He Became the Genius Blacksmith of the Namgung Family - Chapter 45

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

Chapter 45

 

Episode 45

 

“Oh, Lady Namgung Sohye. Did your business go well?”

 

“Yes. I conveyed the message to the Dong Mining Guild. Though I didn’t mention anything about the Blood Cult, they actively agreed to cooperate. Of course, thanks to Young Master’s efforts, things went much more smoothly, so I feel even more relieved.”

 

“…What about Master Namgung Cheonggi?”

 

“I sent an express messenger bird. Support will soon arrive from the nearby Namgung Family branches and the main house. Considering Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang’s achievement in discovering the Blood Cult’s presence, the reinforcements will be thrilled!”

 

“… Then… we just need to wait now.”

 

“That’s right. Seeing how everything is proceeding exactly according to Young Master’s plan, your insight is truly remarkable.”

 

“If the Jegal Family saw Young Master, they would do anything to recruit you. Hahaha!”

 

“…”

 

“If there’s any remaining concern, it would be Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang’s martial arts level… but thinking of the prowess you showed in the recent direct lineage succession competition, what I thought was a problem was just needless worry.”

 

“It was certainly impressive. Ah, come to think of it, Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang is someone who excels in both literary and martial arts.”

 

“Oh? That’s right? Warriors who excel in both literary and martial arts aren’t that common. As expected of Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang.”

 

“Truly remarkable! Hahaha!”

 

“…”

 

Namgung Cheon-gang felt like he understood why religions were created.

 

* * *

 

Unidentified villains were discovered inside the coal mine?

 

That meant everyone was in mortal danger.

 

Fortunately, the Namgung Family stepped forward to capture the villains.

 

Afterward, not knowing what those bastards had done, the Namgung Family said they would block the entrance and investigate inside.

 

From the miners’ perspective, this wasn’t a bad thing.

 

When the greatest martial family in the world was volunteering to handle the villains’ mischief, who would object?

 

So blocking the entrance and prohibiting access on the first day was completely understandable.

 

The second day too, well.

 

They thought it would take time to find what the villains had been up to.

 

The mine was quite large, wasn’t it?

 

Even if they were Namgung Family warriors, it would take time.

 

But when three days passed, then four days, huh?

 

The Namgung Family warriors weren’t leaving the entrance?

 

They were still prohibiting access.

 

Even on the fifth day, it was the same.

 

Had the Namgung Family still not found what the villains were up to?

 

That couldn’t be.

 

Does it make sense that the greatest martial family in the world couldn’t find it for five days?

 

“This is clearly the Namgung Family’s scheme to secure the Seongcheol!”

 

If it were just an ordinary mine, maybe.

 

But where was the place the Namgung Family was blocking?

 

It was the mine where Seongcheol was discovered.

 

Hadn’t the Namgung Family, along with mining guilds, sects, martial families, and even heterodox factions, gotten involved to hold an auction competition?

 

And now they were blocking it for five days under the pretext of finding what the villains were up to?

 

“As Miner Heo says, it’s no different from saying they’re definitely planning some scheme!”

 

“We can only think that way given such behavior. The Namgung Family is also participating in the auction competition, after all.”

 

“What unreasonable conduct is this! Just because they’re the greatest martial family in the world, can they forcibly secure Seongcheol like this!? This is ignoring the auction competition itself, and furthermore, it’s disrespecting us miners too!”

 

“Everyone, let’s go! It might be scary alone, but if we all go together, there’s nothing to fear! No matter how great the Namgung Family is, if all the miners rush over and cry out about this injustice, they’ll listen!”

 

“Let’s do it!”

 

And so all the miners participating in the auction competition swarmed over together.

 

But wait, this is strange?

 

“Huh?”

 

“They’re not from the Namgung Family?”

 

The ones blocking the entrance weren’t from the Namgung Family.

 

Then who were they?

 

Another of the Five Great Families?

 

That couldn’t be.

 

This was Seongcheol discovered in Anhui, so other Five Great Families wouldn’t participate.

 

The Five Great Families had an implicit agreement to yield treasures found in each other’s territories to the local families and sects.

 

Then?

 

The Nine Sects and One Faction?

 

No.

 

Looking more closely.

 

“They’re guard soldiers?”

 

“They’re guard soldiers?”

 

Guard soldiers.

 

Soldiers who ate the nation’s grain.

 

A total of five soldiers were blocking the entrance.

 

More precisely, two each were blocking outside and inside the entrance, and one was approaching the miners.

 

“Well, welcome everyone. I’ve been waiting for you.”

 

Leisurely tone and relaxed gait.

 

‘A senior soldier.’

 

‘A senior soldier.’

