Habuk Pengga Swordsman Genius - Chapter 172



Only Noblemtl

Episode 172. The One Who Protects the Fire (2)

The red blood stone was a royal gift obtained thanks to the chance to catch a Cheonsan Blood Wolf in Jeolho Valley.

Gongsun Su was a scholar who was in the imperial court until ten years ago.

It was like recognizing a red blood stone.

But what was strange was his reaction.

How can someone who was even the emperor’s teacher be so surprised by a single red blood stone?

At least Gongsonsu would have received dozens of gifts comparable to red blood stones.

That’s why Gongsonsu’s reaction felt strange.

Hanbin looked at Gongsonsu’s wavering eyes without saying anything.

A landscape where time seems to have stopped.

Only when the moon reflected in Gongsonsu’s eyes had moved somewhat did Hanbin ask cautiously.

“Sir, what’s the matter?”

“Are you by any chance one of the four princes of Habukpengga?”

“Yes, that’s right. But why are you so surprised?”

In times like this, it would have been better to ask directly.

Hanbin tilted his head and looked at Gongsonsu.

Gongsonsu closed his eyes for a moment, as if lost in thought.

“The Master’s prophecy was correct.”

Is this the Master’s prophecy?

Hanbin’s head tilted slightly at the unexpected sound.

“Master? And what about the prophecy?”

“My master asked me for a favor before he left. I am staying in Jangwoonhyeon to fulfill that favor.”

“… … .”

Hanbin decided to continue listening to Gongsonsu’s words.

After finding out that Hanbin was the fourth son of the Habuk Peng family, his attitude changed completely.

It was a favor, not an enmity.

Even though he himself is unaware of the disguised person, it feels like he has thoroughly investigated Peng Hanbin, who is the son of the Four Princes of the Habuk Peng family.

Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to have such a friendly look in his eyes.

Gongsonsoo continued speaking, paying no attention to Hanbin’s growing suspicions.

“They said that if you guard the Wabul in Jangwoonhyeon, a martial artist holding a red blood stone will come looking for you one day.”

“Are you saying that’s me?”

“I think so.”

Gongsonsu’s words were firm.

Hanbin found a loophole in his words.

Was there anything you didn’t say?

It was clear that he was unaware of the error.

Hanbin leaned his upper body toward him.

Then he asked a question politely but secretly.

“Think about it. Even though the red blood stone is an imperial treasure, isn’t it not something that only the imperial family has?”

“That’s true. What are you trying to say?”

Gongsonsu looked at Hanbin with his chin resting on his hands, as if he would answer anything Hanbin said.

At that sight, Hanbin continued speaking with a serious expression.

“It’s not something that only the imperial family has, so is it a big deal for a martial artist holding a red blood stone to come to Jangwoonhyeon?”

“But you know… … .”

“Yes, go ahead.”

“The master taught me how to distinguish between martial artists.”

“What the heck is that?”

“That martial artist said he would send flowers. It might be okay if he was a martial artist with a sword, but wouldn’t it be a bit strange if he was a martial artist with flowers? At first, I thought a warrior from the Hwasan faction, the sect that comes to mind when you think of flowers among martial artists, would come.”

“Hmm, when you think of flowers and martial artists, it’s only natural that a volcano buried in plum blossoms comes to mind.”

“But I heard recently that the imperial family had bestowed upon you a red blood stone, and I was skeptical.”

“Yes, it is true that I have a red blood stone, but I have never sent flowers.”

“Didn’t you send it today?”

“I sent you flowers?”

“Myung-hoo. Show me.”

Gongsonsu silently nodded to his grandson.

The grandson of Gongsonsu, who received the signal, placed a sack containing iron coins.

Then he quietly arranged the iron bars in order.

The sentence that Cheoljeon represented was simple.

-He arrived.

Hanbin narrowed his eyes.

It was the writing I had seen earlier in the space presumed to be beneath the Buddha statue.

While Hanbin was concentrating on the letters, Gongsun Minghou said.

“Please put back the iron plate you brought earlier, Confucius.”

“Here it is.”

Hanbin put up an iron plate with the character for flower written on it.

Gongsonsu smiled, pointing to the iron plate that Hanbin had placed.

“That iron sword. Isn’t that the iron sword you sent us? It definitely looks like a flower to me.”

“ah.”

Hanbin momentarily forgot what he was going to say and let out an exclamation.

Hanbin only thought of real flowers, he didn’t know that these words would be accepted as flowers.

Before their conversation in the pavilion, Hanbin had a lot to ask them.

But things were taking a strange turn.

A situation where the person they were waiting for ended up being Hanbin.

Hanbin said, waving his hands.

“What would be different if I were the one the elders were waiting for?”

“I have something to give you.”

“Then give it to me now, sir.”

Hanbin’s eyes lit up.

What he was offering could certainly be something he was looking for.

Gongsonsoo continued speaking with a small smile.

“I can’t give it to you here.”

“Then when can you give it to me?”

“You’re impatient. Even if I give it to you, you can’t take it. So don’t rush.”

“It’s not an object.”

“You’re quick-witted, kid.”

Gongsonsu smiled brightly, moistened his lips with tea, and raised his head.

He looked at the moon leisurely with a relieved expression and talked with Gongsun Minghou.

After that, Hanbin listened to their conversation in silence.

However, there was no other information.

I don’t know what they’re going to show, but it will be revealed soon.

* * *

Gongsonsu was a truly cautious person.

Only after Hanbin had thoroughly confirmed that he was the fourth son of the Habuk Peng family did he get up from his seat.

The place that Gongsun Su guided us to was the west wing of Gongsun Sega.

The three-story building contained the books he had collected throughout his life.

The place where Gongsonsu’s footsteps stopped was the end of the first-floor study.

