The Battle for the Heavenly Sword - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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11
Woo Geom-san’s Rise to Power
On the main avenue, an old man was selling Dried Rations from a roadside stall.
After buying some Dried Rations from the old man, the two headed toward the street where the blacksmith shops were located.
Near Pingli, high-quality iron was abundant, so Blacksmithing Techniques had developed early on. Thanks to that, numerous blacksmith shops had sprung up.
The weapons and agricultural tools made in Pingli were inexpensive yet of such high quality that people from far away would seek them out.
Clang! Clang!
As they stepped into Blacksmith Street, the sound of hammering echoed from all sides.
Woo Geom-san looked around the street with a look of wonder on his face.
The smell of burning iron and the intense heat wafting from the workshops stimulated his five senses.
Even though it was still early morning, the artisans were already hard at work.
Blacksmith Street was just as wondrous to Baek Ho-yang.
Baek Ho-yang had spent most of his life in the mountains.
If the war between the Nine Great Sects and the Cheonmyeong Association hadn’t broken out, he would never have come down from the mountains until the day he died.
Therefore, this was his first time seeing so many blacksmith shops.
Today was also the first time he realized that burning iron had a distinct smell.
He didn’t dislike the unfamiliar scent.
Rather, the smell of burning iron awakened his senses.
Like a true swordsman who had trained with the blade for a long time, his body reacted to the scent of iron first.
Baek Ho-yang glanced at Woo Geom-san.
Woo Geom-san was also staring at the blacksmith shops as if spellbound.
Seeing the flush rising on his face, it was clear he found the smell of iron pleasant.
‘As expected, the blood of a martial artist flows within this child.’
The thought suddenly crossed his mind.
Even if their paths hadn’t crossed, a boy like Woo Geom-san might have picked up a weapon again someday.
It was then.
A group of people entered Blacksmith Street.
About a dozen martial artists had arrived along with horse-drawn wagons.
They stopped their horses and wagons in front of the largest blacksmith shop at the entrance of Blacksmith Street.
When the martial artists arrived, a heavily bearded middle-aged man rushed out from inside the shop and bowed deeply.
“Welcome.”
The man who appeared to be the leader of the martial artists stepped forward and spoke.
“Are the goods ready?”
“Fortunately, we were able to prepare them without delay.”
“Good. Load them up immediately.”
“Yes, sir!”
With his reply, the middle-aged man signaled to the workers inside the shop. At his cue, the waiting workers began loading the manufactured goods onto the wagons.
The items the workers were loading onto the wagons were none other than weapons.
Sharp, well-honed weapons like swords, sabers, and spears were being stacked neatly into five wagons, causing Baek Ho-yang to mutter to himself.
“The war between the Nine Great Sects and the Cheonmyeong Association is over, so which sect is purchasing so many weapons?”
Five large wagons could hold well over a thousand weapons.
With that many weapons, one could arm all the disciples of a decently sized grand sect.
Naturally, the price would be astronomical.
Whichever person or sect was trying to buy those weapons must have spent tens of thousands of gold pieces.
Because weapons of such immense value were being loaded, the martial artists maintained a strict guard. Their aura was so fierce that no one dared to approach within a radius of ten Zhang.
Baek Ho-yang and Woo Geom-san soon took their minds off them.
No matter who bought so many weapons, it had nothing to do with them.
All Baek Ho-yang wanted was to find a single, decent sword.
“Let’s go.”
“Yes!”
He walked deeper into Blacksmith Street with Woo Geom-san.
The further they went into the alleyways, the smaller the scale of the blacksmith shops became.
Perhaps because the path was narrow, the sound of hammering from the shops echoed more clearly.
After listening to the hammering for a while, Baek Ho-yang pointed to a particular workshop and spoke.
“Let’s go over there.”
“Is there a reason?”
“The sound of the hammering is good.”
“Pardon?”
“There’s a melody in the rhythm of the hammer. Whoever the artisan is, he seems to truly understand the iron as he strikes it.”
When one reached a level like Baek Ho-yang’s, they could judge an artisan’s mastery just by listening to the sound.
