Three Years of Blacksmithing, Achieving Divine Martial Arts - Chapter 10

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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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Episode 10. It Wasn’t Something Five Silver Coins Would Settle
So Cheol’s

gaze dropped from So Won’s face to his back.
The bruises were not just one or two.
His left eye was half-swollen, his lip split at the corner, and long overlapping marks from what looked like a rod striped his back.

“Did you fall?”

So Won yanked at his collar in panic.

“Yes, well. The Riverbank’s slippery, isn’t it?”
“If you fall at the Riverbank, your back ends up like this?”
“Bad luck, it happens.”
“Father.”

So Won ultimately averted his eyes from So Cheol’s.
Im Ha set down the cloth soaked with medicine.

“I’ll tell him.”
“My love.”
“What more is there to hide, looking like this?”

Im Ha’s eyes were already red.
So Cheol said nothing, simply pulled a chair over and sat before So Won.

“Tell me.”

So Won exhaled a long breath.

“It’s nothing serious.”
“I’ll listen and judge that for myself.”

His voice wasn’t raised.
That was why Im Ha spoke first instead.

“It’s Hwang Tae-gon.”

So Cheol’s eyes narrowed.
The name hadn’t come as a complete surprise.
The timing was the problem.
Two days ago, So Won had clearly said that even thieves had their own code—that if you kept squeezing a house you’d already bled dry, the business itself wouldn’t work.

“He demanded money again?”

Im Ha nodded.

“Five silver coins.”

So Cheol closed his mouth for a moment.
The exact same amount as last time.

“Why?”
“How would we know that?”

Im Ha clenched her teeth.

“Your uncle saw them today when he was coming back from selling fish—saw them over in the Reed Field. Hwang Tae-gon was hidden with some men, exchanging something.”

So Won interrupted at once.

“I didn’t see them clearly. I only caught shadows from a distance.”
“Then why were you hit?”
“Because they saw me.”

After that answer, silence settled over the room.
So Cheol studied the bruised back of So Won’s hand.

“Did they demand money right there?”
“They told me to leave at first, but came after me a little later.”

So Won managed a bitter smile.

“I suppose they thought I’d pay again since I gave them five silver coins last time. They said to bring it by tonight.”
“You told them no.”
“I asked them where I was supposed to get the money.”
“And that’s why they beat you?”

So Won didn’t answer.
Im Ha spoke instead.

“If the others hadn’t come, he’d have taken worse.”

The cloth in her hands trembled.

“When the fishermen heard the commotion and came running, they finally left.”

So Cheol slowly curled his fingers into a fist.

Crack.

His knuckles popped.
He rested his hand on the edge of the table—without any conscious intent to apply force, the wood splintered faintly.
Snap.
So Won’s eyes widened.

“Hey.”

So Cheol withdrew his hand.

“My apologies.”

Im Ha looked back and forth between the splintered edge and So Cheol.

“You…….”

It seemed like the right moment to tell them.
So Cheol drew the Jik Jeon Badge from his chest.

“I passed the Bone and Muscle Test today.”

So Won’s face brightened a little.

“You made it into the Inner Sect?”
“Yes.”
“See? What did I tell you? Master Jin said your body had gotten stronger.”
“That’s not the end of it.”

So Cheol placed the Jik Jeon Badge on the table.
The two characters for Jik Jeon engraved on the black badge were characters neither So Won nor Im Ha could read.

“What is this?”
“A Jang Sim-dang Jik Jeon Badge, sir.”

Both their faces remained bewildered.
So Cheol shifted to simpler words.

“Son Cheol-shim, the Jang Sim-dang master, has become my teacher.”

This time, the reaction was different.
So Won’s mouth fell open.

“That… one of the highest-ranking people at Cheol Jang-bang?”
“Yes.”

Im Ha covered her mouth with both hands.

“So you’re a Martial Artist now?”
“I still have much to learn.”
“Are you a Martial Artist or not?”

So Cheol laughed despite himself.

“Yes.”

Tears spilled first from Im Ha’s eyes.
These were different from the tears held back moments before by rage and fear.
So Won, his bruised face twisted, laughed several times before wincing and pressing his fingers to his lips.

