Gift for Brother Jin-ho (2)
The three warriors, spotting Outer Steward Go Il-pyeong, hurriedly cupped their fists in greeting, clearly taken aback.
It was no wonder—they hadn't been told the outer steward would be coming today, so their surprise was understandable.
I smiled and said,
"Now that the outer steward's here too, let's spar without holding back, no worries about what comes after."
The three warriors' gazes focused on me.
This prickling feeling... must just be my imagination.
And so, the sparring among the three warriors began.
.
.
.
About an hour later, Yeo Eung-am Warrior and Yi Pil Warrior stared in shock, their faces filled with disbelief.
"Th-this can't be..."
"This is..."
And standing confidently before them was Jin Yu Warrior.
His breathing was only slightly ragged.
In today's spar, Jin Yu Warrior had easily defeated the other two.
Watching it all, the outer steward chuckled and said,
"Jin Yu Warrior, was it?"
"Yes."
"Impressive. To reach mature peak at your age..."
Jin Yu Warrior had said he didn't know his exact age but figured he was somewhere in his late twenties.
Reaching mature peak at that age spoke volumes about his talent.
Or perhaps the intensity of his training.
In truth, I'd anticipated this outcome.
After all, this was the man who'd sliced the hem of the Hyeongmun Sect leader's robe.
Yeo Eung-am Warrior and Yi Pil Warrior were no slouches either, but they were still at the first-rate level.
At that moment, Yeo Eung-am Warrior turned to me and cupped his fists.
"My lord, I have a request."
"A request? What is it?"
"Please grant us time for personal training."
Yi Pil Warrior followed suit, cupping his fists.
"I humbly ask the same."
Currently, all three warriors were assigned to guard me together.
But that was inefficient.
"Then let's do this."
I organized my thoughts briefly and continued.
"While I do need guards, my routine—barring special circumstances—is limited to the annex, my office, and the market streets."
They nodded at my words.
"And the real need for protection arises when I'm out in the markets."
I went on.
"So, divide the day into three shifts. You three can rotate guarding me, and use the remaining time for personal training. How does that sound?"
They exchanged glances at my proposal, then nodded.
"Thank you for your consideration."
"No, this benefits me too."
I added,
"The stronger you all become, the safer I am, right?"
And they'd be useful in all sorts of ways...
In any case, the day came to an end.
The next day.
My master's expression remained as composed as ever. I almost wondered if I'd imagined yesterday's look.
Finishing training, I caught my breath.
Todays session had been tough, but since the practice before heading to Hyeongmun Sect had paid off handsomely, I had no complaints.
"Good work. That's enough for today."
"Thank you for your guidance."
At my bow, Master nodded. Then, as if commenting on the weather, he said,
"Thank you for sparing Jin Yu Warrior's life and giving him a second chance."
"You know him?"
He nodded at my question.
"An old connection from long ago."
"I see."
Something made me hesitate to probe further.
Meanwhile, Master continued.
"I'll be leaving on a journey starting tomorrow."
"Pardon? You didn't mention it yesterday."
"It came up suddenly."
"I understand. So you won't make it to Brother Jin-ho's sub-branch leader announcement ceremony?"
"That's right. Please convey my congratulations in my stead."
"Yes, of course."
I didn't know the exact reason for Master's sudden departure.
But it seemed tied to his talk with Jin Yu Warrior yesterday.
Should I ask?
"Ah... and one more thing."
"Yes."
"Please don't put Jin Yu Warrior in a tough spot needlessly. I'll speak to him myself when the time comes."
Caught red-handed, I could only grin sheepishly and nod.
.
.
.
That afternoon.
With some free time, I slipped out to the markets to procure a gift for Brother Jin-ho.
It was Jin Yu Warrior's shift for guarding me.
"Come with me for a bit."
"As you command. Should I fetch Palgap?"
"He'd sulk if we didn't, right?"
"Probably."
Soon after, Palgap arrived at my office upon summons.
"I'm here, young master."
"Yeah, let's go."
The place to get what Brother Jin-ho needed wasn't the sundries shop in the west ward.
I headed for the smithy.
It was located midway between the east ward's cheap goods stalls and the west ward's entertainment district.
The Yeom family had run it for generations, so it was called Yeom's Smithy.
They usually made and sold farm tools like hoes and sickles, but their real specialty was weapons.
Especially spears.
That's why I'd come here.
To commission a spear as a gift for Brother Jin-ho.
Everyone has a weapon that suits their hands, and in my mind, the spear fit Brother Jin-ho perfectly.
The outer steward had taught us how to use all weapons for emergencies.
Thus, Brothers Jeong Ho and Jin-ho could handle most weapons competently.
But upon becoming sub-branch leaders, they chose one that suited them best for serious training.
Jeong Ho had picked the sword.
For Jin-ho, the outer steward had recommended the spear himself—proof of his keen eye.
But initially, Jin-ho chose the sword. Probably because it looked cooler.
The outer steward was disappointed but didn't push.
However, as time with Sub-leader Jeong Chung increased, Jin-ho took up the spear again.
Five years later, he realized his compatibility with it was exceptional.
From then on, he trained in the spear and showed tremendous talent.
It wasn't just his righteous nature that earned him the title of Hubei's Divine Spear later on.
