Beastly and Fearlessly - Chapter 41
Only Noblemtl
Episode 41
Do you really need to know?
Those words, casually thrown out, sent a bolt of lightning through Noh Cheong-bong’s head.
There was only one reason why he left the Central Plains.
A question suddenly filled my head.
Do I know what a sword is?
I locked the blacksmith’s door and thought about it for several months.
‘What is a sword?’
This topic never left my mind.
Eventually, he put down the hammer and hid in Namman.
I was ashamed of my past self who had asked questions I didn’t know the answers to.
I couldn’t make any more swords.
But do I really need to know that?
What are the questions I have been asking and the things that have been bothering me so far?
I came out and stood in front of him.
The young boy’s eyes are unusual.
The same goes for the momentum that spreads from the whole body.
“Please answer again.”
thud!
He put the box he was carrying on his shoulder down on the floor.
The ground shakes as if a lump of iron is inside.
And the guy answered.
“I asked if you really had to know.”
Noh Cheong-bong’s mind went blank.
Ah. Where and what was I looking for?
Maybe I’ve been stuck on a question that has no answer?
“… … So, what do you plan on doing with your sword?”
He answered, sitting down on the box he was carrying.
“I… … will swallow the world.”
An indifferent reply, as if he was just going for a walk.
The confidence that it would be possible.
Before Noh Cheong-bong’s eyes, a dragon was smiling at him.
A giant dragon that will swallow the world… … .
* * *
I told him my honest thoughts in response to his questions.
There was a time when it was a tool for survival… … .
But I realized it through death.
It doesn’t matter what the sword is.
It just matters where the sharp end points.
I don’t know if he liked my answer or if he was just about to reforge the sword.
Anyway, he accepted my request to make a sword.
“It’s a very old iron. It must have been hard to find in Namman.”
“You were lucky.”
I opened the box and am looking through it.
Deoksam and Kkomaeng, who had been watching from afar, also joined.
“Elder, greetings. Lord Bangrimpyo is my father. He asked me to convey his regards.”
“Oh my. I was wondering where I was… … By the way, the little boy who used to walk while holding Mok Guk-ju’s hand has grown a lot.”
Still a kid though.
No Cheong-bong’s gaze turned to Mukgang Han-cheol again.
“Although the steel is extremely strong, it is not a good material for a sword. It would be too heavy. The edge wouldn’t stay sharp either.”
“It doesn’t have to be sharp. The weight doesn’t matter. Just make it so it doesn’t break.”
It just has to be big and strong.
Strong enough to withstand any force.
He took the red cloud armor out of his bosom and put it on his hand.
As the energy level rises, the dark armor turns red.
“I want to put this energy into my sword as well.”
“hmm…….”
No Cheong-bong stared at the red fog for a while and then opened his mouth.
“Is that a red cloud armor? It’s said to be the Beast King’s sacred item.”
“That’s right.”
“Huh. My dream was really disturbing last night. A guy suddenly showed up out of nowhere and handed me a red cloud armor.”
Noh Cheong-bong shook his head and continued speaking.
“Then… … you will be the next Beast King?”
“I don’t know. But isn’t this world also included in the world I’m trying to devour?”
It was an impression I got without any expectations.
But if the fate of the Dark Dragon leads me, I intend to follow that path.
We’ll have to see what the ending will be like.
“You’ve met a great man at the southern end. Good. I’ll make you a sword worthy of your name. Hahaha.”
Noh Cheong-bong’s laughter filled the blacksmith shop.
* * *
He said it would take about two weeks.
That’s the standard for when you keep lighting a fire and hitting a hammer without stopping.
The amount of iron I brought was quite a lot.
Ten swords would be enough for a normal sword, and even if they were the right size for me, I could easily make three or four.
“One sword! I will pour all this heavy iron into one sword. It will be too heavy for an ordinary warrior to lift, but I promise you that it will be stronger than any sword in the world.”
