Three Years of Blacksmithing, Achieving Divine Martial Arts - Chapter 2

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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 2. Even Martial Arts Require a Full Belly
So Chul

leaned his back against a tree and caught his breath for a long moment.
His thighs still felt leaden, and his empty stomach twisted worse than before. Just moments ago he’d been dizzy with the thought that he’d mastered Martial Arts four days ahead of everyone else—but his body had dashed cold water on that euphoria.
Inheriting knowledge and enduring training were two different things.
Master Jin’s movements remained vivid in his mind. He knew where to channel his strength and when to release it. But after ten repetitions, twenty, his body simply gave out.

‘So it all comes down to eating.’

So Chul pressed a hand to his belly.
Work at the Blacksmith Workshop alone already consumed three meals a day. Add training to that, and the usual portions wouldn’t even come close. Not to mention if he wanted to eat meat or medicinal ingredients rich enough to replenish Qi and Blood.
He’d heard that even the cheapest Vitality Supplement cost about two hundred cash per packet.
Even if So Chul scraped together every coin he owned, he couldn’t afford more than a few packets.

“Gain strength, and suddenly you’re worried about eating.”

He managed a laugh, though it didn’t last long.
When he thought of his family’s circumstances, the irony became even sharper.
So Chul had lost his parents young and been raised by his uncle So Won and aunt Im Ha. The pair had no children of their own, yet they’d clothed and fed him alone.
His uncle had spent nearly all his money to get So Chul admitted to the Iron Craftsmen’s Guild—

fifteen taels. It took years of careful saving and even going into debt to gather that sum.
The reason was simple: it was the only path to learning Martial Arts.
Apprentices at the Iron Craftsmen’s Guild endured three years before taking the Aptitude Examination. If one’s bone structure and physique were sound, he’d be accepted as a Formal Disciple immediately and begin learning Martial Arts; if one’s aptitude fell short, he’d work for several more years before another chance came.
The difference was stark.
Those chosen early were cultivated at the Guild’s expense, while those who learned Martial Arts later would serve the Guild for life as payment, the story went.
Still, the villagers coveted even that slim opportunity. In a world where learning Martial Arts alone changed how you were treated, everyone wanted in.
Originally, So Chul would have had to wait four days for his examination results.
But things were different now.
The Bronze Cauldron had given him not just knowledge, but Master Jin’s bone structure and physique as well.
He didn’t yet know how much he’d improved. Still, the way his body moved in the forest was undeniably different from before.

‘There’s a real chance I’ll be selected outright.’

If that happened, he could repay the debt his uncle had taken on, and gathering resources for training would be easier than it was now.
The problem was those four days.
A promising future and meat on tonight’s table were not the same thing.
So Chul slowly pushed himself to his feet.

“First, let’s go home.”

Fill the belly first, think later. As So Chul made his way out of the forest, he deliberately slowed his pace.
His legs were quick to rebel. Having learned Martial Arts didn’t mean his body had turned to iron. Every time he exerted force, his thighs trembled, and on an empty stomach, his body kept sending up distress signals.
He needed to see how much he recovered after eating and resting. If he wanted to increase his training frequency going forward, he couldn’t rely on guesswork—he had to understand his daily intake and recovery rate.

‘In the end, it’s all about money.’

So Chul laughed bitterly. In his past life, he’d drawn up training plans and fretted over protein and recovery; here, he had to worry about what side dish to eat tonight first.
* * *
By the time he reached home, the sun was nearly gone.
Evening smoke seeped through gaps in the clay walls. When he opened the door, the aroma of fermented paste and grilled fish wafted out all at once.
The meal was simple.
Coarse rice, a vegetable soup, and a plate of boiled sweet potato. In the center lay a single freshwater fish, quite substantial in size.
So Chul’s eyes fixed on the fish. Most of the catch his uncle brought home went straight to the market. What remained for the household were usually smaller ones too awkward to sell or those bearing damage.
But today’s fish had thick, meaty flesh—the kind worth several days’ worth of side dishes if sold.
Im Ha glanced at the fish once, then wordlessly lifted the ladle. It seemed she’d reheated the rice, timing it for So Chul’s return.

“Why are you standing? Sit.”

So Won used chopsticks to lift a generous portion of fish flesh from near the belly and placed it in So Chul’s bowl.

