Hebei (6)

102. Hebei (6)

The maids who had long managed the kitchens of the prestigious Peng Clan were highly skilled. Yet the dishes, which looked suited for mass production, somehow gave the impression of institutional food. Lee Eun-ha, reminded of her own past, approached the maids of a great house warmly, but she had already become Peng Seok's benefactor and the Medicine Immortal of the Yeongsan Sect, whom even the Peng Clan Head did not treat casually. Naturally, the maids, extremely tense, treated Lee Eun-ha with deference but kept their distance.

That came as a slight shock to Lee Eun-ha, and she looked a little wounded by it. It was only natural—servants of a martial sect lived in constant tension. Servants working within a sect surrounded by layers of security could easily become spies for hostile forces, and one careless word meant more than mere dismissal. The pay was quite high, but the work ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was never comfortable. We had already changed. Just as Master was changing little by little, she too had to change. With that thought, I offered no particular comfort and simply resolved to watch.

As for Son Yeong, she followed the path of a martial artist naturally, without needing to be told. She neither grew arrogant nor humbled herself unnecessarily. While the other disciples enjoyed the vast estate to their hearts' content, she had spent the entire day training alone in the ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠private training hall. Now she suddenly approached us and spoke to Peng Gang.

"Great Hero Peng. If you would not mind, might I have the honor of witnessing the Peng Clan saber art?"

"Great Hero? Young Hero is more than sufficient. But a sparring request is a little... To be honest, ever since that day, just the sight of a torch's flame makes my knees buckle."

Peng Gang was spinning a yarn, but his trauma regarding flames seemed at least partly real.

"I have not learned the Flame Blossom Art. And I've only just reached the point of extending my inner energy to the tip of my sword, so please, just grant me one opportunity."

At Son Yeong's earnest words, Peng Gang looked at me as if put on the spot. Anyone could see that Peng Gang's martial level far exceeded Son Yeong's. Relations between the Yeongsan Sect and the Peng Clan were only just turning favorable, and if one wrong spar led to Son Yeong getting injured or even her pride wounded, it would truly put him in a difficult position.

"It's fine. Senior Sister Son is still learning the sword, and even if she gets a little hurt, we've got the Medicine Immortal, Senior Sister Lee, with us. And let me warn you in advance—don't let your guard down. Her internal energy is still weak, but the sword art Senior Sister Son has learned is beyond imagination."

Peng Gang finally nodded, and the three of us headed to the training hall. The two stood upon the training ground. They faced each other, offered the cupped-fist salute, and slowly raised their weapons. Then sword and saber clashed, the exchange unfolding at a deliberate pace. There was a game I'd loved as a child in my past life—a game where you captured wild monsters, raised them, and fought other people. Tired of a cold world, I'd thought as a child that the game was realistic. Those monsters, designed cute enough to sweep the globe, numbered in the hundreds, each flaunting its own unique charm, but in the end, their innate talents differed. When raised to the maximum level, the stat differences were clear, and I had thought what was even more unfair was the type matchup. It wasn't simply a balanced matchup like rock-paper-scissors. Some monsters held a type advantage over hundreds of others and had only a minuscule number of weaknesses. And those minuscule few were usually the poorly performing ones nobody used. In the end, the creatures appearing in tournaments inevitably narrowed to a handful, and that irrational ecology reminded me of reality. Looking back, even in that situation, someone would use a shabby monster no one else touched and win splendidly, and someone else would raise theirs with pure affection regardless of performance, so I suppose that, too, resembles life.

That game from my past life came to mind because of Peng Gang and Son Yeong's sparring. The Peng Clan's saber art ranked among the supreme saber arts under heaven. It likely held the advantageous matchup against most martial arts. Yet the Moonlit Divine Sword—a martial art for geniuses so absurd it was practically cheating. Putting aside peculiar cases like Geo Am, it could probably hold the advantage over nearly all martial arts, couldn't it? The skill gap between Son Yeong and Peng Gang was clear to any eye. But they fiercely exchanged sword and saber and maintained a precarious balance. In the end, after exceeding three hundred moves, Son Yeong's stance did collapse, but considering her Moonlit Divine Sword training had lasted barely half a year, it was a result that should never have been possible.

"Remarkable, Miss Son! I have never encountered such delicate variations before. Right up to the final instant, I was truly terrified."

