The Poison Demon’s Strategy for the Martial Tower Chapter 40

Chapter 40.

What I Gained From Flowers Filling the Sky Like Rain (2)

My father's end was dignified.

Even as Flowers Filling the Sky Like Rain was broken, and the Murim Alliance Leader smiled his fishy smile and swung his sword to cut my father's neck in that very mont.

Not a shred of fear showed.

My father's eyes, eting mine.

My father's lips, parting toward .

"……."

* * *

【Bonus Mission Success】

【Eliminate the Valley Master of Wind Flower Valley, Wind Flower Flying Shadow Yeon Hwa-jin.】

-Mission (19th floor) deed successful!

-Happiness Points 30,000!

【Ti taken to complete mission: 2 minutes 35 seconds】

【Overwhelming Completion (GOLD)!】

【19th floor of the Murim Tower turns golden.】

【The entire world takes notice of the Republic of Korea's Tower.】

17th floor and then 19th floor had been cleared.

Because of the blood shed on 17th floor and the energy I had expended, I had sat in ditation inside the tower to restore myself, and recovered further by finding and consuming the elixir pills Wind Flower Valley Master had swallowed across 18th and 19th floor.

From 18th floor onward through 19th floor, I had not engaged in any hidden weapon exchanges.

I had simply wanted to kill them all as quickly as possible.

Wuuung—.

【This is the door leading to 20th floor.】

Just as when I had cleared 9th floor, only one door opened.

I gathered up all the Wind Flower Flying Shadow Needles I had collected from 17th floor onward.

My Storm Pear Blossom Needles were running low.

I entered the 20th floor.

【Entering 20th floor of the Murim Tower (Republic of Korea).】

Like the 10th floor, it was a quiet mountainside.

After passing through the space of 19th floor, thick with the scent of blood and heavy with dark clouds—

Entering 20th floor and hearing the mountain birds sing, all the energy drained from my body.

The shock was too great. I wanted to do nothing at all.

I flopped down flat onto the grass and stared blankly up at the sky.

"……Father."

The tis he had struck with a switch, forcing to morize every secret passage of the family's martial arts.

The state father was in every ti he occasionally returned to take the secret manuals back with him.

He had gone not only to Wind Flower Valley, but to every sect he had any connection with.

How wretched he must have felt.

The heart of a family head who had to kneel before others.

-Please, spare my son.

This single phrase had been my father's remaining hope.

And in that final confrontation with the Murim Alliance Leader—the reason Flowers Filling the Sky Like Rain had been broken so absurdly—

It must have been that the Wind Flower Valley Master had handed over the secret manual of Flowers Filling the Sky Like Rain to the Alliance Leader.

Going into battle after handing your ultimate killing technique to the enemy was no different from disarming yourself completely.

Perhaps he had done it on purpose.

To show the world how utterly and miserably the martial arts of our Sacheondang Family—said to possess the power to overturn the entire martial world—could be defeated.

By doing so, perhaps father had been trying to keep alive.

My father's eyes, eting mine.

My father's lips, parting toward .

'……Live.'

The last word my father had been trying to pass on to .

Was that it?

Was this what the Tower had been trying to show ?

Jureuk.

I swallowed the tears that began to fall and steadied my heart.

I brushed myself off and rose to my feet.

I turned my back to the sun.

The shadow cast across my face stretched long before my feet.

A life I had lived, in order to go on living.

* * *

20th floor was a place where fierce winds blew.

Most climbers referred to floors in multiples of ten—like 10th and 20th floor—as 'Rest Floors'.

Nothing was there, and if you simply waited, the return door would open.

The only ones who took any interest in this were scholars studying the Murim Tower.

Compared to the carnage of the other floors, every tenth floor was far too quiet.

The governnt had mobilized climbers for investigations of the tenth-floor intervals, but nothing had ever been found.

Only that if you walked about two kiloters, you would hit an invisible wall.

"But I'm different."

My 10th floor had felt like a boundless, almost endless space.

What the Murim Tower had tried to show only —a village of Slash-and-Burn Farrs.

Not the lives of Gangho people, but the lives of common folk.

And on top of that—

【10th Completion Reward】

① Golden Key Fragnt 1/10

② Silver Key Fragnt 1/2

Sothing like fragnts had appeared before my eyes and been absorbed into my body.

I didn't know what those keys were, but they were certainly important—of that I was sure.

Holding that conviction, I continued up the mountain.

Kang! Kaaang—!

Sothing like a clanging of tal rang out sowhere along the mountainside.

Down in a deep valley below.

Venturing further in, the wind grew fiercer with each step.

