I shook my head at the sight of Noh Cheongang looking positively exhilarated.
A man who loved fighting more than eating.
That was Noh Cheongang.
Right now, he was genuinely thrilled.
He had thought I was a liar, so bastard trying to mock and humiliate him, but to think the Three Calamities Fist was actually my main art.
When in the world would he ever experience sothing like this again?
Only now had Noh Cheongang truly understood what it ant to say the Central Plains was wide and filled with extraordinary people.
So then, how should I attack?
Then a good idea ca to him.
Let’s see if he can withstand this too.
Noh Cheongang set his stance, then brought the Flafire Blade crashing straight down from above.
“Blazing Fla Across Ten Thousand Miles!”
KWAANG—.
The mont the blade slamd into the floor, a fan-shaped surge of blazing heat and fire spread outward, cutting off my vision.
At the sa ti, he leaped into the air and sent a slash flying at .
“Heaven-Splitting Fiery Slash!”
The instant I jumped into the air to avoid the flas, my body would be blown away by the Heaven-Splitting Fiery Slash.
At that, I bared my teeth in a grin and stomped down hard with my foot.
THOOM—!
TU-KWA-KWA-KWAAANG—.
The ground rippled, then surged upward, blasting away the flas that had been rushing at .
Then I lightly dodged the incoming slash aid at .
But I thought those two attacks were the end of it.
They weren’t.
Masses of fla shaped like fiends were flying at .
“Human Chain Break.”
My fists lashed out one after another.
BOOM— BOOM-BOOM—.
The fiend-shaped flas rushing at were snuffed out in an instant by my fists.
This was fun.
It felt like I was finally unfolding a proper martial art for once.
Then I heard Noh Cheongang shout.
“Mad Blaze Heavenly Punishnt!”
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE—.
KWA-RRRRRUNG—.
Red lightning and a downpour of flas mixed together and poured down wildly, setting the training ground ablaze.
There was nowhere to dodge.
I sprang upward and threw a punch.
“Heaven-Fall Crash.”
The red falling lightning shattered against my outstretched fist, and the rain of fire was crushed apart and scattered in all directions.
The shockwave was so trendous that it swept through the entire space, and Noh Cheongang’s body staggered and slid backward.
“What kind of insane—!”
He was genuinely startled.
And in the instant he was caught off guard, he saw already right in front of him.
He hurriedly raised the Flafire Blade and blocked my attack.
“Human Fire Chain.”
GAGAGAGAGAK—.
The fist wind riding that violent rotation whipped forward so ferociously it looked ready to drill straight through the Flafire Blade.
SKRRRRRRT—.
Noh Cheongang’s body kept getting shoved back.
“Ghk!”
TTAANG—.
He poured internal force into his fist, then slamd it hard into the flat of the blade.
PU-HAK—.
At once, the raging fist wind that had been whipping forward vanished.
“Huff! Huff!”
Noh Cheongang had truly blocked that last attack with everything he had.
He stared at with a horrified expression.
This was beyond rely being fairly strong.
“How much of your full strength was that, just now, when you fought ?”
“About ten percent.”
“Quit joking around.”
“I’m serious. Why do you keep refusing to believe what I say?”
Noh Cheongang swallowed hard.
Because it felt like what I’d just said was the truth.
Where had a monster like this co from?
Noh Cheongang looked down at the Flafire Blade.
WOOOONG, WOOOONG—.
Even after pouring that much yang qi into it, not only had it failed to crack, it actually looked even more vibrant.
Which ant it wasn’t just that I had made a blade this incredible.
I also possessed absurd strength on top of that.
It’s him. This bastard is the true monster fit to beco the next Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle.
Noh Cheongang asked,
“You... are you soone from Heavenly Martial Castle?”
“I have deep ties to it.”
“I see. Then... what’s your na?”
“Kang Wi.”
“Kang Wi... are you staying in Heavenly Martial Castle for a while?”
“No. I’m planning to leave in a few days.”
“Hmm. Where are you staying right now?”
“At the Heavenly Forge.”
