Three Years of Blacksmithing, Achieving Divine Martial Arts - Chapter 28

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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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Chapter 28. A Notification Disguised as a Question
The morning after, So Cheol entered Jang Sim-dang

and was immediately waylaid by So Sim-hwan.

“Youngest.”
“Yes?”
“Where’s your new place?”

So Cheol stopped in his tracks.
Standing behind So Sim-hwan was Gwak Geo, who held a rather sizeable wooden box in his hands.

“What is that?”
“A housewarming gift.”

Gwak Geo answered.

“We prepared it yesterday.”

Through the gaps in the box, new bowls and teacups were visible. Before gratitude could form, So Cheol’s mind turned to Son Cheol-sim’s residence beyond his new home’s wall—Ro Hyeon’s layout settled in his thoughts like sediment.
He’d brought his family to Ro Hyeon for safety’s sake. Knowing that Wang San stood behind Hwang Tae-gon and the Gwang Sa Bang-ju, and having killed Hwang Won with his own hands, there was no reason to broadcast where he lived.

“I’m grateful for the thought alone.”

So Sim-hwan’s eyebrows lifted.

“Why?”
“The house is still in disarray.”
“Every home’s a mess when people live in it. Your older brother has been waiting with this since yesterday.”

Gwak Geo lifted the box slightly to show it off.

“It’s not heavy.”
“That’s not the issue.”

So Cheol smiled and waved his hand.

“If you both visit, my aunt will rush to prepare food. Since we only just moved in, I’ll invite you both after a bit more time has passed.”

So Sim-hwan seemed about to say something more, then exchanged glances with Gwak Geo.
Gwak Geo nodded first.

“Fine. Call us when you’re ready.”
“Thank you.”

Only after So Cheol turned toward the workbench did a very low voice drift from behind.

“Older brother.”
“What?”
“Do you think the youngest is embarrassed because his place is small?”
“Could be.”
“Maybe I shouldn’t have asked.”
“Then don’t ask again.”

So Cheol had reached for the hammer when his hand froze.
It seemed they’d settled on the conclusion that he was ashamed of his small home.
He was mildly curious what their faces would look like if they learned the house sat right next to Son Cheol-sim’s residence, but he saw no reason to correct them.
Son Cheol-sim, too, was keeping the new house’s location secret.
Once he’d learned how vigilant So Cheol was about his family’s safety, the direct disciple had ensured the address didn’t spread toward Nae Moon—it was simply a matter of not mentioning where exactly So Cheol disappeared to. That his direct disciple visited Nae Moon a few times a month and stayed at his own place posed no problem whatsoever.
As a result, only Son Cheol-sim inside Jang Sim-dang knew the precise location.
Right now, this was better.
So Cheol pulled the heated metal from the forge.

“Youngest.”

So Sim-hwan called to him again from behind.

“What is it this time?”
“When I call you later, have some good liquor ready.”
“Isn’t that something you should bring?”
“Does the host of a housewarming ask his guests to buy the wine?”

Gwak Geo interjected seriously.

“We should be the ones to bring it.”

So Sim-hwan’s face hardened.

“My older brother is always precise at times like this.”

So Cheol laughed and picked up the hammer.

Bang!

Sparks flew.
Several days passed under the sound of the hammer.
Unlike when he’d first made a 2nd Rank Common Weapon, he no longer needed to fixate on a single Ki-moon for the sixth time. There were days he failed, but the number of finished pieces grew steadily.
The payment for weapons handed over to Nae Mu-dang accumulated as well.
By the time five more days had passed, the newly earned silver alone came to seven hundred taels.

“Youngest, did you finish another one today?”

So Sim-hwan asked when he saw So Cheol return from Nae Mu-dang.

“Yes.”
“How much money are you trying to save, anyway?”
“There’s nothing wrong with having plenty, is there?”

So Sim-hwan regarded So Cheol for a moment.

