18. The Man of Rain and Steel (1)
Jeonpung and Han Go-wook suddenly felt a deep fear of the entire city of Illyang.
There was something lacking about it, an odd sense of incompleteness that grew increasingly terrifying as time passed.
When Lady Son said nothing, Jeonpung had to step forward and explain the situation.
"I never said to kill anyone. It's true, go up and ask."
Cha Seong-tae asked Lady Son as if he couldn't believe it.
"But why did you come out, Lady Son?" Lady Son replied with a nonchalant expression.
"I came out to get some fresh air. I felt like I would suffocate if I kept my mouth shut."
"Should I send you back?" Lady Son nodded.
"Yes."
Only then did Cha Seong-tae clear the way and say, "Please take care."
Jeonpung and Han Go-wook quietly passed through the ragtag group of Illyang, their mouths tightly shut.
From behind, Cha Seong-tae's voice could be heard.
"Let's have another drink next time."
Jeonpung replied, "No need."
Cha Seong-tae asked me with concern, "Is it alright to send her like that?" If things went according to Cha Seong-tae's plan, the Black Cat Gang would swarm in a few days.
Those belonging to the Twelve Divine Generals were always competing among themselves, sometimes joining forces and sometimes turning against each other, so they couldn't afford to waste much energy in a small town like this.
The most fearsome man in the area was the master of the Twelve Divine Generals, Daenachal.
There was no need to attract Daenachal's attention right now.
Of course, I didn't need to explain all this to Cha Seong-tae.
"Those who drank will find it quite difficult to report out of fear. Their desire for revenge against me is overshadowed by their fear of punishment. Those who go around extorting money are usually quick-witted."
"Hmm, I see."
"Illyang should quiet down a bit now. I will resume my training."
"Where will you train?" "Anywhere... Recover all the assets of the Lu family and manage them. Temporarily take charge of the position of the commander of Hao Moon. If you embezzle public funds, I will dismiss you from the commander position, so keep that in mind."
Feeling a sense of foreboding, Cha Seong-tae asked as if he were digging for information.
"What happens if I get dismissed?" I replied, "If you're dismissed, it's the death penalty."
Cha Seong-tae's eyes widened.
"The death penalty if dismissed? Is there such a law?" "I'm the sect leader. The sect leader makes the laws." "......"
I patted Cha Seong-tae's shoulder and congratulated him on his promotion.
"Drink a toast to celebrate your becoming commander."
I poured him a glass of third-grade Du-gang liquor.
Cha Seong-tae looked up at the ceiling and forced himself to drink.
"Ugh, it's third-grade."
"Our Commander Cha is capable and will do well. I can trust you, right?" "Ah, yes."
"Why is your response so lacking in sincerity? Do you want to be dismissed?" "Ah, no. It's fine. I will work hard. I don't want to die."
"Do well. I will support you later. You will become known as Illyang's best sword, Cha Seong-tae. Such a title will come to you. Just trust me."
Cha Seong-tae replied in a dejected tone, "I will use that too."
"Ah, then Illyang's best too. Don't worry about the Black Cat Gang."
The remaining Twelve Divine Generals would all end up kneeling before me, waiting to be slapped.
Of course, that wasn't the case right now, so I needed to buy some time.
I stood up, planning to go for a hangover cure.
"Let's work hard."
"Yes, please take care."
Cha Seong-tae sighed and poured himself another glass of Du-gang liquor.
"I will finish my drink."
Suddenly, Cha Seong-tae felt the bitter taste of life in the martial world in his mouth.
Even after being promoted, an inexplicable sense of melancholy washed over him.
Perhaps it was because his superior was younger than him. 'Life in the martial world is not easy.' It might also be because his superior used to be a lowly servant.
After leaving the tavern, I looked around Illyang without much thought.
I walked along the street, browsing various shops, and continued walking.
Ordinary people glanced at me, and those who heard the rumor about the deaths of the Jo brothers looked shocked.
Whatever happened, I didn't care.
The everyday scenery of ordinary people remained unchanged, so I planned to keep walking this path.
When I arrived at Chunyang Noodle House, Geum Cheol-yong was eating noodles alone.
"Uncle Geum."
Geum Cheol-yong nodded and gestured.
"You've already had a drink. I came by since you often come here. I usually don't step near the tavern. It's not because I'm afraid of women."
"Of course, you wouldn't."
The owner of Chunyang Noodle House, Jang Deok-soo, asked, "Shall I make you a bowl?" "I'll have noodles too."
"Got it."
Geum Cheol-yong set down his bowl of noodles and said, "You killed them all. Jo Il-seom, Jo Yi-gyeol, Jo Sam-pyeong too. As promised, let's talk about the next story."
"Sure."
Geum Cheol-yong asked with concern, "By the way, won't the Black Cat Gang come after this? If that happens, many young people here will die. Do you have a plan?" I fully understood Geum Cheol-yong's worries.