“I understand.”
“Then I assu you’ve finished /N_o_v_e_l_i_g_h_t/ testing the blade’s performance?”
“I have. It’s perfect. Thank you. For making a blade like this.”
“It’s nothing. I got paid.”
“Aren’t you selling it too cheaply?”
“Oh? You think so?”
“I do. You could charge much more than this. Are you planning to sell weapons to the others too?”
“Yes.”
“Then sell them for more. Those bastards have money.”
“No. I should sell them all at the sa price. That’s how you build trust.”
At my words, Noh Cheongang let out a crooked little laugh.
“Fine. Do whatever you want.”
“Then may I get going now?”
“You’re heading to see the one who uses a spear too?”
“Yes.”
“That one will be hard to deal with. He’s an awfully rigid bastard.”
“Really? Even if it’s a good weapon?”
“He’s the sort who says a true strong man doesn’t choose his weapon. Says it’s only the weak who go looking for good weapons.”
“That’s good information. Thank you.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“I’ll have to think about it.”
“If you need help with anything, co to anyti. I’ll help you.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank ? I’m the one who should be grateful. You made a blade that’s like my own hands and feet, and beyond that, you showed a whole new world.”
“Hm?”
“You showed the Three Calamities Fist could be that strong.”
“Ah. Right.”
“If the chance cos again, let’s have another round.”
“Sure. Let’s do that. Then I’ll be on my way.”
“Fine. I need to spend so more ti with this one. I won’t see you out, so get going.”
He stroked the Flafire Blade and walked back toward the training ground.
*****
That evening.
Two n ca to Jeok Mugun’s residence.
“Hm? What’s this? What are you doing here?”
“I should be asking you the sa thing.”
“I ca because I have sothing urgent to tell the Lord of the Castle. You?”
“The sa.”
The two n’s gazes collided in midair.
“Could it be... did you co here because of that fellow called Kang Wi?”
“You too?”
The two of them were Baek Seojin and Noh Cheongang.
“I ca to recomnd Kang Wi. He seems to be exactly the sort fit to beco the next Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle.”
“So did I.”
“If two of the Eight Stars of Heavenly Martial Castle are recomnding the sa person, the Lord of the Castle will have to take an interest.”
“He will.”
“Good. Let’s go in together.”
With Baek Seojin nodding, the two n went in to et Jeok Mugun.
Jeok Mugun welcod them.
“Well now. What brings the two of you here together?”
“We ca because we have sothing to tell you.”
“Sothing to tell ? I thought you’d co to spar with .”
“How could we possibly spar with you, Lord of the Castle?”
“That’s right. A spar is only fun when both sides are about evenly matched. You’re far too strong. I’ve got no desire to do that.”
At Noh Cheongang’s words, Jeok Mugun clicked his tongue.
“Tsk, tsk. Picking and choosing your opponents like that, and yet sohow a fellow like you ended up with the title Flafire Battle God.”
“I like fighting. That doesn’t an I’m so moth charging in blindly when I know I’ll die.”
“Fine. Keep doing exactly that from now on. That way you’ll stay with for a long, long ti. Now then, what did you co for?”
At Jeok Mugun’s words about staying with him for a long, long ti, Noh Cheongang’s face reddened, and he said,
“We ca because there is soone we would like to recomnd as Heavenly Martial Castle’s successor.”
“A successor recomndation? No need. I don’t need one anymore.”
“Surely you haven’t already chosen?”
“No, you can’t! The future of Heavenly Martial Castle is at stake. You have to be more careful about this!”
At their words, Jeok Mugun gave a faint grin and said,
“You two rascals. Your hearts are admirable, thinking of Heavenly Martial Castle like this, but don’t worry. I’ve already settled on a child who will beco the greatest under heaven in all ages.”
“You are mistaken, Lord of the Castle. The person we are recomnding is the one who will beco the greatest under heaven in ages to co.”
“That’s right! Please reconsider.”
With two of the Eight Stars of Heavenly Martial Castle pleading like this, Jeok Mugun found himself curious.
