Chapter 157: Settling the Board
Sim Miho's eyes widened at the sudden appearance of Hwang Bo Mancheong.
She hadn't imagined anyone would be by Han Bin's side.
Since the operation was codenamed "Excavation," stealth was a given.
But why was the patriarch of the Hwangbo Family showing up in an "excavation" op?
It had turned into the bizarre situation of excavating with the owner's permission.
Without thinking, Sim Miho turned her head.
Seeing her expression, Han Bin quickly stepped in.
"This is the deputy commander of the Red Blood Alliance Tiger Squad."
As Han Bin introduced her, Hwang Bo Mancheong said with a friendly smile,
"I see. I'm Hwang Bo Mancheong."
Hwang Bo Mancheong greeted her first with his affable face, and Sim Miho hurriedly clasped her hands in respect.
"Patriarch, it's an honor to meet you. I'm Sim Miho, deputy commander of the Red Blood Alliance Tiger Squad."
"Impressive."
"Impressive? How so?"
"That technique you used to breach the wall just now. I've got plenty of Jiang Lake experience myself, but I've never seen a wall pierced so cleanly. Were you a miner by any chance?"
"Hoho, no, not a miner."
"Haha, then it's even more impressive. Care to give me a quick tip on that method?"
"……."
Sim Miho silently looked at Han Bin.
She was baffled by the misunderstanding.
Hwang Bo Mancheong seemed to think she had dug this tunnel.
At that moment, Han Bin gave her a subtle glance.
It was a signal to brush it off and pocket some pocket money.
Reading it, Sim Miho replied,
"Sure, I'll tell you later. Not for free, though."
She prettily curled her thumb and index finger.
Hwang Bo Mancheong let out a hollow laugh at the gesture.
"Haha."
Master and subordinate had the exact same greed.
Han Bin chuckled at the sight.
He knew why the misunderstanding had happened.
It was because of the Reverse Pulse Concealment he'd used.
The amazing thing about the Yongrin Sword Art's Reverse Pulse Concealment wasn't just hiding one's normal realm—it perfectly masked the realm even during technique execution.
That was the ridiculous advantage he'd discovered today.
He'd just used True Dragon Soul Scattering Sword, but Hwang Bo Mancheong hadn't sensed a thing.
On the flip side, there was a disappointing aspect.
The practical use of True Dragon Soul Scattering Sword.
A ferocious strike that deleted a steel wall like a dragon swallowing a wish-granting pearl.
But it was impractical in real combat.
No enemy would wait while you gathered your qi.
Han Bin needed to think more on how to apply True Dragon Soul Scattering Sword.
Shaking off his thoughts, he watched Sim Miho and Hwang Bo Mancheong converse.
It looked like she'd fleece him for one or two nyang of gold.
"Oh ho, I see. Teach me the details later, then."
"Don't worry, Patriarch."
Han Bin, who'd been quietly observing, cut in hurriedly.
"We should get out of here first."
Finishing his words, he glanced at the young master slung over Hwang Bo Mancheong's back.
Reading the look, Hwang Bo Mancheong nodded.
"You're right—I forgot about the patient. Lead the way."
"Yes, sir."
As Han Bin turned, Sim Miho quickly handed him the map.
"Here. I've marked the path you drew up, plus the passages I found."
"It's fine. I can navigate by feel."
Han Bin waved it off and took the lead.
"But the passages are pretty complicated……."
"It's fine. You trust my instincts, right, Deputy Sim?"
"I do, but……."
As Sim Miho trailed off, Han Bin quickened his pace.
How did Han Bin know these passages?
Simple—memories from his past life.
Of course, back in his Ghost Sword Squad days, he hadn't investigated via the Hwangbo Family's main gate.
While hunting demonic cult traces, he'd stumbled on the passage linking Garam Mountain and the training chamber.
The map he'd drawn for Sim Miho was based on those memories.
As Han Bin led them out, Hwang Bo Mancheong couldn't suppress his curiosity and kept observing Sim Miho.
To him, she looked every bit the miner.
Even the way she'd grip a pickaxe seemed natural.
Hwang Bo Mancheong made a resolution then.
The Hwangbo Family needed a special operations team for covert missions.
The next day, midway up Garam Mountain.
Hwang Bo Mancheong had left his second son in Jang Ja-myeong's care, handled family affairs, and come to the mountainside at Han Bin's request.
The two sat enjoying tea on a broad rock serving as a table.
Anyone seeing them might mistake them for a pair of immortals descended to earth.
Holding their teacups, they stared into each other's eyes.
As the tea's aroma spread, so did the awkwardness.
It was just yesterday his life had hung by a thread.
Hwang Bo Mancheong was the patriarch of one of the Five Great Families.
Han Bin was merely a candidate young lord of the Hebei Paeng Family—one of those five.
The gap in status was like heaven and earth.
It felt like bathing naked with a junior whose blood hadn't even dried yet.
Now that calm had returned, a touch of awkwardness was natural.
Of course, Han Bin gazed at Hwang Bo Mancheong with the same leisure as yesterday.
After a moment of silence, Han Bin spoke first.
"Shall we start settling the board now, Patriarch?"
Keiga—the process of counting captured stones after a Go game to determine the winner.
Hwang Bo Mancheong tilted his head at Han Bin's words.
"Settling the board?"
"Once the game's over, don't we settle it?"
"Has the match already ended?"