In my previous life, he was the one who most strongly opposed paying tribute.
"They won't come for now. Even if they do, if a fight breaks out, it will be my doing alone, so others will be fine."
Geum Cheol-yong tilted his head and asked, "Can you handle it alone?" "Yes."
Geum Cheol-yong shook his head.
"It's hard to believe in bravado. Do you have a master, or have you met a reclusive expert?" "Think as you wish. In any case, it will be hard to believe in what I will do in the future."
"That's quite interesting. After all, the lowly servant of the Jaha Inn killed all three Jo brothers one day. It's hard to believe. Is there anything I can support you with in the future?" "There is, but I don't know if Uncle Geum can do it."
Geum Cheol-yong laughed and replied, "We don't trust each other like this. But still, say it. The ones I used to see as thorns in my side are gone, so I should do at least that much without any conditions."
I pondered for a moment about what task to assign to Geum Cheol-yong before speaking.
"The hardest weapon to make in the world is one that feels very light when held but is sharper than anything else. What do you think, Uncle Geum?" "A famous sword is usually like that. A saber is slightly different. It needs some weight to match the swordsmanship. Masters who combine external and internal skills tend to prefer heavier sabers. I've heard that when one reaches a higher level, they don't even need weapons, but that's too unrealistic."
"Have you ever made a famous sword or a renowned weapon at Yongdu Iron House?" "Of course not."
"Is there a reason?" Geum Cheol-yong answered clearly.
"The conclusive excuse is that it doesn't make money. If rumors spread that a famous sword was made, who would buy it? A master worthy of a famous sword would buy it. What if that master is a well-known figure in the black world? Or a member of the Twelve Divine Generals who heard the rumors? I doubt they would pay the right price. It would be fortunate if those in the iron house didn't end up dead after having their swords taken."
"Hmm."
That made sense.
"But let's say you were lucky and got the right price. What would happen next?" "The competitor of the person who bought the sword or another master from the black world would come and threaten them to make another good sword."
"You know well. Making a good weapon and building a reputation is truly a matter of connecting with fearsome men. More often than not, it leads to bad relationships rather than good ones. Most people in the world know this. If a famous sword suddenly appears in the martial world, people will kill each other over it."
"So you deliberately lost interest in famous swords? That sounds like a cowardly excuse."
"There are various ways to live. Some seek fame, while others prioritize survival. Our Yongdu Iron House has been around for quite some time, but we've managed to survive by making decent weapons. It's about making a living; what does fame matter?" Geum Cheol-yong laughed and asked Jang Deok-soo, "Deok-soo, isn't that right?" Jang Deok-soo nodded and replied, "That's right, sir."
Geum Cheol-yong tapped his empty bowl with his finger and said, "Look at Deok-soo's cooking skills. The shop may be shabby, but in Illyang, Deok-soo's cooking is the best. But what if Deok-soo were to work as a chef in a famous family? If that family gets embroiled in a dispute and faces destruction, then Deok-soo would die too. He would die because of his excellent cooking skills. Such cases are not uncommon in the iron house."
I nodded at Geum Cheol-yong's words.
"I understand well. Anyway, the weapon I desire..."
"As I said, a famous sword is..."
"It's not a sword. And I'm not asking for a famous sword or a fine product. Just listen."
"Go ahead."
I took a sip of the broth and continued.
"I don't need a sharp weapon. It doesn't need to be light either."
Geum Cheol-yong replied, "Then it's not a fine product."
"That's right."
"Then what exactly do you want me to make?" I responded, "I will give up sharpness. Weight doesn't matter. The weapon I desire is one that cannot break, bend, or snap under any circumstances."
Geum Cheol-yong crossed his arms as if he was listening intently, and I continued speaking.
"For example, I wouldn't mind carrying a whole piece of everlasting iron. So I am giving up sharpness and weight. This is not a request for a fine product. I simply want something that won't easily break, even if it is rough and crude. Ultimately, what I desire is something like the Yeoibong used by the Great Celestial Sage."
As I spoke, Geum Cheol-yong narrowed his eyes.
"Something like the Yeoibong?" "In other words, yes. It doesn't matter if it's a staff, a club, or a spear; the shape doesn't matter. I only wish for it to be sturdy."
"What do you plan to do with that?" "Training. I am also training to become a man of steel."
In this atmosphere, I couldn't bring up the term "turtle of steel."
For a moment, Geum Cheol-yong, Jang Deok-soo, and I fell silent.
Geum Cheol-yong was lost in thought, while Jang Deok-soo remained quiet for a long time, as if not wanting to interrupt.
After a while, Jang Deok-soo looked outside and said, "It's raining."
The three of us watched the heavy rain pour down in silence for a moment.
The owner of the soup house, the lowly servant, and the man who lived by handling iron all gazed at the rain for a long time.
In such moments, conversation was unnecessary.
I too watched the pouring rain, momentarily forgetting about the martial world.