4: Chapter 4 Liu Sandao's Knife

The sound of horse hooves stopped at the village entrance.

As that coarse, grating shout faded, the room went silent for a moment.

He Shan lowered the straw curtain, his face expressionless as he turned around.

He grabbed the longbow leaning against the wall and pulled an old firewood knife from under the kang mat, tucking it behind his waist.

"Don't move," he said, his voice low. "I'll go."

Yan Meng stood up, his hand resting on the hilt of the blade at his waist.

Zhong Tiegu clenched his fists, his knuckles turning white.

Wen Qian pushed A-Fei toward Granny Xue.

Lu Zhao stood up as well.

He Shan glanced at him, said nothing, and pushed the door open to step out.

Lu Zhao followed behind him.

Outside the door, the wind was cold, swirling with snowflakes.

Three horses stood at the village entrance, carrying three men wearing thick cotton-padded coats and half-worn leather armor.

The leader was around forty, with a square face, triangular eyes, and a short beard on his chin. A wide-bladed, sheathed knife hung at his waist.

The other two were younger, dressed as servants, holding horse whips with undisguised contempt in their eyes.

He Shan stopped three paces from the door and cupped his hands in a salute: "Steward Liu."

The man on the horse was none other than Liu Three-Knives.

He pulled on the reins, and the horse stomped in place, puffing out white breath.

"He Shan." Liu Three-Knives lifted his eyelids. His gaze swept past He Shan and landed on Lu Zhao, pausing for a moment. "Oh? A new face."

"A distant relative, here to recover from injuries," He Shan said.

"Recovering?" Liu Three-Knives sneered. "In this poor mountain ravine? You can't recover a damn thing here."

He stopped looking at Lu Zhao and swept his gaze over the villagers who were coming out of the house one after another.

Qin Wan supported Granny Xue, Tian Dali gripped his hoe, Wen Qian protected A-Fei, and Zhong Tiegu and Yan Meng stood on either side of He Shan.

Song Shouren was the last to come out, his face livid, holding an account book in his hand.

"Is everyone here?" Liu Three-Knives asked lazily.

"Yes," He Shan said. "Steward Liu, are you here to collect the mountain tax?"

"The mountain tax is for the end of the month," Liu Three-Knives waved his hand. "I'm here today to collect the winter defense tax."

"winter defense tax?" Song Shouren stepped forward, his brows furrowed. "There was no such rule in previous years."

"Previous years are previous years," one of the servants beside Liu Three-Knives raised his horse whip. "The mountains aren't peaceful this year, and the Funiu Gang is causing trouble. Our Liu Family provides manpower to patrol the mountains and protect the roads to keep you safe. What's wrong with collecting a little levy?"

"Exactly," the other servant chimed in. "Two taels of silver and ten catties of meat per household. Pay the money and the meat, and we'll ensure you have a peaceful winter."

Two taels of silver, ten catties of meat.

As these words fell, the faces of the villagers changed.

There are ten households in Yangjiao Ravine, and excluding the old and weak, there are barely a dozen able-bodied people who can earn money.

At the end of the year, after deducting food rations and the mountain tax, it is rare to be able to save even two or three taels of silver.

Ten catties of meat is even harder to come by; game is scarce in winter, and the pigs and sheep raised at home must be kept for breeding in the spring.

Song Shouren took a breath, his voice trembling: "Steward Liu, this amount... we really cannot pay it. Last year's mountain tax was already a struggle, and this year's harvest is even worse. Could you please..."

"Cut the crap." Liu Three-Knives interrupted him, his triangular eyes narrowing. "You can't pay? If you can't pay, then move out. The Black Mountain spans three hundred miles; do we really need your few households?"

Song Shouren wanted to say more, but the servant beside Liu Three-Knives suddenly urged his horse forward, the horse's head pushing against him. Song Shouren stumbled back, and the account book fell into the snow.

Yan Meng stepped forward, his hand already gripping the hilt of his blade.

He Shan pressed down on his arm.

Liu Three-Knives saw it and his mouth twisted. "What, want to fight?" He slowly placed his right hand on his hilt, the scabbard rubbing against his leather armor with a faint "shing" sound.

