I'll Claim That Arm (3)
Paeng Kyungbin's gaze naturally followed Hanbin.
'What the hell...'
Standing where Hanbin was looking was Sim Miho.
In that instant, a reasonable suspicion began to sprout in Paeng Kyungbin's mind.
That suspicion coalesced into a single word.
'Betrayal!'
But the question 'Why?' came first.
That was when Paeng Daewi's voice echoed through the lodging.
"Squad Leader So Daeseop. Why did you hide the Thousand Character Classic so secretly?"
"......"
So Daeseop's eyes widened in circles.
It wasn't even his book, and he hadn't hidden it, so he couldn't respond.
At that moment, Hanbin stepped forward.
All eyes turned to him.
Hanbin opened his mouth cautiously, as if revealing a grave secret.
"I'll answer that in his place."
"Speak."
"Squad Leader So Daeseop is practically illiterate."
"Illiterate?"
Paeng Daewi widened his eyes.
Undeterred, Hanbin continued his explanation.
"He suffers from a condition that makes his chest churn whenever he reads books, so learning to read came very late for him. That's why he's studying it belatedly now."
"Is this true?"
Paeng Daewi's gaze, sharp as a honed blade, pierced So Daeseop.
So Daeseop froze, unable to utter a word.
"......"
After a moment of silence, So Daeseop's eyes turned to Hanbin.
Hanbin gave a subtle nod.
Only then did So Daeseop recall Hanbin's words.
Hanbin had clearly told him to nod.
Unknowingly, So Daeseop nodded as well.
"Yes, that's correct, Family Head."
At that sight, Paeng Daewi burst into hearty laughter and gripped So Daeseop's shoulder firmly.
"Squad Leader So Daeseop, this ailment of yours isn't a flaw. It's akin to the qi deviation every martial artist experiences at least once. Think of it as nothing more than a common cold."
Murmurs began to ripple through the surroundings.
What kind of qi deviation was as trivial as a cold that everyone passed through?
The important thing was that Paeng Daewi's gaze had shifted to one of goodwill.
Seeing this, Hanbin flashed a small smile.
Paeng Daewi's emotions could be summed up in one phrase.
'Shared suffering.'
The dyslexia Hanbin had mentioned was the very illness Paeng Daewi suffered from.
The story of Paeng Daewi, who couldn't call his condition by its name.
This was a fact known only to Hanbin.
With the incident resolved, Paeng Daewi declared,
"With this, we'll conclude all matters..."
But Hanbin interjected.
"Law Enforcement Leader, something still feels off to me."
"What do you mean?"
A flicker of interest passed through Paeng Daewi's eyes.
Confirming it, Hanbin spoke.
"This young master clearly said he saw Squad Leader So Daeseop trying to steal the manual."
Paeng Daewi tilted his head slightly.
"Hasn't that been proven false already?"
"What if the place he saw it wasn't the guard squad leader's lodging? I don't think this young master saw a hallucination."
"Oh ho."
Paeng Daewi's expression shifted again, brimming with curiosity.
As Hanbin smiled and let the tension build, Paeng Daewi couldn't hold back.
"So where do you think the manual is hidden?"
Hanbin turned his gaze to Young Master Paeng Kyungbin.
It was unmistakably a suspicious glare.
The warriors began murmuring again at the bizarre turn of events.
"What's going on?"
"Things are getting weird."
Then Paeng Kyungbin rushed forward, waving his hands frantically.
"It absolutely wasn't me. It wasn't. And if you're going to make such an absurd claim..."
Hanbin shot back as if he'd been waiting.
"I'll stake my honor on it."
"What honor does a wretch like you have?"
"Then what should I stake?"
Paeng Kyungbin narrowed his eyes at Hanbin's retort.
In that fleeting moment, his mind raced furiously.
To Paeng Kyungbin, this looked like a gamble.
After all calculations, he spoke.
"Stake one of your arms."
Finishing his words, Paeng Kyungbin rolled up his sleeve and stepped forward.
Hanbin stepped forward as well.
But his expression was peculiar.
Unnaturally confident.
"Then I'll stake one arm—and one eye besides."
"......"
Paeng Kyungbin's eyes widened.
Seeing Hanbin speak with such assurance, it was clear his guard leader, Sim Miho, had betrayed him.
At that moment, Hanbin shouted,
"If you're scared, back out."
"......"
Paeng Kyungbin fell silent again.
He needed to recalculate the situation.
Seeing this, Paeng Daewi furrowed his brow and asked Hanbin,
"So, where do you say we should search?"
Hanbin tapped his temple thoughtfully before continuing.
"Third Young Master Paeng Mubin’s quarters."
At Hanbin's words, Paeng Kyungbin's eyes widened impossibly.
Hanbin had pointed to a place no one could have imagined.
In truth, his declaration left everyone tilting their heads in confusion.
Paeng Daewi, thinking the same, stroked his chin and asked,
"Why do you think that?"
"The only other empty lodging at this hour is the one for Third Young Master's guards, the Protection Trio."
"It's empty?"
"Third Young Master has been bedridden in the infirmary since that legitimate spar a few days ago. I heard his guards are staying nearby."
Hanbin emphasized the word 'legitimate' particularly.
Because of it, murmurs erupted again.
"Did the youngest young master really beat Third Young Master in a fair spar?"
"It was real? Not some dirty trick?"
Then Hanbin held up his palms and said,
"That's not important right now. Uncovering the spy is."