At the end of the study there was a curtain, probably intended to hide something.

Next to it was a table and a few chairs.

As Gongsun Su nodded, Gongsun Minghou carefully placed the teacup on the table.

“Let’s talk while we finish drinking tea.”

“Yes, sir.”

At a table about three steps away from the wall, Hanbin, Gongsunsu, and Gongsun Myeonghu brewed tea for the second time.

As the scent of tea spread around, Gongsonsu glanced at the curtain.

Now it seemed as if he was going to explain the object behind that curtain.

As Hanbin swallowed, Gongsonsu stood up from his seat.

He looked at the curtained wall and gestured to Gongsun Minghou, who was waiting beside him.

Gongsun Minghu carefully walked to the right corner of the wall.

There was a long string hanging down.

It was very similar to the string that Gongsun Myeong-hu, disguised as Jeom So-i, had pulled.

Gongsun Myeong-hu, who had been checking until the end while glancing at Gongson-su, pulled the string as if from the space under the wabul.

At the same time the curtain flowed down.

Chorus.

As the curtain fell, the wall surface was revealed.

On the wall there was a mural that seemed to contain a spirit.

Gongsonsu said, pointing to the mural.

“This is what I was talking about.”

“The picture is strange. Is it a portrait of a god of death?”

When Hanbin asked while pointing to the picture, Gongsonsu waved his hand.

“Isn’t there only one dragon among the gods?”

“I see. Now that I look at it, it’s not a blue dragon, it’s a red dragon.”

“That’s right. It’s a picture of a red dragon breaking through blue clouds. Doesn’t that make you think of something when you say red dragon?”

“Red Dragon? I can’t think of anything right now.”

“Are you a descendant of the man called Jeokryongdaehyeop?”

“hmm.”

Hanbin coughed without realizing it.

I knew you had done a lot of research on Hanbin and his surroundings, but I didn’t know you would delve this far.

Somehow, they seemed to trust Peng Hanbin, the son of the Habuk Peng family.

Now that it has been verified that Hanbin is the fourth son of the Habuk Peng family, it is clear that he can fully receive that trust.

What on earth are these people?

Just a celebrity in the academic world?

Imperial Master?

Or a member of the public inquiry?

Gongsun Su and Gongsun Myeonghu responded to Hanbin’s questioning gaze with smiles the whole time.

Their attitude was friendly, as if they were dealing with a comrade who had entrusted his back to them in war.

The more this happened, the more Hanbin’s doubts grew.

Gongsunsoo said after seeing Hanbin’s expression.

“Don’t worry. I found out through the Sapa leadership, but not many people know about it.”

“all right.”

Hanbin nodded.

Well, if they were able to gather information through Wabul, it was clear that they had information power comparable to Haomun or Gaebong.

Grateful that they were his allies, Hanbin decided to focus on the mural for now.

The mural was very simple.

Blue clouds and red dragons.

At the very bottom, you can even see what appears to be scales dropped by a red dragon.

In some ways, it could be said that it is an abstract representation of Hanbin’s current appearance.

Hanbin thought that there might be a coincidence in this mural that others could recognize.

The person who left that mural could have been the person who left the arrangements for Hanam Jeongga and Hwangbo Sega.

Chance?

Arrangement?

Or a prophecy about the future?

Anything would be fine.

Hanbin wanted to achieve something through this mural.

Hanbin, who had been narrowing his eyes and concentrating on the mural, closed his eyes.

Then he quietly stroked the mural with his hand.

However, there was no trace of wrinkles felt in the mural.

Hanbin, who had been carefully stroking the mural for a long time, opened his eyes.

He glanced to the side and saw Gongsun Su and Gongsun Myeonghu looking at Hanbin with eyes full of anticipation.

What exactly do they expect from themselves?

First of all, the secret of this mural had to be solved.

Hanbin sat down again and looked at Gongsun Su and Gongsun Minghou.

Now it was time to get some clues from them.

Hanbin asked Gongsonsu,

“I’m talking about the teacher.”

“Master? What do you want to ask?”

“Did you have any other words when you left this mural?”

“There was none. He said that when the time comes, Yeonja will figure out how to solve the mystery of that mural.”

“Hmm, so you are saying that you firmly believe that Yeonja is me.”

“A coincidence of this magnitude cannot be explained with the knowledge I have, so what can I do but believe it?”

“First of all, I don’t know what that mural means. Who on earth is this master? The master of the old man who was the master of the imperial family? I have no idea.”

“I don’t know either. You still contact me through Wabul, it’s been a long time since I last saw you face to face.”

“Then, is it the Master Muyeongbo who gave it to you?”

“Muyeongbo is the secret weapon of the Gongsun family.”

“Huh? So then, is it really true that Gongsun Ga is the hidden face of Gonggongmun?”

“Public gate? This is a bit different, but the public gate we established is one of the schools of Confucianism.”

“What is the price?”

“That’s right. What do you think the word ‘gong’ means?”

“Isn’t the word ‘public door’ used to describe a door that is empty for a disciple of a public door? It’s like the saying in Gangho, “All doors are empty for a disciple of a public door.”

Hanbin’s questions were blunt.

As Hanbin said, to Gong Gong Moon, the gate of the sect was virtually non-existent.

It was called a public door, meaning a thief in the martial arts world who would raid other people’s schools as if they were entering and leaving his own house.

But, it seemed like it had another meaning.

Gongsonsu, who was stroking his beard while looking at Hanbin, smiled meaningfully.

“I knew it. The true meaning of the ball is in the public. In a way, it is a ball with a different meaning.”

To make things a little more certain, Gongsonsu put his hand in the teacup, took it out, and wrote on the table.

-Public gate.