He Shan didn't let go. He stared at Liu Three-Knives, silent for a few moments, before speaking: "Steward Liu, could you grant us a few days? We will try to scrape it together."

"Grant you time?" Liu Three-Knives laughed, but there was no warmth in his smile. "Fine, three days. I'll come back in three days. If I don't see the silver and meat, don't blame me for being heartless."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd again, finally landing on Lu Zhao's face.

"Also, the newcomer." He lifted his scabbard, pointing at Lu Zhao. "Since you're here, you must follow the rules. You have a share of the winter defense tax too."

Lu Zhao had been standing quietly. His gaze landed on the knife at Liu Three-Knives' waist—the scabbard was ordinary, but the cord wrapping on the handle exposed at the mouth of the scabbard was heavily worn, a mark left by a hand that held the blade year-round.

Liu Three-Knives sat loosely on his horse, but the hand resting on his blade had its fingers slightly curled, and his shoulders and back were tensed.

He is a martial arts practitioner, but his skills aren't deep. Lu Zhao judged internally. However, that blade... it faintly exuded an icy, sinister Evil Qi; though faint, it was unsettling.

His mind suddenly cleared.

A chill shot up his spine, not from the wind and snow, but from some mysterious warning. In a moment of sudden intuition, the wisp of purple True Qi in his Dantian began to circulate on its own, spreading warmth that dispelled the sinister chill.

At the same time, a concise message appeared in his mind:

[Destiny Triggered: First Glimpse of Sharpness]

[The Black Mountain Liu Family uses power to oppress others, making endless demands. Yangjiao Ravine's livelihood is severed; there is no retreat.]

[Repel Liu Three-Knives and intimidate his fierce arrogance to secure ten days of peace.]

[Upon success, the mind will open on its own, granting the opportunity to enlighten the mundane and awaken the martial Dao.]

No emotion, no elaboration, just like a thought naturally arising in his heart.

Lu Zhao looked up, meeting Liu Three-Knives' scrutinizing gaze.

Seeing him staring at his blade, Liu Three-Knives narrowed his triangular eyes even further: "What are you looking at?"

Lu Zhao took a step forward.

The snow crunched underfoot. He Shan turned his head to look at him, questioning in his eyes. Yan Meng's fingers tightened. Qin Wan gripped Granny Xue's sleeve.

Lu Zhao walked to the front of the horse, looked up, his expression calm.

"Not a bad blade," he said.

Liu Three-Knives was taken aback.

"May I see it?" Lu Zhao extended his hand, palm upward.

Liu Three-Knives stared at him for two or three seconds, then suddenly burst into laughter.

"Borrow my blade?" His laughter stopped, and his face suddenly turned cold. "Kid, do you know who I am?"

"I know," Lu Zhao didn't retract his hand. "The Black Mountain Liu Family, Liu Three-Knives."

"You know, and you still dare to ask to borrow my blade?" Liu Three-Knives leaned forward, looking down from above. "Within these three hundred miles of Black Mountain, the Liu Family's words are the law! The blade in my hand is the rule!"

He pulled out half the blade with a "shing" sound.

The blade glowed a bluish-gray, with faint dark patterns on the edge, and a wave of icy, sinister Evil Qi rushed toward them. He Shan, standing closest, frowned and instinctively took a half-step back.

But Lu Zhao remained motionless. He even leaned in closer, carefully examining the half-exposed blade.

"Hundred-refined steel, mixed with three qian of cold iron," he said slowly. "The forging temperature was off by a fraction, and there are tiny cracks in the edge. The cord wrapping is black rhino leather, but the wear is excessive where the right fingers grip it. You practice right-handed sword techniques, yet you often use reverse-hand sweeping slashes—so here," he gestured vaguely at the middle of the hilt, "it's worn the brightest."

The sneer on Liu Three-Knives' face froze.

His grip on the blade tightened, his eyes filled with shock and suspicion. He had spent a fortune buying this blade from an armory in the commandery city; the shop owner had said it was mixed with cold iron and was incredibly sharp. As for the forging temperature and wear marks... he hadn't even noticed them himself.

