When the Arm Bends Too Inward? (1)
Hwang Bo-gyeon-u flinched for a moment at Han Bin's confident expression.
But only for a moment. He quickly composed himself and flashed a sly grin.
This was a battle already decided.
In his eyes, Han Bin was trapped in an inescapable noose.
And this noose was the handiwork of his younger brother, Hwang Bo-yeong-u, the sharpest mind in the Huangbo Family.
Hwang Bo-gyeon-u briefly imagined Han Bin on his knees, begging for mercy.
With a smirk, he spoke.
"That's exactly what I was going to say. What a shame. I wanted to tell you this is your last chance to apologize."
Hwang Bo-gyeon-u addressed Han Bin casually as well.
Seeing this, Han Bin nodded and chuckled softly.
Hwang Bo-gyeon-u sneered contemptuously at Han Bin's relaxed demeanor.
"You're the type who won't cry until they see the coffin."
"And you're the type who'd laugh even at a funeral. With perception that dull, anyway."
Han Bin shot back.
"Hmph."
Hwang Bo-gyeon-u cleared his throat involuntarily at Han Bin's unflinching attitude, even in crisis.
At that moment, the watching Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon fixed Han Bin with a sharp gaze.
"Have you finished talking?"
"Yes, we're done."
"Then do you admit your guilt? Young Master Paeng of the Hebei Paeng Family."
Her voice was as dry as a parched rice paddy in drought.
Han Bin maintained his leisurely expression and countered.
"Guilt? I claim innocence."
"On what grounds?"
"Will you believe me if I explain?"
"If it's reasonable, yes. I stake the honor of the Huangbo Family on it! And my duty as Law Enforcement Leader."
"Very well. Then allow me to prove my innocence from now on."
Everyone tilted their heads at Han Bin's words.
How exactly did he plan to prove it?
Hwang Bo-gyeon-u snorted derisively.
On the other hand, the Akhyeolmaengho-dae members watched Han Bin with worried expressions.
This was a situation with a corpse and witnesses.
There was no way out.
Yi Mu-myeong quietly sidled up to Han Bin and whispered.
"Master, what will you do?"
"Even if the sky falls, there's always a way out."
"Pardon? What do you mean? Shouldn't there actually be a hole to crawl through?"
"What 'normal'? That's a flawed proverb. If the sky falls, how do you dodge it?"
"Then what?"
"Look closely. Has the sky fallen?"
Han Bin pointed to the sky, and Yi Mu-myeong looked up.
It was as clear and blue as spilled paint.
'The sky's fine, so why...?'
Yi Mu-myeong tilted his head in confusion, and Han Bin continued.
"Since the sky hasn't fallen, I'm fine too."
With that, Han Bin strolled forward casually.
He stopped at the spot where the maid claimed to have seen him.
Han Bin sat down nonchalantly and alternated glances between Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon and the maid.
His gaze settled on the maid.
"You said you were tidying the grass and flowers here?"
Han Bin gestured to the spot, and the maid replied.
"Yes, that's right."
As the maid nodded, Han Bin sat down.
Thud.
Like he was on a picnic, Han Bin settled comfortably on the grass and looked at the flowers ahead.
Looking up from the flowers, he saw the pavilion.
Just as the maid had described.
As everyone tilted their heads in puzzlement, Han Bin spoke to Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon.
"Law Enforcement Leader, would you stand behind me?"
"No issue there. This is probably the last stunt you'll pull anyway."
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon quietly stood behind Han Bin.
Confirming her position with a glance, Han Bin picked up a twig beside her.
He poked at a shadow with the twig.
"As the maid said, the shadow is visible from here."
What Han Bin poked was Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon's shadow.
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon spoke.
"You've reconfirmed the maid's testimony that she recognized you by your shadow. Digging your own grave... tsk tsk."
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon clicked her tongue at Han Bin.
The Han Bin she'd met last night hadn't been this foolish.
But watching him shoot himself in the foot repeatedly was almost pitiful.
Undeterred by Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon's mocking tone, Han Bin asked the maid again.
"You're sure you saw the shadow from here?"
"Yes, definitely."
"And as you turned your head, your pressure points were sealed?"
"Yes, that's right."
"Then you caught a glimpse of red martial robes passing by and heard the voice from the pavilion, realizing it was me?"
"Yes, I clearly heard the young master's voice trying to rape that girl. She refused, saying no. Sob sob."
Pointing toward the pavilion, the maid hid behind Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon.
Gasps erupted from all around.
"Heh, everyone knows the Hebei Paeng Family's fourth young master is the biggest coward in Hebei, but I didn't know he was the biggest lecher too."
"You're right. Lusting after another family's maid and killing her when she refused?"
"An outrage that shakes heaven and earth. The Paeng family head must be worried sick."
"Indeed. Kids from the same womb aren't all the same."
"Nah, that's wrong."
"What is?"
"They weren't from the same womb."
The accompanying Huangbo Family warriors busily pointed fingers at Han Bin.
The moment everyone thought Han Bin's guilt was clear.
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon bit her lip.
It was time for her, as Law Enforcement Leader, to decide.
She quietly drew her sword.
Shing!
The blade sliced through the fresh floral scent.
It halted just an inch from Han Bin's nape.
A situation where she could take his head with a mere thought.
Han Bin casually plucked a flower and tossed it onto her shadow.
Plop!
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon shouted.
"What does this mean? Are you asking me to kill you?"
"Think about it. Until the sun sets, can that flower stay in the same spot?"
"......"
"The murder was reported before the sun reached its zenith. At that time, the shadow would have pointed... roughly..."
Han Bin grinned and picked up the flower, tossing it behind him.
Plop!
The flower landed well beyond the shadow, to the rear.
