-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Seok Jiseung
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The next morning, Dang Mujin stepped out of the house as soon as he woke up.
Just as the Dang family handled the physician duties for the Qingcheng Chengdu Branch, the Seok family took care of the blacksmithing. The man leading the Seok family was Master Seok.
Master Seok was nearing seventy years old. He had a small build and an unremarkable appearance.
But among those who lived under the protection of the Qingcheng Chengdu Branch, no one was more renowned than Master Seok. And there was only one reason for that: his skill.
Master Seok's metallurgy was unrivaled in Sichuan Province, and his name was known even beyond its borders.
His reputation was so high that even Dang Mujin trusted Master Seok's name over his own instincts.
'Come to think of it, there's no way Master Seok would make a faulty item. I must have been mistaken.'
Dang Mujin considered turning back but changed his mind.
Visiting Master Seok after so long would be meaningful in itself.
Inside the forge, Master Seok was a gruff blacksmith, but outside, he was an ordinary old man who would hand out snacks to children.
Dang Mujin had received treats from him several times as a kid. Since he was already out, it wouldn't hurt to check on the elder.
Soon, Dang Mujin arrived at the forge. Countless weapons were on display outside.
An ordinary blacksmith would worry about thieves stealing them and wouldn't display goods outside.
But Master Seok's forge was within the Qingcheng Branch's walls, so there was no need to fear petty thieves.
Dang Mujin peered inside the forge. He planned to greet Master Seok.
Unexpectedly, instead of Master Seok with his white hair, a man who looked about thirty was hammering glowing red-hot iron.
'Who is that?'
The man inside the forge noticed Dang Mujin's presence and turned to look at him.
"Looking for something?"
"No. I just came to pay my respects to Master Seok."
"My father? He's not well, so he hasn't come to the forge since last winter."
So, he must be Master Seok's son.
If Master Seok hadn't come to the forge since last winter, his son must have made the needle. The timing was too coincidental. Could there really have been something wrong with it?
"Then I'll just browse the items for a bit."
"Take your time."
The man resumed swinging his hammer. Dang Mujin watched his back for a moment before turning to the displayed weapons.
There were some decently made ones scattered among them, but most had rough spots here and there.
It was obvious at a glance that they weren't made by the same person.
'The good ones are by Master Seok, and the sloppy ones by his son.'
On second thought, calling them sloppy was a bit off. Even those "sloppy" ones were decent mid- or high-grade swords compared to what ordinary martial artists carried.
'I've never even hammered iron myself, but somehow my standards have gotten ridiculously high.'
Dang Mujin examined the displayed weapons closely, then shifted his gaze to the blacksmith's back instead.
The sight of him sweating profusely as he worked felt familiar.
Originally, Dang Mujin knew almost nothing about blacksmithing.
He didn't know the process, let alone the tools used. But now it was different.
'That wasn't an ordinary dream. I can see exactly how a forge operates. I can even tell what he'll do next.'
Dang Mujin finally felt certain. That dream had been a kind of fateful encounter. It might not help much with becoming a physician, though.
His business was more or less done.
But Dang Mujin didn't leave the forge. He quietly took in the scene.
The clang of hammering iron. The glowing red-hot metal lump. It all soothed his mind.
How much time passed like that? The blacksmith finished forging a short knife.
He plunged the hot blade into a water trough. With a hiss, steam rose from the water. Now he just had to wait for it to cool, reheat it once, cool it slowly, and finish up.
The blacksmith wiped his sweat and looked at Dang Mujin.
"You've been hanging around a while, so you must have other business. What is it?"
Dang Mujin considered brushing it off but decided to be honest.
Anywhere else, maybe not, but he didn't want to beat around the bush in a forge.
"My father bought a needle from here half a month ago."
"A needle. So you're the son from the Dang physician's family. Name was... Dang Mujin, right?"
"Yes."
"I'm Seok Jiseung. Did your father happen to lose the needle?"
"No, nothing like that."
"Then what's the issue? If you're waiting around the forge this long, there must be a reason."
There wasn't really any issue. He'd just been leisurely browsing because the forge's atmosphere relaxed him.
But since the conversation had started, it seemed fine to be a little honest.
"Truth is, I came because I wasn't satisfied with the condition of the needle my father received."
"What?"
He'd barely broached the subject when Seok Jiseung cut him off.
With one eyebrow arched mockingly, it was clear he thought a mere physician's lackey knew nothing about metalwork.
