Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

After the flag lord gave a few more instructions, the men in black gradually dispersed and disappeared silently into the wilderness.

Liu also left with the last group of people; her steps seemed somewhat hurried.

Clearly, the stern warning from the flag lord had made her dare not slack off in the slightest.

But the flag leader did not leave. He remained standing at the entrance of the deserted temple, neither speaking nor moving, as if waiting for something.

Shen Chu lay quietly behind the earthen slope, her thoughts racing.

He guessed that the banner lord was waiting for him.

Or to be more precise, the flag lord was waiting for that red lotus.

The strange man in the green robe had told him to bring Honglian to this deserted temple, where someone would come to meet them.

The "August 15th" flag leader in front of them was clearly the person who was there to meet them.

The reason he remained in the same spot after everyone had left was probably because he was waiting for the person who would come to meet him with Honglian.

That is, Shen Chu,

After thinking for a moment, Shen Chu made her decision.

He stood up from behind the earthen slope, no longer concealing himself, and walked step by step toward the deserted temple.

As Shen Chu stood up, the flag lord immediately noticed his presence.

He suddenly turned towards Shen Chu, a hint of undisguised shock flashing in his eyes hidden behind the mask.

He was completely unaware that there was someone hiding nearby!

With his cultivation level, he should be able to sense even the slightest movement within a radius of several dozen feet, yet this masked man appeared silently!

It looked as if it had emerged from underground!

At this moment, the flag leader's hand was already on the hilt of his sword, and his aura suddenly surged, like a ferocious beast poised to pounce.

"Who are you?!"

He was both surprised and suspicious!

Shen Chu did not answer.

He calmly reached into his robes and took out the red lotus.

The red lotus shone with an eerie glow under the moonlight, its petals layered upon each other, as if they had just been plucked from the branch. Its red color was particularly striking in the night, like a burning flame, lying quietly in his palm.

But the moment the flag lord's gaze fell upon the red lotus, the hostility emanating from him receded like a receding tide.

His hand, which had been resting on the hilt of the knife, slowly loosened. He then took a step back and knelt on one knee, his voice filled with utmost respect and devotion:

"I was unaware of the special envoy's arrival and have greatly offended you. Please forgive me, Special Envoy!"

Looking at the flag lord who had been murderous just moments before but was now kneeling on the ground, Shen Chu couldn't help but feel a strange sensation.

It seems that the red lotus given to him by the strange man in the green robe is more important than he imagined!

This made him feel a little more relaxed.

He didn't rush to make the banner lord get up, but instead walked forward unhurriedly, looking down at him with a composed tone:

Get up.

After receiving Shen Chu's permission, the flag chief stood up, but still bowed, his attitude extremely respectful.

His gaze swept quickly over Shen Chu, trying to discern his origins and identity from his physique.

But Shen Chu had already disguised herself before arriving, so the flag leader naturally couldn't detect anything.

This made him even more wary of Shen Chu.

Shen Chu was unaware of what the flag lord was thinking. He had already made up his mind to take this opportunity to extract as much information as possible.

Since the banner lord regarded him as some kind of "special envoy," he might as well use this identity to properly test this banner lord.

"How are the preparations going on your end?"

Shen Chu asked, her tone carrying a hint of scrutiny.

The flag lord quickly bowed and replied:

"Reporting back to the special envoy, everything is progressing according to plan. All key locations in Changping County have been infiltrated, and we are just waiting for the right moment to take action. We have also recruited almost all the manpower. Although most of them are ordinary people without cultivation, their numbers are numerous. Once the uprising begins, we will be able to control the main streets and government offices of the county in a short period of time."

Shen Chu nodded calmly, but secretly memorized this information.

He continued, "What about the weapons? I think I just heard someone say that we're short of some knives?"

Seeing that Shen Chu had discovered his incompetence, the flag leader's tone carried a hint of embarrassment and annoyance:

"It is my fault for not managing my subordinates properly, and I apologize for the embarrassing situation. The pawn in charge of procuring weapons for the Li family has indeed encountered some obstacles, but I have given her a firm order to fill the gap within half a month, and I will not delay the important matter."

Shen Chu hummed in agreement, not dwelling on the matter further, but instead changing the subject casually, asking:

"Where do you plan to use that red lotus?"

Upon hearing this, the flag lord remained silent for a moment, seemingly considering his words. Finally, under Shen Chu's gaze, he stammered out his reply:

"Reporting to the special envoy, the Red Lotus is an important part of the ceremony. According to the rules of the sect, only those of the rank of banner chief or above can know its specific usage, but since the special envoy was personally appointed by the Nine Elders, he must be very clear about this."

His answer was perfectly watertight, revealing neither key information nor directly offending Shen Chu.

Shen Chu cursed the old fox in his heart, but his face remained calm. He simply nodded slightly, as if he should have known all along, and did not ask any further questions.

He changed his approach, probing indirectly, "And the time? When is it set?"

This time, the flag lord didn't hide anything and answered straightforwardly:

"It will take at least another month. The red lotus needs to be continuously nourished for at least a month to exert its proper effect. Before that, it is not advisable to take any rash actions."

One month.

Shen Chu secretly breathed a sigh of relief. A month was enough time for him to do many things—whether it was to escape or to find a way to stop the uprising, there was still room for maneuver.

He then gave a few perfunctory instructions, such as "be sure to act cautiously" and "do not let the news leak out," before waving his hand to indicate that he was leaving. The flag lord immediately bowed to see him off, his attitude impeccably respectful.

Shen Chu turned and left, his figure quickly disappearing into the night. His steps were steady, and he didn't look back until he had walked quite a distance before slowing down and letting out a long breath.

Behind him, in the open space in front of the deserted temple, the flag lord still stood in the same spot, watching Shen Chu's figure disappear into the darkness. Only after confirming that Shen Chu had gone far away did he slowly withdraw his gaze and look down at the red lotus in his hand.

Under the moonlight, the petals of the red lotus were so delicate and beautiful, as if they had been watered with fresh blood.

The flag lord held the crimson lotus before his eyes, his bronze mask concealing his expression, but his exposed eyes burned with an almost fanatical flame. A slow, sinister smile spread across his lips, his voice low and agitated, as if he were talking to himself, or perhaps confiding in the crimson lotus:

"After waiting for so long... it's finally here..."