CLS-Chapter 404

Chapter 404:

Blinding white light.

When the old man drew his sword, brilliant white light burst forth from the blade, filling the entire room. It was such bright light that one’s eyes might go blind, yet the old man never closed his eyes.

As the white light slowly faded, the form of a sword with a pure white blade was revealed.

The old man’s pupils trembled as if struck by an earthquake.

Shock.

After staring at the sword in a daze for a long while, the old man turned to look at Wei Yan-ho with eyes completely different from before—eyes overflowing with intense focus.

“Where did this sword come from?”

“My master used it. He told me to take it.”

“……Hah.”

The old man shook his head.

“He said he didn’t use divine weapons!”

“That thing doesn’t cut very well anyway.”

“Doesn’t cut well?”

“No. It can’t even peel fruit.”

“Heh heh……”

The old man laughed as if dumbfounded. Then he raised his finger and lightly rubbed the blade.

“Indeed. There’s no edge.”

“It doesn’t cut well and it’s just heavy and troublesome. I can’t exactly throw it away either.”

“If you’re thinking of throwing it away, give it to me.”

“Eh, still……”

“No, sell it to me. I’ll match whatever price you want.”

“That’s my master’s memento. Well, calling it a memento is a bit ambiguous, but either way, I’m not selling it.”

“I can pay enough to buy a city.”

“Hul……”

Wei Yan-ho’s eyes became round like coins.

“That city you’re talking about—it’s a city I know, right?”

“I’ll give you money to buy all the land and buildings in the capital.”

Anguish appeared on Wei Yan-ho’s face.

Master’s memento, master’s memento, Baek Mu-han’s memento…….

‘But isn’t master’s real memento the inner core inside my belly?’

Wasn’t master always one to warn against worldly possessions? He probably wouldn’t look favorably on being attached to a sword like that…….

‘Hul, what am I thinking right now?’

Master was someone whose words and actions never matched.

He would say that being attached to outward appearances was useless, yet he himself always wore splendidly brilliant silk robes with perfect creases, and spent one shi-jin every day grooming his beard.

He would say that worldly possessions meant nothing, yet he accumulated vast wealth and built magnificent pavilions.

“Every time he opened his mouth, lies……”

“Mm?”

“Ah, no. It’s nothing.”

Wei Yan-ho waved his hand.

Anyway, whenever he thought of master, he couldn’t have a normal reaction.

“Even if you offered money to buy a country instead of a city, this isn’t something I could sell.”

“Why can’t you sell it? If you sell it, you sell it.”

“Sir, could you sell your father’s ancestral tablet for money?”

“……”

When the old man couldn’t answer, Wei Yan-ho nodded.

“That’s what I mean.”

“Mmm……”

The old man slowly nodded. If that was how he felt, then naturally it wasn’t something that could be sold.

But he couldn’t help feeling regretful.

“Let me ask you one thing……”

“Yes?”

The old man’s face became incomparably more solemn than before. The aura that suddenly arose was enough to make even Wei Yan-ho flinch.

It wasn’t martial arts.

Not martial learning, but a craftsman’s aura. It was an aura that only someone who had devoted their entire life to single-minded pursuit of one field could emit.

“Are you someone qualified to possess this sword?”

At the old man’s serious question, Wei Yan-ho quietly met his gaze.

Their unwavering stares explored each other.

“There’s probably no one in the world more fitting for that sword than me.”

“……Is that so.”

Not a rough answer. But because of that, an even more resolute answer.

A faint smile appeared at the corner of the old man’s mouth.

“Good. I’ll forge an edge for you.”

“You can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

“I tried to sharpen an edge on it, but…… the edge wouldn’t take. Don’t waste your effort.”

The old man didn’t lose his smile.

“That would be the case. Putting an edge on this sword is no ordinary matter.”

The old man quietly gazed at the sword.

Lustrous white light.

To ordinary people’s eyes, it would just look like a mysterious sword with a white glow. But to the old man’s eyes, which had dealt with metal his entire life, something completely different was visible.

‘Incomprehensible elasticity.’

If there were such a thing as a divine sword, this would be exactly the kind of sword that term would apply to. It was a sword that could completely overturn the values of an old man who had only made sharper and stronger weapons.

If a third-rate warrior used this sword, it would be inferior to a kitchen knife placed on a street stall.

If a second-rate warrior used this sword, it would be enough to cut vegetables, and if a first-rate warrior used it, it would finally reach the level of an ordinary longsword.

But if a transcendent master used this sword, it would transform into a peerless divine weapon that no one in the world could block.

Even in its current state, this sword was worthy of being called absolute.

But…….

‘There’s something off about it.’

Whether it had been like this from the beginning or had become this way through long years of use, it felt like the final piece needed to complete the sword hadn’t been added.

The desire to complete this divine weapon began to boil in his chest.

“Won’t sell it……”

The old man’s eyes grew cold.

The moment Wei Yan-ho saw those eyes, he flinched.

‘This old geezer!’

What had risen in the old man’s eyes was pure desire. Wei Yan-ho, thinking he might have his sword stolen at this rate, was about to open his mouth when the old man spoke first.

“Then there’s nothing to be done. I can’t take it by force.”

The old man set the sword down on the table with a thud.

‘Eh?’

Wei Yan-ho was surprised by such a reasonable statement.

