Sleeping with the Enemy (3)
While Hanbin was racking his brain over how to shake off these two and explaining the situation, a faint tremor rippled around Sanseo Samsal, who were still banging their heads on the ground.
Tremble, tremble.
It was the chorus of their fear and rage.
Ice Blood Bookworm So Kyung-un had now abandoned his last shred of hope.
His hope had been that Hanbin's words were lies.
And there had been more than enough grounds to believe they were fabrications.
The fourth young master of Hebei Paeng Family had never set foot in the jianghu. There was no way he could have ties to the Beggars' Clan.
So how could he spread rumors through them?
Ice Blood Bookworm and Black-Clothed Killing Wind were exchanging telepathic messages while recovering their strength.
They planned to bolt the moment their bodies were back in fighting shape.
But they were double-checking everything, just in case of any hidden dangers.
Then they learned that Hanbin's master was none other than Hong Chilgae of the Beggars' Clan.
Ice Blood Bookworm sent a telepathic message to his eldest brother, Black-Clothed Killing Wind.
-Brother, it looks like we've poked a bigger bear than we thought.
-Yeah. Still, it was worth the shot. One Qingming Pill, and our three brothers and families could live comfortably for generations, right?
-But the info was wrong from the start, wasn't it? The real problem is Haomen.
Black-Clothed Killing Wind's face twisted as he head-butted the ground.
He snorted and sent back a telepathic reply to Ice Blood Bookworm.
-You're right. The moment we get back, we'll crush Haomen.
-Brother, but can we even get back? I'm skeptical. That fourth young master is evil incarnate. Even Sapa or Magyo wouldn't act like this.
-Hmph.
-It's a dead end. A total dead end.
No more telepathic messages followed Ice Blood Bookworm's words.
They couldn't spare the inner power anymore.
As they floundered in the swamp of despair, Hanbin finished his explanation.
"……And that's how it went down."
"So you took them down, bro?"
Akbigwang asked in surprise, but Hanbin quietly shook his head.
"Nah, I only handled the eldest. The rest……"
Hanbin trailed off and pointed at Yun Yongho.
There was a reason for it, of course.
Cheonri Escort Agency could handle the scrutiny, but if Shandong Ak Family started doubting the tale too, it would be a headache.
Hanbin knew that beneath that massive frame, Akbigwang had more than a few eels squirming in his gut.
Catching Hanbin's gaze, Yun Yongho gave an awkward smile and opened his mouth to speak.
His expression said it all. Hanbin responded with a meaningful smile.
This one carried a clear signal: Just roll with it.
Yun Yongho quickly read the room.
It seemed Paeng Family's secret weapon was their fourth young master Hanbin, and Hanbin's secret weapon was his maid Seolhwa.
Yun Yongho swiftly changed what he'd been about to say.
"Things just kinda worked out that way, haha."
Before Yun Yongho's hearty laugh could fade, Akbigwang spoke up again.
"So you took down Ice Blood Bookworm and Minced Meat Lad, Escort Leader?"
"It just kinda……"
"Whoa, those two together would be a handful even for me. Looks like a new master has emerged in North Jianghu."
Akbigwang's tone was sincere, leaving Yun Yongho to laugh hollowly.
"Haha, that's too much praise."
That's when Musoryul cut in.
"Anyway, I'll help with this escort too."
Hanbin shot Yun Yongho a look.
Reading the signal, Yun Yongho replied.
"Well, you see. This is a bit delicate, but this escort is Cheonri Escort Agency's operation. We don't need any help."
At the polite refusal, Musoryul narrowed her eyes.
"You know about the pact between Musi Geomga and Cheonri Escort Agency, right? Saying that feels a bit much."
"Musi Geomga?"
Yun Yongho tilted his head and eyed Musoryul.
"I'm Musoryul of Musi Geomga."
"Gasp."
Yun Yongho's eyes went wide. Musoryul, the fierce lady of Musi Geomga.
He'd certainly heard the name before.
Then Akbigwang jumped in from the side.
"And I'm Akbigwang of Shandong Ak Family."
"Shandong Ak Family?"
Yun Yongho's jaw dropped.
In the chaos, they'd only just exchanged names, and it turned out they were direct heirs from two of North Jianghu's mighty clans.
Akbigwang waved his hand with a cheeky grin.
"No need to be so shocked."
"Don't butt in."
Musoryul jabbed at Akbigwang.
Hearing their exchange, Hanbin narrowed his eyes. On second thought, Musi Geomga and Cheonri Escort Agency did have friendly ties.
And it felt like there was some secret pact he wasn't privy to.
Hanbin turned and glanced at the carriage behind them.
"What's with that carriage?"
"Oh, that's loaded with supplies for the journey."
"Hmm."
Hanbin tapped his temple thoughtfully, doing some mental math.
Moments later, he put on a friendly smile.
"In that case, how about this?"
"How?"
"My plan's simple. So……"
As Hanbin laid it out, everyone's eyes widened.
His plan was straightforward.
Pretend to be captured and dragged off by Sanseo Samsal.
If they were seen letting Sanseo Samsal seize the goods—and even Hanbin himself—the odds of other Sapa thugs ambushing them would drop.
They could just explain things if they ran into Zhengpa folk.
This much had always been part of Hanbin's scheme.
