Chapter 170 : A Changed Standing. -02
Chapter 170: A Changed Standing. -02
Damhyeon wore a satisfied smile.
It was because Ban Hojin seemed to like it, fortunately.
Given Ban Hojin’s personality, if he disliked it, he would have said so outright. Instead, he was even expressing gratitude, and that made Damhyeon pleased.
It was as if he could feel the reward of having given the gift.
Srrrng.
While Damhyeon failed to hide his delight, Ban Hojin fully drew the sword he had only half-unsheathed.
And once more, he could feel it.
Just how much care his Master had put into this sword.
Not only was the overall balance perfect, but the length of the blade and even the length of the hilt were identical to the sword he had originally used.
The thickness was the same as well.
The only difference was the weight.
‘The weight is nearly the same, but its durability and sharpness are vastly superior.’
Tiiiiing!
While checking the balance, Ban Hojin lightly flicked the blade with his finger.
A far clearer tone than that of his old sword filled the room.
Moreover, its elasticity was on an entirely incomparable level.
‘At this level, even among famous swords, it would rank among the highest.’
The divine swords that were spoken of like legends in the Jianghu were not objects that could be created merely because one wished to make them.
A master craftsman’s skill was essential, but even then, heavenly fortune had to accompany it for a divine weapon to be born.
Compared to such treasures, the sword he now held was lacking.
But aside from those divine weapons known as priceless treasures of martial families, it would not be an exaggeration to call it top-tier.
“It seems the material costs alone must have been considerable, aside from the crafting itself.”
“A tool unused has no meaning. And considering how you elevated the reputation of Shaolin Temple, it is rather a profitable exchange.”
“That may be so, but…”
“Shouldn’t you give it a name? A sword of that caliber deserves one.”
Damhyeon naturally changed the subject.
He did not particularly wish to talk about the material or production costs.
Although Shaolin Temple was fundamentally a temple, it was not lacking in wealth.
Moreover, it was for his disciple, so it was not a waste at all.
“A name…”
“Does anything come to mind?”
“Since you mention it, Master, one does come to mind.”
“Let me hear it.”
“Socheon.”
Damhyeon let out a faint chuckle.
He understood why it had been named Socheon and not Small Heaven.
“Does it mean the sky of Shaolin Temple?”
“If it is to match the Three Dharma Swords, should it not be at least that much? In another sense, it also means that I will protect Shaolin.”
“You seem to be assigning too much meaning to the name.”
“Still, doesn’t it suit it? Rather than something overly grand.”
“That is true.”
Damhyeon nodded.
In his view as well, the Socheon Sword did not suit a flashy name.
“I will use it well.”
“They say a master does not choose his tools, but if one must choose, better a fine red skirt than plain cloth. With that, you will not be looked down upon anywhere.”
“I believe so as well.”
“Ah, have you heard news of Nine Heavens Gate?”
Watching Ban Hojin carefully sheathe the sword, Damhyeon asked.
He wondered if perhaps he had heard something.
“Not yet. Has the matter been settled?”
“The outcome has come, but it is somewhat unsettling. It is said Nine Heavens Gate has returned to Miaojiang. They suffered considerable losses, yet not enough to force a retreat, and still they left without hesitation.”
“So it was not a rout, but a withdrawal.”
“Exactly.”
Damhyeon stroked his chin.
Even in his own thoughts, something felt off.
For some reason, it left an unpleasant feeling, and a crease formed between his brows.
“What has the Sichuan Tang Family Alliance decided to do?”
“It seems they do not intend to head to Miaojiang as Shaanxi Murim did. Since the victory was ambiguous, they appear reluctant to enter Nine Heavens Gate’s territory.”
“There is nothing wrong with being cautious.”
Ban Hojin nodded.
The situation differed from that of Ironblood Fortress.
Unlike Ironblood Fortress, whose leadership had been annihilated, Nine Heavens Gate remained intact. If they advanced into Miaojiang, the casualties would surely be heavy.
“I think the same. An expedition carries many risks. Unless victory is certain, invading now would bring more losses than gains.”
