163. Hebei's Number One (6)
Seol Muik, his lips twitching with greedy delight, handed the signed document to Han Bin.
He stared piercingly at Han Bin's hand gripping the brush.
Just a signature here, and the fortune would roll right in.
At that moment, Han Bin's brush glided across the paper.
Scratch.
In the blink of an eye, Han Bin finished signing and handed one of the two sheets back to Seol Muik.
Without even checking the signature, Seol Muik tucked the document into his bosom.
"I'll gladly accept your sincerity."
"Now that you've got what you wanted, leave my people alone and be on your way."
Han Bin gave an awkward smile and waved him off.
"I thank you once more for your magnanimity, young master."
Seol Muik offered a fist salute to Han Bin and withdrew.
As if there was no further business, he double-checked the document in his bosom and whistled his way out the door.
The whistling faded into the distance. Watching him go, Cheolno wiped tears from his eyes with his sleeve.
A inscrutable smile bloomed on his face where the sleeve had brushed.
Jang Sujung, still clutching her snack, couldn't fathom Cheolno's smile.
Her hand trembled around the food as she asked Cheolno.
"Brother Cheolno, what just happened?"
She had entered carrying a bundle of writing tools and been told only not to panic, no matter what.
Yet she'd witnessed this "young master" Cheolno mentioned lose his entire fortune.
Jang Sujung felt acutely how the martial world was a place where you could lose your nose despite wide-open eyes.
But as soon as Seol Muik vanished, Cheolno's expression flipped.
Instead of answering her right away, Cheolno looked to Han Bin.
Meeting his gaze, Han Bin smiled faintly and spoke.
"Seems like a friend of our Cheolno, right?"
"Yes, that's true, but…"
"Cheolno just followed my lead, so don't worry. Everything's fine now."
Finishing up, Han Bin patted Cheolno's shoulder while looking at him.
Cheolno beamed at Han Bin's pleased expression.
"Did I do well, young master?"
"Yeah, even I almost fell for those tears just now."
"Thank you for saying so, young master."
"No, you really nailed it this time. They wouldn't buy it without that level of performance."
"You're too kind."
"I reckon you could perform at the imperial palace, Cheolno."
Han Bin's lips curved up in satisfaction.
How had Cheolno faked those tears?
The black shadow Cheolno met in the study was none other than Han Bin.
After hearing the situation from Cheolno, Han Bin had devised a plan to snare the Heuksa Gate thugs.
Cheolno had simply played his part.
Han Bin turned his gaze to Jang Sujung.
After eyeing her for a moment, he nodded and gave her a rough rundown.
"So…"
But even after Han Bin's detailed explanation, one thing still baffled Jang Sujung.
"But how do you plan to handle the actual loss?"
"Loss? What loss?"
Han Bin tilted his head, prompting Jang Sujung to point at the document on the table.
"That pledge to hand over all the money…"
She couldn't forget the sight of it.
Feeling she'd caused trouble for someone else, tears threatened to spill.
Cheolno also cocked his head at Han Bin.
"I don't get that document either, young master. Why agree to such a huge sum?"
Han Bin grinned at Cheolno's worried eyes.
Perhaps thanks to that smile, Cheolno and Jang Sujung focused intently on his next words.
Drawing their attention, Han Bin quietly picked up the document from the table.
He showed it to Cheolno.
"Does it say anywhere who gives what to whom?"
"Pardon?"
Cheolno peered at it intently.
The palm-sized paper held only an amount and a signature.
As if struck by a thought, Cheolno spoke up.
"So you're going to insist you receive that amount, young master?"
"Nah. Think about it. Would a document with no giver or receiver hold any weight?"
"True. So it's worthless then, right?"
"Not quite."
With that, Han Bin flicked the palm-sized paper with his index finger.
Thud.
A gap appeared between the layers.
Casually slipping his fingers in, Han Bin unfolded the document.
Cheolno's jaw dropped unwittingly at the sight.
He hadn't expected the "note" to be a neatly folded large sheet.
Once fully unfolded, the document revealed its true form.
A dizzying array of clauses filled the page.
At the bottom right were the signatures of Han Bin and Seol Muik.
Clauses up top, signatures below?
Now it looked like a perfect contract.
One that had simply been folded up.
Cheolno murmured softly.
"It's not a slave contract, is it?"
"You've gotten sharper, Cheolno. That's exactly it. You spotted it right away."
"Ah, a slave contract. Then what's that amount at the bottom?"
"It says the penalty is set separately right here."
Han Bin tapped a section of the document.
"So no harm to us at all, right, young master?"
"Obviously."
"I was so worried I'd caused a mess."
"A mess? You brought me a prime catch after ages. Take a few days off—you earned it."
Han Bin patted Cheolno's shoulder again and leaned back in his chair.
As Han Bin settled in, Cheolno grinned and turned to Jang Sujung.
"See, little sister? I told you our young master is Hebei's number one."
"Hebei's number one…"
Jang Sujung couldn't quite recall what came after that.
The issue seemed resolved, but what made him Hebei's number one?
That was when it happened.
