Chapter 80: The Scorching Hot Taro (2)
Ga Gi-gun's words made perfect sense.
If Madam Jeonghwa, a member of the Henan Jeong Family, chose the escort for the Qingming Pill, then no matter what happened along the way, the Hebei Paeng Family's responsibility would be minimized.
That was why Ga Gi-gun had handed the decision over to her.
Paeng Daewi, who was leading the meeting, nodded in agreement.
As everyone swallowed nervously, Madam Jeonghwa spoke up.
"I believe this task should fall to one of the young master candidates. A future family head will one day shoulder the patriarch's duties. Proving oneself in matters of external relations—isn't that precisely what a young master candidate should do?"
No one could argue with that.
At that moment, Jujakgakju Ga Gi-gun asked,
"Then which young master candidate should we send…?"
He trailed off. One candidate was away on a journey through the jianghu, and another was in forced seclusion for training.
That left only one: Hanbin, training at Cheonsu Manor.
Ga Gi-gun continued,
"Then the youngest young master should take this on."
The elders and division leaders immediately began murmuring.
"So, you're saying the fourth young master handles this critical matter?"
"Heh, yeah. What makes us trust him with it?"
"The fourth young master might just run off with the Qingming Pill."
"Nah, he wouldn't go that far."
"No, remember who swept up all the bets during that spar between the young masters' escort teams last time?"
"No way…."
At that point, Madam Jeonghwa slammed the table.
Thud!
The resounding strike, infused with inner power, silenced the elders and leaders.
Madam Jeonghwa narrowed her eyes like a serpent, glaring at them all.
As everyone swallowed again, she opened her mouth.
"What exactly are you all saying right now?"
"…."
With the room fallen silent, she continued in a soft, gentle voice.
"This isn't just anyone—my father, the pillar of northern murim, lies gravely ill. And yet, what are you saying? In this matter, the only suitable person is the fourth young master, a young master candidate. I intend to entrust my father's fate to that boy."
The elders and leaders tilted their heads at Madam Jeonghwa's words.
She and the fourth young master were notorious for their mutual animosity.
This concerned her father, the head of the Henan Jeong Family, but people didn't change that drastically.
Madam Jeonghwa pressed on.
"Then, is there someone else here willing to take on this task instead?"
"…."
A brief silence swept the room, until one elder slapped his knee.
"Now that I think about it, the youngest young master is the perfect fit."
"Hmm, you're right. No one else can handle this but him."
Aside from a few, the elders and leaders' eyes gleamed like hyenas spotting prey.
They had finally grasped the true intent behind Madam Jeonghwa assigning this mission to Hanbin.
Come to think of it, Hanbin was their scorching hot taro.
He had pressed Volcanic guest elder Se Jaeo in a spar not long ago, but few had witnessed it.
Even if he'd won through skill, they judged it wouldn't significantly impact the succession struggle.
Rumors spoke of ties to the imperial palace, but no one had verified the extent.
For now, there was no room for Hanbin in the rivalry between the first and second young masters.
In other words, no one had any reason to back him.
If he succeeded in this mission, no one would rejoice; if he failed, no one here would lament it.
Hanbin was the perfect stray hunting dog to toss this scorching hot taro to.
But Paeng Daewi still tapped the armrest, unable to decide.
He sensed some scheme lurking in this affair.
In his eyes, Hanbin was a tiger still growing.
Give him a little more time, and he'd prowl the jianghu with stripes blazing clear.
Madam Jeonghwa urged, as if pressing him.
"Please decide quickly, acting patriarch."
A faint smile played at her lips, barely perceptible.
Paeng Daewi chuckled inwardly at the sight.
This wasn't the face of someone worried for her father, the head of the Henan Jeong Family.
What was Madam Jeonghwa expecting?
Paeng Daewi narrowed his eyes slightly and spoke.
"I agree. However!"
Everyone held their breath, turning to him.
He continued.
"For this mission, the fourth young master will decide himself. If he accepts, we entrust it to him. If he refuses, we'll reconvene. That concludes today's meeting!"
He rose, slamming his staff against the floor.
Bam!
Everyone simply nodded silently at the sound.
A short while later, as Madam Jeonghwa left the meeting, a faint smile lingered on her lips.
It seemed more cunning and genuine than the one before.
* * *
That night.
A black shadow appeared beside Hanbin, who was organizing his sword formulas atop a rock by the training ground.
Swish—rustle.
It was Sim Miho.
She spoke in a voice laced with dissatisfaction.
"You don't even flinch anymore, my lord."
"Who else would show up here besides you, Deputy Sim?"
"Shouldn't you at least pretend to be surprised? Isn't that proper courtesy for a subordinate coming back late from work?"
"That's why I raised your stipend."
"Ah, right…. I appreciate it always, my lord."
Sim Miho quickly clasped her hands in a fist salute, switching her expression.
"Seeing you here at this hour, it must be urgent."
"Yes, today at the Hebei Paeng Family…."
Sim Miho recounted everything that had transpired without pause.
Having heard it all, Hanbin gazed at the sky with an amused look.
Sim Miho asked,
"What will you do?"