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon's eyes narrowed as she turned to the maid.
Everything matched Han Bin's words.
The maid tilted her head, feigning ignorance of what he meant.
In an instant, Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon's sword tip swung toward the maid's throat.
Shing!
The maid screamed at the sudden turn.
"Ah! Law Enforcement Leader!"
"Why did you lie?"
"I never lied."
As the maid desperately replied, Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon unleashed a sliver of her aura.
"You said you saw the shadow while facing the flowers ahead. But at the time of the murder, the shadow clearly pointed this way. Just as Young Master Paeng said."
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon pressed with her sword tip, indicating the shadow's direction.
"Ah......"
Only then realizing her slip, the maid hesitated and let out a long sigh.
At that moment, Hwang Bo-gyeon-u hurriedly interjected.
"She's a child who witnessed her first murder. Memories can get jumbled in panic, can't they?"
"......"
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon glanced at the maid briefly.
Because Hwang Bo-gyeon-u's point was valid.
Then Han Bin slyly cut in.
"In that case, how can we trust the testimony of a maid whose memory is unreliable?"
The crowd began to murmur.
"Hearing that, the Hebei Paeng Family's fourth young master has a point."
"Yeah."
Just as the case seemed to revert to square one.
Hwang Bo-gyeon-u cautiously spoke up.
"I heard just now there's another witness."
"Another witness?"
As Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon widened her eyes in surprise, Song Kyung-un emerged from behind him.
Song Kyung-un slowly approached and cupped his fists toward Law Enforcement Leader Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon.
"Greetings, Law Enforcement Leader."
"Skip the formalities and state what you saw."
"Yes, well......"
Song Kyung-un glanced at Han Bin, then continued his testimony with a serious expression.
As Song Kyung-un's explanation unfolded, all eyes turned to Han Bin.
His statement was simple.
The family head had summoned Han Bin by mistake, and upon arriving at the pavilion at the invitation, Han Bin had tried to assault the maid but fled the pavilion.
As all gazes converged on Han Bin, he shrugged and approached Song Kyung-un.
"Warrior Song, are you sure it was me?"
"Positive."
"You said you saw me from afar—how did you know it was me?"
"You're the only one in the Huangbo Family grounds wearing red martial robes."
As Song Kyung-un pointed at Han Bin, Han Bin continued expressionlessly.
"Want to make a bet?"
"What kind of bet?"
"I'll wager one of my arms that Warrior Song is wrong."
"Pardon?"
"So you wager too."
"Then I'll wager one of my arms too......"
Han Bin quickly cut him off.
"No, not you, Warrior Song. We wager your master's arm. A scale needs balance, right?"
Finishing, Han Bin glanced at Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon.
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon alternated looks between them, as if probing for the truth.
Then Han Bin continued.
"A man's life is at stake— what's one arm? For the truth, this is the least we should wager."
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon sheathed her sword, seemingly deep in thought.
She had to be cautious.
As a pillar of the Justice Alliance.
As a member of one of the North's Five Great Families.
As the Huangbo Family's Law Enforcement Leader, she needed a just decision.
Then Han Bin pressed on.
"Can we call someone a Huangbo Family warrior if they won't stake anything on their claim? Can we call someone hiding behind their subordinate, muffling their own voice, a direct descendant of the Huangbo Family?"
Han Bin emphasized "Huangbo Family" heavily.
At his words, the Akhyeolmaengho-dae members nodded.
So Daeseop was the first to speak up.
"Well said!"
So Daeseop's eyes held no worry as he looked at Han Bin.
They gleamed only with anticipation.
This scene felt familiar, like something from before.
As expected, Han Bin would surely win this bet.
Following So Daeseop, Jo Ho chimed in.
"Wager it!"
"Jo Ho's right. A real man should wager not just an arm, but his balls too."
Those words ignited the spark.
Suddenly, everyone began slamming their weapons into the ground.
"Wager it!"
"Wager it!"
It wasn't just the Akhyeolmaengho-dae warriors.
The Huangbo Family retainers and warriors nearby joined in unison.
Han Bin nodded in satisfaction at their cheers.
The shouts died down after a while.
All eyes turned to Law Enforcement Leader Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon.
She raised her sword and declared.
"I stake my sword on the validity of this bet!"
The promise was suddenly sealed.
From the back, where he'd been watching, Hwang Bo-gyeon-u's eyes widened.
He hurriedly interjected.
"Wait, hold on. Law Enforcement Leader."
"Do you have something to say?"
"This bet has nothing to do with my intentions."
"Then will you withdraw the testimony?"
"......"
Hwang Bo-gyeon-u silently looked at Song Kyung-un.
This trap had accounted for the maid's testimony being dismissed.
Everything had gone perfectly according to his plan up to this point.
The moment Song Kyung-un appeared, Han Bin should have knelt.
But suddenly proposing a bet?
And what was this unease gnawing at him?
As Hwang Bo-gyeon-u hesitated wordlessly, Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon glared sharply.
"I won't acknowledge it."
"Leader!"
"Enough!"
Hwang Bo-seo-hyeon blocked Hwang Bo-gyeon-u with her scabbard.
As Law Enforcement Leader, she'd made a just call.
If Song Kyung-un was truthful, she could take Han Bin's arm and end it.
If he lied?
She'd deal with that then.
At that moment, Han Bin snapped his fingers.
Snap!
Everyone tilted their heads simultaneously.
They scanned around, wondering what had drawn Han Bin's attention, but nothing had changed.
Then Seol-hwa appeared from behind Han Bin.
The others, excluding Han Bin, tilted their heads at the sight of Seol-hwa in her pretty light armor striped red and green.
They figured nothing would change just because Han Bin's maid had shown up.