Peng Gang was pleasantly winded. Having narrowly snatched victory in a tight contest, that smile was perhaps only natural.

"The Peng Clan's saber art was indeed formidable. It was my first time facing a saber wielder, so I learned a great deal."

Son Yeong conceded cleanly. Perhaps tonight, too, she would rattle off bizarre sounds during sex and execute a cheat level-up. At that moment, Peng So came trotting over from afar, grabbed the hem of Peng Gang's trousers, and spoke.

"Oppa. Oppa. Make me a saber too."

"I gave you a new wooden saber just yesterday. Did you break it on Miss Cho again?"

"No. No. Not a wooden saber—a real saber. A small, cute real saber like Ryeong unni uses!"

"A real saber is still too early. When you've grown this much later on, I'll give you a fine short saber as a gift."

"I said I want it now!"

"Live blades are still dangerous."

He tried to tactfully soothe the whining Peng So, but if that worked, she wouldn't be a little kid. Coveting another child's toy was a universal sentiment. In my past life, I too had put my mother on the spot like that, and after my father collapsed, our family's circumstances grew harder, and unable to indulge my little sister's tantrums, that girl had gone completely astray. Whether it was simply that Peng So was cute, or the regret of what I hadn't been able to do for my sister in my past life, a peculiar feeling stirred in me.

"I'll make you one, so go get me some iron ore or an iron ingot."

Peng Gang had confidently told his uncle Peng Mu that he would look after Peng So, so I offered him a lifeline now that he was truly at a loss.

"What? You will, hyung?"

"I made Senior Sister Cho's too. I won't sharpen the edge, but since it's still a weapon, you make sure to teach her to use it carefully."

Seungdeok Estate had a smithy far finer than White Tiger Sect's. Anyway, our Yeongsan Sect's swords had now been through several battles, so I'd needed to sharpen them this time around, and while I was at it, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'd craft a gift for the little kid too. Peng Gang's wife, in truly less than an hour, procured a large pile of iron ingots. She must have brought them from the main estate, I suppose?

For some reason I couldn't ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fathom, everyone, from Master down to Peng So, had gathered before the smithy. When I placed the sword imbued with the Flame Emperor into the forge instead of charcoal, the Flame Emperor roused Blazing Fire Qi and began to heat the winter air to sweltering in an instant. I stripped off my upper clothes and handed them to Jeong-hyang, when a small gasp suddenly reached me.

Hong Seon-hwa. When my eyes met hers, Peng Gang's wife, she gave a light, smiling crinkle of her eyes. Well, even though she was another man's wife, a pretty woman's admiration like that makes you keep up the weight training even if you slack on martial cultivation.

As a user of Blazing Fire Qi, I could channel flame through the hammer and work the iron efficiently. The weapon was meant for a child even smaller than Cho-ryeong, so I finished the miniature short saber in no time and engraved it with a pretty floral pattern a young girl might like. I had expected such a small blade to be easy, but its tiny surface made the fine detailing harder than I had anticipated. After wrapping a narrow strip of leather around the hilt, I had a perfect, attractive one-third-scale replica of Peng Gang's saber.

"Here. I didn't put an edge on it, but it's still a weapon, so no swinging it carelessly at people."

When I handed the short saber to Peng So, her face broke into a beaming smile, delighted.

"Thank you."

Peng So, having received the short saber, hugged my leg tightly, took Cho-ryeong's hand, and left the smithy. Seeing how well she had endured this sweltering forge, she must have really wanted that short saber. Now, even during sword-fight play with Cho-ryeong, it wouldn't break so easily.

"Junior Brother. Can you make tableware too? Eating utensils for us to use while camping."

Swoosh-swoosh. While I was sharpening their swords, Lee Eun-ha asked. That was a good idea. Having experienced camping a bit, wooden dishes and chopsticks were fine for simple meals, but extremely inconvenient for the food Lee Eun-ha served when she produced a proper spread. Since we weren't always by a stream, washing them was troublesome too, but if we made them from metal, we could at least sterilize them with Blazing Fire Qi, which seemed like a good idea.

"A sect that carries its own rice bowls around—we'd be the only ones besides the Beggars' Sect."