 

He clearly looked like the highest-ranking among the soldiers standing guard.

 

But he said he’d been waiting?

 

What did that mean?

 

“I was about to send messages to the central square and your lodgings, but you came first. Well, I was waiting knowing you would come. Haha.”

 

“…What on earth are you talking about?”

 

“Where did the Namgung Family go, and why are you guard soldiers here?”

 

“And what’s this about waiting and sending messages to the square and lodgings?”

 

“Well, is there much to explain at length? Just look at this.”

 

With that, the guard soldier handed over a long piece of paper.

 

At the top was written ‘Official Document,’ and below that was stamped the official seal of the Gong-ryeong County Magistrate.

 

“It’s an official document.”

 

“An official document?”

 

“Why this?”

 

It wasn’t that they didn’t know the nation was involved in mine excavation.

 

But was there reason to send an official document?

 

This was a first.

 

Well, what was the point of worrying about it.

 

When the nation issued an official document, there was nothing they could say.

 

Let’s just read it first.

 

So the miners read through it.

 

“The previous auction competition’s terms were that whichever side first excavated even a handful of Seongcheol would gain ownership of this Dong-ssi Mountain coal mine.”

 

“However, due to the discovery of dangerous elements, excavation-based auction competition has been deemed hazardous. Therefore, for everyone’s safety, it has been decided to change the auction competition’s terms.”

 

“The auction competition’s terms shall be a contest where miners or warriors representing each mining guild, sect, or martial family participating in the auction compete against each other in martial prowess, which shall be named the Miners’ Combat Tournament.”

 

“This is permitted by me, ‘Ga Chung,’ Magistrate of Dongling County. What!?”

 

“What does this mean!?”

 

All the miners who received and read the official document aloud were dumbfounded and shouted the same thing.

 

“Mm. I knew you’d all be dumbfounded.”

 

Saying he expected as much, the senior soldier nodded.

 

* * *

 

This was absurd.

 

This is bewildering.

 

This is outrageous.

 

What expression could be more fitting for the current situation?

 

What has the auction competition that was conducted through mining turned into?

 

Miner Combat?

 

So they’re telling miners to fight each other?

 

Is this even reasonable?

 

Of course, miners can fight each other.

 

If we can obtain the mining rights to Dong Mountain through fistfights, it would be cleaner and faster than mining for them.

 

Since the government issued an official document, there will be referees and spectators.

 

With many witnesses, they won’t be able to pull any tricks even if they wanted to.

 

But think about it.

 

Who is involved in this auction competition right now?

 

The Namgung Family is here.

 

The Greatest Martial Family Under Heaven.

 

First among the Five Great Families.

 

The family of the Sword King, one of the Five Heavenly Kings.

 

Yes.

 

That Namgung Family is here!

 

Who could possibly defeat them!?

 

Only if another of the Five Great Families or Nine Sects and One Faction came would there be any chance of competing.

 

Do any of the mining guilds, martial families, or sects participating in the auction right now measure up to the Five Great Families or Nine Sects and One Faction?

 

Far from measuring up, they don’t even reach the level of upper-tier sects.

 

So what does this mean?

 

Seongcheol belongs to the Namgung Family, so everyone else should just leave. Isn’t that it?

 

To commit such blatant injustice and illegality so openly!

 

I’d like to hold a protest with pickaxes, but an official document came down from the government.

 

There’s no way out of this.

 

But going to the Namgung Family to protest would be pointless given the huge difference in status.

 

Damn martial arts world.

 

Just take everything for yourself!

 

The miners felt this way and were about to give up in tears.

 

However.

 

“Warriors from the Namgung Family will not participate.”

 

“Only blacksmiths and miners from Namgung will participate.”

 

“Therefore, do not worry. The miner combat will be conducted fairly.”

 

Huh?

 

Namgung won’t participate?

 

This isn’t just a rumor.

 

Warriors from the Namgung Family came forward and declared this directly.

 

Moreover, those making this declaration were from the Namgung Jeonggeom Dan, which has been rising in prominence within the Namgung Family recently.

 

The group that has eliminated countless bandits and mountain brigands who sucked the lifeblood from the people since its launch.

 

Also, while operating as a trading company, they have eliminated various bandits – that’s the ‘Namgung Jeonggeom Dan.’

 

Furthermore, the leader of the Namgung Jeonggeom Dan is at the upper level of peak mastery, and the vice-leader is at the beginning of peak mastery.

 

Moreover, most of those belonging to it are between the upper level of second-rate and the beginning and upper levels of first-rate.

 

All of them could be called outstanding warriors.

 

When such people, including their leader and vice-leader, came forward to proclaim this, how could anyone not believe it?

