The Path Forward (4)
The object inside the box was a pair of hand axes.
Of course, they were no ordinary hand axes.
“I forged them using the clan’s secret alloy technique. They’ll be a bit heavier than regular iron, but even with your clumsy axework the edges won’t dull. As long as you don’t do anything stupid, you can use them semi-permanently.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes grew momentarily misty with fascination.
Dang Gwan spoke gruffly.
“What are you staring at? Pick one up.”
“Huh? Ah, yes.”
A respectful answer slipped out before he could stop it. The axes were that exquisite.
Yeon Hojeong lifted one of the two. Impressive. They were slightly longer than ordinary hand axes. Roughly one and a half spans in total length?
The blade itself was wide and elongated, its edge extending so far that the tip nearly reached the bottom of the handle. The blade length alone approached one and a half spans.
Its width exceeded one palm, and its thickness was two finger joints—exceptionally stout. With a blade that large and heavy, even ordinary iron would have given it the weight of a decent long sword.
Using the Tang clan’s secret alloy only increased the weight by three-tenths over the same volume of iron. Though called a hand axe, it was heavy enough to burden an average martial artist. How in the world did they craft this?
The blade, engraved with flowing, wave-like patterns, was a masterpiece in its own right. The dynamic dragon form carved upon it looked ready to leap free at any moment, making the axes appear even more magnificent than the Mad Dragon Axe.
The handles differed in color. One was black; the one Yeon Hojeong held was white.
The material was unknown, yet the white handle showed no sign it would soil easily. Its surface offered perfect grip without being slippery.
“They were made by one of the foremost craftsmen in the clan. That master named them the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes.”
Heukryongbu and Baekryongbu.
One might question giving names to mere hand axes, yet after seeing their presence, the name Black and White Twin Dragons actually felt too simple.
“Well? Do you like them?”
Yeon Hojeong answered in a voice that sounded almost entranced.
“They’re perfect.”
Dang Gwan gave a short laugh. He had called the boy rude, an idiot, and worse countless times, yet he clearly acknowledged Yeon Hojeong.
Seeing that same youth utterly captivated, even Dang Gwan could not help but feel pleased.
“I added the round ring at the handle’s end exactly as you requested. Planning to attach a chain and swing them?”
“Yes.”
“Use them well. Eighty percent of the clan’s accumulated casting techniques are concentrated in those two axes. Cherish them more than your own body and it still wouldn’t be excessive.”
“……”
“Even if your neck is taken, do not lose them.”
Yeon Hojeong gazed at Dang Gwan with trembling eyes.
Dang Gwan frowned.
“What is that burdensome look for?”
“……”
“Thank you.”
“Ridiculous. You practically threatened me when you asked the favor, and now you thank me?”
“I never imagined receiving something this magnificent.”
The corner of Dang Gwan’s mouth lifted. For this insolent fellow to speak such words, the axes must have truly pleased him.
Yeon Hojeong offered a formal fist salute.
“I have received a great kindness. So long as it does not contradict righteousness, I will repay this debt by any means necessary.”
“You still attach conditions even now. You and your father are alike in that respect.”
“Pardon?”
“Enough. If you like them, take them and get out.”
“Ah, yes.”
Yeon Hojeong hurriedly gathered the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes.
They would feel somewhat heavy to an ordinary person, but for him the weight was ideal. Since he already wielded a weapon exceeding eighty catties, he could swing these as swiftly as punches if he wished.
They’re wonderful.
Yeon Hojeong already felt his heart racing. The Mad Dragon Axe will remain best for group battles, but these should prove superior in one-on-one fights or chaotic melees.
Of course he could fight well enough with only the Mad Dragon Axe.
Yet he had asked Dang Gwan for hand axes because he could not predict what missions awaited him. In future infiltration or assassination operations, the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes would be far less cumbersome and far more practical than the Mad Dragon Axe.
I truly received an outstanding gift.
His hands itched to test them immediately. Carrying that excited heart, Yeon Hojeong stepped through the door.
At that moment—
“Wait.”
Yeon Hojeong turned back.
Dang Gwan stood with hands clasped behind him, watching.
“Is there something else you wish to say?”
“Are you not disappointed?”
“Pardon?”
Yeon Hojeong lifted the Black and White Twin Dragon Axes.
“How could I be? I already want to swing them right now.”
“That is not what I mean.”
“……?”
“I mean losing the First Martial General. Are you not disappointed?”
“Ah.”
Yeon Hojeong shook his head.
“I am disappointed, but what can be done? He has already fled. What matters now is the future. Besides, the strategist and the Rear Hound are investigating from every angle. For now we simply fulfill our duties where we stand.”
“That is true, yet…”
Dang Gwan’s eyes deepened.
In truth, that was not the question he truly wished to ask.
“Do you remember what you once told me?”
“Pardon?”
“You knew I had a hidden card.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes flashed.
“That is correct.”
“How did you know?”
Of course he had seen it during his days as the Black Dark Emperor.
Yet Yeon Hojeong could not speak that truth.