“Still, it feels unsettling. That Nine Heavens Gate, who attacked first, withdrew of their own accord.”
At the future that had changed completely from his previous life, Ban Hojin narrowed his eyes.
Now even he found it difficult to predict what would happen next.
Still, one fortunate thing remained: one of the Four Tyrants of the World had fallen.
That alone was an immense achievement for him.
“The Sichuan Tang Family must think the same and will investigate. It will not be easy to uncover internal information, but they must manage it. Moreover, the Sichuan Tang Family is not one to live while owing a debt. But more than that, tell me about the Iron Blood Demon Emperor. I have heard this and that, yet surely you know best.”
Damhyeon’s eyes gleamed.
Even those ranked among the upper echelons of the Ten Great Masters Under Heaven had not dared to face him one-on-one. Such a martial artist had been the Iron Blood Demon Emperor.
Thus, Damhyeon asked with evident curiosity.
“Shall I speak briefly, or in detail?”
“In detail.”
Damhyeon answered without a moment’s hesitation.
He had already heard the brief version many times.
What he truly wanted to hear about was In Gyeongbo’s martial realm, so there was nothing to deliberate.
“Understood.”
Seeing that resolve in his Master’s gaze, Ban Hojin began from the moment he had first encountered In Gyeongbo.
He spoke of the overall battle, the clashes between the Great War Gods and the Ten Great Masters Under Heaven, and finally of In Gyeongbo’s martial realm itself.
Among these, Damhyeon listened closely even to the matter of the Great War Gods.
Their true strength had been entirely different from what had been known.
Perhaps because of that, Damhyeon became wholly absorbed in Ban Hojin’s tale.
At times he was aghast, at times he marveled.
Before long, summer had slipped away, and as though autumn were arriving, Ban Hojin looked up at a cloudless sky.
For the first time in a while, he lay sprawled across a tree branch.
Feeling the cool breeze, he savored his leisure.
“Good. Very good.”
Ban Hojin hummed with his eyes closed, enjoying the return of a leisurely daily life.
Even the chirping of birds sounded like a song to him.
“Let’s spar once more!”
“Alright, alright.”
From afar, the voices of his companions could be heard.
Perhaps the war against Ironblood Fortress had served as a good stimulus—their shouts were filled with fervor.
Among them, Seo Jo-woon’s shout was the loudest.
It was joyous enough that the Seo Family Estate had once again revealed itself to the Murim, but he seemed even happier that his own existence was of help to his family.
“A virtuous cycle.”
Ban Hojin grinned.
One of the best decisions he had made after returning to the past was treating Seo Jo-woon.
Since the current situation was the result of that choice, Ban Hojin felt thoroughly satisfied.
He was also pleased that, even after witnessing the Great War Gods, they had not been discouraged but had instead ignited their competitive spirit.
“They just need to keep growing steadily like this.”
Ilwoo had lost an arm, but in his place Sang Il-gi had appeared.
Moreover, thanks to In Gyeongbo, the Beggar King, Namgung Ho, Peng Mancheol, and Ilwoo had all developed a sense of vigilance. In the broader view, it was a gain for the Central Plains Murim.
Even his Master, Damhyeon, though he did not show it outwardly, seemed subtly shaken. That made Ban Hojin look forward to it.
To Damhyeon becoming even stronger than he was now.
“I need to grow stronger as well.”
Lying down, Ban Hojin smacked his lips.
This time, to speak frankly, luck had been on his side.
Although Ironblood Fortress’s invasion had begun earlier than in his previous life, In Gyeongbo’s martial realm had still been lower than he had anticipated.
If In Gyeongbo had been at a level similar to his previous life, it would have been difficult to win without suffering serious injuries like this time.
‘Perhaps the same may apply to the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace. The problem is that there’s no way to confirm it.’
To even glimpse the martial realm of a master at the level of the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, one would at least need to be strong enough to contend with him.
There was only one method.
Either Ban Hojin or someone at the level of the Ten Great Masters Under Heaven would have to meet him directly.
