Bu Eunseol learned the art of metallurgy from Wang Geol and, through an introduction from Hwang Ga-Cheoljang, a friend of Wang Geol, joined the Tangshan Iron House as a blacksmith.
This was because he had learned that Yeo Hwajin, a master of great skill, was staying at Jangsan Gorge in Tangshan and frequently visited the Tangshan branch. The problem was that Tangshan was practically under the influence of the Zhongnan sect.
No matter where one went, Zhongnan disciples were everywhere. In other words, acting recklessly could expose his identity and cost him his life before he even had a chance to fight.
“First, I must conceal myself within their sphere of influence and observe their movements.” After much deliberation, the method Bu Eunseol chose was to become a blacksmith at the Tangshan Iron House.
This plan had two advantages.
First, the Tangshan Iron House had long been a forge that conducted business with the Zhongnan sect’s martial hall. Thus, working there would naturally provide opportunities to gather information about the Zhongnan sect and the master of great skill.
The second advantage was the chance to examine the swords of Zhongnan disciples.
Since Zhongnan disciples often used powerful sword techniques, they frequently needed their swords repaired. By examining the damage on their blades, Bu Eunseol could deduce the forms and variations of Zhongnan swordsmanship to some extent.
It was akin to determining the cause of death by studying the wounds left on a corpse.
“I’d better get to fixing this quickly.” While intently examining a sword, an hour had already passed.
Having thoroughly analyzed the traces on the blade, Bu Eunseol placed the longsword on the workbench and began repairing it.
***
“What is the meaning of this?!”
In the VIP reception room of the Tangshan Iron House. The voice of Yeon Myeong-jin, who had just received his sword from Bu Eunseol, disguised as a blacksmith, echoed loudly.
“Why is the handle shorter, and where’s the guard?!” Shaking the scabbard, Yeon Myeong-jin glared at Bu Eunseol with blazing eyes. “I told you to repair the sword, not to arbitrarily change its appearance!”
“I didn’t change its appearance; I removed what was unnecessary.”
“What did you say? Unnecessary?” As Yeon Myeong-jin rolled up his sleeves in rage, Yi Bok, standing behind him, smirked wickedly.
‘This is how it ends up.’ Bu Eunseol might have skillful hands, but he lacked aesthetic sense and tended to disregard the balance of appearance. ‘If Master Blacksmith learns of this, I’ll face some trouble… but you’ll definitely be kicked out of this place.’
With an expressionless face, Bu Eunseol said,
“Your hands are smaller than those of an average adult. Yet, you were using a sword with a longer handle and a wider guard, which must have been even more inconvenient.”
“What, what did you say?”
“Try it out first. If you don’t like it, I’ll restore it to its original state.” Yeon Myeong-jin’s face twisted like that of a tiger, but he nodded.
“Fine! Alright!”
Shing.
As the furious Yeon Myeong-jin drew the sword,
“…!” His expression froze instantly.
The feel of the sword’s handle, which he had gripped thousands, tens of thousands of times, was completely different.
“What… what is this?” Blinking in confusion, he couldn’t hide his bewildered expression as he looked at Bu Eunseol. “I’ve used this sword for ten years… but it feels even better in my hand than before.”
Tilting the sword slightly to inspect the blade, Yeon Myeong-jin cocked his head.
“The shape of the sword is the same, but the weight has changed. It feels as light as holding a feather.”
“So, is there any problem?”
“What?”
Bu Eunseol said in a low voice, “I’m asking if there’s anything inconvenient.”
Normally, Yeon Myeong-jin would have harshly reprimanded a young blacksmith for such an insolent tone, making him cry. But now, the newly improved sword made him feel as if he could soar with joy.
“There’s… nothing inconvenient.”
“Good to hear. I’ll take my leave then.” As Bu Eunseol turned to leave, Yeon Myeong-jin reached out.
“Wait.”
“Is there more to say?”
“Could you… perhaps repair my other swords as well?”
“There are plenty of blacksmiths in this forge.”
“No, I mean you.” Clearing his throat, he said in a low voice, “I’ve entrusted my swords to many blacksmiths at Tangshan Iron House, but it seems you’re the best at repairing them.”
At that moment, Bu Eunseol’s eyes glinted faintly.
‘It worked.’ Finally, an opportunity to closely examine swords bearing the traces of Zhongnan swordsmanship had presented itself. However, seizing the opportunity too eagerly might arouse suspicion.
So, he looked at Yi Bok with an air of annoyance and said, “I’m not the one who assigns the workload.”
“Truly, a master craftsman.” Yeon Myeong-jin nodded with satisfaction and turned to Yi Bok. “If it’s alright, could you entrust the repair of our martial hall’s swords entirely to this man?”
“To him? Well…”
As Yi Bok hesitated with a troubled expression, Yeon Myeong-jin grinned and said, “Not just my sword, but the swords of the other masters as well.”
Yi Bok’s eyes widened in shock. The masters of the Zhongnan sect’s Tangshan martial hall were all direct disciples of the Zhongnan main sect. To entrust all their swords to him? It was tantamount to becoming the exclusive swordsmith for the Zhongnan martial hall that dominated Tangshan… The reputation of the Tangshan Iron House would soar to the heavens.
“Of, of course!” Calming his racing heart, Yi Bok clasped his hands together. “If you entrust this to us, we will do our utmost. Thank you.”
“Thank me? I’m the one who’s grateful.”
Glancing at Bu Eunseol, Yeon Myeong-jin nodded and said,
“I’ll be counting on you from now on.”
***
Some time later.
Across from the weapon forge of the Tangshan Iron House, a small smithy was established. It was Bu Eunseol’s personal forge, dedicated to repairing swords sent from Zhongnan.