“You’re not wrong, but it’s a bit frightening when you say it.”

Gwak Geo beside him nodded in agreement.

“Saving is good.”
“My older brother only takes the youngest’s side at times like this.”

So Cheol smiled and returned to his workbench.
Nearly half a month had passed since the day he’d last taken leave to visit Eo Chon.
The deaths of Hwang Won and the twelve martial artists were still attributed to Gwang Sa Bang-ju. No word had reached him that Wang San was moving directly in that matter.
Instead, these past few days, talk of Yeo Ui had come up frequently.
That Wang San was training her personally, that Pa Gun-dang had swept up good medicinal pills and bathing salts for her—such were the rumors.
So Cheol heard these reports and said nothing, merely pulling metal from the forge.
How strong Yeo Ui had become—he would know that when they met.
For now, it was time to swing his own hammer.

Bang!

Sparks flew up over the anvil.
* * *
Four days earlier, Son Cheol-sim suddenly called for So Cheol.
That day too, So Cheol had been tapping out the second Ki-moon layer at his workbench.

“So Cheol.”
“Yes.”
“Come with me.”

Son Cheol-sim offered no explanation.
Only after the two of them entered a small room at the back of Jang Sim-dang did he close the door and speak.

“What do you need most right now?”

So Cheol blinked once, taken aback.

“Suddenly, sir?”
“Yes, suddenly.”
“Money?”
“Goods or money—pick one.”

Son Cheol-sim crossed his arms.

“If something comes up where we can squeeze Wang San and the Bang-ju for something significant, I want to know beforehand what would please you most.”

So Cheol’s eyes flickered slightly.

“What kind of something?”
“You don’t need to know that.”
“But it’s mine they’re squeezing—shouldn’t I know?”
“It’s not yours yet.”

Son Cheol-sim waved a hand to dismiss the objection.

“So what do you want?”

The answer didn’t take long.

“Jok Geum.”

Son Cheol-sim’s straight brow arched upward.

“Again?”
“Yes.”
“Not weapons, not medicine?”
“Jok Geum will do.”
“How much?”
“As much as possible.”

Son Cheol-sim fell silent for a long moment.

“When I first met you, I thought you were obsessed with hammers.”
“And now?”
“Now you look like a hammer wielder obsessed with money.”

So Cheol laughed.
There was no way to refute it—he couldn’t explain Seon Gyu or Yeon Bo So Che.
Son Cheol-sim didn’t press further.

“Fine. Jok Geum it is.”

With just those words, he dismissed So Cheol.
At that moment, there was no way to know who he was supposed to extract what from.
This morning, when a messenger from Son Cheol-sim’s people arrived, the question surfaced again.
He’d been summoned to the heart of Cheol Jang-bang—the Ui Sa-dang.
* * *
The steps before the Ui Sa-dang held fewer people than usual.
The two warriors guarding the door checked his direct disciple token but did not let him pass inside—they simply opened the door.
So Cheol slowed his pace naturally as he stepped through.
This was not a place even the elders entered freely. It was where the major affairs of Cheol Jang-bang were discussed separately by Yang Jeong-cheon and the two faction leaders.
Today, all three were present. Yang Jeong-cheon sat at the central high seat, So Sim-hwan on the right, and Wang San across from him.
Yeo Ui stood beside Wang San.
When her eyes met So Cheol’s, Yeo Ui gave the slightest bow.
Any other time, she would have been the first to speak—”So Cheol”—but now she said nothing.
That was what struck him first.
So Cheol approached the three of them and performed a proper salutation.

“So Cheol of Jang Sim-dang pays respects to Master Yang, the faction leader, and faction leader Wang.”
“You’ve come.”

Yang Jeong-cheon gestured with his hand for him to come closer.

“I hear you’ve been forging 2nd Rank Common Weapons lately.”
“I’ve been fortunate to succeed a few times.”
“A few times?”

So Cheol paused to think.

