Chief, don't hit me in the face

Chapter 16: Fully Armed

Weapons are the most important thing to a warrior; they represent the right to survive and the hope of life. Xia Ye picked up the Nepalese scimitar. Its jujube wood sheath was wrapped in yellow raw cowhide, and the handle was made of buffalo horn—it looked somewhat rough. But when he drew it, the blade, forged entirely of bronze, radiated a chilling aura. “Ah!” Xia Lingyue let out a low gasp of surprise; the blade’s shape was truly bizarre, with the widest part at the front of the blade and the blade itself curving forward and downward, just like a dog’s leg. Xia Ye took a step back and swung it a couple of times; a satisfied smile immediately spread across his face. This was undoubtedly the work of an experienced blacksmith. Based solely on the shape and principles he’d provided, the blacksmith had perfectly captured the essence of the dog-leg blade—the weight distribution and curvature were ideal for chopping. “The deadline was too tight, so I didn’t have time to engrave any patterns!” Mo Wu Heng said with a hint of regret. “It’s perfect!” Xia Ye didn’t mind; he put away the dog-leg knife and picked up the tactical axe: “A blade is meant to kill, not to be displayed as a work of art in a study!” “Such a small axe?” Xia Lingyue was about to ask, “What’s the point of this?” The tactical axe was forged entirely from bronze, measuring thirty-five centimeters in total length. The blade was about the size of a palm, with a wide edge at the front for chopping and a slender, eagle-beak-shaped tip at the rear for chiseling and digging—and, of course, it was also a formidable weapon against heavy armor. “It weighs about two shi—a bit light!” Xia Ye mimed a throwing motion. With his current strength, he could hurl it fifty meters. Although the range had increased significantly, its light weight meant it lacked destructive power. “That’ll do!” Mo Wu Heng explained, “I’ve tested it—within thirty meters, it can easily split a monkey’s skull!” “That makes sense!” Xia Ye nodded. If it were too heavy, it wouldn’t be easy to carry; sturdy and durable was good enough. “Take a look at this!” Mo Wu Heng handed him the survival knife. The blade and handle were forged from a single piece of dragon bone, and the single-edged design made the survival knife even sturdier. The geometric blade tip—for some reason—exuded a certain aesthetic appeal that was a delight to the eye. “Awesome!” Compared to folding knives, Xia Ye preferred fixed-blade knives because they could be tucked into the leg of his boots, making them easy to access at any time. “This was crafted by Xia Jia. He hopes to have the chance to speak with you in person someday!” Mo Wu Heng looked at Xia Ye with some curiosity—how had he come up with these knives? Especially the concept of a survival knife. These days, tribal warriors all favored huge, sharp, and imposing weapons. As for survival knives designed specifically to aid in wilderness survival, in their eyes, they were no different from bronze swords or stone knives. Mo Wu Heng used to think the same way, until she tried one—a compact survival knife that she simply couldn’t put down. Whether it was setting up camp, skinning and butchering game, or even defending herself in an emergency, a survival knife was more than up to the task—and incredibly easy to handle. It’s safe to say this is a tool that greatly enhances both efficiency and enjoyment when working outdoors. “Huh? Xia Jia?” Xia Lingyue was startled—this was one of the three great swordsmiths of Xia City, and any weapon he forged could fetch over a thousand gold pieces. “These weapons aren’t…” Xia Lingyue was somewhat stunned. What on earth had her younger brother done to make Mo Wu Heng willingly seek out a master blacksmith to forge a knife—and for the blacksmith to even request a meeting with him? “The weapons were forged by Xia Jia, but his name isn’t engraved on them!” Mo Wu Heng looked a little embarrassed. “I understand!” Xia Ye had no complaints. Renowned swordsmiths were very protective of their reputations and strove for a balance of practicality and beauty; an unfinished piece like this would be a disgrace. It was only because of Mo Wu Heng’s influence and the sword’s unprecedented design that Xia Jia had agreed to forge it. “But don’t worry—he promised that after meeting you, he’ll personally forge a sword for you!” Mo Wu Heng dangled a carrot. “Huh?” Xia Lingyue gasped again. After all, given Xia Jia’s reputation, he only forged weapons for tribal heroes at the Hero Realm. “What are his conditions?” Xia Ye curled her lip. “Hehe!” Mo Wu Heng looked a little embarrassed, but she didn’t hide anything: “From what I gather, he wants to sell these three types of weapons!” “It’s up to you!” Xia Ye felt a pang of emotion. Although civilization had collapsed, certain professional ethics seemed to be ingrained in their very bones. For most artisans, piracy and plagiarism were a profound disgrace; they’d rather starve to death than earn money that went against their conscience. “That’s your design!” Mo Wu Heng refused: “Do you realize that Xia Jia would spend at least ten thousand gold to buy them—or even forge a few weapons for you himself!” Xia Ye shrugged, picked up the crossbow, drew the string, and pulled the trigger. Whoosh! The bowstring vibrated like the buzzing of bees—a sign that an ambush was imminent, with very little chance of being detected. “What a fine crossbow!” Even someone like Xia Lingyue, who knew nothing about weapons, could tell this was a top-tier crossbow. Aside from some patterns on the bow body—designed to improve grip and prevent slipping—it had no elaborate decorations. Coated entirely in black, it was clearly a lethal weapon crafted specifically for combat and killing. “The bowstring is made from thirty-six animal tendons, tanned using a secret method. It draws to a full draw of twelve shi, capable of killing silently within 150 meters!” Mo Wu Heng explained, inwardly astonished. Upon hearing the reward of ten