The Restored Full Moon
Four more days passed during our stay at the Dang Clan estate.
It had been six days since we arrived, and during that time, we spent peaceful days without any particular schedule.
When they gave us food, we ate.
When it was time to train, we trained.
When it was time to sleep, we slept.
"Wow."
I couldn't help but marvel. How could time be spent so wastefully?
Being utterly lazy brought me unparalleled happiness.
Yes, this was what life was supposed to be.
I've lived way too busy of a life until now.
It had only been six days.
To think that enjoying leisure for just six days could make me this happy.
It brought tears to my eyes.
"Young Master Bang. Are you alright?"
Cheon Ui-jin, who was standing beside me, asked.
He was drenched in sweat, having just finished his training.
"...Ah, yes. Of course. I'm perfectly fine."
"Fine" didn't even begin to cover it. I was absolutely thrilled.
Tap, tap. I brushed off my sword and sheathed it at my waist.
At the same time, I untied the sandbags bound to my wrists and ankles.
"Phew..."
Just like Cheon Ui-jin, I was also drenched in sweat.
My limbs felt completely numb.
A throbbing ache pulsed through them.
This is pretty brutal.
The weight was no joke. It was a recent addition to my routine.
The old man had glanced at my training and casually ordered me to wear them.
It was a rather primitive method, but since he told me to do it, I did.
Seeing me do it, Cheon Ui-jin had started doing the same.
By now, we both trained with them until we were too exhausted to even stand.
At one point, a completely exhausted Cheon Ui-jin had asked me a question.
He asked if this kind of physical training was really necessary, considering martial artists control their bodies using the internal energy in their dantian.
Hearing that, Yoo Chun-gil had grunted grumpily.
He meant that the body was the channel, and internal energy was the water.
When I repeated those words to Cheon Ui-jin, his eyes widened as if he had reached some grand enlightenment.
What? Why are you the only one gaining enlightenment here...?
It was absurd.
Anyway.
Although the added weight made training feel like death.
I still didn't think it was bad.
I prefer simple things over complicated ones.
Rather than overthinking, just doing what I was told was much easier.
In fact, I found it quite comfortable.
I have been living a bit too diligently lately.
I had pushed myself far beyond my station. Most of it was against my will, which made it even harder.
Perhaps thanks to this brief respite, I felt considerably more at ease.
After washing my sweat-drenched body, I stepped outside.
The weather was exceptionally clear, and there was nothing to bother me.
In particular, the noisy old man had been going off somewhere lately.
It made the past few days perfect for a quiet rest.
Is it almost time to eat?
Just the thought of it put me in a good mood.
I hadn't realized it before, but the food served by the Dang Clan was much tastier than I expected.
I had worried that Sichuan cuisine wouldn't suit my palate, but fortunately, that wasn't the case.
Since this was a place famous for poison, I had been tense at first, but...
...they've been paying attention to that as well.
Perhaps aware of our concerns, the Dang Clan had their servants demonstrate that the food was poison-free before serving it.
If I had demanded it, it would have seemed rude, but they handled it on their own. I guess that was the class of a prestigious clan.
However.
If there was one thing that bothered me in this comfortable situation.
It was the presence of someone who frequently appeared near my quarters.
"...She's here again today."
I sighed, looking at the figure near the wall.
Why is she doing that?
It hadn't been since the first day, but she had been showing up for about three days now.
She seemed to think she was hiding, but she was exceptionally visible.
It was Madam Pi, the matriarch of the Dang Clan.
Honestly, she had hidden well at first.
I wouldn't have noticed if Yoo Chun-gil hadn't pointed her out, but once I knew, she stood out like a sore thumb.
...What is she up to?
Why on earth does she keep coming here?
Should I pretend to notice her? I pondered the dilemma.
I'll ignore her.
I decided to ignore her. My instincts warned me that acknowledging her would only lead to trouble.
Besides, she wasn't really causing any trouble. She just watched me from a distance without doing anything.
So I was trying my best to ignore her, but...
...for how long?
I wondered how long I could keep this up.
I would have to ask her eventually.
But not today.
Not on a pleasant day like this.
With that thought, I was about to head back inside my quarters.
"Is anyone there?"
A voice called out from the entrance.
I turned my head at the sound.
Is it mealtime?
It was about that time.
I walked over with anticipation.
"..."
But I froze when I saw the person standing there.
It wasn't the servant who usually brought my meals.
Standing before me was someone else entirely.
"Young Lord Dang..."