“That’s good.”

After those words, he drew a long, deep breath.

“Really good.”

So Cheol watched for a moment, then turned the conversation back to Hwang Tae-gon.

“So don’t hide it now.”

So Won’s expression hardened.

“That’s exactly why we need to hide it.”
“Why?”
“If word spreads that someone died the day I entered the Inner Sect, what then?”

He picked up the bundle of silver coins he’d set beside the table.

“Five taels will do. Now that I know you’ve become a Martial Artist, Hwang Tae-gon won’t dare touch you after this.”

So Cheol accepted the bundle of silver coins.

“I’ll go deliver it.”
“No.”

So Won’s answer came far too quickly.

“With your body in this condition, Uncle?”
“I started this myself.”
“You said the same thing last time.”

So Cheol tucked the silver coins into his breast.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to fight.”

So Won’s face showed he didn’t believe it.

“I mean it.”
“You just shattered that table with your finger?”

So Cheol looked at the cracked edge.

“That was an accident.”

Im Ha asked with an incredulous expression.

“You accidentally destroy wood?”
“I’m still not used to controlling my strength.”

Both their faces grew more complicated.
So Cheol set aside ten taels from his entrance gift and placed them in front of Im Ha.

“Call a physician tomorrow. Don’t spare expense on medicine.”
“This much?”
“I received fifty taels of silver today.”

So Won opened his mouth again.

“How much?”
“Fifty taels.”

Im Ha looked between the silver coins and So Cheol in turn.

“Where does Cheol Jang-bang get that kind of money?”
“I only found out today myself.”

The heavy air from moments before lifted, if only briefly.
So Cheol rose in that opening.

“I’ll just drop off the money and come back.”

So Won grabbed his wrist.
Strength tensed in his bruised hand.

“Promise me truly. Don’t ruin your future because of that man.”

So Cheol looked down at his uncle’s hand.

“I won’t start trouble first.”

It wasn’t a lie.
If Hwang Tae-gon took the money and withdrew, there’d be no compelling reason to kill him tonight.
But So Cheol was turning over something else in his mind now, something he hadn’t considered the last time.
Why a second time?
Why precisely the day So Won had seen something in the Reed Field?

“Uncle.”

Before leaving, So Cheol asked once more.

“You said Hwang Tae-gon was originally trained in Martial Arts, didn’t you?”

So Won nodded, his face hardening.

“There’s talk he was in the Inner Sect of Cho Un-bang when he was young. Supposedly he caused some trouble and got thrown out. That’s why he’s a different breed from the street thugs around here.”
“Have you ever seen him fight directly?”
“Why would I want to see that? If you see it and live, you’re lucky.”

So Won studied So Cheol’s expression.

“Which is exactly why you shouldn’t fight him. Even if you became a Martial Artist today, he’s a man who’s been kicking around for years.”
“I understand.”

So Cheol answered obediently.
The words rang true enough.
He had grown stronger rapidly over the past few days. Still, he had certainly fought fewer real people than Hwang Tae-gon. A crocodile and a human were not the same thing. The difference only widened when the opponent knew Martial Arts and carried a blade.
That was why he wanted to confirm something first.
What Hwang Tae-gon was hiding.
Whether tonight was truly just about taking money.
There was no harm in moving after seeing for himself.
So Cheol had told Im Ha as much.

“Lock the door when I leave. Don’t open it no matter who calls.”
“How are we supposed to sleep with you out there alone?”
“I’m not telling you to sleep. Just keep the door locked.”

