78. Unexpected Mission (4)
At the same moment, Hyeolhwa's pupils trembled.
Stabbing her sword into the bronze bowl felt like striking the match to her own fuse.
The thought that she'd been tricked by Hanbin again only fueled her rising fury.
She'd solved the Ilgakbicho herself, only for him to claim he'd already neutralized it and laced it with the Seven Poisons?
Her teeth ground together, but right now, the antidote came first.
"Then hand it over quick."
As Hyeolhwa extended her hand, Hanbin loosened the front of his martial robe.
Seven small poison vials were revealed in an instant.
Hanbin spoke.
"If you don't take the antidote within a day after the first poison flares up, the second one activates. Even if you neutralize the first, skip the second and it'll hit you a week later..."
Hyeolhwa listened to Hanbin's explanation and slowly reached for the vials.
At that moment, Hanbin smirked, and she froze.
He gently pushed her hand away with his index finger and continued.
"The problem is, these seven antidotes have to be taken in exact order. You know what happens if you get it wrong. And the timing has to be precise too. The last one? Exactly three years from now."
Hyeolhwa's hand halted at his words.
Hanbin had used one antidote while she was unconscious and another when she woke. That made two in total.
Those two were mixed in among these seven. Even if she snatched them, there was no guarantee she could figure out the sequence.
Only Hanbin knew the order.
And the final antidote was precisely three years away.
Now she understood why Heukcheon had accepted the outcome of this bet.
But one question lingered.
"I've got one thing I'm curious about."
"If I can answer it, I will."
Hanbin nodded with a magnanimous expression.
"How'd you contact Heukcheon in that short time?"
"Hmph, why do you assume it was short?"
"I fell asleep while the sunset was still lingering. And it's still lingering now."
"I'll save that answer for the rest of your four remaining years of life. Think on it."
"......"
Hyeolhwa tilted her head.
At most, only enough time for a cup of tea had passed since she'd dozed off, yet so much had happened—it was hard to believe.
Then Hanbin rose from his seat.
Without a word to follow, he strolled off into the ruddy sunset glow.
Hyeolhwa trailed silently behind.
Grrrrowl.
A loud rumble from her stomach made her hold her breath in a flash.
She had no inkling that a full day had already passed.
Watching the pair vanish into the red pine forest, the Eighteen Tiger shook his head.
Then he glanced at his sprawled subordinates behind him.
From yesterday to this morning, Hanbin and Heukcheon's assassins had clashed in a second battle following the Absol Valley showdown.
What decided it was Hanbin's exquisite footwork and schemes.
The result? Crushing defeat!
The Eighteen Tiger felt like they'd shoved their heads into a tiger's maw.
You could beat a tiger in a fight, but jamming your head in its mouth wasn't fighting—it was suicide.
Gazing at Hyeolhwa being dragged off by Hanbin after sacrificing himself to save his men, the Eighteen Tiger offered a silent prayer.
His awakened subordinates bowed their heads toward her retreating figure as well.
One murmured with head lowered.
"We'll never forget the leader's sacrifice."
"Loyalty!"
A Heukcheon assassin pounded his chest and cried out.
After a moment of silence, the Eighteen Tiger called softly to his men.
"We're heading back."
"L-Leader..."
They replied in choked sobs.
Ignoring the prickling stares from behind, Hanbin walked the mountain path with a serene expression.
Suddenly, Hyeolhwa called from the rear.
"Let's rest a bit!"
This was genuine from Hyeolhwa.
Her body wasn't normal after Hanbin's poison.
She tried gathering her inner power, but the aftereffects blocked even a strand.
Without inner power, her body was no tougher than a frail girl's.
By Heukcheon's order, she'd be stuck at Hanbin's side for three years—no escaping.
An utterly unforeseen mission had dropped on her, but she wasn't one to just panic.
She wanted to set some boundaries in her relationship with Hanbin.
Boundaries that favored her.
As Hanbin stopped, Hyeolhwa plastered on her most innocent expression.
She knew this face worked on people.
A girl who looked no older than fifteen, wearing such a pitiful look—even assassins would let it slide.
In that sense, Hyeolhwa switched personas with lightning speed.
Her ideal dynamic? Big brother and little sister.
Sure enough, Hanbin approached with a kind face.
Hyeolhwa swallowed hard at the sight.
Hanbin trudged up and pointed at the ground with a finger.
"Sit."
His flat tone made her shriek.
"Eek!"
"No chorus!"
As Hanbin chuckled, she scurried to her feet.
"F-Fine, let's go then."
The next day at noon.
Hanbin arrived at Cheonsu Manor's main gate.
Jo Ho, who happened to be there, bolted over like lightning.
"My lord, where on earth have you been? We were so worried when you didn't come back last night!"
"Empty words or not, thanks, Jo Ho."
