90. Journey Through the Martial World (6)
Journey Through the martial world (6)
90. Journey Through the martial world (6)
It was a failure. The furnace temperature was too low.
Dwarf's Soul. It seemed like an extraordinary ability, but most of its metallurgical knowledge was specialized for a fantasy world, making the techniques extremely difficult to reproduce here.
It was unquestionably an ability capable of forging perfect swords worthy of legend. Yet the very finest required fantasy metals such as mithril and orichalcum. Even a sword made to a more modest standard could not be forged with heat barely at the level of charcoal, not even coal. In that fantasy world, a furnace enchanted with the Eternal Flame Arc spell would have produced terrifying heat. I possessed Unlimited Magic Power but knew no spells at all, so I ultimately tried using the Flame Emperor's Flame Blossom Art.
Flame Qi could not melt iron. Flame Aura supplied ample heat, but because it was a form of Martial Aura, it disintegrated whatever it touched. I therefore adjusted the heat of Blazing Fire Qi, the level between them, and forged dozens of swords. Every one was a failure.
"A-amazing, Reverend! Your extreme yang art was astonishing enough, but a perfect sword like this! This is a treasure for the ages!"
The White Tiger Sect's blacksmith, unaware of my frustration, continued exclaiming behind me. These failures truly were excellent swords. Yet with extensive knowledge of blades now embedded in my mind, swords of this quality could no longer satisfy me. When I threw ten failures back into the furnace, the blacksmith stared in disbelief.
Let's try again.
—Master, please raise the heat a little more.—
—Did you not ask me to lower it earlier?—
—Set it between the previous temperature and the present one. You must live inside a sword as well, Master. Would you not prefer a properly made vessel?—
The forging began again. When I heard the name Dwarf's Soul, I imagined stamping out famous blades like a factory. Why was every ability the demon gave me so hellishly difficult to use? Fortunately, because I practiced the Flame Blossom Art, the furnace heat did not affect me, and I had more than enough stamina. I could repeat the work endlessly until I found the optimal temperature.
At last, I completed two swords that met my minimum standard. Their edges were keen, their cores sturdy, and their durability excellent. I added ornate patterns for amusement, and the results seemed comparable to Murong Rin's treasured swords.
"Amazing, hyung! These are genuine treasured swords, are they not? Will they replace the two that broke?"
Watching from the side, Byeok-geum couldn't stop admiring the quite splendidly crafted swords either.
"No. Those are practice pieces made from poor iron. Now that I roughly understand the process, I'll make the real ones properly."
"Th-those are practice pieces? That's absurd!"
"Here. You and Ban Ho-jeong can take these. They should roughly cover the training hall expense and the cost of the new iron ore, right?"
When I handed him the two swords, Byeok-geum silently stared at the blades in disbelief. I threw the high-quality iron ore he'd obtained from the black market into the furnace and grasped the hammer again. The technique was difficult to apply, but unquestionably extraordinary. Once I established the correct temperature, the remaining work became far easier.
Thus, two swords were completed.
—This is truly remarkable. I've never seen swords of this quality! They say a martial artist shouldn't discriminate among weapons, but these are worth coveting. Still, perfect though they are, are they not a little short?—
The voice of the excited Flame Emperor.
—This length is actually well suited to the Moonlit Divine Sword. It would be even better if the sword point curved slightly.—
The voice of Moon Immortal, quite satisfied with the sword she would inhabit.
—No. This is the Wudang sword shape best suited to the Taiji Wisdom Sword. The patterns differ, but is it not essentially a Song-Pattern Ancient Sword? Still, it may be slightly short for you.—
Heosan's assessment was also a pass. That was a relief, coming from him.