And if that happened, there would be only two outcomes.
They would become friends—or enemies.
Considering the ambition of the Lord of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, the latter was far more likely.
Thus, for now, there was no viable method.
‘On top of that, Nine Heavens Gate is unsettling as well.’
Since the matter had not been decisively concluded, Ban Hojin felt an odd unease.
The Nine Heavens Gate Leader he knew was not someone who would let things end in such an ambiguous manner.
Rather, he was the type who would repay more than what he had suffered.
In that sense, he had a personality similar to the Sichuan Tang Family.
‘I’ll trust the Beggars’ Sect. I’m not the only one who finds it suspicious. For now, I’ll simply do what I can.’
Now that he had a new sword, the priority was to grow accustomed to Socheon.
Although it was nearly identical to the sword he had originally used, it was not perfectly the same. It would take time to adapt.
He would also need to temper it so that it responded well to his True Energy.
In addition, he needed to review his duel with the Lord of the Ironblood Fortress whenever he had spare time.
“Senior Uncle! Senior Uncle!”
“You always manage to find me. I change locations every time.”
“Hehe! There are only so many places you’d go on Songshan, Senior Uncle. You always look for somewhere quiet, but you never go too far from your quarters.”
Jeong Hyeon grinned and raised his nose proudly.
As if to say he could find him no matter where he went.
At Jeong Hyeon’s excessive confidence, mischief suddenly welled up in Ban Hojin.
Next time, he decided, he would go somewhere absolutely impossible to find.
“I suppose I’ll have to put some thought into it.”
“I happen to excel at hide-and-seek. Even if I learn martial arts late, in the field of games I am the strongest!”
“In other words, that means you played around a lot.”
“Gasp!”
“You’ve wrapped up the fact that you slacked off quite nicely, haven’t you?”
Jeong Hyeon’s expression changed from moment to moment.
It darkened, then turned pale, repeating the cycle.
In the end, he looked as though he were about to cry.
“T-That’s not true…”
“Denying it with that kind of face doesn’t exactly inspire trust.”
“Urgh!”
“But what is it? Isn’t it afternoon training right now? At this hour, you should be practicing Arhat Formation training.”
“Huh? How do you know that?”
Jeong Hyeon blinked in shock.
Ban Hojin knew their recent schedule far too accurately.
“I hear everything.”
“As expected, youth is remarkable. And your martial arts are unparalleled as well.”
“What’s this? Since when did you start saying such things?”
Still lying diagonally along the branch, Ban Hojin looked down at Jeong Hyeon.
His head was supported by one arm.
“I have always respected you, Senior Uncle!”
“As if.”
“It’s true! Especially when I heard the news this time—I was truly astonished! To think you would defeat the Lord of the Ironblood Fortress, whom even the Ten Great Masters Under Heaven found difficult to face! I am truly proud!”
“Be honest. What do you want?”
Jeong Hyeon clenched both fists and spoke passionately, his face flushed.
But Ban Hojin was not fooled by the act.
“What do you mean, what do I want? I am sincerely proud of you, Senior Uncle.”
“Hm?”
Though Jeong Hyeon spoke again with a heartfelt expression, Ban Hojin did not withdraw his narrowed gaze.
He did not accept his words so easily.
“It’s true. Not just me—other Second-Generation Disciples think the same. They may keep quiet about it, but they all know. That you are more than qualified to be among the Ten Great Masters Under Heaven. No—some even think you are stronger than the Sword King. They believe the only reason you have not received a kingly title is because of bias due to seniority and age!”
“I appreciate that.”
“People say you are the next Greatest Under Heaven, but we think differently! We believe you are already close to that level!”
“Then why are you all so excited?”
“Hehe! Because you are our Senior Uncle!”
Jeong Hyeon grinned.
As though that alone was sufficient reason.
At that sight, Ban Hojin could not help but chuckle.
“You’re flattering me right now, aren’t you? Asking for a bit more attention.”
“As expected of you, Senior Uncle!”