"What do you think, Deputy Sim?"
"Why ask me?"
"Just curious about your instincts."
"Hmm, I…."
As Sim Miho pondered, a black shadow popped out from behind, shouting,
"It's a trap, obvious to anyone."
"Eek! You scared me!"
Sim Miho jumped in fright, turning to the voice's owner.
There stood a girl who looked about fifteen, her round eyes sparkling mischievously.
Of course, until yesterday, she had been a top-class assassin of Heukcheon.
Seolhwa.
Her surprise was brief; Sim Miho tilted her head, and Hanbin nodded toward her.
"Her name's Seolhwa, my new maid. Take good care of her, Deputy Sim."
"Ah, you've taken on a new maid. Makes sense—there's a limit to what Cheolno can handle. But such a cute little thing…."
As Sim Miho reached for Seolhwa's cheek, Hanbin cleared his throat to stop her.
"Ahem, her skin's sensitive, so be gentle, Deputy Sim."
"Oh, I see. But from how she talks, she seems sharp. Mind if I chat with Seolhwa?"
"She's not an object. Do as you like, Deputy Sim Miho."
With Hanbin's permission, Sim Miho beamed at Seolhwa.
"What did you mean just now, sweetie?"
"What do you mean?"
"You said it's a trap."
"Isn't it obvious? The messenger from the Henan Jeong Family arrived covered in blood, right?"
"Yeah."
"Has any merchant caravan or warrior from the Henan Jeong Family ever been injured before?"
"Hmm, not that I know of."
"And lately, the caravans Madam Jeonghwa sent haven't been robbed, have they?"
"True."
"Yet a warrior from the Henan Jeong Family gets ambushed—and still delivers the item intact."
"Hmm. So what's your take?"
"A new enemy appeared? Or…."
"Or what?"
"Won't tell you for free."
Seolhwa grinned innocently, holding out her hand.
Sim Miho glanced at Hanbin, mouthing,
'Is she your relative, my lord?'
Hanbin glared at her briefly.
It revealed how she usually viewed her lord.
Still, to dispel the misunderstanding, he mouthed back reluctantly.
'No relation whatsoever. Deputy Sim.'
Sim Miho sighed softly, pulling a copper coin from her bosom and placing it in Seolhwa's hand.
Watching, Hanbin clicked his tongue silently.
Seolhwa, switched from assassin to maid, had already adapted to life at Cheonsu Manor.
She pocketed the coin nimbly and continued.
"Anyway, they're probably just putting on a drama among themselves."
Sim Miho's eyes widened slightly in surprise.
"Seolhwa, how do you know all this?"
"I heard earlier."
She nodded toward Hanbin.
Sim Miho turned to Hanbin with a hint of complaint.
"My lord, how can you share confidential matters even with the maid? What does she know? She's just a kid—show her the good side of things."
Sim Miho hugged Seolhwa tightly.
Hanbin stared at them, exasperated.
The most absurd part was that Seolhwa was the one who had sliced up Madam Jeonghwa's caravan.
'Of course she knows—it was her handiwork.'
But Hanbin held his tongue.
He hoped Seolhwa would live from now on as an ordinary citizen or Cheonsu Manor warrior, not a Heukcheon assassin.
After staring at Seolhwa a while, Hanbin turned to Sim Miho.
"Deputy Sim. From now on, gather what I mention. So…."
Hanbin gave her several requests.
"I'll fetch them right away."
"Watch out on the night roads."
"Yes, my lord."
Swish—rustle!
As Sim Miho vanished in a whirl of dust, Seolhwa pouted.
"What's there to worry about? She could steam six passing men alive. Instead, why don't we clash swords, young master?"
Even her way of addressing Hanbin felt natural now.
Seolhwa tapped the soft sword at her waist provocatively, and Hanbin chuckled.
"Planning to bolt if I go down?"
"Obviously…."
Seolhwa trailed off, gripping her soft sword.
She looked ready to draw and slash behind her the instant she pulled it.
Hanbin waved her off.
"Whoa, easy there."
"Gasp, what kind of cheer is that? Am I a cow?"
"That's what you get for drawing your sword anytime."
"There was killing intent from behind…."
Seolhwa cut off, eyeing the newcomer.
The plum blossoms embroidered on his white uniform stood out starkly.
At odds with Heukcheon and the Nine Great Sects.
Seolhwa unwittingly released her own killing intent.
Startled, Volcanic's Plum Blossom Swordsman Se Jaeo jumped back.
"Kid, why me?"
"…."
As Seolhwa glared silently, Hanbin stepped between them.
The killing intent vanished in an instant.
Hanbin asked Se Jaeo,
"What's the matter at this hour, great hero? My senior-uncle equivalent."
The honorifics had shifted now.
Se Jaeo grumbled unhappily.
"How long will you keep dodging my sword, nephew? Junior-uncle equivalent."
Se Jaeo fired back, and Hanbin laughed.
The age gap between Hanbin and Se Jaeo exceeded ten years.
Trading barbs like this only hurt Se Jaeo.
Hanbin asked with a meaningful expression.
"Do you think the time has come?"