Chapter 88

“A lucky encounter from an errand? Bullshit.”

Cheolmyeongho spurred his horse onward, accelerating at his own pace.

Who could possibly look at a man charging so fiercely and guess he was merely going to buy dumplings and jerky? Moreover, Cheolmyeongho’s appearance was downright menacing, making him look like a messenger from a notorious underworld faction.

The moment Cheolmyeongho dismounted at the inn, he shouted.

“Dumplings! Jerky! Ice candy! Give me everything you’ve got!”

Someone inside the inn replied.

“We don’t have ice candy.”

“Damn it… Just get the dumplings and jerky ready for now!”

Cheolmyeongho mounted his horse again and set out to find Byeongdang, swinging his iron-tipped umbrella like a madman.

“That damn Bingdang!”

Cheolmyeongho raced forward fiercely, glancing at the sparsely scattered inns, when he spotted a low-hanging tree branch ahead. It was an obstacle that could easily injure those traveling on horseback. In that instant, Cheolmyeongho struck the branch with his iron umbrella as he rode past.

Thwack!

The fairly thick branch snapped clean in two with a loud crack.

Cheolmyeongho whipped his head around to look at the broken tree. The satisfying feel was incredible.

“Ha-ha!”

Cheolmyeongho was naturally skilled with his horse. As he increased his speed and lashed out, the weight of the iron-tipped umbrella combined with the Samjae Sword Technique, making him feel its power had doubled.

Suddenly halting his horse, Cheol Myeong-ho tilted his head.

‘Hmm, this feels strange.’

It felt like discovering a hidden aptitude. After driving the horse fiercely forward and then swinging his weapon, he felt a deep sense of satisfaction. He wondered if this was how the famous generals of the Three Kingdoms fought. After all, the only sword techniques Cheolmyeongho could execute were thrusts and slashes.

Everything else was just applied techniques.

The fusion of horsemanship and the Three-Realm Sword Technique had imprinted the sensation of increased martial prowess onto his mind.

But he couldn’t afford to dawdle. The ghost who hadn’t eaten dumplings was starting to get angry, and that was quite frightening.

Cheolmyeongho bought dumplings, dried meat, and even ice candy from the row of inns lining the street before hastily catching up to the procession again.

Even then, Cheolmyeongho pondered his mounted martial arts intently.

Cheolmyeongho continued to unleash the Three Calamities Sword Technique from his horse.

Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish!

The Three-Sword Technique had been wielded thirty-two thousand times before he knew it. When performed on horseback, maintaining balance was crucial, forcing him to execute different cuts and thrusts than usual. Yet Cheolmyeongho wielded the iron-tipped umbrella quite skillfully, holding a bundle of snacks in his left hand.

Then, suddenly, Cheolmyeongho looked at the iron-tipped umbrella.

It was a pity it was so short. Only then did I understand why generals on the battlefield insisted on using long spears. The black iron umbrella was far heavier than most standard weapons, so he understood the advantages of heavy weaponry well. The fact that the masters of the Eight Dragon Gate had started losing repeatedly to Cheolmyeongho after charging with wooden swords was actually partly due to the weight of the weapon.

Cheol Myeong-ho murmured.

“So that’s why Guan Yu and Zhang Fei used heavy, long spears. I understand now.”

Wasn’t Guan Yu’s Azure Dragon Crescent Blade said to weigh a whopping eighty jin? He wondered how much training one would need to wield that thing all day long on the battlefield.

Cheolmyeongho measured it purely by the number of swings. Because he himself had already swung it thirty-two thousand times.

‘If you swing it all day on the battlefield… that means you’d have to swing it about a thousand times and still have stamina left. Guan Yu really was a formidable man.’

Deep in thought about mounted martial arts, Cheol Myeong-ho rejoined the procession and completed his errand.

“Dumplings are here! Beef jerky is here. Eat the candies before they melt!”

The messengers came running first and received their snacks.

“Master Cheol, you’ve worked hard.”

Cheol Myeong-ho was the man who injected vitality into the potentially tedious escort mission. Though he constantly spewed curses or grumbled, he was a man who, regardless, completed assigned tasks fairly quickly.

After the procession paused briefly, they sat in a circle and ate dumplings and jerky for a snack.

Cheol Myeong-ho chewed the jerky with a satisfying crunch before glaring at Dan Woo-seong.

Cheol Myeong-ho chewed his jerky and said indifferently.

“What are you looking at?”

Cheolmyeongho retorted without warning.

“Just buy me a spear.”

