The wedding ceremony was held grandly.

Congratulatory envoys from sects that had established connections and those seeking to do so, led by the Blue Green Sect, came endlessly.

"Hahahaha! Congratulations, Vice Family Head!"

Huang Jingwen, the Small Sect Leader of the Nine Dragon Gang, was still as loud and cheerful as ever.

But his presence was proof that many from the unorthodox faction had also participated in the Tang Family's wedding ceremony.

Though Baekta, who had left on a long journey regarding Jinkagu, couldn't attend, Noh Sang-gae and the beggars filled his place.

A gathering where those who always fought came together to celebrate.

A place of harmony.

This was only possible because the Tang Family maintained its position of equality between orthodox and unorthodox.

Throughout the long banquet, there was no distinction between orthodox and unorthodox in the Tang Family.

Just martial artists.

When the long banquet ended, they would divide again into orthodox and unorthodox and fight, but during the banquet, they enjoyed eating, drinking, and mingling pleasantly.

And one by one, they left.

Those who remained until the end were the connections made at the Assembly of Elders.

Gwak, who followed Yongcheon like a master.

After the Assembly of Elders, the family heads of each sect were quite surprised by their achievements, so they proposed alliances with the Tang Family.

Including the Yi Family Manor of Mishan.

The idea was to place branches in their respective locations and Ganyang where the Tang Family was based, so they could help each other in difficult times.

The name was good too.

The Tang Family Alliance.

A coalition of mid-tier sects led by the Tang Family was formed in Sichuan.

What was funny was that the branch leaders of each sect were Gwak and the three of them.

Figures who had already become Small Sect Leaders.

Well, if they were happy about it.

Meanwhile, Huang Jingwen of the Nine Dragon Gang was so eager to join.

He was cleanly rejected.

Saying it was like adults joining children's play.

If the Nine Dragon Gang joined, they would meddle, try to sit at the top, and treat the subordinate organizations like their own, so how could that be tolerated?

And.

"Aren't you going?"

"Yes."

"What?"

When Cheonyeong asked, Yu Seong-yeon, who had now received the Taoist name Qinghua and officially became a disciple of the Blue Green Sect, answered with a smile.

"Why?"

"My master instructed me to go out and see the wider world for a while."

"Aren't you a direct disciple of the sect leader?"

"I am. It's unprecedented for a direct disciple to do this."

Even as Cheonyeong hinted, Qinghua remained composed.

A direct disciple of the sect leader.

Essentially, a direct disciple of the sect leader.

Originally, it was customary to have only one, but after the Assembly of Elders incident, the Changlim Sword Saint, with the consent of the elders, took one disciple for each generation.

Thus, Qinghua was the youngest.

But a newly appointed direct disciple was leaving the sect to wander? What was this wider world?

"Among the direct disciples, my progress is the fastest."

He didn't ask.

Of course it would be fast.

He had been secretly continuing the Changlim Sword Saint's advancement all this time.

The problem was.

"But why the Tang Family? You said to go see the wider world. Shouldn't you then leave Sichuan and wander around?"

"There is no place wider than the Tang Family for me."

"What?"

"I heard you're recruiting guests?"

"Guests?"

"The rumors are quite widespread."

Qinghua seemed very natural about it.

At his appearance, Cheonyeong felt spite and spoke bluntly.

"Taoists are excluded."

"Why?"

"Why indeed!"

Why did I chase away Huang Jingwen?

Because I didn't like having a massive sect above me?

If you settle down as a guest or whatever in the Tang Family, would the Blue Green Sect just let it be?

That's how others would see it too.

"Anyway, it won't work! We don't accept Taoists as guests."

"There was no such restriction before."

"I just made one! Right now!"

"Hmm, it seems the Tang Family lacks a system."

"What did you say?"

"No matter how much you're the Family Head, if you arbitrarily create conditions that didn't exist before, what will people say? Sigh, you don't know how scary rumors are."

"This..."

Cheonyeong trembled with his fists at Qinghua, who kept talking back.

Was this guy's original personality like this?

When he saw him at the Blue Green Sect, he didn't seem to have this kind of personality...

Could it be? The Changlim Sword Saint?

Was this person taking revenge in this way for spreading the rumor last time that "the real winner was himself"?

He wanted to throw him out immediately, but he couldn't use his fists against someone who attacked with calm words.

"Sigh, do as you please. But! Promise me one thing."

"Please tell me."

"I'm accepting you! Not the Blue Green Sect. While you're here, live as Yu Seong-yeon, not Qinghua. Understood?"

"I shall do so."

"If even the character 'Qing' from the Blue Green Sect comes out, I'll throw you out immediately."

"...Infinite Buddha."

"Don't do that! Infinite Buddha! Don't recite protective mantras either!"

"..."

"When did I become a Taoist?"

At Cheonyeong's words, Qinghua, or rather Yu Seong-yeon, smiled.

What did a name matter anyway?

Qinghua had come down the mountain after receiving an important mission from his master.

The Tang Family.

He was told to live with them and build deep connections while staying among them.

That connection would someday provide great help during the Blue Green Sect's crisis. Also, perhaps his own achievements might make great progress.

"Sigh, like a leech stuck to me..."

Cheonyeong was frowning and grumbling when.

"Family Head! Family Head!"

"Hmm?"

In the distance, Great Blacksmith Danya came running breathlessly.

Really, this person.

As a former assassin, he must have learned the fastest lightness skill, so why was he running so hard, sweating profusely?

But his next words made Cheonyeong's eyes widen.

"I found it! I finally solved the secret of the necklace!"

* * *

The Divine Work Pavilion, where Danya served as director.

A place renamed according to the Divine Work Pavilion Master's plan.

