Chapter 218
Chapter 218
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 218
Chapter Title: The Hidden Vein
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Gun Do-sang stared blankly ahead at Hyeok Mulin's words.
He couldn't tell if what he'd just heard was truth or jest.
The reason they'd been searching for a new iron mine was that all the ore buried in this Namgok Mine had been depleted.
Yet here he was, pointing at this very place and calling it a new iron mine.
"May I ask what you mean by that?"
Unable to grasp the meaning, Gun Do-sang asked Hyeok Mulin in return.
"It's simple. There are more minerals buried down there than everything we've mined so far."
"Is that true?!"
Gun Do-sang raised his voice without realizing it.
This mine was owned by the Southern Iron Clan, so they'd conducted countless surveys. But nothing had turned up, and they'd given up on it long ago.
However, there was no reason for the Cult Leader to lie, so it must be true that even more iron ore lay buried here.
It was buried so deep, and that Iron Blood Serpent had coiled atop the vein. It's a miracle we never found it until now.
Hearing that, a chill ran down Gun Do-sang's spine.
'As the Cult Leader said, if miners or blacksmiths had stumbled on that massive serpent alone, they'd have been devoured or buried alive in the mine.'
The fact that the Cult Leader had discovered and dealt with it beforehand was nothing short of heavenly fortune.
"To think you'd uncover the finest mine we've failed to find for so long with such ease... Your insight is beyond us, Cult Leader."
"It wasn't me who found the ore's location."
"Pardon? Then...?"
"I found a person, not the mine."
Shuk.
Hyeok Mulin stepped forward for a moment, grabbing a man by the scruff of his neck and presenting him before Gun Do-sang.
The man, accustomed to such treatment, greeted Gun Do-sang with a nonchalant expression.
"Clan Leader Gun, it's been a while."
"You're..."
Gun Do-sang racked his brain at the sight of the face.
He definitely seemed familiar.
"Ah!"
Suddenly, a memory flashed through Gun Do-sang's mind.
"No way... you!"
"Yes, that's right. Yang Munju's son, Yang Un-sik."
"Now I remember."
Gun Do-sang clearly recalled the Silver Iron Clan's leader, but his son had been little more than a footnote, so he hadn't come to mind right away.
From Gun Do-sang's perspective, he was just a foreman whose skills fell far short.
'But why is this guy here all of a sudden?'
As he shot a questioning glance, Hyeok Mulin pointed at Yang Un-sik and explained.
"He's the one who pinpointed the hidden ore in Namgok Mine."
"What?"
A man who'd spent his life hammering iron suddenly prospecting for ore—and with remarkable talent at that?
It was hard to believe, but seeing Yang Un-sik sheepishly scratching his cheek made it seem true.
"He'll be a huge help in scouting new mines around Singang from now on."
Who knew he had such a gift?
That alone was shocking enough, but what stunned Gun Do-sang even more was something else.
'How did the Cult Leader know this guy had such talent?'
He'd never even been near the Silver Iron Clan his whole life, yet he'd spotted this hidden gem at a glance.
Staring blankly ahead, Gun Do-sang eventually caught his breath and reached a clear conclusion.
'As expected of the Cult Leader.'
No one else in the world could do it.
Only one person was the exception: the Cult Leader.
It had always been that way.
Even things that seemed impossible became possible the moment the Cult Leader got involved.
Having witnessed several miracles at the Cult Leader's side, Gun Do-sang no longer harbored even a shred of doubt toward Hyeok Mulin.
Gun Do-sang extended his hand to Yang Un-sik.
"Thank you. I'll need your help often from now on. Count on you then too."
"Just give the word, and I'll give it my all."
Gripping Yang Un-sik's hand and sealing their bond, Gun Do-sang broke into a satisfied smile.
He turned to Hyeok Mulin with a question.
"But if you've found the iron ore, why stay here any longer, Cult Leader?"
"I had something to check."
Hyeok Mulin had just returned from inspecting the core of the ore vein where the Iron Blood Serpent had been.
To examine the iron ore there.
'No sign of it after all.'
But the ore Hyeok Mulin had hoped to find wasn't there.
'Well, it's not something I need right now anyway.'
Finishing his casual search, Hyeok Mulin had run into Gun Do-sang's group on his way out.
"I'm done checking, so no need to worry about it now."
"I see."
Gun Do-sang nodded and stepped aside to clear the path.
"Why not head back to headquarters then? We were planning a grand feast to celebrate confirming Namgok Mine's new potential."
A feast.
It was an excellent way to boost morale with the positive news.
But Hyeok Mulin added a slight twist.
"Since we're having a feast anyway, why not hold it here instead of going back?"
The small village below Namgok Mine.
Night had fallen, but the lights and raucous voices showed no sign of dying down.
Foremen and miners mingled together, their noisy drinking filling the air.
Watching the scene, Gun Do-sang slowly spoke.
