I Want to Learn Martial Arts
She examined the needle curiously, turning it this way and that. Then she placed the bundle of cloth she'd brought on the table. I quietly watched as she inspected the [Cloud Iron Steel Needle (C-rank)] I'd given her.
"Wow! I've never seen a needle like this before."
Guan Xue's eyes widened round. It was no wonder. In this era, needles were nothing more than roughly carved animal bones or soft metal crudely hammered with holes punched through. But the cloud iron steel needle I'd given her had been refined with the power of the system. Its surface gleamed mirror-smooth, and the eye for threading was exquisitely precise, without a single millimeter of error. A faint blue sheen unique to cloud iron shimmered across it, making it look like a heavenly treasure in the eyes of someone like her, who lived by the needle.
"What kind of metal is this forged from? It feels cool like ice against my fingertips, yet sharp enough to pierce. Even tough leather would slide right through without much pressure."
"I happened to get some high-quality ironware and hammered it out myself. I hope it feels right in your hands."
"Of course it does! Such a precious gift... thank you so much."
Seeing Guan Xue's childlike joy made all the sweat and toil at the furnace worthwhile. Three needles. Trivial scraps to some, but to me, they were the best way to repay her kindness. She tucked the needles carefully into her bosom, then began gently untying the large cloth bundle she'd placed on the table.
"I've brought something for you too, Master."
As the bundle opened, it revealed a sturdy work apron of deep ebony fabric. Far from ordinary cotton, it was layered thick with tough hemp cloth for durability. The chest, thighs where the apron would brush, and cuffs were seamlessly reinforced with supple, tanned beast hide—perfect for warding off sparks.
"The other day when I stopped by the workshop, I noticed sparks had burned small holes all over your outer clothes."
Guan Xue smiled faintly as she held out the garment.
"All I have is my sewing skills, so it's nothing fancy, but I stayed up all night making it. I made the armpits and torso roomy enough not to hinder your hammering while enduring the furnace heat... Would you try it on?"
I silently took the clothes. They were heavy. Before she'd even used the [Cloud Iron Steel Needle (C-rank)] I'd just given her, she'd pierced this thick hide and fabric with her old blunt, crude needles. I could picture the devotion in every stitch and the redness on her fingertips from the effort.
"Such a precious gift... Let me try it on right now."
I shed my worn, soot-stained top and slipped my arms into the new work apron Guan Xue had made. As I cinched the waist belt tight and adjusted the fit, a soft exclamation escaped me inwardly.
"How does it feel? I roughly measured you and worried it might not fit."
"No, it's perfect. Unbelievably so—it fits me like a glove."
No exaggeration. It clung like a second skin, superbly comfortable. But my surprise wasn't just from the craftsmanship.
"I'm glad. These past few days, your shoulders and chest have broadened so much I was inwardly nervous the fit might be too tight."
Her words hit home. Her sharp eyes were spot on. My body had changed in recent days. I rolled up my sleeve and gazed at my forearm. Once the scrawny frame of an ordinary man right after possession, now it was etched with thick, solid muscles like boulders meticulously carved onto bone. This was no mere result of labor.
The so-called system that modern hunters gained upon awakening had blessed even me, dropped into this nameless Three Kingdoms era. Instead of hunting dungeon monsters, every time I hammered iron at the furnace and forged weapons, the system reflected those changes in my body, boosting my strength and agility. The relentless bellows work and countless hammer strikes were reshaping me into a warrior rivaling any martial artist.
My body grows stronger in proportion to my effort, unlike an ordinary man's. I ran my hand over the hide-reinforced chest, swallowing bitterness. The problem was fighting skill.
This workshop wasn't some back-alley smithy churning out cheap sickles, hoes, or mass-produced spearheads for the army. It was a "custom high-end forge" funded by a massive merchant guild. I was essentially the guild's figurehead—the nominal head blacksmith, a "pants boss." We saw only three or four customers a day, but they were all wealthy豪族 or renowned martial masters from the jianghu. The guild sold my overwhelming smithing skills—born of system-enhanced stats—at premium prices, and in return, I got a safe workspace and top-grade materials.
