My Younger Siblings Are the Greatest Masters in the World - Chapter 112
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
112.
When Seol Mujin entered the reception room first and sat in a chair, Gwak Sugyeong took position on his left and Baek Gangju on his right.
The twins stood behind Seol Mujin.
Seol Mujin deliberately kept his mouth shut and waited for Gwak Sugyeong to speak first.
Originally, the thirsty person digs the well first.
“Hmm! If Ch’ŏmsa Seol has a desired amount in mind, please tell us.”
“An amount…”
Seol Mujin looked straight at Gwak Sugyeong and said.
“You see me as too much of a materialist.”
“That’s not it…”
“Don’t you already know which side I’m on?”
“What do you mean by that?”
“Knowing what I did in Beijing means you investigated me. Isn’t that right?”
“We didn’t investigate you, but rather you became famous for solving cases so well.”
“It seems Gwak Jongoh will dry up and die on that pillar.”
Gwak Sugyeong’s eyebrows twitched.
“You speak terribly.”
“The person making Gwak Jongoh dry up and die isn’t me, but Commander Gwak.”
“What exactly do you want from me?”
“The mastermind.”
“Mastermind? What do you mean by that?”
Seol Mujin glanced at Baek Gangju.
“Is it alright to speak in front of the Provincial Command Headquarters?”
Gwak Sugyeong, after exchanging glances with Baek Gangju, said.
“I have nothing to hide from the Provincial Command Headquarters.”
Those words meant the two were in the same boat.
“Good, I can ask simply. Which member of the Imperial Family are you backing?”
“We’re backing someone? We’re merely subjects who pledge loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor.”
“Nice words won’t save Gwak Jongoh.”
“I’m only stating the facts as they are.”
“You must have heard about Bae Cheonman’s disappearance.”
Both Gwak Sugyeong and Baek Gangju were startled at the same time.
Gwak Sugyeong’s belated question “Who is that?” was thrown out, but it was already too late.
“Bae Cheonman said this. That he received the explosives that killed His Highness the Third Prince’s army from Commander Gwak.”
“I don’t know who that person is, but it’s a false accusation!”
“Both the son who killed the couple and the father who provided the explosives seem to have only one thing to say – false accusation. Fine. It’ll take about seven days for Gwak Jongoh to die, so think it over carefully during that time.”
Seol Mujin left those words and exited the reception room.
He could hear Gwak Sugyeong calling out, but couldn’t catch Seol Mujin.
As they descended to the courtyard, Seol Ryeoseon whispered to Seol Mujin.
“If we just captured and tortured him for an hour, he’d spill everything. Why are you taking such a difficult route?”
Seol Mujin looked at the drooping Gwak Jongoh and said.
“Because I don’t want to kill that bastard easily.”
***
Baek Gangju said in shock.
“What? You’ll kill Seol Mujin? He’s not just a Geumeuiwi inspector but a third-rank Ch’ŏmsa. If we’re careless, we could turn all of Geumeuiwi into our enemy.”
“I can’t just let my son die.”
“So why did you commit such acts!”
“What’s already past can’t be helped.”
“Killing a Geumeuiwi Ch’ŏmsa is too dangerous.”
“General, just watch. I’ll handle this matter myself.”
“This is happening in my jurisdiction, so I…”
Gwak Sugyeong’s cold voice cut off Baek Gangju’s words.
“If you want to keep that jurisdiction, you should follow my words well.”
When Baek Gangju flinched, Gwak Sugyeong spoke soothingly.
“Will you end up as a powerless Hubei Provincial Commander? You should at least try being Minister of War. If you just follow my words well, you can reach the position you desire. And you need to save your mother too.”
Baek Gangju was firmly caught by Gwak Sugyeong because of his mother.
Baek Gangju’s mother, who was living day to day due to old age illness, wouldn’t last a day without the medicine Gwak Sugyeong provided.
As always, Baek Gangju gave in to Gwak Sugyeong.
“How do you plan to kill Seol Mujin?”
“Tomorrow, Hwang Byeonsu Jeong Cheonho is coming.”
“Huh? Hwang Byeonsu of the Thousand Shadow Ten Thousand Roots Spear? Why is Hwang Byeonsu, who belongs to Shaanxi Province Provincial Command Headquarters, coming here?”
