Antlion Pit (1)

Jin-hyeon greeted Gyeong Hang after he had eaten a simple meal, washed, and entered his room.

“You’re back?”

“Yes. I had a short conversation with Master Ok.”

“I see.”

Gyeong Hang sat in a chair.

Jin-hyeon asked directly.

“Why did you persuade them?”

The essence of his conversation with Ok Jin, which could be considered short or long depending on how one looked at it, was this.

All the smiths of the Divine Iron Merchant House would become members of Jin-hyeon’s clan.

In other words, they would change their affiliation from Divine Iron to Jin-hyeon’s clan.

Of course, that was only possible if Jin-hyeon, the master, accepted them. The one who had worked in the middle to make that possible was none other than Gyeong Hang.

“Why? Is there some other problem?”

“You know the reason I made the deal on the condition that the Divine Iron Merchant House be dismantled and everything settled, don’t you?”

The Divine Iron Merchant House had already committed many sins.

Most of them were illegal businesses committed by the Trade Routes Department, and some were evil deeds committed by warriors led by the Swift Wind Unit. They had received secret orders from the Trade Routes Department and killed people, committed assaults, set fires, and more.

In any case, the Sichuan Branch would have no choice but to investigate what had happened in the Divine Iron Merchant House. All the sins they had committed until now would be exposed in broad daylight.

That was exactly why Jin-hyeon had said to dismantle the Divine Iron Merchant House and give freedom to the innocent. Simply belonging to the same organization could make kind people who knew nothing become targets of finger-pointing. At the very least, the household servants and smiths had done nothing wrong.

“Then let me ask you something too.”

He had come a long way, so he should have been tired, but Gyeong Hang’s eyes were perfectly clear. For both his grandson and himself, it was better to settle this part quickly.

“I understand your intention well. It is truly commendable. But do you not think of it this way? Those who do not know the circumstances will curse the Trade Routes Department men and the smiths as no different from one another, and the name Divine Iron will follow them forever as a stigma as terrible as its fame had once been great.”

“I knew that.”

Jin-hyeon drew the line clearly.

“And I thought that was not something for me to involve myself in.”

Just the fact that the clan had dismantled itself would keep the looks directed at the smiths from becoming too bad. Moreover, he had also planned to spread suitable rumors regarding that part.

In truth, Gyeong Do-cheon had been at the center of every wrong.

“I know your heart. Yes, with that much, you have done what you should. But in this grandfather’s eyes, you seem somewhat hasty.”

“Hasty?”

“Judging from your words and actions until now, you seem to want to avoid being connected to the Divine Iron Merchant House in even the slightest way.”

“…”

“Is that feeling not lying at the root of why you do not want to accept the smiths?”

It was a sharp observation.

Jin-hyeon nodded.

“That’s right.”

It was a plain admission. There was nothing that needed to be added.

Gyeong Hang smiled.

“This grandfather is by no means looking down on your ability. But when it comes to this part, I feel somewhat regretful.”

“…”

“I do not know what kind of clan you will make, but it will surely be based on a martial household. If so, the existence of smiths who pursued the ultimate craft in Divine Iron’s embrace will be a tremendous help.”

“I know.”

“If you know, then you should accept them. No matter how uncomfortable the relationship may be, for the sake of your dream, you must know how to do things you do not want to do.”

Jin-hyeon sighed.

“I know that too. It’s just that I…”

“Yes, I know. How could I not? You were always like that. Though you were swinging a hammer for Divine Iron, you said one must experience many things to become a true smith.”

“That’s right. I thought this would be a good opportunity for them too.”

“Then accept them, even if only for a while.”

Gyeong Hang smiled.

“Make your clan large and sturdy, and become a shelter for the smiths who suddenly lost the place they belonged. After enough of a foundation has been laid, could you not let them go then?”

“…”

“As you know from speaking with Master Ok, they all agreed as well. Every last one of them accepted it without a single exception. I asked them one by one, so you may trust me on this.”

Even in his active years, he had handled work cleanly. Those words were likely true too.

Gyeong Hang placed the bundle set to one side on the table. It seemed to be a fairly heavy stack of documents.

“I have finished settling the clan’s affairs, but among them, there are mines and businesses that came forward saying they would continue dealing with us to the end because of their ties to me.”

“!”

“I cannot speak for the other places, but as for the mines, they are almost no different from the Divine Iron days. With this much, the smiths’ skill will not rust, and it will also be a great help to you in raising your clan.”

“Supreme Patriarch.”

“Se-hwi.”

Gyeong Hang’s eyes deepened.

“This is purely my greed.”

“…”

“It is the selfish desire of an old man who wants to see his only remaining grandson truly set his dream in motion before he dies”

He did not doubt that this path would be a great help to Jin-hyeon’s future.

He no longer cared what happened to himself. But he wanted Jin-hyeon, at least, to live a proper life.

That was all he wished for.

Jin-hyeon, who had been quietly looking at Gyeong Hang, lowered his head.

“I will accept your heart without misunderstanding, Supreme Patriarch.”

He knew it would be a fight that would not end anyway. Gyeong Hang was a person as stubborn as those obstinate smiths.

Moreover, as Gyeong Hang had said, this was something that would be a great help to him too. He still felt sorry toward the smiths, but now that the situation had come to this, there was no helping it.

If he had no choice but to accept in the end, it would be better to do so readily than waste time on a pointless argument.

Gyeong Hang burst into loud laughter.

“Only now can I feel at ease. You’ve made a good decision.”

Only then did fatigue appear on Gyeong Hang’s face as he sank back into the chair. It was fatigue that came with satisfaction, fatigue that had built up over seventy years.

“This is truly good.”

“I will give you a vacation for the time being. Rest well.”

Gyeong Hang looked at Jin-hyeon with puzzled eyes.