 

On top of this.

 

“Namgung Family warriors prohibited from miner combat participation. Namgung Family blacksmiths and miners permitted to participate.”

 

An additional notice was posted.

 

Namgung Family warriors are prohibited from participating?

 

Now this is doable!

 

“Hehe. Yes. This is how it should be. This is what you can call a fair competition.”

 

“The Namgung Family had a plan all along!”

 

“As expected of the Namgung Family! They’re not the first among the Five Great Families for nothing!”

 

“Finally, the time has come for my miner martial arts to shine.”

 

“They said warriors belonging to mining guilds can participate too, right? Hah. This is what a country should be like. This is what an auction should be! Victory will be ours!”

 

A combat where Namgung warriors don’t participate.

 

All the miners cheered.

 

Everyone believed without doubt that their respective groups would win and obtain the mining rights.

 

One week later.

 

For that time, massive construction of a competition arena was carried out within Dongling County.

 

Of course, all those costs were covered by the Dong Mining Guild.

 

* * *

 

“Waaaah!”

 

“Well, well. What a thing to see in my lifetime. To witness martial arts combat in this Dongling County.”

 

“So you don’t like it?”

 

“No, I love it! I’m so happy that we can see martial arts competitions in our county, which were always only in urban areas! Waaaah!”

 

Miner Combat.

 

Not only the miners, but the people of Dongling County also cheered greatly.

 

Wasn’t this a place with hardly any entertainment?

 

How could they not love having martial arts competitions that make the body, mind, and blood boil in such a place?

 

Street vendors flourished, and shops also recorded unprecedented sales figures.

 

The spectator seats?

 

Need I say more.

 

They’re packed with no room left.

 

“Come on. Let’s bet on who will win!”

 

“Place your bets, place your bets! Put down money and win money!”

 

Betting was also thriving!

 

In various ways, the miner combat had a positive influence on everyone.

 

The first to step forward in the much-anticipated debut of the Dongling County miner combat, filled with such positive influence, was Muyong Bae, the leader of the Mosi Mining Guild.

 

Though he is a miner in the Middle Mining Division.

 

He has a history of once being active as a warrior.

 

His activity as a warrior was lackluster, never earning a title.

 

However, his level cannot be ignored.

 

He’s at the beginning of second-rate!

 

“Hehe. While working as a miner, my body was trained, and as I practiced internal energy in my spare time, I unknowingly reached this level.”

 

He had poured all his martial arts skills only into mining work.

 

Who would have thought such an opportunity to properly display his martial arts would come?

 

‘This is an opportunity. An irreplaceable opportunity for me. A chance to make our Mosi Mining Guild known in the martial arts world, and also to show that I, Muyong Bae, am not just an ordinary Middle Mining Division miner, but a genius who has reached the beginning of second-rate.’

 

Naturally, he would never let this opportunity slip away.

 

Victory will be mine.

 

‘My first opponent was a young man named Namgung Cheon-gang from the Namgung Family, wasn’t it?’

 

I know who he is.

 

The Namgung Family blacksmith who sold beautiful pickaxes before.

 

I’ve heard his name too.

 

Namgung Cheon-gang.

 

Wasn’t he the genius who entered blacksmithing at age 12 and became a master craftsman?

 

Since he’s definitely a blacksmith and not a warrior, he meets the conditions to participate in the combat.

 

‘He seemed to have solid skills as a blacksmith. So he probably has decent stamina and strength too.’

 

I heard that Chae Gwang-il was also quite skilled.

 

So what?

 

Compared to himself, a second-rate warrior, they were like fireflies before the sun.

 

‘Hehe. Namgung will be eliminated from the start. Hah. I’ll take down Namgung and claim victory.’

 

This was truly killing two birds with one stone, achieving two goals at once.

 

‘As a reward for becoming the first sacrifice of my victory and the sacrifice to announce my presence, I’ll go easy on you. At least you’ll be able to go home. Hahaha!’

 

Muyong Bae had no doubt.

 

About his victory.

 

And so, he confidently stepped into the duel arena.

 

“Come on—”

 

He stylishly held his sword diagonally.

 

And faced his opponent.

 

No, he tried to face his opponent.

 

“Come on, you say?”

 

With a bright smile.

 

Kuuuuuung!

 

If it weren’t for the massive hammer being brought down.

 

Oh my, damn.

 

What the hell is that?

 

After loosening up his body with some stretches.

 

“Yes, here I come!”

 

Namgung Cheon-gang charged forward wielding the massive hammer.

 

“Wait a minuteeeeee!! Referee!! I object!!!!”

 

Muyong Bae screamed until his throat was raw.

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