How to build a Sect?

[Pind_Ala]

... i uh... dont think asking about what changes he could bring really applies much if this is an original story without 'source material'?

Click to shrink...

Thank you for reply.

You see, these little harmless questions I post under most of my chapters are to increase engagement with audience.
A way for me, Author to talk to readers.
But nobody talks to me here....

Anyway, this is to all my readers.
I do judge what you answer and if I can gain some inspiration from it, it's good. Else we can simply pass on a light remark between each other.
I can answer any of your doubts if you have. answering with text - spoiler if it's answered in the story later.
Or answer directly, if it's already explained.

So you replying to my silly questions I write at the end, is just us getting to know each other.
where other part of us is the whole reader base, not a single person.

 

[Pind_Ala]

"Master Kitae, I have deeply admired your work since I was a child. Can... can you please give me some pointers on my hammer technique?" Lady Fe asked softly, finally letting out all the pent-up anxiety she had been holding back since taking her seat next to the legendary figures.

"Youngster Fe, let us revisit this topic during the intermission break, or perhaps after the tournament concludes," Master Kitae replied with a dismissive, albeit polite, wave of his hand.

"O-Okay..."

After that brief, awkward exchange, the judges completely stopped talking. Once again, the only sound echoing throughout the massive venue was the deafening rhythm of metal striking metal.

CLANG!

CLANG!

Well, it looks like I need to lead them again, Zani thought bitterly, observing the silent experts. These esteemed masters might be gods of the forge, but they are terrible at public speaking or engaging a crowd.

"Then let me step into your field," Zani muttered under his breath. Picking up his voice-enhancing artifact, he addressed the stadium.

"I do not possess much personal knowledge about the art of forging. Like many of you in the audience, I will only be able to pass my judgment after seeing the finished product. To the untrained eye, the people on this stage are merely swinging hammers."

Zani's magically amplified voice washed over the crowd, instantly grabbing their attention.

"But fear not, people! The reason you are here today, and the reason we have invited these legendary masters to sit on this panel, is not just to judge the participants. It is to help you understand what true forging is. It is to help you realize that every single strike from a blacksmith matters! So please, enjoy the process. Perhaps today, you will gain the valuable knowledge needed to judge whether you are purchasing a well-crafted iron blade in the future, or just an overpriced piece of junk decorated with shiny stones!"

Speaking these words, Zani paused slightly, making deliberate eye contact with the others sitting near him.

Meanwhile, the crowd immediately erupted into excited cheers. Who would have thought that coming here merely to fulfill their passing curiosity would end up being so highly educational and beneficial for their future purchases?

"Masters, please. Could you walk the audience through the process a bit?" Zani asked, turning to the panel. Before the older hermit could grunt in annoyance, he smoothly deflected the burden. "Actually, let us not burden the esteemed grandmasters with such basic explanations. Let the talented prodigy, Lady Fe, handle the introductions. If she is wrong anywhere, I hope the masters can step in to correct her."

Lady Fe's eyes widened, completely caught off guard, but a thrill of excitement quickly replaced her nerves. This was a phenomenally rare chance to test her knowledge aloud in front of her idols, and perhaps she might even learn something new if they corrected her.

Taking a deep breath, she picked up her artifact and started speaking. She meticulously detailed everything, from how the raw iron is properly melted to remove impurities, down to how the final quenching process is completed.

Zani's brows immediately furrowed into a tight knot.

Is she teaching a literal classroom right now? This is not what I meant by walking us through the process! I wanted you to casually comment on the participants' current progress, and instead, you are sitting here explaining the fundamental chemistry of metal like you are reading from an ancient textbook! And the audience... wait, they are actually quietly listening to this?!

Zani stared at the silent, utterly captivated crowd in sheer disbelief. This world really is completely messed up in the entertainment department!

Despite his internal complaints about the lack of jokes or witty banter, he did not hurry to intervene. If the people were happy with a dry lecture, he would gladly let them have it.

