Chapter 46
Chapter 46
Translator: Penny
Chapter 46
Neither Blood nor Tears (1)
I rented the blacksmith shop for half a day.
It wasn't uncommon for martial artists to rent the shop. Unlike their usual rough demeanor, they always paid the full price without haggling, so the master blacksmith always gave them the best workshop.
The small space, barely ten square meters, was fully equipped with a hearth, bellows, anvil, hammer, chisel, tongs, and other tools, all arranged around the hearth. I asked the master to bring all the materials used to forge swords here.
I had lived my entire life with swords. I had witnessed the Martial Arts Alliance's swordsmiths forging and repairing swords countless times.
Of course, I had never actually hammered a sword myself, so no matter how well I imitated their techniques, I couldn't hope to match the precision and skill of a true master.
With a slightly tense heart, I drew the Heavenly Creation Sword.
Its blade was incomparably sharp. Ultimately, what I needed was this blade.
To be honest, the Heavenly Creation Sword's excessively ornate scabbard was completely not my style. But I couldn't carry the sword without a scabbard, and finding a perfectly fitting replacement wasn't easy.
So, I decided to work on the scabbard first.
First, I removed the jewels embedded in the scabbard. These were tiny gems that became meaningless stones the moment they were detached.
After removing the jewels, I used the Heavenly Creation Sword to scrape and carve away the scabbard's surface. The blade's extreme sharpness allowed me to cut the surface with unparalleled precision.
Every trace of the embedded jewels and the intricate patterns carved into the scabbard had been meticulously erased, leaving it looking as if it had never been decorated in the first place.
But I didn't stop there.
I repainted the scabbard in the most common color in the Martial Arts World: black. With this final touch, it looked like an entirely different scabbard.
Aren't you worried about damaging such a valuable scabbard?
Not at all.
In fact, I felt a strange sense of satisfaction. As I mentioned earlier, I never cared for such ostentatious decorations. The reason I stopped using the Heavenly Creation Sword was precisely because it was too flashy.
Even the Asura Radiant King Sword, my preferred weapon, appeared remarkably ordinary at first glance.
"Perfect."
I smiled with satisfaction. It was my first time attempting such a task, but I had managed to pull it off quite convincingly. Perhaps my exceptional swordsmanship had played a part.
Now, it was time to modify the most crucial weapon: the sword itself.
The problem lay in the sword's hilt. Its ornate design, as extravagant as the scabbard, was compounded by its unique shape. Anyone familiar with the sword would recognize it instantly, and simply removing the jewels and changing the color wouldn't solve the issue.
After a moment's deliberation, I decided to replace the hilt entirely.
The moment I completed this alteration, the Heavenly Creation Sword would cease to be the Heavenly Creation Sword. The swordsmith who forged it had meticulously considered every detail, including the hilt's length and weight, to achieve perfect balance.
I was giving up that advantage, gaining only this sharp blade.
Grasping the blade with one hand and the hilt with the other, I channeled my Internal Force and pulled in opposite directions. Though the blade was firmly embedded, it couldn't withstand the force augmented by my internal energy.
Whoosh.
The blade slid free from the hilt.
"Forgive me."
I selected a suitable hilt from the various ones crafted in the Blacksmith shop and fitted it onto the blade, securing it with the shop's materials and tools. My 부족한 기술 was compensated for by my internal energy.
The skills I had learned from the Swordsmith long ago proved invaluable. Though the result was rougher and more crude than something he would have crafted himself, this very imperfection helped the unique blade blend in, avoiding unwanted attention.
Swish, swish, swish.
I swung the sword a few times. Not bad. I'd just have to get used to it, treating it as if it were this way from the start.
As a final step, I applied a chemical used in the blacksmith shop to dull the blade's luster. Normally, people would try to make it appear sharper, but I was doing the opposite. Of course, the blade itself wasn't actually blunted; it was merely a visual alteration.
I was certain: no one would ever associate this sword with the Heavenly Creation Sword.
Even I myself would never realize this sword had once been the Heavenly Creation Sword.
I swung the sword rapidly again.
Whoosh.
Compared to my previous sword, the way it cut through the wind felt completely different.
I gazed at the newly forged Heavenly Creation Sword with immense satisfaction.
"Take good care of my brother until I retrieve him," I murmured.
