Ascension of the Heavenly Demon - Chapter 149

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 149

 

‘I’ll consider it.’

 

Oh my!

 

‘I’ll speak to Father about it.’

 

Good grief!

 

‘In a constructive direction… during the retainer meeting…’

 

That’s more like it.

 

Zhuge Munhyeon nodded at Tang Eon’s appearance, finally giving the desired answer after a long while.

 

It wasn’t confirmed yet, but starting was half the battle.

 

How could those knowledgeable in strange arts not calculate after hearing about formation techniques?

 

And once the calculations were done, they would at least make contact.

 

They would know there was much profit to be made.

 

With this, the sales pitch was a success.

 

Now that they could meet and negotiate, persuading them to sell formation techniques and mechanisms would be the next person’s job.

 

One person couldn’t do everything alone.

 

He couldn’t be skilled at negotiation as well.

 

How satisfying.

 

I’m such a person who cares for my family clan.

 

“Ahem! This is the Eunhwa Mountain Workshop, one of the Tang Family’s five workshops.”

 

“Ah…”

 

After passing through layers of security perimeters, Zhuge Munhyeon could finally see the panorama spread before his eyes.

 

A place surrounded by mountains.

 

The center was concavely indented, looking like a flower pot. It was a basin. He could understand why it was quite far from Star Blade, the Tang Family’s main base.

 

Clang! Clang! Clang!

 

Even from afar, the sound of hammering iron, blocked by mountains and unable to escape the basin, continuously echoed.

 

They had to go down a gentle slope a bit more, but the rising heat waves were already making the air sweltering before they even arrived.

 

“Heh heh, how is it? Quite a sight, isn’t it?”

 

At Tang Eon’s smugness, Zhuge Munhyeon slowly nodded.

 

In his lifetime, this was the first time he’d seen a blacksmith village of this scale.

 

The Demon Cult also had iron workshops, and he’d seen several famous blacksmith shops during his travels in the Central Plains, but none could compare to this.

 

“I’ll give you advance warning – the Workshop Leader who manages this place has quite an unusual personality.”

 

“…”

 

“Your personality is refreshingly straightforward and bold, which is good, but try not to act like you know everything in front of that person.”

 

“Act like I know everything?”

 

“Yes, his pride as a craftsman is tremendous.”

 

“Ah…”

 

He already knew that type.

 

Baek Mu of Cheongong Temple.

 

A person so stubborn it would be hard to find a match for him under heaven.

 

Usually, such people find it difficult to have deep conversations even with a blade at their throat if you don’t suit their taste.

 

‘So he’ll be difficult to deal with. Probably eccentric too.’

 

Zhuge Munhyeon couldn’t help but frown, knowing he had to win over the man’s heart to ask detailed questions about the Silver Cold Staff.

 

“Come, let’s go. Even if you came for other purposes, you should at least pay your respects to the Craft Bang Leader.”

 

“That… huh?”

 

His head tilted involuntarily.

 

“Other purposes?”

 

“Haha! This fellow, are you planning to play dumb? I know, I know. What a coy person! Kahaha!”

 

“…”

 

Dangnyeon naturally looked at him with a sly expression and laughed loudly.

 

Who’s being coy?

 

What am I pretending not to know?

 

It was impossible to understand what this fellow was thinking.

 

* * *

 

“Absolutely ridiculous! Do I look like someone who would sell off his granddaughter to some ink-stained scholar brat?”

 

“Sell? Why do you speak so harshly? This is clearly considering the family’s position…”

 

Perhaps embarrassed by the intense anger, Dangnyeon glanced nervously at Zhuge Munhyeon.

 

“Shut up! What’s this about? Meeting Ihwa? Who exactly gave this order? The Family Head? The Elders? Or the family matriarch?”

 

“Bang Leader, please calm down first…”

 

“I told you to shut up! I should kill these bastards right now!”

 

Craft Bang Leader Tang Muncheong began raging beyond mere anger.

 

The elderly man was the Family Head’s uncle, just like the Dark Bang Leader, and whether due to his considerable personality or his tough nature from working with metal, he seemed to have no regard for family etiquette.

 

The situation was like this.

 

After arriving and politely paying their respects, Dangnyeon had casually asked.

 

-Where did Ihwa go?

 

That was all he said.

 

Then the man, who had been looking back and forth between Zhuge Munhyeon and Dangnyeon, suddenly turned bright red, rolled up his sleeves, and started shouting at the top of his lungs.

 

Hmm…

 

Zhuge Munhyeon sighed as he recalled the series of events amidst the chaos.

