My Younger Siblings Are the Greatest Masters in the World - Chapter 77

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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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77.

Hwangbo Hunyong read the report that Hwangbo Seonyong had brought.

It was an interim report that had arrived while monitoring Bae Cheonman, Bae Hyeonjin’s father.

“You’re saying Master Bae is gathering martial artists?”

He no longer used the title “father-in-law” when referring to Bae Cheonman.

“There are some quite famous figures from Murim among them.”

“Any connection to Myeoncheonhoe?”

“It would be difficult to find out just through surveillance, wouldn’t it? Dozens of people enter and leave Bae Cheonman’s Seolun Jangwon each day, so how could we tell which ones are Myeoncheonhoe members?”

“That’s true. But gunpowder? What’s this about?”

“They say Seolun Jangwon is gathering large quantities of gunpowder. Since they own mines, it’s not particularly strange.”

While the explosive power wasn’t that impressive, it could be used to collapse stone mountains.

“Seeing that they purchased gunpowder that can only be used by the government, they must have spent quite a bit of money.”

He dismissed it as nothing significant.

***

Hwangbo Cheonak woke up early in the morning, did some simple internal energy cultivation, and headed straight to Yeonji Won after breakfast.

As Hwangbo Cheonak was about to leave through the main gate, Seol Mujin asked.

“Leaving already?”

“Yeah.”

“Aren’t you teaching the kids a bit too enthusiastically?”

“It’s fun, and like you said, I’m learning a lot too.”

Leaving those words behind, Hwangbo Cheonak left the house.

Worry appeared on Seol Mujin’s face as he watched him go.

“This won’t do.”

Seol Ryeoseon, who was coming out to the main hall, asked.

“What won’t do? It’s good that he’s working hard.”

“It’s not that working hard is bad, but Cheonak is bait.”

“Ah!”

She had forgotten that Hwangbo Cheonak was bait to lure in Myeoncheonhoe.

Seol Mujin said.

“If Cheonak gets attacked while he’s at Yeonji Won, the children will be in danger.”

When they first assigned him to teach the kids, they thought Hwangbo Cheonak would stay at Yeonji Won for at most one hour.

They had assigned him to teach the kids because there was no way an attack would happen at Yeonji Won during one hour, especially in broad daylight.

But Hwangbo Cheonak left early in the morning and didn’t return until evening.

No one had expected him to stay at Yeonji Won all day.

“That guy’s being troublesome. I wish Myeoncheonhoe would just come and kill him quickly.”

“No, having him die would be a bit…”

“I’ll go stay there.”

Seol Mujin brightened up.

“Would you do that?”

Seol Ryeoseon held up three fingers.

“Three days. If it goes beyond that period, I don’t know.”

Well, three days was something at least.

“Thank you.”

“After three days, you’re planning to ask Changho or Mantong-i, right?”

“Is my face that easy to read?”

“Because I would have done the same thing. I’ll take care of that dim-witted Hwangbo guy, so you focus on the Third Prince. He should be stuck in Beijing, so why is he coming all the way to Jinan to be a nuisance?”

***

While Ju Cheonmyeong’s body was in Jinan, he was receiving reports on everything happening throughout the Central Plains.

“Jeong Myeongseong, the Provincial Military Commissioner of Shaanxi Province, is heading to Jinan with 3,400 troops. Gwak Suman, the Assistant Regional Military Commissioner of Anhui Province, is also scheduled to arrive within three days. In addition…”

Ju Cheonmyeong listened silently to Yeon Daebang’s report before asking.

“You’ve laid the smokescreen well, I assume?”

“We’ve been planning this for two months, making it appear as routine movement.”

“How is the recruitment of the Minister of War going?”

“He seems unable to make up his mind yet.”

“He hasn’t gone over to another side, has he?”

“Given his personality, he’ll keep weighing his options until the end. That’s why this matter is even more important.”

Ju Cheonmyeong nodded.

“If we can just get our hands on Hubei Province, which surrounds Beijing, the momentum will definitely shift to our side.”

Yeon Daebang asked cautiously.