At the center of that howling gale, a small forge ca into view.

"What a fine place for working the bellows……."

I had learned ironworking from the son of Iron Instrunt God, the greatest blacksmith of the age.

To work iron is to work fire.

Temperature is everything with fire, and the higher it burns, the better.

With modern knowledge, I knew of various minerals and substances that could raise a furnace's temperature, but in Gangho, nothing beat a strong wind.

That was precisely why bellows—for blowing air into the furnace—were necessary.

Hwiiing—.

The wind roared fiercely in.

A location that looked several tis better than any bellows.

"A forge."

If it was a decent place, I might even be able to reforge the Wind Flower Flying Shadow Needles I had taken from the Wind Flower Valley Master into Storm Pear Blossom Needles.

Kang! Kang!

The blacksmith was a robust man with copper-toned skin and thick arms.

Sowhere in his mid-fifties.

His eyes were red. He must not be sleeping well.

"Sir."

"……."

I called out, but there was no reply.

Quite a tough one, it seems.

When the Slash-and-Burn Farrs had seen my blood-soaked clothes, they had been horrified.

I looked around—it was just the one blacksmith.

I sat down at a distance and quietly observed him.

I could see the scythes, hoes, and plows he had made set out around him.

'His skill is sothing else.'

The craftsmanship was extraordinary.

It hadn't reached the level of Iron Instrunt God, but these were objects that carried the stubbornness of a man who had spent decades with iron and fire as his only family.

Fit to be called masterworks without exaggeration.

To think there was a craftsman of this caliber in such a remote mountain valley.

As I was quietly watching—

"Goodness! You startled !"

The blacksmith cried out in shock.

Ah. Not tough-natured at all—he simply hadn't heard because he was so absorbed in his work.

"Son of a—! What is there left to take that you'd co back again!"

"We're eting for the first ti. There seems to be so misunder—"

"I said I'd make it! Get out of here now!"

He grabbed his hamr, then imdiately began looking around him.

Despite already having a hamr in hand, he was searching for sothing that could serve as a weapon.

Hwik! Hwiiik!

In the end, he grabbed a scythe and started swinging it.

Of course.

To a blacksmith, a hamr is sothing precious—like a treasure.

It is not sothing that can be used as a weapon.

I was greatly pleased by his attitude.

"If we could just talk——"

"What're you saying?! My ears are bad, can't hear well! Just get out!"

Hwiirik. Pak!

The scythe flew and embedded itself in the ground before .

Bad ears, he said—but since he could still speak, there was a way to communicate.

I sent him a ssage through internal resonance.

—I am a passing traveler.

"Wha, what?!"

—Please don't be alard.

"This—this is internal resonance, isn't it?"

—Yes.

I was, in fact, surprised.

That a blacksmith living in a remote mountain valley had heard of internal resonance.

It seed he had briefly been part of Gangho in his younger days.

—I had no intention of startling you. And no intention of harming you either.

"That aside…… What are you wearing? Did you go and slaughter a wild boar or sothing?"

He pointed out my blood-soaked clothes.

I said nothing and smiled.

"I've finished all the repairs. Bring them and take them. And don't co back."

—What repairs?

He gestured toward one side of the forge.

There was a pile of weapons stacked up.

—You seem to have misunderstood. I didn't co here for those weapons.

"Then what for?"

—I told you, I'm a passing traveler. More importantly—where is this place?

"Shandong Province. Don't even know where you are?"

—There are circumstances…… Is there sowhere nearby where I could wash up?

The blacksmith bit his lip, looked at , then pointed toward the mountain.

"There's a stream over that way."

I washed my body and rinsed my clothes.

The clear water of the stream turned red with the filthy blood of Wind Flower Valley and myself.

I took off my upper garnts; my trousers were wet, but I kept them on.

Hwiiing—.

The wind blew fiercely.

"Co over here. You must be cold—warm yourself by the fire."

With my growing energy, I was becoming increasingly resistant to the cold—not quite at the level of Cold and Heat Immunity, but still.

The blacksmith, however, didn't know that, and offered the kindness regardless.

I accepted without declining and sat down beside the furnace.

Tak-tak.

He lit his long pipe and began to smoke.

The pipe smoke drifting in the mountain valley mingled with the smoke from the furnace.

"……Hm?"

Kkeung-kkeung. This smoke.

Looking more carefully—it was Tremor Grass.

True to its na aning 'shake awake', it was a plant with a stimulating effect.

He seed to smoke it out of habit, but if smoked too long, it could kill you.

The nickna for Tremor Grass was, after all, 'utterly drained'.