 

He remembered what Dangnyeon had said.

 

Was she his type?

 

Apparently, the reason he came to the Craft Bang was to introduce Tang Muncheong’s granddaughter.

 

He didn’t know what kind of woman she was to be his type, but… this damn bastard!

 

Who asked you to introduce me to a woman?

 

“I have absolutely no intention of subjecting my granddaughter to a political marriage, so get lost! If you come again, I’ll go directly to the Family Head to settle this matter, so keep that in mind.”

 

“Bang Leader…”

 

“Can’t you shut your mouth? Bringing some weak, scholarly type from who knows where…”

 

Whatever misunderstanding Dangyeon and Dangmuncheong had, Zhuge Munhyeon had absolutely no intention of meeting his granddaughter.

 

However.

 

A snotty bookworm? A weak scholar? Me? In what way?

 

And is only your granddaughter important?

 

I’m also a precious child to my parents!

 

The urge to clench his fist, rise up, and slice off that neck surged through him… but he held back.

 

His patience had been improving by leaps and bounds lately.

 

“Bang Leader.”

 

“What!”

 

Though he called out calmly while regulating his breathing, the response that came back was cold as ice.

 

“I didn’t come here to see a woman named Ihwa.”

 

“Hmph! You scheming Zhuge bastard! Is there anyone who doesn’t know you came to the Tang Family for marriage talks?”

 

Ugh, scheming…

 

Does he think words are sweet treats?

 

What kind of prejudiced expression was that?

 

How are the Zhuge scheming?

 

They’re simply cautious, thoughtful, and wise, so they don’t carelessly reveal their usual thoughts.

 

This old man, who seemed to have lived less than half his own life, kept making him want to clench his fists.

 

But!

 

He had already learned how to handle those who had stubbornly carried the craftsman’s trade throughout their lives.

 

Clack!

 

When Zhuge Munhyeon grasped the Silver Cold Staff tucked behind him, Dangmuncheong’s eyes trembled as he stepped back in surprise.

 

“You bastard! Since words don’t work, you plan to try force? Fine! No matter how old I’ve gotten, I still have the strength to break one ignorant bookworm’s neck!”

 

Dangyeon was startled when Dangmuncheong immediately took a fighting stance and blocked his way… it was complete chaos.

 

Ignorant bookworm, he said.

 

That was a term used to disparage ignorant people.

 

For the Zhuge Family members who lived their lives immersed in scholarship, there was no greater insult.

 

It was fortunate that he had no interest in academics and wasn’t greatly shaken by being called ignorant, otherwise if it had been another Zhuge, bloodshed would have already erupted.

 

“Please, do restrain yourself. Though the Craft Bang Leader has a difficult personality, he didn’t mean those words with malice.”

 

Dangyeon, who had embraced Dangmuncheong’s body, turned his head and called out urgently.

 

Who said what?

 

There seemed to be malice, but he hadn’t come here to fight in the first place.

 

Clack!

 

“Huh?”

 

Dangmuncheong paused at Zhuge Munhyeon’s action.

 

In front of him, the Silver Cold Staff placed on the desk.

 

Dangmuncheong’s gaze, whose face had flushed red and breathing had become rough, fixed on the Silver Cold Staff.

 

He fell silent.

 

His trembling eyes began to grow larger and larger.

 

As expected….

 

The craftsman I met not long ago was like this, and our family’s Baek Mu was the same.

 

They can’t help themselves when they see excellent items.

 

There was no way he, the owner of the Tang Family’s Craft Bang, wouldn’t recognize the excellence of the Silver Cold Staff.

 

“How does it look to you?”

 

“Hmm.”

 

Deep furrows formed on his brow.

 

His eyes, which had also furrowed along with it, couldn’t tear away from the Silver Cold Staff.

 

“…Put it down.”

 

“But the fight is… Munhyeon is a guest of the Tang Family.”

 

“You damn fool! Who said anything about fighting?”

 

“Pardon?”

 

Dangyeon was simply dumbfounded.

 

You even took a fighting stance….

 

“Damn fool, who’s being eccentric? Even if the Young Family Head treats his family elders like dog shit, there should be limits. Really, these youngsters these days… tsk tsk.”

 

“….”

 

Dangmuncheong clicked his tongue and pushed Dangyeon away.

 

Truly the Tang Family.

 

It seemed he had completely forgotten what the situation was like just moments ago.

 

Dangmuncheong straightened his posture and carefully examined the Silver Cold Staff with narrowed eyes.

 

“May I touch it?”

 

“If you’re going to examine it thoroughly, you’ll need to roll it around and lift it up.”

