Chapter 187: No Talk About This Saber
That evening, a murder occurred in a narrow alley in Xi'an. A man in his thirties was hacked to death.
The killer had been exceptionally brutal, striking the victim dozens of times, particularly disfiguring his face beyond recognition.
A night watchman patrolling the city discovered the body and promptly reported it to the authorities. Unaware of the victim's identity, officials began a city-wide search for any missing residents. Eventually, word came that a firearms artisan named Xu Dafu from the government workshop had disappeared. They quickly summoned a master artisan to identify the corpse.
The master artisan immediately recognized the clothes on the body as Xu Dafu’s. In his pocket, they found Xu Dafu’s purse – empty, of course.
With the victim identified, the constables began their search for clues and the killer. However, the deceased was a penniless firearms artisan, with neither wife nor child. The constables, therefore, had little motivation to pursue the case vigorously; a perfunctory investigation would suffice to close the books.
While the city played its game of crime and investigation...
Xing Honglang, accompanied by thirty-eight subordinates, a lantern maker, and a firearms artisan, was preparing to leave Xi'an.
Both artisans were dressed identically to her followers, looking every bit like itinerant merchants.
The group moved through streets and alleys, making their way towards the city gate.
A flash of Gao Chuwu’s towering physique instantly crossed Xing Honglang’s mind.
"How much for this saber?"
"Three strings of cash!"
"I'll take it."
Xing Honglang settled the deal, paid, and hoisted the saber onto her back. When she turned around, she found all thirty-eight of her subordinates staring at her with peculiar expressions.
Xing Honglang bristled. "What are you gawking at? What's so special about me buying a saber? What's with those strange looks?"
Old Zhu cautiously spoke up, "Boss, this saber... for you, perhaps... it's a bit too—"
"—large?"
"Thwack!"
Xing Honglang landed a punch squarely on Old Zhu’s head, sending him crouching with his hands clutched to his skull. "Anyone who mentions this saber again," she declared, "I'll beat them so their own mother won't recognize them!"
All thirty-eight subordinates clamped their mouths shut in unison.
The Boss is sensitive, can't take a joke. Silence, silence.
Xing Honglang and her group passed through the gates of Xi'an Prefecture city without incident. Xu Dafu had been terrified of being questioned, but the old soldiers guarding the gate paid him no mind.
In recent days, the city had been overrun with refugees; people streamed in and out like a bustling market. The old soldiers had no patience to check identities one by one. One merely asked a perfunctory question, accepted a piece of broken silver from Xing Honglang, and waved them through immediately.
Only then did Xu Dafu realize that escaping wasn't as difficult as he had imagined.
It turned out the government's power had waned to such an extent, or perhaps, the authorities simply no longer had the time to concern themselves with people like him.
Having never stepped outside Xi'an Prefecture in his entire life, the moment he passed through the city gate, he felt a profound sense of liberation, as if the sky stretched endlessly for a bird to soar. It was the exact same feeling that Li Da, the blacksmith, had experienced half a year ago when he left Chengcheng County.
"It's not safe out here," Xing Honglang boomed with a laugh. "All of Shaanxi is crawling with bandits. You'd best prepare yourselves mentally; we might have to fight our way back the whole journey."
That statement startled the two artisans yet again.
Leaving Xi'an, they first passed through Weinan, where things were relatively calm. But as they reached Dali County, the mountain road ahead echoed with the clang of gongs and drums. A gang of over a hundred mountain bandits blocked their path, shouting, "This mountain is ours to open, this tree is ours to—"
Xing Honglang brandished her saber and roared, "I am Xing Honglang of Yongji! Anyone not afraid of death, block my path!"
"Xing Honglang of Yongji!"
At the sound of her name, the bandits scattered like startled birds.
"Hmph! A pack of rats," Xing Honglang scoffed. "Let's go. Keep moving."
The two artisans' eyes were truly opened. This woman could scare off a hundred bandits just by uttering her name? Was her reputation really that formidable in the martial world? They felt as though they’d found a truly powerful patron.
Following her, they might genuinely get rich.
The group traveled by day and rested by night, quickly passing Dali County and continuing north. Ahead lay the boundary marker between Chengcheng County and Dali County...
Just as they were about to cross the border, another squad of government soldiers suddenly appeared, led by the new military inspector, Fang Wushang. He sat astride his horse, spear held horizontally, and pointed it at Xing Honglang’s group. "Who are you people?" he demanded.
Xing Honglang replied, "We are sugar merchants."
"Sugar merchants?" Fang Wushang squinted. "You people look fierce, every one of you. Not like sugar merchants at all, more like salt smugglers."
This statement gave everyone a jolt, and many hands instinctively moved towards their saber hilts.
Xing Honglang casually took a carrying pole from a subordinate’s shoulder and offered it to him. "Officer," she explained, "we carry swords and sabers for self-preservation; you know how unsettled things are out here. As for what we sell, please inspect it thoroughly. This basket still has traces of sugar."
Fang Wushang used his spear to lift the carrying pole, sliding it closer. He reached into the corner of the bamboo basket, picked out a white crystal, and tasted it. Sweet...
Xing Honglang then offered him a silver ingot.
"Take it back," Fang Wushang pushed away Xing Honglang's silver, scoffing. "Don't mistake me for one of those dullards who swindle, extort, and demand bribes. I make my living by my own skill!"
With that, he cleared the road. "Conduct your business properly, and don't get any crooked ideas."
Xing Honglang pocketed the silver and led her subordinates past him.
Behind them, Fang Wushang shouted again, "If you hear any news of bandits, report it to the authorities immediately! I'll make sure not a single one of them is left standing!"
Xing Honglang turned back, gave Fang Wushang a long, appraising look, and clasped her hands in a respectful salute.
This time, her salute held an added measure of respect.
The group continued their journey towards Gao Family Village.
Old Zhu sidled closer. "That new military inspector seems like an honest fellow."
Xing Honglang murmured, "He's honest enough, but far too crude. Men like him don't last long.
See, he only checked one of our carrying poles, tasted the sugar, and let us go. If he’d checked two more, he would have found the salt."
Old Zhu nodded. "Boss is right, he won't last long. If he doesn't die at the hands of bandits, he'll die by the government. Hah!"
Now that they had entered Chengcheng County, everyone breathed a sigh of relief.
The "public order" here was indeed far better than in the surrounding counties.
This was likely the benefit of Gao Family Village continuously distributing grain through Liang Shixian. As long as the common folk had enough to eat, they wouldn’t risk their lives engaging in rebellion and inviting execution.
Having traveled extensively, Xing Honglang understood the state of the world with increasing clarity.
The Heavenly Lord protected one region, safeguarding its peace and joy, but where the Heavenly Lord's protection did not reach, the landscape was akin to a living hell.
This was something the joyful villagers within Gao Family Village could scarcely imagine.
She turned her head, glancing at the firearms artisan trailing with the group. *The Heavenly Lord specifically requested a firearms artisan,* she mused. *It must be to... fight their way out?*
For Gao Family Village's happiness to spread across the world, they would indeed have to fight their way out! To sweep away all the devils and monsters in this realm.
Xing Honglang unconsciously clenched her fists. If the Heavenly Lord truly intended this, she, a humble woman, would gladly offer her utmost service.
Just now, my father-in-law prepared a cup of lemonade for me. When I cut open the lemon, the pattern inside formed a cross shape – a sign from Heaven! So, I had no choice but to add an extra chapter.
[/.Zero hour]/
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