"Tsk! Is the Black Heaven Sword Gate's sword really that good?"
Was she sulking because I was lying on the bed, examining my new sword this way and that? Seomun Hwa-rin, hands on her hips, puffed out her cheeks lightly.
I suppressed the urge to poke her slightly protruding cheeks and held up the newly acquired sword.
"Look. Not just the blade, but the hilt and the crossguard are all made of black iron. Except for the leather wrapped around the outside of the handle, it's practically a single, tightly interlocked piece of metal."
"Is that so impressive?"
"Whether you design the parts to interlock or use a different method, there are many swords that possess completeness as a single blade. But this is probably the only one forged from a single piece of black iron."
"I still don't see what's so great about that black iron sword in the first place."
"Whew. This is why martial artists are the way they are."
"What?!"
Seomun Hwa-rin's eyes blazed with fury. I let out a sigh at that unreasonable anger and continued my explanation.
"First of all, black iron has a magnificent nature to begin with. High-purity black iron displays a pure black that reflects nothing at all, yet when polished, it can shine so evenly that your face is reflected in it. Isn't it already magnificent at that point?"
"…I, I don't really get it."
Seomun Hwa-rin flinched back like someone who had poked a hornet's nest as a joke and then been startled by the sudden swarm.
Pitiful…
For Seomun Hwa-rin, who didn't appreciate the magnificence of a black iron sword, I decided to explain in a bit more detail. First, I made sure to grip her wrist tightly so she couldn't escape.
"Eek!"
"This isn't the end of it. Black iron is far heavier than other metals, but in exchange, it's far harder. To someone who hasn't yet reached a high realm in the training of External Arts and internal energy, it's merely an inconvenient sword—but the moment you reach the Peak Realm, a sword made of black iron becomes something entirely different."
"B-But isn't cold iron more highly regarded than weapons made of black iron? I can't understand why you, Cheon Hwi, would like it this much. And on top of that, it's the sword of an enemy…"
"…Gah!!"
Heat bubbling up from the depths of my stomach. When I finally couldn't hold it in and let it out, Seomun Hwa-rin jumped in place, startled.
With a face mixing surprise and grievance like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, I too put on a deliberately stern voice.
"Senior Seomun Hwa-rin. When you're walking along the road and run into bandits by bad luck, haven't you ever turned the tables on them and taken the money pouch from their corpses?"
"I-It's not like I've done that!"
"…"
Well, it made sense. Seomun Hwa-rin might not wield the absolute influence of the Five Great Families or the Nine Great Sects and One Gang, but if she set her mind to it, she could have ruled a region as its undisputed overlord.
Even setting that aside, just by toppling the Black Heaven Sword Gate and other Unorthodox Sects and stripping them of their wealth, she would have become rich enough for three generations to live in idle luxury.
But Seomun Hwa-rin didn't do that. She took what she needed, but her goal was revenge and nothing more—she paid no further attention to anything beyond that.
The only thing she had swept up without leaving a single trace was the Seomun Clan's martial arts.
In a way, it was a pure, single-minded obsession. Perhaps that was precisely why she had been able to reach her current level.
Well, that was that, and this was this.
"If you don't know, then just take my word for it. Normally, people use it. The sin lies with the person, not with the object, doesn't it?"
"That is indeed so…"
Seomun Hwa-rin nodded slightly. Good. At least I had succeeded in convincing her this far.
I lightly pulled on the wrist I was holding and continued speaking.
"Then let's return to the main point. The people of the world consider swords forged from ten-thousand-year-old cold iron to be the finest. I agree with that as well. Aside from the problem that ten-thousand-year-old cold iron is extremely rare, it has nothing but merits, doesn't it?"
Ten-thousand-year-old cold iron is so hard that even a simple, clean forging can withstand Sword Force.
It wouldn't block it perfectly, so it would gradually get nicked and bent… but the very fact that it could withstand Aura, of all things, was remarkable in itself.
On top of that, it supposedly had the function of amplifying internal energy, allowing one to unleash greater Sword Qi or Sword Force with the same amount of power.
In the martial world, the only sword made of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron was the Jeongcheon Sword—the symbol of the Murim Alliance, passed down among successive Murim Alliance Leaders—so accurate information about it was scarce.
If this was all that was widely known, perhaps it was an even greater sword than I had thought.
"Well, ten-thousand-year-old cold iron is so rare that, realistically speaking, when people talk about famous swords, they're usually talking about ones made of cold iron or black iron. I already covered black iron a moment ago, so let's move past that… How much do you know about cold iron?"
"That it always remains cold because it holds Yin Energy, that it rarely rusts and shines with a silvery light, and that it's light yet hard. Those three are its greatest traits, wouldn't you say?"
"Aside from the fact that it rarely rusts, I'd say all of those are inferior versions of black iron's traits."
"Hm?"
Seomun Hwa-rin tilted her head as if to ask what on earth he meant by that. For her sake, I began to explain in greater detail and with a calmer tone.
"Being light is a good thing, but once you train the External Arts and grow strong, and supplement that with the internal energy you've built up, every sword becomes light in your hands. If you reach the point where you can easily wield your own sword with one hand, then it doesn't matter how much lighter it gets. Heaviness, on the other hand, is different."
"That does make sense. As long as you can handle the weight, heaviness becomes strength in itself. Even in the case of a swift sword, being light is naturally preferable, but as you say, once it passes a certain threshold of lightness, there isn't much of a difference."
