Chapter 16. Dream Awakening (16)
Dae-Woong ended up heading home, since he couldn't just wait around without even knowing when his son's blacksmithing session would end.
Clank! Clank! Clank!
Woo-Moon continued hammering as he entered a state of enlightenment. At some point, he could no longer hear anything that happened outside. There was nothing around him; it was only himself and his sword.
'Can you make me? Can you catch me?' the sword in Woo-Moon's mind spoke to him.
'I can do it! Just wait a little longer!'
He had no idea how many swords he had hammered and broken, but he wasn't tired at all. Rather, his entire body was full of vitality.
Like a never-ending wave, the energy of the Celestial Sect's Forbidden Divine Art continued to grow stronger. It was hard to believe, but the more he worked, the more it surged throughout his body. As he concentrated on making a sword based on the image in his mind, the Gentle Celestial Sword reacted to it, followed by the Forbidden Divine Art.
His cultivation continued to rise, and the same went for his qi and his sword skills. Just like that, he pushed through until the sword was finally within his reach.
The resistance he felt during the last bout of forging was quite fierce. Even the hottest flames could no longer heat it up properly, and the hammer also didn't do much to alter its shape.
'This feeling... This is it!'
The sword he was making reached out to him, its heart appearing to have finally fallen for Woo-Moon's endless ardor. The moment he held the blade, he felt everything it needed—when and where to hammer, when to submerge it in water, and when to heat it back up.
He had reached the last step.
Clank!
When that clear sound reverberated, he stopped hammering.
Woo-Moon dunked the sword in the water and took it out.
"It's done."
He no longer had any regrets. At least, at that moment, he didn't have any—he truly liked the sword he had made.
However, it soon came to mind that he had to make a hilt and a scabbard too.
'Ugh, how long will it take to make the fittings?' Woo-Moon was somewhat disappointed.
"Here, take this. It's a gift." Mr. Choo interrupted him.
Woo-Moon turned to look at him and saw a completed hilt and a scabbard in his hands.
"Those are...?"
"I didn't make a weapon, did I? These are just a hilt and a scabbard, after all. Since you were so passionate, I decided to take the hilts of the weapons you brought here and reforge them. As for the scabbard, I made it myself after watching you forge your sword."
Making hilts and scabbards was by no means an easy task. Mr. Choo had to utilize his skills to the fullest, thinking he had to create something suitable for the sword that Woo-Moon had made.
He came close to breaking his oath not to make weapons, and that made him feel uncomfortable, but he still went through with it. He wanted to reward Woo-Moon's pure enthusiasm.
"Thank you," Woo-Moon bowed and received the hilt and the scabbard.
When he received them, he found out that they perfectly fit the blade he had made.
While Woo-Moon put together the blade and the hilt, Choo Min-Sang was startled and shook his head. "No way this is real. Is that really the creation of a person who's only worked in a blacksmith shop for a week? How can he forge such a high-quality sword when he couldn't even make a scythe or a hoe, which are way easier to make?"
Hearing those words, Woo-Moon realized that, compared to Min-Sang, his skills as a blacksmith were indeed lacking. His imagination was dull and inactive when he tried to make tools, after all. When he tried to forge a sword, however, that perfect mental picture came alive, and that allowed him to surpass Min-Sang when it came to sword making.
Hence, he only needed to let the sword in his mind guide his hammer, ultimately allowing him to create such an excellent weapon.
After putting the hilt and the blade together, Woo-Moon carefully polished and sharpened the sword using a whetstone.
The dark metal scale was scraped away and the blade now glowed with a silvery light. Woo-Moon had a big smile on his face looking at this sword, which he saw as his friend and even his own child.
In Mr. Choo's eyes, the sword Woo-Moon had made couldn't pass as a divine-grade sword, but it would rank high among the treasure-grade swords and could even be considered an honorable-grade one.
'I guess geniuses really do exist.' Mr. Choo sighed, astonished. 'Who'd even believe that a novice who just started working at a blacksmith shop less than seven days ago forged a sword of that quality?'
"I'll be going now." Woo-Moon put the sword into its scabbard. "Thank you so much for your help!"
Mr. Choo resisted his desire to ask, "Would you consider working here?"
Woo-Moon's talent for making swords was great, but his father, Dae-Woong, didn't like him doing that kind of work. Mr. Choo himself was also worried about Woo-Moon, due to his incredible talent.
'If the murim people discover his talent, I'm sure Woo-Moon will be in trouble.'
