160. Hebei's Number One (3)
At the same time, Hanbin, who had extracted a suitable amount of black iron from the passage in the tomb, tilted his head.
Seol-hwa asked at the sight.
"What's wrong, young master?"
"Something feels off."
"Why? Are your ears itching again?"
"No, it's strangely like the feeling right before I got done in by my third brother back in the day."
Hanbin's lips curled up slightly, and Seol-hwa tilted her head.
Despite saying the feeling was bad, his expression seemed to anticipate something.
In truth, Seol-hwa's eyes were spot on.
His past life, where he'd been ambushed by his half-brothers, was different from the current situation.
Hanbin's emotions were half curiosity, half expectation.
Mixed in was a pinch of worry.
Something might have happened at Cheonsu Manor.
For now, it was best to move quickly.
Hanbin looked at the Akhyeolmaenghodae members waiting with the piled black iron.
"Divide up the black iron in front of you among yourselves."
"Understood."
Starting with So Daeseop and down to the youngest, Jo Ho, they cupped their fists and began filling their sacks with black iron.
The Akhyeolmaenghodae members' confident faces changed the moment they slung the sacks onto their backs.
Cries of pain erupted here and there.
"Oof."
"Aigoo, I'm dying."
Grimacing, they all collapsed and couldn't get up.
Hanbin approached them slowly.
Stopping in front of Jo Ho, he patted the young man's shoulder.
"Jo Ho, tough, huh?"
"Yes. It's heavier than I thought, master. I can't imagine carrying this all the way to Hebei."
"Then take less."
"Pardon?"
"Carry only as much as you can handle."
All eyes turned to Hanbin at his words.
They couldn't comprehend what he'd said.
Leave the black iron Hanbin had mined here?
That was impossible, even if the heavens split in two.
It was like saying the contract he'd earned would burn to ashes overnight.
Jo Ho thought the same as the others.
Staring silently at Hanbin for a moment, he asked in a trembling voice.
"I-is that really okay, master?"
"When have you ever seen me lie, Jo Ho?"
Hanbin grinned, and murmurs broke out around them.
"Is the master...?"
"That's definitely qi deviation."
"No, people can change."
"But not like that. If someone changes overnight..."
The Akhyeolmaenghodae members couldn't finish their thoughts.
They were genuinely worried about Hanbin.
Once the murmurs died down, Hanbin continued calmly.
"Jo Ho, a person should only carry what they can handle. If it's too heavy, set it down."
"M-master."
Tears welled up in Jo Ho's eyes.
Seeing this, Hanbin said with a kind face.
"Set it down comfortably."
At Hanbin's words, Jo Ho lowered the sack from his back and began removing some of the black iron.
Hanbin turned to the others and shouted.
"The rest of you too! Take only as much black iron as you can carry. That's an order!"
At his command, the remaining members dumped their sacks and started lightening the loads.
"Phew, saved. I'm saved."
"But the master seems off."
"Yeah, I'm worried."
"It'd almost be easier to just carry it all."
They all eyed Hanbin suspiciously.
Then Hanbin looked back at Jo Ho with a gentle voice.
"Do you know what this black iron is for?"
"For?"
Jo Ho wiped his tears with his sleeve and tilted his head.
Hanbin smiled meaningfully.
"I'll use this black iron to forge weapons for all of you, and one-tenth of the remainder is yours."
"Ours?"
"Everything comes with responsibility. And responsibility deserves reward, right?"
"Th-then the black iron I set down, one-tenth of that..."
Jo Ho's eyes trembled.
Hanbin nodded.
"Exactly. One-tenth of what you carried on your back. One-tenth of what you set down. All yours."
Murmurs rippled through the group at his words.
"Whew, that was close."
"Hey, if yours is too heavy, give some to me."
"Nonsense. I've still got room—give your load to me."
The Akhyeolmaenghodae members' faces lit up.
Suddenly, a scramble for extra black iron broke out.
Then Jangsan approached Hanbin, carrying a heap.
"M-master."
"Jangsan, what's up?"
"C-can't we mine more black iron?"
"Hey, don't overdo it and hurt your back."
"No, I'm sturdy despite appearances."
"Enough. The conditions will be the same next time too, so don't get greedy."
"Ah, got it, master."
Jangsan scratched the back of his head and turned away, drawing laughter from around them.
Once things settled, Hanbin took the lead.
"Now, let's move out!"
At his shout, the Akhyeolmaenghodae moved in perfect unison.
Seol-hwa asked quietly.
"Were you really going to leave the black iron behind, young master?"
"What, you don't believe me?"
"Yes... Black iron seems as precious to you as tanghwa candy..."
"It's right to set down a heavy load. But..."
"But?"
"If even one had lightened their load, we'd have had to come back here."
"Come back?"
"Drop off the load in Hebei, then return for the rest. If you can't carry it in one go, do it in two. Right, Seol-hwa?"
"Ah."
Seol-hwa let out an exclamation and looked at Hanbin.
Her eyes seemed to call him a hardcore miser.
At her gaze, Hanbin said.
"You divide up your tanghwa if you can't eat it all at once. Have you ever thrown away uneaten candy?"
"Ah, now I get it. Your lectures always hit hard, young master. Hehe."
Seol-hwa beamed innocently, and Yi Mu-myeong, watching from the side, clicked his tongue.
