Reincarnation of the Fist King Chapter 88

< Exclusive, a chance encounter after running errands >

“What a coincidence, running an errand, damn it.”

Cheol Myeong-ho, as was his nature, spurred his horse on and increased his speed.

Who could possibly have guessed that a man running so furiously was on his way to buy dumplings and beef jerky? Moreover, Cheol Myeong-ho's expression was so menacing that he almost seemed like a messenger from the infamous Black Sword faction.

As soon as Cheol Myeong-ho got off the train, he shouted.

“Dumplings! Beef jerky! Bingdang! Give me everything you have!”

Someone in the guest room replied.

“There is no ice cream.”

“Damn it… Let’s just prepare some dumplings and beef jerky first!”

Cheol Myeong-ho got back on his horse and, swinging his iron umbrella like a madman, set out to find Bingdang.

“That damn iceberg!”

Cheolmyeongho charged furiously, gazing at the scattered inns. He noticed a tree branch hanging quite low ahead. It was a potential obstacle for riders on horseback. At that moment, Cheolmyeongho, on horseback, swung his iron umbrella at the branch and passed by.

Phew!

A fairly thick branch snapped in half with a loud crack.

Cheol Myeong-ho turned his head sharply and looked at the broken tree. The taste was truly exquisite.

“Haha!”

Iron Man was naturally good with words. As he increased his speed and struck, the weight of the iron umbrella combined with the power of the Samjae Sword Technique felt like it doubled in power.

After suddenly stopping talking, Cheol Myeong-ho tilted his head.

'Hmm, I feel strange.'

It felt like I'd found my calling. Charging furiously on horseback and swinging my weapon, I felt a sense of relief. Perhaps this was how the famous generals of the Three Kingdoms fought. After all, Cheolmyeongho's only swordsmanship was thrusting and slashing.

The rest is all application operations.

The feeling of increased strength through the combination of horsemanship and the three-armed swordsmanship was engraved in my head.

But I couldn't delay. It was quite scary when a ghost that couldn't eat dumplings started to lose its temper.

Cheol Myeong-ho bought dumplings, beef jerky, and shaved ice from the row of stalls, then hurriedly followed the line.

Even in the meantime, Cheol Myeong-ho was deeply contemplating martial arts on horseback.

Cheol Myeong-ho continued to use the Samjae Sword Technique on horseback.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The Samjae Sword Technique, already swung thirty-two thousand times, required balance when performing on horseback, forcing him to employ unusual slashes and thrusts. However, Cheol Myeong-ho, holding a bundle of snacks in his left hand, swung the iron umbrella quite skillfully.

Then suddenly, Cheol Myeong-ho looked at the iron umbrella.

It was a shame it was short. Only then did I understand why generals on the battlefield insisted on long spears. The iron umbrella was much heavier than most other weapons, so I was well aware of the advantages of heavy weapons. The fact that the masters of the Palryongmun began to lose to the iron tiger after attacking with wooden swords was in fact due in part to the weight of their weapons.

Cheol Myeong-ho muttered.

“That’s why Guan Yu and Zhang Fei used heavy, long spears. I understand.”

Guan Yu's Azure Dragon Crescent Blade is said to weigh a whopping eighty-two geun. I wondered how much training would be required to wield that and swing it around on the battlefield all day long.

Cheol Myeong-ho measured this in terms of number of swings. He had already swung it 320,000 times.

"If you swing it all day on the battlefield… it means you should still have stamina left even after swinging it about two thousand times. Guan Yu was truly an amazing man."

Cheol Myeong-ho rejoined the procession, absorbed in thoughts about martial arts on horseback, and completed his errand.

"The dumplings are here! The beef jerky is here! Eat the shaved ice before it melts!"

The signatories ran first and received snacks.

“Thank you for your hard work, Prince Cheol.”

The man who infused life into what could easily have been a boring performance was none other than Cheol Myeong-ho. He was constantly swearing and grumbling, but he always completed his assigned tasks fairly quickly.

After the line stopped for a moment, we sat down and had a snack of dumplings and beef jerky.

Cheol Myeong-ho chewed on the jerky and glared at Dan Woo-seong.

Danwoo Seong also spoke indifferently while chewing on jerky.

“What are you looking at?”

Cheol Myeong-ho suddenly responded like this.

“Just buy me a spear.”

As people were eating snacks, they all looked at Cheol Myeong-ho and Dan Woo-seong.

