Chapter 9

"Ke Ge, you’ve read books, know martial arts, and are skilled in business. Now you even know how to forge iron. Do you still let others live?" Qiaofu counted on his fingers, from the bookworm he used to be to the all-rounder he is now, it’s like a toad turning into a swan.

Zhang Ke smiled and said, "I’m not good at everything. Take archery, for example, you two are my teachers. I still need to learn from you, don’t hold back!"

Qiaofu thumped his chest confidently and said, "Ke Ge, I won’t boast about other things, but within dozens of miles, my archery skills are top-notch. I’m not exaggerating; I once shot down a golden eagle with my own hands!"

The golden eagle is a famous divine bird. Shooting it down makes one a divine archer, comparable to the Mongolian eagle hunters!

"Great skills, I must learn from you."

Qiaogui laughed, "Don’t listen to the second one’s boasting. That eagle was injured, and the second one just got lucky, like a blind cat bumping into a dead mouse."

"Big brother, even if it was healthy, it wouldn’t escape my bow. Don’t believe me? Let’s test my archery!" Qiaofu,不服气地从背后抽出长弓，搭上一支箭，四处寻找目标。

"Second brother, how can you still act like a child? It’s all snow around here, what are you going to shoot? We need to hurry on our way!"

Big brother’s voice carried a tone of blame, and Qiaofu scratched his head. They had just climbed up a hill, and in front of them was a row of willow trees. By the willow trees, a yellowish-black object was moving.

Qiaofu immediately shouted excitedly, "Big brother, the prey is here, watch my skills!"

He spread his legs, used his arms, and an arrow whizzed out.

"Qiaofu, no!"

Zhang Ke suddenly shouted, but the arrow had already been shot.

Qiaofu looked puzzled, "Ke Ge, why did you stop me?"

"That looks like a person," Zhang Ke said worriedly.

Before he finished speaking, an angry voice came, "Little brat, I’ll kill you!"

Qiaofu was instantly scared stiff. He knew this voice too well, "Father! I just shot my father!"

His face turned pale, and his mind went blank.

"Father, don’t die!"

Qiaofu didn’t know which leg to move, so he fell onto the snow and rolled down the hill. Zhang Ke and Qiaogui were also terrified and scrambled to the edge of the forest.

Qietieshan, dressed in a tattered fur coat, stood there with a frown. Behind him, an arrow was quivering on a willow tree. Qiaofu was covered in snow, and he laughed foolishly, "Father, are you okay? It’s good you’re fine, it’s good you’re fine!"

"Hmph, if your father wasn’t still agile, I would have died in your hands!"

Zhang Ke didn’t expect Qietieshan to be here and asked hurriedly, "Uncle Qie, were you waiting for us?"

"Yes." Qietieshan nodded, "Second nephew, when you said you were going to Guangning, I couldn’t let it go. I found some old friends last night, got some things, and you can use them for self-defense!"

In a moment, Qietieshan brought out two hard bows, four quivers of arrows, and four swords of different lengths. Although Zhang Ke was a layman, he could feel the fine craftsmanship of these weapons; they were definitely not shoddy.

Zhang Ke was surprised that Qietieshan didn’t come to see them off, but now he understood. He had gone to get weapons for them. This uncle was really thoughtful.

"The court allows civilians to possess bows, arrows, and swords, but not armor or firearms. However, since we’ve offended Wan Baichuan, if he sees you with weapons better than those of the court, it will surely cause trouble."

Zhang Ke nodded quickly. It’s better to be cautious, and Qietieshan’s approach was correct.

"Gui, and Fu, you think your archery skills are good, but they’re not up to par. The long bows you use have a draw weight of at most five dou, which is what ordinary soldiers in the Ming Dynasty use. These are two one-stone bows, used by officers. Only when you can handle them freely can you be considered skilled. Take them!"

Qiaofu was already drooling. This bow was shorter than his by more than a foot, but its structure was more compact, made of mulberry wood, with high-quality cow horn and sinew, and the grip was wrapped in dense silk. The more he looked, the more he liked it. He used his arms, his muscles bulging, but he only managed to draw it to seven-tenths.

"Such a powerful bow, I won’t believe I can’t draw it!"

Qiaofu gritted his teeth, using more force, and the bow gradually reached eight-tenths. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t draw it any further.

