Episode 265: Return of the Demon Sect Master
Jo Shin-ryang shivered slightly.
The Myungsaeng Sword.
It had been a long time since he last heard that name.
A name he himself had given.
The best and worst sword of his life.
A dangerous glint appeared in Jo Shin-ryang’s eyes.
“How do you know about that?” he demanded.
“Well, rumors have a way of getting around,” Sabikang replied with a shrug.
Of course, that was a lie.
In his past life, he had heard about the Myungsaeng Sword directly from Jo Shin-ryang himself.
But if he started talking about past lives, he’d be dismissed as a lunatic, so he opted for a plausible excuse.
Jo Shin-ryang, finding the explanation reasonable, turned away without further questioning.
“Get lost.”
“I need your skills.”
“I’m done with metalwork. I don’t touch iron anymore.”
“You will, whether you like it or not.”
That much was true.
After the invasion of the demon realm began, Jo Shin-ryang would inevitably return to the forge.
But without knowledge of the future, Jo Shin-ryang wasn’t about to be swayed by mere words.
“That’s your opinion. Now get out!”
“Come with me.”
“What?”
Jo Shin-ryang turned back, incredulous.
He wasn’t being asked to make something.
He was being asked to come along?
“You’re out of your mind.”
“The martial world is in danger. No, the entire Central Plains is at risk.”
“Heh. When has the martial world ever not been in danger? How many children do you think will starve to death today alone? Hundreds, at least. So spare me the nonsense….”
“A sword that saves lives. Wasn’t that your belief…?”
“Enough with the crap! Get out!”
Crash!
Jo Shin-ryang hurled the sculpture he was holding.
The carefully carved statue of a farmer shattered into pieces with a loud noise.
He glared at Sabikang, his breath heavy.
“A sword that saves lives? Ha! Did you really say that?”
With a swift motion, Jo Shin-ryang tore open his shirt, revealing his gaunt chest.
Then, standing with his arms wide open, he shouted at Sabikang.
“Go on! Stab my heart with that sword and save me! If you can, do it!”
Sabikang narrowed his eyes, watching silently as Jo Shin-ryang pounded his chest and yelled.
“Do it! Come on! A sword that saves lives? What a joke. There’s no such sword in this world. In the end, humans sharpen blades to kill. Stop with the nonsense and get out! Or, if you’re so sure, kill me and try to bring me back to life!”
“Hmm.”
Sabikang let out a contemplative hum, observing Jo Shin-ryang’s turbulent emotions.
With a smooth motion, Sabikang drew Berthas and held the blade out in front of Jo Shin-ryang.
“With this sword?”
”……!”
Jo Shin-ryang’s eyes widened in shock.
He stared at the blade of Berthas, mesmerized.
‘What is this aura…!’
It wasn’t a pure aura.
Nor was it demonic or evil.
A strange sensation enveloped his entire body, one he had never felt before.
If anything, it seemed closer to demonic energy….
‘What on earth is this?’
In truth, if he could fully sense Berthas’s aura, it would resemble demonic energy, given its origin in the demon realm.
But Sabikang’s use had blended the aura into something unique.
His innate energy, honed through righteous martial arts and later mixed with demonic mana, created a complex aura.
The phenomenon that appeared above his head when he consumed the elixir was of the same nature.
Yet, there was something even more astonishing.
No matter how he looked, Jo Shin-ryang couldn’t discern what metal the blade was made of.
He recognized it as an extraordinary sword at first glance.
‘But what is it made of?’
It wasn’t the legendary cold iron.
It seemed to have a cold attribute, yet it also emitted heat.
The aura shifted constantly, making it a truly mysterious object.
Lost in thought, Jo Shin-ryang was snapped back to reality by Sabikang’s amused question.
“Do you like it?”
“Where did you find this?”
“I picked it up on the road.”
“Picked it up? This…?”
Technically, it wasn’t a lie, so Sabikang nodded.
After a long pause, Jo Shin-ryang turned away, as if coming to a decision.
“Whatever that sword is, however it looks, it’s none of my business. Go back. I haven’t touched a forge in over ten years.”
His tone, once harsh, had softened somewhat.
Noticing the change, Sabikang smiled faintly.
“You won’t be able to leave this world behind. It’s your fate. You know it, too. You felt it just now.”
‘Fate, huh. I used to think that way. But not anymore.’
Jo Shin-ryang shook his head.
“I’m not interested.”
As he began to walk away,
Whoosh!
Sensing something flying toward him, he turned and caught it mid-air.
Thud!
What he caught was a hammer.
To an ordinary person, it would have been a shocking sight.
A frail old man, who looked like he might collapse at any moment, suddenly turned and caught a flying hammer.
A hammer that appeared much larger and heavier than his own arm.
But Sabikang had anticipated Jo Shin-ryang’s reflexive action.
He was one of the few blacksmiths who could control internal energy.
A laughable notion, to learn internal energy just to work in a forge.
But to Jo Shin-ryang, it was the most meaningful thing.
At least, until ten years ago.
“What is this…!”
Jo Shin-ryang began to shout but stopped, staring at the hammer in his hand.
‘This, this is…!’
He didn’t know what it was.
But he could feel it.
An unknown aura and power!
He instinctively understood.
He had worked in a forge for over sixty years.
One look was enough, one touch was all it took.
‘This is no ordinary item.’
The metal was too precious to be used as a mere hammer.
The curious thing was that he had never seen or heard of such metal before.
Jo Shin-ryang, as if entranced, caressed the head of the hammer.