Everyone stopped eating their snacks and turned their attention to Cheol Myeong-ho and Dan Woo-seong.

Danwooseong retorted.

“What spear? There’s more than one kind of spear.”

Cheol Myeong-ho said this.

“A heavy spear. One that can both cut and thrust.”

Dan Wooseong studied Cheol Myeongho’s expression and immediately retorted.

“Got it.”

Cheol Myeong-ho asked back, looking bewildered.

“What? You got it? You’re buying it?”

“Since we’re buying it anyway, let’s get a good one.”

Dan Woo-sung said to Gwang-shin, who was picking up and eating dumplings.

“Brother, if we move a little further from here, we’ll come to a city called Geumsan.”

Gwang-shin nodded.

“Let’s rest a while. The horses must be tired too. We should prepare more dry rations. Ah, and if it’s Geumsan, there should be a walled iron fort there.”

“That’s right.”

Kwangshin looked at Cheolmyeongho as if it were nothing and said.

“You can buy your spear there.”

Cheol Myeong-ho nodded.

“Understood.”

He had expected to hear all sorts of nagging if he asked to buy spears, but no one said a word to Cheol Myeong-ho.

Cheol Myeong-ho chewed on the jerky while observing the expressions and prayers of the people.

It struck him anew that there was no one weaker than himself. Both the man disguised as a constable and the man disguised as a coachman possessed martial arts skills far surpassing those of the Eight Dragon Sect disciples.

Cheolmyeongho nervously chewed and swallowed the jerky. He intended to purchase a spear and train even more rigorously in the Three Calamities Sword Technique, deployed while mounted. Even if it meant fainting on horseback.

Unbeknownst to himself, Cheol Myeong-ho was constantly absorbing stimuli from his surroundings.

Dan Woo-seong observed Cheol Myeong-ho’s expression and spoke.

Hori, if a fight breaks out, assess the situation carefully. The sparring match with the Eight Dragon Gate isn’t the whole picture. Actual combat is different. Don’t charge in like a madman.

Cheolmyeong-ho nodded.

“Got it. Am I a kid?”

“Weren’t you?”

The guards burst out laughing in unison, then covered their mouths with their hands. Cheolmyeongho grinned as he looked at Baekyak’s subordinates.

“Next time you laugh, laugh loudly. Brothers, it’s fine.”

One of Baekyak’s men grinned and replied.

“Understood.”

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Cheolmyeong-ho and Danwoo-seong entered the Byeokcheon Ironworks. More precisely, it was the Geumsan branch of the Byeokcheon Ironworks. It was a large ironworks with branches scattered throughout the Central Plains. Since martial artists had visited, the reception remained courteous throughout.

A man approached them and said,

“Please look around at your leisure. Would you like to place a custom order? Or would you prefer to see the items and make a purchase right away?”

Cheol Myeong-ho replied.

“I’ll purchase immediately.”

“Understood. Just tell me the type of weaponry, and I’ll guide you. The storage areas are different.”

Cheol Myeong-ho looked around like a country bumpkin and said.

“I’ll purchase a spear.”

“Welcome. The spear is the representative weapon of Byeokcheon Ironworks.”

Cheol Myeong-ho asked.

“Why is that so?”

“Byeokcheon Cheolbang began with a single spear. The founder was a retired martial artist. In any case, we possess all types—spears, halberds, gages, and lances—and we also produce famous replicas.”

“Replicas?”

“You’ll see when you look.”

At the spot where the guide led them, both men gazed in awe. A dense array of various spear-type weapons filled the display.

The guide pointed to one section and said.

“Though they’re called imitations, it means they were modeled after old books—not that they’re poor-quality fakes. I can guarantee the quality of all of them.”

Cheolmyeongho was completely lost in thought.

Was a spear truly such a beautiful weapon? Or was it because he had wielded the Three Calamities Sword Technique thirty-two thousand times that he could now perceive the beauty of a weapon? Each and every one was truly beautiful.

Cheol Myeong-ho spoke with a delighted expression.

“Fakes… Ah, is this… Yuan Shao’s Fang Tian Hua Jue?”

“That’s correct.”

The various Fang Tian Hua Jue spears also varied in length and weight. It seemed the materials used were different.

Cheol Myeong-ho asked Dan Woo-seong.

“I’m confused. What exactly is a ‘geuk’?”

“Look at this blade. Ultimately, a spear is a spear with a hook added. It’s powerful not just for thrusting, but also for slashing. Hori, since you’ve mastered the Three Calamities Sword Technique, it’s better for you to use a spear or a hook rather than a weapon specialized for thrusting.”

