Cheolgang
Cheolgang.
It was the place where the blacksmiths of the Dang Clan gathered, and as many put it:
'The Dang Clan of today exists only because of Cheolgang.'
That was how vital a role it played within the clan.
And it was only natural.
It was no exaggeration to say that the majority of the famous swords currently crafted in the Central Plains came from Cheolgang.
Not just swords, but any weapon forged by their hands could not be easily obtained in the Central Plains, no matter how much money one had.
Weapons crafted in Cheolgang were divided into four grades: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and Special.
Even the lowest, Bronze grade, commanded a high price simply by virtue of being made in Cheolgang.
Those of Silver grade were hailed as famous swords.
Gold-grade weapons were offered as prizes for special festivals like the Martial Alliance's Yongbong Association, reaching a level where they could no longer be bought with mere money.
And beyond that, transcending the Gold grade to reach the Special grade...
'They were called divine artifacts.'
Weapons that could only be forged by reaching the heavens.
That was why they were called divine artifacts.
Martial artists trained like madmen to discipline themselves.
Yet, even in the midst of that, they harbored a deep greed for their weapons.
In this way, a weapon crafted by the Dang Clan was a testament in itself.
A proof that one was worthy of carrying such a weapon.
Thus, weapons forged in Cheolgang were objects of yearning for all martial artists.
“……Wow.”
Standing there, I couldn't help but let out a soft exclamation of awe at the sight before me.
“I can't believe I'm actually standing here……”
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Harsh metallic rings echoed in rapid succession, and a thick, sharp scent pricked the tip of my nose.
It was different from the smell of fish or blood.
It was the distinct, heavy scent of raw iron, filling the air.
And that wasn't all.
“Strike harder!”
“Focus! Put your back into it!”
As we went deeper, the space was filled not only with the scent of iron but also with the stench of sweat and thick steam.
It was a mixture of unpleasant odors.
Yet, knowing the purpose of this place, no one could possibly look down on it.
'……So this is Cheolgang.'
I was currently standing inside Cheolgang.
It was a highly classified area even within the Dang Clan, and a place of immense interest to every martial artist.
Naturally so.
For a martial artist, Cheolgang was nothing short of a dreamland.
“Pour it!”
“Keep hammering without rest!”
The place was packed with men whose skin had been baked dark by the heat.
Each of them held something in their hands.
Busy working away.
Even if I didn't know the specifics, I could tell it was metallurgy.
'Are all of these people master smiths?'
Men who had dedicated their entire lives to crafting weapons.
The very foundation and lifeblood of Cheolgang.
The artisans.
Clang! Clang-clang!
Everyone was tirelessly hammering away at something.
Or repeating tasks that were entirely foreign to me.
'It's hot.'
I fanned my collar. The heat was intense enough to make me break into a sweat just by standing still.
'How on earth is everyone else enduring this?'
I turned my head to look at the martial artists around me.
Unlike me, with sweat dripping down the back of my neck, they all looked strangely fine.
What was this? Why were they so unaffected?
Was I the only one sensitive to heat?
Why did they look so dry and comfortable?
As I stared at them in confusion,
"They are regulating it with their qi,"
said Yoo Chun-gil, who had been following behind me while yawning.
"If you coat your body with a thin layer of energy to block the heat, it becomes quite bearable."
“……”
I narrowed my eyes at his explanation.
……There was a method like that? No wonder Cheon Ui-jin and Do-hyeong looked so perfectly fine……
'……Coat my body with a thin layer of what?'
Even if I wanted to try, I had no idea how.
Spreading energy thinly to coat the body.
It was easy to say, but I couldn't grasp the sensation.
So I just stood there.
The sweat was starting to pour.
"Are you alright? You look like you're going to shrivel up and die in a moment, heh heh."
Yoo Chun-gil teased as sweat began to rain down my face.
He was right. I felt like I was actually going to die.
'But what choice do I have?'
For now, pretending to be fine was my only option.
