Pour.

Sichuan’s specialty was slowly poured into the glass, and a soft, comforting scent wafted through the room.

“Umm.”

The person holding the cup was calm and savored the smell of the tea.

“Would you like a glass?”

They spoke with a soft voice.

However, the subtle heaviness behind the tone made one realize the identity of the speaker.

But…

“Excuse me.”

Chung Myung, who had been watching the scene, spoke with a calm face,

“It won’t change anything if you’re just pretending to be calm.”

“…”

Tang Gunak put the teacup down and glanced around. The disciples of Mount Hua were all looking back at him with sullen faces. Even his daughter was pouting.

“Ahem.”

Tang Gunak coughed as if feeling embarrassed.

‘I was excited.’

He was too excited. It was to the point where he wondered if he was going to lose his mind like this. Thinking he had to handle the situation, he spoke in a low voice,

“You might think something else, but…”

“Yes.”

“…”

Tang Gunak recalled the kind of person Chung Myung was.

“…of course, it is true that I got excited, but that is only because the metal is very precious.”

“Ah… yes.”

“…”

Clearly, their reaction wasn’t so great. And Tang Gunak smiled, looking at everyone.

“So, let’s have a cup of tea….”

However, Chung Myung cut off his words,

“That is a good thing, so let’s get into the topic. Can you make swords out of this metal?”

“…”

How could this Taoist have a calmer temper than the Tang Family?

But it was good that the topic had been changed.

“It is true that all the sources of cold steel have gone extinct, and the technique to handle it is also lost. However, fortunately, there is still a way to deal with it in our family.”

“Yes. Then please make some swords with the metal.”

Tang Gunak frowned at his answer,

“But do you really want to make a sword? I will say it again, cold steel is now more valuable than gold, and to make a sword out of that precious metal…”

Chung Myung simply responded,

“It has to be that steel.”

“It is not just any steel!”

Tang Gunak tried to dissuade him, but Chung Myung didn’t care.

“I know what you mean, but money…? There are other ways to earn money. And this is something we can not get anywhere else.”

“Right.”

“Then it should be used to make swords. If you waste it somewhere else and can’t make it later… my stomach will burst with regret.”

“….”

Tang Gunak shook his head, knowing nothing would change.

‘He is definitely not in a proper state of mind.’

But that was simply who Chung Myung was.

“Fine. If you say so, then it has to be made. Instead, pay the right price for it.”

“What is the right price between friends?”

“The more we deal with friends, the more certain the transactions have to be.”

Tang Gunak clenched and endured as if he couldn’t back down now, and Chung Myung pursed his lips.

“How much will you charge?”

“Money isn’t necessary. Instead, some of the cold steel you brought…..”

“Ah, no.”

“Give me some! You have so much! Does it make sense to show it and not give it?”

Hearing what he said, Chung Myung looked wide-eyed, like he didn’t expect to hear this.

“Where will you spend it? You said I should just sell it.”

“…that is because you want a sword.”

Tang Gunak sighed,

“As you know, assassination is a flexible business.”

“Right.”

“The more advanced the turns, the thinner and finer the daggers and needles need to be, so they easily wear out with use. Once it is thrown, retrieving it is not easy.”

“Yes.”

“But because of that, we need higher-grade steel to make it work. Do you get what I mean?”

“Yes. That means that you want to make a weapon you can use all the time.”

“Yes.”

Tang Gunak’s eyes gleamed.

He was not interested in riches, this was for a different matter.

To the Sichuan Tang Clan, a strong and clean assassin weapon was a priceless treasure. Improving the needle was the same as significantly increasing their skills.

“There are a few needle designs within the Tang Family which cannot be produced unless cold steel composes its’ structure. Since it has become difficult to obtain even a little cold steel, we have tried to refrain from using more complex martial arts as much as possible.”

“You want to use those arts again after making the required weapons from cold steel?”

“Yes.”

“Hmm.”

Chung Myung nodded his head, seemingly troubled.

“Is there anything that I am not seeing here?”