This was because once you reached the peak of any field, many aspects shared a common understanding.
The blacksmith shop Baek Ho-yang chose was incredibly shabby.
Inside the shop, an Old Artisan was hammering away all by himself.
The way he struck the red-hot iron looked sacred for some reason.
Even though thick beads of sweat poured down his whole body like rain, he didn’t even blink as he concentrated entirely on his hammering.
Baek Ho-yang and Woo Geom-san didn’t dare disturb the artisan and simply watched in silence.
It was a long time later when the artisan’s work finally came to an end.
Wiping his sweat with a towel he kept nearby, the Old Artisan looked at Baek Ho-yang and Woo Geom-san in surprise.
“Oh? Who might you be?”
“We are customers who came to buy a sword.”
“Customers? Then why didn’t you call out to me?”
“Watching you work was so mesmerizing that we just watched.”
“What’s so mesmerizing about a bit of hammering?”
The Old Artisan grumbled, yet he couldn’t hide his smile.
Baek Ho-yang also smiled and said.
“Of all the hammering I’ve heard since coming here, your hammering was the most pleasant to the ear. It felt like listening to a musician’s performance.”
“My goodness!”
Deep wrinkles creased around the Old Artisan’s eyes.
He was an artisan who had handled iron here his entire life.
Although his shop was small, his pride was second to none. So when an old man he met for the first time recognized his skill, he was overjoyed.
Suppressing his emotions as best as he could, he spoke.
“What kind of sword are you looking for?”
“I’d like to buy a decent sword.”
“The length?”
“About two feet and three inches would be good.”
“The shape?”
“An ordinary shape that doesn’t stand out would be ideal.”
“It sounds like you want a standard Refined Steel Sword.”
“That is correct.”
“I happen to have one I made a while ago. Follow me.”
The Old Artisan led the two into a small room at the back of the blacksmith shop.
Several swords hung inside the room.
The Old Artisan took down the sword hanging at the highest spot among them.
“It wasn’t made on a specially chosen auspicious day, but it turned out quite well. It won’t break easily, and you’ll be able to use it for a long time.”
“Let me see.”
Baek Ho-yang carefully took the sword from the Old Artisan.
As if to prove the Old Artisan’s words were no lie, an extraordinary sharpness could be felt from the ordinary Refined Steel Sword.
Ping! Ping!
When he flicked the blade with his finger, a clear metallic sound resonated softly like the ringing of a bell.
A smile played on the corners of Baek Ho-yang’s mouth.
It was because the sword he used to use in the past made a similar sound.
“It doesn’t boast of its own greatness, nor is its aura overly ferocious, so the sword exudes a sense of quiet confidence. It’s a fine sword. This is exactly the kind of sword I wanted.”
“I figured someone like you would recognize the sword’s value. I poured my heart into making it. In my fifty years as an artisan, the number of swords I’ve made this well can be counted on one hand.”
“I will buy this sword.”
“You’ve made a wise choice.”
“How much should I pay you?”
“For a sword of this caliber, I should charge two hundred taels of silver, but I’ll only take one hundred taels.”
“Then I would be shameless. A treasure must always be paid for at its proper price to truly show its worth. This is a Banknote issued by the Manjin Bank.”
Baek Ho-yang pulled two Banknotes worth one hundred taels of silver each from his robes and offered them to the Old Artisan.
“You didn’t have to do this…”
“This is the first sword I am giving to my grandson and disciple. It is only right to pay the proper price.”
“If that’s the case, I will gladly accept it.”
Only then did the Old Artisan accept the Banknotes.
The one who was shocked was Woo Geom-san.
“Eh? You’re giving this sword to me?”
“I also received a sword from my master when I was your age. However, since you haven’t learned sword arts yet, you must never draw this sword until I give you permission. Can you promise me that?”
“I promise.”
“A sword is something that, if not learned properly, can harm not only others but also yourself. Until you learn the sword properly, keep it close and use it to guard your own mind.”
“Yes!”
Woo Geom-san replied respectfully.