"Not empty at all. We all pulled an all-nighter fretting over you."
"You mean you stayed up playing around, right? Come on, Jo Ho."
"N-No, that's not... uh..."
Jo Ho trailed off, waving his hands.
"Kidding—don't worry. Gotta rest a day anyway."
"Sure, yeah."
"Then grind hard the next day."
"M-My lord..."
Jo Ho trailed off again, then spotted Hyeolhwa beside Hanbin and his eyes lit up.
"Who's the little one?"
"She's my new maid starting today."
"A maid? She looks too young to wait on you."
Jo Ho tilted his head, eyeing her.
She seemed fifteen at most, eyes sparkling.
Of course, it was a misjudgment.
Hyeolhwa was nearing nineteen.
Her petite build and youthful face fooled him.
But that touched Hyeolhwa's reverse scale.
She whipped toward Jo Ho.
In an instant, her killing intent crashed over him.
She'd recovered her inner power on the walk here.
Jo Ho felt a sword hurtling at him.
It halted just an inch from his nape—or so it seemed.
He touched his neck.
Still attached. No blade.
Jo Ho scratched his head.
"Must've overdone it yesterday. Sorry for the ugly sight, kiddo. Whew."
As he sighed, Hyeolhwa composed herself and replied.
"No worries. Fatigue plays tricks. Big brother."
"Oh, you don't have to call me—"
"I insist."
She waved it off, and Jo Ho asked.
"What's your name, anyway?"
She glanced at Hanbin.
He nodded, so she answered.
"Seolhwa."
Seolhwa was the name she and Hanbin had agreed on. Hyeolhwa would've raised too many eyebrows.
Who names a girl after blood?
Thus, Seolhwa was born.
"Aw, cute name to match the face, kiddo."
Jo Ho ruffled her hair with a grin.
Now Seolhwa, she barely hid her expression, screaming inwardly.
Don't call me kid, you punk!
Of course, she kept it inside.
Her killing intent flared briefly!
"Gasp."
Jo Ho gulped.
Even at first-rate realm, it was overwhelming.
He stepped back, staring at his hand.
He'd seen an illusion of a blade slicing it.
Seolhwa's aura had triggered it.
She steadied him.
"A-Are you okay? Big brother."
"Fine. Just off today..."
Jo Ho trailed off, retreating.
Hanbin smirked at the sight.
Seolhwa suited theater troupes over assassinations.
That was his verdict.
Passing Cheonsu Manor's gate, Hanbin had Seolhwa fetch some snacks.
He'd chewed jerky crossing Songhwasan, but she'd fasted for a day and a half.
Watching her wolf down dumplings, Cheolno said,
"Take it slow, girl—plenty more."
"I'm good, mister."
She crammed another in, mumbling through puffed cheeks. Hanbin smiled unwittingly.
It wasn't the gaze for an assassin.
Why had he brought her here?
It was complicated.
Sparring with her, he'd felt something odd.
He'd spared her to confirm a few things.
Negotiating with Heukcheon confirmed it: she was his old subordinate from his past life.
The Ghost Sword Squad's youngest.
One who'd fallen to Justice Alliance blades in his place.
Reason enough to take her in.
Back then, she looked worlds different.
Face scarred beyond recognition, leg amputated, voice like grinding steel from vocal damage.
That was her past self.
No wonder it took time to recognize her.
Three years per the Heukcheon deal should keep her safe from calamity.
Separately, another reason.
Hanbin eyed Seolhwa's forehead as she scarfed dumplings.
A glowing formula point shimmered there.
With a playful grin, he grabbed his chopsticks.
And jabbed at the point.
Seolhwa yelped, blocking with the empty dumpling bowl.
Clack!
Cheolno's eyes bulged.
His face asked if the kid knew martial arts too.
Hanbin nodded; Cheolno's eyes widened further.
But Hanbin kept staring at Seolhwa.
The point on her forehead had shifted elsewhere.
First time since regression and formulas became visible.
A formula point dodging his attack?
Nigh invincible target, in a way.
Dead or animals lost formulas—had to strike living ones. But if it fled like this?
Hanbin decided to keep her close and study slowly.
Cheolno tsked, reining him in.
"Young master, even if you're joking around... They say don't touch a dog while it's eating. How can you tease such a cute kid?"
"Ah, sorry, Cheolno."
Hanbin waved it off with a laugh. Watching, Seolhwa smiled faintly.
Cheolno seemed like Hanbin's soft spot.
Win him over, and life at Cheonsu Manor would be easy.
Then Hanbin eyed Cheolno and signaled.
"I said not just dumplings."
"Of course, young master. All prepared."
"Then lay it out."
"Yes, young master."
Cheolno set a bundle on the table, avoiding the dumplings, and unfurled it swiftly.
Shhhk.
Inside: brush, inkstone, paper, and inkstick.