The Echo of the Soul
The room was stiflingly hot.
It was still hard to breathe in this space, which had to be one of the hottest areas even within Cheolgang.
Inside, I stood silently, staring at the woman in front of me.
...What is wrong with her?
And I was looking at her with quite a bewildered expression.
Before me stood Dang Ye-ran, frozen stiff as if she had suddenly broken down.
She was literally as rigid as a stone.
Anyone watching might have thought time had stopped, but the single bead of sweat rolling down her cheek proved otherwise.
I could even see her pupils trembling rapidly.
Which meant she was simply paralyzed with shock...
...Why all of a sudden?
We were having a perfectly fine conversation. Why was she acting like this?
It was a mystery.
At the same time, I felt a twinge of disappointment.
I guess she doesn't plan on hammering anymore.
The sound of her hammering just moments ago.
I had wanted to hear more of it.
It was a shame that I wouldn't be able to hear it again today.
...It had been a long time.
A sound that resonated directly within the soul.
Sounds that shook one's core because the action itself was imbued with a person's spirit.
Usually, only master artisans who had repeated a single craft for decades could produce such a sound.
Yet, Dang Ye-ran's movements carried that very resonance.
And what was more...
It was a stronger sound than anyone else's in Cheolgang.
A sound exceptionally powerful, even among the countless blacksmiths here.
It was so intense that I had been drawn to it without even realizing.
To feel such a powerful sensation from such a delicate woman.
I found it utterly fascinating.
There were people like that in my past life, too.
People whose every single action was steeped in conviction.
Many looked at them and called them once-in-a-generation geniuses.
But my grandmother used to say that it wasn't talent.
“It is the soul pouring out.”
That was what she called it.
Whether one's soul was poured into their actions or not.
If that was what defined the difference in talent, then so be it.
Whatever the case, that's not what's important.
Whether it was talent or soul, those capable of such feats inevitably climbed to the highest peaks.
At least, that was true for everyone I had ever seen.
That was the reason behind my actions just now.
The reason I had casually asked her to forge a sword for me.
Was it rude of me to ask...?
Maybe it was.
Is that why she's frozen like that?
If so, I needed to take it back right away.
"Ah, if you don't want to, you don't have to—"
I tried to backpedal, but...
Grab!
Suddenly, Dang Ye-ran lunged forward and grabbed my wrist.
"I-I'll do it! I will absolutely do it!"
"Pardon...?"
"Your sword, Young Master... I will make it for you, no matter what it takes!"
"Ah, no. You don't have to go that far... Just a decent one... if you can..."
I had only mentioned it in passing. Why was she reacting so intensely?
The sheer passion burning in her eyes was almost terrifying.
"I... I will definitely make it happen."
"...Right, yes... Then I shall leave it in your hands."
I didn't know when it would be.
But it would be nice to receive one if possible.
That was all I had meant by it...
But what kind of storm this request would stir up in the future...
I had no way of knowing at the time.
I finally stepped out of Cheolgang. As the outside breeze brushed against me, I could finally breathe easy.
If I had stayed in there any longer, I seriously might have fainted.
"Phew..."
I wiped away my sweat. In my hand was a piece of cloth that Dang Ye-ran had pressed into my palm before I left.
She had handed me her spare towel, telling me to use it once I got outside.
I had no reason to refuse, so I took it without a fuss.
Should I return this to her later?
Even if not in person, I should probably return it, right?
Looking at the delicate embroidery, it didn't seem like an ordinary towel.
...Of course. A direct descendant of the Dang Clan wouldn't use just anything.
This towel was probably worth a pretty penny.
Could I just keep it and sell it? The thought crossed my mind.
Even I had to admit I was incredibly petty.
...It's all because I grew up poor.
That was usually the case for children of ruined families.
Besides, with a father and an older brother who were absolute trainwrecks...
Maybe those two were the reason I had such pathetic thoughts.
I tried to comfort myself by shifting the blame, but...
"...Hmm..."
It didn't make me feel any better.
So I just went back to wiping my sweat.
Strangely, a refreshing scent drifted from the towel, as if it had been lightly perfumed.
Had the scent survived even in that intense heat?
I found it rather remarkable.
Hmm.
As I stared at the towel, the image of its owner came to mind.
Dang Ye-ran, who had shyly handed it to me at the end.
...Is it true?
Was she really stronger than Dongnyong, one of the Seven Great Talents?
Yoo Chun-gil's offhand remark kept echoing in my head.
If she is stronger, then why?
Why did she stay quiet even when Dongnyong treated her like garbage?
Is it simply because she's good-natured?
She did seem gentle.
Naively innocent, which was rare for someone from a prestigious clan.
It didn't seem like everyone in the Dang Clan was like that.
Dang Ye-ran is just uniquely different.
It felt like her own personal quirk.
Which was probably why she could pour such passion into blacksmithing.
And if, on top of that, she possesses martial talent that rivals or exceeds Dongnyong's...
Then she was practically perfect.
Thinking about it naturally brought back the words she had spoken.
“Would you like to marry me?”
Out of nowhere, she had proposed to me.
At the time, I thought she was crazy and wanted to avoid her, but...
...Should I?
Amusingly enough, I was actually considering it.
It was true that she was attractive.
Her background is just too good.
The Five Great Clans, held in the highest regard among the noble families.
And in terms of wealth, the Dang Clan was on par with the Moyong Clan of Liaoning.
Even looking at Dang Ye-ran herself, she was clearly cut from a different cloth, capable of pouring her soul into blacksmithing, and she had martial talent to boot.
If I marry Dang Ye-ran, my future is set.
Who cares if I have to marry into her family?
Looking at the rest of my life, it was an incredibly sweet deal.
"...Tsk."
I quickly shook the thought away.
