The Speedrun Begins with Choosing Hunter

Chapter 332: Chapter 324: A Fortune a Day

"I am willing to serve you in any way I can, my lord."

Tang Tie was about to kneel, but Bai Yuan caught him and helped him up.

"You are a man of great talent. There is no need for such formalities."

Tang Tie glanced at Bai Yuan in surprise before slowly standing up straight.

"Brother Tang, what are your plans from now on?"

Tang Tie replied, "I await your command, my lord."

Bai Yuan mused for a moment. "In that case, I will give you ten thousand taels of gold and one of my Tokens. As for what you do next, that is up to you."

Hearing this, a sharp glint flashed in Tang Tie’s eyes.

He had originally thought that being summoned by Bai Yuan would mean he could no longer be as free as he was before.

"Thank you, my lord!"

Tang Tie bowed deeply.

Bai Yuan waved his hand.

’Unlike other powers, although I’m the Lingzhou General and can mobilize many, I have almost no troops that are entirely my own. At most, I can count the Divine Mansion Sect among them.’

’Therefore, my need for weapons isn’t actually that great.’

’Rather than trapping Tang Tie and turning him into a weapon-making machine, it’s better to let him grow on his own and call upon him when the need arises.’

’Recruiting Tang Tie was simply a matter of convenience.’

"Alright, here is thirty-two hundred taels of silver. Find yourself a place to live first. The rest of the money will be sent to you."

"By the way, what are your plans for your sister?"

Tang Tie was silent for a moment.

"She’ll run the shop with me."

Bai Yuan said, "A fine scholar like her isn’t suited to hammering iron with you. How about this? I have some connections with the head of the Lingzhou Academy. I’ll write a letter and have your sister continue her post as an Instructor at the academy."

Hearing Bai Yuan’s words, Tang Tie could finally no longer maintain his composure.

He knew Tang Yue’s refined and graceful nature; the academy was truly the most suitable place for her.

However, he was a stranger in a strange land, new to Ling Province. The academy wouldn’t give any special consideration to a man from Yan Province like him.

"Lord Bai, you are a man of great integrity!"

"Go on."

Bai Yuan waved his hand dismissively.

’A great scholar once said, "Since they have come, make them comfortable."’

’This saying doesn’t mean to just settle down wherever you go, but to properly settle the guests who have traveled from afar.’

’To maximize Tang Tie’s value, I naturally had to take care of his worries.’

’In Ling Province, my word carries a lot of weight.’

’The head of the Lingzhou Academy is an endearing little old man. I met him at my promotion banquet. That headmaster went to great lengths to squeeze through the crowd of officials just to offer me a toast.’

’Scholars may be noble, but they still need to eat and secure official positions, don’t they?’

’All of that is inseparable from me, the region’s top official, so of course the headmaster would do his best to get on my good side.’

’For anyone else, securing a position as an Instructor at the Lingzhou Academy would be a cutthroat affair, but for me, it was merely a matter of a single letter.’

’This is the proper way to use power.’

...

"You brat, you actually managed to poach Tang Tie, the Divine Artisan of Yan Province."

Yang Fangyu exclaimed in amazement.

Tang Tie had arrived quietly, but not long after his departure, someone went to his blacksmith shop only to find it completely deserted.

The news of his arrival in Ling Province was bound to get out sooner or later, so Bai Yuan didn’t even bother to hide it.

With his current power and status, he was more than capable of protecting Tang Tie.

The news had already spread throughout Yan Province and Ling Province.

Everyone was astounded by Bai Yuan’s methods.

Many great powers had tried to win over Tang Tie in the past, only to be rejected. Yet Bai Yuan had managed to spirit away the Divine Artisan without a sound.

The Lingzhou People couldn’t help but praise their Lord Governor for his capability.

As one of the great provinces of the Northern Continent, Yan Province had suppressed Lingzhou for a thousand years. It was common for the people of Yan to look down on the people of Lingzhou, so this incident was a moment of great pride and vindication for them.

Li Huan and Yan Lei had also heard about Bai Yuan’s exploits.