“You’ve been swinging the hammer all day—eat plenty.”
“You have some too, Uncle.”
“I ate at noon.”
“That’s not true.”
“Now, now—if an adult says he’s eaten, then he’s eaten.”

So Won pulled the fish head toward himself with an unbothered expression.
So Chul said nothing more.
Under normal circumstances he might have demurred once, but today he lacked the luxury. His inner thigh still throbbed with a dull ache, and his belly rang out like an empty vessel.
He scooped up a large spoonful of rice and topped it with fish. The moment he bit down, his body answered before his mind could. The next spoonful came faster, and the one after that faster still.
Im Ha, sitting across from him, watched in silence at first, but when So Chul’s bowl emptied for the second time, her eyebrows twitched.

“What did you do today?”
“Much the same as always.”
“A boy who does the same as always doesn’t eat like this.”

Im Ha opened the rice pot and checked what remained.

“Lord have mercy—you’ll finish tomorrow’s breakfast too. Eat slowly. Is someone going to steal it from you?”
“I’m just quite hungry.”
“Quite?”

Im Ha looked at So Chul’s bowl, then back at the rice pot, its bottom now bare.

“You’ve eaten more than your uncle and I combined. We only brought up one fish today, and if this is how it goes, what else am I supposed to feed you?”

Her mouth continued its work, but her hands pushed the sweet potato dish toward So Chul.

“Eat this too. But leave the rice alone—or do you plan to go hungry tomorrow morning?”

So Chul picked up a sweet potato.

“You take care of me most of all, yet you’re angry.”

Im Ha shot him a sideways glance.

“Do you think caring for someone and worrying about a struggling household are the same thing?”
“They’re different.”
“Then eat less.”
“That would be rather difficult.”

So Chul spoke seriously, and So Won burst out laughing.
Im Ha’s gaze shifted at once to her husband.

“What’s so funny?”
“Nothing—it’s just that a boy with a good appetite is a blessing, isn’t it?”
“A blessing, yes. Very much a blessing. I’d be even more blessed if you went down to the river tomorrow and fished up a sack of rice.”

So Won closed his mouth.
So Chul lowered his head and bit into the sweet potato.
What his aunt said held no fault.
A large share of the household’s burden fell on his shoulders. It had been that way when he entered the Iron Craftsmen’s Guild, and it remained so throughout his apprenticeship.
He could not blame himself for the fact that the two of them lived without children. Still, it was undeniable that a considerable sum had gone toward his care.
Because he understood this, her nagging did not rankle him. Rather, the problem was that his body had begun demanding more food, as it did today. If he continued training, food expenses would only grow—and tonics and vitality supplements would follow after that.
While So Chul ran through the calculations in his mind, So Won cleared his throat for no particular reason.

“But in just a few days comes the Aptitude Examination.”

Im Ha said nothing in reply.

“If So Chul gets accepted as a Formal Disciple this time, things will be different. We won’t have to worry about putting food on the table much longer.”
“Don’t burden the boy with such talk.”

This time, Im Ha’s voice had grown quiet.
So Won faltered for a moment.
Im Ha added another piece of fish to So Chul’s bowl.

“If he passes, that’s wonderful. If he doesn’t, we’ll find another way. Don’t speak to a child as though you’re already demanding he repay a debt.”

So Chul set down his chopsticks.
So Won scratched his jaw, looking sheepish.

“When did I ever ask him to repay anything?”
“Your tone says it all.”
“No, I only meant that things will turn out well from here on….”
“Then say it like that.”
“All right, I understand.”

So Won nodded meekly. Im Ha seemed ready to say something more but held back, drawing the soup bowl toward herself instead. Silence settled over the table.
So Chul placed the fish in his mouth. It was salty, just right. He had no wish to deepen the awkward mood that had crept in.

“Uncle.”
“Yes?”
“Did you just lose to Aunt?”

So Won’s eyes narrowed.

“What?”
“From where I’m sitting, it looked like a complete defeat.”

Im Ha let out a short laugh.
So Won laid down his chopsticks.

“I was staying quiet for someone’s sake.”
“For my sake?”
“You know it well.”
“Then I’ll step outside.”

So Chul stood with his empty bowl in hand.