My ties to Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, and Guan Xue stemmed from this workshop's uniqueness. A few days ago, Zhang Fei had kicked in the door demanding weapon repairs. Guan Yu had entered with him, bearing his massive Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Their weapons were both ferocious tools and artworks. Drawn by the system's instincts, I perfectly restored Zhang Fei's blade, then took Guan Yu's. The moment I gripped its overwhelming weight and murderous steel grain, I forgot all about the guild's profits.
"No charge."
That was what I'd told Guan Yu as I handed back the repaired weapon.
"To disassemble a weapon so close to a spiritual treasure and reforge it with my own hands is learning and honor beyond any price for a smith like me."
Mi So-jeo would have clutched her neck and fainted, but my sincere words instantly won over the proud, discerning Guan Yu. The boisterous Zhang Fei laughed heartily and pounded my shoulder nearly to pieces, while Guan Xue, who'd come with her brothers, looked at me with intrigued eyes. Since then, she'd offered to make me clothes, sketching sewing shears a few days ago and now bringing needles.
"Master? What are you thinking so deeply about?"
Guan Xue's voice snapped me from my reverie.
"Ah, the clothes are so comfortable I got lost in thought for a moment. But... Lady Guan Xue, you just said my chest has broadened?"
"Yes. Your build improves visibly day by day."
"What's the use if it's just size? I only know how to swing a hammer."
At my self-mocking words, Guan Xue tilted her head. I clenched and unclenched my fist, smiling wryly.
"A few days ago, when those bandits raided the workshop, I had no power to defend it and relied on Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. You know that."
"Martial artists live by the sword, but doesn't your hammer create even better things?"
"For a man to be born unable to properly protect his own is its own misfortune."
"The guild has guards, and you're capable enough to hire help."
"Forging good weapons from iron is vital, but... in this mad age of chaos, I've learned to my bones that without a way to protect myself, I can't even safeguard this forge's embers."
My heavy confession shook Guan Xue's gaze. Soon, deep empathy lit her eyes. As the sister of warriors living amid blood and death in this turbulent world, she understood the weight of my words better than anyone.
"Your words ring true, Master."
Guan Xue nodded slightly, stopping her fidgeting with the teacup and meeting my eyes squarely.
"A few days ago, I heard my eldest brother Guan Yu and younger brother Zhang Fei praising your character and physique."
"General Guan Yu... spoke of my physique?"
"Yes. It seems he observed your hand movements and stance while handling weapons. 'That smith's overwhelming strength in manipulating iron and his lower body's stability have surpassed mortal limits. Give him the slightest opening to martial arts, and he'll be a one-man army.'
My heart pounded fiercely.
Is there a better opportunity than this?
The war gods who would command the realm, Guan Yu and Zhang Fei. No matter how much system stat buffs granted me superhuman strength, their battlefield-honed combat skills and martial knowledge were priceless assets money couldn't buy. Martial arts to perfectly control this body and survive the chaos—learning it from them, no less?
"If you have the will, Master, I'll bridge the gap to my brother. After all, you're his benefactor."
I nodded without hesitation at Guan Xue's offer.
"If you do that, I'll never forget the lifelong grace."
"Hee-hee, grace? Think of it as repayment for the needles."
Guan Xue smiled radiantly, tucking the cloud iron needles back into her bosom. She left, saying she'd return when work at the forge ended.
As dusk fell, Guan Xue arrived. I closed the workshop door and stepped into the street with her. The open avenue felt subdued and tense these days, thanks to ominous rumors. Passersby hunched their shoulders, and the occasional armed soldier's eyes were sharp. But my steps were lighter and firmer than ever.
Walking side by side with Guan Xue, we left the market district. Soon, the wide training grounds and barracks housing the volunteer militia came into view. More like trained peasant soldiers than a formal army, but the aura emanating from their center was no joke.
"There he is."
Where Guan Xue pointed: in the middle of the dusty training field, a man stood like a massive ancient oak. Guan Yu, blue martial robes flapping, forehead beaded with sweat, slowly arcing his enormous Green Dragon Crescent Blade through the air.
Each swing tore the air with thunderous whooshes, the massive weapon dancing feather-light in his hands. It wasn't mere brute force. From head to toe, every muscle fiber perfectly controlled, unleashing motion at its pinnacle.
That's it.
Before that suffocating display of might, my blood boiled. The moment to fuse true martial arts with the hunter system and become a real powerhouse. I swallowed dryly and followed Guan Xue slowly toward Guan Yu.