He Became the Genius Blacksmith of the Namgung Family - Chapter 54

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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 54

Episode 54

The mine in Dongling County where Seongcheol was discovered.

It’s quite deep.

‘It goes down about 10 floors underground, right?’

At this level, it’s no different from building an apartment complex underground.

If those Blood Cult Followers had run wild in a place like this.

They’d be having a private audience with Yama in the Underworld right now.

‘Really, thinking about that last Blood Cult Follower, it was truly fortunate that we stopped him.’

Like a mosquito, he was sucking the blood of his own allies.

And transforming like some superhero.

100 out of 100 times, the mine shaft would have collapsed and more.

‘My foresight. I praise it highly.’

Though it was foresight accidentally gained through reputation.

As long as things worked out well, that’s what matters.

“Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang. Thank you once again.”

“Thanks to you, we survived.”

“Just thinking about working in the mine shaft with those bastards makes me dizzy even now.”

The Gang Clan Brothers from the Kang Clan Mining Company who came in with Namgung Cheon-gang.

If things had gone wrong, they might not have even found their bodies.

So Namgung Cheon-gang was no different from their lifesaver.

They sincerely expressed their gratitude.

Namgung Cheon-gang waves off the Gang Clan Brothers’ thanks.

“Oh my. How many times are you going to say thank you? It’s fine now, so you can stop. At this rate, my ears will wear out from hearing thanks.”

“Even saying it multiple times isn’t enough, so we must keep saying it.”

“That’s right. How could the grace of having our lives saved be such light grace? So, we will be grateful until the day we die.”

“In the future, if minerals of Seongcheol grade or higher are discovered, we will present them as gifts to Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang.”

“Actually, we’re also considering having our entire Kang Clan Mining Company become subordinate to Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang.”

“Oh, that’s good, brother!”

“That’s really a good idea!”

Whoa.

These people are really excessive with their gratitude.

‘Still, it feels good though.’

Of course, they’re probably not completely sincere.

About half?

‘Where would there be a case where an entire mining company comes under someone just because they saved lives once?’

Moreover, they’re currently collaborating with the Namgung Family.

There’s no reason to break that and come over.

Also, even if they collaborated with him, it would be the same as now.

In the end, they’d be collaborating with the Namgung Family anyway.

‘They’ll probably repay with money or other valuable things.’

That’s what he thought.

‘Since my younger brothers also think it’s good, I should seriously consider going under the Young Master.’

However, Kang Hwi-cheol, the eldest brother and head of the Kang Clan Mining Company, was sincere.

Hadn’t he already decided earlier that he wanted to form a deep connection?

But this incident made his desire to form that connection even stronger.

‘Not only his insight, but his martial prowess is also extraordinary.’

That martial prowess shown in the Miner’s Contest.

If Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang’s giant weapon from that time were right in front of him?

His hair would stand on end.

Cold sweat would pour down.

‘Not just his martial prowess but…’

The Namgung Family’s recent matter.

The matter of nullifying the Miner’s Contest and showing mercy with a mining competition instead.

He knew that Namgung Cheon-gang’s influence had played a role.

Haomun had secretly informed him.

Was that all?

The unidentified enemies disguised as Blood Cult.

They also informed him that those were truly Blood Cult members.

If the Namgung Family had informed him?

He might have had even a fingernail’s worth of doubt.

But Haomun?

Why would a Heterodox Faction information organization bother?

‘Though I haven’t lived in the Martial Arts World for long, I’ve never heard of Haomun manipulating information to promote someone from the Orthodox Faction.’

What benefit would they gain by promoting a blood relative of the Namgung Family?

So he had no choice but to believe.

‘I don’t know why they’re helping Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang, but it’s not entirely a bad thing.’

Thanks to this, he could consider his previous thoughts even more deeply.

It wasn’t just Kang Hwi-cheol who knew these facts.

“Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang. Thanks to you, I survived. I, Ipchunbae of the Swift Strike Mining Breakers, will never forget the grace I received from you and will definitely repay it!”

“Young Master! I, Seokgungchu of the One Harmony Hundred Curves Scroll! I will carve the grace I received into my fists and stones and definitely repay it!”

“I’m Odaesu of the Light Hammer! Yes. I know my personality is terrible. But I live by loyalty, and I always repay the grace I receive. I will repay the grace I received with something greater than Seongcheol!”

From the famous Upper Grade Department to various renowned mining companies.

Plus miners belonging to martial arts sects and martial families.

They all came rushing over to express their gratitude.

Namgung Cheon-gang was deeply flustered by this.