"Yes. After all, isn't the Mystery of Speed all about how explosively you can concentrate your power in the shortest amount of time? It'd be a different story if you were talking about a Transforming Sword or an Illusory Sword that makes use of the blade's elasticity, but…"
"Those two have clear purposes and are often custom-made, so let's set them aside as exceptions. Then what about hardness? Why is that important?"
"What's there to say? It's not for nothing that they use lumps of black iron instead of regular iron in the Dragon Phoenix Gathering preliminaries. It's because they're sturdier. Most importantly, it matters that the sword can hold up without issue even when you channel your internal energy a bit recklessly."
"Oh ho. When you put it that way, it makes sense."
Right now, I was using a Hundred-Times Refined Steel sword made by the Tang Clan, so there was no big problem, but before my regression, there were often times when I had no money or couldn't find a decent craftsman and had to use cheap swords.
That sinking feeling when your sword suddenly breaks in the middle of a good fight…
Anyone who's experienced it once can't help but obsess over getting a good sword.
After hearing my story, Seomun Hwa-rin let out a deep sigh.
"Hoo. Understood. If the Black Iron Sword is that important to you, then even though it is the blade of an enemy, it is right that you use it as it is…"
Seomun Hwa-rin looked at the black sword in my hand with a face that still carried a lingering attachment. Seeing that expression, I realized something. That there was a misunderstanding.
"Senior Seomun Hwa-rin. There is something I would like to correct."
"What do you mean?"
"I do plan to make good use of this sword, but I won't be using it as it is."
"…Euh?"
At her blank expression, I let out a small laugh and answered.
"It's solid black iron, isn't it? If we melt it down as is, that's how much black iron we get. I plan to bring it to the Tang Clan, have them melt it down, and forge a new sword."
"Is it really alright to do that?"
"It seems to have been made by a skilled blacksmith, but… the Tang Clan's artisans seem to be a step ahead."
Just as martial arts develop over time, so too does the blacksmith's craft.
And the Tang Clan is a family where capable blacksmiths gather, isn't it? Considering the exchange of techniques among them, it's only natural.
If it had been made by a truly legendary blacksmith, it could still be excellent even if old… but this sword doesn't seem to be on that level.
Seomun Hwa-rin, who had been looking a little downcast at that story, brightened up and nodded her head repeatedly.
"Mmm. If that's the case, this lady has no objections. No, I'm in full support. Do as you wish."
"That was my plan."
Cheon Hwi and Seomun Hwa-rin looked at each other and grinned. But that didn't last long.
It was because she was the first to bring up a more practical topic.
"By the way, how is your body? It seems you've taken about half of the Yosangyak… Is it working well?"
"Yes. I've been lying down for a week now, haven't I? The external wounds have mostly closed, and the internal injuries are starting to heal as the torn meridians begin to knit together."
Geum Don-ui's medicine was effective. The recovery period, which had originally been estimated at three months, would now be shortened to one month at this rate.
Of course, it was still far from a full recovery. But once he did recover completely, he would undoubtedly be far stronger than before.
Though he had pushed himself too hard, it was only natural—he had wielded an enlightenment that reached the Transcendent Peak.
His current body could practically be considered to have one foot already planted in the Transcendent Peak realm.
Having achieved Sword-Mind Unity and merged the Qi and Spirit among his Essence, Qi, and Spirit, all that remained was to fill his lacking internal energy and ascend fully to the Transcendent Peak.
…Of course, the amount of internal energy he needed to fill was rather substantial.
But between widening the vessel and filling it, the latter was far easier.
This time had been a bit dangerous, and somewhat crude, but in the long run, it would clearly be of help.
As he nodded inwardly, Seomun Hwa-rin looked at him with a stiff expression.
Wondering if she had something important to say, I also straightened my posture as much as possible.
Then Seomun Hwa-rin's thin lips slowly parted.
"I have been thinking for a while."
"What do you mean?"
"Though you say this is your own choice, Cheon Hwi, this one sees it only as you having been hurt for this one's sake."
"Oh my. You're being overly self-conscious. I do feel a kinship with Senior Seomun Hwa-rin, and I do hope things go well for you, but it's not to that extent—mmph!"
Suddenly, a soft and warm sensation covered my mouth. Seomun Hwa-rin, her brow slightly furrowed, had pressed her small palm over my lips.
"Shh. If this one says it is so, then it is so. Quietly nod your head."
"…"
Nod, nod.
As I slowly nodded, Seomun Hwa-rin finally gave a faint smile, as if satisfied.
Satisfied as she was, it seemed she had no intention of letting go of my hand.
"At any rate, I have been thinking. I believe I bear a considerable share of the responsibility for you being injured like this. If only…"
If only Seomun Hwa-rin had perfectly carried out her revenge, leaving no one unpunished.
If only Seomun Hwa-rin had listened to my words and not gone through with the Dragon Phoenix Gathering to the very end.
If only Seomun Hwa-rin had not been swayed by Sangwan Geuk's words and had pushed through what needed to be done from the very start.
As I quietly listened to the countless stories of "if only," my gaze met Seomun Hwa-rin's, who had been letting out deep sighs.
Gulp.
For some reason, Seomun Hwa-rin swallowed once, then patted the bed and continued speaking.
"Ah, kneel down. This lady shall personally assist your recovery through meridian cleansing."
"?"
Perhaps it was my imagination.
For some reason, Seomun Hwa-rin's mention of meridian cleansing sounded a little sinister.