Hanbin grinned with a good-natured face.
As Paeng Daewi exited the lodging, everyone followed.
Heading toward the Protection Trio's quarters, Paeng Daewi quietly glanced at Hanbin.
Did you set this up?
At the sudden transmission, Hanbin averted his gaze innocently.
Where his eyes landed was one of Paeng Kyungbin's subordinates.
Hanbin's gaze fixed on the man's hand.
Paeng Daewi naturally followed his line of sight.
The hand was swollen red, as if lacquered.
This meant the young master's guard had visited the youngest young master's lodging.
From the looks of it, he'd tried to strike from behind and gotten backstabbed instead.
Paeng Daewi laughed boisterously.
"Haha, that kid really laid triple-layered traps..."
No one heard his words over the laughter.
After the time it took to drink a cup of tea, everyone gathered at the lodging of Third Young Master's guards, the Protection Trio.
As before, the law enforcement warriors began thoroughly searching the interior.
As time passed, books piled up before Paeng Daewi.
Thud. Thud.
A fair number of books emerged, but no manual.
Only a large stack of erotic paintings was found.
Gathering the erotic books, Paeng Daewi ordered his men,
"Confiscate all of these to the law enforcement hall."
The law enforcement warriors' lips curled up simultaneously.
As Paeng Daewi turned to leave the lodging, Paeng Kyungbin shouted,
"Law Enforcement Leader, what about our earlier agreement?"
"What agreement?"
"Hanbin clearly staked his arm and eye."
Of course, there had been no agreement.
Paeng Kyungbin had backed out, letting Hanbin's proposal fizzle.
This was a fact everyone knew.
Yet Young Master Paeng Kyungbin clung desperately.
He looked utterly pathetic.
Everyone clicked their tongues at the sight.
Then Hanbin spoke.
"Agreements are made to be kept."
He scanned the surroundings, then approached one of the law enforcement warriors.
As everyone watched Hanbin's actions, he snatched the dagger from the warrior's arm.
"Lend me this for a bit!"
Caught off guard, the warrior could only nod.
Hanbin drew the dagger and rolled up one sleeve, facing everyone.
"Since this young master and I made the bet, I'll cut off my arm here if nothing's found after a final check."
"......"
The lodging fell deathly silent in an instant.
It was mad behavior by any measure.
Hanbin slowly walked toward the scroll.
Everyone clicked their tongues in pity.
The law enforcement warriors had already checked behind the scroll.
There couldn't be a hidden space there.
Hanbin removed the wall-hanging scroll.
Only a flat wall remained, and people began whispering.
"What? A false lead?"
"What happens to the Fourth Young Master now?"
"He's not really going to cut off his arm..."
As murmurs filled the air, Hanbin shook his head.
He strode confidently toward Paeng Daewi.
His steps looked so assured, each one heavy with purpose.
That was when it happened.
Creeeak!
A strange noise came from the floor.
Hanbin stopped and looked down.
It was the wooden floor used as a group sleeping platform.
Examining it closely, Hanbin turned to Paeng Daewi.
"This spot looks suspicious."
Paeng Daewi approached immediately and checked the area Hanbin indicated.
He narrowed his eyes.
"The seam is rough. Someone pried it up..."
Before Paeng Daewi finished, Hanbin stabbed the dagger into the floor seam.
He tilted it and pried out a wooden plank.
A space revealed itself, and Paeng Daewi squinted.
He reached in.
In the blink of an eye, a book appeared in Paeng Daewi's hand.
Everyone crowded around Hanbin and Paeng Daewi.
Paeng Daewi held the book high.
Five Tiger Gate-Cutting Blade (Ohodanmundo)
In his hand was the Hebei Paeng Family's manual.
"What in the world?"
"That young master's words were true?"
"Does that mean Third Young Master is the culprit?"
As mouths gaped, Hanbin said,
"Who the spy is will be revealed by the Law Enforcement Leader. As for me, I'll keep my promise."
Hanbin stood and walked toward Paeng Kyungbin.
As the distance closed, Paeng Kyungbin's face drained of color.
Standing before him, Hanbin spoke lowly.
"I'll take that arm, brother."
It was the first time he'd called him brother, but his voice was colder than ever.
Hanbin spun the dagger effortlessly, as if it were part of his body.
It resembled a butcher preparing to carve meat.
Some tilted their heads at Hanbin's dagger play.
No amount of short practice could produce such skill. Yet Hanbin handled it as naturally as a limb.
Then Paeng Daewi rushed over, slamming his blade into the floor.
Bam!
"Carry out the agreement."
Simultaneously, law enforcement warriors encircled the area with cloth, creating a space for the punishment.
Large characters were embroidered on the cloth.
[Punishment (Execution)]
There were two reasons for the enclosure.
First, to prevent the criminal's escape; second, to preserve this young master's dignity.
For a direct-line heir and Soga-ju candidate to receive punishment before his subordinates would be utter humiliation.
As the air chilled under Paeng Daewi's commanding presence—like an execution order—Paeng Kyungbin's eyes glazed momentarily.
But then, as if struck by a thought, he smirked and drew his blade from his waist.
Paeng Kyungbin eyed Sim Miho, still within the punishment space.
As he slowly approached her, he glanced back at Hanbin.
"I never said I'd stake my arm."
Shrugging, Paeng Kyungbin grinned at his guard, Sim Miho.
With a smirk, he swung his blade down.
The blade aimed for Sim Miho's shoulder.
Everyone's jaws dropped.