Baek Gangju had never seen Hwang Byeonsu.
It was natural not to meet someone from a different command, but he knew Hwang Byeonsu’s name.
If he was one of the Ten Military Masters who alone took the heads of a thousand Mongol soldiers, it would be impossible not to know.
“I called him.”
Although Hwang Byeonsu’s position as Jeong Cheonho was lower than Gwak Sugyeong’s, he wasn’t someone who could be summoned carelessly.
Moreover, for Hwang Byeonsu to leave Shaanxi Province and come here, permission from the Shaanxi Provincial Commander was absolutely necessary.
“Then Shaanxi Province too?”
“That side is also on our side. Otherwise, how could I summon Hwang Byeonsu?”
“I see.”
Peace finally came to Baek Gangju’s anxious heart.
Hwang Byeonsu would definitely be able to kill Seol Mujin.
No matter how skilled Seol Mujin was, he couldn’t be a match for Hwang Byeonsu.
Moreover, if their power was this great, the death of one Geumeuiwi Ch’ŏmsa could easily be covered up.
“I cannot tolerate a mere Geumeuiwi Ch’ŏmsa touching me.”
“That’s right. How dare a mere Geumeuiwi Ch’ŏmsa!”
Baek Gangju, doing his best to please Gwak Sugyeong, spoke in a subtle voice.
“But Ch’ŏmsa Gwak. My mother’s medicine is running out.”
Gwak Sugyeong, wearing a fishy smile, reached into his chest.
“I thought so, so I brought some.”
What Gwak Sugyeong pulled out was a flat wooden box the size of a palm.
When he opened the box, there was gray powder inside that reminded one of bone dust.
“Hey, the amount is a bit small?”
“It’s such precious medicine that I couldn’t obtain much either. It’s medicine that even the First Prince takes, so how precious must it be?”
“I know. I know. But the medicinal effect seems to be working less and less. Even after taking this Thousand Total Mysterious Powder, it’s hard for her to be conscious for two hours a day. And even then, her mental clarity is somewhat…”
“Your mother being alive still is all thanks to the Thousand Total Mysterious Powder.”
“I know, I know well.”
“I’ll speak well to the elder about it.”
“Thank you. Indeed, there’s no one but you.”
For his mother’s sake, he could willingly bow his head to his subordinate.
***
“Water… Water…”
After three days of being tied to the pillar, Gwak Jongoh became unconscious.
It was a natural result since he was given neither food nor even water.
Seol Ryeoseon looked at Gwak Jongoh and said.
“That bastard isn’t going to just up and die, is he?”
Seol Mantong shook his head.
“People don’t die that easily.”
“That’s only true for tenacious guys like you who are like cockroaches.”
“Did you just call me a cockroach?”
“A womanizing one.”
“You drunkard!”
Seol Changho, standing between the two, spoke.
“Are you that bored?”
Seol Ryeoseon and Seol Mantong answered simultaneously.
“Yeah.”
Unable to go anywhere and just watching Gwak Jongoh, they were dying of restlessness.
Seol Mujin, standing behind the triplets, scratched the back of his head.
“Sorry because of me.”
The startled triplets waved their hands dismissively.
“No! Why should big brother be sorry!”
“Right! We’re doing this because we want to!”
“Brother, we’re also getting revenge!”
“Thanks. But that guy might actually die, right?”
Usually they lasted more than five days, but for someone who didn’t know persistence, even three days was a long time.
Seol Mujin spoke to the soldier standing guard with a spear.
“Go bring a gourd dipper of water.”
The soldier ran off and came back carrying not a gourd dipper but an entire water jar.
Every time the soldier ran, water from the filled jar scattered onto the ground.
Seol Mujin, receiving the water jar from the soldier, turned his gaze toward the main hall.
There, Gwak Sugyeong was glaring at Seol Mujin as if he wanted to kill him.
“It seems your son won’t last much longer.”
Gwak Sugyeong spat out in a low but rage-filled voice.
“How can you be so cruel?”
“Cruel, you say. To one who killed an innocent couple so cruelly, I can become more cruel than an evil spirit. Of course, depending on the situation, I can also show mercy to a murderer who killed a thousand people. Shall I show you how merciful I am?”
Seol Mujin took the water jar and leaped to the top of the column.
He jumped nine ja high, yet not a single drop of water from the jar spilled over.
