Chapter 6
The old blacksmith blinked at Chun-bong and me as we snapped at one another before slumping down into a chair.
“Whoa…”
Honestly, I thought we were about to start a fight, looking at Chun-bong with an incredulous expression.
“What are you staring at?”
“Uh, it’s nothing.”
So this is what a normal conversation in the martial world looks like? With a slightly strange realization, I followed Chun-bong from behind.
Standing before a few swords on display, Chun-bong scanned them with her eyes.
“Hmm… They aren’t completely useless. Pick one.”
“Me?”
What do I know about swords? I looked at Chun-bong with an expression that pleaded for her to choose. She clicked her tongue in annoyance.
“Ugh, just pick one! If you choose a dumb one, I’ll stop you.”
“Why’s your mouth so foul?”
Chun-bong glared at me.
“Didn’t you just say something rude…?”
“Were you not here?”
“Just shut up.”
With an irritated Chun-bong behind me, I examined the swords.
Most of them were of similar length—exactly what you’d think of when you hear ‘long sword.’
They were Chinese-style swords with blades on both sides, and raising them one by one, they seemed balanced enough.
“Not bad?”
At the very least, I thought they were okay by my standards.
Out of the bunch that caught my eye, there was one that stood out…
“I’ll take this one.”
As I chose a sword, Chun-bong, who had been inspecting it, nodded in approval.
“Your eyes are not bad.”
Snatching the sword, Chun-bong stomped over to the old blacksmith and dropped it onto the table with a thud.
“Let’s settle this.”
“Hmm…”
The old man squinted and tilted his head back, and after finally focusing, he nodded.
“One liang.”
“Silver coins?”
“What else would it be?”
“Are you out of your mind? Half a liang. I can’t give you more than that.”
In just a few short exchanges, Chun-bong successfully haggled the price down to half. I couldn’t help but clap for her impressive negotiation skills, only for her to click her tongue at me.
“This is the real price, you idiot.”
“Aha.”
Exiting the smithy with just a little money left, I was in high spirits, humming as I felt the weight of the sword at my waist. Chun-bong scoffed at me.
“Enjoying yourself?”
“Absolutely.”
“Bull.”
Chun-bong grabbed my wrist, stopping me. Our eyes met, and after a moment’s pause, she seriously asked,
“Do you know what stepping into the martial world means?”
“What’s it mean? That I could die if I swing my sword recklessly?”
“If that’s all, I wouldn’t even be telling you.”
Chun-bong stepped closer and poked the sword at my waist.
“The martial world’s secrets are like a tangled thread you can never unravel again. You’ve already taken your first step into it.”
You mean beating up my criminal buddies? I nodded, and Chun-bong sighed as she gazed directly into my eyes.
“Most importantly, don’t stop. Once you do, the guy behind you will stab you.”
“Why are you talking like I’m gonna die right now?”
“I’m not your mother.”
With a pouty expression, I rested my chin on Chun-bong’s small head.
“This little brat. I’m going to succeed and treat you well.”
“You brat…? Gah! Get your hands off my head?”
As I tousled her tiny head, she seemed ready to burst with happiness.
What a cute little troublemaker.
Thinking about sending Chun-bong off to marry someday makes me feel a bit sad.
*
When I got home, I wanted to check out the sword, but Chun-bong suddenly barged in, glaring at me.
“So? You said you’d tell me when we got home.”
“Tell you what?”
“About that ‘Tanzigong’ nonsense!”
“Oh.”
I had just mentioned that casually to brush her off.
After some contemplation, I honestly replied, “I just kind of did it, and it happened, you know?”
“Just die already. If you don’t want to tell me, just say so.”
“No! I swear it’s true!”
After some mulling, I concentrated and described how I gathered energy at my fingertips.
“I just concentrated, and then—boom! It happens, just like that!”
“That technique doesn’t just work that easily!”
“No, it works! So what do you want me to say?”
It wasn’t like I was consciously vibrating my vocal cords; it was just that it felt like something I could do.
After one more long explanation that finally got through to her, Chun-bong rested her chin on her hand.
“What a lousy world. Do you think having a bit of talent makes everything easy?”
“Why are you giving me a hard time about this?”
“Just! What a jerk!”
Instead of holding back, I offered my body for her playful punches.
The rhythmic pats on my back felt refreshing. Such a good little sister.
*
Despite the sword not being overly heavy, it was still a sword. A metal chunk is way heavier than the sticks I used to swing around.
In a world without smartphones or computers, if I couldn’t hold back my boredom, I started pouring myself into my martial training. My body began to toughen with each passing day.
“Hmm, not bad for a start.”
Striking a pose without a shirt, I noticed Chun-bong’s eyes fixed on me as if she were watching a bug.
“What’s this guy saying?”
“Hey, it’s all about those lean muscles looking cool.”
After putting the sword down, I sat on the ground, playing with the energy in my hands.
I thought I’d quickly get bored of handling energy, but the more I learned, the less it felt like I was exhausting the fun.
“Is that really fun? Doesn’t it feel exhausting?”
Chun-bong didn’t seem to understand.
“Why would it feel exhausting? It’s just fun!”
“Of course, to handle energy that way requires willpower…, no, forget it. Why am I even saying anything?”
Tsk, Chun-bong clicked her tongue and plopped down.
“Ugh! A talentless idiot like you should just go and die!”
“Hey, it’s okay! I’ll take care of you!”
“What do you know, you jerk!”
“What? Are you going through puberty or something?”
Chun-bong shot me a glare before sitting in a squat and lamenting her fate.
“Back in the day, I was hailed as a genius. You never know when it could all change. Be careful with yourself.”
“Are you cursing me?”
*
BOOM───────!!
The wall exploded, flying away. Dumbfounded, I turned to look at Chun-bong, who was wildly waving her hands.
“It wasn’t me!”
Coughing through the dust cloud, a few figures emerged amid the settling debris. They looked like a bunch of hardened criminals, with clear shoe prints all over the floor.
“Hey! Are these punks? They’re just little kids! Are you blind or what?”
“It’s definitely them, bosses! Ah! Look over there!”
One goon pointed, revealing two crude swords lying nearby.
“Well, what do you know?”
Feeling the intense gaze of the men, I thought to myself.
“Take off your shoes before coming in, you punks!”
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