The Great Miao Saber

After several days of the Forbidden Guard's purge in Sanxiang City, hundreds had died or been wounded, but the Hundred-Eyed could not be found, so the matter fizzled out.

Ren Qing had not been idle during this time; he secretly gathered information, and the forces behind the beggars gradually surfaced.

This gang was called the Bloodhound Gang.

Unlike the chaotic mix of South of the City, West of the City—aside from those petty squabbling gangs—the Bloodhound Gang was unquestionably the local tyrant.

At its peak, the Bloodhound Gang monopolized all the lowly trades in West of the City, and even openly dabbled in no small number of legitimate businesses.

Because the Yamen had once struck a deadly blow against the Bloodhound Gang, its scale had shrunk by more than half, and its current dealings were all beneath the table.

Fortunately, the Forbidden Guard did not participate in suppressing them, otherwise even the remaining power would be wiped out.

But a lean camel is still bigger than a horse; the Bloodhound Gang, which possessed the Divine Feet Scripture, was still not something Ren Qing could contend with. He had to be cautious.

Ren Qing did not alert the enemy by rustling the grass.

He spent several days wandering West of the City, relying on the Information Flow and the eyesight of his Double Pupils to get a clear picture of part of the Bloodhound Gang's background.

The most common gang members were crippled beggars, but obtaining the Divine Feet Scripture from them was not realistic.

Through his observations, Ren Qing confirmed that the beggars had indeed been exposed to the Divine Feet Scripture, but they were illiterate and even had intellectual deficiencies.

Moreover, when they begged, to prevent trouble, gang enforcers usually supervised nearby.

The Bloodhound Gang's enforcers had also trained in the Divine Feet Scripture, and the Information Flow showed [Divine Feet Scripture (Incomplete)] as well.

But their luck was slightly better; their legs were not obviously crippled, and they were even stronger than ordinary people.

This showed how difficult it was to master the technique—describing it as a one-in-a-million chance was not an exaggeration.

Ren Qing had thought he could only take risks by ambushing Bloodhound Gang members and then using their Eerie Objects after death to get started.

Unexpectedly, the breakthrough came on its own.

He inadvertently learned from Bo Feng that there was a martial arts school near the outskirts of West of the City, called the "Chen Family Eight Extremities Leg," and its master, Chen Yongxing, had mixed with the Bloodhound Gang in his youth.

Ren Qing, treating a dead horse as if it were still alive, took the opportunity when Chen Yongxing went out for supplies to check him with the Information Flow.

[Chen Yongxing]

[Age: Thirty-nine]

[Lifespan: Eight years]

[Technique: Divine Feet Scripture (False)]

[Created by the Heavenly Cripple Daoist, cultivating this method requires, during the years of bone growth in youth, cutting off both legs at the root, trapping oneself in a vat, and feeding specific medicinal catalysts. If one survives three years, divine feet can grow.]

Ren Qing guessed that the "(False)" after Divine Feet Scripture indicated that Chen Yongxing had mastered it by devouring an Eerie Object, which limited his strength to the Martial Human Realm.

For now, obtaining the Divine Feet Scripture from Chen Yongxing seemed the safest route.

But upon contact, he found the man rather listless, needing disciples to accompany him even when walking—perhaps related to his dwindling lifespan.

Ren Qing's main goal was to find a paper copy of the technique in the martial arts school; failing that, he would scheme for the Eerie Object after Chen Yongxing's death.

He planned to enter the school openly under the pretext of learning the Eight Extremities Leg.

Ren Qing did not rush there. First, he told Bo Feng and the others that he would be busy for a few days, then prepared to find a blacksmith to forge a weapon.

Having a weapon or not made a huge difference to Ren Qing.

The Foresee Enemy Actions of his Double Pupils had to be paired with a blade to reach its peak; as long as he caught an enemy's opening, he could kill them instantly.

Ren Qing asked several senior constables.

They all recommended a blacksmith shop in North of the City, saying the blacksmith's craftsmanship was excellent, though his temper was poor.

The blacksmith was named Liu Hu, and his shop had been passed down for several generations, so his forging skills were superb.

Ren Qing went for three consecutive days, but unfortunately, the shop was always closed.

Liu Bei called on Zhuge Liang three times at his thatched cottage; Ren Qing only heard the clang of metal striking metal and smelled thick smoke on his fourth visit.

He knocked on the door, and an impatient voice from inside said, "Got legs, don't you? Come in yourself."

Ren Qing couldn't help raising an eyebrow.

He pushed the door open and walked in. A dark-skinned, burly man was facing away from him, hammering a red-hot iron block.

Seeing the man's overly muscular arms, Ren Qing's eyes flickered with curiosity—had he also mastered some technique?

He looked around; the walls were covered with a dazzling array of blades, their murderous aura suffocating.

Liu Hu put down his hammer and said, "So you're a constable. If you want to buy a weapon, you can look at that wall over there."

"No, I've brought a blueprint to have a custom knife forged."

Liu Hu glared and snapped, "What do you mean by that? Is there a weapon in this world I can't forge?"

"Brother Liu, take a look for yourself."

Ren Qing handed over the rough sketch, his fingers brushing the other man's inadvertently, and Liu Hu's information flooded into his mind.

He was disappointed to find that Liu Hu had not mastered any technique, but then again, it made sense—cultivators weren't so easy to come across.

Liu Hu noticed the flicker of disappointment on Ren Qing's face and took it as disdain, instantly stoking a fire of anger within him.

He grabbed the blueprint, ready to criticize it, but was instead drawn to a weapon that was neither quite a saber nor quite a sword.

From Liu Hu's experience, this weapon was better suited for the battlefield, ideal for cavalry charges, and only secondarily for fighting on foot.

"What kind of weapon is this?"

Ren Qing patiently explained, "The Great Miao Saber. It's named 'Miao Saber' because the blade resembles a rice seedling."

The Great Miao Saber was even longer than a standard Miao Saber, nearly four feet in total, with the hilt alone exceeding one foot, requiring both hands to wield.

None of the sabers or swords in the blacksmith's shop reached such a length.

In the movie Brotherhood of Blades, Ding Xiu's weapon was this one; its shape actually fell between a Miao Saber and a Mo Saber, with a narrow, elongated blade capable of cutting down a horse.

In truth, a sturdy Ring-Pommel Saber could achieve both offense and defense, worthy of being called the 'courage of a hundred weapons.' Even if an ordinary person could handle the Great Miao Saber, it was still somewhat too dangerous.

But Ren Qing, relying on his Double Pupils, could focus on leveraging his offensive advantage.

For defense, his strategy was to dodge what he could, block what he couldn't, and if all else failed, trade injury for injury.

Liu Hu's anger dissipated. He spoke seriously, "It doesn't suit your build. Shorten it by a foot."

"I'm only seventeen."

"Hmm..."

Liu Hu opened his mouth but said nothing. Were all yamen runners this reckless now, using such an extreme weapon?

"Forget it, keep it as is. But I'll warn you."

"Unless you're a Constable, you're not allowed to carry a lethal weapon. Be careful if you bring a saber."

Ren Qing nodded. Although Sanxiang City did not ban carrying lethal weapons, there were considerable restrictions on yamen runners; the Water-Fire Cudgel issued to them was only for self-defense.

"And another thing..."

Liu Hu pointed at Ren Qing and said bluntly, "The blade is nearly four feet long. The material must include some tougher Cold Steel, or it'll snap easily."

"That'll cost extra!!!"