“Are you really going to carry out this plan? This could become a catalyst that spreads into full-scale war.”

“War is already happening. It’s just not visible to our eyes, but hundreds, thousands of people are dying in civil uprisings. How long will we just watch this chaos?”

“That’s true, but it seems like we’re trying to harvest unripe persimmons too early.”

“Rather than waiting under a persimmon tree for persimmons to fall, it’s better to pick them early and let them ripen in your embrace.”

Since Ju Cheonmyeong had already made up his mind, all Yeon Daebang could do was help this undertaking succeed.

“Are you planning to involve the martial families, including Seol Mujin, in this matter?”

“Of course, since that’s what we’ve been working toward all this time.”

“Time is running short to persuade them.”

“They know what joining hands with me means, so they must have prepared themselves mentally.”

“Will Seol Mujin be the same?”

“That guy… he’s complicated.”

“In what way?”

“Should I call him a truly coveted wild horse? He’ll definitely be helpful to me, but he won’t be easy to tame.”

“That’s how treasures usually are.”

After meeting for about another half hour, Ju Cheonmyeong left the inn when the western windows were tinged with red.

His greatest pleasure these days was Yeonji-ru.

Drinking Seolbaek liquor while listening to sweet music made him forget all his worries.

During his days in Jinan, Ju Cheonmyeong was always the first customer at Yeonji-ru.

Once the Shandong meeting ended, Ju Cheonmyeong wouldn’t have time to rest for a while.

This might be the last leisurely time of his entire life.

So he should enjoy it to his heart’s content while he could.

The passing workers and courtesans, now familiar with Ju Cheonmyeong, bowed their waists toward him.

He cheerfully acknowledged their greetings as he walked, when a ball rolled in front of his feet and someone bumped into his leg.

“Oof!”

Ju Cheonmyeong looked down at the child who had fallen with a thud.

The child who quickly got up hurriedly bowed his waist.

“I’m sorry!”

Seeing him apologize immediately, he was a child who knew manners.

Ju Cheonmyeong’s gaze, as he was about to pick up the ball, lingered around the back of the child’s head.

More precisely, behind his ear.

At first he thought ‘Is that dirt?’ but soon realized it was four dots.

Reflexively, Ju Cheonmyeong touched his own ear.

Four bumpy dots felt under his thumb.

They matched the child’s exactly.

The child who had passed in front of him picked up the ball.

As the child bowed his waist, those dots were visible again.

He tried to brush it off lightly, thinking ‘I’m not the only one with a mole behind my ear.’

“Hwanggeum-ah!”

At the woman’s call, the child ran over shouting ‘Mom!’

The woman running over calling for the child named Hwanggeum-i looked familiar.

Ju Cheonmyeong soon remembered she was the woman who had been clearing dishes a few days ago.

The woman with a round, cute appearance was always the type of face he liked.

The woman holding Hwanggeum-i bowed toward Ju Cheonmyeong.

Anxiety showed on the woman’s face as she gave a silent greeting.

‘Am I scary?’

There was no reason to be scared.

He had never once raised his voice during his visits to Yeonji-ru as a guest.

Ju Cheonmyeong was someone whose face didn’t even redden when drunk.

It was when the woman was about to turn around holding Hwanggeum-i.

“Wait.”

The woman flinched and bowed her head deeply.

“My, my child was presumptuous and made a mistake. I’m sorry.”

“No, I wasn’t trying to blame the child… Haven’t we met somewhere before?”

“A, a few days ago we met.”

“No, before that.”

Ju Cheonmyeong rarely forgot a face he’d seen once.

“No. I’ve never met you before.”

Her denial was so firm it was rather suspicious.

“Mom, what’s wrong?”

She was anxious enough that even Hwanggeum-i found it strange.

Ju Cheonmyeong whispered to Yeon Daebang standing behind him.

“Have I ever been scary here?”

“I don’t recall that.”

“But she seems afraid of me, doesn’t she?”

Before Yeon Daebang could answer, the woman bowed first.

“Then I’ll take my leave.”

The woman hurried away with quick steps, taking Hwanggeum-i with her.

