He Became the Genius Blacksmith of the Namgung Family - Chapter 13

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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 13

Episode 13

“Phew. That really took it out of me.”

Guests who suddenly appeared in the middle of his always identical daily routine.

They weren’t unwelcome visitors, but their unexpected arrival had left him mentally drained.

Of course, he had made money in the process, so it wasn’t entirely bad.

“Besides, it’s not like I only made money.”

He had formed connections with the Murong, Zhuge, and Hebei Peng families.

With the promise of three favors each.

An unexpected bond.

“If you form connections with people from the Five Great Families, you’ll benefit from it no matter what happens later.”

What is valued most in this Central Plains martial arts world?

Connections bound by chivalry, righteousness, and grudges.

In other words, my own guanxi.

In a world clearly divided between Orthodox and Heterodox factions, what could be more important than this?

Moreover, aren’t the Five Great Families like major corporations ranking in the top ten of the martial arts world?

‘Even if I’m captured somewhere, wherever I go, if I say “Hey? I’ve eaten meals with people from the Five Great Families, went to saunas together, hey! Did everything!” they’ll at least show me some face-saving courtesy.’

Furthermore, if you maintain guanxi well, favors are doubled and grudges are forgotten.

Of course, mortal enemies are unavoidable…

That needs to be resolved.

When you can’t live under the same sky, what good is guanxi or anything else?

They’d draw their swords and go berserk the moment they see you.

“Since mine is guanxi born from favor, not mortal enmity, my martial arts life has only bright days ahead.”

How could I just leave such connections as they are?

I need to deepen them into even stronger bonds.

By repairing Jie Hejun’s sword.

“Of course, it’s something Jie Hejun entrusted to me.”

Didn’t he say it was a famous sword given directly by his family for this martial arts journey?

Well, looking at it honestly, it’s a flawed high-grade item, not a famous sword.

Still, it’s the first sword I’ve been entrusted with.

It’s precious.

All firsts are precious, aren’t they?

Although it was a disaster he brought upon himself through his own curiosity.

“Though I was crushed by a disaster I brought upon myself, since it’s the first famous sword of my guanxi, I’ll protect it.”

So he decided to do the repair for free.

Jie Hejun’s delighted face flickered before his eyes.

It seemed like their guanxi would become even stronger.

“…But. I’m not the only one with guanxi, am I?”

A slight doubt arose.

Hmm.

I can’t say that’s not the case.

What would a direct descendant of the Five Great Families lack that they’d form guanxi with a mere branch member and blacksmith?

Still, I don’t want to let it slip away.

This guanxi could potentially be a means of saving my life, couldn’t it?

When I’m already getting stomach problems from worrying about fame, if there’s a chance for a lifeline to appear, I need to grab it somehow.

It’s not for nothing that Namgung Cheon-gang is obsessed with guanxi.

“I’ll pour my soul into ensuring I can definitely form this bond of guanxi.”

Namgung Cheon-gang rolled up his sleeves.

The fire in the forge was still alive.

However, it had been gradually cooling, so it wasn’t suitable for melting ore.

He worked the bellows and added coal to revive the forge’s heat.

As time passed, the blacksmith’s forge became sweltering.

“Let’s see…”

Namgung Cheon-gang picked up Jie Hejun’s broken sword and examined it again.

He had confirmed it was made from Baekryeonjeonggang.

He had confirmed that excessive force was applied during the refining process.

Then what was left to check?

Examining the broken cross-section.

Broken weapons can sometimes be repaired, and sometimes they cannot.

If completely shattered into pieces, it’s impossible.

It would be better to melt the pieces and make something new.

Jie Hejun’s sword?

Cleanly broken in two.

More than enough to fix.

“Completely clean. No chips, no bends. Who broke it so cleanly in half with a snap? That’s right, me! Namgung Cheon-gang!”

Good at making.

Good at repairing.

So talented.

My existence is so precious!

