Riding the Tiger's Back (1)
Paeng Hanbin replied with a serious expression.
"I can't say for sure yet."
"Can't say for sure? What do you mean by that?"
"If we're allies, then we're partners, right?"
"You could say that."
"Partnerships only work when the power is equal. I think we'll need some time."
"Time? What do you mean?"
"Time for the Huangbo Family to size me up, and time for me to size up the Huangbo Family."
Having finished speaking, Paeng Hanbin met Hwang Boseohyeon's gaze.
In truth, his words weren't entirely sincere.
What Paeng Hanbin really wanted to confirm wasn't power, but the Huangbo Family's true intentions.
Meeting Paeng Hanbin's eyes, Hwang Boseohyeon let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha, you're scarier with your words than with your martial arts."
With that, Hwang Boseohyeon flashed a broad smile and strode inside without another word.
At the sight, Paeng Hanbin snapped his fingers.
Snap.
It was a small sound, but enough to draw everyone's attention.
As eyes turned to him, Paeng Hanbin spoke.
"Alright, let's head in."
Paeng Hanbin pointed toward the Huangbo Family's main gate, prompting So Daeseop to speak up hurriedly.
"We'll tidy up first before going in."
As So Daeseop turned to start cleaning, Paeng Hanbin called out to him.
"So Daeju."
"Yes, my lord? Do you have more to say?"
As So Daeseop tilted his head, Paeng Hanbin waved his hand dismissively.
"Don't!"
"Yes... don't do what, exactly?"
"So Daeju, you clean up your own shit!"
"What do you mean by that, my lord?"
At the unexpected remark, So Daeseop's eyes widened.
Paeng Hanbin chuckled and continued.
"I'm saying we're not the ones who need to clean up this mess. The one who set this whole thing up will take care of it themselves."
Paeng Hanbin nodded toward Hwang Bogyeonu, who was watching from afar.
Following his orders, the entire Aekhyeolmaenghodae stopped their cleanup efforts amid the chaos.
Watching from a distance, Hwang Bogyeonu's face flushed red.
'Damn it all. That bastard... I'll make sure to...'
His thoughts swirled only in his mind.
Hwang Boseohyeon walked casually at first, then suddenly broke into a run toward a certain place.
Her destination was the family head's quarters.
Her older brother, family head Hwang Bomancheong, had lately forsaken food and sleep to immerse himself in martial arts research.
That was why he was still in the family head's quarters.
Moments later, she sat facing Hwang Bomancheong across a steaming teacup and a go board.
"...Is that everything? A famous talent has appeared among the Five Great Families."
"Family head brother, this isn't something to laugh about!"
"If it's not worth laughing about, does that mean it's a serious situation?"
Finishing his words, Hwang Bomancheong placed a stone on the board.
Clack!
Silence hung between them for a moment.
Soon, Hwang Boseohyeon placed her stone and continued.
"Not exactly, but to settle that debt, we might have to sign the Five Elements Token without a request from the Hebei Paeng Family..."
"So what? Is it such a big deal for the Five Great Families to owe each other a single favor?"
Hwang Bomancheong smiled like an enlightened monk.
In truth, getting a signature on the Five Elements Token—a symbol of the Five Great Families—was simple in principle but difficult in practice.
The rules were straightforward.
First, signing the Five Elements Token brought by a candidate successor meant promising to grant them one request.
Second, the family head of the opposing clan had to make the request before signing.
The opposing family head would secretly hand over their own Five Elements Token with the request.
In other words, it was a transaction established by exchanging tokens.
Combining these clauses meant the families exchanged one debt each.
To resolve this quickly, one thing needed to happen first.
Realizing that no single family among the Northern Five Great Families would support them alone.
This tested the candidate successor's political acumen while strengthening ties between families.
Seeing the family head's expression, Hwang Boseohyeon smiled back.
"If you think that way, I have nothing to say."
With that, Hwang Boseohyeon downed her tea.
At the sight, Hwang Bomancheong remarked.
"Kids' fights are most fun when left to the kids."
"Well, if you don't mind the pillar roots being uprooted, then do as you please, brother."
"If they're uprooted, it's fate. And do you really think that little punk could uproot our pillar roots?"
"I don't know. I'll follow the family rules without emotion."
"That's how the law enforcement leader should be."
Nodding, Hwang Bomancheong picked up a go stone.
Gazing at the board, he smacked his lips for a moment.
Then his hand moved oddly.
Whoosh!
The hand holding the stone didn't head toward the board but toward the open window outside.
Hwang Boseohyeon asked at the sight.
"Family head brother, why'd you throw the stone?"
"No birds hear daytime words, but it seems rats hear nighttime ones."
"Rats? What do you mean?"
"I've chased it off, so don't worry about it."
Hwang Bomancheong picked up another stone.
Hwang Boseohyeon grinned.
"Family head brother, you just threw a stone."
Pointing outside, she prompted a wry laugh from Hwang Bomancheong.
"Ha ha, come on. Does that count as throwing?"
"You did throw it. So from next month, pay a little more attention to the law enforcement division's budget. First win I've had this year."
Hwang Boseohyeon laughed, looking at the board.
There was a reason for this. Hwang Bomancheong was infamous for his obsession with swords and go.
He had promised each division leader that beating him at go would increase their budget.
He had indeed thrown the stone.
Hwang Bomancheong laughed incredulously.
"Ha ha. Thanks to that rat, you got lucky."
"Does it matter if it's a rat or a bird, as long as I profit?"
Hwang Boseohyeon swept the stones into a bowl.
