Ning Chuan Sells Sabers, Village Chief Treats

Ning Chuan wandered around the forest for a few circles until he found a small pond.

He washed his cloth strips and clothes clean, then washed away the bloodstains on his body before heading to the nearest Qingshi Town.

Although Qingshi Town was just a town, it was surrounded by high walls, firmly protecting it.

This world was overrun with bandits, so defensive measures couldn't be taken lightly.

"Kid, stop right there for me!"

In front of the city gate, two burly men in hempen clothes were picking their teeth and blocked Ning Chuan.

"Something wrong?" Ning Chuan narrowed his eyes slightly.

"Kid, my Joint Defense Camp has contracted all four gates of Qingshi Town.

To enter the town, everyone has to pay 5 copper coins!" one of the burly men said.

Holy crap, is this world really this wild?

They actually contracted the city gates to charge fees, what a creative way to collect money?

Just like in my other world, they draw a box by the roadside and charge parking fees, and they still lose money.

"Brother, you've worked hard. I bet your Joint Defense Camp loses money at the end of the year when you settle the accounts!"

"Huh? Kid, how did you know?"

The burly man in hempen clothes was dumbfounded. Such a secret matter, even he only found out by chance.

"Kid, how did you know?"

Ning Chuan leaned in and said, "If you weren't losing money, how could your Joint Defense Camp Captain afford to take a concubine!"

The burly man in hempen clothes was even more bewildered. What on earth did the captain taking a concubine have to do with losing money?

"Kid, stop spouting nonsense. If you want to enter the city, just pay up obediently!"

"I don't have any money!" Ning Chuan spread his hands.

Ning Chuan was so broke he couldn't even afford to be poor right now, not having a single copper coin on him.

A single cent could stump a hero; no matter the world, without money, you couldn't move an inch.

"No money? I think that saber on your back looks pretty good. It can barely cover 5 copper coins!"

Greed flashed in the eyes of the other burly man.

Ning Chuan took the simple saber off his back and swung it a few times in his hand.

"Are you talking about this saber?"

It was the weapon used by the Second Boss of Three Tiger Mountain. Even if it wasn't a treasure saber, it was at least a fine piece. This burly man actually had some discerning eyes.

"That's right, hand it over to me!"

As the burly man spoke, he grabbed the saber's body and pulled hard, but it didn't budge at all.

He tried again with more force, but it still didn't move.

"Huh? Kid, you've got some strength. Be sensible and let go quickly!" the burly man said menacingly.

Ning Chuan showed a playful smile on his face.

"What, you haven't eaten? You can't even lift the saber, and you dare to snatch it."

With that, he kicked the two burly men twice, sending them sprawling on the ground.

He re-sheathed the saber on his back and entered Qingshi Town without looking back.

The Second Boss had said that slaughtering Qingshi Town would only take some effort. If he could kill the Second Boss, he naturally wouldn't fear Qingshi Town.

The two burly men clutched their stomachs, sitting on the ground too stunned to speak, their faces turning pale and then purple. Only after Ning Chuan was far away did one of them say resentfully:

"Let's go, I suspect this person is a bandit. Report him to the Captain."

Ning Chuan entered the town and saw a scene of desolation everywhere; many shops were closed.

After walking through a few streets, he found a blacksmith shop and sold his two sabers.

Weapons were still quite valuable. He sold the ordinary simple saber for 2 taels of silver and the one he snatched from the Second Boss for 8 taels and 500 wen.

He found a clothing store and bought a new set of hempen clothes. He then walked a few more streets and bought twenty catties of millet, carrying it in a bag.

He then found a general store and bought a few water bags, filled them with water, and tied them to his waist. It cost him 300 wen.

Ning Chuan patted his bulging chest, feeling very satisfied, with the confidence of a rich man.

"Who would have thought that I, this young master, was almost starving to death two days ago, and now I'm a man with over 10 taels of silver and 200 wen!"

He strolled around the town and found a small restaurant.

The shopkeeper and the waiter greeted him with smiles. However, upon seeing Ning Chuan in his hempen clothes, their smiles immediately faded, and their attitude turned indifferent.

Ning Chuan threw the bag of millet onto the table.

"Shopkeeper, what good wine and dishes do you have? Bring me a table full!"

"Coming!" The shopkeeper and the waiter responded and stood still.

"Go on, why aren't you moving!" Ning Chuan asked curiously.

"Uh, please forgive me, sir. During this time of famine, food and drink are a bit expensive." The shopkeeper said sheepishly, rubbing his thumb and index finger at Ning Chuan.