Meanwhile, the participants from Group 1 finally started turning in their finished results. The massive hourglass signaled that the time was up, but only six people had actually managed to finish forging a Bodkin Point. This brutal completion rate clearly demonstrates just how overwhelmingly harsh the screening task is.

"From my perspective, all of you fail. The only one in this group who actually possesses a tiny bit of talent did not even finish his arrowhead on time. What a massive disappointment," Master Waheed, the hermit smith, declared bluntly. He was the very first to pass judgment.

Zani's eyes widened in genuine surprise. He could accurately tell their talent levels before the products were even finished? Now this is genuinely surprising. Can the other two also do this?

"If we must pick a winner from this batch, nonetheless," Master Kitae added, his tone just as unapologetically harsh as his friend's. "Then these three are of roughly equal, passable quality. The other two are just pure junk."

Seeing the crushed, devastated expressions on the sweaty participants' faces, Zani quickly realized he had to step in and do some rapid damage control. If he did not soothe things over, he might watch these hardened men completely break down in front of thousands of people.

"First of all, I would like to sincerely thank everybody for stepping onto this stage today," Zani announced warmly. "For those who did not finish on time, it can simply be because of the pressure and nervousness. It absolutely does not mean you lack the necessary skills. But now that your work is being seen by such renowned masters, you must give it your hundred percent! Do not be disheartened by a loss; take this golden opportunity to learn and improve!"

Then, he side-eyed the young female smith. Looks like it's going to be up to you again. "Now, Lady Fe, if you may give some specific pointers to the juniors and help us finalize the two contestants who will be moving forward today."

The entire first day smoothly passed in this exact rhythm of educational commentary, harsh expert judgments, and Zani's diplomatic cheering.

The Next Day

Contrary to Zani's predictions, the line outside the venue the following morning was vastly larger than before. More than ninety percent of the crowd were eager returnees, utterly fascinated by the profound forging knowledge they had acquired the previous day. The rest were new spectators who had originally decided to wait until the second day to attend.

For the second day of the tournament, the rules are significantly stricter. The remaining competitors are divided into groups of five, with two groups only having four people. In the end, only the best blacksmith from each group will advance, finalizing a Top 8 roster by sunset.

This time, however, instead of just handing the exact same gear to everyone, the participants must first successfully evaluate and choose a piece of raw scrap metal from a massive pile. Using only that scrap, they must forge a functional knife. Along with raw toughness and sharpness, the beauty and aesthetic balance of the final result will also be heavily judged.

There are eight groups in total, each given exactly one hour to perform.

Up in the crowded spectator stands, three figures completely shrouded in dark cloaks sat tightly together, whispering amongst themselves.

"Dear, I still do not see her."

"Did sister leave this rural dojo too, and start wandering the empire again?"

"No, she is definitely still here. I predicted her fate just a day ago to make sure she is safe."

"Keep quiet, please!"

Kai, the water-forging blacksmith sitting directly beside them, could not help but snap at the weird family of three. These damn, uncivilized peasants keep murmuring! Do they not know my goddess, Lady Fe, is currently delivering profound commentary on the stage?!

Ignoring the annoyed young man entirely, one of the cloaked figure suddenly pointed a finger toward the gates.

"Oh, look at the towering security man. I think it's her."

"Yes, Father, it resembles something from Aunt's private artifact collection."

"Huh... oh, my heavens!" The mother's voice melted with absolute adoration. "My sweet baby is playing security guard! So cute. Let your mother help see if anybody dares to ruin your fun."

The three cloaked figures happily started murmuring again. Thankfully, Kai was far too busy admiring the beautiful Lady Fe to pay any attention to them again. Otherwise, the art of Water Forging might have truly gone extinct from the empire today.

The second day eventually came to a highly successful end. Next would be the final day of the grand tournament.

Backstage

"Ohhh... my aching back. I really am forcing myself to sit up there on those chairs," Master Kitae groaned, stretching his spine as they walked out through the venue's back gates.

