No matter how small the land, if someone you thought was no match for you came and claimed ownership of what you considered yours, anyone would get angry.

And what if they put their heart and soul into it?

You would think about it even before you went to sleep.

The stimulation was enough.

Wasn't the influence of the Tang Family's Geumdang branch already spreading, so other places were also peeking in?

Also, he had promised exceptional treatment.

Normally, most of the money earned from a branch goes to the main family.

That was the reason for increasing the number of branches.

But Cheonyeong's thoughts were different.

Separation of the main family and the branches.

Although they were tied under the name of the Tang Family, he guaranteed sufficient autonomy, and the wealth earned from a branch belonged entirely to the branch.

Naturally, the income of those belonging to it was bound to increase significantly.

So the sides were divided.

Of course, the majority remained.

Honor?

Only those who had made a name for themselves protected such things; for ordinary warriors, money was the priority.

And he had also promised to teach them the hidden weapon technique.

Those who were fascinated by the sight of Cheonyeong, who had destroyed the branch in a single move, immediately chose to join.

The instructor was one of the Hoyeon Brigade warriors.

Because they had to start from the basic course.

"Are you really leaving?" 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"Yes."

At Cheonyeong's question, Yang Mando smiled bitterly and nodded.

That's why he was even more coveted.

Because he had decided to leave without being greedy, even though he had been promised the position of branch leader, more salary, and autonomy.

Righteousness was like that.

Something that couldn't be bought with money.

"If you go now, you might be suspected."

Cheonyeong, who was sad about his departure, tried to hold him back once more, but Yang Mando shook his head.

"Even so, the place where I belong is the Black Heaven Gate. Because I have already pledged my loyalty to my lord."

"I understand. If so, I will not persuade you any further."

"Thank you for accepting my subordinates without prejudice."

"Don't mention it. They are now family members of the Tang Family."

"I express my respect for your generosity, Lord."

"Take care."

"If we meet again, it will be on the battlefield."

"Yes, with all my might."

"With all my might."

Yang Mando smiled and whipped his horse.

No Gwanyeong, who was quietly watching his back disappear, raising dust, expressed his regret.

"He's a regrettable fellow."

"Yes."

"His martial arts were lacking, but he seemed to have a good personality for entrusting work to."

"It can't be helped. He said he didn't want to…"

Cheonyeong, who let out a dry laugh, sighed deeply and shook off his regret and lingering feelings.

"Now, shall we watch the Black Heaven Gate's response?"

"Understood."

"Was there no news from the Beggars' Sect?"

"None? It is said that the successor grumbled for a long time. He said it seems like we keep treating the Beggars' Sect as a subordinate of the Tang Family."

"That fellow. He's going to help anyway."

Cheonyeong, who smirked, shook his head.

The war would begin.

The first thing needed was 'information'.

He had already roughly grasped the enemy's forces.

The information that Gwi-su, who was one of the Ten Prodigies of Sichuan and had once been an elder of the Cheongsa Gate, had, and the information that the warriors of the Geumdang branch, who had transferred from the Black Heaven Gate to the Tang Family in large numbers, had.

Even without that, the Black Heaven Gate was originally famous.

Even the children running around the alleys of Geumdang knew one or two famous warriors of the Black Heaven Gate.

What remained was the enemy's movement.

"Perhaps the Iron Blood Corps, the main warrior unit of the Black Heaven Gate, will move."

"Yes, to fix the habit of a day-old puppy, that much should come out."

"Pardon? Were you a day-old puppy?"

At Cheonyeong's words, No Gwanyeong asked with a playful expression.

"I am a day-old puppy. Compared to the Black Heaven Gate, which has divided the unorthodox faction of Sichuan."

"Who would think so?"

No Gwanyeong, who shook his head, soon made a worried face.

"By the way, even one corps of the Iron Blood Corps will have over a hundred warriors. Their forces are also considerable."