“That’s what I wanted.”
Just one piece for that amount… … .
It will be unimaginably heavy.
But it doesn’t matter.
Anyway, the strength is overflowing.
“While you’re at it, leave that too.”
Noh Cheong-bong said, pointing to Jeokun Gap.
“It’s a great item, but it’s been too long. I’ll take good care of it.”
After all, he is the one who has been with the Beast King his entire life.
There was no place broken, but there was no place sound either.
“Thank you.”
No Cheong-bong locked the blacksmith’s door and went inside.
After a while I looked back and saw a cloud of white smoke rising from the chimney.
It will be very hot, as it is a fire that can melt solid iron.
Just like his mind right now.
I walked away from the blacksmith shop.
“I guess I’ll have to wait for the sword to be completed in Mokryung Village, kid. Is there any problem with the schedule?”
“I don’t mind. But where do we go now?”
“I need to find a place to stay first.”
Finding the guest house wasn’t difficult.
Although it was not a very large village, there were three inns.
Unlike the Nanman people who catch a wild boar and eat it as a snack, the Central Plains people prefer inns.
I entered a guest house that looked suitable.
Perhaps because it was meal time, there weren’t many empty tables.
We sat down in the corner and ordered boiled pork and Shaoxing wine.
“By the way, why are you going to Jungwon?”
“Yongbongjihoe.”
An irregular meeting of the post-war leaders of the Moorim Alliance.
The later index is the future of each sect.
On the surface, it may seem like an ordinary social gathering, but it is a gathering where the pride of each sect is at stake.
If a person shows outstanding performance, he is given the nickname Yong (龍) for a man and Bong (鳳) for a woman.
The little boy asked again, startled.
“Ah! The invitation to the Yongbongjihoe has arrived at the Beast Palace too? The whole of Jungwon is already buzzing about the Yongbongjihoe, which has been going on for ten years. I heard from my father that an invitation has arrived at Namgungseagae too. Maybe next spring?”
Namgung Se-ga… … .
My mother is the daughter of the head of the household, so she is my maternal relative.
“Will Namgung Se-ga also attend this Yongbong branch meeting?”
“You may not be very interested in the affairs of the Central Plains, but there are some outstanding figures who have stood out since a young age. The so-called geniuses… … Namgung Mubin (南宮武彬) is one of them. He is the only grandson of the head of the family.”
Now, in front of you is the only grandson of the Gaju clan.
Anyway, he is my cousin who inherited the same blood as me.
It will be a meaningful trip to the Central Plains in many ways.
Thud thud thud.
Suddenly a torrential downpour of rain began.
While I was savoring some Shaoxing wine while listening to the sound of the rain, the door to the inn suddenly opened.
And then two men came in, soaking wet.
“No. What’s going on? Why is it raining all of a sudden… .”
“Eight. We’re all wet. Let’s have a drink here and wait for the rain to stop.”
The two people who sat down in the corner ordered some simple snacks and a bottle of Baekju.
As soon as the alcohol arrived, they started talking nonsense.
This peddling wasn’t very fun, and the new girl who came into Hwawollu had a different face, and that’s what they were talking about.
Just ordinary men you can see at any inn in the countryside.
But I could tell the moment I opened the door and came in.
Those guys are viable.
Salmak’s first-class killer.
* * *
Yonghomun-dong.
“Are you trustworthy?”
Yonghomun Dongju asked.
“Haha. Don’t worry. If you want, they’ll even bring you the Beast King’s head.”
“If that’s the case… … .”
Only now did his expression brighten.
“You should prepare to attend that guy’s funeral soon. Go and comfort the father who lost his child. Hehe.”
If the heir to the family disappears, Namcheon Damdong will be walking a path with a set end.
I’ll probably run out of energy before I get to the end.
Then you can quickly rise to the position of Paldong.
And further to the Beast Palace… … .