His impression of the old man was that he was single-minded. Those who had dug only one path inevitably had such personalities. But to back down so cleanly like that…….

“But I too am a craftsman. I have a craftsman’s pride, so I can’t send you away like this.”

There it is.

Wei Yan-ho sighed.

But the words that followed were completely unexpected.

“Give me a chance to complete this sword.”

“Huh?”

At Wei Yan-ho’s bewildered reaction, the old man raised his hand and ran it along the sword’s surface.

“This is an unusable sword.”

“……Eh?”

Wei Yan-ho tilted his head. Until just moments ago, hadn’t the old man been looking at this sword with entranced eyes? So why was he changing his tune now?

Disparaging goods to lower the price was common enough, but that old man didn’t seem like the type. A craftsman wasn’t a merchant.

“Why? Is it in that bad condition?”

“This is a peerless divine weapon.”

“……”

“But it’s also trash that can’t even be called a sword.”

Wei Yan-ho gave up on interpretation.

He could only wait for the old man to explain.

“This wasn’t made by a craftsman.”

“It wouldn’t be.”

That thing was made by master.

Master held the theory that once martial learning reached a certain level, one could excel in any field without particular knowledge of other areas. And that sword was an example of exactly that.

“Look. Didn’t I make a sword that no craftsman could create? That’s how excellent I am.”

“It was made by someone who puts gold leaf on his own face.”

“Mm?”

“No, nothing.”

Wei Yan-ho was gradually becoming interested in the old man’s words. The old man’s words were matching with his master’s words.

“So you’re saying this sword is incomplete?”

“Rather than incomplete, it was made wrong from the start.”

“……That’s an incredibly convincing statement. I’m persuaded without even hearing the reason.”

That’s how all of master’s work was.

“This sword is perfect. But it’s perfectly imperfect.”

“What does that mean?”

“This sword has the form of a perfect sword. This would be what an ideal sword form looks like. But ultimately, a sword only gains its value when used by a human.”

Wei Yan-ho found himself nodding unconsciously, overwhelmed by the old man’s intensity.

“That’s right.”

“Ideals are always different from reality. This sword is a fantastical sword that could only be seen in dreams, but dream swords can’t be used in reality. A sword isn’t good just because it’s powerful and sharp. A sword is ultimately an extension of one’s hand. A sword that fits perfectly like my own hand—that can be called the greatest sword.”

“Eh……”

Wei Yan-ho finally had to ask.

“Then what should be done?”

“It’s simple.”

The old man flicked the sword tip with his finger. A clear, bright sound rang out.

“If it’s wrong, fix it. Leave it to me. I’ll make this sword be reborn.”

A hint of suspicion appeared in Wei Yan-ho’s eyes.

“This is somewhat presumptuous to say, but what should I trust to leave that work to you, sir? You might ruin a perfectly good sword.”

Without saying anything, the old man pushed the sword into its sheath. Then he tossed the sword back to Wei Yan-ho.

‘Is his pride hurt?’

Wei Yan-ho expected him to say “forget it if you don’t want to,” but the old man’s reaction was again different from his expectations.

“Follow me.”

The old man stood up abruptly from his seat and walked forward without even checking if Wei Yan-ho was following.

“L-let’s go together.”

Wei Yan-ho also jumped up from his seat and began following the old man.

Without even properly knowing why he was chasing after the old man.

“Where are we going?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

“Still, you could at least tell me where……”

The old man slightly frowned.

“You have an impatient personality.”

“I think it’s better than being leisurely. You have to handle things quickly to get even a little more time to rest.”

“Over there.”

Half-listening to Wei Yan-ho’s answer, the old man pointed ahead.

“Eh?”

What Wei Yan-ho saw was a large pavilion with bright light leaking out.

“What’s that place?”

“In your terms, it’s a smithy. The Dang Family calls it Dragon Pool.”

“That’s a strange name.”

“I think so too.”

At that moment, people appeared to block their path.

“Sir.”

Those wearing the Dang Family’s green robes looked at Wei Yan-ho with stern faces.

“As you know, this is a place where outsiders cannot enter……”

“Step aside.”

“Sir, this is family law.”

“I know, so step aside.”

“……”

“Or shall I speak directly to the family head?”

When the word “family head” came up, the guards’ eyes wavered.

“……Please enter. But we cannot avoid reporting this matter.”

“Do as you please.”

The old man waved his hand dismissively. The guards also bowed and stepped back.

‘He must be someone of higher rank than I thought.’

To bring an outsider into a family’s forbidden area meant having nearly family head-level authority.

Wei Yan-ho wondered what this old man’s identity might be, but the old man, as if uninterested in Wei Yan-ho’s curiosity, strode inside with large steps. Wei Yan-ho also followed the old man into the pavilion as if drawn by him.

As soon as they entered through the wide-open door, scorching heat could be felt.

Wei Yan-ho stepped back at the heat that stung his face, but the old man headed inside without hesitation as if this level of heat was natural. Following the old man inside, a different world unfolded.

Furnaces breathing fire.

Furnaces lined up in rows breathing fire, and between them, molten metal flowed like streams.

In front of those furnaces, bare-chested men were hammering away, dripping with sweat.

Those who noticed the old man entering shouted while maintaining their working postures.

“We greet the Elder!”

The tremendous greeting mixed with the heat made Wei Yan-ho’s chest tremble.