“Go on, then. Tell . Just who is this person that makes you recomnd him so strongly?”
“His na is Kang Wi, and he looked as though he had only just passed twenty.”
“He knows how to forge weapons, and the weapon he made is so extraordinary it would not be unworthy of being called a divine weapon.”
Those words sounded strangely familiar.
And then, in that instant, one person ca to mind.
Ah! Wigang did say he was going to sell weapons to these fools, didn’t he?
Reverse Wigang, and you got Kang Wi.
At that age, there was only one being in existence who could forge mythical-grade weapons.
Jeok Mugun asked,
“Stronger than the two of you?”
“Y-yes.”
“He wasn’t struggling at all, even while facing us.”
“He’s about five feet eight inches tall?”
“Huh? Y-yes, that’s right.”
“And he’s handso, but with a sowhat sharp look to him?”
“That’s right.”
“Then it seems we’re all thinking of the sa person as successor.”
At Jeok Mugun’s words, the two n asked with startled faces,
“Y-you know him?”
“I know him very well. We’re supposed to have dinner together shortly. Why don’t you two join us?”
“Would that be all right?”
Jeok Mugun nodded.
*****
Once the dinner table had been set, Jeok Mugun, Noh Cheongang, and Baek Seojin sat together waiting for soone.
Then the door opened, and I walked in.
I had already picked up Noh Cheongang and Baek Seojin’s presence inside from their sll while I was still outside.
It felt like my grandfather had deliberately arranged this to introduce to them.
Would it be better to reveal my identity to them?
I thought about it for a mont, but if I didn’t go in, my grandfather would only end up looking awkward, so I decided to enter.
When Noh Cheongang and Baek Seojin saw walk in, their expressions turned to shock.
Just as Jeok Mugun had said, the person they had both recomnded as successor was the sa man.
“You brat. Hurry it up a little.”
“Sorry, Grandfather.”
At that single line from my mouth, Noh Cheongang and Baek Seojin were thunderstruck.
“G-grandfather?”
At their reaction, Jeok Mugun said with a delighted face,
“Surprised? That brat you were recomnding as successor is my grandson. Hahaha!”
“Y-your grandson? But we know all of your grandsons, Lord of the Castle.”
“Not those ones. You know, my youngest.”
“Ah!”
Co to think of it, there was one more son.
The taboo son no one was ever supposed to bring up in front of Jeok Mugun.
“That brat is the eldest son of my youngest. Wigang, I wanted to introduce you to these two, so I had them wait. You don’t mind, do you?”
As I sat down, I said,
“What can I do? They already know now. But what’s this about a successor? I haven’t decided I’m going to do that.”
“R-right. It’s just that these two said they wanted to recomnd you as successor.”
Seeing Jeok Mugun watching my expression, Noh Cheongang and Baek Seojin were stunned all over again.
It was the first ti.
The first ti they had ever seen Jeok Mugun watch soone else’s mood.
“Well, the fact that the two of you think well of does feel nice.”
“Right? Hahaha!”
When I said that with a smile, Jeok Mugun, who had been tense, finally relaxed and laughed as well.
This sight was so difficult to process that Noh Cheongang and Baek Seojin could only sit there blankly without even touching their food.
“What are you doing? Eat already. The food’s getting cold.”
“Huh? Yes!”
Only then did the two n co back to themselves and pick up their chopsticks.
“So. Did you like the weapons this brat made for you?”
“Hm? Yes! I liked it so much I sleep holding it.”
“The sa goes for .”
“I’m glad you’re satisfied.”
“Right. How much did he sell them to you for?”
“Five hundred gold taels.”
“Oh. That’s an appropriate price.”
“The Azure Sword Star was the one who set the price.”
Baek Seojin lowered his head.
At that, Noh Cheongang said,
“Do you really think that sword was worth no more than a re five hundred gold taels? No wonder it felt cheap. So you were the one who drove the price down.”
“W-what are you talking about? I said I would pay more. It was the young master who refused to take it.”
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