Three-Eyed Sword Cho Cheol.
A ronin who, at the age of forty, managed to elevate his martial arts to the level of mastery. By the age of forty-two, he was recognized as a high-level martial artist.
How could a man who sold his sword just to get by every day rise to such heights?
People around Cho Cheol would often praise him during drinking parties, but the heart of the Three-Eyed Sword was different.
‘I cannot break through the wall.’
He became stronger through practical experience, mastering various martial arts. He knew how to swing his sword to behead an opponent and where to move his feet to survive. But that was the limit.
The martial arts he practiced had no fundamental foundation.
The old man who acknowledged his skills surely hadn’t expected him to do this well. He had only just started to be called a high-level martial artist, but breaking through the wall and going further was an absurd thought.
Cho Cheol felt it keenly.
‘Originally, I should have died in Ho Ga-Jang.’
The crumbling Ho Ga-Jang arranged for a life-and-death decision to regain control in Hyeongmun due to power struggles. It was at that place where Cho Cheol’s longtime comrade died.
It was not a glorious battle either. He was used as a throwaway piece against an unassailable high-level martial artist. The reason he was treated like a throwaway was simple.
Because he was a ronin. Cho Cheol was in his early forties with potential for improvement, while his fifty-something comrade had been stagnant for over ten years.
After a battle exceeding hundreds of exchanges, Cho Cheol barely escaped with his life, and the balance in Hyeongmun stabilized, causing Ho Ga-Jang to fall.
That day, the Three-Eyed Sword Cho Cheol realized something.
He could imagine his next ten years. With Ho Ga-Jang destroyed, he would surely rely on a suitable place.
‘What about ten years later?’
What would become of him? What would happen to someone like him who could never break through the wall?
Cho Cheol stared at the cold corpse of his comrade.
‘I should just give up and start a business.’
His strong point was his quick understanding of his situation. A ronin who was slow in this regard would just become a cold corpse the next day.
He didn’t want to die. He decided to start a business. To live a second life.
That was why he fled with the treasures of the fallen Ho Ga-Jang and the certificates from Man Geum Battlefield.
“Brother Cho. The disposal of the treasures is complete.”
Before Cho Cheol’s eyes was money that, while not life-changing, was enough to live a second life.
“How much should I pay in commission?”
He checked the money and asked the Joseon person introduced to him by his hometown younger brother.
“Commission? That’s the Club Leader’s hometown brother! I’ll receive divine punishment!”
“Didn’t you put in a tremendous effort to get everything disposed of on time?”
It took only two days to dispose of all the treasures. It surely wasn’t an easy feat.
“No one in the Joseon Person Association hasn’t received the kindness of Club Leader Kang. How could this be called hardship?”
“Is my younger brother that capable?”
The younger brother he barely remembered was a famous figure in Wuhan with enormous connections.
Cho Cheol found it hard to believe how the reputation of the Three-Eyed Sword was overshadowed by the words ‘the Club Leader’s hometown brother.’
“If anyone from the association faces trouble, he jumps in to help. We even toast to the Club Leader’s health and well-being when we drink!”
“I think I’ve seen him a few times.”
“A person who gave us a new hometown. Buy some healthy food for the Club Leader with that money. It’s for me and the Joseon Person Association.”
The Joseon person, seemingly without any greed, pushed all the money on the table towards the Three-Eyed Sword.
“I’ve managed to have one proper hometown younger brother.”
The more he thought about it, the more impressive his younger brother felt. Cho Cheol recalled Kang Yoon-ho.
He had escaped the impoverished mountain village, struggling not to starve. And now, unbeknownst to himself, his younger brother had followed in his footsteps.
His life wasn’t meaningless. The Three-Eyed Sword was undeniably happy that his younger brother seemed to affirm him.
“A new hometown then…”
The Three-Eyed Sword recalled Musu Village, which had disappeared due to famine and plague. It was a place he never wanted to return to in his youth. Yet, somehow it had become a lost hometown.
With age, he began to realize that although it was filled with worthless people, it was a town where foolish people rushed to help others as if it were their own business.
A hometown he could never return to.
Before he knew it, he had become a displaced person. But it didn’t matter.
His hometown younger brother was building that town, the childhood Musu Village, in Wuhan.
A gentle smile spread across the lips of the Three-Eyed Sword Cho Cheol.
“By the way, great fortune is about to visit the Joseon Person Association.”
“Great fortune?”
“Haven’t you heard? You’re the Club Leader’s hometown brother, so you must know!”
“What are you talking about?”
