My Younger Siblings Are the Greatest Masters in the World - Chapter 121
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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121.
Seeing the madness that rose in Jang Sowun’s eyes, Hwangcheonseong felt profound despair.
‘She’s blinded by power!’
There was no point in opposing her here – Jang Sowun would never listen to his words.
“How do you plan to kill Samhwangja Jeonha?”
A bloody smile crossed Jang Sowun’s lips.
“Father has already found a suitable assassin for us.”
The entire family had gone mad with power.
‘How do I get out of this?’
***
Seol Mujin and the Triplets passed through Beijing’s Naeseong.
Judging by the angle at which the Government Officials guarding the City Gate bowed, the Geumeuiwi identification badge seemed genuine.
The Third Prince wouldn’t have given him a fake one, after all.
Seol Mujin planned to meet Hwa Seonhwa and Go Bongsu first.
He wanted to see for himself that they were living well.
Seol Mantong looked around at the passing scenery and said.
“Beijing is the same now as it was back then.”
“How much time has passed for it to change?”
Seol Ryeoseon, who had scolded Seol Mantong, asked Seol Mujin.
“But how are you going to get into the Imperial Palace?”
“If I tell Samhwangja Jeonha, won’t he let us in?”
“There was such a simple method. You’ll take us along too, right?”
When Seol Mujin flinched, Seol Ryeoseon narrowed her eyes.
“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of leaving us behind?”
“Do, do we really need to go together?”
“I don’t know about other things, but since we came all the way to Beijing, we should at least see the Forbidden City!”
“It’s not like we came to Beijing for sightseeing…”
“Brother, do you know what Ma-ui looks like?”
At Seol Changho’s question, Seol Mujin shook his head.
“See? How are you going to find Ma-ui in the Forbidden City? Do you think he’s still using the name Ma-ui there?”
Seol Mujin had his own thoughts on the matter.
“Didn’t you say he learned Martial Arts? Among the Imperial Palace physicians, who else besides Ma-ui would have learned Martial Arts? If I look carefully, I should be able to distinguish a physician who’s learned martial arts.”
Those who have learned martial arts show clear differences from ordinary people in their gait, breathing, and gestures.
For a master like Seol Mujin, recognizing this wouldn’t be too difficult.
Seol Ryeoseon said.
“If we go, knowing Ma-ui’s face, we can find him easily. Don’t worry. We absolutely won’t cause any trouble.”
“Really?”
“What do you take us for, children?”
“You won’t peek at the bathhouse either?”
Seol Mantong, who had been grinning to himself thinking about something, jumped in surprise.
“What, what?”
“I asked if you won’t peek at the bathhouse?”
Seol Mantong moved only his eyes to gauge Seol Mujin’s reaction.
But Seol Mujin wasn’t the only one he needed to be wary of.
Seol Ryeoseon and Seol Changho were also glaring at Seol Mantong with sharp eyes.
“Of course I wouldn’t… Why are you persecuting me over something that hasn’t even happened?”
“Because it’s definitely going to happen.”
“Even if a sparrow passes by a mill, there’s no way you’d just pass by a bathhouse.”
As Seol Ryeoseon and Seol Changho spoke in turns, Seol Mantong muttered, ‘Sharp little devils.’
“I won’t get caught, so… Ah! My ear… my ear…!”
Seol Ryeoseon grabbed Seol Mantong’s ear and twisted it mercilessly.
“Not get caught my ass! I still vividly remember when you got caught sneaking into the men’s bath!”
“I, I won’t make that mistake again!”
“Stop bullshitting. Are you going to peek at the bathhouse or not?”
“Ah, fine! I’ll just sightsee the Forbidden City! My ear! My ear!”
Only after making an oath could Seol Mantong keep his ear intact.
“Now that’s settled, right?”
At Seol Ryeoseon’s question, Seol Mujin had no choice but to nod.
After going this far, if he left the Triplets behind, they’d probably climb over the Forbidden City walls.
“If you’re born human, you should visit the Forbidden City at least once.”
“That’s right, that’s right. While we’re at it, let’s try some imperial cuisine too.”
As they were talking and walking, someone blocked their path.
Seol Mujin was startled because of what the people blocking them were wearing.
On Beijing’s streets, the only people who walked around in golden clothes were Geumeuiwi officers.