“No, why is everyone like this? Did I save you all? The Namgung Clan Warriors saved everyone, and in the end, the Sword King descended and saved you. If you want to give thanks, you should do it to them. Oh my, why are you all being so burdensome by thanking me.”

Moreover, was this the first time he received thanks?

No.

He had received them when they were outside too.

It had already been a week since the Blood Cult attack incident.

There was no way he wouldn’t have received thanks.

But why were they expressing gratitude with more sincerity than before?

‘It’s as if they know that those weren’t just villains disguised as Blood Cult, but real Blood Cult Followers?’

So they’re only properly expressing themselves now when no one is watching—

Huh, wait a minute?

‘Don’t tell me, they all know they were Blood Cult Followers?’

So they didn’t speak outside because they were conscious of the surrounding situation.

And they came here where no one else is to give sincere greetings?

Moreover, everyone who participated in the mining competition is here.

So they don’t need to worry much about outsiders.

‘Wow, now I understand.’

Of course.

By revealing they weren’t Blood Cult Followers, he quelled the chaos that would have occurred in Dongling County, right?

But if it were revealed again that those villains were actually Blood Cult members.

All the merit from quelling the situation would disappear.

The Beggar’s Sect would come with clubs, and Haomun would assassinate him.

Ugh.

Just thinking about it is terrifying.

‘…Everyone’s thoughts are really deep. Well, living as craftsmen in this harsh Martial Arts World, they can’t be without any sense of reading the situation. No, but more than that, how did they all find out?’

It was kept almost as a secret.

‘Well, what’s the point of worrying about how everyone found out? They already know.’

And would worrying about it give me an answer?

I just have to accept it.

“Yes, yes. I understand. I’ll represent everyone and make sure to convey our gratitude. Now then, shall we energetically compete for the Seongcheol?”

Even so, he didn’t reveal what he had learned.

He just pretended not to know.

And glossed over it.

“Competition is competition! Gratitude is gratitude! You all know this, right? So just because I’m thanking you doesn’t mean I’ll go easy on you or anything like that, okay?”

“Haha! We understand!”

“Competition is competition!”

“Come on, everyone, let’s go look for Seongcheol. Didn’t Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang say so? Competition is competition.”

“That’s right, that’s right. Hahaha!”

The miners laughed heartily and returned to their respective positions.

“Now, Gang Clan Brothers. Let’s go too. We need to find it quickly and win.”

“Yes, we should.”

“That’s obvious.”

“Of course, we’ll be the ones to win.”

Including Kang Hwi-cheol, all the Gang Clan Brothers smiled gently.

Before long.

The cheerful sounds of clang clang, mining echoed through the deep mine shaft.

* * *

The Seongcheol mining competition.

Finished in just one day.

The winners were Namgung Cheon-gang and the Kang Clan Mining Company.

Was the ability to find metal veins truly great?

No.

The ability to find metal veins was great, but.

There was something even greater.

“Please accept this, Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang.”

“This is our gift.”

“How could a person show gratitude with words alone?”

It was the miners’ hearts.

“We all know that Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang is the one who helped us escape the danger of the Blood Cult in the mine shaft.”

“The Namgung Family’s warriors and the Sword King cleaned things up, but wasn’t it only you, Young Master, who prevented the greatest danger?”

“What miner would want to die in a mine shaft? Especially a meaningless death. We want to live, mine more ore, and continue working in mines. And Young Master, you made it possible for us to still dream of that.”

“So please, accept this. This Seongcheol rightfully belongs to Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang.”

“If Seongcheol can only be obtained through fate, then no one has deeper ties than Young Master Namgung Cheon-gang, who saved everyone’s lives.”

The one who first got his hands on the Seongcheol was Gwangchu Odaesu.

He offered the Seongcheol on behalf of everyone.

The Seongcheol was so large it filled both his hands.

And that wasn’t all.

There was much more Seongcheol buried behind there.

He had found that vein and shared it.

At the very least, they could secure enough money to live comfortably for a lifetime.

They were giving that away.

“….”

Namgung Cheon-gang’s feelings were complicated.

However, he couldn’t ignore it.

Wasn’t this the miners’ way of repaying him?

If he ignored it, their hearts would surely be ignored as well.

‘The righteousness and chivalry of the martial arts world don’t exist only among martial artists.’

Emotion welled up inside him.

“Once it’s given, there’s no taking it back. Once it comes to me.”

He held it back.

And said so.

He was embarrassed that his overwhelming emotion might turn into tears.

His previous life plus his current age added up to over sixty.

