The Miraculous Divorce Technique

Chapter 15

SWISH. SWISH.

From the crack of dawn, Cheok Sagyeol was carving a mark in a corner of the inn.

The mark he carved was for his direct intelligence unit, the Red Moon.

It would be the same for any organization, but in the Demonic Cult, the Lord's authority was particularly strong, so his private organization was powerful.

The Red Moon were subordinates that Cheok Sagyeol had painstakingly raised after becoming the Lord.

'As expected, it was a good idea to create a direct intelligence unit. How useful it is at times like this.'

There was also the cult's intelligence unit, the Black Shadow Group, but Cheok Sagyeol's philosophy was that the more diverse the information routes, the better.

The means of communication with the Red Moon was known only to him, so it was the only way to obtain internal information from the cult in the current situation where it was difficult to easily reveal his identity.

'Hurry up and get here, you bastards.'

After leaving the last code, Cheok Sagyeol entered the inn.

At that time, Ahwa's father, Ah Pyeong, was also coming out to prepare.

"You're up early."

"Ah, I'm busy preparing for tomorrow's reservation."

"But I don't know if it's really okay to prepare as you said, Mr. Jeokun. Phew..."

Ah Pyeong sighed at Cheok Sagyeol.

Jeokun was the alias that Cheok Sagyeol had given him since he couldn't use his real name.

"Don't worry. If the owner suffers any loss, I'll compensate you even if I have to empty my pockets. Let's go."

Cheok Sagyeol urged Ah Pyeong and started walking.

Today, they were planning to close the business to prepare for the eight-hundred-person meal and go buy ingredients.

The morning market.

All sorts of food, from vegetables and fruits to fish and meat, were lined up.

Cheok Sagyeol followed Ah Pyeong, picking up and eating this and that.

Ah Pyeong, a skilled cook, chose good ingredients well, and perhaps because he was a local, he seemed to be on friendly terms with the merchants at the morning market.

"Mr. Kim, the goods are good today."

"It's been raining a lot lately, so it feels good to farm. What do you need today?"

At Mr. Kim's question, Ah Pyeong ordered a huge amount of ingredients befitting an eight-hundred-person meal.

"No, look here. With that amount, my store's goods alone can't handle it. Is something wrong? Perhaps..."

Mr. Kim trailed off and asked with a worried face.

Ah Pyeong, with a bitter expression, told him about the Jakdupa's incident from yesterday.

"Oh my, those worthless bastards. I thought it was quiet, but they're at it again. But what are you going to do with that preparation? Wouldn't it be better to prepare the penalty?"

"The deposit is twenty nyang, so the penalty is two hundred nyang. How can I get that much money right away..."

"T-two hundred nyang... I'm getting frustrated just hearing it. Ugh."

Mr. Kim pounded his chest and vented his anger.

Two hundred nyang was a huge amount of money for small merchants.

It was enough to take time to prepare, whether by selling the inn or taking out a loan with it as collateral.

"Geez. You still don't believe me?"

Cheok Sagyeol clicked his tongue and patted Ah Pyeong's back.

He wondered what he could trust in a guest, but Cheok Sagyeol, who had always been treated with sincere faith during his time as the Lord, was disappointed.

"Owner, I'll pay for this, so please bring the ingredients the inn owner ordered to the Pungryu Inn. The rest is for delivery, so you can handle it as you see fit."

Mr. Kim, who received the bill from Cheok Sagyeol, was startled and said.

"Oh my, so much."

"I'll ask you a favor this morning. Oh, and please gather the nearby merchants and residents at the Pungryu Inn at the hour of the snake tomorrow."

"Us?"

"You'll know when you come. I'll reward you handsomely, so please do me a favor."

"Oh my, what reward? This money is enough."

Mr. Kim put the bill in his bosom and bowed repeatedly.

Cheok Sagyeol nodded his head and then moved with Ah Pyeong.

"Owner, you go back first and prepare the food. I have a place to stop by, so I'll go when I'm done."

"I understand. I'll see you later."

As Ah Pyeong left, Cheok Sagyeol headed for a weapon shop.

It was because he hadn't been able to carry a sword for a while, so it felt like thorns were growing on his hands.

"Welcome."

"I'm here to see some swords."

"This way, please."

The man guided Cheok Sagyeol to the side where the swords were displayed.

From the Songmun Ancient Sword to the Narrow-bladed Sword and the Flexible Sword, which were used by martial artists, to the General's Sword used by the military, were on display.

Although it was a small county's weapon shop, it was a well-stocked place with everything it should have.