Dan Woo-sung drew the Blue Dragon Crescent Blade and flicked the blade with his finger.

Thwack······!

The impact was substantial. Dan Wooseong nodded and said.

“The blade attachment is excellent too. Overall, the craftsmanship is high.”

The sound was unusual, causing the guide’s expression to stiffen. The blade of the rigid Blue Dragon Crescent Blade had been trembling all this time, emitting a faint humming sound.

Cheolmyeongho looked around and said.

“I want the heaviest, the most expensive, and the sharpest. It doesn’t matter if the entire body is made of heavy iron.”

Danwooseong shook his head.

“You don’t wield a spear alone. Your words must bear its weight too. Heavy isn’t always better. And heavy is different from sturdy. Light and sturdy weapons are the best. Here, choose the weapon you’ll actually use in battle. One that can save your life.”

Cheol Myeong-ho listened silently to Dan Woo-seong’s words, then nodded.

“You’re right.”

Dan Wooseong addressed the guide.

“Show us the weapons as you said.”

The attendant replied.

“Understood.”

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Cheol Myeong-ho swung the weapon he’d received from Dan Woo-seong, his mouth agape like a child who’d just gotten a present.

Whoosh!

Cheol Myeong-ho chose the most expensive and highest-quality replica of the Fang Tian Hua Jue. The Fang Tian Hua Jue was suitable for thrusting and slashing, and its weight was just right. Cheol Myeong-ho hadn’t read Romance of the Three Kingdoms in detail, but he knew that Lü Bu was the strongest warrior.

That’s why he chose the Fang Tian Hua Jue.

While the others who had participated in the escort mission cooled their hot feet, bathed, or ate at the lodging they had secured, Cheol Myeong-ho went out to a wide open space and swung the Fang Tian Hua Jue.

Cheolmyeongho had little interest in the inspection tour itself.

It was nothing but training.

At that moment, Gwangshin, fresh from his bath and holding a piece of dried meat, called out to Cheolmyeongho, who was in the midst of his training.

“Ho-ri.”

“Yes, brother.”

Kwang-shin showed him the jerky he held between his fingers, then flicked it. The piece of jerky shot toward Cheol-myeong-ho like a dart.

Whoosh!

Cheol Myeong-ho, startled, raised his Fang-Shattering Heavenly Spear and struck the jerky.

Thud!

How on earth could this be the sound of dried meat colliding?

Even though he had merely blocked the jerky Gwang-shin had lightly tossed, Cheol-myeong-ho’s arm was numb.

Guangxin said.

Those who wield memorization will target your words first. Can you block them? It won’t be easy. Facing martial artists is no simple matter.

Cheol Myeong-ho nodded.

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Kwang-shin extended his hand.

“Hand over the Fang Tian Hua Jue.”

Cheol Myeong-ho, eyes wide, handed the Fang Tian Hua Jue to Gwang Shin. Even at this moment, Cheol Myeong-ho had no inkling that Dan Woo-seong’s sworn brother stood at the pinnacle of the White Path.

Kwang-shin waved his hand as if signaling him to step back, then glared at Cheol-myeong-ho while gripping the Fang Tian Hua Jue.

“Since you ran an errand for me, I’ll teach you how to wield a spear.”

Suddenly, Cheolmyeongho asked with a stern expression.

“By the way, brother, what is your nickname in the martial world?”

Gwangshin chuckled.

“You don’t need to know. You’ll find out when the time comes.”

Cheolmyeong-ho was no fool. The man who had been nothing but an errand boy all this time had now gripped a spear, and the atmosphere had shifted like a demonic presence. Without realizing it, Cheolmyeong-ho stepped back, knelt, placed his hands obediently on his knees, and fixed his gaze on Gwangshin.

Kwang-shin deliberately spoke to Cheol-myeong-ho while engulfed in a whirlwind of energy.

There are two main ways to master martial arts. Learn it half-heartedly, or learn it with death-defying intensity. Those who learn half-heartedly will have their necks snapped by those who learn with death-defying intensity. You must memorize every single one of my movements. Breathing, posture, foot placement, grip technique, sequence… Memorize them perfectly, but in combat, it’s fine if you forget. Instead, in combat, your movements must be faster than you think. How do you achieve that?”

Cheol Myeong-ho answered.

“There’s no choice but to train.”

Kwang-shin countered as he unleashed his spear technique with the Fang Heaven Flower Spear.

“For a warrior, that is the only path.”

The errand that Danwooseong had asked Cheolmyeongho to run began with this story.

ⓒ Yoo Jin-seong