“I’d need to check the Nae Mu-dang ledger to give you an exact count.”

Laughter bloomed beneath Yang Jeong-cheon’s beard.

“So you’ve made so many you can’t remember the exact number off the top of your head.”
“I only did as Master taught me.”

So Sim-hwan snorted from beside him.

“If everyone I trained worked at that pace, Jang Sim-dang would’ve become Ju Geom San-jang by now.”

Yang Jeong-cheon laughed; Wang San did not.
His gaze had been fixed on So Cheol from the start.
So Cheol neither avoided it nor acknowledged it.
The name Hwang Won did not come up.
From that fact alone, he could tell he had not been summoned because of that matter.
Yang Jeong-cheon turned the teacup that sat on the table once.

“Things have changed since you first became a direct disciple.”
“What do you mean, Master?”
“Your talent for forging is far greater than I anticipated.”

After a moment, Wang San spoke.

“Still, a warrior’s bone-type comes first.”

So Cheol immediately thought of Ju Geom San-jang at those words.
Now he understood why So Sim-hwan’s expression was grim.
Wang San glanced at Yeo Ui once.

“We’ve decided to give Yeo Ui the Cheol Jang-bang recommendation slot for this year’s entry to Ju Geom San-jang.”

The Ui Sa-dang fell silent.
So Cheol did not answer immediately.
It was a declaration, not a question seeking his opinion.
Last time, Yang Jeong-cheon had said clearly that he would observe the two of them longer. After that, So Cheol had created a 2nd Rank Common Weapon. At Jang Sim-dang, Son Cheol-sim hadn’t hidden his pride in it, and word had reached Yang Jeong-cheon’s ears.
Yet here, all three of them were already seated at the same table.
If Son Cheol-sim were truly capable of overturning this, he would have overturned Jang Sim-dang itself before coming here.
Now So Cheol understood why Son Cheol-sim had asked about Jok Geum four days ago.
He had already been preparing to extract payment from another quarter.
Wang San continued.

“I acknowledge your talent for forging. Neither the faction leader nor I take it lightly.”
“Yes.”
“But Ju Geom San-jang is ultimately where martial masters go. Yeo Ui has a superior bone-type, while you scored in the lower bracket in the examination.”

Son Cheol-sim’s breathing grew rough.
Wang San did not look in his direction.

“Jo Un-bang and the Gwan Ah are watching us. This year’s recommendation must deliver results. Choosing the certain over the possible is what serves all of Cheol Jang-bang.”

So Cheol glanced at Yeo Ui once.
Yeo Ui kept her head raised, but as their eyes met, she looked away first.
Wang San added quietly.

“You are still young. Another year of refinement will not be too late. By next year, you will have accumulated forging achievements as well, and then no one will easily challenge your place.”

It was pleasant to hear.
But no one knew what circumstances might arise next year.
More than anything, So Cheol already knew his bone-type was not inferior.
Even the base bone-type alone had been superior rank, and with Seon Gyu added, it would be supreme rank.
He had neither the means nor the intention to prove this fact in this room.
Explaining the bronze cauldron would cost far more than a single recommendation.
So Cheol looked at Son Cheol-sim again.
Son Cheol-sim’s jaw was set, but he did not protest.
Yang Jeong-cheon remained silent.
By this point, the answer was already decided.
Wang San asked one final question.

“So Cheol.”
“Yes.”
“Do you understand the circumstances of Cheol Jang-bang? What is your will regarding giving this year’s recommendation slot to Yeo Ui?”

So Cheol held Wang San’s gaze for a moment.
He had not asked what he wanted.
He was asking whether he would resist.
So Cheol had no intention of saying he would yield gracefully.
But speaking out here would change nothing.
So Cheol bowed respectfully.

“How could I presume to defy the Master’s decision.”

Son Cheol-sim’s eyes flickered ever so slightly.
So Cheol continued calmly.

“I shall follow as you have decided.”

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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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