Danwoo Seong replied.

“What kind of spear is that? Are there just one or two spears?”

Cheol Myeong-ho said this.

“A heavy spear. One that can be used for both cutting and stabbing.”

Danwoo Seong observed Cheolmyeongho's expression and immediately responded.

"I get it."

Cheol Myeong-ho asked back with a bewildered expression.

“What? You got it? You’re buying it for me?”

“Since I’m going to buy something, I might as well buy something good.”

Danwoo Seong spoke to Gwangshin, who was eating dumplings.

“Brother, if you go a little further from here, you will come across a city called Geumsan.”

The fanatic nodded.

"Let's rest. The horse must be tired. We should prepare some more dry food. Oh, and if it's Geumsan, there must be a Byeokcheon Iron Barrier."

“Yes.”

The fanatic said, looking at Cheol Myeong-ho as if nothing had happened.

“You can buy your window there.”

Cheol Myeong-ho nodded.

"All right."

I thought I would get a lot of complaints if I asked to buy a window, but no one said anything to Cheol Myeong-ho.

Cheol Myeong-ho chewed on the jerky while observing the people's expressions and prayers.

It struck me anew that there were none weaker than me. Even the man disguised as a squire and the man disguised as a groom were far more skilled than the Eight Dragons.

Cheol Myeong-ho nervously chewed and ate the jerky. He planned to purchase a long spear and practice the Samjae Sword Technique on horseback even more rigorously. Even if it meant fainting on horseback.

Cheol Myeong-ho was constantly receiving stimulation from his surroundings without even realizing it.

Danwoo-seong said after observing Cheolmyeong-ho's expression.

"Hori, if a fight breaks out, be sure to assess the situation. A brief fight with the Palryongmun isn't the whole story. Real combat is different. Don't be the first to act like a lunatic."

Cheol Myeong-ho nodded.

“Okay. Am I a kid?”

“Wasn’t it?”

The soldiers all burst into laughter, then covered their mouths with their hands. Cheol Myeong-ho smirked and looked at Baekyak's subordinates.

“If you’re going to laugh next time, laugh loudly. Brother, brothers… It’s okay.”

One of Baekyak's subordinates chuckled and replied:

“Okay.”

.

.

.

Cheol Myeong-ho and Dan Woo-seong entered Byeokcheon Ironworks. To be precise, it was Byeokcheon Ironworks' Geumsan branch. It was a large ironworks with branches scattered throughout the Central Plains. Because it was Kang Ho-in's visit, the reception was consistently courteous.

A man came up to me and said.

"Please take a look. Do you do custom orders? Or would you like to see the item and buy it right away?"

Cheol Myeong-ho replied.

“I’ll buy it right away.”

"Okay. Just tell me the type of weapon and I'll guide you. The storage locations are different."

Cheol Myeong-ho said, looking around like a country bumpkin.

“I will buy a spear.”

“Welcome. The spear is the representative weapon of Byeokcheoncheolbang.”

Cheol Myeong-ho asked.

“Why is that so?”

"Byeokcheoncheolbang started with a single spear. Our founder was a retired martial artist. In any case, we possess a full range of weapons, including the mo (矛), geuk (戟), gwa (戈), and chang (槍), and we even manufacture famous replicas."

"fake?"

“You will know when you see it.”

At the guide's arrival, the two men gazed at the display, each with a look of admiration. A wide variety of long spears and other weapons were on display.

The guide said, pointing to one side.

"They say they're counterfeit, but that doesn't mean they're poor quality fakes. We can guarantee the quality of all of them."

Cheol Myeong-ho was completely out of his mind.

Was the spear truly such a beautiful weapon? Or was it only after swinging the Samjae Sword Technique thirty-two thousand times that I discovered the beauty of the weapon? Each and every blade was truly beautiful.

Cheol Myeong-ho said with a happy expression.

“It’s a fake… Ah, is this Lu Bu’s Fangcheonhwageuk?”

“Yes.”

The various bangcheonhwageuks were of different lengths and weights. The materials used were of different shapes.

Cheol Myeong-ho asked Dan Woo-seong.

“I’m confused. What exactly is a pole?”

"Look at the day. Ultimately, a pole is a combination of a blade and a blade. It's powerful not only when stabbing but also when cutting. Hori, since you've mastered the Samjae Sword Technique, it's better to use poles or blades rather than weapons specialized for stabbing."

