Chapter 66
**
The voice of Na So-wan, the leader of the Fokma Clan, was heavy. Perhaps it felt even more so because fatigue weighed on him.
I had nothing else to say. Even if it was temporary, I was currently a member of the Fokma Clan. As his subordinate, I felt like I had caused trouble, so I bowed my head deeply.
“I’m sorry…”
“You did well.”
“…Huh?”
“I said you did well.”
Na So-wan waved his hand.
“Help me with the bandaging a bit.”
I followed his words without hesitation.
“Who did you fight?”
“I faced off against the rats that crept into our school.”
“That means…”
“They were members of the Martial Alliance. They clearly aimed for the Man-sa-shin-ui. But they couldn’t achieve their goal and only managed to steal a few books before escaping. I chased them down later, but couldn’t catch them.”
Na So-wan shrugged his shoulders.
“I heard a pursuit team from each faction followed them. Their escape route is likely totally blocked… they only have two choices left: hide in a secluded place or take their own lives.”
“…….”
“I heard there was some chaos among the lower ranks. Some even resorted to knife fights. Jin Wi-lyang drew his sword against Yeon Guang first, and it’s said Yeon Guang nearly reached a half-dead state. Is that true?”
“That’s correct.”
“The fighting among the lower ranks is strictly prohibited. As a member of the Fokma Clan, I had no choice but to impose discipline. Moreover… I heard Eun Seol-ran was also injured.”
“……”
Na So-wan put on his outer garment again.
“Jin Wi-lyang’s skills are so famous that no one in our school is unaware of them. He has trumpeted his own abilities as well. To have subdued such a man’s rampage with just one arm is commendable enough in itself.”
Is he… supporting me?
Na So-wan, the Hak Su Gwi, glanced back at me.
“Is that why… I’m more intrigued. I heard you shattered the sword energy with your swordsmanship…”
“I was lucky.”
“Such prowess isn’t something you’d see from a mere warrior. I hear you subdued the invincible iron horse within Fengma Cave using only your external energy; is that true?”
“That too was mere luck…”
“Do you have a master?”
“I… do not.”
“Are you considering learning from me, who is known as Hak Su Gwi?”
“Huh?”
“Seriously think about it.”
Na So-wan smiled slyly.
“I’m not joking about this.”
“I don’t have a master, but there is someone similar.”
“Just think about it. I have no intention of forcing you. I just happened to encounter someone I like among all those who were unsatisfactory.”
Na So-wan left the room.
“I’ll give you ample time. On the day of your return, let me know your answer. As for Jin Wi-lyang, I’ll take care of that matter. In any case, I didn’t like him to begin with.”
“…….”
It was a kind sentiment, but it left a lingering discomfort.
Isn’t this just subtly pushing me to become his disciple?
. . .
Yeon Guang rose from the bed.
Both his internal and external wounds were severe, but his body moved well without strain.
“If I don’t use my inner energy, I have no major issues moving, brother.”
Yeon Guang’s intense gaze towards me had grown even stronger.
“Brother, you are my lifesaver and, alongside that, the savior of my sword, guiding my broken heart.”
“That’s too much praise.”
“I could say even more.”
“Reduce it to one. It’s burdensome.”
Since Yeon Guang was up, I could no longer delay, and I headed to find Master Guigok Yajang.
He was leisurely burning incense and gazed at us quietly.
“Sword.”
“Yes?”
“Both of you, hand over your swords. You only need to bring one. Leave the rest you have at your waist. They aren’t originally yours, are they?”
I flinched, as I was about to draw out the sword left behind by Bing Baeksul.
To identify that with one glance… he surely is a true master.
Master Guigok Yajang swept his eyes over Yeon Guang’s ruined mentor’s sword and gestured to Yeon Guang.
“Grab the sword.”
“Like this?”
“Tighten your grip. Stronger.”
Yeon Guang held the sword tightly. Master Guigok Yajang smirked.
“You two are excellently matched. I can sense how much the original owner cherished this sword. And… that means it’s a well-crafted blade. From your gaze, I can tell you wish for something. What is it?”
“I heard the swordsmith who made this sword for my master has already passed away. I was told there’s no one to repair it. I thought you would know how, old man.”
“A work from the past, created by someone who carved out their soul. Excellent. Your master must have had a close relationship with them. They were likely a mutual support for each other. What exactly do you want? Do you want something similar to be made, or do you want this repaired?”