"You think you are the only one suffering, Kitae? Age really is taking a heavy toll on us," Master Waheed agreed, massaging his shoulders.

As the two legends walked under the starry night sky, making their way toward the accommodations Zani had prepared for them at the Iron Core Dojo, the atmosphere between them turned slightly serious.

"Hey, Waheed."

"Huh?"

"I am going to take that kid as my personal apprentice," Master Kitae stated firmly, his eyes flashing with a rare, satisfied light. "Yes... after fully passing on my lifelong knowledge, I think I will finally retire."

"Well..." Master Waheed chuckled softly, stroking his long beard. "I have also been thinking of doing the exact same thing for a while now..."

The two old friends talked lightly, their hearts filled with newfound purpose as they walked toward their temporary home.

______________________________

[Question: Let's see if anyone can guess exactly who they are talking about? ]

[Spoiler: It's going to begin from next chapter, I hope you are ready to see the dark side of your Author-san. hehehehe] (This tag will be used by me, to leak some spoilers to you from Author-san side. remember me, I am Patham, the clumsy) (- * -)

[Author Note: I am remove two free chapter feature from patreon. Although you can always read 10+ chapters on the early access. PLEASE DO NOT READ SPOILER NOTES]

 

[Pind_Ala]

"So, this is where you are hiding. My love..."

The tournament moved into its final, highly anticipated phase.

On the stage, all eight final participants were performing together simultaneously. From the final products they will produce, the definitive first, second, and third-place winners will be selected.

This final round lasts eight hours, during which candidates can freely create any weapon they desire. In the end, their creations will be stringently judged with various physical tests and evaluating metrics such as raw strength, slicing, and piercing capabilities, etc.

Although the professional judges were a little confused as to why the weapons must go through destructive testing, believing they could judge better through their vast experience alone, Zani strictly insisted that it was to better stimulate the audience.

That is exactly why the testing criteria were publicly announced a day prior, leading to many more people desperately struggling to enter the packed venue today.

As everything was going smoothly, Master Kitae was calmly explaining to the crowd how timing is far more crucial than raw strength when hammering hot iron.

SWISH.

SWISH.

A heavy wind suddenly started blowing, as if a violent tornado had appeared out of nowhere. This created instant panic among the crowd.

"Please, do not panic!"

Seeing that the spectator stands were rapidly plunging into chaos, Zani hurriedly gripped his voice-enhancing artifact and started shouting strict instructions to maintain order.

Meanwhile, Exactly Two Minutes Earlier...

A lady draped in pure white silk silently appeared high above the newly created venue.

She looked utterly breathtaking in her revealing clothes, naturally capable of making any man feel weak in the knees with just a single glance at her.

However, just as she was about to descend, two figures abruptly appeared not far away, both completely covered in heavy black cloaks.

"Leave, you are not welcome here," the cloaked woman spoke coldly. "We maintain a peace treaty among all five sects. What are your intentions by crossing our borders without informing us?"

The woman in white stopped her descent and looked at the two cloaked figures. She did not know the female, but the male... she recognized his voice easily.

"If it isn't Elder Cuby from the Earth Sect. Why are you covered in a dirty cloak?"

Having been recognized, both figures removed their hoods.

"The female next to you, is she your wife? How about leaving her and coming with me instead?" Saying this with a playful wink, the woman in white intentionally let her hand slide alluringly along her body, better revealing her pale leg through the high slit of the skirt she wore.

"How dare you! You witches from the Water Sect are all despicable. Do you really think my husband will fall for-" Lady Cuby roared. But as she side-eyed her husband to validate her anger, she was utterly dumbfounded to see a dazed, almost drooling smile plastered across his face.

"YOU PIG!"

Her fury soared to the heavens, and violent winds immediately started blowing around them in response to her rising aura.

"Do not misunderstand, darling! It is a hypnosis technique!" Elder Cuby frantically explained while aggressively wiping the drool from his face, meanwhile taking a serious stance.