“I simply felt it would be so.”
“Are you trying to brush it aside with vague words?”
“Is it not normal for the leader of a great clan to possess one or two martial skills never shown to the outside world?”
“……”
“My father is the same, and so is Moyong Gun. Especially in the recent battle against Beon Jak—my father finally revealed the card he had kept hidden until then.”
Dang Gwan remembered it clearly. It was incredible. Yeon Wi’s final strike that left a horrific wound across Beon Jak’s upper body.
It had not been flashy technique or exotic weaponry. Yeon Wi’s last sword simply pushed sword force to its absolute limit.
That was precisely why it had been so terrifying. The technique required time to prepare and left him momentarily defenseless afterward, yet if it landed it possessed the dreadful power to send anyone straight to the afterlife.
It was truly a sword strike worthy of Yeon Wi. His Absolute One Sword, reminiscent of lightning, was brutally simple yet displayed the ideal sword path that every swordsman should pursue.
To think he had been hiding such power.
He probably had not hidden it on purpose. Yeon Wi’s nature was simply unsuited to concealment.
He simply had not needed to reveal it until now.
Thinking back, the Yeon family head’s martial arts have always been that way. Pure orthodoxy without the slightest deviation, never reaching toward impure things. In some respects it is frustratingly rigid, yet that very stubbornness in upholding his beliefs to the end reveals the bearing of a swordsman who can face anyone.
When he first shared a deep conversation with Yeon Wi, Dang Gwan had instinctively sensed the man was entirely different from anyone he had ever known.
That was why he had mocked him and tested him repeatedly. His instincts had recognized Yeon Wi’s character, yet his mind refused to accept that such a person could exist in the world.
Time passed, and Dang Gwan eventually came to acknowledge Yeon Wi completely.
There had been no choice. Yeon Wi never lied. He staked his life to resolve any situation. Despite his lofty position, he always treated others with genuine sincerity.
A man who lived by the sword could never be called a saint, yet in the gangho murim at least, another saint like Yeon Wi would be hard to find.
That was why Dang Gwan liked him. Not because he was kind and walked the righteous path, but because he possessed the courage to respect others while never compromising his own convictions.
Had Yeon Wi tried to coax him with honeyed words or rubbed his palms together in flattery, Dang Gwan would never have acknowledged him.
And yet.
Dang Gwan studied Yeon Hojeong. Such a son came from that father.
Yeon Hojeong bore no resemblance to Yeon Wi, not even as empty flattery. At least on the surface.
But now Dang Gwan could see it. No—he understood it.
No matter what anyone said, Yeon Hojeong was Yeon Wi’s son.
Yeon Wi—the hero of the age who trained in orthodox swordsmanship, valued rules, and placed morality above all.
Yeon Hojeong—the greatest genius of the younger generation who forged his own unique martial arts, disregarded convention, spoke and acted unconventionally, and possessed an extraordinary mind.
The two were completely different, yet astonishingly alike in one respect.
When this father and son reveal their true hearts, they harbor no impure thoughts or worries whatsoever.
He had known Yeon Wi was originally like that, but he had not expected Yeon Hojeong to show the same quality.
That was why Dang Gwan had come to acknowledge not only Yeon Wi but Yeon Hojeong as well.
“Why do you ask about that?”
Dang Gwan, who had been quietly staring, tossed the question out.
“Do you trust me?”
It was an abrupt question.
Yeon Hojeong tilted his head.
“That is a rather unusual question.”
“Answer. Do you trust me?”
“I do. To a certain extent.”
Dang Gwan gave a short laugh.
“So you do not fully trust me.”
“I do not know why you ask, but I have always been a suspicious person. I cannot become a saint like my father.”
“Obviously. Even if you cultivated for a thousand years, you would not reach your father’s ankles.”
“I know. That is why I live while acknowledging my own limits.”
“There is nothing more important than knowing one’s place. Seeing that, you truly are no ordinary fellow.”
“I will take that as a compliment. But why the sudden question?”
Dang Gwan silently observed Yeon Hojeong for a moment. This fellow does not know. It is not that he refuses to acknowledge it—he simply does not realize.
He looked into the young man’s eyes.
Two clear, deep eyes with distinct black and white.
This fellow is unmistakably the eldest son of the Yeon family head. This fellow… trusts me.
Dang Gwan closed his eyes.
What a foolish bastard. To trust me even after we fought each other so savagely.
Because they had risked their lives together? No. Yeon Hojeong was not that simple.
He had gone to fight together precisely because he already trusted him. It was a small yet crucial difference.
Dang Gwan opened his eyes.
“You said you would repay the favor, did you not?”
“Pardon?”
“You said you would repay the grace of receiving those axes, provided it did not contradict righteousness.”
“That is correct.”
Dang Gwan nodded.
“Follow me.”
Yeon Hojeong’s eyes brightened. He somehow sensed what Dang Gwan desired.
“My condition is not at its peak.”
“I have no intention of taking your life, so stop talking and follow.”
Yeon Hojeong grinned.
“Yes, let’s do that.”