"Oh, you're worried I can't pay!"

Ning Chuan took out his money pouch from his embrace and slapped it onto the table. Two gleaming silver ingots rolled out, along with 200 copper coins scattered across the table.

"Serve it up, I'm not short on cash!" Ning Chuan declared grandly.

"Right away!"

The shopkeeper and the waiter shouted in unison and scurried into the inner hall. The clanging of chopping boards and woks soon filled the air, and the aroma of meat wafted out.

At that moment, two burly men hiding in the distance had their eyes suddenly light up. They exchanged a glance, and one of them hurried away.

"Gulp, gulp..."

Ning Chuan's mouth watered.

He was no different from a starving ghost right now.

For this meal, the shopkeeper and waiter pulled out all the stops, even bringing out their aged, cellar-stored wine, determined to keep as much of Ning Chuan's silver as possible.

In a time of famine, business was bad for restaurants. They had finally encountered a fat sheep, so why wouldn't they fleece him thoroughly?

Before long, beef, braised duck, and ham were served one after another.

The waiter opened a jar of old wine, and its mellow fragrance instantly filled the room.

Just as Ning Chuan was feasting heartily and exclaiming with delight...

In a private room on the third floor of the opposite restaurant, A group of burly men were eating and chatting, the atmosphere lively.

The table held only a few plates of pickles, yet this group of burly men, eating millet congee, managed to create the atmosphere of a royal banquet.

The leader was Ning the Flayer, the Village Chief of Ning Family Village.

Below him were several members of the Qingshi Town Defense Camp.

Seeing the lively atmosphere, Ning the Flayer stood up and cupped his hands:

"I'm in a good mood today, brothers! Eat and drink well! From now on, we're all brothers!"

Some scoffed inwardly, cursing Ning the Flayer's ancestors:

"Damn Ning the Flayer! He invites us for a meal, serves only bowls of congee and free pickles, and tells us to eat and drink well! The Deputy Captain of the Town Defense Camp is actually this stingy!"

Though thinking this, their faces were full of flattery. One stood up and said:

"Congratulations on your promotion to Deputy Captain, Lord Ning. I'll use tea to toast you, sir, and I hope you'll look out for us!"

Ning the Flayer's face darkened slightly, a flicker of embarrassment flashing across it. He cursed inwardly, "This guy, so clueless! Why bring up wine at a time like this? Isn't he reminding me that I didn't serve wine when I treated them? He's deliberately trying to annoy me!"

Just then, the private room door creaked open.

A burly man hurried in, his face beaming, shouting:

"Captain Ning, great news, great news!"

The men at the table turned their heads, bewildered, staring at the burly man, waiting for him to continue.

Ning the Flayer asked in confusion, "What great news?"

Could it be that the Captain died, and I, as his deputy, will be promoted! Ning the Flayer fell into a pleasant fantasy.

The burly man took a few deep breaths, picked up a cup of tea from the table, and drank it down before saying:

"A kid just entered the town. Don't know what stroke of luck he had, but he found two simple sabers. He just sold them for 10 taels! He's eating at the tavern across the street right now!"

"10 taels, and you say 'just'?" Ning the Flayer grabbed the man's shoulder. His eyes lit up at the mention of silver, showing great excitement.

The atmosphere in the private room instantly heated up.

"Yes, I saw it with my own eyes. My brother is watching from across the street and sent me to report to you, Captain."

A group of men rushed to the window and indeed saw a young man inside the opposite tavern enjoying a large table of food and drink alone.

The table was laden with chicken, duck, and fish. A gust of wind blew by, carrying the aroma of wine and meat.

"Gulp," the burly men, smelling the fragrance, all swallowed their saliva.

They looked back at the congee and pickles on their own table, their hearts beginning to feel unbalanced.

Ning the Flayer's eyes gleamed, and his face bloomed into a smile. He patted the burly man's shoulder, looking very pleased.

"Very good, you did an excellent job! Besides you and your brother, does anyone else know about this?"

"No one else knows," the burly man replied.

"Very good, keep watching! Also..." he paused, glancing around meaningfully, "This is a trivial matter, no need to inform Captain Qu."

"Yes," everyone replied, understanding Ning the Flayer's intention to hog the spoils.

However, they were also happy about it; the more people involved, the less they would get.

Ning the Flayer was very satisfied.

He just didn't know if he would cry or cry again when he met Ning Chuan later.