Killing with praise

While Chu Xisheng and his two companions headed to the Weapon Market, Xie Zhenqing had already returned to Martial Discourse Tower.

Xiushui Commandery's Martial Discourse Tower was not located in the commandery seat, but within Ancient Market Town.

That was because this largest black market in Eastern Province gathered not only people from every walk of life and countless figures of the martial world, but also news from every quarter.

Collecting rumors of the martial world and investigating the movements of various powers was far more convenient for Martial Discourse Tower here than in the seat of Xiushui Commandery.

When Xie Zhenqing arrived outside Martial Discourse Tower wearing a veil, several young men carrying weapons were already waiting outside to receive her.

Pale-faced, they knelt on the ground. "We deserve ten thousand deaths! A moment of sloth and negligence on our part put you in mortal danger, young lady."

These men were not Xie Zhenqing's subordinates, but retainers of her household.

Xie Zhenqing waved a hand dismissively. "Enough. I was the one who told you not to meet the boat. Who could have expected a Heluo Fish to cause trouble even along the stretch of river within Xiushui Commandery?"

As she spoke, she clattered up the stairs to the third floor.

This floor measured roughly ten zhang by eight, with thirty desks arranged inside. Dozens of scholars were bent over them, writing.

Xie Zhenqing beckoned directly toward a desk by the window. "Old Dong, I remember you wrote an article three days ago introducing Xiushui Commandery's young talents?"

Old Dong was a square-faced, middle-aged man of about forty, with unkempt hair and beard.

His name was Dong Linshan, and he was Martial Discourse Tower's proofreading registrar, a bona fide civil official of the Imperial Court, with a ninth-rank appointment.

At her words, he raised his brows slightly, drew several sheets of rice paper covered in tiny, fly-head-sized characters from a large pile of manuscripts beside him, and came over to Xie Zhenqing.

"Tower Master, this is the article I wrote with several colleagues. It has already been proofread, and we were just preparing to send it to the provincial capital."

Xie Zhenqing took the manuscript and read through it carefully, soon finding the section about Chu Xisheng.

In fact, the issue of Martial Secrets Almanac: Eastern Province Gazette from half a month ago had already published anecdotes about Chu Xisheng.

For this article, besides providing more detailed additions, Dong Linshan had also included the practical combat assessment at Zhengyang Martial Academy.

It was, after all, Xiushui Commandery's largest martial academy, and many people followed its internal combat assessments.

Yet Xie Zhenqing handed the article straight back. "Revise this article. Give the section about Chu Xisheng particular prominence! The wording must be more extravagant, and the higher the estimate of his combat strength, the better!"

Dong Linshan froze, looking at Xie Zhenqing in puzzlement.

He thought the article's praise of Chu Xisheng was already excessive.

The rumors about Chu Xisheng circulating through Zhengyang Martial Academy were wildly exaggerated and untrue.

And their article had been compiled based on those very rumors.

A thought occurred to Dong Linshan, and he asked tentatively, "Tower Master, has this Chu Xisheng offended you? Or has someone asked you to do this?"

He suspected Tower Master Xie wanted to kill Chu Xisheng with praise.

Xie Zhenqing's face immediately darkened, and she gave a cold snort.

Chu Xisheng had done far more than merely offend her.

Involuntarily, she reached for her face behind the veil, then distinctly felt the marks on it.

It was a footprint Chu Xisheng had left on her face.

The crucial point was that she had been completely unaware of it. After reaching shore, she had walked several streets with that footprint on her face before a kindhearted girl pointed it out.

Whenever Xie Zhenqing thought of those strange looks people had given her along the way, she felt she would have been better off dead.

"Why are you asking so many questions?" Xie Zhenqing glared coldly at Dong Linshan. "Just do as you're told! I want to see the manuscript tonight."

Dong Linshan shook his head helplessly at her words. "As you command. I'll revise it now. Then should I put Chu Xisheng's strength at upper eighth rank, or lower seventh rank?"

Since they were killing him with praise, naturally, the more extravagant, the better.

Xie Zhenqing hesitated, however, recalling Chu Xisheng's handsome, refined face, and the boat rope he had thrown her when she was on the brink of certain doom.

She wanted to teach Chu Xisheng a small lesson and vent her anger, but she had never intended to take his life.

Besides, exaggerating Chu Xisheng's strength too much would also affect the reputation of their Martial Secrets Almanac.

"Estimate his combat strength at lower eighth rank!"

Folding her arms across her chest, Xie Zhenqing said thoughtfully, "But you can call him the most gifted young talent of this generation in Zhengyang Martial Academy-no! In all of Xiushui Commandery. One of Zhengyang Martial Academy's twenty True Disciple places at the end of the year is his for the taking. He is also Xiushui Commandery's most promising young martial hero of the future."

