Chapter 29
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Flower Rain Covering Sichuan
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Sichuan skies blanketed in a shower of petals.
It was truly breathtaking.
"How is it?"
I nodded as I gazed at the unending streams of light.
"Beautiful."
I answered plainly and honestly.
Showing off a family's signature technique—one that transcended a single warrior—was no easy feat.
"Honestly, it's still unfinished."
Weapons honed over centuries were sometimes flaunted without restraint, but at their core, they were the lifeblood of the clan.
In places as secretive as the Tang Clan or even more so, it wasn't uncommon to silence those who had witnessed the techniques. In the unorthodox world, it happened all the time.
"Even the legendary techniques passed down in our main house feel burdensome to me in my old age."
"I see."
"Anyway, is that all your thoughts?"
Even accounting for these peaceful times, Dang Cheol-son's actions were utterly unexpected.
"Hm..."
Dang Cheol-son's martial prowess surpassed that of Seo Mun-gyeol, whom I'd faced before.
The gap wasn't huge, but considering their ages, it would only widen further. Just witnessing Dang Cheol-son, the pinnacle of his generation, made it clear why the Tang Clan of Sichuan ranked among the Six Great Clans.
"Yes, that's it."
Yet I could instantly spot the flaw holding even him back.
"It's beautiful, but I can't say it's highly practical."
If beauty alone sufficed, street performers like sword dancers or martial performers could produce countless masters.
"Why does someone who has transcended forms cling so tightly to shapes?"
"Mancheon Hwa-u is the aspiration of our house."
I understood. For a clan famed for poisons and hidden weapons, it was their ultimate fusion—their supreme technique. Once branded as cowardly and dishonorable by the righteous factions, it made sense they'd pour their hopes into a frontal assault art.
"To me, it should be called Man-geum Hwa-u instead."
A single execution consumed countless hidden weapons. Regardless of power, nothing was this inefficient or wasteful.
"That part..."
"I know. Unlike infusing darts with qi, forming shapes purely with qi exposes a whole other problem."
Even if one achieved "sword qi wounding men"—an imperfect form—it was meaningless waste if it couldn't pierce the opponent's protective aura.
That was why this flashy supreme art paired with lowly darts and needles.
"Exactly!"
Perhaps because our minds aligned, Dang Cheol-son forgot his age in excitement.
"Abandon hidden weapons, and it can't pierce auras! Use them, and the consumption is insane!"
That was why he called it unfinished.
Mastering qi control was grueling, but without solving the root issue, it was a half-baked technique at best.
"Then the solution is simple."
"Really?!"
"Just replace Mancheon Hwa-u with Gang-gi-u."
"Good grief!"
Disappointment flooded Dang Cheol-son's face.
"Who doesn't know that? Easy to say, but sword aura is condensed qi made manifest. Splitting it into thousands or tens of thousands? Absurd!"
Absurd?
I'd answered lightly since it wasn't my problem, but pondering if it was truly impossible made me tilt my head.
"Why do you think that?"
"Isn't that like telling me to look right while staring left?"
Like wielding swordsmanship in one hand and saber arts in the other—then I recalled his sudden spear commission.
"Just look."
I took three steps back from him.
"Like this."
With a wider field of view, I could see both sides.
Dang Cheol-son gaped awkwardly.
"I hear Shaolin has countless heart methods beyond the Yi Jin Jing."
Mantras that cleared the mind of distractions and sharpened focus aided comprehension and thought—further, splitting thoughts was akin to aspects of the Northern Bright Heart Method.
"The Daoist's Taiji and Qian-Kun are the same. To unite yin and yang, one must first master each within oneself."
"Heh..."
"Easier than mixing water and fire, no?"
I hadn't given a concrete answer.
"You've shut the door on possibility by declaring it impossible."
Whether this shocked him into rethinking his impasse was unclear, but I'd provided a clue.
"Indeed, if we could split sword aura..."
We could add feints or reduce hidden weapons.
The limits weren't mine to set, nor the choice.
With qi flowing unpredictably, filling the vast sky like shifting clouds, it would truly deserve the name Mancheon Hwa-u.
"A flower rain pouring freely. That must be the pinnacle of Mancheon Hwa-u."
He murmured lowly, chin lowered.
"What's that mean, Young Master?"
Yang Jeong whispered impatiently, so I just shrugged instead of answering.
"You."
Dang Cheol-son closed and opened his eyes slowly.
"If you weren't just some son-in-law prospect. How about it?"
His expression was utterly serious.
"With my granddaughter, once..."
"Don't even think about it, old man."
* * *
Dang Cheol-son and Ga Bul-hyeon.
"How is it?"
Thick as thieves, the two old men were spitting images of each other.
"It's good."
"Good? It's beyond that!"
Ga Bul-hyeon puffed out his chest over his life's masterpiece.
He'd been skeptical, calling it mere experimentation, but he'd proven the title of Sichuan's best wasn't empty.
"Want to give it a swing?"
I took the spear shaft from him.