Danwoo Seong pulled out the Cheongryong Eonwoldo and flicked the blade with his finger.

Thud······!

The intensity was considerable. Danwoo-seong nodded and said.

“It’s great that the sword is attached. Overall, the level of completion is high.”

The guide's expression hardened as the sound became unusual. The rigid blade of the Blue Dragon Sword had been trembling and making a "fluttering" sound.

Cheol Myeong-ho looked around and said.

“I want the heaviest, most expensive, and sharpest one. I don’t care if the body is made of heavy iron.”

Danwoo-seong shook his head.

"You don't carry a spear alone. Your horse must also bear its weight. Heaviness isn't necessarily good. And heaviness and strength are two different things. A lighter, more durable weapon is preferable. Here, choose the weapon you'll actually use in battle. The one that can save your life."

Cheol Myeong-ho listened to Dan Woo-seong's words in silence and then nodded.

“You are right.”

Danwoo Seong said to the guide.

“Show me the weapon you heard.”

The guide answered.

"All right."

.

.

.

Cheol Myeong-ho swung the weapon he had received from Dan Woo-seong with his mouth open like a child receiving a gift.

Boohoo!

Among the replicas of the Bangcheonhwageuk, Cheol Myeong-ho chose the most expensive and highly polished one. The Bangcheonhwageuk was suitable for both thrusting and cutting, and its weight was just right. Cheol Myeong-ho hadn't read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms in detail, but he knew that Lu Bu was the most powerful warrior.

That's why I chose Bangcheonhwageuk.

While the people who had participated in the expedition were cooling their heated feet, taking baths, and eating, Cheolmyeongho went out to a wide open space and swung his Bangcheonhwageuk.

Cheol Myeong-ho wasn't particularly interested in the flag.

It was only training.

At this time, Gwangsin, who had just come out of the bath, called out to Cheolmyeongho, who was training, while holding a piece of jerky in his hand.

“Hori.”

“Yes, brother.”

The fanatic showed the jerky he'd picked up with his fingers, then flicked it. Then, as if by magic, the pieces of jerky rushed towards Cheol Myeong-ho.

Wheeeeeek!

Cheol Myeong-ho was startled and picked up Bangcheonhwageuk and hit the jerky.

Boom!

How on earth is this the sound of jerky hitting each other?

Even though he had only blocked the jerky thrown lightly by Gwangsin, Cheolmyeongho's arm felt cold.

The fanatic said.

"Those who use secret weapons will target your words first. Can you stop them? It won't be easy. Dealing with the martial artists."

Cheol Myeong-ho nodded.

“I will keep that in mind.”

The fanatic reached out his hand.

“Give me the Bangcheonhwageuk.”

Cheol Myeong-ho, eyes wide, held out the Bangcheonhwageuk to Gwangsin. Even at this moment, Cheol Myeong-ho had no idea that Dan Woo-seong's brother was the pinnacle of Baekdo.

He waved his hand as if to tell the fanatic to stay away, then glared at Cheolmyeongho while holding the Bangcheonhwageuk.

“Since you did the errand, I’ll teach you how to use a spear.”

Suddenly, Cheol Myeong-ho asked with a hardened expression.

“But, brother, what is your nickname in the world of martial arts?”

The fanatic said with a smirk.

“I don’t know. You will know when the time comes.”

Even Cheol Myung-ho had a knack for keeping up with the situation. The man he'd always sent on errands for, now holding a spear, made the atmosphere utterly menacing. Before he knew it, Cheol Myung-ho stepped back and knelt, placing his hands meekly on his knees before glaring at Gwang-shin.

The fanatic spoke to Cheol Myeong-ho, who was caught up in the murderous intent.

"There are two main ways to learn martial arts: learning roughly, or learning with such painstaking effort that you'll die. Those who learn roughly will be beheaded by those who learn with such painstaking effort. You must memorize every single one of my movements. Breathing, atmosphere, foot placement, grip technique, order… Remember them perfectly, but it's okay to forget them in a real fight. However, in a real fight, your movements must be faster than you think. How can you achieve this?"

Cheol Myeong-ho answered.

“There is no choice but to practice.”

Gwangsin responded by unfolding his creative technique with Bangcheonhwageuk.

“That’s all there is to it.”

The errand that Danwoo-seong told Cheolmyeong-ho began with this story.

< Exclusive, a chance encounter after running errands > End

ⓒ Eugene Sung