87: Chapter 0087 Adventure

"Black Blade (mystic grade), a black straight blade lost in the mine, seemingly hiding an unknown past. 1500 Prestige."

Lin Xiao's eyes narrowed. mystic grade, 1500 Prestige!? More expensive than an Earth Grade weapon!?

If not for the yellow grade Disguise Technique costing 1500 earlier, he would have been completely shocked!

But the Disguise Technique is a skill that can be upgraded; could this blade... also be upgraded?

"System, does this Black Blade only spawn in the mine?"

[System: This item is a special encounter item and only has a chance to spawn in specific locations.]

"A special encounter item? So that means it's very powerful?"

[System: Special encounter items only possess scarcity; they might be certain special tokens and do not necessarily represent practical value.]

After hearing this, Lin Xiao couldn't help but frown.

In other words, the reason this blade is expensive might just be that its former owner had an extraordinary identity.

1500 Prestige is not a small amount; he only had 1260 in total.

If he emptied his pockets and added two yellow grade pieces of equipment to trade for a mystic grade weapon, that would be a huge loss!

However... with the Disguise Technique as a successful precedent, Lin Xiao felt he could take a gamble!

After the battle with the Northern Barbarians earlier, he still had a few yellow grade items left, which Lin Xiao exchanged for Prestige.

Once he had enough for 1500, he bought it immediately!

[Ding! Obtained "Black Blade", a jet-black straight blade that has lost its former sharpness due to being sealed for too long. Grade: mystic grade (can be unsealed 0/1000)]

After buying it, the description text changed immediately!

"You little System, this blade is sealed; why didn't you say so earlier!?"

[System: Dear Host, is there a possibility that I only just found out too? Ծ ‸ Ծ]

I don't believe a word you say!

Lin Xiao couldn't be bothered to argue with it; this blade should be unsealed once it kills 1000 people.

As long as it can be upgraded to Earth Grade, he wouldn't be at a loss, and if it could be upgraded further... that would be a huge profit!

Just at this moment, Lin Xiao heard some commotion down the mountain?

Lin Xiao and Mu Wanying quickly got up and put on their clothes.

An enemy attack was impossible; unless General Du Lun was crazy, coming in the middle of the night would be suicide.

The two arrived in the village, and General Zhao Kuan and the others immediately came to report.

"Lin Xiao, a family just got possessed by evil spirits while burning coal!"

"Possessed?"

Lin Xiao walked over to take a look and saw an elderly couple lying on the ground, having already stopped breathing.

A child was being held in the arms of a villager father who was mining, retching continuously.

Lin Xiao didn't need to ask to know it was definitely carbon monoxide poisoning.

But the people in this world didn't understand; they all thought it was possession by evil spirits.

"Didn't I say that you must open a window when burning coal?! You closed them all?!"

Wei Dongxue replied, "General, the neighbors said it was the child being mischievous and closing the window."

"The old folks doted on the child and also felt it was cold, so they didn't stop them."

General Zhao Kuan sighed, "Brother, actually, thousands of people die from 'possession' by burning coal in the Northern Territory every year; you don't need to take it too much to heart."

"Especially during the coldest days, charcoal is too expensive, and commoners can't afford it; if they don't burn coal, many people will freeze to death."

Hearing this, Lin Xiao realized he had overlooked the problem of surviving the winter.

If the workers and farmers of Baishui Prefecture were frozen like grandchildren in the winter, how could they labor and produce?

Lin Xiao immediately summoned Old Yu and Xie Yu to hold a meeting, and they began making a set of molds overnight.

The next morning.

The grass leaves were covered in frost.

Lin Xiao personally taught several workers step-by-step how to make honeycomb coal.

In fact, a lot of coal had been sitting idle recently; smelting iron and burning limestone didn't use that much coal.

And with ten thousand "miners", the coal output was too fast.

In over half a month, two small hills of it had been piled up; it couldn't be burned, absolutely couldn't be burned!

Lin Xiao mixed the coal and yellow clay in a seven-to-three ratio and put it into the wooden molds Xie Yu had made.