Cho Cheol looked at the Joseon person with a puzzled expression. Was it something important about his younger brother?
Thinking it would be good to know, he pressed for an answer, and what came out of the Joseon person’s mouth was entirely unexpected.
“The Club Leader will soon become the granddaughter’s husband of Man Geum-jeon.”
“……What?”
“What’s going on? Clarify! I have no intention of facing the excited Three-Eyed Sword.”
Man-sik held three fingers up at the guesthouse entrance.
Three.
Two.
One.
“Brother Kang! I’m right now…!”
“Why did you come without a plan!!!”
As soon as the door opened, he bellowed with a loud voice.
“Brother?”
Ignoring the surprised voice of Cho Cheol, I looked the other way.
“Three-Eyed Sword. Please wait a moment. The Club Leader is busy with work.”
“Is that so…! Brother! You came early.”
I approached Cho Cheol, wearing a late smile.
“I had something I wanted to say… No, why are there so many Joseon people?”
Realizing that the target of his earlier shout of alarm wasn’t him, but all the Joseon people gathering in the guesthouse, Three-Eyed Sword asked in a surprised tone.
“I was handling something before my brother arrived. I called only those among the distressed compatriots who needed urgent assistance, but it seems there’s more than expected. Ah! This is Miss Zhuge, whom I mentioned before.”
Not intending to give him the initiative, I naturally introduced Miss Zhuge.
“P-pleased to meet you.”
“Wow. From the Zhuge Clan? A truly beautiful lady.”
“I should see to my brother’s affairs first, but this is quite…”
I scanned the surroundings, seemingly troubled.
There were too many Joseon people. How could I admit I was actually a debtor who had run away with money, especially since I happened to be the prospective son-in-law of their creditor? That would be entirely embarrassing to say.
“It’s all good. Get to work. I arrived early, so.”
As expected, Cho Cheol nodded his head with a wry smile.
“Then I’ll handle the urgent matters first.”
I didn’t have any intention of dealing with a high-level martial artist one-on-one.
In front of me, the Joseon people lined up in an instant. You were just one of the matters I concerned myself with. I cleared the atmosphere, which could have turned into an interrogational one in an instant.
And this wasn’t the end of the plan I had set up.
“Club Leader! I’m really sorry for showing up unannounced. It’s just that I felt desperate and thought I might starve to death if it continued like this.”
Looking as if he needed to speak, a ragged-looking Joseon man began with a heartfelt voice.
“Club Leader! The child’s father is not at fault. I persuaded him because I heard rumors of a remarkable Club Leader in Wuhan!”
“Is there anywhere to stay today?”
I clicked my tongue and asked the couple.
“If we spend all our money, we could manage about a week….”
“Go to where the Joseon people are gathering at the docks tomorrow morning. If you say my name, you’ll get a job. Man-sik! Check if the house from the empty village you lived in is still vacant.”
“There should be vacancies since it’s a place where many Joseon people live.”
“Club Leader! My baby hasn’t even eaten yet! Give me some meat and a bowl of rice. They shouldn’t starve until they settle down for a month or two.”
“Club Leader! Thank you! Really, thank you! I will surely repay this kindness!”
“I’m fine now, so take care of the compatriots. Now, next!”
How was that? It’s Kang Yoon-ho’s charity time?
I could almost see the look of astonishment on Cho Cheol’s face. Let him be more astonished. I purposefully orchestrated this situation.
I told them to gather those in real need of help today.
A benevolent leader of the Joseon Person Association, moved individuals. My charity acts were genuine, and so were those in need.
In a situation where everything was true, the only special aspect was one thing.
The performance.
This whole situation was a show to prep up my image in front of the Three-Eyed Sword.
“Thank you! Club Leader! Really, thank you!”
There must have been a flood of questions regarding me in Cho Cheol’s heart by the time he made it here.
Could there perhaps be some connection with Man Geum Battlefield? Did he maybe know the truth? Or was he having sinister thoughts?
No.
Look closely. I’m a person who gives to others. How could he think otherwise?
I made everyone present extol me. To doubt me here would require tremendous courage.
Yeah. My younger brother wouldn’t do that. Just how much he respected me. After treating everyone so nicely.
I would wait until the atmosphere ripened. When the people started singing my praises, and the Three-Eyed Sword became intoxicated by it.
“Brother, it’s time to sign the contract!”
As I called out to my hometown elder brother with a completely innocent smile, as if I had no hidden agenda.
“Y-yeah!”
The Three-Eyed Sword would have no choice but to nod his head without any suspicion.