It was Dok-ho, the current Young Lord of the Dang Clan.
I frowned slightly at the sight of him.
"Have you been well?"
Dok-ho smiled at me. As always, the members of the Dang Clan had exceptionally fierce features.
Dang Ye-ran was relatively soft-looking, Dongnyong looked terrifying, and Dok-ho was a sharp-featured, handsome man.
"...Ah, yes."
"I apologize for the sudden visit. The reason I am here..."
I couldn't hide my reluctance as I looked at him.
One might wonder how I could show such an attitude to the Young Lord.
But I knew.
...The fact that this man came to see me personally.
It meant there was definitely work to be done.
Which, in other words, meant...
"The Patriarch has sent word that the preparations are complete, and requested that I bring you to him."
...that the lazy peace I had barely managed to enjoy was officially over.
I followed the Young Lord's lead.
I hadn't been able to eat, but my appetite had long since vanished anyway.
I kept walking, pretending to be calm. Our destination was not the Patriarch's residence, but Cheolgang, the smithy located deep within the estate.
...Ugh.
As soon as we entered, a wave of intense heat washed over us, just like last time.
The temperature was suffocating, but perhaps because I had experienced it before, it was somewhat bearable.
Clang! Clang! Clang-clang!
Enduring the ear-splitting noise, I pushed forward through the heat.
After walking for a short while, the iron door I had seen last time came into view.
As soon as we arrived, Dok-ho reached out and opened the door.
Cre-e-eak!
The heavy iron door groaned loudly as it was forced open.
The moment a gap appeared, a blast of cold air, completely opposite to the heat outside, rushed out.
It was the same freezing chill I had felt before.
Once the door was fully open, Dok-ho held the handle and spoke to me.
"I leave this in your hands."
Dok-ho bowed his head. Having someone of the Young Lord's status act so formally was quite burdensome.
I offered an awkward smile and stepped inside the iron door.
Inside, the Poison King Dang Gyeong-ak and the Chief Blacksmith Dang Ji-cheol, whom I had met last time, were already waiting.
Sssssssss!
Along with a sizzling sound, Dang Ji-cheol was pulling something out.
He slowly drew a long object out of a block of near-frozen ice.
My eyes widened at the sight.
That...
I wondered what it was, but looking closer, it was a familiar object.
It shouldn't have looked like that originally.
That was why it took me a moment to recognize it.
But.
...Man-wol.
The long object Dang Ji-cheol was pulling out was undoubtedly Man-wol.
It was no longer a rusted, half-broken greatsword.
The blade was clean and sharp.
Its form made it instantly clear that this was how it was originally meant to look.
Just looking at it made my fingertips tremble.
Even though Dang Ji-cheol was merely holding the sword, it commanded attention.
The muscles of the old man, who was easily past seventy, bulged with effort.
Just holding the sword caused his muscles to swell, proof that Man-wol's weight was by no means light.
"Fuuu..."
Dang Ji-cheol, examining the sword, let out a low breath.
And.
Dang Gyeong-ak leaned against the wall, watching calmly.
"It is done."
As Dang Ji-cheol muttered quietly, Dang Gyeong-ak finally broke his silence.
"...Thank you for your hard work."
"Hard work? Nonsense."
Dang Ji-cheol chuckled.
He then placed Man-wol onto the table.
For some reason, I couldn't tear my eyes away from the blade.
Why? It was just a sword, yet my heart was pounding.
...What is this?
What was I feeling? I gently placed a hand over my chest.
I could feel my heartbeat racing unusually fast.
My body was excited.
To be more precise, it wasn't my body, but my soul.
Or perhaps my dantian itself was reacting.
It was hard to put into words. But I was definitely sensing something from Man-wol.
Just then.
"You're going to burn a hole through it with that stare."
Dang Ji-cheol's voice snapped me back to reality.
"Is it fascinating because it is your master's sword?"
"...Yes, a little."
I replied, tearing my gaze away.
"So this was its original shape..."
To think it possessed such a clean blade.
I asked, looking at it in wonder.
"...Is the repair fully finished?"
I thought I heard it would take at least ten days, but was it already done?
In response to my question, Dang Ji-cheol spoke.
"Unfortunately, no."
"It's not?"
"Yes. This is merely a temporary measure."
"What do you mean by that...?"
A temporary measure? While I was wondering what he meant, Dang Gyeong-ak spoke up.
"The repair is not complete. We have merely restored its shape."
"Why go through the trouble?"