“…”

Before long, Namgung Cheon-gang felt a bit embarrassed about his self-praise.

* * *

‘A “soul” dwells in all metal objects that are made.’

This is the first phrase learned when becoming a member of Cheongeumjeong.

That’s why Cheongeumjeong’s repairs are also exceptional.

First, they begin what’s called the ‘soothing’ process.

When a product breaks, the metal soul tears and resentment is bound to form.

The ‘soothing’ process is the work to purify and appease this.

Cheongeumjeong blacksmiths infuse their internal energy into the water used in this soothing process to make themselves known to the metal soul.

This time takes about one si-jin (2 hours).

Once the soothing process is complete, tempering begins.

The two broken fragments are placed in the forge and heated at maximum temperature.

Simultaneously, metal of the same properties as the sword to be joined is melted.

When the broken boundaries of the object to be repaired crumble and the separated parts reach their reddened hands toward each other.

Quickly finishing, the melted metal is slowly poured and the hammer is taken up for refining.

Clang! Clank! Clang!

No more, no less, securely joined as if they had been one from the beginning.

Repairing while matching the ‘grain’ and ‘weight’.

Matching grain and weight is quite difficult.

And a proper blacksmith never ignores this grain and weight during the repair process.

Warriors who use weapons.

Farmers who hold sickles.

There’s no way they wouldn’t notice if the weight of weapons and farming tools they’ve held and used countless times becomes distorted.

Distorted weight creates awkwardness.

This prevents them from fully demonstrating their capabilities.

Therefore, it’s actually easier to make something new from the beginning rather than repair.

And blacksmiths who never miss this and don’t allow even a 0.1 margin of error are the ones who can later become master craftsmen.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

When talking with people.

When not working.

Even though Namgung Cheon-gang may seem endlessly carefree.

He changes when he picks up a hammer and starts working.

He concentrates and never loses focus.

His mind thinks only of what is being created.

His hands and strength exist solely for the object being completed.

Even if people die beside him.

Even if arrows fall.

Even if swords fall.

Absolute unwavering concentration and stubbornness.

Thus, Namgung Cheon-gang was a blacksmith in his previous life, is a blacksmith now, and is about to enter the path of a ‘master craftsman.’

How could one who creates his own space through concentration not become a master craftsman?

This is why he can dream of being the best blacksmith under heaven.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sunset faded and evening approached.

Evening deepened and night filled with moonlight arrived.

Clang! Clank! Clang!

Yet still.

The sound of hammering echoed from Namgung Cheon-gang’s Blacksmith Workshop.

When the moon hung in the sky marking the middle of the zi hour, namely midnight (12 AM).

Clang!

A clear hammering sound resonated throughout the forge.

“It’s finished!”

Simultaneously, Namgung Cheon-gang’s joyful cry burst forth.

“Certainly impressive skill indeed.”

A deep voice was heard at the same time.

“Hiiiiek!!”

Namgung Cheon-gang had a fit and threw his hammer.

A thief has come to steal my Baekryeonjeonggang!

Die, you thief!

* * *

Namgung Cheon.

He is the head of the Namgung Family.

He mastered the Changung Muae Sword Technique before turning 10, and reached the pinnacle before coming of age.

When he came of age, he reached the transcendent realm, and in his mid-thirties, he achieved the transformation realm.

Currently, his age has passed fifty and reached sixty.

It is known.

Namgung Cheon’s current realm has surpassed the upper transformation realm and may have touched the legendary mysterious realm.

Thus, he is the only being in the martial world to bear the title of Sword King.

In the current martial world, only 5 people bear the title of King.

True to his name, Namgung Cheon was the heaven of Namgung.

Excluding the founding head of the Namgung Family, he was an unparalleled martial artist that the Namgung Family would never produce again.

So.

In other words—

‘I threw a hammer at such a person who is the heaven of Namgung, one of the Five Great Heavenly Kings of the Martial World, and an unprecedented genius since the founding head of the Namgung Family?’

I’m crazy.