"Hahaha. You're surprised, aren't you? Most of the people who come to our store have that reaction."

"Honestly, yes."

"It can't be helped. This place is on the way to Shaanxi."

The owner's words were true.

Jinhyeon was on the border of Shaanxi and Henan, and it could be said to be a strategic point that reached Shanxi if one went a little north.

Although it was a small village, it had a geographical advantage.

"Is there anything specific you're looking for?"

"Any sword will do. But it must have excellent strength. It would be nice if it were made of black iron."

The one called black iron because it was black iron was the hardest metal except for the rare metal, sky iron.

"There are alloys mixed with black iron, but there are no solid ones. As you know, black iron is also a very expensive metal."

"Hmm..."

The reason Cheok Sagyeol was concerned about the strength was because of his internal energy.

Since he couldn't use his internal energy freely, the sword's strength had to be excellent to block the opponent's sword qi or sword energy.

"A black iron sword has good strength, but isn't it too heavy? This one used a solid piece of hundred-refined steel, so it has excellent strength and is also light. How about it?"

Hundred-refined steel was steel that had been refined more than a hundred times from good quality iron.

It was no exaggeration to say that high-purity hundred-refined steel was the best iron except for ten-thousand-year-old cold iron and black iron.

However, it was impossible for it to catch Cheok Sagyeol's eye.

Because he was the supreme one of the Demonic Cult.

'There's no sword like Jeokryeong.'

His beloved sword, Jeokryeong, was a cute one made by smelting a solid piece of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron.

Although ten-thousand-year-old cold iron was weaker in strength than black iron, it was a metal that was in the spotlight as the best material for a treasured sword because it emitted an excellent sharpness and had good efficiency in transmitting internal energy when using sword qi or sword energy.

Since it was a rare metal and used by the top echelons of the organization, there were no swords made of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron in the weapon shop here.

"How about a saber instead of a sword? Would there be one to my liking?"

"Unfortunately, it's the same."

At the owner's answer, Cheok Sagyeol, who was smacking his lips, suddenly's gaze fell on a strangely shaped saber hanging on the wall.

Was it because he had seen numerous treasured swords as the supreme one of the Demonic Cult?

Although it was in its scabbard and its blade was not visible, it could not escape Cheok Sagyeol's discerning eye.

"Can I see that one?"

"That... that's not for sale."

The owner said with a troubled face.

The one hanging on the wall above the counter, as if for display, looked different from those of the Central Plains at a glance.

The sabers of the Central Plains were classified as heavy weapons, so their blades were thick.

But the saber in front of him was thin, like the hwandos of Joseon or the katanas of Japan. But it was also different from theirs.

It was a type of saber that Cheok Sagyeol had never seen before.

"Let's just have a look."

At Cheok Sagyeol's insistence, the owner took down the saber and handed it to him.

SHIING.

"Haa..."

Cheok Sagyeol let out a low exclamation without realizing it.

A curved saber with an impressive wavy pattern on its grayish-black blade.

What was unusual was that it was double-edged from the tip of the saber to one-third of the blade's length.

The sabers of the Central Plains only had a blade on one side, so it looked even more unique.

'It serves to reduce resistance when stabbing.'

Cheok Sagyeol understood the meaning of the shape at a glance and was impressed.

A saber art was not just about cutting.

This curved saber was a weapon designed to maximize both cutting and stabbing.

"Where is this from? It doesn't seem to be from the Central Plains."

"It's rare for someone to be interested in a strangely shaped saber. You have a great eye. It is a weapon from a place called the Persian Empire in the past western regions. In their language, it is called a shamshir."

"Shamshir? What kind of pronunciation is that?"

"Because it's the Persian language. If you interpret it in the language of the Central Plains, it means 'lion's tail'."

Come to think of it, the end part was more distinctly curved than a hwando or a katana.

It was a shape that suited the name 'lion's tail.'

"My ancestor obtained this saber by chance when he went to the Persian Empire for trade in the past. My ancestor, who was fascinated by this fellow, later opened a weapon shop, and it has been passed down to my generation."

Unlike the current Ming, which basically had a closed-door policy, in the past Tang Dynasty, there were active exchanges with other countries.

Therefore, the Tang Dynasty was also a time when various cultures flourished as the cultures of various countries flowed in.

'If it's a weapon from the Tang Dynasty, that means it's almost a thousand years old...'

Cheok Sagyeol was even more drawn to the Persian saber, which had endured that much time and still caught his eye.