It wasn't fully repaired, just reshaped? Does that mean they didn't use the cold iron to fix it yet?
Why on earth?
Unable to understand, I looked at the Poison King, who met my gaze.
"It was necessary to open the Secret Vault."
He was referring to the Secret Vault of the Poison Sovereign.
"...Man-wol is?"
"Indeed. Now that the first condition has been met, that is why I have summoned you, Young Master Bang."
They had restored its shape first, rather than completing the repair.
And that was the reason they called me here?
Which meant...
"You're going to give me your answer to our previous discussion?"
"..."
The Poison King fell silent for a moment. The "previous discussion" referred to the conditions we had negotiated.
In exchange for helping them open the Secret Vault, I had asked for a few things.
We had debated back and forth on the matter.
In the end, the Poison King had promised to give a definitive answer the next time we met, and it seemed today was the day.
What kind of answer would he give?
As I watched him with anticipation, he spoke.
"...I will accept your terms."
The Poison King let out a soft sigh as he spoke.
"Thank you for your consideration, Patriarch."
I replied, feeling a wave of relief.
With this...
"May I assume I can count on your assistance now?"
"I don't know exactly what I need to do to help... but as long as the conditions are met, I will do my best."
It's not like they're going to kill me.
Besides, I had set those conditions precisely to avoid getting killed, so I figured it would be fine.
"..."
The Poison King stared at me silently before nodding once more.
"...Very well. I called you today to show you the state of Man-wol and to deliver this answer. As for the Secret Vault..."
The Poison King held up two fingers.
"We will proceed in two days."
I nodded slowly at his words.
It seemed there wasn't much time left.
After finishing my conversation with the Poison King, I stepped back out of the iron door.
The two of them said they still had work to do and wouldn't be coming out just yet.
Dok-ho was nowhere to be seen either.
I didn't really need a guide anyway, so it didn't matter.
The cold vanished, replaced once again by the sweltering heat.
The stifling air still clung to my throat, but I ignored it and walked toward the exit.
Right now, the thoughts crowding my mind were far more suffocating than the heat.
The Secret Vault of the Poison Sovereign...
I had agreed to help under certain conditions, but what exactly did I have to do?
Although I had taken my own precautions, the anxiety remained.
The old man said it was no big deal and told me to just do it, but...
Half of what that guy said was nonsense, so I couldn't trust him completely.
"Tsk."
What if I ended up in deep trouble because of this?
Just as I was worrying about what to do...
Clang!
"..."
A sound suddenly reached my ears. It was familiar—the kind of sound I always heard whenever I came to Cheolgang.
However.
Clang!
"...Hm?"
It was the same sound, yet something was different.
Clang!
My shoulders flinched with every strike.
At the same time, something deep inside me reacted.
This...
I had definitely felt this sensation somewhere before.
In fact, I had felt it just moments ago, so there was no mistaking it.
...It's similar to when I looked at Man-wol.
When I saw the reshaped Man-wol.
It was just like the feeling I had back then.
A reaction not of the body, but of the soul.
That was exactly what this sensation felt like.
What is it?
Why was I reacting to that sound of my own accord?
Clang! Clang-clang!
Clang!
Among the loud, ringing sounds of hammering, it was the quietest one.
Yet, my soul resonated with it.
"..."
My feet turned. They moved toward the source of the sound of their own volition.
My pace quickened. The heat was intense enough to make my stomach churn, but I ignored it.
Clang!
Only the sound mattered.
Clang!
I focused entirely on the sound, which grew louder as I drew nearer.
And then.
Clang!
I arrived in front of a door from which the sound originated.
It was smaller than the iron door where Dang Ji-cheol had been, and it looked somewhat rusted.
Clang!
The sound was coming from inside.
As if possessed, I reached out my hand.
Click.
I grabbed the handle and pulled.
Cre-e-ak.
Forcing past the resistance, the door swung open.
I peered through the half-open door.
A wave of heat wrapped around my face.
It was far more intense than the heat outside.
How could it be this hot? It felt as if I would be roasted alive just by standing there.
It was a temperature where no human should be able to survive.
Yet, inside...
Clang! Clang! Clang-clang!
Dang Ye-ran, her hair tied back tightly, was drenched in sweat as she swung a hammer the size of her own face, striking down with all her might.
And behind her...
...The Poison Sovereign?
The ghost, who could only be the Poison Sovereign, was quietly watching Dang Ye-ran.
He watched her with a deeply frustrated, yet sorrowful gaze.