Worry about the Poison Doctor was put aside the moment Rye-ah stepped up.
Fundamentally, the Tang Clan shares a sense of being one big family, so the children attending the academy are all considered relatives of the Poison Doctor.
As long as the Poison Doctor showers the grandchildren with love, that’s all that matters.
It’s truly a pleasures-without-responsibility scenario.
How can one possibly resist that?
So starting today, I decided to learn the unique Tang Clan method of practicing with qi-infused weapons.
“I never imagined the Senior Ho would be receiving this special training.”
The guide was Tang Do-yeon.
Although I’ve been around the Tang Clan for a while as an outsider, my travels were limited. Besides the residential area, the only place I’ve been is the Family Head’s Quarters.
Perhaps considering my situation, Tang Do-yeon generously provided explanations about various buildings as we walked.
“The Tang Clan is divided into zones based on purpose. For instance, the southern area is where the Tang Clan members live, and to the east, you’ll find commercial and artisan zones. The western area is primarily filled with facilities related to medicine and poisons. And I recommend avoiding the northern area if you can.”
“What’s in the northern area?”
“The northern area houses the toxic substances owned by the Tang Clan, so even direct line members shouldn’t wander in recklessly. It’s packed with various extermination and lethal equipment.”
“I see.”
The true value of hidden weapons is revealed when combined with poison. Just a single tiny needle that penetrates the skin can incapacitate or even kill a person.
The hidden weapons thrown by an expert are small, stealthy, and deadly, but those coated with poison are death incarnate.
I had no interest in the poisons located in the northern region anyway. According to Tang Do-yeon’s explanation, I was heading towards the artisan area…
Tang Do-yeon kicked open the door of a nearby artisan shop.
BANG!!
BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG!
“Sister! I’m here!”
Tang Do-yeon’s raucous alarm and booming voice called out for her sister!
“Miss Tang! What in the world is going on…!”
“Did I startle you? It’s okay, it’s okay. This much is needed to wake them up.”
Aside from the noise, crashing sounds of things collapsing echoed from inside, and finally, a door opened just a crack.
“Ugh… please…”
“Sister! I told you a guest is coming today! Hurry and get up!”
The woman Tang Do-yeon called sister was frazzled, looking like she was about to lose her mind. And everywhere in the shop, there were strange looking devices strewn about.
At this point, it was becoming harder to ignore who this person really was.
She’s the future world’s greatest artisan.
The creator of Bicheongmacha, the eccentric artisan, Tang So-yeol.
Right in front of me, she was wildly shaking Tang Do-yeon.
*
“Haah~”
“Senior Ho will be learning the art of sword-making from Sister So-yeol from now on.”
“…What?”
“This person has caused too many accidents and is currently under punishment, so there’s no need to hold her in high regard as a master. Despite her appearance, she is recognized among the artisans of the Tang Clan for her skills.”
Well, of course. She is the future world’s greatest artisan.
“So… does this special training involve actually making swords?”
“Yes, indeed. Sister will explain the details! Sister! This is an order from the Family Head! If you abandon this task halfway through, the shop will be seized, and everything you’ve invented until now will be melted down! Since this was said with the authority of the Family Head, you must really do it properly this time!”
Tang So-yeol, who had been yawning nonchalantly, suddenly grimaced.
“Ahh~ I got it already.”
“Also, Senior Ho was told that if you slack off or fail to instruct properly, they can squeeze you dry by any means necessary, even if you’re their sister. Well, for Senior Ho, that might not make much difference.”
“Hehe.”
“Then I’ll take my leave!”
With that, Tang Do-yeon vanished like a storm, leaving only Tang So-yeol, who was half-asleep, and me.
A moment of awkward silence passed, and finally, Tang So-yeol spoke up.
“So, what’s your main weapon?”
“A sword.”
“Really? Yawn… I guess you came to learn sword energy, right?”
I nodded, and Tang So-yeol stretched languidly while mumbling.
“The theory of the Tang Clan’s special training is simple. You learn about the materials and creation process of the weapons you use to enhance your understanding. Have you ever wondered why you can manipulate qi freely in your body but not in your sword?”
“I have thought about it…”
“That’s good to hear. The conclusion is that you know your own body very well. Others might think otherwise, but they simply don’t understand.”
Is this an impromptu theory lecture?
“There are martial artists who claim they don’t know their bodies, yet they circulate and gather qi. The act of manipulating qi in your own body itself is proof that you understand it.”