“But there’s one thing I’m curious about. Didn’t you say before that your goal was to ascend to the throne of the Beast Palace?”
“That’s right.”
“I don’t know about Paldong, but how do you plan on getting the palace? Isn’t it something that can’t be done with money? Even if they are uncivilized barbarians. Ah! I’m not talking to Dongju. Hehe.”
“That’s true. You can never ascend to the throne of the Beast King without the power to match. However, I have one trick that I haven’t yet revealed.”
Yeonghomundongju narrowed his eyes and became lost in thought.
The first Beast King, Nam Ji-hak, was an absolute master.
If he hadn’t stayed in Namman, he could have been called the best in the world.
He hoped that his power would last forever and protect this land.
So he left the power of the Red Dragon he had in his possession somewhere.
It is a small incense burner called a red incense burner.
An incense burner is a small vessel for burning incense.
This new water contains something other than fragrance.
The energy of the red dragon he left behind.
It is only about the size of the palm of your hand.
A form supported by a red dragon from below.
Three legs support the upper part of the incense burner, with one leg reaching up to the sky and the other leg resting on the ground.
‘I thought everyone was gone.’
Hundreds of years ago, the Demonic Cult came down to the South with the banner of eradicating apostates.
It was only natural that a huge war broke out.
Nam Ji-hak, who was the Beast King at the time, left his power in the palace’s sacred object, Jeok Hyang-ro, before going to the battlefield.
Moon Gye-jik, who was the Yonghomun Dongju at the time, hid it in his family.
And he died on the battlefield without even being able to say anything.
He may have been worried that he might lose it, but he ended up passing it down to his descendants.
‘There is clearly a tremendous power hidden within. We just haven’t been able to draw it out yet.’
I’ve tried everything.
But the power hidden in the incense burner did not respond at all.
There was clearly something in there, but I couldn’t bring it out.
“Whoever desires this power, sit on the throne! You will gain the power of the Red Dragon.”
The only phrase written on the incense burner.
That was also the reason why he wanted the position of Paldong so much.
It will definitely be a special device that resonates with the throne of the Beast Palace.
This is an impossible story in the current Yonghomun-dong.
To freely enter and exit the palace, one must obtain the status of Paldong.
‘There’s not much time left… … .’
If you can awaken this power, you can see not only the eight arms, but beyond.
Yonghomun Dongju Moon Se-jik’s two eyes sparkled with greed.
* * *
An inn in Mokreung Village.
The rain was falling nonstop.
Looking at the dark sky, it looks like it’s going to rain for quite a while.
The first floor of the once full guest house is now empty.
Now the only guests left are us and the two men from before.
“Just wait a moment.”
Ignoring Deoksam’s question of what was going on, he stood up from his seat.
He walked over to their table with a half-empty bottle of liquor and a plate of pork.
chin.
He sat down on the empty chair and put down the bottle and plate.
Now all I have in my hand is the chopsticks I used to use.
“Are you here?”
“Haha. No. We’re just people who wander around here and there to make a living.”
“Ah. So you’re from the Central Plains. Can I ask you a few questions?”
“If you have any questions, feel free to ask. I’ll answer if I know anything.”
“Haha. Then thank you. First, let’s each have a drink.”
Slurp.
He filled the glasses in front of the two people.
“The Shaoxing liquor here is pretty good.”
“Ugh. It’s been a while since I had a decent drink, so I feel warm inside. So what are you curious about?”
He asked, putting a piece of boiled pork in his mouth.
“Where is the other one?”
“Haha. You seem to have mistaken me for someone else. There are only two of us.”
A look of complete incomprehension.
“Well, then let me ask you the next question.”
The atmosphere became awkward due to my question, but he still showed no signs of killing.
But this time, I’m sure he’ll react.
As soon as you finish asking questions, he might stab you with a knife.
A second question was asked.
“How are you, Makju?”
In an instant, the two men’s eyes grew cold.