The One Sword of Dongpyeong was the beginning.

"I am Kang Hap from Min River!"

"I am Yeom Jeong!"

"The Tiger Fist of Juyang is me!"

"I am!"

"I..."

The main gate of the Tang Family's estate was visited by riffraff every other day.

The names were also very diverse.

If it were one or two, it would be enough to scold them and chase them away...

"Hah, what is all this?"

Cheonyeong, sitting on the grand chair in the Three Yang Hall, frowned as he looked at the pile of applications on the table.

"Letters, messengers, and even visits. These are the applications that have flown to the Tang Family's estate in just a few days. Moreover, there is already a long line. Some are even staying in the forest near the Tang Family's estate, sleeping outdoors. They are begging to be allowed to take the test."

"A test? What test? I never even posted such a notice."

"Well... it seems the person called the One Sword of Dongpyeong, who came before, has spread a rumor."

"Spread a rumor?"

"Yes. He said he applied for the Tang Family's estate's warrior selection test and unfortunately failed."

"What?"

"He said the monthly salary was a whopping ten nyang of silver, but he failed because an incredibly strong master happened to be his opponent."

Cheonyeong couldn't hide his bewilderment at the Outer Hall Master Chunil's words.

Ten nyang?

This crazy punk!

And he didn't even know it was said on purpose!

And who was unfortunate?

Who was the incredibly strong master?

After losing to Yeonwoo, who was barely skilled enough to be called a martial artist.

"What should we do?"

"What do you mean, what should we do?"

"We can't just keep chasing away the people who come, can we?"

"Then are you saying we should hire those with no skill?"

"It's not about hiring them unconditionally... but to hold a proper test and select those with skill..."

Cheonyeong frowned at Chunil's words.

But the expressions of the Tang family leaders seemed similar to Chunil's.

"Family Head, the Outer Hall Master's words have a point."

"A point?"

"Yes. In fact, we are also overwhelmed now. Because the Tang Family's estate has suddenly grown so much..."

"Overwhelmed? What are you talking about? Don't talk nonsense! When you're lacking, don't you think of improving your abilities, and you're complaining? Just because the Tang Family's estate has some money lately, you think you've become rich? If necessary, reduce your sleeping time!"

Cheonyeong shouted and scolded at Baekgang's words.

As everyone flinched and shrank their necks.

"Aish, really!"

"...?"

The eyes of Cheonyeong and the Tang family leaders widened at the sudden curse.

It was Yongcheon.

"...Aish... really?"

"Yes! I'm about to die, can't I even say this much!"

Cheonyeong's eyes twitched as Yongcheon raised his voice and talked back.

"Hey! Family Head! If you have eyes, look. Do you think the kids would do this for no reason?"

"..."

"Just reaching the training amount you've set is enough to kill us, but do you know how hard it is to handle both academics and the various affairs of the Tang Family's estate?"

"This is..."

"Baekgang even shat blood yesterday while training the second generation of the Hoyeon Brigade."

At Yongcheon's words, Baekgang touched his butt with a sullen expression.

It was humiliating.

In front of the kids... a training captain...

"Is that all? Chunil doesn't even have time to sleep because of the suddenly increased work of the Outer Hall."

"..."

"And what about Sanghui? Do you see her hair over there? She's so tired from managing the money that she's losing her hair and the top of her head is bare!"

At Yongcheon's words, Cheonyeong whipped his head around and looked.

Her hair was... bare.

They said hair loss was an incurable disease that even Hua Tuo couldn't fix if he came back to life.

"Before, Hwangsama, who had free hands, helped, but since he took on the job of establishing the martial arts academy, everyone doesn't even have time to catch their breath these days!"

"Umm..."

"All that's left is the Divine Work Pavilion Master... but he's old, and he's exhausted every day from building buildings here and there. Can we ask him to help us?"

Cheonyeong couldn't say anything at Yongcheon's point-by-point criticism.

He's become quite logical after some time in the school.

Although he felt sorry, it wasn't like he did it on purpose.

It was all to become stronger, for our Tang Family's estate to develop further...

"But Yongcheon. Don't you play around? Since the position of Vice Family Head doesn't have much to do, if you help the kids..."

Yongcheon flinched at Cheonyeong's words, which he had been pondering, and then got angry.

