He Became the Genius Blacksmith of the Namgung Family - Chapter 10

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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 10

Episode 10

“…That… No. It must be my imagination. Besides, I can’t be rude to my benefactor.”

“You speak wisely. But what brings you here…?”

I thought I would have no more connection with the Muyong Family.

But to think she would come visit so suddenly.

I can’t figure out the reason at all.

“Ah, it’s nothing special, but I’ll be leaving for my family estate soon.”

“Ah, I see.”

Aha.

It was a farewell greeting before going home.

I hope she leaves quickly.

Because of this healthy martial arts idol, I had to go to the Inspection Bureau where I’d never have reason to go in my lifetime.

If we get more entangled, I might end up meeting the family head next.

‘Ugh. Just thinking about it is really bad for my mental health.’

Bad thoughts tend to come true.

I need to block such things in advance before they happen!

Shoo, shoo!

Please leave quickly.

Go home! Fast!

“Before that, I couldn’t properly greet you, so I came to pay my respects. Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang. I thank you once again for saving me at that time.”

“Not at all. As someone belonging to the Namgung Family, I only did what was natural. Besides, the opponent was focused on Miss Muyong Sohwa, so I could only exploit that opening.”

“The very fact that you exploited that opening is truly remarkable. By the way, I heard correctly that you’re a blacksmith.”

Namgung Cheon-gang was dressed in blacksmith’s attire.

Moreover, this was Namgung Cheon-gang’s Blacksmith Workshop.

With smelting equipment and tools scattered everywhere, you’d have to be blind not to notice.

“Yes. I’m a blacksmith. And quite famous at that. Hahaha!”

Namgung Cheon-gang had pride in his profession.

He also loved it.

Indeed, there was no shame in it.

“Certainly, when people mention Namgung Cheon-gang of Cheongeumjeong, they praise you as an excellent blacksmith. Moreover, I heard you’re a master-level weaponsmith. That’s truly amazing.”

Huh?

This is unexpected?

I thought she’d be a bit disappointed to learn that her savior was a blacksmith.

However, there’s no such sign at all.

Rather, she has a respectful expression.

The perception and treatment of those engaged in commerce in the martial arts world shouldn’t be particularly noteworthy, right?

It’s somewhat better if you belong to the Five Great Families.

Could it be because of Cheongeumjeong?

‘Hmm, that doesn’t seem to be the only reason though.’

I thought it might just be polite lip service, but Muyong Sohwa’s face was full of sincerity.

It wasn’t just empty words.

‘What a well-mannered young lady?’

Good.

That’s generous of her.

Thanks to that, I’ll overlook having to go to the Inspection Bureau.

“To be a blacksmith yet possess profound internal energy and martial arts skills. I, Muyong Sohwa, feel I’ve realized that martial arts doesn’t belong solely to combat thanks to Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang.”

Now that I look at her, she speaks quite beautifully too.

‘She’s really a beautiful person.’

A beauty’s praise can make even a whale dance.

The corners of Namgung Cheon-gang’s mouth rose slightly.

“Oh my, not at all. As I said again, it was only possible because Miss Muyong Sohwa created an opening. Also, my internal energy and martial arts are nothing but ordinary. It’s just that, should I say I have some eye for metals as a blacksmith?”

“An eye for metals, you say?”

“Yes. I can take some pride in having slightly better eyes for seeing grain than others.”

“Ah. So that’s why you saw the sword’s grain and threw the dagger to break it!”

“That’s right.”

No.

As I told Sister Namgung Ok, I just loaded a lot of internal energy into a chisel, which received the system’s correction and created a fateful event.

Since I couldn’t tell the truth, I made something up.

Well, seeing grain isn’t entirely false though.

“That’s truly amazing.”

“Uh, ahem, ahem. It’s not, not much—”

The praising beauty’s eyes sparkled.

Ah, is this fate?

Right.

I’m not against marriage, am I?

Then wouldn’t it be fine to build a future with a young lady who makes me feel good?

Maybe about 3 children?

For the house, a detached home would be good for now.

With a yard, and a blacksmith’s forge in the back.

I should also build a training hall for my wife.

“Can you really see grain? You’re not just saying that?”

Suddenly a man’s voice interrupted.

I instantly fell back to reality with a thud.

‘What kind of scoundrel!’

I was holding hands with Muyong Sohwa, dating, having children, even seeing grandchildren!

I absolutely cannot forgive the one who shattered my future like this.

I lit flames like a forge’s furnace in my eyes.

Who is it!