Hwanggeum-i turned his head to look at Ju Cheonmyeong.

In that moment, Ju Cheonmyeong pulled up ‘something’ he had felt deep in his chest.

“That child…”

“What about that child?”

Ju Cheonmyeong pointed alternately at Hwanggeum-i and himself.

He was about to say ‘Don’t we look alike?’ but strangely his voice wouldn’t come out.

So he just closed his mouth.

‘That can’t be. What am I thinking?’

Just because they both had a mole behind their ear, he had entertained an absurd thought.

But why did he keep looking back at Hwanggeum-i?

Her heart wouldn’t calm down.

Jang Jangsim, who had been holding back Hwanggeum-i who kept trying to go outside, finally went to find Hwa Seonhwa.

At some point, Hwa Seonhwa’s gaze toward Jang Jangsim had become gentle.

“I was just looking for you. Good timing.”

Hwa Seonhwa took out a pouch containing silver coins from the drawer and placed it on the desk.

“What is this?”

“You need to become independent now.”

“What? Are you telling me to leave Yeonji-ru?”

“I’m not kicking you out. You can continue working if you want. Use this money to find a suitable house. I’d like to find one for you, but as you know, I’m swamped these days.”

“Why so suddenly…!”

“It’s not sudden, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. Hwanggeum-i is growing up, you can’t keep living in a pleasure house. A pleasure house isn’t a good environment for a child.”

“We’re fine. Everyone adores Hwanggeum-i and takes good care of him.”

“It’s fine now because he’s young, but in a few more years the environment will become more important. So do as I say.”

Jang Jangsim eventually accepted the silver pouch.

Hwa Seonhwa asked Jang Jangsim.

“But what did you come to see me about?”

Jang Jangsim let out a long sigh and spoke with difficulty.

“About the guest who comes every day lately.”

Since there were so many regulars, she couldn’t tell who she was talking about.

“Master Hwang? Jang Noban? Or…”

“The young master.”

Hwa Seonhwa was startled.

“What about him?”

“Well…”

“Well what?”

“Haa! It seems like he might be Hwanggeum-i’s biological father.”

Hwa Seonhwa was already surprised, but now her heart felt like it stopped.

“Is that really true? Sam Hwang… No, that master is really Hwanggeum-i’s biological father? Are you certain?”

“How could I forget that face? He was the first guest I met after visiting my ailing father. And my father passed away right after. You remember the last man better than the first, don’t you?”

To Hwa Seonhwa, who was left speechless with her mouth half open, Jang Jangsim continued.

“And most decisively, that master has four moles behind his ear just like Hwanggeum-i.”

“How did you know that?”

“Mujin-i told me.”

“Mujin-i did? Did he say anything else?”

“No. When I asked who he was, he just said he’d tell me later… Do you know by any chance, Master Ruju?”

Hwa Seonhwa shook her head hastily.

“I don’t know either. A guest is just a guest.”

Jang Jangsim let out a deep sigh.

“Haa! I don’t know what to do. I’m satisfied with my current life, but thinking of Hwanggeum-i, I wonder if I should at least let him know who his father is…”

Hwa Seonhwa said hastily.

“This isn’t something to decide hastily. You’re not even certain that master is Hwanggeum-i’s father.”

“That’s true.”

“If Mujin-i didn’t tell you, there must be a good reason. So let’s wait.”

“Yes. I was so frustrated that I came to you, but I’ve only caused you worry for nothing.”

“No. I’m sorry for not paying closer attention.”

“What are you saying? You’ve already given us such a large sum thinking of us mother and child.”

Hwa Seonhwa opened the drawer and took out another pouch containing twenty silver coins.

“That money might not be enough, so take this too.”

“What? No… I can’t!”

“Take it, I said. House prices have gone up a lot lately, thirty silver coins might not be enough. Tell me if you need more.”

Jang Jangsim, who received both pouches, repeatedly thanked her with an expression that looked like she might cry at any moment, then left.

Leaning back in her chair and repeatedly saying ‘What should I do about this?’, Yeon Seobi entered.

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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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