“Yes, ah, no, I’m satisfied with just fixing this sword…”
“I’ll fix it for you.”
“Really?!”
“Don’t shout. It’s noisy. Go inside and stand properly. Naked.”
“…Huh?”
“Crazy fool. I have no interest in boys. To fix it to fit you, I have to know how your body is made, right? Or would you prefer I just do a sloppy job?”
“N-no, I wouldn’t!”
Yeon Guang dashed into the next room. Master Guigok Yajang gestured towards me.
“Come closer.”
I quietly sat cross-legged in front of him. Master Guigok Yajang placed his hand on my sword.
“This isn’t your sword.”
“…Huh?”
“I said it’s not your sword. The real owner is someone else. However… it’s been fitted for you. You’ve used it longer than its original owner. Plus, materials were added twice along the way. The first was bloodlight stone? The second was… cold iron.”
“Cold iron…? You mean that?”
“Why? Didn’t you know?”
“I didn’t.”
Ilma had once said he would personally fix the sword with a chipped blade for me.
When he came back, it sparkled unusually, and I was pleased with it…
Are you telling me that it had more expensive materials than gold of the same weight?
“The maintenance itself is good. It seems you sought out a pretty renowned artisan. Perhaps that’s why… it’s a bit funny. They used good materials to fix it, leaving almost nothing of the original; it’s almost like it’s a brand new sword out of refurbishment.”
“…….”
“But there’s something particularly worth noting. Do you know what it is?”
“I don’t.”
“It’s the heart.”
Master Guigok Yajang pointed the sword at me.
“The spirit is embedded in the blade. Were you very close with the original owner?”
“…We were friends.”
“I see. A friend. Did you treat your friend’s sword with such care? When this sword was birthed, it likely held nothing. Just one of the many swords made by a moderately skilled individual, no doubt.”
“……”
“When it was in the hands of your friend, it probably wasn’t special either. Nor was it special when you held it. There must have been more days of worrying it would break than feeling anything special.”
Master Guigok Yajang grinned.
“But now it’s different. Both you and this sword have changed. You both have become special in comparison to many.”
“…….”
“Talent? It matters. If you were born with radiant talent, who wouldn’t take notice? A life that stands out—good. You could say it’s excellent. But…”
Master Guigok Yajang tapped the blade.
“There’s a certain charm to this as well. I’ve seen plenty of shining swords. Far too much. Maybe that’s why I find them uninteresting. Since I’ve seen so many, I don’t even want to look anymore. But this is a different story.”
“If that’s the case…”
“If you can elevate a common sword to such heights, you likely deserve to do so. One sword can be made for you. Your eyes desire it, so there’s no need to lie. Do you wish for an Ear Sword?”
I never expected those words to come out of Master Guigok Yajang’s mouth first.
Seongja Myung.
You are ultimately only offering me help.
Thinking back to the name of my beloved friend, I revealed my wishes to him.
Master Guigok Yajang’s brows furrowed.
“Not one Ear Sword, but… three? On top of that, asking for your regular sword to be improved as well?”
“Yes.”
“You’ve got some nerve, haven’t you? You’re so bold that I’m not even mad… but this is basically impossible. Let me ask you this: why do you need so many swords?”
I explained about the transformation sword.
Master Guigok Yajang fell into thought.
“Drawing power from the spirit force using an artificial method… that’s strange. Given the energy you possess, you wouldn’t need to use an external force in the first place. If you have it but can’t use it, that only means your body isn’t like an ordinary warrior.”
“That’s correct.”
“What?”
Master Guigok Yajang inspected my body.
His previously calm gaze turned heavy.
“…You. What relationship do you have with the Master? Surely, this is the Cheongeop… and not the modified version, but the original, right? For someone like you to possess it? Just an ordinary being among many swords?”
“I can’t elaborate deeply.”
“What? Well, I don’t care. I’m not curious about your school’s situation. I’ll just ask one thing: how did someone like you manage to cultivate the Cheongeop this much? Didn’t you suffer? You must have wanted to die?”
“I endured it.”
“What’s that? That doesn’t make sense at all… You endured it? No, what…”
Master Guigok Yajang looked at me as if I were a strange beast.
“I suppose you’re human, right?”
“I have a knack for enduring.”
“You’re something else altogether. A rare breed among rare breeds. Release the remaining swords as well. Let me have a look.”
As I pulled out the sword left by Bing Baeksul, a dreadful aura poured out.