“No. Well… nothing…”

“Then?”

After a moment of hesitation, he spoke in a troubled voice,

“In my head, if the Tang Family becomes stronger, we can help Mount Hua. So, of course, I need to do this.”

“…do it?”

Chung Myung smiled,

“But when I hear that this metal is much more precious than I originally thought… I would have given it if you didn’t tell me how precious it was.”

Tang Gunak chuckled at his honest words.

‘I went all the way to the Ten Thousand People Clan to help.’

Why?

Why?

“Tch. I cannot help it. People shouldn’t be this kind, but since you are the Lord of the Tang Family, I will listen to you. Take a little bit of the metal and use it.”

“Thank…”

“Very little!”

“…I am at the point of crying.”

This was something to be thankful for, but making people so unappreciative was also a skill.

Tang Gunak shook his head.

“Then let’s not waste time. Let’s go.”

“Uh? Where?”

His lips curved into a faint smile,

“I should go meet someone who can handle this.”

“Thank you!”

“It has been a while, People of Mount Hua!”

“Oh, my Lady! You are looking so good!”

All throughout the Tang Family, the people they encountered greeted them with a smile.

At this hospitality, the disciples from Mount Hua smiled without knowing.

“So different from last time.”

“Right.”

At the words of Yoon Jong, Baek Cheon looked around with wide eyes. In fact, the eyes of the Tang Family, who looked upon him, were filled with goodwill.

In the past, the Tang Family always looked kindly at their guests, but this was never conveyed through their expressions. Rather, it was more like the boundaries between the two parties were clearly drawn.

A lot had changed.

“Because the Tang Family no longer regards Mount Hua as an outsider.”

Tang Pae overheard their talk and explained with a smile,

“The people of Mount Hua might not realize it, but the Tang Family never makes friends. Although we unite our family with others under different titles, that is only out of need.”

“…right.”

“But Mount Hua is different. The Tang Family sincerely wants to have a mutually supportive relationship with Mount Hua. The family members also understand the intentions of our lord.”

“Ah…”

Baek Cheon nodded his head at this. At that time, Tang Zhan, who was on the side, whispered.

“And thanks to Disciple Chung Myung taking down the elders, the lord’s powers have risen so much. And thanks to this, the family has managed to grow a lot. The lives of many people in the family have become comfortable. So everyone likes Mount Hua.”

“…”

Baek Cheon thought for a moment. It seemed like most of the problems here were solved by beating people up.

“But where are we going now?”

“To the forge.”

“Looking at it, it seemed like the forge is…”

Tang Zhan chuckled,

“There is no way the Tang Family has just one forge. There are dozens of them, and there are some that only the direct family uses.”

“…so many.”

“The place we are going to now is the most important of them all but useless at the same time.”

“Uh? What is that supposed….”

“You will realize when you see it.”

After passing through where the pavilions gathered, a well-decorated garden appeared, and as they passed through it, they saw an old structure.

“Put it down here.”

“Yes…”

The disciples from Mount Hua, that were carrying the cold steel, put it down in the yard and followed Tang Gunak into the house that was to the side of the yard.

It was an old thatched house that could collapse at any moment, and standing in front of it, Tang Gunak said,

“Great Uncle, it is Gunak.”

Tang Gunak lowered his body, and the others also bowed right away.

“Great Uncle.”

“…”

Despite several calls, there was no answer, and Tang Gunak carefully opened the door to the house. There, he saw a gray-haired old man lying in the small room.

Chung Myung tilted his head.

“Looks dead.”

“Speak properly! Speak properly, you brat!”

“That mouth is really!”

Tang Gunak shook the old man lightly with a nervous face.

“Great Uncle. Great Uncle?”

But no matter how much he shook him, the old man didn’t wake.

Seeing this, Chung Myung said,

“See? He’s dead.”

“Shut up, you brat!”

“Someone sew this bastard’s mouth shut!”

The old man hadn’t stirred before, but this time the noises from the Mount Hua disciples made him flinch.