"Hehehe. How about we resolve this peacefully? I am here only to take my beloved back with me." The woman in white spoke completely normally while clicking the blue necklace she was wearing twice. This instantly calmed the violent air currents that were rising. "There is no need for us to clash and escalate the situation."

To carry a 7th-Grade artifact so openly... And you intruded into our territory first. Hehehe, "how about we take this somewhere else?"

Although Elder Cuby was initially happy to resolve the situation peacefully,after all, his children were down there, but seeing such an artifact caused visible greed to flash in his eyes, leading him to quickly alter his decision.

"No, we do not"

But his wife quickly interrupted him before addressing the Water Sect expert coldly. "You from the Water Sect, just leave. We will not pursue this matter further."

She would definitely teach a brutal lesson to her pig of a husband later, but first, she had to handle the critical situation at hand.

"Oh~ how ABOUT I... I... I..." The woman suddenly started stuttering, looking down at something. "Why?!" she whispered, with her delicate expression twisting.

"AAAHHHHAAA! MEN REALLY ARE USELESS! MASTER WAS RIGHT!" she shrieked, her charming demeanor shattering entirely. "They are nothing but filthy playthings! Beings that should be disregarded immediately after use! I will kill every single one of them someday!"

Lady Cuby watched in sheer bewilderment as the beautiful woman before her started suffering a mental breakdown. Shouting random, hateful things, before raising her hand to her necklace again, this time not to press any button, but to violently crush the gemstone within it.

However, at the final moment, she stopped, and turned with faint tears visible in her eyes. Leaving before saying a few words.

"I will come back to kill you someday, Julian."

In the Venue Below...

(Just before the wind started rising)

All the off-duty disciples, partnered hunters, and Iron Core Dojo staff occupied a single corner in the elevated spectator seating area.

"Peanuts! Does anybody want to purchase roasted peanuts?!"

It is the third day now, and people walking through the spectator area selling snacks and other goods are a highly common sight. This thriving commerce is exactly what Zani used to persuade the merchants to invest in the venue's creation.

"Here." A man raised his hand to attract the seller and bought a small bag for a few copper coins.

"Would you like some, Lady Tassy?"

"Thank you, Julian."

Lady Tassy smiled sweetly before extending her hand to take some. But suddenly, an incredibly strong wind flew past, a gale fierce enough to violently blow the small packet Julian was lightly holding right out of his hand.

"What the..."

After a short while, the massive commotion started, and all the disciples and hunters sitting with them hurriedly stood up and left to manage the panicked crowd.

"Look! There is someone in the sky!"

There were only five people left in their quiet corner now, all were staff members including the calligraphy teacher and the pig pen overseers.

Looking up through the gale, they could barely make out three figures standing unsupported in the air. Immortals?

"AAAHHHHAAA!" Julian suddenly screamed, violently clutching his head.

"Julian! Julian, are you alright?!" Lady Tassy panicked.

"No! Get away from me! I... I am Cookheart Julian..."

"Julian..."

The deafening noise of the panicked stadium and Tassy completely faded away as he found himself falling into a strange, dream-like state.

Wake up, my Julian.

Opening his eyes, he was lying on a soft bed inside an unfamiliar room bathed entirely in pale blue light.

"Darling...?" he spoke, entirely without realizing it. Then, his head turned on its own. It was as if he had no control over his actions. Or is this truly my body?

Then, she came into view. His beautiful wife.

In this profound state, time ceased to exist for him. He lived a whole lifetime like that. He was always happy; he even learned the culinary arts exclusively to cook for her, preparing new, magnificent dishes for her every single day.

Slowly, under her patient help, he also ascended to immortality, or as it is called, becoming a Cultivator.

Then, the Great War came. A catastrophic war initiated by some terrifying, unknown faction named the Iron Core Sect to seize control of the whole continent. This heaven-shaking threat inevitably led to the desperate unification of all the other sects.

He fought viciously side by side with his beloved. To fight these ruthless intruders, they gave their absolute all.

However, they never got to see the final results of the bloodshed.

They were betrayed.

