct descendants of Hebei Paeng Family could enter Maengho Bigo.
Normally guard duty, but if a direct descendant entered, it became escort duty.
Thus, all Maengho Bigo guards had mobilized and spent a sleepless night on alert.
One grinned brightly.
"Let's take turns grabbing a meal first."
"Right. That's priority now."
With Hanbin gone, they discussed who would head to the mess hall first.
* * *
Heading back to his quarters, Hanbin's expression turned serious, lost in thought.
A whole day?
He'd figured just a few shichen, but far more time had passed.
Another efficiency issue, it seemed.
As Hanbin chuckled wryly and concluded his musings.
Someone came running from afar.
Turning, he saw Cheolno sprinting up, out of breath.
Cheolno stopped before him, holding a bamboo steamer.
"Young master, are you alright?"
"I'm fine. That's dumplings, right?"
"Yes, young master."
"Let's eat here."
Hanbin plopped down on the ground, pointing at it. Cheolno stared in bewilderment.
"Here? We have decorum—how can you eat like this?"
"Pfft, what decorum do I have? Decorum's useless when you're dead, Cheolno."
"Well, true..."
As Cheolno set down the steamer.
Someone peeked from behind him.
Turning, Hanbin saw Seolhwa eyeing him with clear displeasure.
He paused mid-bite and asked her.
"Seolhwa, what's up?"
"Felt like you were sneaking some tasty treat alone."
"Hah, what tasty stuff could be in there?"
"I know that, but it feels like you ate something better than tanghwa candy."
"Nope, absolutely not!"
Hanbin waved his hands frantically. Seolhwa narrowed her eyes suspiciously.
He turned away and casually bit into a dumpling.
Seolhwa's instincts were sharp as ever.
Not her idea of a snack, but he'd claimed the Seomun clan's Solar Pill.
More valuable than any food.
Snapping out of his reverie, Hanbin flicked his fingers as something occurred to him, turning to Cheolno.
"Oh yeah, what happened to that torn collar last time? Cheolno."
"Took you long enough to ask. It's nothing, young master."
Cheolno waved it off happily.
Not seeming serious, Hanbin dropped it and took another bite.
* * *
Three days later, in the patriarch's chambers of Hebei Paeng Family.
Paeng Kangwi sat across from Paeng Daewi, steam rising from their teacups.
A warrior burst through the door.
Thud thud.
Bowing, he reported swiftly.
"Patriarch, the Fourth Young Master has just left."
"Good work."
As the warrior left, Patriarch Paeng Kangwi silently regarded his younger brother, Paeng Daewi.
Paeng Daewi smiled with his eyes.
They sipped tea wordlessly before Paeng Daewi, the law enforcement leader, tilted his head.
"How long do you think it'll take this time?"
"What do you reckon, brother?"
Paeng Kangwi countered.
"Since even I couldn't solve it, that kid probably won't either?"
Paeng Daewi grinned.
Of course, "that kid" meant Hanbin.
Paeng Daewi recalled the past.
He too had once competed with Paeng Kangwi for the successor position.
Back then, even he hadn't passed the first trial.