Hwang Bo Mancheong shook his head slightly.
Han Bin smiled at the sight.
"We've only just finished the first game."
"Is there really any need to count?"
"Settling and reviewing prevent repeating mistakes next time."
"Mistakes? Have you ever made one?"
"Yes—the big demon I let slip at the end."
"But didn't you save the big steed too?"
"What did I do? It was straight out of the Go proverb: the big demon lives forever."
"And next time?"
"I'll make sure the big demon dies on the spot."
"The big demon lives forever... and the big demon dies instantly……."
Hwang Bo Mancheong looked up at the sky, trailing off.
His face bore the weight of a heavy burden, as if a load had settled on his shoulders.
Smiling, Han Bin continued.
"The key is, we can't become the stones on the board."
"I agree."
Hwang Bo Mancheong nodded.
Their exchange was simple.
No need to be living or dead stones on the board—they needed to be the ones placing the stones.
As they traded zen-like plans over steaming teacups, something occurred to Hwang Bo Mancheong, and his eyes lit up.
"That last thing you said in the training chamber."
"Last thing?"
"About the Hwangbo Family legend being real—it stuck with me."
"I was just about to bring it up."
"I'm curious—spill it. Did you see the Hwangbo Family's true power there?"
"Yes, I did."
"What is it?"
"The iron lump threatening us."
"So the mechanisms are the family's true power?"
"Didn't you investigate it yourself?"
"Wasn't that your job? As you said, if we poked around carelessly, we'd just leak secrets. Plus, I was too busy checking on my son to think of it."
"Right. In my view, that iron isn't ordinary scrap."
"Not ordinary?"
Hwang Bo Mancheong's eyes widened in surprise.
Han Bin waved it off.
"Don't get too shocked—bad for your health. That metal is black iron."
"Black iron... the treasure of the Southern Sea?"
"Yes, exactly. The stuff said to be worth as much as a pearl of the same size, give or take some exaggeration."
"Haha. How could such a thing be?"
"That much black iron is enough to shake the northern martial world."
Hwang Bo Mancheong's eyes twitched faintly.
If Han Bin was right, the implications were enormous.
The black iron that had plummeted to crush him could cover an entire palace hall.
How do you measure a family's power?
Any Jiang Lake denizen would say spirit pills and secret manuals that boost martial prowess.
But there's a slight misconception there.
Can you master a manual and grow strong tomorrow?
Pop a spirit pill and overwhelm foes instantly?
Time to train the manual.
Time to fully absorb the pill into your inner power.
Absolute time is needed.
But a treasured sword? That's different.
Snap an opponent's weapon in half with a treasured sword?
Perfectly feasible at the same realm or one step apart.
A heavenly opportunity for the family's prowess to skyrocket had rolled in.
Thump. Thump.
A strange ambition pounded in Hwang Bo Mancheong's chest.
Then Han Bin's low voice snapped him from his reverie.
"You know half that black iron is mine, right, elder?"
"Ah……."
Hwang Bo Mancheong let out a soft exclamation.
Now he recalled the pact with Han Bin.
As if reconfirming, Han Bin pressed,
"A man's word is……."
"I know—heavy as midheaven gold. Would the patriarch of the Hwangbo Family go back on his word?"
"Good. Then I trust you."
"Understood. And take this."
He slid over a leather pouch.
It was several times larger than the one Han Bin had given him, filled with dark iron Go stones.
Han Bin instinctively took it, then peeked inside.
"What's this? Aren't these the dark iron Go stones I gave you? But the number……."
"I ground up the rest of the family's dark iron and added it."
"Why only black stones?"
"I made plenty of white ones—I've got them."
"Isn't a single color useless?"
"These white stones? I'll only use them when playing with you."
Grinning broadly, Hwang Bo Mancheong set another leather pouch beside him and untied it.
Inside gleamed lustrous white Go stones mixed with silver and dark iron.
At that moment—
Someone approached in haste.
Han Bin glanced over. The lithe figure rushing up was Sim Miho.
As he cocked his head, she arrived, gave Hwang Bo Mancheong a respectful clasp of hands, then whispered in Han Bin's ear.
"My lord, you need to see this."
"What is it? We can divide the black iron slowly."
"No, it's……."
She whispered even softer, then withdrew.
As Sim Miho left, Han Bin stood.
"You should come too, elder."
"Hm. Lead on."
Hwang Bo Mancheong gestured.
The spot Han Bin reached was about a hundred paces beyond the Hwangbo Family walls.
A dry well stood there.
Han Bin had suspected the mysterious warrior escaped via this well and quietly ordered the Red Blood Alliance Tiger Squad to search it.
Torchlight flickered here and there inside the well Sim Miho guided them to.
Han Bin circulated a Yongrin Sword Art technique.
Lightning Flash.
Beggar's Eighteen Steps.
With only the sound of his feet on the ground, Han Bin vanished into the well.
Hwang Bo Mancheong, arms crossed behind him, followed.
Whoosh.
As expected, the well connected to a passage.
After a few steps, Han Bin halted.
He let out a small groan.
"Mm."
Hwang Bo Mancheong, following, asked,
"What is it?"
"Look over there."
Han Bin pointed to the blocked path. Hwang Bo Mancheong inhaled sharply.
"Hm."
Blood pooled where Hwang Bo Mancheong stared in shock.
But it was already congealing.
Han Bin approached slowly and pointed to the blood's source.