Someone appeared beside Jang Sujung and Cheolno.
Swish.
Not quite footsteps—more like the soft drag of a mop.
Turning, Jang Sujung saw a girl in white martial robes standing there casually.
The girl looked at Jang Sujung without a care and spoke.
"Sc—no, fisherman."
The speaker was, of course, Seol-hwa.
"What did you say, kiddo?"
"You couldn't think of a fitting word after Hebei's number one, sis."
At her overly familiar tone, Jang Sujung wondered if they knew each other, staring silently at Seol-hwa.
"…"
"Wasn't it going to be con artist? Hebei's number one fisherman. No one hooks people better. Didn't Taegong Wang say a true fisherman hooks people?"
Seol-hwa grinned broadly.
She'd almost said "con artist" but switched it.
At Seol-hwa's words, Han Bin chimed in.
"Fellow fisherman, sure—but did Taegong Wang ever say that?"
"C'mon, young master, let it slide today."
With that, Seol-hwa pulled out a candy from somewhere and popped it in her mouth.
Cheolno, beside her, chuckled.
"Seol-hwa, I've got some I bought—eat up."
"Thanks, Uncle Cheolno."
Seol-hwa bowed with an innocent smile.
Watching, Jang Sujung shook her head slightly.
She couldn't figure these people out.
Finally mustering her courage, Jang Sujung approached Han Bin.
"Young master."
"What's up? Does Cheolno's friend have something to say to me?"
"What exactly are you?"
"I'm the fourth young master of the Hebei Paeng Family. Cheolno's from there too."
"H-Hebei Paeng Family?"
Jang Sujung's eyes widened.
Then something clicked.
Rumors about the Hebei Paeng Family's fourth young master.
He was Hebei's number one coward, they said.
Her misunderstanding was natural.
The jewelry shop was in Jangun-hyeon, slightly outside Hebei Province.
Old rumors about Han Bin still lingered there.
As she eyed Han Bin and Cheolno cautiously, Seol-hwa spoke up.
"Grandpa Beggar and the Volcanic Sect guy aren't here. The other uncles should be arriving too."
"Eh, they'll show when they show."
Han Bin bit into a dumpling on the table and glanced out the window.
* * *
Han Bin was looking toward Cheonsu Manor's main gate.
Seol Muik's group was heading that way.
A beggar approached them from ahead.
Thud, thud.
As the beggar drew near, a foul stench assaulted their noses.
Seol Muik's men quickly stepped aside.
The beggar shuffled past them toward somewhere.
Another beggar—the one from the gate—followed.
Of course, that was Seo Jaeo in disguise.
Seo Jaeo was chasing someone desperately.
"Elder Hong Chilgae!"
"Why keep calling me?"
Hong Chilgae halted ahead.
"How can you keep piling work on me? I have to wait for the fourth young master, find the item, and head back."
Seo Jaeo spread his hands in grievance.
Truth be told, Seo Jaeo was going mad.
After visiting the Justice Alliance's Henan branch with Hong Chilgae, the tasks kept mounting.
He was supposed to take the plum blossom plaque and his sword Plum Blossom Three Realms from Han Bin and leave.
But Hong Chilgae kept bringing Justice Alliance jobs, leaving him complaining.
Hong Chilgae continued nonchalantly.
"Why act like a kid? Got honey hidden at Volcanic Sect? What's the rush? You're on a jianghu journey anyway. I hear you've got two years left…"
"Elder, I'm Volcanic Sect's Plum Blossom Sword Scholar. Treating me like a child is upsetting."
"Exactly. Finish this job, that's all."
"Elder!"
Seo Jaeo hurried after Hong Chilgae.
Thus, Seo Jaeo and Hong Chilgae brushed past Seol Muik's group.
One subordinate spoke up.
"N-No way that's the beggar hero Hong Chilgae, right?"
"He just said Plum Blossom Sword Scholar from Volcanic Sect, didn't he?"
Another chimed in worriedly.
Seol Muik scowled at them.
"Quit the fuss. Does that look like a Plum Blossom Sword Scholar to you?"
"Well, no, but…"
As the subordinate shook his head, Seol Muik smirked faintly.
"And why would Hong Chilgae be here?"
"True. Still, it's odd. Didn't that guy say his young master was a martial artist?"
"That was just a ploy to shake me off. The Plum Blossom Scholar and Hong Chilgae bit are him begging beggars to protect his master."
"As expected of you, young master."
"Did you sense any martial aura from that young master?"
"No."
"Right. Even suppressed, a martial artist leaks a tiny bit. But him? No trace—not even third-rate or second-rate level. Unless he's at Peak realm, impossible."
"Oh, yeah, now that you mention it."
"Exactly. He's just the ordinary pushover we thought. Didn't you see that Cheolno bawling earlier?"
"Heh, yes, young master."
As they bantered and neared the main gate,
People in herbalist garb flooded in through Cheonsu Manor's gate.
They dropped bundles that looked like medicinal herbs.
Wiping sweat with exhausted expressions,
One of Seol Muik's subordinates glanced sidelong at someone among them as he passed.
A woman with tanned skin among the herbalists.