Far from the family head's quarters window—over a hundred paces away—a shadow slipped away silently.
The shadow reappeared along the path to where Paeng Hanbin's group would stay.
It watched Paeng Hanbin approaching from afar with Hwang Bogyeonu.
Thud, thud.
As footsteps drew near, the shadow's owner stepped into view.
The man gave a slight bow to Hwang Bogyeonu.
"Brother, what brings you here at this hour? And who's this?"
The shadow was none other than Hwang Boyeongu.
Feigning ignorance, he rolled his eyes while sizing up Paeng Hanbin.
Hwang Bogyeonu answered reluctantly.
"This is the Hebei Paeng Family's Fourth Young Master, little brother."
Hwang Boyeongu quickly turned and clasped his hands toward Paeng Hanbin.
"Ah, the Hebei Paeng Family's Fourth Young Master. I'm Hwang Boyeongu, second son of the Huangbo Family."
"I'm Paeng Hanbin, fourth son of the Hebei Paeng Family."
Paeng Hanbin returned the gesture.
Though bowing, Paeng Hanbin kept his head raised, locking eyes with the other.
Their gazes met in the air.
This meant Hwang Boyeongu hadn't lowered his head either.
They sized each other up in that clasped pose.
After some pointless small talk, Hwang Bogyeonu glanced aside and said.
"You'll escort the guest."
There stood his right-hand man, the warrior Song Gyeongun, with a stern expression.
"Yes, understood."
Song Gyeongun promptly clasped his hands and led Paeng Hanbin's group to their quarters.
Marching silently ahead, Song Gyeongun halted before a grand hall.
The Aekhyeolmaenghodae murmured as they eyed it.
"Whoa, nice lodgings."
"Better than the Hebei Paeng Family's."
At their words, Song Gyeongun smirked at Paeng Hanbin from the entrance.
"This is where you'll be staying, Young Master."
"Thanks."
Song Gyeongun pointed into the hall.
"Young Master, take the room with the green flag."
"The green flag..."
"Up there."
Song Gyeongun indicated the flag on the highest window.
Then he continued.
"The rest of you warriors, the rooms with red flags."
Finishing, Song Gyeongun clasped his hands to Paeng Hanbin and withdrew.
Watching his retreating figure, Paeng Hanbin let out an amused, peculiar smile.
Shortly after, Paeng Hanbin's group, occupying an entire small hall, began unpacking.
With the window wide open, Paeng Hanbin gazed at the moonlight and murmured softly.
"I think I've found it."
Seolhwa, unpacking his luggage, tilted her head.
"Found what, Young Master?"
"An intriguing prey."
"Who? Young Master Hwang Bogyeonu?"
"No."
"Then it must be Young Master Hwang Boyeongu."
"Seolhwa noticed too, huh."
"Not entirely sure, but he gave off that fellow assassin vibe."
"Ah, 'fellow industry'."
Paeng Hanbin looked at her in disbelief.
Lately, Seolhwa rarely mentioned her past profession.
By "fellow industry," she meant assassins, of course.
In Paeng Hanbin's view, she was half right.
Hwang Boyeongu had an assassin's aura, plus something else.
Demonic energy.
Demonic energy?
A direct line of the righteous faction reeking of assassins and demonic energy?
This was surely tied to the Huangbo Family's downfall.
From his past life memories, the Huangbo Family fell almost as quickly as the Henan Jeong Family.
One reason Paeng Hanbin came here first was to satisfy a lingering curiosity from his previous life.
And now he'd found part of the cause.
Had it been anyone but him and Seolhwa, they might not have even noticed the assassin traits.
Just as Seolhwa missed the demonic energy.
Finishing roughly, Paeng Hanbin told her.
"I'm going out for some air. Finish up, Seolhwa."
"Yes, Young Master. But do you really need night clothes just for a stroll?"
"Red's too flashy. Like that flag."
Paeng Hanbin pointed to the flag by the window.
As Seolhwa smiled slyly, he swiftly executed two techniques.
Lightning Flash.
Beggar's Eighteen Steps.
With only the whisper of cloth, he vanished out the window.
Swish—rustle.
Meanwhile, sighs echoed from Hwang Bogyeonu's quarters.
"Sigh..."
"You held back well, brother."
"Little brother, does this make any sense? Why did Aunt show up right then?"
"We just need to lure him into the trap we've set, brother."
"True, but starting with the Battlefield zone formation and having it backfire, making me feel like I'm the one in the pit—that's the problem."
"Think bigger. If tomorrow goes well, the Hebei Paeng Family's Fourth Young Master will be in our palm."
"Right. Like Sun Wukong in Buddha's palm..."
"No. More like a fly buzzing in Buddha's palm."
"Ha ha. You lift my spirits. Go rest now, little brother. We need you sharp for tomorrow."
"Yes. Rest easy, brother. I'll handle it. Just..."
"Speak freely."
"Just raise your voice when needed. Never back down, no matter what."
"Hm."
"Once he's in the trap, we're riding a tiger's back too."
"Riding the tiger's back, eh."
"Exactly. Any slip, and the trap's useless."
"Got it. Don't worry."
At that moment—
Hwang Boyeongu narrowed his eyes and scanned around.
Hwang Bogyeonu asked.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing. Just me being sensitive."
Hwang Boyeongu smiled awkwardly and glanced out the window.
He chalked it up to imagination.
It wasn't presence, but a feeling of being watched.
Yet no one in the family could move beyond his senses.
Not even the family head.
The guests were just greenhorns from the Hebei Paeng Family anyway.
Definitely a false alarm.