Who dared to cough, no, spout nonsense at my dream!

Namgung Cheon-gang gripped his hammer tightly and whipped his head toward where the voice came from.

‘Wow. Is that a person or a bear?’

Some kind of brown bear was standing there.

His hands were as big as pot lids, and if caught by them, my waist would probably just fold in half.

‘It’s the first time I’ve seen someone as big as Uncle!’

Meaningless fights should be avoided.

I quickly extinguished the forge fire that had risen in my eyes and quietly put down the hammer I’d gripped tightly.

‘But what did he say?’

I didn’t hear properly because I was unfolding an imaginary future.

Fortunately, the bear asked again.

“If you can see grain, do you see it with internal energy, or do you find it by intuition?”

He wasn’t picking a fight.

It was a voice genuinely curious and asking.

‘In novels, shouldn’t some villain-like guy appear around this time and start picking fights?’

That’s how it was in the martial arts novels I read in my previous life.

Certainly, now that it’s become reality, there seem to be many differences.

Namgung Cheon-gang nodded.

“Yes. I see the grain and act accordingly. I won’t say internal energy’s power has nothing to do with it, but most of it can be confirmed directly with the eyes.”

“That’s possible? And how do you train your internal energy? From what I heard, a master craftsman of Cheongeumjeong would be incredibly busy with no time to train. Were you originally a martial artist? Or do you train separately?”

“…?”

There were no villains.

Instead, there was a bear full of curiosity who rapid-fired questions.

‘What’s this? He seems like a warrior. Did he quit being a warrior to get a job at Cheongeumjeong?’

It’s not like there aren’t people like that.

Would they accept a bear too?

Namgung Cheon-gang deeply misunderstood.

* * *

“Um, but who are you…?”

“Ah, what a mistake on my part. I’m sorry. I have a habit of asking questions when I’m curious without being able to hold back, so I didn’t even introduce myself.”

The bear cupped his fists and bowed his head as he introduced himself.

“I am Peng Duohui of the Hebei Peng Family. Nice to meet you.”

“Ah. So you’re from the Hebei Peng Family.”

Hebei Peng Family.

One of the places called the Five Great Families of the martial world, along with the Namgung Family and Muyong Family.

‘If we had Jie and the Tang Family here too, it would be a complete gathering of the Five Great Families.’

There’s one more person.

Surely it’s not really someone from either the Jie or Tang Family?

Namgung Cheon-gang casually looked at the remaining person.

A slender figure with feminine beauty – a handsome man.

He was wearing wind-colored martial robes.

Looking closely, there was embroidery of Jie on his left chest.

Huh?

There really is someone from Jie too?

“My greetings are late. I am Jie Hejun of the Jie Family.”

The handsome man in wind-colored martial robes whose eyes met with Namgung Cheon-gang’s.

He smiled faintly and proudly introduced himself as being from Jie.

‘Wow. Except for one place, all the Five Great Families members are gathered. What’s going on.’

Three people belonging to the Five Great Families are in his blacksmith’s forge.

And they don’t seem to be branch family members.

Even just standing there, their posture and aura were intense.

‘It seems like all three are from the direct lineage?’

Why did they come to Namgung?

‘Hmm. Well. It’s not something I need to worry about.’

Right, what would a Cheongeumjeong blacksmith gain from thinking about why Five Great Families direct lineage warriors came.

If they’re customers, the general affairs department will contact me soon.

Organizing his thoughts, Namgung Cheon-gang cupped his fists and bowed his head.

“I am Namgung Cheon-gang of the Namgung Family. As you can see, I belong to Cheongeumjeong and am a senior-level blacksmith.”

“Nice to meet you, Young Hero Cheon-gang. Now then, can I get an answer?”

“Let’s see, so the question was—”

“I asked how you manage to train your internal energy and martial arts when night shift workers at Cheongeumjeong would be extremely busy with no time to train. Of course, if it’s difficult to answer, I’d understand, but if not, could you satisfy this Peng Duohui’s curiosity? I’ll say it again – I’m not good at holding back when I’m curious about something.”

“Yes, well. I do internal energy training and martial arts training while working at Cheongeumjeong.”

“Ooh! Amazing! To train internal energy and martial arts while doing that difficult blacksmith work! Young Hero Namgung Cheon-gang is truly a real warrior! Magnificent!”

“Uh, hmm.”

I’m bewildered by the sudden shower of praise.

Just when I was wondering if this was really something to be praised for, Muyong Sohwa’s voice transmission reached me.