He wielded it masterfully.
Coincidentally, his beloved horse was red too.
Riding a red steed and swinging his spear, Brother Jin-ho looked every bit the divine spear.
"Huh? Young master, isn't this Yeom's Smithy?"
We arrived at the smithy, and Palgap tilted his head.
"Yeah, it is."
I stepped into the clangor of hammers on metal, where a woman greeted me upon seeing me.
The smithy's lady of the house.
"Sub-branch leader, what brings you here?"
"Hello."
Thanks to my frequent public activities, she recognized me.
"What business does the sub-branch leader have in this humble place? You should have just sent for us."
"I didn't want to bother busy folks by summoning them. And humble? This is where tools that benefit people are born."
"I'm grateful for your kind words."
I smiled and continued.
"I'd like to see the elder."
"He's in the middle of work now—might take about fifteen minutes..."
She glanced at me.
I nodded.
"We shouldn't disturb him when he's focused. We'll wait."
I went over to a nearby tree and sat beneath it.
"Isn't it hot?"
I nodded at Jin Yu Warrior's question.
"The heat's intense, huh?"
Even in the tenth month, with a chill in the wind, the forge's blazing furnace heat was formidable.
I didn't mind it much, but Palgap and Jin Yu Warrior seemed uncomfortable, so we'd come here.
As we rested, a white-haired elder emerged from the smithy and approached us.
"I heard you were looking for old Yeom."
I straightened up and cupped my fists.
"I'm Eun Seo-ho of the Eunhae Merchant Group. Greetings, elder."
"Such excessive courtesy for this lowly old man."
"It's only right for one who's earned his place through skill."
The Yeom elder smiled warmly at my words.
I show due respect to those worthy of it, just as I said.
And this elder deserved it.
His demeanor changes with the person—courteous to the polite, curt to the rude, fierce to the violent.
A lifetime of fire and steel had forged his personality likewise.
Truth be told, this old man's backing was no joke.
Though even without it, he'd smash rude fools' heads anyway.
In my previous life, by the time I learned of him here, it was too late.
"Your words leave this old man at a loss. What brings you?"
"I heard you make excellent spears, so I came."
"A spear... you say?"
"Yes."
"For your own use, sub-branch leader?"
"No. My second brother is becoming a sub-branch leader soon. It's a gift for him."
"I see."
I pulled a paper from my sleeve and handed it over.
"Please make it like this."
The Yeom elder examined the spear's design and nodded.
"Not difficult."
The drawing was of the spear Brother Jin-ho had custom-made in my previous life.
It had its flaws even now, but if he'd trained with the spear five years earlier, he'd have surely reached super first-rate.
So, my gift wasn't just a spear.
It was the path to super first-rate.
If Brother Jin-ho had been super first-rate when I died, I wouldn't have gone out so pointlessly.
"Understood. What material for this spear? As you know, higher quality means higher cost..."
I took a pre-prepared pouch from my pocket and offered it.
"Here's the commission fee."
The Yeom elder took it, peeked inside, and staggered back a couple steps in shock.
"Th-this..."
"Is it not enough?"
"Hah! You joking? Not enough? Hah!"
Clearly stunned, his true colors showed.
"With this, I could forge a divine spear of the world, and you say that?!"
"Then make it so. A divine spear of the world."
And so, I commissioned the gift for Brother Jin-ho from the Yeom elder.
On the way back to the merchant group.
I thought about what would happen at Brother Jin-ho's sub-branch leader announcement ceremony.
Brother Jin-ho was Outer Steward Go Il-pyeong's prized disciple, practically an adopted son.
Thus, the invited guests were a bit different from usual.
Many martial artists he'd crossed paths with filled the seats.
That was the problem.
It wouldn't have arisen without inviting martial artists.
But Brother Jin-ho didn't quite fit as a mere merchant group member.
He preferred debating martial arts with fighters over merchant profits.
I didn't want to be the bad brother robbing him of that joy. So, I'd step up.
This time, unlike my previous life, Brother Jin-ho's ceremony would proceed without issue.
Time passed.
The merchant group buzzed with activity.
Tomorrow was Brother Jin-ho's sub-branch leader announcement ceremony.
I headed to Yeom's Smithy with Yi Pil Warrior.
Upon arrival, the Yeom elder himself greeted me.
"How did you know I'd come today?"
"I figured."
"Is the spear ready?"
At my question, the Yeom elder grinned smugly.
"Heh heh. Wait a moment."
He brought over a long box and set it on the table.
Thud.
I could sense its weight.
Opening the lid revealed a spear gleaming with a soft blue, like moonlight on water.
It might sound odd for a weapon, but it was beautiful.
Yet, characters were engraved on the shaft.
Cheongryongmu (Azure Dragon Dance)?
"Elder, what's this writing? It wasn't in my drawing."
"Ah, that? It's this one's name."
"Pardon?"
"The night before finishing it, I had a strange dream. An azure dragon dancing, then striking a rock like lightning. Up close, the dragon was gone, and this spear was embedded there."
The Yeom elder continued.
"Folks call that heaven's will. So I named it accordingly."
"I... see."
I was stunned.
In my previous life, Brother Jin-ho's spear had been named Cheongryongmu (Azure Dragon Dance).
Was it truly heaven's will?