This kid... what is his background?

Lu Zhao retracted his hand and clasped it behind his back.

"It is a good blade," he looked up at Liu Three-Knives, "but it is a pity that the person using it..."

He paused. His voice was not loud, but it clearly drilled into everyone's ears.

"...has a crooked heart."

Liu Three-Knives' face suddenly flushed red.

"You're courting death!" He drew the blade completely from its scabbard, the tip pointing directly at Lu Zhao.

The two servants also drew their sabers, their horses stomping, forming a pincer formation.

He Shan, Yan Meng, and Zhong Tiegu stepped forward in unison, blocking in front of Lu Zhao. Tian Dali raised his hoe. Qin Wan pulled A-Fei back.

The wind and snow seemed to freeze at this moment.

Lu Zhao, however, shook his head. His gaze swept over Liu Three-Knives' hand holding the blade—the knuckles were white, but the wrist was trembling slightly. He swept his gaze over the two servants—their eyes were fierce, but their horses were shifting uneasily, showing they had no confidence.

A hard fight might result in victory. But if Liu Three-Knives died here, the Liu Family's main force would arrive in an instant. Yangjiao Ravine could not withstand it.

Thoughts flashed through his mind, but his face remained calm.

"Steward Liu," Lu Zhao spoke. "Three days. Three days from now, the winter defense tax will be delivered in full."

Liu Three-Knives kept his blade steady, staring at him intensely.

"And if you don't pay?"

"Do with us as you please."

Liu Three-Knives' eyes flickered. He stared at Lu Zhao, then swept over He Shan and the others, finally letting his gaze return to his own blade. The words just spoken had made him wary. This kid didn't look like an ordinary villager; he seemed like someone who had seen the world. If they really fought, he might not come out on top.

Better to take the step down. Three days... he would come back in three days. If they couldn't pay, he would have the perfect excuse to massacre the village and establish his authority.

Having made up his mind, he slowly sheathed his blade.

"Fine," Liu Three-Knives pulled on the reins. "Three days it is. At noon three days from now, I'll bring my men to collect. If even one coin of silver or one tael of meat is missing..."

He pointed his scabbard in a circle, sneering.

"I'll massacre the village."

[part:gemini-3.0-flash]

With that, he squeezed the horse's flanks and turned the horse around. The two house servants glared fiercely at everyone before following him away.

The sound of horse hooves gradually faded, disappearing into the wind and snow.

The village entrance fell silent for a moment.

Song Shouren bent down to pick up the ledger and brushed off the snow, his fingers still trembling. Qin Wan let out a sigh of relief and let go of Granny Xue's sleeve. A-Fei poked his head out from behind Granny Xue, his small face pale.

He Shan turned around and looked at Lu Zhao.

"Three days... where are we going to get that silver and meat?"

Yan Meng also looked over, his gaze solemn.

Zhong Tiegu said in a muffled voice, "If it doesn't work, we'll just fight them."

Lu Zhao didn't answer immediately. He gazed in the direction Liu Three-Knives had departed, where the wind and snow quickly covered the hoofprints.

"We can't win a fight." He withdrew his gaze and looked at everyone. "The Evil Qi on Liu Three-Knives' blade comes from having killed people. Those two house servants are skilled in horsemanship; they aren't ordinary guards. If we really start fighting, we might be able to keep them here, but there will definitely be casualties. And..."

He paused.

"The Liu Family's main force is in Black Mountain City. If Liu Three-Knives dies here, Liu Zhenxiong will personally bring his men by tomorrow at the latest."

He Shan remained silent. He knew Lu Zhao was right.

"Then what should we do?" Tian Dali gripped his hoe. "Three days, thirty-five taels of silver, a hundred catties of meat... even if we sell everything we own, we won't be able to gather it all."

Lu Zhao walked to the old locust tree at the village entrance. There was a deep blade mark on the trunk, carved by Liu Three-Knives last year.

He reached out and touched the blade mark; the wood splinters pricked his hand.