When his hands touched them, even ordinary iron swords became as sharp as master-crafted blades, their balance and density perfectly restored. As praise poured in from the masters of the Zhongnan martial hall, which dominated the Tangshan region, even the Zhongnan main sect began to hear of his reputation and sent their swords one by one.
The swords of the masters at the Zhongnan main sect were imbued with the essence of the three great sword techniques. This was something even Bu Eunseol, who had planned it all, hadn’t anticipated.
***
Deep into the night.
Alone in his forge, Bu Eunseol was sorting the swords placed in the weapon storage box on the side of his workbench.
“Traces of the Eternal Spring Final Mastery technique from the Flowing Cloud Sword.”
“This is the Scattering Blossoms, No Shadow technique from the Verdant Rain Sword.”
Bu Eunseol was separating the swords with traces of techniques he had already analyzed from those with new traces he hadn’t seen before.
Clank. Having finished sorting the swords, Bu Eunseol dusted off his hands and moved to the workbench where paper, brush, and ink were laid out.
Scritch, scratch. He began meticulously recording the damaged parts of the swords, the variations in techniques, and the anticipated movements.
For traces that were faint or difficult to discern with the naked eye, he would wield the sword himself or clash it against other damaged blades to test them.
‘The Zhongnan sect’s swordsmanship hides subtlety within its ferocity and precision within its sharpness.’ Holding a damaged sword, Bu Eunseol lightly swung it.
The blade of the longsword sliced through the air, spinning rapidly. The sword, firmly fixed to its hilt, astonishingly spun like a windmill.
‘This spinning technique, the foundation of Zhongnan swordsmanship, causes the blade to twist significantly’ It was a different cause from the destructive force of Bu Eunseol’s Supreme Heavenly Flow, which shattered swords due to its overwhelming power. ‘The spinning force is likely used to enhance power while suppressing lethality.’ Twisting the sword in the air again, Bu Eunseol suddenly exuded a murderous aura.
He amplified his killing intent using the principles of Radiant Sword Control.
Tremble. Whoosh!
The gentle sword technique, soft as a spring breeze, transformed into a fierce, murderous strike.
The blade, which had been spinning smoothly, now rotated ferociously, and the sword’s once gentle arcs now radiated sharp, deadly energy. By infusing killing intent and dominance, he had transformed Zhongnan swordsmanship into a demonic martial art.
‘It may seem powerful, but it loses its subtlety.’
Orthodox martial arts, especially those of the Taoist lineage, inherently suppress killing intent. Thus, forcibly increasing power or turning it into a lethal technique goes against the original sword intent, diminishing its precision.
‘No wonder demonic and orthodox martial arts are distinguished from one another.’
Shaking his head, Bu Eunseol gradually softened the sword technique again. If martial artists had witnessed this, they would have been shocked beyond belief. Changing the intricate sword intent of a technique passed down through generations was no easy feat, even for a grandmaster of martial arts.
Yet Bu Eunseol was freely altering the sword intent and performing the techniques.
Clank.
Returning the damaged sword to its sheath, Bu Eunseol gave a wry smile and shook his head.
‘If I had fought without any information, I would have been defeated in every battle. I wouldn’t have stood a chance.’ The more he studied the cross-sections of broken swords, the more Bu Eunseol couldn’t help but marvel at the intricacy of Zhongnan swordsmanship.
The Nine Great Sects.
The martial arts of these prestigious orthodox sects, firmly rooted in the martial world for generations, were far more profound and refined than Bu Eunseol had anticipated.
‘What a pity. I’d love to see the Flowing Cloud sword technique.’
The swords entrusted to the Tangshan Iron House bore only traces of the Drifting Wind or Verdant Rain sword techniques.
There were no traces of the Flowing Cloud sword technique, considered the greatest of the three major sword techniques. This was because those skilled enough to practice the Flowing Cloud sword technique had reached a level where their energy and techniques were so refined that their swords no longer broke.
“Hoo.” Having examined all the traces on the swords, Bu Eunseol let out a sigh.
Looking out the window, he saw the faint light of dawn breaking.
‘Now that I think about it… there’s not much difference.’ Suddenly, Bu Eunseol gave a bitter smile.
Repairing damaged swords felt not so different from preparing the bodies of deceased martial artists. Preparing a body involved stitching up wounds and grooming the body to resemble its living appearance. Repairing a damaged sword involved fixing warped and broken parts, restoring balance, and returning it to its original form.
Both were about restoring something to its original state.
Though a living being and a piece of forged metal could never be the same, to Bu Eunseol, who had long blurred the lines between life and death, they felt strikingly similar.
***
“Blacksmith Bu, are you in there?”
At that moment, a low voice called out, and a middle-aged man in coarse clothing entered the forge. It was Yi Bok, the overseer. As soon as he entered, he placed a large bamboo basket on the workbench.
The basket was filled with fragrant, high-quality liquor, fruits, rice cakes, and other snacks.
“You’re working hard late into the night. Have some of this while you work.” For the overseer to personally bring snacks to a mere blacksmith was truly unusual.
But Bu Eunseol merely nodded without a word of thanks. In the past, Yi Bok would have been furious at such behavior or scolded him loudly. But now, Bu Eunseol was the treasure of the Tangshan Iron House. Even his insolent demeanor was seen as the mark of a steadfast craftsman.
“Isn’t it tiring? The workload seems overwhelming lately.”
“It’s fine.”
“How about… letting the other blacksmiths at the weapon forge handle the repairs from now on?” When Bu Eunseol didn’t respond, Yi Bok approached and said in a hushed tone, “What I mean is… don’t you want to start forging swords yourself?”
“Swords…” Bu Eunseol’s sharp, sword-like eyebrows twitched and rose. “Are you telling me to forge swords?”