By the very person who proudly proclaimed to be their savior. Their own Ancestor.

And then he found out the crushing truth. It was him.

He was the weak link. The being that not only held his peerless wife back but was ultimately used as a cruel bargaining chip.

"A perfectly fair exchange," the Ancestor spoke. A life for a life.

His wife's life... traded in exchange for his.

_____________________________________

[Author Note: Thank you all for reading and supporting me. Today I am uploading chapter 50 public. Which is a great occasion for me

So, here: AB703 use this code to gain discount on my Patreon. It's only affective for 24 hours and as per trend. Next code will be given on chapter 100.

https://www.patreon.com/c/unpaid13]

 

[Pind_Ala]

Tears streamed down Julian's face as he slowly woke from his dream-like state.

Having just lived through the excruciating, centuries-long memories of an entire life, the sudden influx of information was incredibly hard to process. Fortunately, his overall mental fortitude has significantly improved after absorbing the sheer weight of those experiences.

As he sat up, the chaotic voices of the stadium slowly filtered back into his ears.

Currently, hardly a few minutes have passed in reality. Although the unnatural, violent wind has stopped blowing, the massive audience is still in an uproar.

"Julian, are you alright?"

Looking to his side, he saw his colleague gently helping him sit up. Lady Tassy.

So, the strange dreams and splitting headaches I have suffered up until now were actually sealed memories. I somehow returned to the past, huh, Julian thought, his hollow eyes drifting toward the empty sky where his love is standing. Well, since history has already changed due to my fragmented dreams leading me to join the Iron Core, I might as well go all in. Perhaps we will only be able to meet again in the future.

Taking a deep, shuddering breath, he forcefully collected his splintered emotions and made his decision, turning toward the woman standing beside him.

"I am so sorry, Lady Tassy... please, just endure this for a minute."

"What do you..."

Before she could even ask what he meant, Julian lunged forward, hugging her incredibly tightly.

No! You scoundrel, now is not the time for this! Tassy panicked, struggling desperately against his embrace. Although their physical strength as martial artists is logically equal, she was entirely unable to break free from the desperate, vice-like grip he held her in.

A full minute later, after confirming the figure in the air had left, he finally let go.

SLAP.

"You pervert! I am a married woman who loves her husband! How dare you?!" she shouted, furiously slapping his shoulder and kicking his shins.

But strangely, Julian was not even looking at her. He simply turned away, completely ignoring her righteous fury, and started walking out of the venue, leaving a few words in the air. "Yes... we will definitely meet again someday."

High above the stadium, a minute after the woman from the Water Sect flew away, another figure arrived from a different direction.

"Sect Master."

Both Elder Cuby and his wife respectfully bowed their heads upon the newcomer's arrival.

"At ease. What happened here?" the man asked.

The Sect Master is the oldest living cultivator in the Earth Dragon Empire, and his most favorite part-time hobby is gossip, a quirk that causes constant headaches for the elder council of the Earth Sect.

"It was a woman from the Water Sect," Lady Cuby explained bitterly. "She claimed to have come to fetch her husband, but it appears he had different plans. She left in a fit of anger."

"I see," the Sect Master nodded thoughtfully, slowly stroking his exceptionally long white beard.

"And what were you two doing hovering here? It looks like your youngest son is down there as well," the old man spoke while looking down at the bustling venue, his eyes sparkling with curiosity.

"Oh? Is he here chasing after a mortal girl? Were you two spying on him before you were interrupted? Yes, yes! You haven't even told me the identity of the man that Water Sect witch was after!"

"Sect Master, please..." Elder Cuby sighed, his face turning pale at the old man's rapid inquiries.

Inside the venue, it took a half-hour after the figures in the sky disappeared for the panicked crowd to finally settle down.

For many ordinary people, it was their very first time seeing Immortals. This experience vastly increases both their worship and deep-seated fear of them.

Strangely, after spotting the people floating in the sky, many spontaneously dropped to their knees in prayer, which actually helped immensely with crowd control.