Seol Mujin, crouching at the top of the column, gently swayed the bucket in front of Gwak Jongoh’s face.
The water that collided with itself splashed onto Gwak Jongoh’s face.
Gwak Jongoh, startled back to consciousness, felt the water and flicked his tongue.
“Water… Water…!”
Only a few drops had touched Gwak Jongoh’s tongue.
“Do you want to drink?”
Gwak Jongoh kept repeating the single word ‘water’ while flicking his tongue.
Seol Mujin spoke to Gwak Sugyeong, whose face was flushed red with anger.
“Your son is suffering like this, yet what secret could be so important that you keep your mouth shut? What a cruel father.”
“You will never die peacefully.”
“I was thinking of letting him drink a few sips if you at least knelt down.”
Seol Mujin poured the water from the jar onto Gwak Jongoh’s head.
Gwak Jongoh desperately moved his tongue toward the water flowing down his face.
Seol Mujin muttered.
“Keep struggling like that to survive. That way the time of suffering will be prolonged.”
Seol Mujin looked at Gwak Sugyeong, who was trembling with rage.
It seemed like blood would flow from his bloodshot red eyes at any moment.
‘He’s in that state yet won’t reveal the secret? Does the secret matter more than his child?’
After that thought, Seol Mujin shook his head.
‘That can’t be it. There must be a way to save his child.’
Gwak Sugyeong’s intention was obvious to see.
It wasn’t because Gwak Sugyeong was originally an easy person to deal with.
When you corner someone and leave only two escape routes, they’re bound to take one of those paths.
Right now, Gwak Sugyeong could only do two things.
Bring a powerful person who could suppress even the Geumeuiwi, or solve it with force.
Hurry up and decide. My siblings are getting bored.
***
Hwang Byeonsu came alone.
He rode a horse that looked like it had been doused in ink, but Hwang Byeonsu looked larger than the horse.
He was seven cheok tall with a lean build.
Clop! Clop!
After passing through the city gate, Hwang Byeonsu didn’t dismount from his horse until he met Gwak Sugyeong.
Even standing before Gwak Sugyeong, Hwang Byeonsu remained on his horse and only nodded his head.
“The Provincial Command told me to go take a look.”
His thin voice sounded like scraping metal.
Though he was known to be thirty-six years old, he looked at least ten years older.
“What did the Provincial Command say?”
“Just told me to help.”
His expression was simply indifferent.
As if coming here was quite disagreeable to him.
“Do you know what this is about?”
Of course the Shaanxi Provincial Command knew, but Hwang Byeonsu might refuse to kill a Geumeuiwi member.
“Seeing as they sent me, it must be to kill someone.”
“You don’t care who you kill?”
“Let’s finish this quickly. I want to go back and rest.”
“You’re quite a character.”
“That’s why they sent me.”
It was unclear whether that muttering was to himself or directed at Gwak Sugyeong.
“The opponent is a Geumeuiwi Ch’ŏmsa.”
Even hearing the word Geumeuiwi, there was no change in Hwang Byeonsu’s expression.
No words of refusal either. Then it was settled.
“Follow me.”
Hwang Byeonsu never dismounted from his horse and slowly followed behind Gwak Sugyeong.
After passing through one door, two hundred soldiers prepared for today were waiting.
These were soldiers who were not only excellent in martial arts but could charge into fire carrying kindling if Gwak Sugyeong ordered it.
Besides them, fifty archers were also on standby.
Seeing the soldiers, wrinkles formed on Hwang Byeonsu’s brow.
“What are these for?”
“They’re my subordinates to help you.”
Pfft!
Hwang Byeonsu let out a sneer and suddenly turned his horse around.
“I don’t do petty things like group attacks, so take your subordinates and handle it well.”
“The subordinates won’t interfere in your fight. They’re the force prepared for the three people Seol Mujin brought with him.”
Hwang Byeonsu stopped, but didn’t turn his horse around again.
Gwak Sugyeong, growing anxious, continued speaking.
“They absolutely won’t interfere in your fight.”
Hwang Byeonsu said.
“The mistake of not knowing who I am will only be forgiven this once.”
Of course.
If it weren’t for Seol Mujin, he never wanted to meet such an ill-mannered bastard like Hwang Byeonsu again.
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————