Of course, by "brother," I meant the Asura Radiant King Sword.
I meticulously cleaned up after myself. The remnants from carving the original hilt and scabbard were tossed into the forge and burned to ashes.
However, I kept a few small gemstones that had been embedded in the Heavenly Creation Sword as decorations. Seeing these detached gems sparked an idea worth trying.
After bidding farewell to the Master, I left the blacksmith shop.
In a secluded spot, I removed the Human Skin Mask and burned it to ashes.
The man who had purchased elixirs at the Black Market, stayed at the inn, and rented the blacksmith shop had now vanished from this world forever.
"They want you to rewrite and resubmit the report," Yang Pyeong, a military strategist from the Pavilion of Righteous Intent, said cautiously as he returned the report.
"Understood. I'll rewrite it," Gal Saryang replied.
The reason for Yang Pyeong's caution was that Gal Saryang was the one receiving the report. A man they had once served as Chief Strategist was now a colleague, burdened with the most work and constantly forced to rewrite his reports.
Every strategist in the Pavilion of Righteous Intent knew this was Sama Cheon, the new Chief Strategist, exacting petty revenge.
Yet no one dared offer a word of comfort. They were too wary of both Sama Cheon's watchful eyes and Gal Saryang's pride.
"They want you to deliver the revised report personally when it's finished."
"Understood. I'll do so."
"Yes, then I'll take my leave."
Yang Pyeong let out a soft sigh as he left Gal Saryang's office.
Ten days of red flowers, they say, but none last that long.
It was a moment of stark realization about the capriciousness and futility of power.
He wanted to offer a word of comfort, to help Gal Saryang with his duties.
But he couldn't. Interfering would only get him expelled from the Pavilion of Righteous Intent and demoted to gatekeeper at some backwater branch.
Gal Saryang rewrote his report and went to see Sama Cheon.
There was already a guest in the room.
A man he'd rather not encounter in such a place: Ju Cheolryong, Head of the Radiant Moon Corps. It was Ju Cheolryong's leadership that had allowed Ma Bonggi to become Alliance Leader. Currently, Ju Cheolryong was the person Gal Saryang found most troublesome.
"I didn't realize you had a guest. I'll come back later."
Sama Cheon gestured for him to sit.
"Sit down. Corps Head Danju will be up soon."
"Yes."
Gal Saryang took the seat next to Ju Cheolryong.
Sama Cheon smirked, a malicious glint in his eyes. Knowing the complicated history between the two men, he relished the awkward tension.
"It's been a while since you've seen each other. Why don't you exchange greetings?"
Gal Saryang bowed respectfully to Ju Cheolryong.
"It's been a long time."
Ju Cheolryong merely nodded once, his expression unreadable. Whether it was out of guilt or a refusal to acknowledge a mere strategist, it was impossible to tell.
Gal Saryang showed no signs of resentment or displeasure. He remained composed.
Sama Cheon thoroughly enjoyed the awkward silence.
He was deliberately tormenting Gal Saryang. He assigned him far more tasks than the other strategists and repeatedly rejected his reports.
His goal was to break Gal Saryang's spirit. To achieve this, he first needed to crush his mind.
Sama Cheon firmly believed that relentless torment would eventually break any man. The only difference lay in how long it would take, depending on the strength of their will.
Unbreakable will?
Sama Cheon scoffed. He knew only one man who had possessed such a thing:
Cheon Hajin.
Yes, Cheon Hajin had possessed an indomitable will, both in martial arts and in ruling the Martial Arts World. But now he was gone from this world. And with him, his unbreakable will had died as well.
Ju Cheolryong bid farewell.
"Then I'll be going now."
"Thank you for taking the time to visit despite your busy schedule."
Even as he left, Ju Cheolryong avoided looking at Gal Saryang.
Gal Saryang handed a report to Sama Cheon.
"I've rewritten the report here."
"Just put it over there."
Gal Saryang placed the report on the desk. A stack of his previous reports lay untouched to one side, their unopened state immediately obvious.
Gal Saryang calmly added the new report to the pile.
"Then I'll take my leave now."
As he turned to leave, Sama Cheon asked, "Oh, one more thing."
"Yes, Alliance Leader?"
"Upon inspection, it seems one of the Former Alliance Leader's swords is missing?"
"Which sword are you referring to?"
"The Asura Radiant King Sword."
