With the Blade-Chapter 41 - 38: Jizhou Armory

Early the next morning, Du Chengfeng was awakened by a commotion.

He grabbed Li the carpenter, who was running past the courtyard gate, and only then did Du Chengfeng learn that the Yang Family’s Dock Fortress had caught fire in the middle of the night. Apparently, some unfortunate fool had knocked over a lantern. Although there were no casualties, the ancestral shrine had been completely burned down.

"But I remember, wasn’t it raining heavily last night?"

Du Chengfeng was quite puzzled. He knew it was pouring outside when he got up in the night.

The shrine managed to catch fire despite the heavy rain—only heaven knows how the Yang family pulled that off.

But it was none of his business. How the Yang family would remedy the situation was their concern. As for today, he was headed to the governor’s office in Ji Town for his first day of work.

His task was to polish the entire stockpile of weapons as an outsourced service provider.

The thought of those stockpiled weapons filled Du Chengfeng with excitement. This was the entire stockpile of Ji Zhou, a region of constant warfare, and who knew what kind of astonishing skills and experiences were preserved there? If he could assimilate all that knowledge...

"Calm down, calm down."

After taking several deep breaths, Du Chengfeng composed himself.

His sharpening technique was rather unique and required a high degree of calmness. While the Ji Zhou armory’s stockpile was impressive, if his willpower faltered and he succumbed to the evil qi, he wouldn’t even need He Xiqing to come over; he might just go on a killing spree in Ji Zhou himself.

"As for you, just keep drinking for now."

Glancing at the heavy great saber by his side, Du Chengfeng simply grabbed a large wine jug and submerged the saber in it.

Not to prevent theft—after all, there were few in all of Ji Zhou who could even lift this saber. The real reason was that the saber hadn’t yet drunk its fill.

It would need another two or three days of soaking. As Du Chengfeng grasped the saber’s handle, he deduced this impression—though he had no idea what good it did to soak a saber in wine, yet given the feeling, he was willing to give it a try.

Besides, he couldn’t take such a large saber out of the house.

When going out, it’s naturally important to travel lightly. As for self-defense, his robe concealed seventeen knives. Coupled with his instinctive wrestling skills and his newly acquired Dragon-Tiger dual stance, Du Chengfeng felt he wouldn’t face much danger while out.

Yet just as he left Yang Family’s Fortress and hadn’t gone far, he encountered highwaymen.

"Dismount! Quickly! Leave everything behind!"

The oncoming spears and pikes startled the already timid horse into freezing on the spot, refusing to move forward.

Even Du Chengfeng on horseback was momentarily stunned.

He’d previously only sensed the poor security of Ji Bei during sharpening sessions, which was almost equivalent to hearing about it but not witnessing it. Who would have thought that on this seemingly ordinary morning, he’d experience firsthand the true local features of Ji Zhou?

Yet, upon getting a clear view of the approaching figures, Du Chengfeng couldn’t help but chuckle.

These bandits were all gaunt with yellowish faces; it was obvious they hadn’t had a decent meal. Their leader was stark naked, not even wearing pants, and the spears and pikes they held weren’t even iron-tipped, merely sharpened sticks.

Naturally, Du Chengfeng’s amusement wasn’t out of mockery for their scanty attire.

It was because he recognized the bandit leader.

"Weren’t you previously a hunter?"

Seeing the horse pulling the cart starting to tremble in fear, Du Chengfeng dismounted decisively.

"Why have you taken up this profession?"

"You are... it’s you!"

The bandit leader was stunned for a moment but then flew into a rage.

"How dare you show your face to me! The debt of you stealing my pants is still unsettled! Brothers, grab your weapons! Kill him!"

"Hmm? Are you serious?"

Seeing the bandits unexpectedly leveling their spears and pikes to thrust at him, Du Chengfeng instinctively stepped forward, raising a hand for a strike.

The wooden spears rattled against his chest with a clatter, but the blades in his robe blocked them all.

In contrast, the foremost bandit, struck on the head, had his entire skull smashed into his body.

Seeing their leader suddenly shorten by a head, the other bandits were left dumbfounded, even Du Chengfeng, who had delivered the strike, was left speechless.

He had merely, by instinct and out of habit, utilized the ’body technique’ from his practice of the Dragon Form Slash, never expecting such devastating force from just a bend and stretch of his spine.

Perhaps Liu Qingyun, who created the Dragon-Tiger dual stance, truly missed a crucial decision.

"If I continue down this path... huh?"

While immersed in thought, Du Chengfeng was interrupted by the sound of footsteps.

Raising his hand prepared to strike again, Du Chengfeng realized that the bandits had fled—where could they possibly run to in this barren wilderness? Besides, they’d have nothing to eat even if they did escape. Moreover, he couldn’t let them go owing to an acquaintance among them.

As a peaceful man, Du Chengfeng had a kind heart and couldn’t bear to witness this.

Thus, with a few leaps like a tiger, he had bound the bandits together with a rope, tying them behind his horse.

Thankfully, such a scene wasn’t unusual in Ji Town. Once inside, Du Chengfeng saw others similarly leading groups of people. If there was an issue, it was that people kept approaching, asking if the two-legged cattle he had were for sale and their price.

Naturally, Du Chengfeng wouldn’t engage in human trafficking. Leading the group, he arrived at the governor’s office.

"They’ve all turned over a new leaf and want to contribute to Ji Zhou."

That’s how Du Chengfeng explained it to the garrison soldiers at the governor’s office.

"I heard the governor’s office is recruiting?"

"Yes! That’s right! The weapons workshop is in need of labor for mining!"

The soldiers promptly took the bandits away, escorting them somewhere unknown.

They then counted and handed Du Chengfeng 500 large coins.

"You get paid for good deeds?"

Weighing the 500 coins in his hand, Du Chengfeng suddenly felt that the customs of Ji Zhou weren’t all that bad.

Having found these bandits a good place providing meals and lodging, Du Chengfeng led his horse into the governor’s office, where Governor Liu had been waiting for quite some time in the main hall, seemingly even more anxious than Du Chengfeng himself.

"What’s the matter? What’s happened?"

Du Chengfeng was rather puzzled. His own urgency was understandable; the sooner he accessed the armory, the sooner he could enhance his skills. But Governor Liu being anxious... It wasn’t as if Du Chengfeng wouldn’t come—did it warrant such urgency?

"I haven’t even had breakfast yet. How about we..."

"There’s no time, quickly follow me to the armory."

In front of him, the previously spirited Governor Liu now wore an expression as black as ink. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"It’s all because of that useless dog Wang Gaoceng; there’s a major problem at the armory."