“Amazing…!”
If he used this, he could refine even the legendary cold iron in no time.
His heart raced.
And he hated himself for it.
He thought he had let it go.
He had vowed never to strike metal again.
He thought he had etched that resolve into his bones.
Yet here he was, his heart pounding once more!
Sabikang added fuel to the fire of his turbulent emotions.
He pulled a thin, long piece of metal from Hagel’s pouch and tossed it.
Clang!
With a heavy sound, a black metal fell to the ground.
No, upon closer inspection, it wasn’t iron.
It was another metal he had never seen before.
“It’s called ‘Kuil.’ You’ve probably never seen it.”
“Kuil…?”
“Its black color is distinctive, and it’s stronger than refined steel.”
“Indeed.”
“You recognized it at a glance.”
His heart was indeed racing.
A mysterious hammer that could be called a divine tool for a blacksmith, and a metal rarer than refined steel.
Sabikang decided it was time to seal the deal and threw out his final bait.
“If you help me.”
“If I help you?”
“I’ll break the Myungsaeng Sword for you.”
”……!”
Jo Shin-ryang visibly wavered.
In a faint voice, he asked,
“Can you swear to that?”
“I swear.”
“How soon can you do it?”
“I plan to do it on the way back.”
“Hmm.”
He let out a contemplative hum and looked up at the sky.
Sabikang waited patiently.
He had done all he could.
The rest was up to Jo Shin-ryang.
Any more talk would only add to the confusion, he judged.
After a long pause, Jo Shin-ryang finally spoke.
“I need time to think.”
“How long will it take?”
“It won’t take long. Come back at this time tomorrow.”
“Very well.”
As Sabikang turned to leave, Jo Shin-ryang called out.
“Aren’t you going to take these?”
He gestured to the hammer and the Kuil metal.
Sabikang replied with a sly smile.
“I’ll leave them with you.”
Watching Sabikang walk away, Jo Shin-ryang sighed inwardly and looked at the hammer in his hand.
‘Clever fellow.’
**
The next day, Sabikang returned to Jo Shin-ryang at the same time.
Jo Shin-ryang was pacing around the forge, deep in thought.
“Have you made your decision?”
At Sabikang’s question, Jo Shin-ryang immediately held out his hand.
“Give it to me.”
“What do you mean?”
“The sword you want me to work on.”
“I wasn’t planning to leave it here. I wanted you to come with me….”
“Just give it to me. I don’t have the patience to carry around something that bothers me.”
Sabikang chuckled and handed over the Great Sword.
He returned the scabbard to Seoktan Kang.
Jo Shin-ryang drew the Great Sword and immediately erupted in anger.
“Who did this to such a fine blade?”
“The person who did that is right here.”
Sabikang pointed to Yoo Song-ryeong, who pouted and muttered under her breath.
“Did you really think carving a few symbols would lead to this?”
“Foolish girl! Do you think those symbols are just a joke? The balance is completely off!”
“Hey, old man. Foolish? My father never called me that…”
“Of course he didn’t! He probably spoiled you rotten! That’s why you’ve turned out so dim-witted.”
“What did you say? Old man! Are you done talking? Do you want to lose your head to this stupid sword? I don’t need it, so I’ll just—”
Yoo Song-ryeong was shouting at the top of her lungs, but she clamped her mouth shut when Seok Tan-gang stepped in to calm her down.
Jo Shin-ryang clicked his tongue in disapproval.
“You’re even more foolish than I thought. Instead of being grateful, you threaten to kill me? You should consider yourself lucky to have that rude instructor.”
Sa Bi-gang flinched at the word “rude,” but chose not to argue further.
Jo Shin-ryang’s sharp words didn’t stop there. He glanced at Seok Tan-gang and clicked his tongue again.
“A scimitar, really… Unbelievable.”
“What’s wrong with my scimitar?”
“You’ve learned a unique martial art.”
“It’s called Sahak-gong. I’ve been practicing it since I was a child…”
“Enough. I didn’t ask to hear your life story.”
Even the steadfast Seok Tan-gang couldn’t help but feel a vein throb on his forehead at the continued insults. Still, he held back and asked calmly.
“Is there something wrong with my scimitar?”
He was already sensitive about it since Sa Bi-gang had recently mentioned it didn’t suit him.
Jo Shin-ryang smirked dismissively.
“Isn’t it a problem when someone who should be wielding a sickle carries a sword?”
“What did you say?”
Finally, Seok Tan-gang’s temper flared, and he exuded a menacing aura.
Unfazed, Jo Shin-ryang clicked his tongue again.
“You’re so ignorant, it’s a waste to even make you one. Go ahead, keep flaunting that killing intent. You’ll end up spending your life with that hilt, rolling around the marketplace. Hmph!”
Sa Bi-gang burst into laughter and tried to soothe Jo Shin-ryang.
“Don’t be so harsh. Why not take a look at their weapons? Though, Tan-gang’s might need a complete overhaul.”
“You really are cunning. You gave me that Kui metal with this in mind, didn’t you?”
“You’re quick to catch on.”
“Anyway, it’ll take at least three days. And the only reason it’ll be that quick is…”
“Because of the hammer I gave you.”
”…I admit it.”
Sa Bi-gang smiled slyly and turned to leave.
“Then I’ll be back in three days.”
“Do as you please.”
Jo Shin-ryang remained cold to the end, but soon began working the bellows. The forge, dormant for over a decade, roared back to life with a blazing fire.