Master Guigok Yajang mulled it over.
“Just when I thought it was boring, this nonsense comes to me. I thought it was just a simple distraction, but that’s not the case… where did you get this?”
“I believe it’s a sword left by Bing Baeksul.”
“The North Sea Ice King of the Seoeoogung! What on earth are you up to?”
“I was just lucky.”
“Luck, my foot. You drew all this by yourself, didn’t you?”
Master Guigok Yajang clicked his tongue and swept his hand over my swords.
“Do you know what an Ear Sword is?”
“I don’t.”
“It’s a sword that supports the spirit with the soul. But if I say it like that, there’s likely no one who could understand. Didn’t you see my workshop?”
“Are you talking about that forge?”
“Forge? That’s merely the center. Extending outwards is the resting place of the departed. That whole place is my workshop.”
Master Guigok Yajang raised his hand.
He lightly tapped my forehead.
“Humans possess a soul. Sometimes referred to as the heart, but it truly means the soul itself. In a way, martial arts can be viewed as the path of refining your own soul.”
“……”
“When the human soul grows stronger, physical aspects and energy naturally follow suit. Of course, there may be some differences, but it’s not so drastically that they can’t catch up. It’s similar when body (體) or energy (氣) leads. If one is dominating, naturally the lagging ones will follow. Heart, energy, body— you should know this if you’re a warrior.”
Master Guigok Yajang ran a finger from my forehead down to the tip of my nose.
“Swords are the same. A famed sword. Do you know what that is? It’s just a blade that’s sharp, hammered with energy. Explaining it would take a while… roughly speaking, it facilitates the natural manipulations of energy and smoothens the user’s martial arts.”
“Then, an Ear Sword…”
“It’s a famed sword that has the spirit embedded into it. One could say that the sword has its own soul. It’s stronger, more sinister, and sometimes it can unleash ridiculous swordsmanship by its own will. Holding inner energy is just a bonus. According to the theory I just explained about the heart, energy, and body, embedding a strong spirit strengthens the sword’s durability and capability.”
“Does that mean an Ear Sword truly is the strongest sword?”
“If that were the case, both you and I would be carrying them around. You fool. There’s a reason an Ear Sword is called an Ear Sword. Having a soul means the sword possesses a consciousness akin to a human. And those with consciousness desire to have a body that can move rather than being a stiff metal.”
“……”
“Originally, the external energy doesn’t positively influence the body. If wielded beyond its limits, it can break the mind. Though I have seen one monster who wasn’t like that.”
“Surely…?”
“If you’ve received the Cheongeop, you must have encountered him, right? I’m talking about the Heavenly Demon of the past. I originally wasn’t going to give him one, but at the request of the previous Master, I made it… it was the best choice I ever made in my life. To witness that ‘strange’ phenomenon with my own eyes.”
Master Guigok Yajang stood up.
“The connection with the Master. And the fact that you ended up in Fengma Cave… it signifies that you catching my eye wasn’t purely by chance.”
“What do you mean…?”
“I’ll create all three swords you desire. I’ll also sharpen the remaining sword, the one you regularly use. Of course, I’m not saying I’ll turn it into an Ear Sword. Carrying around four Ear Swords will only tear your spirit apart first.”
Master Guigok Yajang gestured towards me.
“Now get up and follow me.”
“Where to…?”
“Where else? Back to the workshop you lot messed up.”
“Are you suggesting we go back among the moving corpses?”
“Moving corpses? Saying it like that is funny. You just saw a moment where a broken corpse had a soul enter it. The places where spirits ought to wander must inherently have high levels of death energy. That’s why I buried the traitors’ corpses underground… but due to malfunctioning mechanisms, the boundary between the corpse and the spirit vanished. That’s why you saw the corpses move for a brief moment. Even I have only seen that phenomenon a few times.”
“Even so, I still think it’s dangerous…”
“What was I holding when I brought you out?”
I recalled the passed incident.
“…A lantern?”
“Right. A lantern. Those things dislike light right from the start. It’s only natural that disaster energy wouldn’t gather beneath the flame and would disperse instead. On top of that, what I have is a special lantern. It won’t go out, and you have no need to worry.”
Master Guigok Yajang lifted my body.
“A partner you might spend your whole life with, and you want to pick them without looking? Better to follow along before you regret it. What kind of high-ranking warrior is scared of corpses… pull yourself together. You foolish fool.”
