Life was becoming more and more promising. Of course, if that detestable Fox Spirit next door were not around, Zhang Chen would have lived even more happily.
"Hm?"
As Zhang Chen mulled over his thoughts and made his way back to his doorstep, his eyes suddenly shifted. When he saw the Fox Spirit craning her neck in eager anticipation, his eyelids twitched. The Dragon Qi within his body gave a slight tremor, then quickly fell silent again.
"What is going on? Why is the Dragon Qi inside me reacting to the Fox Spirit before me?" Zhang Chen was puzzled. Over there, the Fox Spirit also stared at Zhang Chen with a bewildered expression, her eyes filled with confusion.
Zhang Chen said nothing. He merely hung his hunted game casually on the wall, then, after some thought, touched the silver in his robe and headed toward Blacksmith Cui's home. He felt he should settle Blacksmith Cui's debt first, lest some future disaster drag him in. Those people were clearly not the sort to be trifled with.
"Still, if those people come looking for trouble, I could flee into the mountains and use a snake nest to devour them. That might be an option. But I do not think the Beast Taming skill can only be used this way. I should seek out some gregarious animals in advance, then use them as a trump card at a critical moment to deal the enemy a fatal blow." As Zhang Chen stepped out the gate, countless thoughts flashed through his mind. He considered the beasts living in groups among the nearby mountains. Aside from wolves, there seemed to be no other wild animals that lived in packs.
Just then, a buzzing sounded by his ear. Zhang Chen followed the sound and looked toward the bees industriously gathering nectar in the air. His pupils contracted.
"No, there is another one!"
Not bees, but hornets!
Bees had limited killing power. Hornets were the truly terrifying ones, tyrants of the wild. Most importantly, hornets had no barbs on their stingers. Even after stinging someone, they generally would not die. Their small bodies also made them extremely difficult to defend against. Without prior preparation, humans facing hornets could only flee in panic.
"If I could raise a nest of hornets, then so long as the other side does not send several hundred people at once, I would have a chance to escape." Zhang Chen's eyes shone brightly. He seemed to have found a means of self-defense. Most crucially, this world had none of the various super insecticides of later generations. Once hornets went on the attack, they would truly be invincible.
"I should raise some hornets. I only need to be careful not to get stung myself. Still, hornets' killing power is somewhat lacking. A few hornet stings will not kill someone, but they are enough to make a person clutch their head and scurry away like a rat." Zhang Chen walked through the village entrance, countless thoughts flowing through his mind. He felt hornets might not be enough for killing enemies, but they were more than sufficient for defense and self-preservation.
"The number of hornets in a single nest is uncertain—at least a hundred, at most several hundred. Gathering thousands or tens of thousands would be difficult, because once a queen is born in each nest, the colony will automatically split. If I tried to gather two queens, or several queens, in one place, they would probably fight." Zhang Chen scratched his hair. "But several hundred hornets would be enough! After all, bandits would not send dozens of men to capture me."
Naturally, his concern about being silenced was merely a precaution he had taken in advance. Perhaps they had no interest in him at all and would not bother with him.
"Gunpowder is the Kingly Way. I must make gunpowder as soon as possible." Zhang Chen muttered, then arrived at Blacksmith Cui's home. Clanging sounds rang from inside, where Blacksmith Cui was busy forging iron.
"Uncle Cui!" Zhang Chen called from outside the door.
Hearing Zhang Chen's call, the hammering stopped. Blacksmith Cui came out with delight on his face, but when he saw Zhang Chen's empty hands, the delight vanished. "What do you want, kid?"
"I came to repay the debt. Here are ten taels of silver. Please accept them." Zhang Chen handed the ten taels of silver to Blacksmith Cui.
Blacksmith Cui looked at the ten taels of silver and froze. Then he raised his head and looked at Zhang Chen in surprise. "Where did you get ten taels of silver, kid? Let me tell you, we must never do anything criminal."
Faced with Blacksmith Cui's concern, Zhang Chen replied with a smile, "I got lucky today. I hunted a swan, and a wealthy man took a fancy to it, so I sold it for a good price."
"You really have skills. You even managed to catch something as rare as a swan?" Hearing this, Blacksmith Cui tucked the silver into his clothes, his eyes full of envy.
"Uncle Cui, I saw those people from yesterday. I keep feeling they are on no good path. I am afraid they will cause trouble in the future. You should make preparations early." Zhang Chen looked at Blacksmith Cui. Though only in his thirties, his skin was dark from years of smithing, and his body was covered in hard muscle, making him look exceptionally sturdy.
Hearing Zhang Chen's words, Blacksmith Cui hurriedly looked around, then pulled Zhang Chen into the house. Lowering his voice carefully, he said, "I have already boarded the pirate ship. There is no chance for me to get off. Do not come looking for me again in the future. It would be best if you returned to the village less often. Build a shelter in the mountains, lest I drag you down with me."
"Is it really that troublesome? Who are they? Mountain bandits? Robbers who raid homes and plunder houses?" A trace of concern appeared in Zhang Chen's eyes.
Hearing Zhang Chen's questions, Blacksmith Cui shook his head and said no more. His face merely looked grim as he said, "You only need to keep your distance from me in the future!"
Zhang Chen found it difficult to say anything more. Just as he turned to leave, he suddenly spotted an object on the forging table. His pupils shrank. Though the object had not yet taken shape, he could tell it was a suit of armor!
Forging armor! That was something that could cost one's head!
In the age of cold weapons, armor was equivalent to missiles. Back then, the Jurchens had risen to power with thirteen suits of armor, showing just how important armor was.
Blacksmith Cui seemed to notice Zhang Chen's gaze. Without betraying anything, he took a step forward and blocked Zhang Chen's view. A forced smile appeared on his face. "You should leave quickly. Do not worry about me. I am a craftsman. So long as I do not act recklessly, I will not lose my life."
What could Zhang Chen say?
He said nothing. He could only smile helplessly, then turn and walk out of the house.
Watching Zhang Chen's retreating back, Blacksmith Cui stood inside the house for a long while. Only then did he return to the forge, look at the armor that had yet to be shaped, and numbly raise the hammer in his hand.
Under the cover of night, Zhang Chen returned home and slowly lit the lamp. He stared blankly at the flame for a long time without speaking. After a long while, he finally let out a deep breath.
"Is the world about to fall into great chaos? Still, with my current abilities, even if the world falls into chaos, I can scrape together a bite to eat and avoid starving to death. But the days of great chaos will be bitter indeed."
Before you continue