Im Ha started to say something more, then caught sight of So Won’s bruised face and fell silent.
So Cheol looked between them both.
If he hadn’t become a Jik Jeon Disciple today, what would have happened?
So Won would have taken five more silver coins with him.
And if Hwang Tae-gon’s crew came to the house after midnight, there would be no one here to stop them.
The thought settled his nerves instead of fraying them.
He had no need to question where his strength came from.
Right now he could see exactly where it was meant to be used.
* * *
He left after the sun had completely set.
The place Hwang Tae-gon had specified was a secluded Separate House far from the village.
So Cheol did not take the main road.
He walked along the riverbank and then slipped into the forest. His feet were wrapped in old cloth — a precaution so his footprints wouldn’t show in the damp soil.
If this had been before, the night road alone would have unsettled him.
Now it was different.
With the Jik Jeon Badge equipped, his body felt light. Even passing through undergrowth, he could slip past branches before they could snag his clothes.
Yet he had no intention of relying on strength alone and rushing in headlong.
So Cheol took a wide detour around the direction the Separate House lay and checked the wind first. If there were dogs, they might catch his scent. Rather than approach directly where light spilled out, he picked his way through dark Rice Field Ridges and tree shadows.
When twigs caught underfoot, he stepped over them without stepping down. On damp soil, he planted his cloth-wrapped feet carefully, heel-side first.
When he fought the crocodile, his body had moved on instinct.
Tonight was different.
He didn’t know how many men waited inside, or how skilled a Martial Artist Hwang Tae-gon truly was. When family was at stake, rushing only invited disaster.
As the Separate House came into view, he slowed.
It was larger than he’d expected.
Inside the gate, several lanterns burned, and two men leaned against the front door, passing a pipe between them.
So Cheol did not approach directly.
He climbed into a tree some distance from the wall.
The wind blew.
Snatches of their conversation drifted up, then faded.

“You really going through with it tonight?”
“At midnight.”
“It’s been a while since the boss killed someone.”
“Can’t help it. Got to keep mouths shut.”

So Cheol’s eyes turned cold.
Another man spoke up.

“That man from the Fishing Village?”
“His name was So, wasn’t it? You saw him earlier today.”
“Isn’t that the house that paid us off last time?”
“Yeah. Just bad luck, that’s all.”

The two men snickered.

“Once we’ve dealt with the men, we can search the house ourselves first.”
“What if there’s a woman?”
“Why ask that?”

Low laughter continued.
So Cheol didn’t climb down immediately.
He waited much longer in the tree, counting the shadows moving in and out of the courtyard, recalculating the number of people visible through the Separate House window.
Besides the two at the gate, at least four voices mixed inside. He listened for signs of servants carrying liquor tables or chance guests, but every word belonged to the same gang.

“You two guard the front entrance.”

Someone spoke from inside.

“The rest of you, have your blades ready before midnight. Once the boss arrives, we head straight to the Fishing Village.”
“Isn’t that family only three people?”
“Three or ten—silence their mouths and we’re done.”

So Cheol’s gaze hardened.
Beating his uncle this afternoon and the words he’d just heard belonged to the same thread. Hwang Tae-gon hadn’t demanded the money to threaten them. Without even knowing for certain what So Won had witnessed in the Reed Field, they were preparing to erase the entire household—erasing every possibility of a loose tongue.
There was a way to turn back and alert Cheol Jang-bang. But the hours remaining until midnight weren’t many. By the time he explained and brought people here, these men would have already moved. Worse, they were already preparing to depart.
So Cheol tightened his grip on the branch.
This time he didn’t break it.
Now he had enough reason.
It was never about money.
The men clearly didn’t know what So Won had seen. They only wanted to eliminate any possibility of him speaking at all.
Five taels couldn’t end this.
Even if he handed over the money today, when midnight came, these men would visit the So house.
To kill So Won and Im Ha.
So Cheol closed his eyes, then opened them.
From inside the bronze cauldron, he drew out an old, eight-pound hammer.
The correction that came with the Jik Jeon Badge flooded his body.
The two men at the gate were still laughing.
One bent his head to tap out his pipe.
So Cheol descended from the tree.
Silently.
His left hand covered the first man’s mouth.
The hammer in his right hand struck briefly against the temple.

Thud!

The body went slack.
The moment the second man turned, the hammer’s shaft struck his throat.
Crack.
The second body fell to the ground.
So Cheol checked the breathing of both men.
Neither stirred.
From inside the courtyard, laughter still echoed.
He wiped what clung to the hammer on the grass.

‘Seven, maybe.’

Two outside the door.
At least four inside.
And Hwang Tae-gon.
The exact number would reveal itself soon enough.
So Cheol didn’t look at the closed gate.
He scaled the wall.
Not a single person in this house was to walk out alive after tonight.

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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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