"If we can't gather it, we won't."

Everyone was stunned.

Lu Zhao turned around, the wind and snow blowing the stray hairs on his forehead. His gaze swept across their faces, from He Shan's grit to Zhong Tiegu's honesty, to Granny Xue's resilient kindness, and to the unease in A-Fei's eyes.

"This crisis cannot be avoided," he said. "What the Liu Family wants isn't silver and meat; they want us to stay on our knees, forever. If we give the winter defense tax today, there will be the Spring Tax, the Summer Levy, and the Autumn Tribute tomorrow. Once you kneel, you have to kneel for a lifetime."

He Shan's eyes flickered.

"You mean..."

"Three days," Lu Zhao said slowly. "Give me three days. In three days, when Liu Three-Knives comes back, there will be no need for silver and no need for meat."

"Then what will we use?"

Lu Zhao didn't answer. He looked up at the sky, where dark clouds hung low and snow continued to fall.

"Go back first," he said. "There are some things that need to be prepared."

Everyone looked at each other, but seeing He Shan nod, they turned and returned to their houses one after another. Qin Wan supported Granny Xue, Wen Qian led A-Fei, Tian Dali carried his hoe, and Song Shouren held the ledger.

Zhong Tiegu walked at the very back. He glanced back at Lu Zhao, looking as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, he said nothing.

Lu Zhao stood alone under the locust tree and touched the blade mark once more.

Within his spiritual platform, that sensation remained clear.

[Repel Liu Three-Knives and intimidate his ferocity to ensure ten days of peace.]

He withdrew his hand, his palm feeling slightly warm.

Not now. Fighting hard now would come at too high a price.

But in three days...

He turned and walked back, leaving a trail of footprints in the snow.

Late at night.

Lu Zhao lay on the kang, unable to sleep. Outside the window, the wind wailed, and occasionally there was the soft sound of snow snapping a withered branch.

He was simulating the encounter in his mind over and over again—Liu Three-Knives' blade techniques, the coordination of the two house servants, the charge of the horses... and that wisp of purple Qi in his Dantian.

He had already attained basic mastery of the first volume of the Nine Yang Divine Skill. Although the True Qi was weak, it was extremely Yang and extremely strong, perfectly suited to counter the cold Evil Qi on Liu Three-Knives' blade. He just needed to figure out how to use it.

As he was thinking, a very soft knock came from the door.

Thump, thump.

Two knocks, a pause, and then another.

Lu Zhao got up to open the door. Zhong Tiegu was standing outside, carrying a dark object on his shoulder wrapped in burlap.

"Little brother," Zhong Tiegu whispered. "You're not asleep, are you?"

"No."

Zhong Tiegu stepped into the room and set the object down. When the burlap was unwrapped, it revealed a piece of pig iron about two feet long, half a foot wide, and three inches thick. Its surface was rough, glowing with a cold, hard grayish-black hue.

"I dug this out of an old mine pit," Zhong Tiegu squatted down, touching the surface of the iron block. "It's been buried for years, but the quality is decent."

Lu Zhao also squatted down and tapped the iron surface; the sound was solid and deep.

"What do you want to forge?"

Zhong Tiegu looked up at him, his eyes shining startlingly bright in the lamplight.

"A blade," he said. "A blade that can kill."

Lu Zhao said nothing.

Zhong Tiegu continued, "I still have a few pieces of wrought iron in my shop, and enough charcoal. But... while they're fine for forging ordinary wood-chopping knives or hoes, to forge a blade that can clash with Liu Three-Knives' weapon, the heat isn't enough, and the iron isn't good enough."

He paused, his voice dropping lower.

"When my father was alive, he said a good blade needs good iron, and good iron needs a fierce fire. Here, we have nothing."

Lu Zhao looked at the piece of pig iron. Fragments from "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" about sword casting flashed through his mind, followed by the description of Dugu Qiubai's Sword Tomb from "The Return of the Condor Heroes." Those words, which were originally just stories, now transformed into a kind of tangible realization under the influence of the heart of the martial ancestor.

