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, some 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 something like this again?
Only now had Noh Cheongang truly understood what it meant to say the Central Plains was wide and filled with extraordinary people.
So then, how should I attack?
Then a good idea came to him.
Let’s see if he can withstand this too.
Noh Cheongang set his stance, then brought the Flamefire Blade crashing straight down from above.
“Blazing Flame Across Ten Thousand Miles!”
KWAANG—.
The moment the blade slammed into the floor, a fan-shaped surge of blazing heat and fire spread outward, cutting off my vision.
At the same time, he leaped into the air and sent a slash flying at me.
“Heaven-Splitting Fiery Slash!”
The instant I jumped into the air to avoid the flames, 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 flames that had been rushing at me.
Then I lightly dodged the incoming slash aimed at me.
But I thought those two attacks were the end of it.
They weren’t.
Masses of flame shaped like fiends were flying at me.
“Human Chain Break.”
My fists lashed out one after another.
BOOM— BOOM-BOOM—.
The fiend-shaped flames rushing at me 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 Punishment!”
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE—.
KWA-RRRRRUNG—.
Red lightning and a downpour of flames 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 tremendous 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 me already right in front of him.
He hurriedly raised the Flamefire 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 Flamefire Blade.
SKRRRRRRT—.
Noh Cheongang’s body kept getting shoved back.
“Ghk!”
TTAANG—.
He poured internal force into his fist, then slammed 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 me with a horrified expression.
This was beyond merely being fairly strong.
“How much of your full strength was that, just now, when you fought me?”
“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 come from?
Noh Cheongang looked down at the Flamefire 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 meant 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 become the next Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle.
Noh Cheongang asked,
“You... are you someone from Heavenly Martial Castle?”
“I have deep ties to it.”
“I see. Then... what’s your name?”
“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 assume 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 me 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 same 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, come to me anytime. I’ll help you.”
“Thank you.”
“Thank me? I’m the one who should be grateful. You made me a blade that’s like my own hands and feet, and beyond that, you showed me a whole new world.”
“Hm?”
“You showed me the Three Calamities Fist could be that strong.”
“Ah. Right.”
“If the chance comes again, let’s have another round.”
“Sure. Let’s do that. Then I’ll be on my way.”
“Fine. I need to spend some more time with this one. I won’t see you out, so get going.”
He stroked the Flamefire Blade and walked back toward the training ground.
*****
That evening.
Two men came to Jeok Mugun’s residence.
“Hm? What’s this? What are you doing here?”
“I should be asking you the same thing.”
“I came because I have something urgent to tell the Lord of the Castle. You?”
“The same.”
The two men’s gazes collided in midair.
“Could it be... did you come here because of that fellow called Kang Wi?”
“You too?”
The two of them were Baek Seojin and Noh Cheongang.
“I came to recommend Kang Wi. He seems to be exactly the sort fit to become the next Lord of Heavenly Martial Castle.”
“So did I.”
“If two of the Eight Stars of Heavenly Martial Castle are recommending the same 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 men went in to meet Jeok Mugun.
Jeok Mugun welcomed them.
“Well now. What brings the two of you here together?”
“We came because we have something to tell you.”
“Something to tell me? I thought you’d come to spar with me.”
“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 somehow a fellow like you ended up with the title Flamefire Battle God.”
“I like fighting. That doesn’t mean I’m some moth charging in blindly when I know I’ll die.”
“Fine. Keep doing exactly that from now on. That way you’ll stay with me for a long, long time. Now then, what did you come for?”
At Jeok Mugun’s words about staying with him for a long, long time, Noh Cheongang’s face reddened, and he said,
“We came because there is someone we would like to recommend as Heavenly Martial Castle’s successor.”
“A successor recommendation? 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 become the greatest under heaven in all ages.”
“You are mistaken, Lord of the Castle. The person we are recommending is the one who will become the greatest under heaven in ages to come.”
“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 me. Just who is this person that makes you recommend him so strongly?”
“His name 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 came 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 handsome, but with a somewhat sharp look to him?”
“That’s right.”
“Then it seems we’re all thinking of the same person as successor.”
At Jeok Mugun’s words, the two men 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 someone.
Then the door opened, and I walked in.
I had already picked up Noh Cheongang and Baek Seojin’s presence inside from their smell while I was still outside.
It felt like my grandfather had deliberately arranged this to introduce me to them.
Would it be better to reveal my identity to them?
I thought about it for a moment, 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 me walk in, their expressions turned to shock.
Just as Jeok Mugun had said, the person they had both recommended as successor was the same 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 recommending 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!”
Come 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 recommend you as successor.”
Seeing Jeok Mugun watching my expression, Noh Cheongang and Baek Seojin were stunned all over again.
It was the first time.
The first time they had ever seen Jeok Mugun watch someone else’s mood.
“Well, the fact that the two of you think well of me 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 men come 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 same goes for me.”
“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 mere 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.”