Disciple of The Three Kings [EN]: Chapter 188

The Three Kings’ Disciple (189)

188

Several days passed.

Everyone was busy moving around, with no time to spare.

Namgung Cheon shared the matters of the Zhuge family and the Dang family at the council, devising countermeasures while also stating that it was time for the council to unite further, calling for a meeting.

He would move along the optimal path to make the most of the current situation.

When the necessary moment arrived in the future, Namgung Cheon would hold the switch to detonate the bomb.

‘Namgung Mu-jin.’

The young lord of the Namgung family postponed his return under the pretext of a truce with Einheart and instead announced that he would enter secluded training.

-Prepare yourself.

It was actually an order from Namgung Cheon.

-I must prepare you.

As the young lord of the Namgung family, his martial prowess was considered exceptional, but he had not been able to exert much power in the recent events in Japan.

In fact, if it hadn’t been for Lee Ro-woon, Namgung Mu-jin might have become a cold corpse wandering the afterlife.

It was insufficient.

-Prepare to become the family head.

Namgung Cheon was uneasy about his current state.

Although there were other direct descendants in the Namgung family, Lee Ro-woon also recognized that Namgung Mu-jin’s talent and character were exceptional.

Namgung Cheon had already established Namgung Mu-jin as the young lord, but it seemed insufficient, and he was starting preparations for him to become the family head.

‘Ha Se-min.’

The Black Lion King, Ha Se-min, was reorganizing the Black Lion’s network, which had been lacking in Japan, and strengthening the unity of his forces.

-I will be busy for the time being.

It was true that the Black Lion organization occupied half of the darkness in Asia.

A massive organization that rivaled the openness and scale of the light, at least in the shadows.

However, the limitations of the Black Lion were continuously being revealed in a series of events.

-Although the Black Lion controls half of the darkness in Asia, it is still only half of the darkness.

When they stepped into the light, the Open Faction had built a massive force that was incomparable to the Black Lion, and the Nine Great Sects were the same.

It wasn’t that the Black Lion’s martial prowess was inferior to them, but as they were not recognized members of the council, their limitations were clear.

Also, no matter how large their forces were, the fact that they were scattered throughout Asia was also a weakness of the Black Lion.

-I will make it into a place that is not lacking.

Mareun, a new organization.

Although it had not yet revealed its appearance to the world, the alliance was being built.

The Wudang Sect, the Five Great Clans, Eunha, the Black Lion, and even the Jongnam Sect, though not yet certain.

Although it was not yet on par with the Nine Great Sects, a large alliance was being born in secret.

‘Ha Se-min wants to be at the center of it.’

Ha Se-min’s intention was to act as the blood vessel that connects them all into one.

‘Lee Yong-jin.’

Also, Lee Yong-jin, the vice-chief of the Ghostly Valley, finished his greetings and left for Korea.

-I realized that this was not enough.

He was going to find the chief of the Ghostly Valley.

At the same time, he seemed to be planning to solidify his relationship with Ha Se-min and find his own breakthrough.

Lastly.

‘Jeong Chi-soo.’

The Blood Cult.

In fact, they were the ones who would be feeling the most miserable.

When the Blood Demon was vacant, it was the existence of the High Priestess that represented the Blood Demon’s will.

Kang Eun-ha.

The High Priestess of the Blood Cult had died right in front of the eyes of the Blood Cult members.

-I will enter seclusion.

They were the ones who had tried not to leave Lee Ro-woon’s side.

-As of now, saying that we are protecting the Blood Demon is just absurd.

Lee Ro-woon, he had done everything alone.

The Blood Cult had only been revived by Lee Ro-woon’s grace, and they had not properly given anything to Lee Ro-woon, the Blood Demon.

It was natural that the Blood Demon was stronger than them.

-As we are now, it would be a disgrace for us to stand on the battlefield with the Blood Demon.

They wouldn’t want to be a burden.

It was evident how much he had worried and agonized, as Jeong Chi-soo, a warrior of the Demonic Path, had chapped lips.

-Permission.

There was no reason not to allow it.

While each of them was taking a new step forward.

Clang!

Lee Ro-woon was here.

Clang! Clang!

The place was filled with the loud sound of hammers and the pungent smell of sweat.

Clang!

At the Dang family’s smithy.

***

Clang!

Lee Ro-woon was sitting in the Dang family’s smithy.

The surviving Dang family artisans.

They were constantly working the bellows on the furnace and hammering away.

They were sweating profusely, but they didn’t pay any attention to Lee Ro-woon.

The heat was so intense that sweat was dripping, but it was not a problem for Lee Ro-woon.

Clang!

Immune to heat and cold.

For Lee Ro-woon, who had reached a certain level, temperature was not a significant factor.

The artisans were focused on continuously making something, and Lee Ro-woon had just been watching it for several days.

And finally.

Swoosh.

Lee Ro-woon rose from his seat.

Clang.

The sound of the hammer, which had been ringing like thunder, subsided, and the artisans looked at Lee Ro-woon.

Lee Ro-woon had stuck around under the guise of looking around the smithy, and during that time, he had not revealed any actions or reasons.

“……”

Although the artisans did not pay attention to Lee Ro-woon, they were actually concerned.

It was the first time Lee Ro-woon had moved, and they reacted to it.

“I too.”

Lee Ro-woon said.

“I want to learn too.”

An awkward silence descended at those words.

“Y-yes, y-yes?”

The artisans expressed their surprise without hiding it.

Smithing, although the Dang family artisans were respected by the warriors of Eun, they were not treated as well as one might think.