thousand gold, Xia Ye and his sister showed not the slightest hint of excitement—were these really siblings from the slums? Even some nobles would be unable to remain so composed in the face of such a massive sum of knife coins. “Is this yours? Or Master Xia Jia’s?” Xia Ye furrowed his brow. A crossbow like this could never have been crafted in a short time. If it were put on the market, anyone offering three thousand gold would be called “blind as a bat”—and even if you spat in their face, they wouldn’t dare say a word back. “It’s just a crossbow—take it and use it!” Mo Wu Heng was carefree—this was part of her personal collection. “It’s far too valuable!” Xia Ye refused. Crafting a crossbow was even more time-consuming and labor-intensive than forging swords and blades; just the processes of selecting materials, air-drying them, and compressing them alone took at least two or three years, so crossbows generally commanded a higher price than swords and blades. “Consider it a loan from me!” Seeing that Xia Ye truly didn’t want it, Mo Wu Heng’s regard for him grew a little more—after all, not everyone could remain unmoved in the face of a weapon of such quality. “It’s no big deal if I lose it—at worst, you’ll just have to draw me a few more blueprints!” Mo Wu Heng smiled magnanimously. She gave Xia Ye the crossbow because she didn’t want him to die during the trial—otherwise, she’d lose a source of novel ideas in the future. “All right!” Xia Ye didn’t refuse; after all, he had plenty of one-of-a-kind items with which to repay Mo Wu Heng. “Leather armor and long boots—that kind of gear can’t be made in just two days, so I bought a set for you. Try it on; if it doesn’t fit, we’ll exchange it!” Store-bought gear was, of course, not as comfortable or well-fitting as custom-made gear, but the latter took time. “It’s already great—thank you!” Xia Ye made a mental note of this favor. “It’s the least I can do. The design concepts behind your gear have been a huge inspiration to me!” There’s no such thing as love without a reason; without those unique creations, Xia Ye would never have earned Mo Wu Heng’s admiration. A travel backpack sewn from cowhide, an ultra-thin bronze lunchbox, a simple one-person tent, lightweight rain gear, a multifunctional belt and fanny pack—along with a water bladder and some first-aid supplies—these were all the gear Mo Wu Heng had managed to gather so far. “I really can’t thank you enough, Xia Ye. What are you standing there for? Hurry up and pay!” Xia Lingyue didn’t know what to say. Not only was this gear undoubtedly quite expensive, but given the tight deadline, some of these items—especially for people of their humble means—simply couldn’t be bought even if they had the money. “Sister Ling Yue, you’re too kind! No need for money—just have Xia Ye draw me a few more blueprints!” Mo Wu Heng wasn’t one to beat around the bush; she spoke her mind. She was helping out solely to gain more creative inspiration. “How can that be?” Xia Lingyue furrowed her dark brows slightly; this gear was worth at least five hundred dao coins—a huge sum of money. “Alright, wait for me to come back!” Xia Ye chuckled. This was the least of his worries. As a survivor of the “Great Human Extinction” catastrophe, the knowledge he possessed as a college student was a vast treasure trove to people today. “It’s a deal, then!” Mo Wu Heng beamed with joy and reached out to high-five Xia Ye as a pledge. “Master Craftsman, Mo Li is here to pay his respects!” The attendant announced. “Oh, what a hassle!” Mo Wu Heng scratched her hair in frustration: “Wait a moment, I’ll be right back!” “Is it really okay not to pay?” Seeing Mo Wu Heng go out, Xia Lingyue quickly asked. “Don’t worry!” Money is a minor issue; Xia Ye was willing to hand over the blueprints because he wanted Mo Wu Heng to protect his sister—otherwise, why would he help you? “All right.” Xia Lingyue surveyed the workshop and couldn’t help but marvel, “That girl must be an amazing mechanical engineer!” Xia Ye gave a casual reply. Spotting the clay figurine from earlier, he decisively removed his eye patch, focused his attention, and stared intently at it. After a dozen or so seconds, the clay figurine became semi-transparent in his vision. He saw a hollow cavity in its left thigh, from which yellow patterns extended toward other parts of the body, resembling the meridians of the human body. “Sorry, I have something urgent to attend to—I need to step out for a bit!” Mo Wu Heng rushed back and, seeing Xia Ye standing in front of the clay figurine, asked, “By the way, do you still want this? I checked it thoroughly again and still didn’t find anything. Its casting technique is very unique—it’s all one piece. If we try to take it apart by force, it’ll be completely ruined.” “It looks well-preserved to me—no visible damage. Could there be a problem with its internal structure?” Xia Ye knew nothing about mechanical devices, so he could only speculate based on the wiring. “I think the power must have run out, but I don’t know where to place the Yuanqi Stone!” Mo Wu Heng sighed in exasperation. “You could try the area on the left thigh!” Xia Ye surmised that those patterns might represent the flow of energy, so he gestured roughly: “Probably right here!” “Really?” Mo Wu Heng pondered it, and the more she thought about it, the more plausible it seemed: “Okay, once I’m done with what I’m doing, I’ll check it again. If it’s fixed, it’s yours!” “That won’t be necessary!” Xia Ye declined: “But please help take care of my sister!” Back home, Xia Ye immediately began packing: “I plan to leave right now to get ready at Peach Blossom Spring, then head officially to the Fengjing Ruins tomorrow.” “So soon?” Xia Lingyue’s body trembled as a wave of worry washed over her. “I’ll have to set out sooner or later!” Every day Xia Ye had waited felt like an eternity; this was the beginning of his path to revenge. “All right, then. Go freshen up—I’ll help you apply your face paint and makeup!” Xia Lingyue’s expression grew serious.