"Don't change the subject!"

"..."

He didn't change the subject.

He had just stated the facts as he felt them.

The position of Vice Family Head is to assist the Family Head and oversee the various affairs.

Since he handled all the duties that the Family Head had to do, the Vice Family Head didn't have much to do...

But he couldn't bring himself to point that out and criticize Yongcheon's words.

His heart softened when he saw Sanghui's bare scalp.

If this continued and became serious, he might have to consider converting to the Emei Sect.

"Don't you know what I mean? We need people! People! Do you understand? At this rate, we'll all die from overwork!"

"Hah, so what do you want me to do?"

Cheonyeong, whose heart had softened, couldn't get angry anymore and sighed as he asked.

"What do you mean! I'm saying we should hire some experienced workers."

As Cheonyeong's voice calmed down, Yongcheon, thinking he had gotten his way, spoke with courtesy.

Damn punk.

Even though they were friends...

To switch between informal and formal speech depending on his mood.

What would others think of the dignity of the Tang Family's estate's Family Head if they saw this?

But since the leaders' complaints were so loud and the hair loss was progressing, he had no choice but to appease them.

"Yongcheon. There's no way there are any useful punks among those who have come."

"That's our job."

"You guys?"

"Yes, how can we leave everything to you, Family Head? It's a matter of hiring people to assist us anyway. So, we will prepare a suitable selection test. Family Head."

The leaders nodded their heads vigorously in agreement with Yongcheon's words, looking at him.

Feeling their gazes, Cheonyeong sighed.

You guys would do that well.

You've just finished the Thousand Character Classic and are just learning the Lesser Learning...

"Alright. Let's do that."

"...!"

In the end, Cheonyeong had no choice but to agree, and a bright smile spread on the faces of the leaders of the Tang Family's estate who heard his words.

"But! I will make the selection criteria myself."

"The Family Head himself?"

"Then will you guys do it?"

Cheonyeong's words contained many meanings.

The likes of you?

What do you know?

But what did that matter?

The leaders of the Tang Family's estate were already overflowing with work.

They had already achieved their goal of asking to hire experienced workers, and since he was even going to write the selection criteria, they had actually saved themselves some work.

"Then we'll just trust you, Family Head!"

"..."

"Now, let's all go back and prepare for the selection test."

"Yes! Vice Family Head!"

At Yongcheon's words, the leaders of the Tang family went out without even looking back.

The talk of hair loss being effective... what was that...

This feeling of being had...

But still, to persuade people by revealing even their own weaknesses.

Poor and admirable punks.

They don't care about the means and methods for their purpose.

And Sanghui is a woman.

Unfortunately, the hair loss...

It seems he had pushed them too hard.

With training and work...

But one fortunate thing was that their skills had improved considerably during the hellish training.

Even in their exhaustion, the presence they faintly exuded was considerable.

Although it hadn't been long since they had started training, and they hadn't fought again, the current Chunil seemed to be no less than a match for Jangpae. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"Well, it can't be helped. They're martial artists, so I can't let them die from overwork instead of a sword fight."

Cheonyeong sighed and picked up a brush and paper.

And he thought carefully and wrote down one character at a time.

The Inner Hall, the Outer Hall, the Hoyeon Brigade, and the martial arts academy.

About the selection criteria of the Tang Family's estate for hiring people with the necessary abilities for each department.

* * *

The next day, according to the selection criteria that Cheonyeong had created after pondering all night, the application documents that had flown to the Tang Family's estate were sorted, and the tests for those who had come began.

There were differences in the criteria.

Although martial arts were a basic requirement, for the Inner Hall, those with a talent for calculation were preferred, for the Outer Hall, those with more outstanding martial prowess were preferred, and for those who applied for the Hoyeon Brigade and the martial arts academy, those who had taught others were highly regarded.

Thus, starting with a basic level evaluation that tested martial arts, the tests that evaluated the abilities related to each department continued for several days.

And then.

"Family Head!"

The Outer Hall warrior, Ilseung, came running in a hurry.

While the tests were being held, Cheonyeong, who had postponed the training for the leaders of the Tang Family's estate, was contemplating the Samyang Divine Art in his residence and frowned.

He was just starting to concentrate.

"What's with all the fuss... huh?"