"If the heat isn't enough, it can be added," Lu Zhao said slowly. "If the iron isn't good enough, it can be refined."

Zhong Tiegu was stunned.

"How do we refine it?"

Lu Zhao didn't answer immediately. He pressed his hand onto the pig iron, and that wisp of purple Qi in his Dantian quietly circulated, slowly flowing through the Meridians of his arm and into the iron.

The iron block didn't react at all. Mortal iron was, after all, mortal iron; it could not carry True Qi.

But then Lu Zhao had a thought. Since he couldn't inject it, why not... work from the outside in?

"Stack-forging," he said, withdrawing his hand and looking at Zhong Tiegu. "Stack this pig iron and the wrought iron together and forge them repeatedly to make them fuse together. One layer of hardness, one layer of toughness. After being tempered a thousand times, it might work."

Zhong Tiegu's eyes lit up.

"Steel-Sandwiching!" he blurted out. "My father mentioned it, but we don't have that skill here, and we can't control the heat..."

"I'll find a way to handle the heat," Lu Zhao said. "You prepare the furnace first and get the charcoal burning as hot as possible. Tomorrow morning, we open the forge."

Zhong Tiegu nodded heavily, a red glow appearing on his face. He rewrapped the iron block, hoisted it onto his shoulder, walked to the door, and then turned back.

"Little brother," he opened his mouth as if he wanted to say something, but in the end, only one sentence came out.

"Iron must be tempered a thousand times, and so must people."

With that, he pushed the door open and left, his footsteps quickly disappearing into the wind and snow.

Lu Zhao closed the door and sat back down by the kang.

The oil lamp flickered like a bean, and the shadows swayed.

He spread his palm; the slight warmth had not yet dissipated. Although the attempt to pass Qi into the iron had failed, his understanding of the Nine Yang Divine Skill's operation had become a bit clearer during the circulation of True Qi.

Three days.

He closed his eyes, and the purple Qi slowly spiraled in his Dantian.

Outside the window, the wind grew even stronger.

In the distance on the mountain road, three horses were galloping through the wind and snow.

Liu Three-Knives' face was dark, and he didn't say a word. The two house servants followed behind, not daring to speak either.

Just now in Yangjiao Ravine, that new kid... had made him feel inexplicably uneasy. That look in his eyes, that tone of voice—it didn't seem like something that could be raised in a mountain ravine.

And then there were those comments about the blade.

Liu Three-Knives gripped the hilt of his blade. The area where his right fingers gripped it was indeed where the wear was most severe. He hadn't even noticed it himself, yet that kid had seen it at a glance.

"Steward," a house servant urged his horse closer. "That kid is uncanny. Should we go back and report to the Family Head to bring more men?"

Liu Three-Knives glanced at him.

"Report what?" he sneered. "A mere brat scared you with just a few words?"

The house servant shrunk his neck.

Liu Three-Knives ignored him, squeezed his horse's flanks, and increased his speed.

But that bit of unease in his heart refused to go away.

He looked back toward Yangjiao Ravine. The wind and snow were vast, and the outline of the village had long since vanished.

Three days later.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

If they couldn't hand over the silver and meat, he would take the opportunity to get rid of that kid. As for the others in Yangjiao Ravine... he would kill a few who were defiant, and the rest would naturally fall to their knees.

He touched the hilt of his blade; it felt ice-cold to the touch.

This blade had tasted blood. Not much, but enough to suppress these peasants.

The wind and snow howled, and the sound of horse hooves was drowned out by the wind.

Yangjiao Ravine was immersed in the night. Most households had already extinguished their lights; only Zhong Tiegu's blacksmith shop still glowed with fire.

The furnace fire blazed, reflecting on half of his sweat-drenched face.

He swung the iron hammer, smashing it onto the glowing red iron block.

*Clang!*

Sparks flew, illuminating the burlap-wrapped pig iron in the corner.

As dawn broke, the first short blade was quenched and formed, with cloud patterns faintly appearing on the edge.

He Shan suddenly burst into the blacksmith shop, his expression grave: "Scouts from the Funiu Gang have sneaked to the Back Mountain!"