Iron Instrunt God briefly crossed my mind.

When I had gone to find Iron Instrunt God, he too had often been smoking Tremor Grass.

"Are you really not from Danbong House?"

The blacksmith asked again.

Danbong House……

The na wasn't coming to , so I thought on it quietly.

It was a band of forest outlaws who had once operated in Shandong Province.

They were said to have had great influence before being wiped out entirely by so powerful master.

It had been well over sixty years before my final great battle in my past life.

Even before I was born.

So there were people using that na again in Shandong Province?

Or was this place showing that era?

"Huhuh……."

I smiled to myself at the absurd thought.

—I am not from Danbong House.

"Other than Danbong House, there's no one who'd co out here."

—Did Danbong House bring weapons for repair?

"Bring them for repair—more like they coerced ."

Villains, then.

He continued.

"I ca to this mountain because I was sick of the world…… And the wretched lot sohow found and followed here."

—It seems they recognized your skill.

"Heheh. I am pretty good."

He laughed with a pleased keulkeul.

The Tremor Grass smoke curled up in little wisps in rhythm with his laughter.

—Working iron out here can't be easy.

"The wind is good. When the wind is good, the fire is good, and the iron reveals its true grain."

Exactly right.

—It must be difficult managing everything on your own.

"I have a disciple learning the trade from . A sharp lad, but. Damn it……"

He made a bitter expression.

A disciple? I only saw one blacksmith.

Had the hard mountain life driven him away?

He kept his words sparse.

—In any case, I have a request.

Chwareureuk.

I took out a thousand Wind Flower Flying Shadow Needles and the Storm Pear Blossom Needles.

—Could you make these needles to look exactly like this one? I will pay you generously.

The material of the Wind Flower Flying Shadow Needles was the sa as the Storm Pear Blossom Needles, but the length and thickness were different.

And the grooves carved microscopically into each throwing needle were different as well.

That difference was trendously important when unleashing them with martial arts.

"Masterwork."

The blacksmith glanced at the Storm Pear Blossom Needles, and his eyes lit up.

—I humbly ask.

"I cannot."

The blacksmith imdiately shook his head.

Even though any craftsman would be chomping at the bit to get his hands on sothing like this, he refused outright.

I asked why.

—What is the reason?

"I have more pressing matters."

His gaze settled on the repaired weapons.

"Those damned Danbong House lot took every last coin I had, and now they've gone and taken my disciple too!"

He let out a deep sigh.

"The Danbong House scum said this: finish repairing those things, then forge them a Priceless Blade and bring it to them."

—And they'll return your disciple?

"Who knows! Lot that treats promises like old shoes. Bah! Anyway, all Gangho people should just—. Ah! That wasn't aid at you."

The blacksmith hastily took back his words, as if he had misspoken.

—When was this?

"About three weeks ago, when they took him hostage. Damned bastards."

The blacksmith bit his lip in rage.

I see.

The way to clear the 20th floor was becoming visible.

I rose to my feet and asked.

—Where is Danbong House?

* * *

Rinsing my clothes was pointless.

I brushed off my once again blood-soaked clothes.

As expected, these Danbong House people were forest outlaws—a bandit group.

"If they're bandits, why do they call themselves a house? Why act like a noble clan?"

Kwajik!

I crushed the skull of a writhing Danbong House bandit.

Deoldeoldeol.

In one corner, a boy was trembling and shaking.

Barely about fifteen or sixteen years old.

Still with traces of youth on his face.

Wait, his face looked oddly familiar.

"Are you the sir's disciple?"

Though he was a boy, the words ca out slightly formal without my realizing.

The boy hurriedly prostrated himself and pleaded.

"P, please spare !"

"What's your na?"

"It's Gi-cheol……."

Gi-cheol.

A na I had never heard before.

"You can go now. The sir is waiting."

When I returned, the blacksmith, who had been hamring at his iron, threw down even his hamr and ca running.

"Oh my! Gi-cheol!"

"M, Master!"

"You've been through it. You're not hurt anywhere, are you?"

"No……."

"Why are there so many bruises? Oh dear…… you poor thing. I'm truly sorry I couldn't sleep a wink."

Though the blacksmith's hearing was poor—

Perhaps because he and the boy called Gi-cheol had lived together for so long, they seed to communicate through expression alone.

Gi-cheol looked at the pile of weapons and reacted with shock.

"Master! Did you repair all of this on your own?"

"I did."

"Work that would take the two of us a full month to do together…… All alone for my sake…… sniff, your hands are ruined too."

Gi-cheol began to cry.