“Where are you going?”
“To feed the chickens. Please, continue arguing at your ease.”
“Hey, So Chul!”

Ignoring his uncle’s voice behind him, he slipped out into the courtyard.
* * *
As the sun sank fully below the horizon, the courtyard darkened quickly.
So Chul crouched before the chicken coop, scattering grain by the handful. The birds rushed forward in a flurry.
From inside the house, So Won’s voice faded first, as expected.

“I spoke badly, I’m telling you.”
“Badly?”
“Very badly. I spoke very badly.”

So Chul suppressed a smile and scattered another handful of grain.
Soon after, Im Ha’s voice softened as well, though he couldn’t quite make out what she was saying.
So Chul made no effort to listen.
Instead, he gently nudged away with his foot a rooster that had rushed toward him.

“You need to pay better attention.”

The rooster flapped its wings indignantly. Just then the door opened, and So Won stepped into the courtyard. Even in the dimness, one cheek was visibly flushed red.
So Chul rose slowly to his feet.

“Uncle.”
“What is it.”
“Were you hit?”
“Who got hit?”

So Won raised his voice for no particular reason.
So Chul pointed at the flushed cheek.

“What’s that?”
“This?”

So Won rubbed his cheek with his palm.

“Your aunt’s hand went flying the wrong way, so I stopped it with my face.”
“Ah.”
“A man ought to do that much.”

So Chul nodded.

“That’s impressive.”
“Are you mocking me?”
“I’m showing respect.”
“Enough of that, you rascal.”

So Won chuckled and picked up the Fishing Rod that stood in one corner of the courtyard.

“Now that you’ve eaten, put your back into it.”
“Where are we going?”
“The river.”

So Won gave the fishing line a test pull and slung the Carrying Pouch over his shoulder.

“Catfish have been biting well these past few nights. When it’s hot like this, they come out to hunt for food after dark.”

He gestured toward the Storage House with his chin.

“Grab the Fish Trap and the Fishing Net. If our luck holds today, we’ll haul in enough to cover meals for a few days.”

A few days’ worth of meals.
So Chul’s ears pricked up at those words.
The thought of training fees that had not left his mind until moments before surfaced again.

“How much would we make if we caught a lot?”

So Won glanced at him sidelong.

“Already thinking about selling them?”
“Might as well catch plenty if we’re going to catch anything.”
“True enough.”

So Won laughed.

“Even just one big catch would make tonight worth the effort.”

So Chul picked up the fish trap instead of answering.
His body still carried the fatigue of training, but after a hearty dinner, he could move well enough. It was markedly different from when he’d stretched in the forest earlier. The trembling in his thighs had lessened, and with his stomach full, his mind had cleared too.
Eating brought recovery. It was simple, but that fact mattered now. Training required money, and money didn’t come from sitting idle. So he would follow wherever money could be made.
So Won, who had started walking toward the river ahead, glanced back.

“What are you doing? Come on.”
“I’m coming.”

So Chul quickened his pace.
By the time they reached the riverbank, the moon had spread its reflection long across the water.
So Won examined the current with practiced ease. Without hesitation—as if he’d already marked the spot during the day—he set the fishing net beside a shallow shoal and pushed the fish trap into the dense reeds. So Chul stood beside him, pulling the rope taut and weighing down the entrance with a stone so it wouldn’t drift up.
He also tied the small boat twice around a nearby tree. So Won checked the knot by pulling it, and only then unfurled the fishing rod. In a livelihood, every small movement was different. It was like the way Master Jin in the Blacksmith Workshop regarded metal.
As the two of them cast their lines side by side, the surroundings grew still. Only the sound of flowing water and the chorus of insects hung upon the night air.
So Chul gazed at the dark water where the fishing line disappeared. During the day he’d wielded a hammer, in the evening he’d thrown his body into training, and now he waited for fish beside his uncle. It was as though he were wringing the last drop from the day, and yet strangely, it didn’t displease him.
At least before, he’d waited vaguely for three days hence. Now he could see what needed doing before then. Feed his body, earn money, make the strength he’d gained truly his own.
So Won watched the bobber in silence. So Chul adjusted his grip on the fishing rod.
The water’s surface still showed no sign of change.
Yet he knew exactly where the money he needed tonight would come from.
Beneath that dark water.

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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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