Crying from being moved?

His face would burst from embarrassment.

“Yes, no taking it back.”

“Come on, it’s just Seongcheol.”

“Our lives are more precious. Hahaha!”

Perhaps the miners understood Namgung Cheon-gang’s heart.

They responded with laughter.

“Then, I’ll accept it.”

Namgung Cheon-gang gratefully accepted the Seongcheol, the miners’ hearts.

“Thank you.”

And he expressed his deep gratitude.

Gentle smiles appeared on the faces of the miners who received his thanks.

“But I can’t just accept it like this.”

Namgung Cheon-gang straightened his bowed back and shouted.

The miners who had been smiling gently were all startled.

“Just a moment ago, you all said it yourselves, didn’t you? How can a person just let it slide after receiving such kindness? Of course, I’m also human, so how could I just move on after receiving this much Seongcheol?”

Then?

“As a blacksmith, I will thoroughly repay this kindness.”

“As a blacksmith, you say?”

“What do you mean?”

“What would it mean for a blacksmith to repay kindness? I’ll make everything—I mean, from pickaxes to all the equipment needed for entering mines. And I’ll add some Seongcheol to them too.”

“What!?”

“How could that be!”

“Pickaxes made with Seongcheol! What are you saying?”

“What’s wrong with Seongcheol pickaxes? You said all of that is mine, right? I’m saying I’ll use the remaining Seongcheol to repay the kindness, so who could complain? This much Seongcheol is enough for what I need anyway.”

When Seongcheol is discovered, do you only take the Seongcheol?

You also take ownership of the mine.

In the end, this mine would also go to the Namgung Family.

So what’s the big deal about pickaxes mixed with Seongcheol?

“But it’s Seongcheol.”

“Yes. It’s ore made from stars in the sky. The ore that warriors so desperately want to make into weapons. But so what?”

“Pardon?”

Wait, why doesn’t a blacksmith know the importance of Seongcheol?

He just said it’s ore that warriors want to make into weapons, didn’t he?

Then he should know its value well, so why is he playing dumb?

“So, did you all give it to me without knowing its value? That’s not it, right?”

“That’s….”

Right.

That’s true.

They also gave it without thinking about its value, trying to repay his kindness.

They couldn’t really complain about him doing the same thing.

“Besides, I’ll make it with Baekryeonjeonggang mixed with Seongcheol, so it won’t be pure Seongcheol and warriors won’t even covet it, so don’t worry. Of course, there will still be some who covet it, but if I stamp it with the Namgung Family mark, even existing greed will disappear.”

Targeting the pickaxe that the Namgung Family invested in?

Does that bastard have a hundred lives?

“Besides, who in the world would think to make pickaxes with Seongcheol? If you don’t tell anyone, no one will know. Just look at yourselves – when I said I’d make pickaxes with Seongcheol, you were all shocked.”

“Ah!”

That’s right.

No one knows.

Seongcheol is used for weapon production.

Used for making commercial tools?

Are you crazy?

This is common sense in the Martial Arts World.

“So don’t worry about danger, and just participate in repaying my gratitude. This too is a connection with Seongcheol.”

“Young Master…”

“…Truly, you are amazing.”

“How can you make such a sacrifice…”

A sacrifice the miners could never understand.

No, not just them.

Something no one else could understand either.

Yet the Namgung Family youth before them spoke of it as if it were nothing.

As if it meant nothing at all.

That’s how he said it.

The miners’ emotions doubled.

“Now then, look forward to it. Namgung Cheon-gang’s Seongcheol-mixed pickaxes! Of course, we can’t let this be discovered, so we’ll hide them between the ore when moving them, right? We’ll say only this much Seongcheol came out.”

“Yes!”

“Leave it to us!”

“Oh right, I said no take-backs, didn’t I? This mine now belongs to the Namgung Family, so if you want to work in the mine in the future, come to the Namgung Family Branch in Dongryang County.”

“Hahaha!”

“Understood!”

“Looking at it this way, you really take care of everything thoroughly. Hahaha!”

It became something that captured the miners’ hearts even more.

“Um, but. Don’t we need to tell the Namgung Family? About using Seongcheol like this.”

Someone’s question.

“…”

Very worrying indeed.

But words already spilled.

To take them back would hurt his pride as a man of the Martial Arts World!

“It, it’ll be fine! I, I’m the one in charge here!”

Thus, Namgung Cheon-gang boldly proceeded.

‘…It’ll work out somehow. First, let’s act and think later.’

He left future matters to his future self.

—————
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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