“However, it can be easy to think you don’t know. Like, you don’t have to learn to breathe—people just breathe. Without learning, they instinctively avoid danger or feel pain. They may not understand the structure or movement of their limbs, but they use them well.”
“Humans are innately familiar with their bodies. For the length of their lives, they’ve handled their own bodies continuously, and the necessary information is inscribed in their instincts from birth. They may not have learned it, but that doesn’t mean they don’t understand.”
“You’ll be learning how to make swords, which will enhance your understanding of them. You’ll heat, hammer, and shape the metal to experience firsthand how swords are created and why they have their specific structures and forms.”
It seems she’s claiming that to manage sword energy, I need to understand not just the swordsmanship but also the sword itself. While it seems somewhat nonsensical, it does have a certain convincing quality.
Most importantly, this is sort of an opportunity for enlightenment.
Learning from the future greatest artisan is a chance not to be missed for a veteran of the Martial World.
“I look forward to your guidance, Master.”
“Okay. Apprentice.”
Tang So-yeol pointed toward the shop.
“First, light the fire in the furnace.”
*
Technique.
In the age of martial arts, various techniques exist. There are cooking techniques for the culinary world, gambling techniques for the gambling world, and fishing techniques for catching fish.
Among these, one cannot overlook the artisan techniques.
Isn’t being an artisan all about tapping into that macho instinct bubbling within men?
Before the hot furnace and the heat of the metal, I move my muscular arms to strike the heated iron.
CLANG!!
The metallic sound echoes, and sparks fly in every direction. Ignoring the splattering sparks, my hammering shapes the glowing red metal piece.
Sizzle!
Then I quench it, steam rising from the metal, before tossing it back into the furnace, waiting quietly for it to be reheated.
I monotonously repeat such grueling work, sweating profusely.
Metal, flames, muscle, craftsmanship… All elements men go crazy for come together in the romantic job of being an artisan.
The process of learning artisanal skills…
“Hey, can’t you do it right? Just because you’re treated like a guest of the Tang Clan doesn’t mean being an artisan is easy!”
It was filled with relentless ribbing.
“You’ve really made no progress. I heard you’re a genius at gambling, but try paying a bit more attention to the coal.”
A week passed since I started learning from Tang So-yeol about technique to forge a sword and improve my swordsmanship.
And yet, I hadn’t even touched a hammer yet and was merely mashing the fire in the furnace.
“Ugh.”
I groaned, setting down the iron bar to step onto the large bellows. As I pushed down with force, air poured into the furnace, and the hot heat blasted toward me.
I too had reached quite a peak in my physical abilities.
With sufficient power and endurance to stomp the bellows, if I pump continuously until the iron is heated red-hot, I should be able to make the ingot blaze!
But it’s all about meeting the conditions Tang So-yeol demands.
One pump per breath.
Yet when I took my time pumping the bellows, the furnace’s temperature was diminishing, and although the ingot within was heating up, it rarely glowed red.
“Hey, right now! Ah, this is hopeless. You should have pumped it all at once!”
Tang So-yeol wasn’t demanding the impossible. She had demonstrated it right here in this furnace.
The issue was she was your typical eccentric genius.
She rambled about reading the coal’s breath and feeling the direction of the wind. It was all intuitive nonsense, devoid of logic or theory.
“Ah, I should have figured it out when the Family Head issued those conditions…”
And yet here I am, being treated like an idiot.
I could really use a slap.
But I had to endure.
The easiest way to master the artisan skills in the Martial World was to become a disciple under Tang So-yeol.
Just as martial arts require the support of a master and clan to develop quickly, artisans too can grow rapidly if they find support and a mentor.
As far as I know, no character in the Martial World has mastered gambling techniques. That’s why I, Ho Cheon-an, proclaim myself a master of the divine.
However, characters exist who have mastered various techniques in other fields. One of them is currently treating me like a bothersome nuisance right in front of me—Tang So-yeol.
I, Ho Cheon-an.
To put it bluntly, I have no intention of mastering the artisan techniques.
I merely hoped to awaken sword energy by making swords through the Tang Clan’s special training.
The Tang Clan has plenty of artisans who can suitably share their techniques, and I could learn from other artisans anytime.
But!
To give up the chance to learn artisan skills from a master who will one day be renowned?
That situation is simply intolerable for a veteran with ten years of experience in the Martial World!
Even if it’s something I can’t eat, I have to swallow it first!