—These are for Master and Senior Sister Jeong. Wudang Daoists generally use swords of this shape, so I adjusted only the length.—
—Ah, I see. In that case, it is accurate. The two children will be very pleased!—
—Wait. Why are the Yeongsan Sect Leader and Head Disciple receiving special treatment again? Yeong is the Reverend's woman too. Her present sword isn't poor, but one forged by the Reverend would be far better, would it not?—
—Don't rush me. I'll make one for everyone. I know the form of a Wudang sword, but not what shape best suits the Moonlit Divine Sword. You said the point should curve slightly from this form, correct?—
—Shorten the hilt by two chi as well, and place the center of balance one-third of the way along the blade.—
—Understood. Wait a moment. I'll forge Reverend Heo San's sword first.—
I had learned the shape of a Wudang sword. I lengthened it to fit my body and forged Heosan's blade. Heosan would probably prefer an engraving of a powerful Daoist diagram to ornate decoration. His sword was completed without trouble. I then attempted Son Yeong's, but the irritating Moon Immortal rejected it several times before finally accepting one. Afterward, I forged the sword Moon Immortal herself would inhabit in the same form.
As I continued, I gradually grew sick of the work. How many swords had I made by then? To clear my head, I paused the sword forging and made Medicine Immortal's iron rice paddle. That was simple. It only needed to be sturdy. It would be a little heavy, but neither Lee Eun-ha nor I would have trouble with the weight. Then came the Flame Emperor's sword, the one I would carry most often. He did not obsess over an unusual shape and requested an ordinary sword. Precisely because it was ordinary, I took even greater care with it. After sending the Four Heroes into their new vessels, I also completed the sword I would wield myself.
Finally, the last job: Geo Am.
—Hm. To tell the truth, Mount Tai Strike is not a sword technique. It is a little embarrassing for a ghost to complain, but since you're accepting requests, make my vessel an iron plate rather than a sword.—
An iron plate? Something similar to a sword, but a flat iron plate with no edge at all?
That was true. The Mount Tai Strike possessed none of the sharpness expected of sword or saber techniques. It simply battered an opponent down with overwhelming, brutish force. I had assumed a peak martial artist would naturally use a sword. Geo Am was simply such an extraordinary master that he had moved without difficulty even while inhabiting one. After I made the iron plate he requested, the once-plentiful ore fell short of another sword by a small amount. I used the remainder to make a miniature iron plate for Cho-ryeong and an exceptionally sharp flying dagger for Lee Eun-ha.
Cho-ryeong didn't use weapons, but an edgeless object like this was unlikely to be dangerous. It would make her look somewhat like a martial artist, and above all, I thought she would look adorable carrying a little iron plate. As for Lee Eun-ha, with her absurd internal energy, she'd probably throw the dagger without any flying-dagger technique or use it as a travel kitchen knife. I'd have felt guilty giving everyone else in the sect a weapon while leaving only her empty-handed.
The work was finally complete. It had been grueling, meticulous labor. I was unused to such intense physical work, and internal energy or not, I felt certain I'd wake with aching muscles. When I returned, I'd drink a cup of Master's breast milk and sleep. Their milk had remarkably distinct flavors. Jeong-hyang's tasted like premium milk, Master's was rich and deep, and Son Yeong's was light and refreshing. I felt a little guilty admitting it, but Master's suited my palate best.
After finishing everything, I left the White Tiger Sect with Byeok-geum. Amusingly, despite being its Sect Leader, the bastard didn't live there and spent every day at Yeongsan Lodge. That was understandable. Yeongsan Lodge was the White Tiger Sect's most important source of income and the place where he met important people such as members of the Martial Alliance. Most importantly, he had to visit Yeongsan Sect's temporary residence directly behind it each day and manage our affairs.
When we exited the White Tiger Sect, the beloved Yeongsan Sect was visible across the way. Still deep in construction. Now the pillars had been raised, and a few of the smaller buildings seemed to already be completed. Once I returned from the trip to Henan, I could live comfortably in that magnificent new home.
Walking beside me, Byeok-geum was still grinning ear to ear as he gazed at his newly received sword.
"That good?"
"What can I say? Holding a sword like this, I finally feel like a real swordsman."
"While I'm in Henan, if high-quality iron appears on the market, obtain it without worrying about the price. For every ten swords I make, I'll give you one."
"That earlier was top-grade. Don't tell me, hyung. Are you looking for meteorite iron or cold iron?"
