Chapter 26. He Who Ties Unties (6)
The first page of the manual showed the character for gong reduced to nine strokes.
He already knew it would restore to its original form after twelve hours.
Hanbin smacked his lips, imagining the new forms he was about to learn.
A moment later.
While Hanbin was sitting in the reception hall with the book open, sipping tea, Musoryul entered with her steward.
Despite the thorough beating she'd taken, Musoryul's condition wasn't all that serious.
Hanbin tilted his head in puzzlement.
Strangely, the killing intent she'd shown at their first meeting was nowhere to be found.
"The power of a proper education?"
Musoryul's eyes widened at Hanbin's words.
"What did you just say?"
"Nothing. Now it's time to uphold the bet."
"Yes, as you wish, we'll call off the broken engagement. But..."
Musoryul trailed off.
She wasn't thrilled about pretending the broken engagement never happened.
But had there ever been a man who could break her like this?
Musoryul had decided to acknowledge Hanbin and yield.
At that moment, Hanbin shouted urgently.
"Hold on. Whose wish did you say that was?"
"You want to continue our engagement, right?"
Musoryul tilted her head slightly. Hanbin gaped at her in disbelief.
"Why would you think that?"
"Isn't that why you risked your life to subdue me?"
Musoryul crossed her arms, looking at him like she was granting a favor.
Hanbin tilted his head again.
Musoryul's demeanor had completely changed.
He brushed off the doubt and got to the point.
"That's not it. I want to break off my engagement with you, Lady Musoryul."
The reception hall buzzed at Hanbin's declaration.
Hanbin calmed the murmuring crowd with a show of open palms, then continued.
"I don't like women weaker than me."
"What? What do you..."
Musoryul couldn't finish. It was the exact line she always used. Her eyes widened like full moons.
Hanbin pressed on, ignoring her expression.
"And I'll let what your brother Musowi did slide. But if I hear he's causing trouble as Hebei's notorious punk, I'll come running anytime."
"Are you trying to make an enemy of the Musi Sword Clan?"
"No. I can't stand having a friend more infamous than me in Hebei. Hebei's punk has to be me."
The room stirred again at the remark, but it was Hanbin's honest truth.
To shed the Paeng family shame and the nickname of Hebei's weakest, infamy was the quickest path.
"..."
Musoryul stared at Hanbin silently.
It was odd.
She couldn't understand why she felt nothing after being dismissed like that—she, who couldn't tolerate being looked down on.
All she felt was curiosity about Hanbin.
Meeting her gaze, Hanbin stood.
"Well then, Lady, you should go. From now on, forget about me and find a suitable match."
With that, Hanbin rose from his seat.
Suddenly, his face twisted in pain.
The wounds from sparring with the family swordsmen seemed to have reopened.
It felt like using the new forms had strained his body.
Blood seeped through Hanbin's clothes.
Blood oozing from his red martial robe.
It might not be noticeable from afar, but up close, no one could miss it.
Seeing the blood on Hanbin's robe, Musoryul tilted her head.
Her sword hadn't even grazed his collar.
But why is blood showing through like that?
The doubt was fleeting. Musoryul was convinced her secret hairpin dagger had struck him.
She repeated to herself inwardly.
My sword reached his heart, so it's a draw!
As Musoryul narrowed her eyes, the wound apparently worsened—Hanbin's upper robe was soaked in blood.
His red martial robe grew even redder.
The current injury wouldn't heal even with the recovery incantation from the basic Yongrin Sword Art.
After the family swordsmen, the duel with Musoryul.
Back-to-back fights had pushed him beyond his limits.
Hanbin cupped his fists toward Musoryul, unperturbed by the blood.
"My apologies, Lady. I'll take my leave. Steward, please see to their hospitality."
The Musi Sword Clan steward standing beside Musoryul frowned at Hanbin's courteous demeanor.
He was the first man to slap around their precious Musoryul.
And now he acted like nothing happened, all polite!
That made it even more infuriating.
Then Hanbin spoke as if something had occurred to him.
"Steward, I think we've fulfilled our duties. He who ties unties it. The one who knots it undoes it. I believe the knot is fully untied."
"Hah."
Steward Yi Seolyeong let out a sigh.
He who ties unties it?
He might be the tier of the One who Ties, but the Unraveller? Not even close.
It was more like adding another knot on top.
But why did he feel like laughing?
Today's events had been so refreshing.
All the pent-up frustration from his steward duties seemed to melt away.
As Yi Seolyeong wore a strange expression—not quite a smile, not quite a frown—Hanbin continued.
"Steward, please take good care of our guests."
Entrusting Musoryul's group to him, Hanbin left.
Once Hanbin was gone, Musoryul snorted again.
"Hmph, judging by the wound, isn't it a draw? I thought my sword didn't touch him, but he took a pretty serious hit after all."
She was asking her steward.
The Musi Sword Clan steward nodded quietly.
He was certain the wound was from this duel.