However, the grand finals could not continue as originally planned.

When the violent winds blew through the arena, the forge fires were completely extinguished, ruining the carefully tempered metals and leading to an unavoidable mass failure. Therefore, Zani had to quickly adapt, and the rules were changed.

Currently, the remaining participants must now forge a brand-new weapon from scratch in merely three hours. Since this is a tight window, the weapon will only account for half of their total score. The rest of the points will depend on a face-to-face interview with the judges. This interview will assess their forging fundamentals, specifically judging whether they possess the patience and clarity to pass their skills down to an apprentice.

The tournament smoothly continued under the new regulations.

Meanwhile, Julian returned to his private quarters in the Iron Core Dojo.

He sat heavily on his wooden bed, staring at the floor while thinking to himself. Currently, Iron Core is merely a dojo, not a sect. And unlike what we were told, it does not seem to be a faction of evil intruders either.

Then he started arranging the knowledge in his mind I became a Cultivator and lived for... I cannot even remember the exact years. It was definitely more than two centuries. Can I use anything from my past life to my immediate advantage? I do not think so. In my past life, I also practiced the high-grade Breathing Manuals. As for the rest of my techniques, they are all tied to the Water Sect's heritage, and I need to be a Cultivator to even utilize them.

He rubbed his aching temples, the crushing memories of the Great War resurfacing.

Haaa... I was but a stay-at-home husband whose only real job was to meticulously cook and keep my wife happy. And when the great war came, and the Ancestor betrayed us... when I found out I was nothing but a heavy burden holding her back, being used as a bargaining chip, I willingly traded my life for hers. I killed myself so she could live. I do not even know how or why the Heavens sent me back.

He looked down at his calloused hands. So, cooking and knife skills are my only true assets right now.

After brainstorming his entire existence, a heavy wave of mental exhaustion hit him. Will I be able to save my wife in this new life? Will she be sad right now? I must start training seriously starting tomorrow. As for the Iron Core and Master Zani... let's just silently observe for now.

With his mind completely cluttered by random, heavy thoughts, Julian fell into a deep slumber.

"Head Chef Julian?"

"Sir Julian, please wake up."

"Huh. Just bring in the cold water. I doubt he will wake up otherwise."

"But..."

"Just do exactly as I say."

SPLASH.

A bucket of freezing water hit Julian directly in the face.

"AAAHHHHAAA! ANCESTOR, YOU MOTHERF-"

Julian woke up screaming, pure terror flashing in his eyes. He thrashed violently on the wet bed, loudly cursing the treacherous Ancestor for a full minute before the reality of his current surroundings finally started to sink in.

Looking toward the open doorway, Lady Tassy stood rigidly in a defensive martial pose. All the junior disciples currently learning the culinary arts under him were cowardly hiding behind her.

"I... I am so sorry," Julian stammered, wiping the freezing water from his eyes.

"Are you really alright?" Lady Tassy asked warily, keeping her distance.

"Yes. I just need a minute to collect myself."

"Okay. Report to the kitchen immediately after that," she instructed firmly. "The tournament is finished. After the reward ceremony concludes, Master Zani said we are hosting a grand feast to celebrate."

"Okay..."

After receiving his confirmation, Julian sat in a wet daze, quietly watching as all of them hurriedly filed out, leaving his door wide open.

Out in the courtyard.

"Auntie Tassy, we forgot to grab the bucket," one of the young disciples pointed out.

"Go retrieve it then."

"No way! I am not going back in there alone!" the boy shivered, remembering the murderous look in the Head Chef's eyes.

Master Zani had warned everybody not to talk about relationships or romance in front of Julian. Knowing how weird he acted during the tournament earlier, I knew something crazy would happen, Lady Tassy thought, shaking her head.

Having no interest in going back inside to retrieve the wooden bucket herself, she simply turned and led the young disciples away.


_____________________________

[Question: So how are you liking the story till now?