His first thought was ‘Could my identification badge be fake?’
Impersonating Geumeuiwi was punished more severely than impersonating any other official.
Though that wasn’t particularly frightening.
But the four officers bowed their heads to Seol Mujin.
“We greet you, Ch’ŏmsa-nim.”
“Huh? Oh, yes. Right. But why are you in front of me…?”
“Could you accompany us for a moment?”
Their attitude was polite, but he needed to know the reason.
“Why should I?”
“There is someone who very much wishes to meet Ch’ŏmsa-nim.”
“Who?”
“You’ll know when you go.”
He could have refused to go.
They wouldn’t have the force to take Seol Mujin by compulsion.
But he was curious about who had mobilized four Geumeuiwi officers.
“I can’t spare much time.”
“It won’t take very long.”
“Lead the way.”
Two Geumeuiwi led the way and two followed behind them.
It seemed more like they were providing escort than surveillance.
When Seol Mujin and the Triplets were walking alone, there were so many pedestrians that they frequently bumped shoulders, but traveling with the Geumeuiwi, pedestrians wouldn’t come within nearly a zhang of them.
“Whoever it is doesn’t seem to plan on keeping their meeting with me secret.”
At Seol Mujin’s muttering, the Geumeuiwi walking ahead said.
“A meeting with a war hero is something to be proud of.”
“War hero?”
“Aren’t you the Nation-Protecting Spear?”
They say words without feet travel a thousand li – to think they reached Beijing faster than the person involved!
The place they arrived at was an incredibly luxurious Daru.
“Please go up to the fourth floor.”
The four Geumeuiwi’s guidance ended here.
To use four Geumeuiwi just as guides to a Daru.
‘Must be royalty.’
It wouldn’t be Ju Cheonmyeong.
If that were the case, there would be no need to go through such a complicated process to meet Seol Mujin.
Seol Mujin stepped up the stairs.
Despite this being such a large and splendid daru, there wasn’t a single customer other than Seol Mujin.
So the sound of footsteps echoing in all directions was particularly loud.
Seol Mantong followed right behind, grumbling.
“We could just meet on the first floor, so why make us come all the way to the fourth floor? How annoying.”
Looking at the scenery visible through the corridor window on the fourth floor, he thought, ‘Still, it was worth coming up here.’
The daru, being taller than other buildings, offered a panoramic view of the surrounding landscape.
Seol Mujin passed through the left door leading into the fourth floor.
There were two people by the window.
One person was sitting and one person was standing behind.
One person appeared to be in his mid-thirties, and one person appeared to be in his mid-forties.
He could tell that the person sitting, who appeared to be in his mid-thirties, was the master.
And Seol Mujin quickly figured out who the seated person was.
He was a brother of Third Prince Ju Cheonmyeong.
They resembled each other that much.
He looked a bit older, so he seemed like the Second Prince, but he could be prematurely aged, so he might be the Fourth Prince.
Even knowing this, Seol Mujin casually plopped down in front of the man, not knowing whether he was the Second Prince or Fourth Prince.
The Triplets took seats at a nearby table and said, ‘Isn’t anyone coming to bring tea?’
The eyebrows of the middle-aged man standing behind the prince twitched.
He seemed angry at Seol Mujin’s rudeness, but there was no reason for him to care about the middle-aged man’s feelings.
“You were looking for me?”
The man stared at Seol Mujin intently with an amused expression.
“You’re indeed an interesting fellow.”
Seol Mujin waited for the man to speak again.
After letting a moment of silence pass, the man spoke.
“You must have an idea of who I am, don’t you?”
“Does that matter?”
“It could be important, or it could be nothing at all.”
“I didn’t know that bowing once or not could be so important.”
“The price of rudeness distinguishes between enemies and allies.”
“Do you need to go out of your way to summon me just to make an enemy?”
“To become allies, shouldn’t we see each other’s faces?”
“Is there a possibility of that?”
“I’m Second Prince Ju Cheonhyeok.”
It was extremely rare for royalty, especially a prince, to reveal even their name.
“I’m Seol Mujin.”
Seol Mujin stood up and politely bowed.
Ju Cheonhyeok let out a chuckle.
“You really are an interesting fellow. Sit.”
When Seol Mujin sat back down, Ju Cheonhyeok spoke.
