Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

"Are you Wen Zhao?"

Xu Zhibao looked at him with some surprise.

Xu Wenzhao stepped forward, stopped in front of Xu Zhibao, looked him up and down, and suddenly grinned:

"Brother Zhibao, you've lost weight and gotten tanned. But you look much more energetic than before."

Xu Zhibao smiled when he heard him say that, and patted him on the shoulder: "You've grown up, you're half a head taller than before, I almost didn't recognize you."

Xu Wenzhao scratched his head, smiled somewhat embarrassedly, then his smile faded slightly:

"Brother Zhibao, I heard everything that happened in the hall just now. Don't take it too hard. Father and the two elders know that this is not your fault. The Red Lotus Sect had planned this all along. It was already very difficult for you to bring the goods and the eldest young master of the Li family safely to Qingyang County."

Xu Zhibao was silent for a moment, then sighed softly:

"That's true, but those five... after all, they went out with me, and I couldn't bring them back."

Xu Wenzhao shook his head, looking at him earnestly with the sincerity unique to young people:

"Zhibao, do you remember that time we went fishing together by the river when we were kids? You were trying to catch a big fish, and you stepped into a deep pit and almost drowned. I had to run back and call for help to pull you out. Do you remember what the first thing you said after you got out?"

Xu Zhibao paused for a moment, thought for a second, and said somewhat uncertainly:

"I said... 'I'll never go to that river again'?"

"no."

Xu Wenzhao shook his head.

"You meant, 'Once I learn to swim, I'll come back and catch that fish.'"

Xu Zhibao was stunned.

Looking at the boy who was now half a head taller than him, he felt as if he were seeing the little boy who used to follow him around, calling him "brother" with an expression of adoration.

He remained silent for a while before laughing and scolding:

"You brat, you've learned to teach your brother a lesson, haven't you?"

Xu Wenzhao was not angry at his scolding, but just chuckled.

Xu Zhibao sighed again, and the gloom in his eyes dissipated somewhat.

He patted Xu Wenzhao on the shoulder, his tone much more relaxed: "Alright, I understand. Go back now, don't keep the chief waiting."

Xu Wenzhao nodded, turned and took a few steps, then turned back and added, "Brother Zhibao, if you're free tonight, come find me for a drink in the backyard! I've hidden a jar of good wine, and I haven't been able to open it yet!"

Xu Zhibao smiled and nodded.

......

Meanwhile, Li Chengwen led his men through several winding streets and alleys before finally stopping in front of a mansion.

The mansion's facade was not ostentatious, but the two stone lions at the entrance were exquisitely carved, and the vermilion gate was inlaid with copper nails, yet no plaque was hung above the lintel.

Two guards dressed in tight-fitting clothes stood at the entrance, their eyes calm and their breathing deep and steady, clearly not ordinary gatekeepers.

One of the guards, unable to contain his curiosity, asked in a low voice:

"Young Master, what place is this? It looks so grand!"

Li Chengwen, contrary to his usual playful demeanor, put away his usual smile and said in a low voice with a stern face, "Don't ask questions you shouldn't know. Just wait here."

The two guards exchanged a glance, then immediately fell silent and stood aside with their hands at their sides.

Li Chengwen stood at the door for about the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before the vermilion door opened a crack from the inside, and a smiling young girl walked out.

"Quickly, quickly lower your head, don't look!"

After glancing at the newcomer, Li Chengwen immediately lowered his head and gave instructions to the people around him.

The young woman, upon seeing the young master, was quite polite, cupping her hands in greeting:

"Brother Li, I'm so sorry, but my senior sister is currently dealing with some important matters and is unable to attend to you at the moment. However, she said that you can look around the city for a while, and she will come to find you once she has finished her work."

Upon hearing this, Li Chengwen showed no sign of dissatisfaction or disappointment. Instead, he repeatedly cupped his hands and smiled, saying:

"It's alright, it's alright. My sister can go about her business. I'll just browse around by myself. Please tell her not to rush, I'm not in a hurry."

The girl smiled and nodded, then cupped her hands in a respectful bow before retreating inside and closing the door behind her.

Seeing the girl leave, Li Chengwen breathed a long sigh of relief, turned to the group and smiled, "Alright, I've already informed my sister. Let's find a restaurant and have a good meal!"

......

Following the route he remembered, Shen Chu returned to the territory of Wangchuan County.

He successfully located the spot where he had previously buried people and belongings, and after removing the surface soil, he revealed a layer of soil that was slightly different in color.

He finally breathed a slight sigh of relief.

Fortunately, there were no signs that the soil had been disturbed.

After quickly clearing away the surrounding loose soil, a bundle was revealed.

Shen Chu glanced at it by the moonlight and saw that the knife and silver were still there.

It was still dark, and the night wind, carrying a chill, whistled through the branches.

Shen Chu checked the direction and decided to find a place to rest nearby for a while before setting off for Qingyang County after the sun came out.

He circled the edge and found an abandoned temple halfway up the mountain.

The temple was small, with only one main hall. The statues were already dilapidated, making it impossible to identify which deity they represented.

Most of the roof tiles were missing, but at least it could still keep out the wind and rain.

Upon opening the door, a musty, dusty smell hit me. The ground was covered with a thick layer of fallen leaves and dust, and cobwebs filled the corners.

Okay, let's clean up first.

He sighed, quickly cleared a clean area, then gathered some dry firewood and straw and started a fire in the temple.

As the fire rose, its orange-red flames instantly illuminated the entire dilapidated temple, dispelling the chill and darkness.

It also brought a bit more life to this long-abandoned temple.

After a whole night of tossing and turning, Shen Chu was starving.

He took out some dry rations from his bundle, took a bite, and then felt that eating only dry rations was too bland, so he got up, left the temple, and took a walk in the nearby woods.

Before long, he returned carrying two plump wild rabbits.

With his current skills, catching two rabbits is a piece of cake for him.

After skinning and cleaning the rabbit, he skewered it with twigs and roasted it slowly over a fire.

The grease dripped onto the charcoal fire, sizzling and releasing an enticing aroma of meat that filled the dilapidated temple.

Shen Chu tore off a rabbit leg, blew on it to cool it down, and was about to put it in her mouth:

Just then, a voice came from outside the temple gate, sounding weary and pleading: "Excuse me... is anyone inside? We are passing through this place and are very tired. Could we please rest here for the night?"