Li Banfeng carried the Tang Sword, walking through the night.
"My Lord, your subordinate..." The Tang Sword hesitated for a long while, not knowing what to say.
"When did it start?" Li Banfeng asked while walking. "When did you start calling yourself ’your subordinate’? If I’m not mistaken, it was after we left Iron Gate Fort."
The Tang Sword responded, "My Lord remembers correctly. There are some things I didn’t tell My Lord, not because I intended to deceive you, but because they are too shameful."
"How are they shameful?"
"General Hong and the Marshal said that of the three vanguards, only one fled. That one was me." The Tang Sword’s voice was very soft.
"I didn’t know you then. After you started following me, you never fled again."
"I did flee..."
"At least you landed three blows before you fled. At least when you were desperately fighting Qiu Luoye, you didn’t flee."
"The Marshal’s life hung by a thread, and My Lord fought to the death. If I had fled again, I would be..." The Tang Sword sighed. "Let’s not talk about this anymore. I deceived My Lord, and there’s no arguing that. Allow me to fight this battle for My Lord. After that, you can punish me however you wish."
Li Banfeng was silent for a moment before asking, "My wife initially said you were no ordinary Magical Treasure. Did she already know your identity?"
The Tang Sword responded, "I dare not presume to know the Marshal’s thoughts. When I first met the Marshal, I truly did not know she was the Marshal."
"You never boast at home about ’Beheading with Every Blow’, except for that one time when you had to fight Qiu Luoye to the death. Did you think my wife wouldn’t hear?"
The Tang Sword said in a low voice, "Actually, by that time, I didn’t dare to say for sure that she was the Marshal; she was different from how she used to be."
"Gloves tried to take advantage of Sweet Melon Hong Ying, and you almost chopped him. You really are protective of General Hong."
"General Hong should be entrusted to someone like My Lord. She must not be defiled by base individuals!"
Gloves didn’t like hearing that. "What do you mean, ’base individuals’? Besides, that was just a Sweet Melon, not the actual Miss Hong."
"Don’t change the subject," Li Banfeng continued. "Every time Hong Ying argued with my wife, you always encouraged them not to give in, insisting they fight it out to determine a clear winner. I thought you were deliberately instigating trouble, but you actually wanted to get to the bottom of what happened back then, right?"
The Tang Sword chuckled dryly. "Nothing can be hidden from My Lord."
"Still saying nothing can be hidden? You concealed it so deeply."
The Tang Sword stuttered, "I... I’ve wronged My Lord. After this battle, if My Lord would grant me a Rust Pill, I will end my own life."
"Stop talking nonsense. This isn’t a big deal," Li Banfeng laughed. "If we were to switch places, and I became the sword while you became the madman, there are things I would hide from you too. Besides, there are some things I’ve never even asked about. But there is one thing you must tell me truthfully."
"My Lord, having become what I am today, I’ve forgotten many things. But I am willing to tell My Lord anything that I can still remember."
Li Banfeng asked seriously, "Thin Donkey and Two Blades—which of these names do you actually prefer?"
The Tang Sword thought earnestly. "Actually, your subordinate doesn’t like either. But if you combine the two names, it would actually be quite good."
Gloves wiggled his fingers, indicating it was a good name.
The Tang Sword pondered for a moment. "In the army, I was thin and adept with a blade. My Lord, what do you think of the name Thin Knife?"
Sickle disagreed. "A family’s fortune hinges on the fatness of its great blade! Why ’Thin Knife’?"
The Tang Sword said, "You’re the great blade. It’s enough if you’re fat."
Li Banfeng quickened his pace. "Thin Knife, can you still use the Begging Cultivation Technique?"
"I can’t use it anymore. After being defeated by Green Flower, I lost all my Begging Cultivator cultivation level, and only a bit of my Martial Cultivator cultivation level is left."
"When you encountered that beggar, you were the first to act. Did you recognize him?"
"I didn’t recognize him. He must be a junior Begging Cultivator. Judging by his Technique, he wouldn’t exceed Cloud Top First Layer. I am very familiar with his techniques."
Li Banfeng nodded. "It’s good that you’re familiar. Tonight, we’ll kill this beggar first, and another day we’ll find Green Flower to get revenge for you."
The Tang Sword had never dared to dream of such a thing.
The blade trembled slightly. "My Lord, do you still trust me?"
"When have I ever not trusted you?"
"If My Lord still trusts me, can we make some tactical changes tonight?"
"What changes?"
"The larger battles and overall strategy are the Marshal’s concern; your subordinate can’t articulate those clearly. But for a single engagement, your subordinate can still grasp the essentials. That beggar doesn’t know My Lord is proficient in two disciplines, nor has he witnessed such strange Farming Cultivation maneuvers. According to My Lord’s tactics, he will surely suffer a loss at first. Begging Cultivators are not very forbearing; once they suffer a setback, they will inevitably retaliate desperately—that’s their nature. If My Lord dares to take a gamble this time, victory is almost certainly ours!"
"I dare to gamble. Do you dare to follow and bet as well?"
The Tang Sword straightened its blade. "My Lord, rest assured! Beheading with Every Blow!"
...
The beggar sat by the roadside, occasionally glancing up and down the road.
It was late at night, and the road was devoid of pedestrians. Yet, he dared not relax in the slightest. The bumps on his face itched unbearably, as if reminding him that Greenwater Beggar could take his life at any moment.
A burst of footsteps reached his ears, their pace extraordinarily quick.
The beggar was very nervous. Li Qi was strong on his own, and his reinforcements would certainly not be weak.
After a moment of indecision, the beggar took out a bamboo flute and began to play.
For a Begging Cultivator, taking the initiative was paramount. Li Qi had already clashed with him, so the Begging for Pity technique was surely useless now. This made begging with his flute the crucial factor.