Murim people were crazy when it came to good weapons. Aware of that, Mr. Choo could already predict the events that would unfold upon the murim's discovery of Woo-Moon's skills.
Just as how a powerless person would be in danger if they had a treasure in their possession, it would be dangerous for any common citizen to be targeted by the murim people's greed if they didn't know any martial arts.
The Evil Faction, the Black Hand, and the people of the Demonic Path would most likely capture and enslave Woo-Moon, forcing him to make swords until he died. There had already been similar cases in the past. Hence, Mr. Choo just let Woo-Moon go. His son, Min-Sang, was frustrated, but he didn't care. As time went by, those feelings would be forgotten.
On the other hand, as Woo-Moon returned to the inn with a joyful heart, he couldn't help but be surprised upon finally realizing a full day had already passed. He had simply forgotten the passage of time, and as he hammered away at his blade, a new day had arrived.
* * *
"I beg your pardon?" Woo-Moon's eyes widened.
As soon as he returned from the blacksmith shop, Woo-Moon had fallen asleep and only woken up the next morning.
"I told you to apply as a worker of the Leebi Merchant Guild, you bastard."
Woo-Moon looked down at the announcement paper that Dae-Woong had handed him.
The Leebi Merchant Guild is recruiting workers.
The monthly salary is one silver tael.
Those who participate in the upcoming business trip will receive additional silver taels as a bonus...
It was a pretty great deal. Now that he had thought about it, Dae-Woong and the cook were enough to keep the inn going. Taking that into consideration, it would be better for him to leave the house and earn money. He had some acquaintances in the Leebi Merchant Guild anyway.
"Alright then."
Dae-Woong was ready to argue with Woo-Moon if he disagreed. Much to his relief, however, their discussion was going more smoothly than he had expected.
"Don't feel disappointed. I just think it'd be better for you to go to the Leebi Merchant Guild and gain experience instead of staying at home and helping out in the inn. Do you understand, son?"
"Of course. Don't worry, Father. I'll make sure to contribute to the family. I'm an adult now, after all."
Dae-Woong's eyes turned red. He hugged Woo-Moon tightly.
"Woo-Moon! You've really grown up."
As a father, Dae-Woong felt so overjoyed and he was moved to tears. He had never thought he'd be proud of his pathetic firstborn son.
The next day, Woo-Moon knocked on the door of the Leebi Merchant Guild. They hired him as a porter without any investigation or examination, since they still lacked the manpower needed to carry the load for an upcoming business trip. He also worked as a handyman, doing various chores for the Leebi Merchant Guild with other porters.
Porters were needed for all menial tasks, like uprooting trees and planting them elsewhere for aesthetic reasons or repairing drainage channels in case it rained. It was still the hottest summer, so all the porters worked with their jackets off. Even Woo-Moon had taken his top off while working, just like everyone else.
They would leave on their business trip the next morning. It would take two days to get to Go-Ryang Pyeong if they traveled as fast as they could, and three days if they traveled slowly. Hence, they decided to leave the following morning.
Since they had almost finished all the work, Woo-Moon was walking around when he noticed a young man and a woman laughing and chatting in the distance. They were busy conversing with one another without any worries or concerns.
"Who are those people, uncle Seo?" Curious, Woo-Moon asked a porter whom he had just become acquainted with.
"What? Those people? Ah, they're the daughter of the Leebi Merchant Guild owner and the son of a high-ranking person in our guild. And the man with the sword around his waist is...uh..."
As Mr. Seo stuttered, Mr. Ban, who was listening behind him, slapped him on the back of the head. "You're even dumber than a turtle, you idiot! He's a disciple of the Kunlun Sect."
"How dare you hit me, you punk!"
Mr. Seo and Mr. Ban would often quarrel and fight.
'The Kunlun Sect? Ah, that old man named Jin Won-Myeong said he was from the Kunlun Sect.'
The more he thought about it, the more he looked at them.
Finally, once he made sure there was nothing left to do, Woo-Moon headed home. The next morning, he went to his parents' room to say goodbye.
"I'll be back. Don't worry."
"Worried? I'm not worried, you bastard. Just return as soon as possible."
Dae-Woong's words were as blunt as always. Baek Jin-Jin reached out, held her son's arm, and looked at him softly.
'When did he grow this much?'
Her son's forearm had strong, thick muscles that were comparable to his father's.
"Promise me one thing before you go, Woo-Moon."
"What is it?"