Seok Jiseung snapped without letting Dang Mujin finish.
"You're right that my skills fall short of my father's. But I'm not some amateur. I started helping in the forge twenty years ago, and I first gripped tongs and a hammer twelve years ago."
It was the kind of talk that could offend. Dang Mujin had no intention of arguing with Seok Jiseung, so he apologized without hesitation.
"I didn't mean you're a unskilled blacksmith. Sorry if it came off that way."
But the irritation on Seok Jiseung's face didn't fade. Dang Mujin's words had struck a raw nerve.
'Who wants to be inferior to their father?'
When he first took over the forge, Seok Jiseung had been full of confidence.
He thought he could immediately follow in his father's footsteps and make a name for himself. He imagined martial artists bowing their heads, begging him to craft a sword for them.
But over the past six months, no one had praised his work.
Those with some say in the Qingcheng Chengdu Branch openly compared Seok Jiseung's skills to his father's.
Even the newcomers to the branch weren't much different. They pretended otherwise but rummaged through the swords seeking his father's works.
What angered Seok Jiseung most was their lack of discernment.
Ninety-nine out of a hundred couldn't tell a good sword from a bad one.
They'd frown if told his father's sword was his own, and grin if told his was his father's. Amateurs, all of them.
To them, it didn't matter what made a good sword. They just wanted something from a famous, skilled craftsman to brag about.
Dealing with them built resentment in Seok Jiseung's chest.
Seok Jiseung looked Dang Mujin up and down. Neat features and pale hands.
Yes, pale hands. Not callused like his own, no rust under the nails. A guy who clearly knew nothing of forge work, probably never even held a hammer.
A thought suddenly crossed Seok Jiseung's mind.
'And this guy's not even a martial artist.'
No matter how skilled a craftsman, they had to bow their heads if martial artists frowned. One wrong word, and swords could be drawn—who knew what might happen.
But Dang Mujin was different. Be it Seok or Dang family, their status was similar, and Dang Mujin was a bit older.
Sure, he'd apologized politely, but a wrong was a wrong. Seok Jiseung didn't have to accept it.
A small smile crept onto Seok Jiseung's lips. It seemed magnanimous at first glance, but carried a sly edge.
"No need for that. It's true I'm lacking compared to my father."
"You're still young. With time, you'll surpass Master Seok. They say the student surpasses the master."
"Thanks. But lately, I'm feeling stuck. I don't know what's lacking or how."
"Is that so."
"But luckily, a discerning customer has arrived who can tell good from bad. I've got a great opportunity. Don't you think?"
Dang Mujin sensed a strange vibe. But Seok Jiseung pressed on without giving him a chance to speak.
"With such a sharp-eyed customer here, you can point out my shortcomings. Right?"
"I don't follow."
"It's simple. Use that keen eye of yours to spot my flaws. But first, I need to confirm your discernment, little brother Dang. Wait a moment."
Seok Jiseung went outside, grabbed an armful of weapons, and returned. Then another trip for more.
He spread the weapons out on the ground as he spoke.
"Most of the items in the forge now are mine. Father's been out of commission for half a year, so that's natural. But not all of his are sold. Not everyone has your sharp eye, little brother Dang."
Seok Jiseung pointed at the weapons on the ground with his finger.
"Let's see just how sharp-eyed our Dang physician is. That way, we'll know if you really know what you're talking about or if you're just complaining blindly."
"What do you want?"
"Pick out which ones here were made by my father. He's famous even outside Sichuan, while I'm just a novice scraping by, so the skill gap is huge. Should be easy to spot, right?"
Dang Mujin glanced at Seok Jiseung. He was smirking back.
He figured there was no way Dang Mujin could get it right. Dang Mujin sighed and replied.
'Yeah, thinks I'm an easy mark.'
Truth be told, Dang Mujin was annoyed too. He knew he'd spoken poorly first. But he'd admitted it and apologized right away. No matter how he looked at it, Seok Jiseung had no reason to come at him so sharply.
When Dang Mujin didn't answer immediately, Seok Jiseung sneered.
"What's wrong? Didn't you say the needle I made was shoddy?"
At this point, any thought of backing down vanished. Dang Mujin sighed.
"...I'll take a look."
Dang Mujin examined the swords spread on the ground. There were about twenty.
Made for lay disciples' training, they were all similar in form. The edges weren't sharpened. He'd deliberately picked similar ones.
But as Dang Mujin inspected them, he furrowed his brow. Seok Jiseung's petty trick was plain as day.