"Indeed, Lady. In a way, you went easy on him."
As they patted each other on the back, Hebei Paeng family's steward Yi Seolyeong interjected.
"Pardon the interruption, but our youngest young master dueled five Paeng family swordsmen in succession just two hours ago."
"..."
Musoryul's mouth fell open in silence.
She replayed her duel with Hanbin, recalling the circumstances.
He'd been two hours late.
Because of the spars with the swordsmen?
A hypothesis swirled in her mind.
What if it were me?
But the doubt passed quickly. Musoryul looked at Yi Seolyeong as if she'd found her answer.
"I could handle second-rate swordsmen like that too."
That was Musoryul's conclusion.
Dueling second-rate warriors?
Ten of them wouldn't faze her.
Her steward nodded and chuckled.
"Haha."
Yi Seolyeong frowned at their display.
But only briefly—he nearly burst out laughing and quickly covered his mouth.
"...Ahem."
Steward Yi Seolyeong looked apologetic.
He'd forgotten his position and laughed in front of guests unintentionally.
Musoryul asked with an annoyed expression.
"Why are you laughing?"
"They weren't second-rate swordsmen. There were two first-rate on the cusp of Peak and three Peak swordsmen."
Yi Seolyeong held up two fingers on his left hand and three on his right.
"What?"
As Musoryul's eyes widened, Yi Seolyeong stated it firmly.
"Exactly as I said."
Musoryul's shoulders trembled faintly as she looked at her steward.
"It's a lie, right?"
"..."
The Musi Sword Clan steward had no reply and stared at the ceiling innocently.
Seeing this, Yi Seolyeong sipped his tea to maintain composure.
The tea in his cup trembled slightly.
He'd been holding back laughter.
Musoryul's gaze slowly turned.
It lingered on the door Hanbin had exited.
Heading back to his quarters, Hanbin tilted his head.
He sensed qi nearby.
Then Cheolno came running.
"Young master! Are you alright?"
"Why the fuss, Cheolno?"
"We heard the Musi Sword Clan was dueling you to the death, so I rushed over."
"You were going to stop them?"
"Not exactly, but..."
As Cheolno trailed off, So Daeseop and Sim Miho arrived too.
"My lord, are you okay?"
"My lord!"
"Enough. I'm fine."
Assuming the qi he'd sensed was from them, Hanbin headed back to his quarters.
As Hanbin moved away from the reception hall, two shadows emerged from behind it.
"Third brother, did you see that punk's duel earlier?"
"Yes, I did. But didn't you go into seclusion, brother?"
"There was a commotion, so I checked. But..."
"What's wrong?"
"That last form Hanbin used... Never mind."
Paeng Kangwi waved it off.
Paeng Daewi shook his head in kind.
He knew what Paeng Daewi wanted to ask, but that final form of Hanbin's was impossible to discern.
Paeng Daewi tilted his head at the family head Paeng Kangwi.
"Brother, his personality seems to have changed a lot."
"Personality?"
Paeng Kangwi narrowed his eyes.
He'd only thought of Hanbin's achievements.
But hearing Paeng Daewi, Hanbin's display today reminded him of a vicious demon.
What changed him?
Paeng Kangwi dismissed the question.
There was no need for a reason to grow stronger.
That night, laughter erupted from one of the Hebei Paeng family annexes.
The source was Madam Jeonghwa, the family head's second wife.
She beamed with joy.
"Ho ho. So the youngest kicked away such fortune?"
"Yes, Mother."
Eldest young master Paeng Kyungbin, barely recovered, bowed his head.
"Kicking away such fortune! He's still so young."
"Yes, exactly."
"But was the youngest's martial prowess really that surprising?"
"From what I heard, his inner power isn't that strong, but his attacks were seasoned."
Finishing, Paeng Kyungbin glanced at his arm unconsciously.
Hanbin's words about burning it still nagged at him.
Madam Jeonghwa spoke then.
"I see. Don't worry about it anymore."
"Yes, Mother."
"You may go."
"Yes, rest well."
As Paeng Kyungbin quietly left, Madam Jeonghwa pulled out a book.
She flipped through the pages one by one.
Beautiful orchids adorned each page.
This was her anthology of orchids, bound from her own drawings.
But Madam Jeonghwa's eyes as she turned the pages were far from ordinary.
Her hand stopped on one page.
It had more orchids than the others.
Madam Jeonghwa drew another orchid over the open page.
Swoosh.
Her brushstroke was as sharp as a blade.
She gazed at the orchid she'd drawn.
There, the number four was inscribed.
Looking closely, it wasn't just four.
Numbers representing her children—one, two, and so on—were hidden in order throughout the pages.
This was Madam Jeonghwa's habit.
She wrote the names of those she needed to crush on rice paper and slashed them like orchids.
Each stroke honed her mental blade.
Until now, Hanbin had never needed to be added to her kill list.
But today, for the first time, he had her attention.