Baek Jin-Jin suddenly turned her gaze toward Dae-Woong. Dae-Woong flinched, realizing her expression wasn't exactly full of praise.
"Your father and younger brother were always in good health, so they often fought with others, which made my heart ache. You won't do that, will you?"
"Ahem. When did I ever do that... I don't even fight anymore these days."
Dae-Woong's reply was full of regret, which made Woo-Moon also search his heart and remember what he had done to Yim Choo. With an expression of strong determination on his face, he then nodded.
"Okay, mother. Don't worry. I won't fight."
"Yes, thank you. Thank you so much. You're so nice, Woo-Moon..."
After talking a little more with his parents, Woo-Moon returned to his room, organized his luggage, and left the inn.
Shortly thereafter, the nearly two hundred and fifty Leebi Merchant Guild members left for the business trip. This was an unbelievably large-scale venture for the guild, which had been rapidly declining in recent years. It seemed to be their last attempt at saving the guild, even though it meant risking everything on one card.
Woo-Moon was among the many porters.
As they traveled, Yeon Si-Hyeon—the temporary guild master, Yu Mun-Gwang, the disciple of the Kunlun Sect, and other young men gathered as they went down the road, laughing heartily.
Carrying luggage during the trip wasn't difficult for Woo-Moon. While others were sweating and out of breath, he was only feeling better with every step. Feeling bad for them, he volunteered to carry the luggage of the weak and elderly porters. As the height of the luggage on his back increased, his popularity grew along with it.
The tedious journey continued, but Woo-Moon felt good, proud that he was making money and helping the household.
When the guild stopped as the sun slowly began to set, the porters unpacked and made camp for the night.
"Hey, Woo-Moon. I'm a little thirsty. Please bring some water over with this bucket."
"Yes, uncle."
Woo-Moon smiled and took the water bucket the senior porter gave. Soon after, three or four more people handed him their water buckets as well, asking him the same favor.
Woo-Moon headed to the well located a bit far from where the tent was being built. There was a large tree next to it, and the young people in the Leebi Merchant Guild's upper ranks, including Si-Hyeon, had occupied its cool shade. They were laughing and chatting with the Kunlun Sect disciple.
Yu Mun-Gwang was extremely proud that he was an outer disciple of the Kunlun Sect. It was his most reliable and sharpest weapon, since the people around him would praise and support him whenever he told them about it.
The Leebi Merchant Guild, which he had coincidentally stopped by on his way to Go-Ryang Pyeong after receiving a call from the Kunlun Sect, reacted the same way. As soon as he told them that he was a disciple of the Kunlun Sect, the Leebi Merchant Guild gave him luxurious accommodation, meals, and a large sum of money.
In exchange, all Yu Mun-Gwang had to do for the Leebi Merchant Guild was accompany them until they had reached and returned from Go-Ryang Pyeong. That essentially meant he had to protect them, but he wasn't afraid at all.
'There's no bastard in this world fearless enough to mess with a caravan protected by a Kunlun Sect disciple. I'll have to live like a dead man when I meet the uptight Daoists of the Kunlun Sect, anyway, so I have to get a lot off my chest here.'
As if on cue, the eyes of all the women in the caravan bathed him in praiseful gazes, which was only natural since he was a disciple of the Kunlun Sect. In a remote village like this, the power of a disciple of the Nine Sects and One Gang[1] was indisputable.
'But who does that bitch think she is that she's so arrogant?'
Yu Mun-Gwang secretly had his eyes on Si-Hyeon. He'd been paying close attention to her, greedily taking in her body shape and sometimes a part of her face, which was only revealed at times when the wind blew and lifted her veil. She was breathtakingly beautiful.
'No one could've expected such a treasure is hiding in this countryside village. Haha, I must...'
As he looked at Si-Hyeon, his mind filling up with insidious thoughts, Woo-Moon also approached them, heading toward the well.
When he got to the well, he dropped the yoke, pulled up the water bucket inside the well, and started pouring cool water into his buckets. His muscles, fully perfected by his metamorphosis, were in an ideal proportion, making him look like the statue of a young god.
At that moment, Yu Mun-Gwang felt something strange. He realized that the women no longer had their eyes on him, their attention having suddenly shifted someplace else.
'What is it?'
Following the women's gazes, he found a filthy, wretched porter fetching water.
1. This is a reference to classic wuxia written by Jin Yong, Gu Long, and so on. The Nine Sects include the Mount Hua and Kunlun sects, which already appeared here, while the One Gang is the Beggars' Gang. ☜