"I'm not getting my hopes up, but I really would want them if they appear on the black market."
This place was also a half-fantasy world. There was no mithril or orichalcum, but meteorite iron and cold iron existed.
Cold iron came from the mineral-rich tundra regions of Russia. Colder than ordinary metal, it possessed several times the strength and flexibility of steel and was prized as material for famous blades. Like martial arts, it was a metal that existed only in this world. I didn't know whether it would be superior to twenty-first-century carbon steel.
Meteorite iron was literally iron from a meteorite. Unlike cold iron, it had existed in my former world too, though it was extraordinarily rare. I had heard that as a meteorite passed through the atmosphere, intense frictional heat removed impurities and naturally reduced the iron and nickel. Tutankhamun's dagger was said to have been made from meteorite iron. Forged in the thirteenth century BCE and excavated more than three thousand years later, it had remained unrusted with its edge intact, astonishing the world.
I didn't expect much, but cold iron already circulated to some extent in the martial world, and this region was close to Russia. With luck, I might find some. Meteorite iron was the true problem—the ultimate lottery, requiring ore to fall from the sky. What infuriated me was that I believed some existed somewhere in Liaoning. Around the time I began working at a customer service center in my former life, I'd seen an online article. In 2010, East Asia's first confirmed meteorite impact crater had been discovered in Liaoning Province, in some ethnic-minority autonomous region. The problem was that Liaoning alone was about the size of South Korea, and I had no idea where the crater was.
It seemed like potentially useful information, but like the rest of my useless past life knowledge, I concluded that simply forgetting it was probably better for my mental health.
I returned to Yeongsan Sect's temporary residence, transferred the Four Heroes' souls into their new weapons, and distributed the newly forged blades. Son Yeong began swinging hers in the yard the moment she received it. The sword itself was vastly superior, and because its form suited the Moonlit Divine Sword, her sword dance was breathtakingly beautiful. Jeong-hyang, by contrast, wore hers stylishly at her waist like a fashion accessory and happily moved about. Lee Eun-ha said she would carry the iron rice paddle herself, so I gave it to her. I could communicate with Medicine Immortal only while the rice paddle remained in my field of vision, but Medicine Immortal had offered little help with my training, and in an emergency, staying beside Lee Eun-ha would be far more useful. Frankly, I had looked ridiculous carrying five swords and a rice paddle, so I gladly passed it to her. I also handed over the flying dagger, but instead of swinging it, she brought out a radish, sliced it, and laughed happily. That dagger would probably become a kitchen knife.
Then came Geo Am. With his soul transferred into a broad, edgeless iron plate, he became a slightly dangerous-looking skyboard carrying Cho-ryeong. Still, even if she fell, Cho-ryeong wouldn't suffer a scratch.
"Now I truly feel like a Daoist."
Master quietly murmured, looking at the sword closely resembling a Wudang blade.
"You really are a Daoist. Speaking of which, Master, why do you always wear Formal Martial Attire instead of Daoist robes?"
"Daoist robes aren't pretty."
Master had desperately wanted to become a Daoist, yet after finally becoming one, she almost never wore Daoist robes. Moreover, since she had turned Jeong-hyang into a Vajra Pussy, even the newly made White Feather Fan remained abandoned in Master's room every day.
Do-ok. Even Master's Daoist title was fading from my memory because she never used it. The same was probably true of Jeong-hyang. Her Daoist title, Yeonghong; the precious White Feather Fan made by burning Lee Eun-ha's pubic hair; and the Daoist robes I had carefully prepared had never been used.
This was why initiation rituals needed to be harsh. Unlike me, who had barely completed mine after starving for a week, the women had indeed abstained from food and drink because they were embarrassed by the chamber pot. Yet they had secretly nourished one another every day with breast milk, completing the ritual without worrying about excrement. Their status as Daoists had therefore become little more than an unused license stored in a cupboard. I was genuinely glad they hadn't suffered, but after enduring hell first myself, I couldn't help developing the mindset of a grumpy senior.