"Wasn't it listed in the Martial Arts Alliance's report?"
"No, it wasn't."
"Then I wouldn't know either. The late Alliance Leader never carried a sword. I naturally assumed it was stored in the Martial Arts Alliance's vault. If it's not there, he must have disposed of it."
"I see. Very well, you may leave."
"Yes."
Gal Saryang bowed his head as he watched Sama Cheon's retreating back before exiting the room.
Sama Cheon watched Gal Saryang leave with a cynical glint in his eyes, then spoke into the empty air, "You're keeping a close watch on his every move, aren't you?"
A low voice answered from the ceiling, "Yes."
"Just in case, find any places where he might have hidden the sword."
"Understood."
Having issued the order, Sama Cheon leaned back and sank into his chair.
"If even you don't know, where could that sword have gone?"
"Give us some wine here," the middle-aged Escort Leader said, settling into a corner seat at Pung Tavern with his young Escort.
Baek Pyo greeted them warmly. "It's been a while since you've been here."
They were the Escort Leader and Escort from a nearby Escort Agency, who had come for drinks a couple of times before.
"We just returned from Gansu," the Escort Leader said.
"I see. You must be tired. I'll prepare your usual snacks."
After serving the wine, Baek Pyo began preparing the food.
He overheard their conversation:
"I noticed something strange in Gansu's Merchant World this time."
"What kind of strange?"
"I heard a rumor..."
Though there were no other customers, the Escort Leader lowered his voice, indicating the sensitivity of the topic.
"I heard rumors that Ma Songin of the Heavenly Blade Gate has taken over a Merchant Guild in Shaanxi."
"Ma Songin? Isn't he one of the Heavenly Blade Gate's successors?"
"That's right. The very same Ma Songin. He's one of the six most promising heirs."
"What could be behind this?"
The Escort Leader seemed to have a hunch but remained silent, taking a sip of his wine.
Baek Pyo pretended not to hear, but he had been hearing rumors about the Heavenly Blade Gate frequently.
It wasn't just Shaanxi. Reports were coming in from other regions about members of the Heavenly Blade Gate's lineage expanding their influence and causing disturbances.
Such a thing would have been unimaginable under the former Alliance Leader. Cheon Hajin truly despised the Martial Arts Alliance's interference in local martial arts affairs. Though he had no family, he would have enforced even stricter regulations had he possessed one.
The Escort Leader glanced at Baek Pyo and asked, "Has that been there since the beginning?"
The man was looking up at the wall. Above the entrance to the kitchen, a wooden ornament was mounted: a round shield crossed by a sword and saber in an X-shape, resembling a taxidermied animal trophy in a hunter's home.
"No, I added it when I took over this place. The wall looked too bare."
"You carved it yourself?"
"Yes, I made it to pass the time."
"You're very skilled with your hands."
"It's nothing special."
Baek Pyo followed the man's gaze to the wooden carving on the wall, and memories of the past flooded back.
A few days after delivering the opening gift, Gal Saryang had secretly returned. At that time, neither Ma Bonggi nor Sama Cheon had yet assumed their positions.
Gal Saryang presented a sword. Astonishingly, it was the Asura Radiant King Sword, the unique weapon of the Former Alliance Leader.
"I'm entrusting this sword to you."
"This is beyond my capabilities."
"You're the only person I trust with this sword. Once the new Alliance Leader arrives, I'll be under surveillance and won't be able to visit you again."
"Strategist Gal..."
"Please, accept it."
"What do you plan to do with this sword?"
"I'm not sure yet. But even if I had to give up everything else, I refuse to hand this over to them."
Baek Pyo understood Gal Saryang's feelings. Just like him, Gal Saryang must have been reminded of Cheon Hajin whenever he looked at the Asura Radiant King Sword.
Baek Pyo nodded.
"Understood. I'll take care of it."
"Thank you."
The Escort Leader's request for more alcohol snapped Baek Pyo out of his reverie.
"You're really going all out tonight."
"It's been so long since I've been back. Shouldn't I drink until I'm completely plastered?"
"Ha ha, I'm happy to oblige. To help you enjoy yourself, I won't charge you for this dish."
"Excellent! That's why I love the Pung Tavern. Ha ha ha!"
Just like all the other guests who had asked about it, the Escort Leader quickly lost interest in the wall decorations.