The Old Artisan, who had been listening intently to the conversation between Baek Ho-yang and Woo Geom-san, spoke up.
“You two truly make a wonderful grandfather and grandson. I’d like to give you a little something extra, is there anything else you need?”
“Could I perhaps get about three Steel Balls the size of pinecones? The hardness doesn’t matter, as long as they are perfectly round.”
“Steel Balls? If it’s just that, I can make them for you right away.”
“Then please make them.”
“Understood.”
Without asking for a reason, the Old Artisan approached the furnace.
After tossing three chunks of iron into the forge, he vigorously worked the bellows. At that, the heat of the furnace grew even more intense.
Before long, the chunks of iron glowed cherry red.
The Old Artisan pulled the iron out and pounded it with his hammer.
In no time at all, the Steel Balls of the size Baek Ho-yang wanted were completed.
The Old Artisan handed the Steel Balls over to Baek Ho-yang along with the sword.
“Here you go.”
“Thank you!”
Baek Ho-yang accepted the items with a smile.
The texture felt through his hands was extraordinary.
He felt a strong impression that the sword, in particular, was a masterpiece.
After savoring the sword for a moment, Baek Ho-yang handed it to Woo Geom-san.
“Take it. It’s your sword.”
“I will cherish it like my own companion.”
Woo Geom-san cradled the sword preciously in his arms.
Thinking of it as a sword bestowed upon him by Baek Ho-yang made it feel even more precious.
After admiring the sword for a moment, Woo Geom-san fastened it to his waist. Then, Baek Ho-yang handed the Steel Balls to Woo Geom-san as well.
“Take these too.”
“What are these used for?”
“They serve the same purpose as the Needle I gave you yesterday. When you walk during the day, always hold the Steel Balls in your right hand and roll them around. It will help restore your damaged hand functionality.”
“Ah!”
Woo Geom-san let out an exclamation.
He felt once again just how deeply Baek Ho-yang cared for him.
“At first, practice rolling a single steel ball with your fingers, and as you get used to it, increase the number.”
“I will do so.”
Woo Geom-san immediately took one steel ball in his right hand and began rolling it.
Even though he had only rolled it a few times, his fingers tingled and his wrist ached, providing an immense amount of stimulation.
Baek Ho-yang spoke to Woo Geom-san.
“Now that we’ve obtained everything we wanted, let’s head out.”
“Yes! Grandfather.”
The two bid farewell to the Old Artisan and stepped outside.
As they left the blacksmith shop, a cool breeze blew past, cooling down their heat.
Baek Ho-yang looked back at the blacksmith shop briefly and said.
“We were fortunate to cross paths with a good affinity and obtain an excellent sword.”
“We really were lucky.”
Woo Geom-san stroked the sword at his waist.
It felt tightly bound to his body, almost as if it had been made for him from the very beginning.
It was hard to believe he had found such a fine sword in such a shabby blacksmith shop.
Just as Baek Ho-yang said, it was only possible because they had met a good affinity.
His meeting with Baek Ho-yang was a fateful affinity, and meeting the Old Artisan was also a wonderful affinity.
He felt happy for no reason at all.
Baek Ho-yang spoke to the smiling Woo Geom-san.
“Let’s go now.”
“Yes!”
The two walked shoulder to shoulder down Blacksmith Street.
Baek Ho-yang’s gaze suddenly drifted toward a certain blacksmith shop.
It was the large blacksmith shop located at the entrance of Blacksmith Street.
It was the very shop that had been loading weapons into five large wagons earlier.
The martial artists and wagons that had been standing in front of the shop were nowhere to be seen.
It seemed they had already loaded all the weapons and departed in the meantime.
He was slightly curious about who had bought so many weapons, but he didn’t want to waste time trying to find out.
This was because he didn’t even have enough time just to help the young grandson beside him grow.
The things he needed to teach were piled high like a mountain.
Even if he taught him carefully starting from now, it would easily take several decades.
He couldn’t afford to waste a single moment in vain.
Without realizing it, Baek Ho-yang’s footsteps were quickening.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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