Zhanmadao

If this war was inevitable, what should I do? Just as I was pondering this question, Da Xiong spoke up first, his tone carrying a sense of urgency.

"If you want to participate, hurry up and sign up."

"Sign up for what?" I looked up and asked in confusion.

"The Wolf Guard Battalion is recruiting and expanding their forces to assist with city defense. If you want to join Tianmen Gang or Silverleaf Sect, I can introduce you to someone who can recommend you," Da Xiong said, crossing his arms over his chest, his eyes fixed on me, waiting for my response.

"What do you think?" I turned to ask Gu Bing.

"Haha! I don't really care, whether we fight or not. If things get too troublesome, I can always just go back to Snake Valley Village," Gu Bing replied in his usual carefree manner, spreading his hands as if nothing in this world could concern him.

"I haven't decided what to do yet." I sighed and spoke honestly. With just the two of us, joining either side wouldn't make much of a difference in the grand scheme of things. It was simply a matter of contributing what little we could to put our minds at ease.

"By the way, what about our village?" I suddenly realized that Da Xiong had been talking about the city's defenses but hadn't mentioned our village. Our village was located at the southernmost end west of Woma River. Although it was quite a distance from Greatwood Forest and Woma Forest, it was still within the potential range of the war.

"Our village? I heard that the Wolf Guard Battalion sent five hundred soldiers there to defend it. If there's a large-scale attack, the two nearest guilds will provide assistance," Da Xiong said, his tone carrying a hint of reassurance. His words eased my mind a little. After all, our small border village wasn't a primary target for the Orcs.

Now that I had a clear understanding of the situation and knew that our concerns were already being addressed, the only thing left was to decide our own stance. Thinking about this, I decided to visit Aunt Yu at the Protective Gear Workshop to see if she had any advice.

"What a load of crap about 'every citizen has a duty in the rise and fall of the nation'!" As soon as I cautiously asked Aunt Yu for her opinion, she exploded in anger. She slammed the table hard, raising her voice several notches.

"That's complete nonsense! If the nation is in trouble, the first to take responsibility should be the king! We common folk work hard, earn every penny through our own labor, and pay taxes without stealing or robbing. It's their duty to protect us! Why is it that when it's time to collect taxes, they take every coin without fail, but when it's time to fight, they expect the common people to step forward?!"

"Aunt Yu, it's not exactly like that. They're not forcing us to go. I was just thinking about whether I should go or not," I quickly explained, afraid that she would get even more worked up.

"You just do whatever you were doing before. If you really have nowhere else to go, then during the siege, stay put in my shop and don't go anywhere!" Aunt Yu glared at me, her tone leaving no room for argument. "How could they send teenagers like you onto the battlefield?"

Despite her harsh words, I knew she was genuinely worried about us. In her heart, we were still too young, and if something were to happen to us in battle, our families would be devastated.

After her outburst, Aunt Yu turned around and brought out two sets of armor from the back room, handing them to us.

"Aunt Yu, this armor looks just like the Light Armor you gave us before. Ours isn't damaged, so we don't really need these, do we?" I took the armor and examined it closely. White and blue—wasn't this the same Light Armor we had been wearing all along?

"It only looks the same," Aunt Yu explained, her tone softening a little. "These two sets of armor are upgrades. I've replaced the old leather padding with metal plates to reinforce the critical areas of the body. They offer much better protection than the previous ones but are also heavier." She glanced at the two of us, a slight smile appearing at the corners of her lips. "Looks like you've gotten stronger lately. You should be able to handle the weight now."

Hearing Aunt Yu's words, we didn't hesitate anymore and accepted the Medium Armor immediately. Out in the world, every bit of extra defense meant fewer injuries, and sometimes, it could even be the difference between life and death.

After getting the Medium Armor, Gu Bing mentioned that he needed to return to Snake Valley Village. Our mentor, Uncle Huang, had told him to come back after mastering Offensive and Killing Fencing.

While Gu Bing was away in Snake Valley Village, I found myself extremely bored. I wasn't in the mood to train alone, so I aimlessly wandered through Baiqi Street. Watching the occasional movements of the city defense troops and the recruitment efforts of the two major guilds, I felt no desire to participate for some reason.

As I walked, I found myself in front of Old Cheng's General Goods Stall. Remembering how useful his Perfect Restoration Oil had been, I bought another batch and also picked up some torches and other supplies. I even gave him a jar of White Serpent Oil, asking him to continue setting aside some Perfect Restoration Oil for me. In return, he handed me a portion of the gold coins he had earned from selling the oil—about twenty percent of the sales.

"Ah Zheng, you've got some decent skills. I heard the Orcs are planning to attack Baiqi City. Aren't you going to contribute?" Old Cheng asked, casually tidying up the goods on his stall while testing the waters.

"Where do you think I should contribute?" I asked him back.

"In my opinion, the kingdom's soldiers have nothing to do with us. They already have plenty of people, and it'd be hard to stand out if you joined them. But the two big guilds are also recruiting right now—you could give them a try," Old Cheng said seriously, setting aside his work.

"One got rich by monopolizing a mine, and the other collects protection fees," I joked. "You think I should join them? It'd be generous of me not to despise them."

"Hey, don't make them sound so bad," Old Cheng shook his head, lowering his voice. "At least in recent years, they haven't bullied any ordinary folks. In fact, their mines and merchant caravans have provided many people with stable incomes, and life has been improving. That's more than I can say for the damn City Patrol—those guys are nothing but trouble. They're always looking for excuses to fine us, overturn our stalls, or confiscate our goods."