Cheonyeong, who had flung open the door of his residence, tilted his head as he looked at the person standing with Ilseung.

"Family Head Tang, have you been well?"

"Well... so-so... what brings you here, Branch Leader? You're even speaking formally, unlike usual."

"Ho ho, Family Head, you're making me sad. You speak as if I've come to a place I shouldn't. And of course, I should speak formally to you now. You are now the master of the Tang Family's estate, whose name is spreading beyond Ganyang to Sichuan."

It was Nosanggae.

He hadn't been around much lately...

"Just speak as you usually do. Don't make it awkward for no reason."

"Then shall I... do that? Actually, I felt uncomfortable as if I were wearing clothes that didn't fit, so that's good."

Nosanggae chuckled.

Seeing his happy expression, he thought he should have just told him to speak formally.

"Ilseung, go and ask them to prepare some tea."

"Yes! Family Head."

As Ilseung withdrew at Cheonyeong's words, Nosanggae looked at the Tang Family's estate, which was bustling with people, and said.

"The Tang Family's estate is in a hubbub with so many guests visiting lately."

"I suppose so. The problem is that most of them are riffraff."

"Ha ha! That's what it's like to find a pearl in the mud."

"I wonder if there even is a pearl... it would be a relief if there was."

Cheonyeong pouted as he looked at the people taking the test.

The tests had been going on for several days already.

But not a single person had passed the selection criteria that Cheonyeong had written.

"If pearls were so common, would everyone become a prestigious family?"

"That's true. But what brings you here? It doesn't seem like you just came for tea."

"Ah! Actually, the Beggars' Sect's evaluation of the Tang Family's estate has risen slightly. I came to deliver this good news and get a drink of alcohol. Well, I have something else to tell you too."

"...Slightly?"

"Yes."

Never mind the other thing to tell, slightly... not greatly.

"Now, look. This is the content that the Upper Sect Master personally delivered to each branch in Sichuan."

"...?"

What Nosanggae held out and unfolded was a letter.

With the seal of the Upper Sect Master, Chwibulgae, stamped on it...

For a beggar, he even uses a seal, what a good life.

But.

"One hundred and thirty... second place?"

"Isn't that really ama~zing?"

Cheonyeong's eyes narrowed at Nosanggae's fuss.

Is this supposed to be amazing?

"It's still one hundred and thirtieth place."

"Ahem! This person, you've jumped up more than a hundred ranks. This has never happened before! The Tang Family's estate is the first."

"Ah... yes..."

Cheonyeong answered listlessly.

He had expected some really amazing news.

He shouldn't have asked for tea.

"By the way, what's the other thing?"

"Ah, that?"

At Cheonyeong's question, Nosanggae fumbled in his bosom and took out another letter.

"It's a letter officially sent to the Beggars' Sect from the Lee family."

"The Lee family?"

"Yes. The negotiation about the last incident hasn't ended yet, has it?"

He had forgotten about it for a while because he had been so busy lately.

Cheonyeong glanced at the construction site.

Among the hard-working carpenters, he could see Lee Wonik, who was sitting in the shade and grumbling, and Jangpae and the escort warriors, who were working, sweating profusely.

They had adapted so well.

It was to the point where one would believe they were now workers of the Tang Family's estate.

"But why did the Lee family send a letter to the Beggars' Sect?"

"You don't know why?"

"Not at all."

"You indifferent friend! Didn't you set me up as a notary in front of people that day?"

"Ah..."

"Ah? Aigoo, I really... thanks to that, the Lee family has requested us to mediate the negotiation."

"I see."

"The eldest young master of the Lee family said he would come in person."

"The eldest young master of the Lee family? That punk Lee Wonik's older brother?"

"Yes. A remarkable man."

"Remarkable? The brothers are different, I suppose?"

"Of course. The eldest young master of the Lee family... has been called one of the Twelve Dragons of Sichuan long before you."

Cheonyeong smirked at Nosanggae's words.

Did the One Sword of Dongpyeong say that?

That Cheonyeong was one of the Thirteen Dragons of Sichuan?

Damn, how many dragons are there?

Anyway, it was good that he was coming.

It meant he could extort compensation from the Lee family... keu-heu-heu...

The punk who's coming... keu-heu-heu-heu... I hope he's stupid.

So I can get a good haul.

(End of Chapter)