Upon entering, with the help of the Beggar Gang, blacksmiths recruited from all over the world with three times the usual pay worked day and night in the Blacksmith's Hall, creating weapons for the Tang Family.

Whoosh!

The furnace fire never went out, and the sound of hammers never ceased.

As Cheonyeong entered with quick steps, the blacksmiths stopped their work for once and greeted him, catching their breath.

But now he didn't notice their greetings.

The secret contained in the Gongsun Family's necklace.

What Danya had finally revealed after a long struggle.

Passing the blacksmiths with quick steps, he reached the inner hall of the Divine Work Pavilion.

"Greetings to the Family Head."

"Hmm, thank you for your work."

"Yes!"

There, the Dokgak-gwi, now completely part of the Tang Family, stood guard, and martial artists of the Green Warrior Unit were secretly hidden in various places, watching for intruders.

Passing through the human perimeter.

"I'll deactivate the security device."

"Yes."

Danya stood before the door and touched a spot on the wall. With a dull sound, the mechanism turned powerfully.

It was a mechanism and formation device specially commissioned by the Divine Work Pavilion Master from those versed in mechanical formations.

The investment of money to create such a device, excessive for a mid-tier sect, was because the inside was filled with the latest hidden weapons Danya was researching.

In other words, it was the core of the Tang Family's military strength.

Moreover, fire bombs smuggled from the Blue Green Sect were also stored in abundance inside.

People, and mechanisms and formations.

Passing through all of them, opening the door and entering, the true form of the Divine Work Pavilion was finally revealed.

There was nothing spectacular.

A warehouse where Danya stored his creations and bookshelves stacked with paper scraps recording the research process and results.

And Danya's workshop with a constantly burning furnace.

Really, it looked shabby.

But Cheonyeong knew better than anyone the immeasurable value contained within.

"Please sit here."

As Cheonyeong sat in the prepared seat, Danya brought the necklace.

"From now on, I'll show you what I've discovered. Hehehehe."

Danya held the necklace and smiled sinisterly.

But the confidence contained within made Cheonyeong straighten his posture and focus his gaze.

"Then... whoosh!"

Danya went around extinguishing the lights that had been illuminating the interior.

Why the lights?

It seemed strange, but there must be a reason.

After waiting a moment, the surroundings became dark, and only the light from the furnace remained in Danya's workshop.

But then.

"Huh?"

"Kuhkuh, you saw it?"

At Danya's words, Cheonyeong furrowed his brow and concentrated his vision.

He saw it.

A shimmer.

When Danya walked toward the furnace, as light passed through the amber, something flickered across the dark wall.

"I discovered it quite by accident. No matter how much I examined it, I couldn't figure it out, so I was almost giving up."

That was true.

Hadn't Danya alone been gloomy even during the joyful banquet?

"That day, I came back quite drunk. Without even turning on the lights, I just stared blankly at the necklace. Then, as I walked around like this."

As Danya mimicked his past actions, the shimmer appeared again.

The wall opposite to where the furnace was.

But it looked like scribbles.

Because it was blurry, he couldn't understand what it meant.

"Now, look. I'll focus it for you."

Danya fitted the amber into a pre-made stand.

Then he threw a piece of wood into the furnace to make a torch.

The flames that quickly blazed approached the amber.

As the distance grew closer, the faint scribbles reflected on the wall gradually became clearer.

"What is this?"

"Yes! Characters! Someone left characters inside the amber. Hahahaha!"

It was miraculous.

Light passing through the amber left long passages of writing on the wall.

"Truly remarkable craftsmanship. I've never seen such a work of art in my life."

Danya, unable to contain his excitement, continued to pour out exclamations.

Cheonyeong slowly read through the characters.

"Once I heard of Dongting Water... Du Fu's Ascending Yueyang Tower?"

"Du Fu? Isn't he a poet? Does that mean this is a poem?"

Danya, listening from the side, tilted his head.

His excellence was limited to blacksmith techniques.

He was weak in literature, so though he had heard the name Du Fu, he didn't know about his poetry.

Hidden in the amber was the famous poem "Ascending Yueyang Tower" by the poet Du Fu.

A famous poem.

Anyone who had read it would know it.

But a few lines were different.

The third line should originally be "Wu and Chu divide in the southeast," recalling wars from ancient times.

But why was the character replacing Wu and Chu "I and You"?

You and I, dividing in the southeast?

And the final line.

"Leaning on the mountain, tears flow?"

Cheonyeong's eyes narrowed.

This too was different.

"Leaning on the railing" had been changed to "leaning on the mountain."

Mountain must refer to an island located within Dongting Lake.

And after the poem line, it added "Du Fu's heart is understood."

"Family Head, it seems there are more characters after what you read."

Danya moved the torch back and forth to make the blurry characters after the last line clearer.

But it remained blurry.

"The front characters are clearly 'Lian Zi Yu,' but the back..."

As Danya couldn't get it to work as he wanted, he became frustrated.

But it was enough.

Crack!

Cheonyeong suddenly grabbed the amber and crushed it in his hand.

The characters disappeared, leaving only the torch.

"Huh? Family Head? Why?"

"That's enough."

"Yes?"

"Thank you for your hard work, Great Blacksmith. Thanks to you, I now know all I need to know."

"Yes, well, if the Family Head says so. But the keepsake will be damaged, and Gongsun Family Head will be disappointed."

"I'll explain it well to him."

"Yes."

Cheonyeong stood up.

Beneath his feet, fragments of the shattered amber fell.

And Cheonyeong's eyes, as he turned away from Danya, were desolate.

Though the characters after "Lian Zi Yu" were blurry, they were crystal clear to Cheonyeong's eyes.

It was Samyang.

(End of Chapter)