“I see that Third Prince treats you well.”
“I have no complaints.”
“Just that much? From my experience managing people, no matter how well you treat them, they keep demanding more.”
“I’ve only made one request of Samhwangja Jeonha.”
“Did Third Prince grant that one thing?”
“Not yet.”
“Hmm. So he might not grant it.”
“It’s something that Samhwangja Jeonha cannot do with his current power.”
“Something Third Prince can’t do. Now I’m suddenly curious what that is. Did you want a position second only to one and above ten thousand?”
“Such a position would be burdensome, so I dislike it.”
“Then wealth?”
“I’m earning enough even if Samhwangja Jeonha doesn’t give me any.”
“If it’s neither power nor money, what did you request?”
“I’m sorry, but it would be better not to mention that.”
“A secret… It’s good to have someone tight-lipped when using them. But I need to know, don’t I?”
“It’s nothing grand enough to pique Second Prince Jeonha’s curiosity.”
“I need to know what you want to keep you under me, don’t I?”
The Triplets’ fierce gaze fixed on Ju Cheonhyeok.
Who does that bastard think he’s going to keep under him!
Fortunately, Ju Cheonhyeok and his bodyguard were focused on Seol Mujin and didn’t notice the Triplets’ ferocity.
“When you meet Samhwangja Jeonha later, please ask him directly.”
“Third Prince gave you the position of Geumeuiwi Ch’ŏmsa. But do you know? A position like Geumeuiwi Ch’ŏmsa can be given without much difficulty. These days, Geumeuiwi isn’t what it used to be – they say you can get in just by paying money.”
The corruption of Geumeuiwi wasn’t Seol Mujin’s concern, so he remained silent.
“I could give you the position of Geumeuiwi Bukjinmuseo right away.”
The bait Ju Cheonhyeok threw was quite substantial.
Geumeuiwi was divided into Namjinmusasa and Bukjinmusasa, and among them, Bukjinmuseo could be considered the pinnacle of Geumeuiwi.
No matter how much they said you could enter Geumeuiwi just by paying money, such a high position wasn’t something you could easily obtain.
Of course, such a high position couldn’t move Seol Mujin’s heart.
“Thank you for the kind words, but even the position of Ch’ŏmsa is too much for me.”
“Are you without ambition, or are you pretending to be without ambition?”
“Perhaps it could be both.”
No matter what proposal Ju Cheonhyeok made now, he couldn’t accept it.
This was because Seol Mujin didn’t know what kind of person Ju Cheonhyeok was.
“I’ve always felt this, but Third Prince is lucky. To discover someone like you first. I heard you were a podoo in Jinan – how did you two come to meet?”
“We met by chance and Samhwangja Jeonha looked favorably upon me.”
“That Third Prince looked favorably upon you is one thing, but why did you rate Third Prince so highly?”
“He seemed like a humane person.”
“Huh? Humane? Puhahahaha—!”
Finding something extremely funny, Ju Cheonhyeok burst into hearty laughter for quite a while.
“Right, how attractive it must seem to a commoner when royalty appears humane! Third Prince has been peculiar in that way since childhood!”
Ju Cheonhyeok, who had spoken with laughter in his voice, gradually stopped laughing.
“But you know what? What you call humane – that’s a fatal weakness for a ruler. A ruler shouldn’t be human-like. They need to have cold blood and an iron heart – how could they be humane? Don’t you think?”
Seol Mujin had no intention of discussing theories of rulership with Ju Cheonhyeok, so he remained silent.
“Having met you, I roughly understand what kind of person you are.”
Saying that, Ju Cheonhyeok stood up.
“It was a very beneficial time. Anyway, my offer remains valid. If you’re wise, you should board a big ship. Small boats are dangerous when crossing the ocean.”
Ju Cheonhyeok took out an envelope and placed it on the table.
“Use this as spending money.”
Ju Cheonhyeok left the daru like that.
The Triplets, who had been holding back, burst with indignation.
“That bastard thinks we’re beggars!”
“His arrogance reaches the heavens!”
“They didn’t even serve tea at the daru!”
But Seol Mujin wasn’t in a bad mood at all.
What was in the envelope was a bank note worth one hundred nyang in silver coins.
“Kids! We got spending money, so let’s eat something delicious. Hehehehe…”
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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