A. Average sect builder.

B. Something different from others.

C. I like till now, waiting for more.

D. You need to work harder.

E. Just increase Chapter count. Start updating faster.]

 

[Beto]

C. No doubt about it.

 

[Pind_Ala]

"Drink up! Nobody is leaving sober today!"

"Drink! Drink! Drink! Hahahaha!"

Despite the massive disturbance caused by the violent winds during the final day, everything finished beautifully. With both the audience and the participants leaving deeply satisfied with the outcome, Zani counted this as a success.

Currently, he is hosting a lavish banquet for all the partnered hunters, letting them eat premium meat and drink high-quality spiritual wine to their hearts' content.

Before this celebration, he had already bid a respectful farewell to the esteemed judges, who did not wish to extend their stay in the rural village. He also made the disciples leave early, making a firm promise to host them properly once he was free from his busy schedule.

Now, he could finally let loose...

The Next Day

"Earning this time is not even enough to cover the massive expenses. Thankfully, I do not need to pay the sponsored money back to the investors," Zani muttered, aggressively rubbing his eyes. "As a fair exchange, I sold the merchants the permanent, exclusive right to sell snacks inside the venue. And as for the Mayor, he finally got the grand, uninterrupted speech time he desperately wanted. Let's just hope he can actually win the upcoming election."

Zani sighed heavily, leaning over his wooden desk.

"However, I have to pay for many lingering things. Such as the cash rewards for the winners, the massive amount of forging equipment and raw materials used during the event, the partnered hunters, etc."

He picked up a small pouch. "All in all, I have twenty gold coins left. The same amount that I started with."

Zani's eyes were still heavy due to a severe lack of sleep as he meticulously counted his ledger. Although he desperately wanted to sleep some more, he had an important meeting scheduled with the blacksmiths in a short while, which would determine if the next phase of his plan could be initiated right away.

Nodding to himself in determination, he stood up and made his way outside the room.

"One, two!"

"One, two!"

"Keep going! I do not feel any pain!"

Outside in the courtyard, the disciples were rigorously practicing and shouting loudly, completely full of youthful vigor.

As Zani made his way toward the kitchen, many disciples stopped to respectfully greet him. Some even deliberately struck flashy poses, desperately showing off their strength in hopes of catching his eye and being promoted to inner disciple status.

"Julian, is everything ready?" Zani asked, stepping inside.

"Master Zani, yes. The arrangements are all completed," Julian replied, wiping his hands on an apron.

"Good. Here, take these extra funds for tonight's feast."

"Yes, Master."

It was already approaching late evening when the blacksmiths started arriving at the dojo. They are all highly skilled artisans who had formally agreed to partner with the Iron Core Dojo after proving themselves during the tournament.

Although they numbered merely twelve, Zani placed high importance on this upcoming meeting.

"Please tell us, Master Zani, why exactly do you want this partnership with us?"

After taking their respective seats in the dining hall, because the dojo does not have anywhere else large enough to hold such a meeting, the man who was supposedly selected as the leader among the smiths asked the main question right away.

Seeing the other party being so straightforward, Zani decided to lay his cards on the table as well.

"I plan to open a Pavilion."

"A Pavilion?" the leader repeated, his thick eyebrows knitting together in confusion.

"Yes," Zani nodded smoothly, his eyes flashing with sharp business acumen. "Here is the arrangement for your part. You will exclusively sell everything you create through my Pavilion. Furthermore, teach a few selected disciples from my dojo the arts of forging."

Zani leaned forward, resting his hands on the table. "In return, I will fully fund and construct personal, high-end forging rooms for each of you. I will freely provide all the raw materials you will ever need, only expecting a seventy percent success rate on your crafting."

"Finally, you will receive thirty percent of the final gross sale price for every single product we sell. The base market price for each item will be mutually agreed upon before it ever touches the shelves, ensuring your hard labor is never undervalued."

A heavy silence fell over the dining hall.

"I..." The supposed leader among the bunch stuttered a little, entirely unable to admit that he did not fully understand the complex terms that were just casually thrown at him.