"My thinking was too narrow."
Gun Do-sang had only planned a grand feast back at headquarters with the foremen to commemorate the breakthrough.
In doing so, he'd overlooked the miners' efforts—their voluntary struggles alongside the Southern Iron Clan through the crisis.
Seeing miners and foremen reveling together now, Gun Do-sang felt ashamed that he hadn't realized it until the Cult Leader pointed it out.
"No need for self-reproach. What matters is how you treat them day to day."
Meeting the miners, Hyeok Mulin could tell from their faces and demeanor alone how well the Southern Iron Clan communicated with respect and fair treatment.
Miners who dug the ore and foremen who worked it.
The two roles were inseparable, so trust was paramount above all.
The Southern Iron Clan had built that trust thick and strong over time.
"That's enough. Your bond with them will only grow stronger from here."
Moreover, this crisis they'd overcome together had forged a sense of camaraderie, which would surely become a great strength for the Southern Iron Clan.
"You've helped us immensely again, Cult Leader. I wonder when we can repay such overwhelming grace..."
"Didn't I mention it before? About outfitting the Heavenly Division Storm Troops with personal weapons."
Hyeok Mulin smiled faintly and continued.
"That'll do. I'm already more than satisfied with what I have."
Hyeok Mulin tapped the Sky-Splitting Demon Sword.
Those were his honest thoughts.
Most people didn't know how hard it was to find a weapon suited to oneself over a lifetime.
Especially for Hyeok Mulin, who wielded extreme demonic energy based on the Pure Soul Divine Demon Art—finding a weapon that could fully contain that power was like finding a needle in a desert.
But the Sky-Splitting Demon Sword made it possible.
A blade that wouldn't shatter even when infused with extreme demonic energy.
Thanks to it, Hyeok Mulin could unleash his full power without restraint.
"The Sky-Splitting Demon Sword is indeed a masterpiece."
Even its creator, the blacksmith Gun Do-sang, fully acknowledged its prowess and worth.
He'd hammered it as if trading his very life for each blow.
"But it's still not enough to express our gratitude to you, Cult Leader."
"......"
Hyeok Mulin fell silent at Gun Do-sang's words.
The subject had shifted.
From Gun Do-sang alone to all the blacksmiths.
"Do you know the greatest trait of us blacksmiths, Cult Leader?"
The blacksmiths' trait.
Hyeok Mulin rested his chin on his hand, thought briefly, and replied.
"Patience?"
"Not wrong. Stubborn persistence and endurance come to mind first with blacksmiths. But that's not the answer."
"No idea. What's the right one?"
They weren't even martial artists.
Hyeok Mulin didn't know them in such detail, so he shook his head.
At that, a spark flickered in Gun Do-sang's eyes as he intoned in a low voice.
"The true answer is their unyielding pride—firmer than anything else."
Strong pride drove them to endure for better results.
Strong pride made them stubborn, refusing compromise for superior outcomes.
Strong pride let them take bold ownership of their creations.
"Compared to the jianghu's warriors, blacksmiths may lag in many ways, but when it comes to pride, we can confidently say they can't match us."
Hyeok Mulin nodded slightly at those words.
Come to think of it, even as clan leader, he'd once offered a sword he hadn't forged himself.
He hadn't bent his pride because he couldn't accept his past self.
Truly pride as taut as an ox's tendon.
"Yet our headquarters' blacksmiths nearly saw that lifeblood pride crumble. Their ironclad pride as Southern Iron Clan blacksmiths."
They'd refused all work without top-grade iron ore.
But they couldn't maintain that stance forever.
If it dragged on, they'd eventually accept ordinary ore.
They couldn't stop working indefinitely.
But if they did...
'They could return to work, but only by swallowing their pride.'
Top results from subpar materials were impossible.
Losing pride in one's creations struck at the core of a blacksmith's self-worth.
But now it was fine.
No more worries.
With a new mine full of premium ore discovered, resuming work alongside it was only a matter of time.
Gun Do-sang bowed politely to Hyeok Mulin.
"You've allowed us to safeguard our pride. As leader of the Southern Iron Clan—and as a blacksmith myself—I thank you sincerely."
The once-noisy surroundings had quieted.
The blacksmiths, seeing their bowed leader, followed one by one, bending toward Hyeok Mulin.
"We thank you for your grace, Cult Leader."
The watching miners expressed their thanks too.
They too had been saved—personally or their comrades—by Hyeok Mulin, and could now return to work with the Southern Iron Clan.
Thus, all the blacksmiths and miners around Hyeok Mulin in the center bowed their heads in gratitude.
Amid it all, Hyeok Mulin calmly received their bows and lifted his cup.
He slowly brought it to his lips.
"To the headquarters' prosperity."
"......!"
At his words, the people lifted their heads and exchanged glances. Then, one by one, they raised their cups to the sky and roared heartily.
"To the Divine Cult's great prosperity!"