"But what is this wavy pattern? Is it for decoration? It's very unique."

"I heard from my grandfather that there are not many weapons with this pattern even in the Persian Empire. I've commissioned many blacksmiths, but they said it's impossible to imitate. I don't know either."

What did it matter if he didn't know the effectiveness of the wavy pattern? Cheok Sagyeol was already convinced that this saber was the real deal.

"Owner, won't you sell this to me? I'll give you a good price."

"I can't. This saber is a family heirloom left by my ancestor."

The owner drew a firm line.

Looking at his eyes, Cheok Sagyeol nodded his head.

"Please wait a moment. I'll be right back."

Cheok Sagyeol, without even listening to the owner's answer, hurried to the Pungryu Inn.

'What should I give him to make his eyes pop out?'

After rummaging through his bundle, he picked up a suitable fellow, put it in his bosom, and then ran back to the weapon shop.

The owner sighed as he saw the reappeared Cheok Sagyeol.

"Look here. No matter how much money you give me, how can I sell a family heirloom? Besides, this saber is almost a thousand years old, so it can't be used in a real battle. Why don't you just look at something else?"

"I understand, so just look at this first and then talk."

Cheok Sagyeol took out an object wrapped in cloth from his bosom.

The owner, who received it, sighed again and unfolded it.

But after confirming what was inside, the owner's eyes almost popped out.

"Gasp! Th-th-th-this is!"

The owner stuttered, unable to even inhale the breath he had exhaled.

In his hand was a ginseng the size of an adult's forearm.

And it was a human-shaped snow ginseng!

"Ahem. It's a thousand-year-old one. You're also a merchant, so you'll know its value."

"Phew. Phew. Phew..."

The owner couldn't come to his senses.

What would happen if he took this to a famous martial arts sect?

Not only would he get gold and silver treasures that were hard to see in a lifetime, but with them as his backing, he could live in luxury for three generations, no, for generations to come.

Moreover, in a world where sword fights were common like now, being able to ensure one's own safety was a great blessing.

'Hehe. You said you wouldn't, no matter how much money I gave you? But if that becomes ten million, no, a hundred million, who wouldn't be swayed?'

Cheok Sagyeol, seeing the wavering look in the owner's eyes, decided to drive the nail in.

"Owner, do you know what this is?"

On Cheok Sagyeol's outstretched palm, there was a brown pill.

It was a divine pill whose refreshing scent made one's chest feel cool just by looking at it.

"What... is this?"

"It is the Small Recovery Pill, the elixir of elixirs made by Shaolin. Sell the ginseng and take the Small Recovery Pill, owner, and live a long and healthy life. I don't know for sure, but you'll be able to have three or four children even at the age of eighty."

"H-is... is that really true?"

"Hmph. Have you only been deceived? Do you see the seal on this pill? This proves that it is an authentic product of the head of the Shaolin Medicine King Hall."

Hearing Cheok Sagyeol's explanation, the owner's eyes rolled as he looked at the Small Recovery Pill in his hand.

Since he had no children, he couldn't help but be swayed even more.

"I... I'll sell it. This saber is yours from today, great hero."

Wouldn't a descendant to carry on the family line be more precious than a family heirloom?

"An excellent choice. Hahaha."

Cheok Sagyeol, who had received the saber, took out the blade and stroked it with his hand, saying.

"Owner, could you pick out one more of the strongest swords or sabers in this shop?"

At Cheok Sagyeol's words, the owner brought a sword displayed on one side.

"It is a sword mixed with black iron. I'll give you this as a bonus."

"Thank you."

Cheok Sagyeol, after receiving the sword, brought the two swords and the saber together. And he swung with all his might.

CLANG.

"Gasp."

Cheok Sagyeol and the owner's eyes widened.

The Persian saber had cut the sword mixed with black iron into two pieces.

The owner had also never tested the Persian saber, which was a family heirloom, so this was the first time he had seen its performance.

'This is a super jackpot... With this much sharpness, it's no less than a sword made of ten-thousand-year-old cold iron. Moreover, its strength is also comparable to black iron.'

It had cut a famous sword in a single stroke without a single chip.

He didn't know what effect it would have when he used internal energy, but for now, it could be said that it had the characteristics of both black iron and ten-thousand-year-old cold iron.

Cheok Sagyeol stroked the blade and muttered softly.

"Your name is Sa-wang from today."

Was it a fate destined by the heavens? In a weapon shop of an unknown name, Cheok Sagyeol was able to obtain a treasure of the ages.

(End of Chapter)