"How does it compare to the One-Horned Demon Corps of the Cheongsa Gate?"

"Can it even be compared? The opponent is the Black Heaven Gate. Even the ordinary warriors will be at the level of the squad leaders of the One-Horned Demon Corps."

"It won't be easy."

"If additional warrior units are added, it will be even more difficult. The number of warriors alone will reach over two hundred, and their combined forces will be at a level that can turn a small clan into a wasteland in less than half a day."

"Hmm."

At Gwi-su's words, Cheonyeong fell into thought for a moment.

The opponent's forces were considerable.

Although he and Gwi-su were there, it was far from enough to fight with the forces in the branch.

In the end, there had to be a tactic.

"How about we request weapons from the Great Blacksmith Dan? Like during the fight with the Cheongsa Gate last time."

"That's a given. But, weapons alone are not enough."

"That's true."

No Gwanyeong frowned.

No matter how strong their firepower was, the opponent was the Black Heaven Gate.

"Elder No."

"Yes."

"Tomorrow, I need to gather the One-Horned Demon Corps leader and the squad leaders for a brief talk."

"A talk?"

"Yes. Because I need to explain a strategy to face a strong enemy with insufficient forces. I don't know when the Black Heaven Gate will move, so we need to prepare in advance."

"Insufficient… don't tell me? Have you thought of a way?"

No Gwanyeong's face brightened as if he had never frowned, and Cheonyeong let out a dry laugh.

"There must be countless ways, right? How many books on tactics have I read? But time is the problem. To fight a strong enemy with a small force, you have to make use of the subtlety of operation, and for that structure to become solid, training is necessary."

"Then we must move quickly. I understand. I will deliver your will promptly."

"Yes, and please contact the Beggars' Sect once more. Tell them that we must not miss a single moment of the Black Heaven Gate's movements."

"The successor will throw a fit again."

Although he said it as if it were troublesome, No Gwanyeong's mouth was full of a smile.

At the thought that their lord would turn the tables on the inferior situation again.

* * *

Thud, thud!

It was the middle of the night.

But the fire in the furnace of the Tang Family's forge in Ganyang burned hotter than during the day.

"You people! What are you doing! Is there any time to rest now?"

"My, Great Blacksmith, can't I even wipe my sweat?"

"Sweat? There's no time for that!"

"You're too much, Great Blacksmith. How many days has it been already? We're working in two shifts. Everyone's arms are about to fall off."

At Danya's roar, the foreman of the forge grumbled with a sullen voice.

Ten days.

It was the time when the Tang Family's forge had started to run like crazy.

There was always a lot of work, but it was even more so these days.

It was because of the request of the lord who had left for the Geumdang branch.

There might be a war soon, so put all your efforts into producing hidden weapons.

He had said so, and Danya had no intention of taking it lightly.

Moreover, since his letter, which had arrived at dusk, had a content that said 'it seems we need to hurry up the work even more', Danya was urging the blacksmiths even more.

"Do you think the lord would just make you work for nothing?"

"Pardon?"

"I have already received a promise from the lord to set the wages at twice the usual rate."

"Really? T-twice as much?"

"Of course! I am also a blacksmith. Do you think I would just make you work without knowing your hardships?"

At Danya's words, the blacksmiths' eyes went wide.

Twice as much…

The wages at the Tang Family were already much higher than other places, and the treatment was also good.

It was worthy of being called the best in the entire Central Plains.

Wasn't there a saying that if you just became a blacksmith at the Tang Family, your whole family could live comfortably?

Thanks to that, there were many people in the Tang Family's forge.

The blacksmiths who were said to be good with a hammer in the vicinity had flocked to the Tang Family long ago, and since the Great Blacksmith Danya's personality was such that he prioritized skill over seniority, apprentices who wanted to learn the skills were lining up day after day, dreaming.