Jeong-hyang said it with a laugh. No. We're different from the Beggars' Sect. Those guys do it for begging; we do it so we can enjoy properly made cooking even outdoors. Spurred by Jeong-hyang's thoughtless remark, I poured in excessive levels of skill and crafted thin, light, yet sturdy tableware and a set of utensils. And atop that, intricately carved patterns—this was a splendid, premium tableware set the likes of which I'd never seen even in the Murong Clan. The problem was, perhaps because I'd gotten a little heated, I ended up making ten sets when six would have sufficed.

Well, since a tableware set was a standard newlywed gift, I handed the leftover four to Peng Gang.

"Here. You use these. They're iron tableware, but I made them so they'll never rust, so they shouldn't be bad for the main estate either."

Peng Gang had been watching my work with a dazed expression. Receiving the tableware set, he tapped the bowls with his fist to check their clear ring.

"No, hyung! This is a technique that's absolutely impossible for the Peng Clan's smiths—no, even the Imperial Household's smiths! To use such skill to make mere rice bowls, of all things!"

"What's wrong with rice bowls? Don't you people eat rice?"

"No, while I'm truly grateful for treasure like this, if you're going to make something for me, please make me a weapon too, like you did for So-a."

"Hey. You punk. Don't you think it's a bit much to be jealous of an eight-year-old little sister?"

"Even if it weren't the Peng Clan's family precept, useless pride nearly cost me my head. Henceforth, the word 'pride' does not exist in my life."

Peng Gang had now utterly cast aside all shame and was demanding a weapon. Was I a pervert among perverts? For some reason, my heart went soft for brazen bastards like this. With a series of clanks and hammer blows, I forged a saber similar in shape to the one Peng Gang wore and engraved his name at the center of the blade.

"We'll call the estate maintenance fees even with this, got it?"

The moment Peng Gang received the saber, he swung it this way and that. The guy, who seemed to have some discernment in weaponry, checked the sound of it cutting the wind, overjoyed beyond measure.

"Brother-in-law. Is there none for me?"

Hong Seon-hwa tilted her head slightly forward and asked with a coquettish face. Was shamelessness a case of like husband, like wife—she was now openly calling me brother-in-law. I had no particular desire to refuse, and even if it looked comical, she was of the Peng Clan's direct line, so I thought maintaining good relations helped the Yeongsan Sect too, and spoke to her.

"What weapon do you use, sister-in-law?"

"I don't use a weapon. I studied Fist-and-Palm Art, you see. Besides, by the time I'm on the front lines, the Peng Clan will have utterly collapsed, so I won't need a weapon."

"Then what is it you need?"

"I'd also like a small, adorable short saber like the one you gave So-a. I intend to wear a blade symbolizing the Peng Clan like an ornamental pendant."

Well, not a difficult order. I'd done the work once already. I simply made her a short saber, and she decorated it prettily at her waist like a norigae and smiled happily. The problem was that as she watched her, Master's face suddenly darkened.

"I have something to say to Yeongmok. Eun-ha. Escort Young Hero Peng and his wife outside and wait."

"Yes, Master."

Lee Eun-ha sighed looking at me and left, as if she already knew why Master wore that expression. A heavy silence suddenly descended. Son Yeong's expression didn't change, but Master and Jeong-hyang were glaring at me.

"Yeongmok. Are you in your right mind? Why on earth did you make her something like that?"

"Are you referring to Peng Gang's saber? Truthfully, I didn't put my whole heart into it, and I've already made weapons of that level for Byeok-geum and Ban Ho-jeong, so I thought it wouldn't be a major issue. As they themselves say, the Peng Clan is a power close to the Yeongsan Sect."

"I don't care about that at all! I'm talking about Madam Hong. Gifting a weapon to a martial artist is perfectly proper, but don't you think gifting an ornament to another man's woman is excessive?"

"What?"

"I'm not angry right now as your master. I'm rightfully chewing you out as your wife, so present ornaments made with sincere care to your three wives as well."

Ah. This really was my fault. Whether in the 15th century, the 21st, or the BC era, an ornament given to a member of the opposite sex carried special significance. Especially a handmade ornament like this carried that much more weight.

"I'm sorry. I was thoughtless."

"That's your apology to your master. To your wife, you'll need to make a more loving apology."

In the end, I gently embraced Master, pressed a kiss to her soft cheek, and asked again.

"Sorry. What kind of gift should I prepare?"

Only then, held in my arms, did Master's anger subside. Her sulky expression softened, a blush even rising to both cheeks, and she whispered quietly into my ear.

"Earrings. Three earrings—to put on both nipples and the crotch."