As he spoke, Old Cheng lowered his voice even further, as if afraid of being overheard.

Thinking about Baiqi City's City Patrol, with that pig-headed lord in charge, I couldn't imagine them doing anything good. No wonder neither Old Cheng nor Aunt Yu wanted to deal with them.

"Old Cheng, do you know any good blacksmiths in town?" I suddenly remembered something. I had been using my Pioneer's Blade for a long time and had become completely accustomed to its weight. It seemed like I still had some extra strength to spare. Based on my past experience, I should switch to a heavier weapon—one that could deal even greater damage.

"What do you need? If you're looking to buy household tools like hoes or kitchen knives, I recommend the blacksmith shop in the southern part of the city. Their ironware is affordable and practical," Old Cheng said. "But if you want to forge a weapon suited to yourself, then you should go to Blacksmith Hong, near the northern city gate. The wealthy in the city and the big shots of various factions all go to him for custom weapons."

Hearing the name Blacksmith Hong, I suddenly remembered that when we left the border village, Old Yu had given me a letter. He had mentioned having a friend who was a renowned blacksmith in Baiqi City. I had completely forgotten about it until now. Quickly, I retrieved the letter and checked—sure enough, it was addressed to Blacksmith Hong.

Following Old Cheng's directions, I made my way north through the city. Passing by the Imperial Palace, I approached the city gate. In a maze of twisting alleyways, the rhythmic clanging of metal striking metal echoed from deep within. That had to be Blacksmith Hong's home.

I knocked on the door, and a middle-aged man answered. He appeared to be in his forties or fifties, yet his body was solidly built with bulging muscles. His bare upper body was covered in sweat, and he held a heavy hammer in his right hand. His sharp eyes locked onto me—it was none other than Blacksmith Hong himself.

I took out Old Yu's letter and handed it to him, apologizing for forgetting about it and explaining why I hadn't visited him sooner. I also reassured him that I had already settled in Baiqi City, so he need not worry. Then, I told him that aside from delivering this letter, I had come to commission a weapon.

"What kind of weapon do you want?" Blacksmith Hong's voice was deep and resonant. Perhaps because he was an old friend of Old Yu, he didn't refuse me outright and instead asked directly.

"I'm not entirely sure… just something heavier, maybe a larger blade," I described. Looking around his workshop, I saw various swords, axes, and blades, but I still preferred a knife over the other options.

"How heavy?"

"Uh?" That question caught me off guard. I thought for a moment and then pulled out the Pioneer's Blade from my Qiankun Bag.

Blacksmith Hong first stared at my Qiankun Bag, as if about to say something. But when he saw the Pioneer's Blade, his expression changed. He took the blade and examined it closely, running his fingers over it gently, as if admiring a treasure. I couldn't help but think—this was just a weapon meant for a beginner like me, was it really worth treating so reverently?

"This blade… and that bag… where did they come from?" His voice trembled slightly.

"This? An old blacksmith gave it to me," I replied simply. "Why? Uncle Hong?"

"An old blacksmith…" Uncle Hong murmured to himself. Suddenly, his eyes sharpened, and he grabbed my arms tightly. "Do you know where he lives?"

"I do." His grip was so strong that my arms started to ache. I shook him off and continued, "But he hasn't been home recently—he went away for a while."

I didn't know what relationship he had with Grandfather Pan, but after thinking it over, I figured this answer was best. It wasn't lying, and it wouldn't cause any trouble for Grandfather Pan.

"Oh… he's not home." Uncle Hong's expression darkened. The urgency in his eyes suddenly faded, as if something had drained away. After a moment of silence, he changed the subject. "You want a weapon heavier than this blade, correct?"

I nodded.

"I can make it, but I have one condition. After I forge your new weapon, can you give me this blade?"

"Uh…" If I got a new weapon, giving him the Pioneer's Blade wouldn't be a problem. However, this blade was a gift from Grandfather Pan, not something I had bought myself. If I gave it away without a second thought, what would I do if Grandfather Pan asked about it in the future?

"Never mind," Blacksmith Hong sighed before I could even decide.

"How much will it cost? I'll pay in advance," I quickly changed the subject.

"A thousand gold coins."

Three days later, I returned to pick up my weapon.

It was a brand-new, long blade. The blade was broad and thick, with a slightly curved tip. The edge gleamed sharply, reflecting a cold metallic sheen. Intricate, mysterious patterns were engraved along the blade, and the handle was deep blue, adorned with golden embellishments, exuding an aura of mystery. When I lifted it, the weight felt just right—solid and substantial.

"What's its name?" I asked.

"Its massive blade can cut down a warhorse in one strike," Blacksmith Hong said firmly, pronouncing its name with force.

Zhanmadao!

Holding the Zhanmadao, I was in high spirits, eager to share my excitement. Just then, Gu Bing returned. Not only was he back, but he also carried a new longsword, a gift from his master. He could barely contain his excitement as he showed it to me.

He unsheathed the sword—its blade was long, straight, and emitted a chilling metallic glow. The hilt was sky-blue, wrapped in delicate engravings, and the pommel was finished with gold accents. Along the sides of the blade, grooves ran down its length, seemingly designed to channel air or blood. Where the hilt met the blade, intricate floral carvings adorned the connection. It was an elegant yet mysterious weapon.

"This sword is called Lingfeng," Gu Bing said. With a sharp "Ha!" he slashed downward. A surge of sword energy burst forth from Lingfeng, leaving a deep cut in the ground.