That was because the warriors of Eun preferred to become warriors rather than artisans.

“Why is that?”

“That is…”

For the Dang family artisans, Lee Ro-woon had become a distant existence.

An existence that the new head of the Dang family had declared to serve as their master.

They had already seen Namgung Cheon of the Namgung family being cautious around him.

“It’s difficult for you to do it yourself…”

“Is it difficult?”

“It’s difficult, but it’s also not fitting for your status.”

Lee Ro-woon tilted his head with a languid expression.

“Why?”

“Yes?”

“I don’t understand what you mean by not fitting for my status.”

Lee Ro-woon strode forward.

At that, the artisans stepped back and said.

“As you know, warriors never let go of the weapons they have chosen.”

If they chose a sword, they would wield a sword for the rest of their lives, and if they chose a saber, they would wield a saber for the rest of their lives.

There were cases where they changed their weapons for some reason, but such cases were rare.

That was the first reason.

It could be said that a warrior’s mind and martial arts were tailored to one weapon.

When using a saber technique with a sword, the power would drastically decrease, and in severe cases, even the flow of qi and blood could be distorted.

Therefore, if a warrior lost their weapon in an emergency, they would often resort to using their fists instead.

And the second reason.

“Although it’s a hammer, it’s still a type of weapon.”

This was a big reason.

“If you learn smithing, you will inevitably spend a lot of time with the hammer. You might even have to wield the hammer instead of a sword.”

That was why.

“The muscles in your body and the flow of your internal energy could be reversed.”

For a body accustomed to a sword to become accustomed to a hammer.

One might say it’s nothing, but in the world of warriors where one move or one breath could determine life or death, that sense of incongruity could not be ignored.

In severe cases, it could shake the foundation of a warrior.

That was why, even in the Dang family, warriors were raised as warriors, and artisans were raised as artisans, and when their roles were changed due to unavoidable circumstances, they would not think of going back.

“Are you saying it’s not possible for such a reason?”

The artisans’ faces contorted at Lee Ro-woon’s words.

They knew it was rude.

However, artisans were people who lived with more pride in themselves than warriors.

Lee Ro-woon’s words sounded like.

“It won’t be easy.”

It sounded as if he was looking down on them.

“Smithing is completely different from martial arts. Even if you learn it, we don’t know how long it will take. It would be better to swing your sword one more time during that time…”

One might think they had crossed the line, but that was the pride of an artisan.

This was also because the other party was Lee Ro-woon, if it had been any other warrior.

‘Get lost!’

They wouldn’t have been able to get away with just a scolding.

Swoosh.

However, Lee Ro-woon stood in front of one of the artisans and reached out his hand.

“……Kuh.”

The artisan was groaning at the attitude that seemed to disregard them.

Also, it was too obvious that he was reaching out his hand.

It was to hand over the hammer.

In the midst of the complex emotions of hurt pride, momentary anger, and bewilderment.

“Give it to him.”

The Dang family’s leader, who was currently leading the artisans, finally gave permission.

“Here it is.”

Lee Ro-woon finally received the hammer.

Squeeze.

As he gripped the handle tightly, the artisans shook their heads.

‘As expected.’

The way he was holding the handle was different from the start.

Right now, Lee Ro-woon was holding the hammer as if it were a sword.

‘That will never change easily.’

It was the same even if an artisan held a sword.

They could imitate it, but they could never perfect it.

In the end, if the goal was to learn up to a certain level…

“I will teach you.”

That much would be possible.

“The way you’re holding it is awkward.”

Then, Lee Ro-woon’s small words were heard.

“Gasp!”

The artisans were so surprised that they gasped.

There had been almost no warriors who had realized that on their own.

“Why are you reacting like that?”

Lee Ro-woon said.

“Do you think I’ve just been sitting here doing nothing and wasting time?”

“……!”

Could it be.

That all the time he had been sitting in the smithy, he had been observing everyone?

Swoosh.

Lee Ro-woon grabbed the hammer again.

“……!”

The other artisans didn’t seem to have noticed yet, but it was visible in the eyes of the Dang family’s leader.

‘It’s gotten better.’

Just once, he had grabbed the hammer again, and his posture had changed.

“Hmm. This isn’t it either.”

Swoosh.

Once more.

“Gasp.”

The Dang family’s leader could no longer hide his astonishment.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh.

Lee Ro-woon grabbed the hammer again several times.

Now, it wasn’t just the Dang family’s leader.

“No way!”

“This can’t be…!”

All the artisans were looking at Lee Ro-woon in shock.

It couldn’t be said to be perfect.

However, just by grabbing the hammer again a few times.

‘It’s refined.’

The way he was holding the hammer had reached a refined level.

At first, it was 1 year, then 5 years.

Just by grabbing the hammer once, he was catching up to the years of an artisan.

Drip.

Sweat was dripping not from the heat of the smithy, but from a certain fear.

“Well, a hammer is also a weapon after all.”

Lee Ro-woon, who had grabbed the hammer again, said.

“Can I learn now?”

The answer was as good as decided.

“Of course.”

* * *

-I cannot teach you smithing.

My sword king master had never taught me the work of the smithy.

-Because I did not learn it, but rather grasped it.

The countless weapons that were in the gap of chaos.

They were all objects created by my sword king master.

However, my sword king master had never taught me smithing.

No, he could not teach me.

My master had not learned it, but rather grasped it.

It was something close to instinct, where he had handled and used countless weapons and realized what was right.

-You.

That was why my master had said.

-If you have the chance, learn it properly.

Clang!

-Then, something that I cannot imagine might be born.

Lee Ro-woon brought down the hammer.