The problem was,
“……Young Master Bang. Are you alright?”
Pretending to be fine didn't actually make me look fine.
Anyone could see that the sweat pouring off me was abnormal.
Thus, Cheon Ui-jin asked with a worried expression.
“Ah, yes. I'm fine.”
I lied, even though I was far from fine.
“But……”
Naturally, Cheon Ui-jin looked highly skeptical.
Not only him, but the others were also casting strange glances my way.
Their eyes clearly asked why on earth I wasn't using my qi.
Feeling their stares, I cursed a hundred times in my head.
'I want to use it too, damn it.'
Did they think I was doing this on purpose?
If I knew how, I would have done it in a heartbeat.
I felt like I was about to pass out, but with no other choice, I just had to endure.
Should I make an excuse?
After a brief hesitation, I spoke up.
“Don't mind me. Since I've come to Cheolgang in person, I wanted to directly experience its unique heat and passion.”
It was utter nonsense. I was basically saying I wanted to suffer for no reason. Even if I were in their shoes, I would have thought, What is this crazy bastard talking about?
“…….”
Clang... Clang...
The moment the words left my mouth,
the noisy hammering suddenly ground to a halt. And then,
'What?'
every single artisan in the vicinity turned to stare at me.
And their gazes were incredibly intense.
What was with this uncomfortable silence?
I swallowed hard and looked around.
After staring at me for what felt like an eternity, the artisans suddenly went back to work as if they had coordinated it.
Clang! Clang-clang! Clang!
It was as if nothing had happened.
What was that about?
As I stood there dazed by the bizarre reaction,
“The young fellow knows how to show respect.”
A voice cut through the sweltering heat.
A white-haired old man, drenched in sweat, stepped forward.
I narrowed my eyes at him.
'……What is up with his body?'
His face was that of an ancient old man, but his physique told a completely different story.
He possessed a massive frame packed with dense muscle, and his hand gripped a hammer the size of my head.
The old man stomped over and stood before Dang Gyeong-ak.
“Greetings, Family Head.”
He bowed slightly to show his respects.
Seeing this, Dang Gyeong-ak also bowed in return.
The family head himself bowed.
I quickly put the pieces together.
'Someone to whom the head of the Dang Clan would show respect.'
And we were currently in Cheolgang.
With that, I deduced the old man's identity.
“I am—”
Before the old man could introduce himself, I stepped forward.
“It is an honor to meet you, Cheolgangju.”
“Hmm?”
The old man looked at me, surprised by my preemptive greeting.
“You are Elder Dang Ji-cheol, the Cheolgangju, correct?”
The old man was indeed the Cheolgangju.
He was the practical authority over Cheolgang.
Aside from the three Special-grade weapons crafted by Dok-jon,
he was also the creator of the Special-grade sword used by the Sect Leader of the Wudang Sect, one of the Nine Great Sects.
The sword named Songmun.
'……It's no exaggeration to say that almost all Gold-grade weapons nowadays are crafted by his hands.'
The only artisan left who had the potential to forge a Special-grade weapon after Dok-jon's passing.
That was the current Cheolgangju, Dang Ji-cheol.
“Oho.”
Dang Ji-cheol looked at me with newfound interest.
“You know of me.”
“As a swordsman, how could I not know of you, Elder?”
Honestly, I hadn't known until recently, but memorizing the key figures of the Dang Clan before coming here had paid off.
“Heh heh heh. Is that so?”
Perhaps my effort had pleased him, as Dang Ji-cheol chuckled warmly.
Then, squinting his eyes, he looked at me and asked,
“Are you the one? The successor of Brother Yoo?”
“……Yes, that is correct.”
'Brother Yoo.' That was a title I hadn't expected to hear.
"This fellow has grown quite old as well,"
Yoo Chun-gil smacked his lips in nostalgia, confirming they indeed knew each other.
“I see. Indeed……”
Dang Ji-cheol nodded at my response. Watching him, a strange feeling washed over me.