It was a pointless delusion. Besides...
If I wanted to live like that, I should have done it a long time ago.
There had been other opportunities.
I had simply chosen not to take them.
"Phew."
Instead of thinking about nonsense, I finished wiping my sweat.
I was sweating buckets. Between the sweat and the heat, I was completely exhausted.
...Seriously, I need to learn how to do it myself.
The method of dispersing heat using internal energy.
I had to learn it somehow.
I didn't know when I'd ever visit a place like Cheolgang again, but it would still be useful to know.
The problem was...
The old man who's supposed to teach me keeps disappearing.
Ever since we arrived in Sichuan, the old man known to the world as my master kept vanishing, driving me absolutely crazy.
Lately, I had been doing most of my training alone.
Usually, I would pick up my sword late at night when no one was around.
Practicing swordsmanship under the moonlight wasn't bad, but...
It seems I don't have much talent in this life either.
I felt it every time I swung the sword.
There is no soul in my sword.
Unlike the display Dang Ye-ran had just shown, I couldn't feel any soul in my movements.
Even putting that aside...
I have absolutely no idea what I'm doing.
Where was I supposed to start, and how?
I couldn't figure it out.
The old man had never really taught me anything about the sword, so was it only natural that I was lost?
If you're going to teach me, at least do it properly.
He told me to practice the basics every single day but never taught me any actual sword techniques.
All I had learned were the first and second forms of the Blue Moon Sword Dance.
And even that was just me memorizing Yoo Chun-gil's movements, so it was hard to say I had actually been "taught."
...What does he want from me?
He acted like he was going to teach me, but never did.
I had no idea what he expected of me.
"Then again..."
Since when had I ever understood that old man's actions?
Trying to comprehend the mind of a demon was a fool's errand.
Which only made the question loom larger.
...How long do I have to keep doing this?
How long did I have to live like this?
I had only wanted a peaceful life, but I was slowly being dragged into the eye of a storm.
And the terrifying part was...
...My senses are growing dull.
The awareness that I was heading into danger was fading.
I had come to Sichuan, had a chat with the Poison King, and...
Even after hearing about the Poison Sovereign's secret vault and other absurdities, I was walking around as if nothing was wrong.
Have I actually lost my mind?
Unless I was insane, I shouldn't be this calm.
Hanging around Yoo Chun-gil seemed to have warped my sanity.
That damn old man.
He acted like whatever happened was no big deal.
He reacted as if everything happened for a reason.
He moved with the confidence that any disaster could be easily handled.
Watching him made me feel like all these crazy events were actually trivial.
...Unbelievable.
I used to be the type to tap a stone bridge ten times before crossing it.
I could feel myself slowly changing for the worse.
"...Should I just run away?"
Maybe it would be better to make a run for it before things got even worse.
I was genuinely considering it.
"Hmm."
If I looked for a way to escape, I could probably find one.
Should I look into it instead of continuing to live like this?
It's better than doing nothing.
Since the old man had no intention of telling me his plans, I couldn't just sit idly by.
I needed to be ready to act if worst came to worst.
With those thoughts in mind, I took another step forward.
Sssssssss—
Suddenly, a chill ran down my spine.
"..."
Despite the sensation, I didn't let it show.
I kept walking, keeping my expression and posture perfectly natural.
I knew better than anyone that I must not show any reaction.
Sigh.
An involuntary sigh escaped my mind.
...What the hell is it this time?
That was the thought that crossed my mind as I looked at the figure standing at the entrance of the forest path.
A rather small build, with the sharp, angry-looking corners of his eyes.
Thick white hair, and a thin, wrinkled face.
He looked like nothing more than a bad-tempered old man, but...
I knew exactly who he was.
The Poison Sovereign.
The former head of the Dang Clan, a hero who had fought in the Great War of Good and Evil alongside the Sword Saint.
It was rumored that a single wave of his hand could melt demons into sludge. He was a man whose mastery of poison reached the heavens, but...
He died of old age a few years ago.
And now...
He's a ghost bound to this place.
For some reason, he was lingering in the Dang Clan estate, unable to move on.
...He really looks like he has a nasty temper.
They said Dongnyong was the second coming of the Poison Sovereign.
I didn't know about talent, but they certainly looked alike.
Even Yoo Chun-gil had agreed on that.
If Dongnyong grew old, he would look exactly like that.
Ugh, terrifying.
I had no intention of looking at him, but if he were alive, I probably wouldn't even have dared to make eye contact.
The only saving grace was...
At least he's better than Yoo Chun-gil.
Unlike Yoo Chun-gil, it was easy to tell that the Poison Sovereign was a ghost.
At least his legs were blurry.
That other old man is so vivid it's ridiculous. Yes, a ghost should at least look like this.
Although the Poison Sovereign was relatively distinct, he was somewhat transparent below the ankles.
In contrast, Yoo Chun-gil looked exactly like a living person, save for his lack of a shadow.
In my past life, even a ghost of this level would have been considered legendary.
I had rarely seen a spirit as strong as the Poison Sovereign in my previous life.
In the first place...
People like him usually don't leave regrets behind.
Considering most of them had accomplished everything they wanted in life, they rarely had lingering attachments.
Which makes it even scarier.
What kind of regret could possibly keep a being like him bound to this world?
I didn't even want to think about it.
Let's just walk past...
One ghost is more than enough to deal with.
So, I just had to ignore him with everything I had.
Step.
I slowly walked onto the forest path.
The chill grew stronger. I had to ignore this, too.
Just stay calm.
Just pass by quietly. As long as I don't show any sign, he'll never kno—
"Child of Cheongwol Gate."
...Or so I thought.
"I know you can see me. Stop for a moment."
"..."
Hearing those words, I felt my heart drop into my stomach.