Sichuan's finest, one of the world's top craftsmen.
"Not fully complete yet."
His skill didn't disappoint.
A clear tong rang through my palm, soon resonating the entire forge.
The long-awaited spear exceeded expectations.
Whoosh!
A light swing traced a arc, the shaft gleaming vividly.
"Does it have a name?"
I was thoroughly satisfied.
Just one piece of the separated shaft was enough; judging the whole forest from a single tree posed no issue.
"Well, about that. Mixing in the dark steel made the color bleed from the joints. Millennia-forged dark steel darkens with each tempering."
The shaft was pitch black, like obsidian. Tiny patterns guided each piece like a puzzle, making joints easy to find.
"Called it Muk-ryeong for its inky hue. Like it? Or not?"
"...No. It's perfect."
Coincidence or not, it matched the name of my divine weapon from my past life.
Millennia-forged dark steel boasts natural toughness in its white sheen. Usually shaped and edged is all, but human hands dulled its innate white over time.
"I love it."
With those faint traces remaining, it felt like gazing at a masterpiece by a renowned painter, in both fame and luminosity.
"I don't know art, but as they say, it looks just like a painting."
Dark steel inlays solved the issue of veins and joints, hard with pure dark steel. He'd mixed it strategically.
"Glad to hear."
Ga Bul-hyeon resumed polishing the remaining pieces.
Sizzle.
Tools never rested.
Clang!
I moved to avoid disturbing, but he asked casually.
"Heard old man Dang's been pestering you lately?"
Each hammer strike poured his soul, yet he spared a corner of his mind—near divine.
"Something like that. A bit much even for a commission bonus."
"Forgive him. Old folks struggle to find someone who listens. Especially eccentrics like Dang."
Ga Bul-hyeon, thrilled to have a drinking buddy in old age.
I often filled the role, playing Go or xiangqi against him.
"If wins and losses were clean, it'd be ideal."
"Hahaha. A lifetime winner like me isn't used to losing. It's good for him. That old man's ego needs deflating."
He set aside chatter, explaining his near-complete work.
"That's how things toughen up. People or steel. No maintenance needed here, though. Hard to damage even deliberately."
Not for protection. Ga Bul-hyeon made a small sheath to conceal the spearhead's edge.
"Precisely one cheok and a half. Perfect."
Rolling sore shoulders, he exhaled in relief.
The sheathed Muk-ryeong finally rested in my hands.
"Spare sheath?"
His skill was unquestionable, but this was an unexpected boon.
Three one-cheok-half pieces.
"Had some dark steel left. Figured I'd make extras since it's rare."
Three picture-perfect spears, matching the spearhead's length, separated into thirds.
"This isn't for protecting the blade—it's for protecting people."
Two shafts plus spearhead made a full spear. The unusual design was my order, but the extra sheath a surprise gain.
"That sword at your waist isn't decoration. Don't care about warriors' plights, but if hiding the spear, better do it right."
He tilted his liquor flask as before.
"No matter how sharp, if it stabs its owner, it's useless junk."
"Thank you for considering it."
His words were calm, but his trembling hands betrayed exhaustion.
"Ugh, getting old."
Liquor trickled from his mouth, wiping sweat from his beard before hitting the ground.
"As requested, I maximized joint strength. Test it, bring it back if needed."
"Will do."
I slung the bundled divine weapon on my back.
Clop clop.
A-so and Yang Jeong approached the forge, leading two steeds each.
"Your home's in Shandong, right? Heading back now?"
"Yes, sir. Thank you for everything."
"Typical righteous folk, all polite talk. Oh, forgot to ask—what'll you do with it?"
A basic question, idle curiosity.
Crafting divine weapons was no simple task; I'd watched patiently.
"Nothing set in stone, but... don't worry."
Weapons' uses were obvious. But delving deeper, paths branched finely.
"Won't sweep all the unorthodox from the jianghu, or smash sect gates like some Dongyoung warrior on 'training'."
"Heh, you're no ordinary kid."
"You didn't expect 'behead a hundred' or 'slaughter a thousand' from some demonic path tale, did you?"
"Not quite, but so what? Just curious. None of my business anyway."
"So I pass? Thought you'd snatch it back for a wrong answer."
"Planning to hand it over nicely?"
"Nope."
"Bullying a feeble old man? Enough chit-chat—off with you."
Ga Bul-hyeon waved dismissively, as if issuing a guest expulsion order.
"Remaining payment..."
"Forget it. Counts as settling one of those prior conditions."
I'd agreed to a small favor.
"Passing by old man Dang? Give him my regards. I'll be busy awhile."
"...Got it."
Heavy feet made him turn away, tilting his flask.
"Take care."
I bowed politely and headed to A-so and Yang Jeong.
Their gazes lit with joy.
Two fine steeds.
"Young Master!"
A-so struggled with Sichuan's prized horses, intimidated by their height, face full of distress.
"Young Master!"
Surprisingly, the strapping man barely holding the reins was Yang Jeong.
"What are you two doing?"