'He actually believes me?'
Normally, people would look at me with suspicion, wondering how someone like me could be the Sword Saint's successor. But Dang Ji-cheol didn't seem to doubt it at all.
It was rather unexpected.
As I was marveling at this,
“Well then, follow me. I shall guide you. Ah.”
Dang Ji-cheol turned around and added,
“Only the young man here shall follow. The rest of you may look around the area.”
He pointed his finger at Cheon Ui-jin and Do-hyeong.
The moment Cheon Ui-jin and Do-hyeong were about to protest,
“We have matters to discuss regarding the repair of Man-wol and the Sword Saint, so please understand.”
Dang Gyeong-ak intervened. Only then did the two stop in their tracks.
It was a reasonable excuse.
Since we had come this far, I only had one thing to say to them.
“……I'll be back shortly, then.”
I told them I would return, and then followed Dang Ji-cheol as he led the way.
After walking for a bit, we arrived in front of a massive door within Cheolgang.
Dang Ji-cheol stood before it, grabbed the handle, and pulled it open with force.
Creeeeak!
The door opened with a loud, heavy groan.
A blast of intense cold air rushed out from the small gap.
Once the door was fully open, Dang Ji-cheol and Dang Gyeong-ak stepped inside.
I followed them in shortly after.
'……Phew.'
I let out a sigh of relief the moment I entered.
I had felt like I was about to melt out there, but the interior was wonderfully cool.
Feeling relieved, I scanned the surroundings.
'What is this room?'
What could this room possibly be? To think such a freezing place existed right next to the blazing heat of Cheolgang.
And to top it off,
'That's Man-wol.'
In the center of the cold room stood a pedestal, and resting upon it was Yoo Chun-gil's beloved, broken sword.
Man-wol.
'Why did they put it here?'
Why did they place it in this specific room if they were going to repair it?
While I was lost in these thoughts, staring at Man-wol,
“Family Head, is there enough Cold Iron?”
Dang Ji-cheol asked Dang Gyeong-ak.
“Yes.”
“Then it will take ten days at the shortest, and half a month at the longest.”
Dang Ji-cheol replied casually as he walked toward Man-wol.
Hearing that, I recalled a fact I had forgotten.
'Ah, right. That sword was made of Cold Iron.'
Cold Iron was incomparable to ordinary iron.
Since Man-wol was crafted from such material, it was only natural that Cold Iron would be required for its repair.
'And they readily agreed to repair it under these circumstances?'
Thinking about it, it was an incredibly generous offer.
Cold Iron was a precious material that couldn't be bought with money anymore.
'Even if Cheongwol Gate paid for the materials……'
I wondered just how much they had to pay.
It was also surprising that the Dang Clan had accepted the request in the first place.
While I was observing the sword,
“Young Master Bang.”
Dang Gyeong-ak spoke to me.
“The Dang Clan will begin the repair of Man-wol as requested by Cheongwol Gate.”
“Yes, I see.”
It was something I already knew, and not something I needed to think deeply about.
The reason being,
“However, separate from that, I have something to say to you.”
I knew Dang Gyeong-ak had another motive for speaking to me.
His previous words were merely a prelude to get to the main point.
“To me?”
I feigned ignorance, and he continued.
“This is a request not for a martial artist of Cheongwol Gate, but for the successor of the Sword Saint.”
Dang Gyeong-ak spoke with his signature expressionless face.
“I have a request regarding the secret vault of our former family head. Furthermore……”
“…….”
I wasn't particularly surprised.
I had expected something like this anyway.
However,
“If you accept and resolve this request, I will grant you one Special-grade weapon from the secret vault.”
“……Excuse me?”
I was utterly shocked by his next words. A Special-grade weapon from the vault if I resolved the request?
Just hearing it made my heart race.
“Ha.”
I immediately replied to Dang Gyeong-ak.
“No, thank you.”
“……Then, the request…… Hm?”
At my refusal, the air in the already cold room grew even chillier.