For that reason, a strange phenomenon was occurring where the goods of the Tang Family's forge were selling like hotcakes because blacksmiths were becoming scarce in the nearby cities.

To the point where there was money left over even after paying the blacksmiths high incomes.

That wasn't all.

And since Danya, who had a strong sense of craftsmanship, inspected all the goods produced in the forge and discarded all the defective ones, the quality was incomparable to others.

Naturally, customers flocked, and the goods produced at the Tang Family's forge were swallowing up Sichuan.

And that Tang Family's forge had been making the same thing for ten days already.

Flying daggers and hidden weapons.

They worked in groups and made them through the night, so the carts were piled high with flying needles.

But Danya was still not satisfied.

How could he not know that a war with the Black Heaven Gate would begin?

He had to make more.

Even if he made and made, it was not enough.

"Please work a little harder. I'll try to talk to the lord and ask for three times the wages from today."

"Th-three times?"

The blacksmiths' eyes went wide.

The reason they worked?

How could complaints pour out when they were being paid more?

"You bastards! Work the bellows harder! Stoke the fire more! Why is that furnace idle over there!"

"Great Blacksmith! I'm working all night today! I only need to sleep for an hour or two! When I'm dead, I'll sleep like a log anyway."

Vitality surged.

How could they go against the Great Blacksmith's will when they were being rewarded more than they worked?

"Good. But you must keep in mind. If you overdo it and break the safety rules and an accident happens, it's worse than not doing it."

"Of course! Don't even mention the obvious!"

As the sound of hammering in the forge grew louder, Danya smiled with satisfaction.

"Foreman Yang."

"Yes! Great Blacksmith."

"I'm going to the Ten Thousand Soldiers Hall's warehouse for a moment."

"The warehouse?"

"Hmm, I need to pack the things the lord will use in the cart that will be sent to the Geumdang branch tomorrow morning. Foreman, you…"

"Don't worry and go! I'll make these bastards work even if I have to whip them."

"I'll be counting on you."

"Yes!"

Danya, who had entrusted the forge to Foreman Yang Jinhyeong, headed for the warehouse of the Ten Thousand Soldiers Hall.

His heart was already pounding at the thought of delivering the item he had made after long deliberation for the lord.

"Oh? Isn't it the Inner Hall Mistress? Lady Seoryeong and Lady Seonyeong are also with you."

"I greet the Great Blacksmith."

Danya, who was just going to the Ten Thousand Soldiers Hall's warehouse, saw Tang Sanghui and the two ladies walking busily and bowed his head.

"My, you're in the middle of postpartum care, where are you going in such a hurry? What if you catch a cold?"

"Gosh, don't even mention it. The lord sent an urgent letter…"

"Pardon? Is something wrong?"

"I don't know. Hah, anyway, I have to go to the horse market."

"The horse market?"

He meant the horse trading market.

"The lord told me to buy a hundred horses and send them."

"Pardon? No, why?"

Although it was during a war, warriors did not normally use horses.

Unless it was a military gate.

"How would I know? He said it's necessary for the war with the Black Heaven Gate."

Sanghui glanced at Maeng Seoryeong, but she deliberately avoided her gaze.

It was a consideration not to make her feel self-conscious because of her.

"Anyway, I have no choice but to scrape together not only Ganyang but also the vicinity and send them."

"Hah, my. Then why don't you have your subordinates do it?"

"Who is there to do it? Even the Divine Craftsman Pavilion Lord has set aside all his work and has gone to the Geumdang branch with the carpenters."

"That's true."

"Then since it's urgent, I'll see you later."

"Ah? Yes. Take care. Please wear some thicker clothes."

"It's hot, it's hot!"

Tang Sanghui waved her hand and walked away busily.

"Haha, my. If her body is like that, she could afford to be leisurely."

By the way, he didn't know.

Why on earth did he ask for horses?

But Danya soon shook off the thought in his head.

Because he didn't have the leisure to think about other things right now.

(End of Chapter).