Someone was eager to offer weapons and equipment, and Zhang Chen certainly had no reason to refuse, but he was somewhat worried these weapons might cause trouble.
Especially the saber; in the backward agrarian civilization, knives were strictly controlled, and if discovered by the government, it could cost you your head. But with an extra saber for self-defense, he could venture further into the mountains and have some potential to resist when encountering wolves and tigers.
"Take them all! With these items, you can hunt bigger prey," Blacksmith Cui said with a smile as he patted the box.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen did not hesitate, placing the saber into the basket behind him, and then carefully wrapped the dozen arrowheads with his clothes before looking up solemnly at Blacksmith Cui: "Uncle Cui, there’s something I don’t know if I should say."
"What’s it about? With our friendship, just go ahead and speak," Blacksmith Cui responded with a smile.
"Swords and sabers are contraband. I wonder how many swords and sabers the other party has asked you to forge. If it leads to trouble in the future, I’m afraid your client might silence you," Zhang Chen whispered.
Actually, Zhang Chen’s question was redundant; he certainly knew it must be a mass production of swords and sabers, otherwise how would Blacksmith Cui have the chance to skim off iron ore for Zhang Chen’s long knife and arrowheads?
"Do you think I don’t know the dangers involved?" Blacksmith Cui replied with a bitter smile, "Do you think a mere village blacksmith like me would have the chance to refuse?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Chen’s heart sank; the worst-case scenario indeed happened.
"The arrowheads are too conspicuous. Why not melt them down into iron beads and then forge a powerful slingshot," Zhang Chen said while eyeing the arrowheads, fearing they might cause trouble. He then placed down the sharp arrowheads and looked at Blacksmith Cui: "A slingshot should be enough for hares, pheasants, and rabbits. As for hunting wolves and tigers, traps are a must."
Blacksmith Cui looked at Zhang Chen and smiled broadly: "You’re as cautious as ever. I’ll craft it overnight, and you can find me tomorrow. But as for the elastic band for the slingshot, it’s up to you. Finding one that can launch iron beads won’t be easy."
"Leave the slingshot band to me; I have a solution. Also, Uncle, please prepare some more iron wire for traps, as they consume a lot, and a few more iron pipes," Zhang Chen seemed to have thought of something and said to Blacksmith Cui.
Blacksmith Cui nodded: "That’s not difficult; we can add it to the account later."
Zhang Chen bid farewell to Blacksmith Cui, but a sense of foreboding rose in his heart. Someone seeking a blacksmith to forge weapons for no reason is definitely not a good sign.
"Could it be that someone intends to rebel?" Zhang Chen muttered to himself as he walked in the dark.
Unfortunately, having never traveled five miles from the village, Zhang Chen had no understanding of the wider world, being a true rural child. He had no idea about current world affairs but already had a sense of vigilance, feeling that the outside world was not peaceful.
Zhang Chen returned home discreetly, closed the doors and windows, and did not light the oil lamp. Instead, he took out the long saber under the moonlight and examined it in his hand:
"It’s somewhat like the Brocade Spring Saber of later generations; the blade is thick and prioritizes durability. From my perspective, Blacksmith Cui’s craftsmanship isn’t poor, but he didn’t do heat treatment, so it’s lacking. It’s just an ordinary iron sword, not treated into a steel blade! But for me, it’s good enough for now. I just need to do some heat treatment to enhance its performance."
Stroking the iron saber, Zhang Chen saw that it had been unsealed and shone with a cold sheen, giving off a hint of lethal aura.
He carefully wrapped the saber with a strip of cloth and placed it in a nearby basket, wary of letting the villagers see the saber, as someone would surely report it, endangering his life.
In the bureaucratic era, control over weapons like swords and guns was extremely strict, and even the officials only used iron rulers; weapons were hardly seen outside the military camps.
After wrapping up the weapons, Zhang Chen smelled the fragrant aroma of cooked rice coming from next door, which made him frown in discomfort. After all, the person and animal there were enjoying the fruits of his labor; how could he be happy?
"I don’t know if my second-level Light of the True God has increased its restraint over the Fox Spirit," Zhang Chen mumbled as he approached the wall, pulling out a small brush made of rabbit fur, and gently brushing the wall gap. Soon a crevice was revealed, a faint light projecting through, illuminating the dark room.
Peering through the crevice, Zhang Chen saw Zhang Chen sitting at the desk reading a book, while the Fox Spirit stood swaying on the table, seemingly enchanted by the reading. Zhang Chen watched the person and fox, listening to the unfamiliar classic being recited, unfortunately not bringing him any Skills.
"If not for me hunting the rare Sparrowhawk back then, he wouldn’t have had the chance to use it to curry favor with the teacher and become his disciple, thus gaining the opportunity to read," Zhang Chen muttered by the wall gap, recalling the Sparrowhawk he originally wanted for himself, which was snatched by the Fox Spirit next door.
"Damn Fox Spirit, one day I’ll make you pay the price," Zhang Chen cursed inwardly, filled with indignation.