The blacksmith held Gi-cheol and patted his back.

I see.

The craftsman's red eyes and the Tremor Grass.

He had been awake through the night repairing weapons, all to rescue his disciple Gi-cheol.

My heart ached.

The blacksmith spoke to .

"Thank you. Those Danbong House lot stripped of everything I had, so this is all I have left—I'm sorry."

The blacksmith held out a few silver coins.

I pushed back the craftsman's hand holding the silver coins.

—It's fine.

"Is it not enough? Take whatever you'd like. As for money—co back next month and I'll have so ready."

I declined and instead took out my coin pouch and held it out to him.

There were gold coins as well, and a generous amount of silver.

—These were taken from the Danbong House bandits.

"N, no…… If anything, I should be giving sothing to you."

—There is that request of mine.

"Ah, right."

The blacksmith picked up the Storm Pear Blossom Needles and examined them closely, his eyes gleaming.

"Truly…… A remarkable piece."

—How long would it take to replace them all?

"Alone, a month. With my disciple, a week."

—That much of a difference?

"My disciple's skill surpasses mine."

I looked at Gi-cheol.

If a master craftsman praised him that highly, the boy must have remarkable talent.

I spoke to the blacksmith.

—I also know how to work iron.

"You work iron? You don't look it."

—Skills I learned from the son of Iron Instrunt God.

"Iron Instrunt God? Hmm…… never heard of him."

A blacksmith who'd never heard of Iron Instrunt God?

He tilted his head, genuinely puzzled.

It was actually Gi-cheol who reacted to those words, looking up at .

Even though I had spoken to the blacksmith through internal resonance, the boy seed to have grasped the general content sohow.

Three days later.

One thousand Storm Pear Blossom Needles had been made.

"Phew…… This Iron Instrunt God must be quite soone."

—It was largely thanks to your skill and your disciple's.

Gi-cheol's skill in particular was truly astounding.

At such a young age, to already be at this level.

A talent whose bright future was plain to see—the makings of soone who would stand at the pinnacle of the world were evident.

Was that why the Danbong House lot had kept him alive?

Ttiring!

【20th floor Mission Complete! A reward will be given.】

-Floor 20 Completion Reward:

① Golden Key Fragnt 1/10

② Silver Key Fragnt 1/2

【All Silver Key Fragnts have been collected.】

As expected.

Light flashed before my eyes, and the two fragnts were absorbed into my body—

And at a distance, the return door swung open.

I looked at the blacksmith and Gi-cheol.

It seed invisible to their eyes.

"Oh……"

The blacksmith's nose began to bleed, as if exhaustion had finally caught up with him.

"Master!"

Gi-cheol cried out in alarm and rushed to support the blacksmith.

"Lay the sir down and wait."

"Where are you going?"

"I'll go gather dicinal herbs to treat him."

I recalled having spotted dicinal herbs along the path I had taken while going to dismantle Danbong House—herbs that could treat a blacksmith who had been smoking Tremor Grass.

I gathered the herbs, returned, and handed them to the blacksmith and Gi-cheol.

I also told them how to use them—dry them properly, grind them, and drink the juice.

—You must quit the Tremor Grass.

"I'll try."

"I'll take good care of Master."

I patted Gi-cheol on the shoulder.

The blacksmith packed up a armful of the weapons he had made and offered them to .

Even as I said I'd pay for them, they both insisted they had already received more than enough, and refused.

Every piece was a masterwork, so I accepted without declining further.

After exchanging farewells, I headed toward the return door.

The sunlight was dazzling.

The light settled upon my face, and as I stepped through the door, my shadow quietly followed behind .

* * *

After Poison Demon was gone, Gi-cheol spoke to his master.

"I couldn't even properly say thank you. He is the one who saved my life."

"If fate allows, you'll et again."

"Gangho people…… They don't all seem bad."

"What? Speak louder. Let see your lips."

"I said Gangho people don't all seem bad!"

"They're bad. That man is just unusual."

The master brushed dust from his clothes and gave Gi-cheol a word of warning.

"Regardless, don't just forge swords for anyone from here on. The talent you have was given by heaven itself. If the wrong hands hold a sword you made, rivers of blood will flow."

"Yes, I'll keep that in mind."

"You've been through it. Let's rest early today."

The master went into the hut.

Gi-cheol thought of that man and quietly murmured.

"Iron Instrunt God……."

A na he had never heard before, yet one that resonated in his heart.

His own na was Gi-cheol, so it felt as though there was so connection.

One day, when he descended this mountain and opened a forge of his own, he would be called by that na.

Gi-cheol made his resolve.