"I think this is a good offer, Master," a young disciple sitting directly across from him whispered, eagerly nodding his head.

The two of them were actually traveling smiths. To refine their forging skills, they had roamed the empire for years, never settling down in one place. Even attending this meeting today, they were simply planning to show face and politely decline any permanent offers. But the sheer generosity of this deal had entirely shattered their resolve.

"Huh, huh," Zani chuckled softly, sensing their hesitation. "I am trying to create a type of organization here. An elite faction where you twelve people will be the founding members. Everyone who wishes to join the Pavilion in the future as a smith will have to gain your approval first."

Zani leaned back in his chair. "So, how about it?"

Seeing that the youngest and the most ambitious smith among the guests was already nodding in eager agreement, Zani pushed a little bit more, hoping they would all collectively accept.

"Master Zani... please give us some time to discuss this amongst ourselves," the leader requested, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead.

"No problem at all."

Saying so, Zani graciously excused himself and walked outside, casually leaving them to talk and debate all they want.

After a short while, all twelve smiths unanimously agreed to this highly lucrative partnership. Further, deep discussions immediately started regarding mundane logistics, such as their living accommodations, the quality of the supplied materials, and the exact number of dojo disciples they needed to train.

This successful meeting was naturally followed by a grand feast to celebrate the foundation of the Iron Core Pavilion.

The Next Day

Zani's schedule was finally free, allowing him to properly celebrate the tournament's success with his own disciples. And so, the third grand feast commenced in the dining hall.

"We finally get to eat with you, huh? Such a mean Master," Elisi grumbled while aggressively chewing a massive piece of meat. Her eyes were completely full of complaints.

She, along with her fellow good disciples, had been pestering him to host the feast from the very first day the tournament ended. But no, his excuse was always, 'I am too busy.'

So, we can just eat by ourselves? Hmph! Who needs you to hand-feed us anyway?! Elisi thought bitterly over the two days she cannot attend the banquet.

"Elisi... are you thinking something rude again?"

"No!" she instantly denied the claim.

She quickly looked toward the kitchen door before aggressively starting to eat again. How can Auntie Tassy always find me out so easily?! She was genuinely horrified as she thought that, because if Master Zani somehow came to know what she was currently thinking, there would definitely be a harsh punishment later.

Picking up a steaming dumpling, she wisely decided to forget everything else and just focus on the food for now.

The sweet tranquility of daily life finally returned, and the days started passing smoothly again.

Waking up, Zani's first priority is still to take a full tour of his domain. This tour now includes inspecting the Pavilion currently under construction. Zani is purposefully building the massive storefront directly opposite the tournament venue, ensuring that all his properties stay clustered in the same corner of the village.

After the morning inspection comes practicing martial techniques with a few selected inner disciples.

The daily meetings with the partnered hunters was passed upon to Elisi a long time ago, and Zani does not look into that affair any longer.

Next comes his own brutal Skin Tempering session at noon, alongside his core disciple, Leo.

This is followed by reading books and meticulously planning the faction's future directions in the quiet evening while sipping hot tea. Although previously this quiet time was mostly devoted to managing the dojo's finances, after handing the ledgers over to Mahi and Ethan a day ago, he is now completely free from that heavy burden too. He simply needs to casually check the records once a week to ensure everything is fine.

As for the fleeting time right before dinner, it is either used to fill in things he might have skipped during the day due to sudden emergency, or simply used for practicing his combat forms further.

From observing this routine, one can confidently say that the Iron Core Dojo is becoming entirely self-sufficient, slowly and steadily.

A day will inevitably come when it will completely stop accepting outer disciples who merely pay money to enter its gates, and start building its own force.



__________________________

[Question: good disciples. Elisi said these words. Who are good disciples here according to her:

A. inner disciples

B. Her friends

C. Disciples who share the same eating passion with her.

D. She herself is good. None Equal.]

[Author Note: Come to my patreon to read ahead and support me. https://www.patreon.com/c/unpaid13]