“…Uh?”

“Great Grand Uncle. It is Gunak.”

“Who is Gunak?”

“… Lord, Great Uncle.”

“Lord? You?”

“Yes. Do you not remember? I came and greeted you ten days ago.”

“You are the Lord? Where is Myung?”

“…my father has been dead for over ten years.”

“Is that so? You are the Lord now?”

“…”

The face of Chung Myung, who listened to them, began to distort. In the end, he couldn’t stand it,

“Excuse me.”

“Yes, Disciple”

“… who is this old man?”

“He is the oldest of our current Tang Family, Tang Jo Pyung. In my family, we usually call him the Godly Hand Elder instead of his name.”

“Godly Hand?”

Tang Pae nodded with a proud face,

“Yes. He is the best craftsman in the current Tang Family. He is a person whose skills no one has escaped from. If such a person, who leads the martial arts side of the family to glory, is also the one who leads the Tang Family forges, then you should realize.”

“Ah…”

“There is no greater craftsman than him in the current Kangho. Even throughout the history of our family, people like him are rare.”

“Ah…”

Good…

All is good…

Chung Myung mumbled, shaking the uneasy look from his face. And then the old man asked,

“But who are you?”

“…Tang Gunak, Great Uncle, Gunak.”

Chung Myung’s cheek trembled.

“…but he doesn’t seem well, is he sick?”

“Ah… it isn’t that….”

Tang Pae scratched his head and said,

“Since he is old, his memory has been hazy. It is not usually like this, but today it is a bit harsh…”

“His memory is not clear?”

“…a little.”

Now all of Chung Myung’s face was trembling.

“Doesn’t this mean he has become senile?”

“…no, it isn’t to that extent…”

Chung Myung looked at Tang Jo Pyung.

“So, what did the Lord have to get to find this old man?”

Oh?

Tang Gunak bowed his head to Tang Jo Pyung, who seemed fine now.

“Great Uncle. There are things that require working with cold steel. I think that Great Uncle is the one who has to step in.”

“Cold steel. Um, right, cold steel.”

Tang Jo Pyung shook his head, brushing his white beard.

“Cold steel means I need to work… cold steel… hm.”

Tang Jo Pyung continued to mumble with a serious expression, so Tang Gunak asked,

“Is there some problem?”

“That is what I mean.”

“Great Uncle.”

“That….”

Tang Jo Pyung tilted his head,

“Who are you?”

“…”

“Where is Myung?”

Tremble!

Chung Myung had blood vessels popping on his face.

“No! Why did you bring us here to get the cold steel forged?! And what, to have a senile old man do it!? Why is it that Mount Hua and the Tang Family can never get one thing done properly!”

In the end, Baek Cheon had to step in and cover his screaming mouth, and he smiled to apologize,

“Hahahaha! I apologize. This brat has lost it all. Hahaha!”

“Shut up! Just shut up, will you!”

The disciples from Mount Hua cursed at Chung Myung, who was full-on yelling now. From what they could see, this old man was the greatest in the Tang Family, but he was senile!

Chung Myung shook their hands away and shouted,

“What, did I say something wrong? Shit, a craftsman, my ass! One should have a sane mind to work, he is senile now!”

Tang Jo Pyung, who was looking around with unfocused eyes, turned to Chung Myung, and his body flinched suddenly.

A strange light shone in the eyes of the old man,

“Uh… Uh?”

It was like he was shocked by something, and he made some sounds like he was seeing a ghost,

“Uh? Uhuh…. Plum….”

“Great Uncle?”

Tang Gunak was a little puzzled by his actions, but then the old man pointed to Chung Myung with trembling hands and said,

“Plum Blossom Sword Saint?”

“…”

Uh?

This man really was senile! How could he point to me and say…

‘Ah, right.’

Yes, I am the Plum Blossom Sword Saint, right?

Haha….

Hahaha….

‘What is this situation now?’

Chung Myung was shocked by this elder’s words. He could feel his mouth go dry and cold sweat run down his spine.