Looking at Hanbin in disbelief, Yi Mu-myeong noticed odd murmurs from behind and glanced back.
The Akhyeolmaenghodae members stood with mouths agape.
They looked like they'd narrowly escaped disaster.
Then Hanbin shouted as if remembering something.
"Halt! Untie your sandbags now. Execute!"
The Akhyeolmaenghodae members exchanged glances.
"Sandbags?"
"Yeah, what?"
Then Jo Ho looked at Jangsan's feet.
"Uncle, come to think of it, we never took off our sandbags."
"Sandbags?"
"The ankle weights."
"Ah."
Jangsan finally exclaimed.
They were the sandbags they'd worn since entering Cheonsu Manor.
Even more absurd—they'd kept them on even during the trip to the Henan Jeong Family.
Not just on their legs but waists too, they'd become like part of their bodies.
This went for Jangsan, Jo Ho, and all the members.
At Hanbin's command, they all untied their sandbags.
Thud. Thud.
As they did so simultaneously, it sounded like a sudden downpour.
At the same time, at the Crystal Teahouse.
Seol Muik eyed Cheolno like a viper stalking prey.
"Who the hell are you? And what's this young master?"
"I'm the young master's right-hand man. So if you talk to him, he'll compensate you."
"So, who is this young master you keep mentioning?"
"Our young master is..."
Cheolno trailed off. Trying to explain Hanbin was tricky.
He'd initially planned to reveal him as the Hebei Paeng Family's fourth young master, but that felt like pouring oil on a fire.
Hanbin still carried the nickname of Hebei's Number One Coward.
Rumors swirled that the family had disowned him.
Plus, mentioning Hanbin here might hinder the young master's path to clan heir.
But the villagers near Songhwasan revered Hanbin as Hebei's divine doctor.
Cheolno, hesitating, finally said.
"Our young master is Hebei's Number One."
He omitted the "divine doctor" part.
Seol Muik tilted his head slightly.
"Hebei's Number One? Number one at what?"
"That's a secret."
Without thinking, Cheolno parroted one of Hanbin's favorite phrases.
Seol Muik stared at him in bewilderment.
"A secret? If that secret isn't impressive, you're dead!"
Finishing, Seol Muik slammed the table.
Bang!
His subordinates clutched their stomachs in sync.
"Ow, my stomach hurts a bit."
"Me too. Must've eaten something bad."
"What kind of place is this?"
It seemed they were trying to ensnare him with more than just silver needles.
As Cheolno pondered how to handle them...
The door rattled open, and men in county office runner uniforms entered.
The runners blocked between Cheolno and Seol Muik.
"What's going on here?"
"Well..."
As Cheolno started explaining...
The runner narrowed his eyes, scanning Cheolno up and down.
Then he tilted his head.
Scratching his chin thoughtfully, he asked Seol Muik.
"Are you a murim warrior, by chance?"
"Yes, that's right. Seol Muik of Heuksa Gate."
"Ah, a murim man. And you?"
The runner jerked his chin at Cheolno.
Cheolno replied without hesitation.
"I'm not a murim warrior, but the young master I serve is."
"Then you're murim too. If your master's murim, so are you, right?"
"...?"
"Why'd you call me, busy as I am? Handle it yourselves."
The runner waved Cheolno off.
Glancing sideways, he nodded at Seol Muik.
Cheolno asked incredulously.
"Isn't this a restaurant unrelated to murim, sir?"
"Didn't you say you're murim?"
"I'm not the owner of this restaurant, sir."
"Simple solution then. You settle it with him by murim rules, and I take the owner. That's what you want, right?"
"Mm."
Cheolno swallowed hard.
Glancing toward the kitchen, he saw Jang Sujing hiding and watching.
He signaled her with his eyes to leave.
Then...
Jang Sujing burst out from the kitchen.
Rushing to the runner, she cried.
"This has nothing to do with him!"
"You must be the owner."
"Yes, take me if you must."
"Got it. Step aside."
The runner shoved Jang Sujing aside curtly.
Cheolno was certain now.
There was some deal between the runner and Seol Muik.
Turning to Seol Muik, Cheolno said.
"I'll compensate you right now, so come with me."
"You'd better take responsibility for your words."
Seol Muik nodded subtly to the runner.
He was already imagining stacks of silver in his storehouse.
Hebei's Number One?
Whatever that meant, he'd strip this Cheolno's master bare.
Moments later, Cheolno left the Crystal Teahouse and took the lead.
At the same time, at Heuksa Gate.
Before Heuksa Gate Lord Seol Gyeong-chu stood a woman in white robes, her face veiled in white silk, eyes gleaming.
Her name: Jin Semi of Baeksa Gate.
Baeksa Gate and Heuksa Gate were like headquarters and branch.
One word from Jin Semi could pull down Heuksa Gate's signboard.
Thus, Seol Gyeong-chu catered to her as best he could.
Trivial chatter passed over one cup of tea.
Emptying her cup, Jin Semi turned serious.
"Gate Lord, how go the tasks I requested?"
"If you mean ensuring no Sapa touches Hebei Paeng Family's fourth young master, and monitoring the Paeng Family's movements..."
"Yes, that's it, Gate Lord."
"My son, Muik, is handling it well."
"This goes beyond my request—it's an order from Ma Hwi, military advisor of the Southern Sado Alliance. Bear that in mind."