But now Musoryul and Akbigwang had joined, adding extra bodies.
Not just Hanbin—Akbigwang and Musoryul would have to pretend to be subdued and dragged along by Sanseo Samsal too.
Akbigwang shook his head at the idea.
"I can't do that. How could the mighty Ak Family pretend to be hauled off by Sanseo Samsal?"
Musoryul furrowed her brow.
"Then butt out. You just had to follow and make things annoying…… Hmph."
This was her honest feeling.
She'd thought her encounter with Hanbin was a bad omen, but it had flipped into a fateful connection.
Truth be told, Musi Geomga had expected their line of Hebei's Greatest Sword to end with her generation.
The reason? Her lazy genius brother Musowi.
The wastrel once called "Egg-Scatterer" was now changing by the day, thanks to Hanbin, and carrying the family's hopes.
After gaining enlightenment through Hanbin, Musowi was improving daily.
The broken engagement had severed their formal ties, but as a martial artist, she couldn't ignore her curiosity.
But then Akbigwang showed up, constantly getting in the way.
Under Musoryul's sharp gaze, Akbigwang waved his hands.
"I'm not saying no! I'll do it, sure. I get it's a ploy—why wouldn't I? Rumors fade fast, but the fame from this journey lasts forever, haha."
Everyone turned to him with baffled looks at his laugh.
It was far too flippant for the heir poised to lead Ak Family.
And with his massive, heroic build, it was even more out of place.
A lightness that didn't match his looks.
Why? Everyone knew it was because of Musoryul.
Akbigwang's feelings for her were all too obvious.
Of course, Seolhwa had also picked up on Musoryul's subtle glances toward Hanbin.
Ignoring the stares, Hanbin looked back and called out.
"You guys hear that?"
He was addressing Sanseo Samsal.
"……."
They stayed silent. They'd heard the talk but had no idea how to respond.
Hanbin didn't give them a chance anyway.
"Seolhwa, grab some more paper and ink. Time to send another homing pigeon."
"Yes, Young Master."
Seolhwa scampered off with light steps. Ice Blood Bookworm among Sanseo Samsal quickly lifted his head and spoke.
"Great hero, understood. We'll obey."
Hanbin smiled in satisfaction, then tilted his head.
"When did I say you could get up?"
"Ah."
Ice Blood Bookworm froze, then slammed his head back down.
Musoryul's jaw dropped at the sight.
Akbigwang was just as stunned.
They'd only heard he'd beaten them, but Sanseo Samsal's reaction showed it was more than a win.
They looked like they'd stay down unless ground underfoot.
Then Hanbin commanded.
"Rise!"
At the word, Sanseo Samsal moved in perfect unison, like soldiers.
Hanbin roughly arranged the escort formation.
Black-Clothed Killing Wind and Ice Blood Bookworm would lead the procession up front, while Minced Meat Lad brought up the rear, positioned to block any escape by Hanbin's group.
From the carriage, Hanbin watched the scene with satisfaction. Seolhwa asked.
"Will anyone buy it?"
"Why wouldn't they, Seolhwa?"
"It looks just like proper escorts."
"Nah, flip your thinking. It could look like tight surveillance too."
Finishing up, Hanbin tapped his seat.
Out popped a Cold Iron Box.
Seolhwa jumped in surprise.
"Young Master, that's fake too, right? How many fake Cold Iron Boxes are under the seat?"
"Curious? Take a peek."
Hanbin stepped aside and opened the seat.
Seolhwa's eyes bulged.
"How did you get this many Cold Iron Boxes……."
"Oh, I asked a craftsman I know."
"Hmm, must've been tough to make so many in such short time."
Seolhwa propped her chin, admiring the pile.
"Skilled work."
Hanbin grinned, thinking of Jeong Cheolmin, Jeong Soyeon's grandfather.
Before leaving, he'd secretly prepared for the journey, including these boxes.
Truth be told, the boxes weren't made entirely of cold iron.
Typically, thin cold iron sheets were wrapped around wood.
Maintaining strength while thinning it out wasn't easy.
Yet Jeong Cheolmin had produced this many in no time.
Some were replicas of those Sim Miho smuggled from Hebei Paeng Family; others were convincing fakes in shape alone.
Of course, they'd been filled with hefty decoys too.
As Hanbin flashed a knowing smile, Seolhwa asked.
"But when you first got in the carriage, you put a Cold Iron Box under the seat."
"Good eye."
Praised, Seolhwa's eyes sparkled.
"So you marked the real one, right?"
"Nope."
"No mark? Why not?"
"To fool the enemy, you gotta fool yourself first."
Seolhwa tilted her head.
It made sense, yet felt contradictory.
"Then how do you find it?"
"Whoever needs it will. What's there to worry about?"
"What if it's stolen midway? You won't know if it's the real one or a fake that's gone."
"Hey, if some lucky bastard draws the real one, how do you stop that?"
"Whoa."
Seolhwa studied Hanbin's face. He wore his usual light smile.
She pressed.
"What's the plan, anyway?"
"A secret like that. Curious? Watch with your own eyes later."
"Ah."
As Seolhwa let out an exclamation, hoofbeats approached from behind.
Through the open window came Musoryul's voice.
"Mind if I ride with you?"