 

“Hmm.”

 

When I nodded, Dangmuncheong carefully grasped the Silver Cold Staff.

 

“Huh! How is this….”

 

He seemed quite surprised.

 

“It’s not square or hexagonal, but octagonal. I’ve never seen anything like this before. The natural seal carving… it would be absolutely difficult to create this shape by hammering.”

 

Before long, Dangmuncheong’s mind was completely focused on the Silver Cold Staff. He lifted it to gauge its weight, measured its length with his span, and gripped it to measure its thickness.

 

It was all appraisal done purely through the sense of touch and visual estimation, but it would probably be far more accurate than using scales or rulers.

 

Such are the hands and eyes of a master craftsman.

 

“Hmm, what exactly is this material? It’s iron, but… to achieve this weight and color with this thickness and length, it must have plenty of other things mixed in.”

 

Dangmuncheong flicked the Silver Cold Staff with his finger to make a sound.

 

Tung….

 

A subtle sound emerged.

 

“Strange, truly strange… How does it make such a sound?”

 

He already seemed captivated.

 

His eyes filled with curiosity, and his expression showed the characteristic stubbornness of a craftsman who wanted to learn everything about the Silver Cold Staff in his hands.

 

“Hmm, ahem.”

 

After pondering for a long while, he glanced at Zhuge Munhyeon and then back at the Silver Cold Staff, repeating this several times.

 

Thoughts about his granddaughter seemed to have completely disappeared.

 

“Phew… Well, this is something.”

 

Setting down the Silver Cold Staff, he asked Zhuge Munhyeon.

 

“By any chance, was this made by the Zhuge Clan?”

 

“No, it wasn’t.”

 

“Well, it would be impossible for the Zhuge Clan to make something like this.”

 

“….”

 

This stubborn old blacksmith?

 

“I don’t know how you came to possess this item, but it seems to have a deep connection with you.”

 

“Pardon?”

 

“Originally, weapons are made with specific people in mind.”

 

“…It’s because of the length.”

 

“Hmm?”

 

“Though I cannot compare to you, sir, I do know the basics of metalworking.”

 

“Oh? You know the basics? Then tell me. What’s the reason you mentioned length?”

 

“When making weapons, the first consideration is purpose. Will it cut or will it thrust? Usually this depends on the martial arts the warrior has learned.”

 

“Mm, and then?”

 

“Second is weight. If it’s heavier than the warrior’s strength allows, they can’t wield it properly, and if it’s too light, it won’t produce adequate power. Therefore, skilled craftsmen even measure the user’s strength.”

 

“Ho? That’s quite good for someone who’s just read about it.”

 

His admiration grew slightly compared to before, but Zhuge Munhyeon continued speaking.

 

“Third is precisely length, as weapons can be said to be like parts of a warrior’s body. Therefore, one must consider physique and think about arm length.”

 

“….”

 

“A moment ago, Bang Leader seemed to be gauging my arm length. That’s why you spoke of connection. The Silver Cold Staff has the most ideal length for me.”

 

Tang Munqing silently observed Zhuge Munhyeon intently.

 

“More than anything, when I used it, the balance was excellent. Should I say it’s slightly weighted toward the staff tip rather than the handle? It’s probably a subtle difference, but it must have been made with focus on concentrating the striking force when attacking.”

 

“Heh, hehehe. Quite impressive. Truly impressive.”

 

When the words ended, Tang Munqing, who had been laughing for a while, rose from his seat.

 

What Zhuge Munhyeon had said were aspects most warriors don’t pay attention to.

 

Once internal energy reaches a certain level, those three factors can be ignored and overcome.

 

But for craftsmen, it was different.

 

They never violate the fundamentals, no matter how remarkable the user might be.

 

For this young man to point out such things…

 

“Follow me.”

 

“Yes.”

 

Though there had been twists and turns, fortunately it seemed he had succeeded in winning his favor. Not only the tone of his voice but even his manner of speaking had changed.

 

And then.

 

“Don’t tell me your suggestion to come to the craft bang was… because of that item?”

 

“….”

 

“You didn’t come after hearing rumors about Iron Shepherd Dan Tang Yihwa? When you suggested going to the craft bang, I naturally thought that was your preference.”

 

Dangran asked in great bewilderment.

 

“Iron Shepherd Dan… It seems a woman like a peony works with iron. Amitabha Buddha.”

 

Mujin’s eyes were filled with curiosity as he stared at the Taoist.

 

Hmm, should I tear apart the mouth of this lustful demonic Taoist bastard first?

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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