“A vacation?”

“The Supreme Patriarch of our clan sometimes temporarily receives orders from the Patriarch when the clan faces a crisis. Of course, this is a clan law I just established now.”

“?!”

“It hasn’t been long since I founded the clan, so each day is full of danger. Please rest well for one month, then throw yourself into clan affairs until the foundation becomes sturdy.”

Gyeong Hang’s eyes shook.

Not as the Supreme Patriarch of the Divine Iron Merchant House, but as the Supreme Patriarch of the new clan his grandson had established. Right now, his grandson was saying he would install him as the Supreme Patriarch of the new clan and live together with him.

Gyeong Hang felt emotion well up inside him.

Once this matter ended and Sichuan quieted down, he had planned to leave on his own. He had thought his existence might become a burden to his grandson.

But his grandson seemed to think differently.

It was called an order, but this was consideration toward an old man.

A person with no place to return to and whose goal in life had been cut away would grow old quickly and die quickly. His grandson was offering him a new goal, a new life.

“You rascal. What is there to squeeze out of an old man who has nothing left but stubbornness?”

“Aside from being young and knowing a few moves of martial arts, I have nothing that makes me better than you, Supreme Patriarch.”

“…”

“Of course, my nature is such that I only understand after getting hit by things myself, so I will probably let much of your advice pass by. You will likely suffer a great deal because of me.”

“Se-hwi.”

“If that is still all right with you, please stay as the Supreme Patriarch of our clan.”

Jin-hyeon lowered his head.

“I will serve you well for the rest of my life.”

In the end, tears flowed from Gyeong Hang’s eyes.

It was the moment an old man who had led a clan’s golden age and then lost everything came to live a new life again.

“All right. If that is the Patriarch’s wish, I must naturally grant it.”

Perhaps because his tension had loosened, Gyeong Hang immediately fell into a deep sleep.

When Jin-hyeon came outside, Im Yeo-wol and Do Il-gang were in the courtyard.

“What are you doing instead of sleeping?”

“Ah, well.”

Do Il-gang scratched his head.

“I thought I should at least greet him. In any case, isn’t he the elder of the clan?”

Jin-hyeon gave a small laugh.

“He’s exhausted from the journey. Greet him tomorrow and go sleep for now.”

“Ah, is that so? Then I’ll be going.”

It seemed he really had been waiting to greet him. He truly had a gentle nature.

Im Yeo-wol, on the other hand, had something else to do.

From her confident eyes and changed bearing, Jin-hyeon could read her intention.

“Pulse.”

Im Yeo-wol confidently rolled up her sleeve and held out her arm.

Jin-hyeon checked her internal energy by taking her pulse, then smiled.

“Well done.”

All her internal energy had changed into Three Yang True Qi. Moreover, she had accumulated more internal energy than he expected.

Im Yeo-wol spoke in a small voice.

“I heard from Steward Han that we will fight the Cheongyang Association soon.”

“So he’s already told you he became Steward.”

“He was subtly bragging.”

“That man, seriously.”

It was good to see this ease in Im Yeo-wol too. After settling her heart and cultivating internal energy arts, she seemed far calmer than before.

Jin-hyeon examined Im Yeo-wol’s frame once more.

“You learned all kinds of martial arts in a scattered way, didn’t you?”

“Yes.”

“Which martial art among them drew your heart the most?”

“Daggers, I suppose…”

“I don’t mean the martial art you used as your main one. I mean a martial art that left you with regret, or one you found yourself drawn to.”

It was a strange question. Though she was somewhat puzzled, Im Yeo-wol answered without hesitation.

“Fist and palm arts.”

It was exactly at this point that Im Yeo-wol’s excellent sense revealed itself.

The Three Yang Heart Method sought changes in the bones and musculature as well as true qi. But in reality, there had not been great changes in the frame of her two arms. In particular, the meridians of her arms leading to the center of the palm were more developed than other people’s.

It was a trait of those born with outstanding talent in internal fist arts. Im Yeo-wol instinctively knew her own talent.

“That is exactly the martial art I intended to teach you. Learn the mnemonics and forms first.”

Jin-hyeon taught her the mnemonics for three martial arts: a fist art, a palm art, and a finger art.

It had been the same when he taught her the Three Yang Heart Method, but her memorization was outstanding. In less than two hours, she had memorized the mnemonics of all three martial arts perfectly.

In truth, it was also thanks to the fact that the palm art and finger art, aside from the fist art, were martial arts based on the Three Yang Heart Method, so she understood them quickly.

“Their names are Three Yang Palm and Three Yang Finger. You get the feeling, don’t you?”

“What about the fist art?”

“Pear Blossom Fist.”

“Pear Blossom Fist…”

“Unlike the two Three Yang arts, Pear Blossom Fist centers on diverse changes. The forms will be more difficult, so watch carefully.”

She grasped the demonstration of the forms much faster than she had memorized the mnemonics. Her sense was so good that the forms seemed to memorize themselves.

“Techniques are both root and stem. If you unfold them exactly according to form in real combat, you are perfect prey for a counterattack. In other words, their true power comes out only when you thoroughly transform them in your own way.”

“Yes, I understand.”

“But change without a proper understanding of form is nothing more than a petty trick. Only one who perfectly masters a technique can be free from form. Be sure to keep that in mind.”

“I will keep it in mind.”

Jin-hyeon patted Im Yeo-wol’s shoulder and headed for the gate.

“Train thoroughly, from the mnemonics to the forms.”

“Where are you going?”

“Patrol.”

“At this hour before dawn?”

“No insect smells sweat better than a mosquito.”

Jin-hyeon lifted his head and looked at Gyeong Hang’s room on the top floor.

“…By now, they should be slowly entering the marketplace.”