After pouring it out and letting it dry, the honeycomb coal was ready.

"Hiss... what's the difference between this thing and regular coal?" Old Yu asked, puzzled.

"That's right, can it even burn if it's mixed with mud?" Xie Yu asked strangely.

Lin Xiao smiled and said, "Won't you know if you try it?"

The group of craftsmen was also very interested; they had never thought about shaping coal.

After lighting two of them in a clay stove, everyone was dumbfounded!

"Oh my god, it can really burn?"

"The fire goes straight up; I feel like I could set a pot on it to cook!"

"The smell is also reduced; it's much more comfortable than burning coal directly!"

The group marveled, as if they had discovered a treasure.

With honeycomb coal, coal utilization was higher, heating was safer, and storage was easier.

Xie Yu looked at Lin Xiao as if he were looking at a great beauty.

"Lin Xiao, what other good things are you hiding? Tell us all; I want to learn!"

"You should just learn from Old Yu; I don't have time to teach you."

As soon as Lin Xiao spoke, Old Yu nearby was so scared his wine pot almost fell to the ground, and he blurted out, "I can't accept that!"

"Don't be like that... I have a younger sister who is exceptionally beautiful; can I let you be my brother-in-law?"

Xie Yu started selling his sister directly!

Lin Xiao couldn't help but be shocked. Good grief, did he see through his only "weakness"?

Mu Wanying on the side instantly revealed a cold expression, but unfortunately, Xie Yu didn't notice at all.

"That's not right... you want to be my brother-in-law? Are you taking advantage of me!?"

Lin Xiao laughed and scolded, kicking him away.

The group of old masters laughed heartily on the side; it seemed they were accustomed to this young marquis's absurdity.

Seven days later.

Lin Xiao received the latest intelligence from the north; multiple Northern Barbarians tribes had finished assembling and were marching south.

Looking at the twelve bunkers and six watchtowers that had been built, Lin Xiao wasn't sure if he could successfully defend the mine and the workshop.

But regardless, he had to take his main army back to Baishui Prefecture; the base camp could not be lost.

Before leaving, General Zhao Kuan and Wei Dongxue volunteered to lead two thousand elites and one thousand Militia to guard Heiya Village.

Lin Xiao had intended to leave all five thousand elites behind, but General Zhao Kuan and Wei Dongxue refused.

"Lin Xiao, with these concrete fortifications, if we still cannot block those five thousand troops, then we are not worthy of following you!"

"That's right, brother, it's time for me to help out a bit; rest assured and go back to fight the Northern Barbarians!" General Zhao Kuan said earnestly.

Seeing that their minds were made up, Lin Xiao didn't say anything more.

Soldiers are raised for a thousand days to be used in one moment.

He couldn't do everything himself; he had to give his subordinates opportunities to train.

Lin Xiao immediately took the remaining seventeen thousand people, transporting a full load of various production supplies, and returned to Baishui Prefecture.

Especially the craftsmen who mastered key technologies; they were all valuable talents, and he certainly wouldn't leave them in Heiya Village.

And just on the second day after Lin Xiao left.

Wu Mountain city finally opened its gates!

General Du Lun wore armor, rode a tall horse, and led his troops out of the city.

The faces of the White Kings Army soldiers were all anxious and impatient!

Having been cooped up for almost a month, they were almost going crazy.

"General, it is confirmed; the main force of the Zhenbei Army has left, the Northern Barbarians are attacking, and Lin Xiao has to return to defend!"

The military advisor said excitedly, "Now there are at most three thousand left in Heiya Village; with our five thousand troops, plus the one thousand garrison troops given by Governor Guo, six thousand against three thousand is equivalent to two against one, an absolute advantage!!"

"The most critical thing... is that the god of slaughter, Lin Xiao, has left. He is truly arrogant to think that three thousand people can block this General's five thousand elite troops?"

General Du Lun sneered, "Pass the order down! Move all the catapults to the front line; first destroy their arrow towers, then kill them all without leaving a single armor intact!!"

"Yes!!"

The six thousand White Kings Army troops marched majestically toward Heiya Village.