They had heard of Tang Tie’s reputation as well; a Weapon Casting Master was an invaluable asset.

Li Huan chuckled slyly. "Brother Bai, since Tang Tie isn’t of much use to you right now, how about you lend him to me for a bit?"

Bai Yuan was now the Lingzhou General. Although he was in charge of Lingzhou’s military affairs, the army’s weapons were all uniformly forged and distributed by the Ministry of Works. The private casting of weapons was forbidden.

Otherwise, a General who could both command troops and forge weapons would essentially become a regional duke, making him difficult for the Court to control.

Therefore, while many Generals did maintain private armies, they were generally small in scale.

Even for a family as powerful as the Yang Family, their private army numbered only a thousand men. Any more would attract suspicion from the Court.

Thus, even with Tang Tie in his employ, Bai Yuan couldn’t make significant use of his skills at the moment.

The Qingzhou Royal Mansion, however, was a completely different story.

In Qingzhou, the King of Qingzhou’s word was more powerful than the Emperor’s. He collected his own taxes and raised his own army. It was there that Tang Tie could truly be put to his greatest use.

The King of Qingzhou’s Eldest Prince had previously tried to recruit Tang Tie as well, but had been rejected.

Bai Yuan replied, "That’s something you’ll have to discuss with Tang Tie yourself."

’Since I’ve given Tang Tie plenty of freedom, I can’t go back on my word.’

’Besides, even between brothers, business is business.’

’The money Li Huan pays Tang Tie will eventually end up in my pocket anyway.’

"However, I can put in a good word for you."

"That’s what I was waiting to hear!"

Li Huan playfully punched Bai Yuan on the chest.

The Qingzhou Royal Mansion had an immense demand for weapons. His father, the king, had recently tasked him with training a unit of elite troops. Since they were elites, their weapons naturally couldn’t be subpar. Tang Tie was the perfect solution to his pressing problem.

Hearing this, Yang Fangyu and Yan Lei were also tempted.

Though they couldn’t compare to the Qingzhou Royal Mansion, their own need for weapons was not insignificant.

"Ah Yuan, you can’t forget about me!"

"Brother Bai, I’d also like..."

In the end, Li Huan and the other two all walked away with a "friends and family" thirty-percent discount from Bai Yuan.

’Since Tang Tie’s blacksmith shop is about to open, it’s only right for me, his backer, to drum up some business for him.’

With these three major orders, Tang Tie’s shop wouldn’t have to worry about business for at least five years.

...

Opening a shop was a meticulous affair.

Tang Tie had run a blacksmith shop before, so he knew the ins and outs of the process.

While the process of opening a shop was tedious and complex, it was all familiar territory for him, and his control over the details was incredibly precise.

In just one short month, he used the gold from Bai Yuan to purchase a large piece of property in the South of Huanglong Prefecture City.

Blacksmithing may be manual labor, but it also adheres to the principles of feng shui. He had chosen this specific location because it was situated in a "fire position."

This particular piece of property happened to be on the Divine Mansion Sect’s territory.

When the Divine Mansion Sect Elder saw that the buyer was Tang Tie, he reported it to Ouyang Hua. With a wave of his hand, Ouyang Hua gave Tang Tie a fifty-percent discount.

Bai Yuan was left speechless when he heard about this, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

The twenty-first of the fifth month: an auspicious day to open a business.

This was the date Bai Yuan had personally chosen after Tang Tie came to visit him.

On the day of the grand opening, Bai Yuan even made a personal appearance to offer his congratulations.

Tang Tie’s reputation was well-known, so he would never have to worry about business. The reason Bai Yuan appeared was to send a message to all of Lingzhou: this blacksmith shop was his territory. Anyone who wanted to cause trouble for Tang Tie had better think twice.

With Yang Fangyu and the other two as patrons, Tang Tie’s business was naturally bustling.

’Now I’m making a fortune without lifting a finger. I guess this is what it feels like to just lie back and count money.’

’Having a big name really does have its perks. No wonder everyone wants to become an official.’

Free from worldly troubles, Bai Yuan’s progress was naturally swift.

White Ape Breaks the Mountain: Master Level!

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!