-Young Hero Peng Duohui is someone who’s serious about martial arts. So he likes it when people put effort into learning martial arts.

Ah, he’s a martial arts fanatic.

No, wait a minute.

As far as I know, voice transmission is a technique that only peak-level warriors can use, right?

Then, Muyong Sohwa – that person’s level is currently at the peak!?

No wonder she fought well against assassins from the Three Great Assassin Sects of the Martial World and took down several of them.

There was a reason for everything.

‘Then the Five Great Families members with her are probably all at the peak level too.’

Don’t they say birds of a feather flock together?

It means people of the same type gather and associate with each other, so if she’s a peak-level warrior, there’s a high possibility that fellow warriors are also at the peak level.

Well, even without birds of a feather, just looking at the aura of the Peng and Jie family members, they seem to be at that level.

“Then, do you train internal energy after finishing work? I estimate that the time you finish work would be at least around the Hour of the Rat (11 PM). Wouldn’t it be late to train then? Of course, martial arts training isn’t really constrained by time.”

“Hmm. I do train then, but I also do it occasionally while working at the forge. Being a blacksmith doesn’t mean hammering all day long.”

“Oh!”

“Moreover, when I hold the hammer and pound ingots after internal energy training, sometimes the energy of fire gets absorbed. Ah, this is something anyone can do once they become a night shift worker at Cheongeumjeong.”

Peng Duohui’s curiosity didn’t end.

Since they weren’t problematic questions or rude questions, I answered honestly.

As Namgung Ok said, Cheongeumjeong craftsmen did have fire energy in their bodies.

The heat of Cheongeumjeong is twice that of an ordinary forge.

So, working in that heat naturally causes it to accumulate.

Rather than becoming internal energy, how should I put it – the innate energy changes a little?

“Ooh! This is what they call all streams returning to the source!”

Peng Duohui, this person’s reactions are really entertaining.

Every time I talk about the relationship between blacksmith work and martial arts, his reactions are like a YouTuber who received donations.

The smile drawn on his manly face full of passion grows deeper.

His large body bounces up and down.

Moreover, that reaction seems to be him holding back because there are people around.

If there weren’t any, he’d probably clap his hands and rejoice.

‘What great reactions, really great. His personality is so simple and nice.’

A personality that doesn’t seem to have any rough edges.

Isn’t this the perfect personality to befriend and hang out with?

His pleasant reactions make Namgung Cheon-gang’s mood lift as well.

“Of course, honestly, with martial arts alone, it would be difficult to save Young Lady Muyong Sohwa from danger. After all, even as a Cheongeumjeong night shift worker, being a blacksmith has its limits.”

“That’s right. When I heard it from Young Lady Muyong Sohwa, I wondered if that was really possible. These weren’t just anyone – they belonged to the Three Great Assassin Sects of the Martial World. Even if they were subordinate sects under them. Those cowardly and dirty bastards. Deploying assassins in broad daylight in a place with civilians is shameful conduct unbecoming of warriors!”

“But they’re assassins?”

“Aha!”

“Anyway, as a blacksmith, there’s no way to block an assassin’s sword with just 10 years of internal energy. However, when you become a night shift worker at Cheongeumjeong, you gain one talent.”

“What is that?”

“That is!”

“Gulp!”

The face of a hot-blooded man full of anticipation.

Suddenly, I feel like revealing it after 60 seconds, my mouth itching to speak.

Then, I casually notice behind Peng Duohui.

The great sword strapped there.

‘Hmm. 60 seconds would definitely be too long.’

Even in modern times, after 60 seconds, even monks would curse.

Namgung Cheon-gang spoke immediately.

“You develop an eye for seeing the grain. This is exactly the ability unique to Cheongeumjeong blacksmiths that I mentioned to Young Lady Muyong Sohwa earlier, and it can be seen as being felt through practiced intuition rather than using internal energy.”

That can’t be true.

Having already opened my mouth.

It’s just a well-intentioned lie that continues unstoppably.

“Ooh! Indeed, the saying ‘all streams return to the source’ isn’t there for nothing! Thank you! Thanks to you, my curiosity has been satisfied! Hahaha!”

Peng Duohui laughed heartily and suddenly embraced Namgung Cheon-gang who had satisfied his curiosity.

It was such a sudden action that Namgung Cheon-gang couldn’t even dodge and was embraced as is.

Squeeze.

“Kyaaaah!!”

“Kyaaaah! Young Master Namgung!”

My waist!

A bear is killing someone!

Save me!

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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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