I’m insane!

Namgung Cheon-gang, oh Namgung Cheon-gang!

Do you have 100 lives right now?

Why did you do such a crazy thing!

‘No, setting everything else aside, throwing a hammer at the master of my family!’

Shouting that he’s a thief!

Namgung Cheon-gang is a branch member of the Namgung Family.

And Namgung Cheon is the perfect direct descendant and master of the Namgung Family in name and reality.

Even considering status, he is far beneath him.

Such a person threw a hammer at his master and spouted nonsense calling him a thief, so how could this be a forgivable act!

“Pleeeease forgiiive meeee!!”

Thus, Namgung Cheon-gang prostrated himself flat and apologized for the terrible act he had committed.

Watching historical dramas, I now understand why subjects apologized to kings with deep breathing.

The deep breathing apology method had different sincerity.

“Hehehe. It’s fine, it’s fine. You were absorbed in work, so it’s understandable you didn’t notice my approach.”

Namgung Cheon laughed generously.

“And it’s largely my fault for entering the forge without permission. Isn’t that right?”

Come to think of it, maybe it’s not entirely without merit?

“Hmm. Seeing no response, I suppose I did do wrong.”

Oh my goodness.

It was a trap!

Namgung Cheon-gang prostrated himself even more.

“Those are absolutely undeserved words! How could I think such thoughts! If I had such thoughts, please cut off my head!!”

“Seeing you hesitate for just a moment, it seems you did think that. Well, this forge is yours, so it’s greatly my fault for coming without the owner’s permission, greatly.”

“That…”

“Sigh. This is what happens when you get old. I should just die. Ugh.”

Wow…

This is driving me crazy.

‘What is this? Hidden camera? No, why is the family head suddenly coming here to nitpick?’

It made no sense.

Hadn’t his life had no contact with the family head, let alone with direct descendants?

Well, after awakening, he did learn martial arts with swords he crafted…

But that should be set aside for now.

Anyway!

He couldn’t understand why Namgung Cheon, who was said to be hard to meet not only in the Namgung Family but in the entire martial world, had appeared in his humble forge.

‘In game terms, isn’t this like a final boss appearing in the newbie zone?’

A terrible bug.

Such a terrible bug that causes mass casualties among newbies!

‘And I’m the newbie who’ll suffer those casualties!’

One wrong move and his neck could be cleanly cut by the Namgung Family’s sword.

‘I shouldn’t think of this martial world with common sense! It’s a crazy world where even the tiniest mistake can cost you your head!’

So he had to somehow escape this absurd crisis that had befallen him.

Then, what could he do right now?

‘I need to use my mouth!’

His martial arts weren’t even worth a moment, let alone an instant.

If he charged in, he’d definitely become a rebel.

So he had to escape the crisis with smooth words!

‘A lie with soul. Oh, Master Pyeong, please help me!’

I am the cards, and the cards are me in perfect unity.

Namgung Cheon-gang’s mind spun like never before in both his past and current lives.

Flash!

“Everything belonging to the Namgung Family belongs to the master of the Namgung Family and the strongest of the Five Heavenly Kings, Sword King Namgung Cheon! What permission would such a person need! Wherever you go is the family head’s home, and wherever you sleep is the family head’s bedroom! Therefore, please forgive this disloyal and worthless servant, and please calm your anger, master! I humbly beseech you!”

Master Pyeong’s soul-filled lies.

Combined with the soul-filled deep breathing method of subjects from historical dramas.

Namgung Cheon-gang exquisitely mixed these two elements and offered them to Namgung Cheon.

Naturally, he bent his prostrated posture even lower, begging for forgiveness with the utmost desperation.

“….”

“….”

Silence flows.

He wondered if this was the kind of cold, dagger-flying situation that the Disciple of Master Pyeong had felt.

Just as dry saliva was about to gulp down his throat.

“Huhahahaha!”

Bright, loud laughter reached Namgung Cheon-gang’s ears.

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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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