Anticipation showed in her eyes as she began imagining the scene a month and a half later, when the next issue of Martial Secrets Almanac: Eastern Province Gazette was released.

Chu Xisheng had arrived at Tiger's Mouth Street on the southern side of Ancient Market Town.

This was one of the largest weapon markets in all of Eastern Province.

Over a hundred weapon shops and smithies lined both sides of this street, which was less than fifty zhang long.

There were also no fewer than five hundred stalls in the middle of the street, displaying a dazzling array of goods: sabers, spears, swords, halberds, axes, battle-axes, hooks, forks, whips, metal truncheons, hammers, claws, forked spears, long lances, staffs, and clubs-everything one could want.

Martial pursuits flourished in the Great Ning dynasty, making smithies and the weapons trade among the most profitable businesses in this world.

Legend had it that in Great Ning's early years, three generations of enlightened rulers-its founding emperor, its second emperor, and Emperor Ningwu-had all attempted to prohibit martial practice and confiscate civilian weapons.

The result was unrest throughout the realm, with beacon fires blazing on all four frontiers, nearly toppling the Great Ning dynasty when its national strength was at its height.

Thus, the Imperial Court had been forced to compromise, and the bans on weapons and martial practice became empty formalities.

Martial practitioners everywhere openly carried all sorts of weapons into major provincial and commandery cities, while the weapons trade faced no restrictions anywhere.

So long as heavy crossbows, powerful bows, and Zhuge repeating crossbows-military weapons of strategic importance-did not appear, the Imperial Court imposed no controls.

Accompanied by Chu Yunyun and Lu Luanli, Chu Xisheng browsed several shops and asked their prices before entering Divine Weapon Hall, the weapon shop at the very end of the street.

He glanced around, then walked straight to the counter and set the bundle from his back upon it.

"Shopkeeper, I have a few weapons to sell. Please give me an estimate."

He looked at the sallow-faced old man in a brocade robe behind the counter, who was about sixty. "Instructor Ye of Zhengyang Martial Academy recommended this place to me. She said your prices were fair."

"Instructor Ye?" The brocade-robed old man's expression shifted slightly. He lifted his eyelids to glance at Chu Xisheng, then focused on the three Hundred-Forged Light Steel Sabers and the fine sword revealed inside the bundle.

The brocade-robed old man drew the weapons out one by one and examined them carefully from top to bottom.

Before coming, Chu Xisheng had serviced these sabers and the sword, not only polishing them all over but also applying grease. Now they shone with a cold light, their keen edges imposing, and looked excellent.

The brocade-robed old man remained unaffected, however. He appraised them meticulously, not only testing the edges with his hands but also tapping the sword's blade and the sabers' spines with his fingers, listening to the weapons' vibrations.

Only after a long while did he look at Chu Xisheng with a broad smile. "Young man, these three sabers have some years on them. Fortunately, they've been well maintained, and their blades are still reasonably sturdy. They are worth ninety taels of demon silver.

"This sword is quite exceptional. It is lower seventh rank and engraved with runes, which not only make its blade harder and sharper but also give it some power to command the wind. Our Divine Weapon Hall can offer seven hundred taels of demon silver for this weapon."

Chu Xisheng and Chu Yunyun exchanged a glance, a hint of joy appearing on both their faces.

Divine Weapon Hall's offer was indeed the highest among the weapon shops they had visited.

These seven hundred and ninety taels of demon silver would not only cover all the spellcasting materials Chu Yunyun needed, but also leave more than four hundred taels to buy the medicinal ingredients for Chu Xisheng's secret medicine for the third level of the Origin-Nourishing Art.

Behind them, however, Lu Luanli gave a cold laugh. "Do you even know your merchandise? This runic sword was forged less than a year ago, uses cold-forged green iron, and was made by your own Divine Weapon Hall. Only seven hundred taels of demon silver? Are you taking us for pigs to slaughter? Eight hundred would be more like it."

"Eight hundred taels it is!" The brocade-robed old man's smile did not change as he cupped his hands toward Lu Luanli. "You have a keen eye, young lady."

Chu Xisheng had not expected that bringing Lu Luanli along would net him an extra hundred taels of demon silver.

He could not help feeling ashamed of his earlier aversion to Lu Luanli.

Yet just after the three left with a stack of banknotes, the brocade-robed old man casually tossed the sword in his hand to a burly young man in iron armor beside him.

"In six hours, take this sword to Long Heng, the Long Household's eldest young master, for him to examine. This is Eagle Sword Du Hong's sword. If he wants it, he can take it for twelve hundred taels of demon silver."

The burly young man held the sword, his expression shifting slightly. "If Young Master Long asks who sold this sword, how should I answer?"

"Tell him the truth."

The brocade-robed old man cast a meaningful glance outside the door. "Ye Zhiqiu is not someone to cross. Delaying six hours out of respect for her name is already courtesy enough."