After about ten seconds, sweat appeared on his forehead, and Qiaofu sat down, panting heavily.

"Father, is this really an officer’s bow? I don’t believe the military leaders in our Daqing Fort can draw this bow!"

"Hmph, you’re not ambitious. When your father was in Korea, he saw a mighty warrior who could draw a three-stone bow. That’s a real hero!"

A one-stone bow was already difficult, and a three-stone bow, was that even human? Qiaofu was thoroughly intimidated.

Qietieshan ignored him and picked up a long and a short weapon, handing them to Zhang Ke.

"Second nephew, I see a fierce determination in you when you act. This long sword was taken from the Japanese pirates. Don’t underestimate them; their weapons are good and suitable for close combat. The short sword is from a Korean official, extremely sharp. I never thought I’d use them in my lifetime, but here we are!"

Qietieshan sighed, "Child, don’t waste these good weapons."

Holding the two weapons, Zhang Ke felt a sense of connection. Weapons have a spirit, and they are waiting for their masters!

Zhang Ke gripped the weapons tightly, and he could almost hear the sounds of battle. Although he didn’t know much about his father’s past battles against the pirates, holding these weapons made his blood boil!

"Uncle Qie, I won’t let you down!"

The three brothers were immediately armed. Qiaogui and Qiaofu each had a bow and a waist sword. Zhang Ke carried a samurai sword on his back and a short sword at his side, fully equipped.

"Good children, hurry on your way. Don’t delay your journey. Uncle is going back!"

Qietieshan held back his reluctance, turned, and walked away, his sturdy back disappearing from view.

With weapons, Zhang Ke and his companions were full of confidence. They marched quickly, and the two big yellow dogs worked hard, running joyfully on flat ground and helping to pull on slopes. The coordination between man and dog was excellent, and by dusk, they had already traveled more than forty miles from Daqing Fort.

Zhang Ke calculated the distance and smiled, "At this speed, we’ll reach Guangning in three days. Let’s find a place to rest, regain our strength, and start early tomorrow."

Qiaogui and Qiaofu nodded. The two brothers knew Zhang Ke was injured and took on most of the physical work, panting heavily and drenched in sweat.

"We should rest. My stomach has been growling for a while," Qiaofu said lazily.

In the wilderness, there were no villages, but Qiaogui and Qiaofu were not deterred. They had spent ten to fifteen days in the deep mountains and forests, and their survival skills were remarkable.

After looking around, Qiaogui made a discovery.

"See that? There’s an abandoned watchtower. Let’s stay there for the night!"

In the Ming Dynasty’s border regions, countless fortresses were built. Large ones included Yizhou Wei and Guangning Wei, and below them were forts like Daqing Fort. Further down were numerous smaller fortresses, densely packed, with some areas having one every mile. Each fortress was about ten to fifteen zhang in diameter and three to five zhang high, usually garrisoned by ten to twelve soldiers. In case of an enemy, they would immediately light a fire to alert the interior.

Even the strongest defense systems had their flaws. With the mass desertion of military households, more and more fortresses were abandoned.

Zhang Ke went to check it out. The central watchtower had collapsed, but the houses inside the walls were still standing, providing shelter from the wind and snow.

"Let’s stay here. Quickly find some dry wood, and we’ll roast some meat!"

Qiaogui and Qiaofu hurried to find wood. By the time they returned, Zhang Ke had almost finished preparing. The fire was lit, and the cooked meat was sliced thinly and skewered on sticks, placed over the fire. In less than a minute, the meat sizzled and emitted a rich aroma.

Sprinkled with a little salt and pepper, it melted in the mouth, warm and comforting.

Seeing Zhang Ke’s contented expression, Qiaogui and Qiaofu couldn’t resist. They picked up pieces of meat, roasted them, and ate them with the seasonings.

"Delicious, so delicious!" Qiaofu’s cheeks were puffed out, and he mumbled, "Ke Ge, let’s do this again when we go hunting next time."

Zhang Ke smiled, "Do you plan to hunt for a living?"

Qiaogui was stunned and said blankly, "If not hunting, what else can we eat?"

"Ha ha ha, as men, we should do something. If it were a peaceful era, it would be fine, but the Jurchens are rising, and the court is losing battle after battle. The war might soon reach our home. Peaceful days won’t last long, and hunting might not be possible in the future."

Qiaogui and Qiaofu were shocked. They had never thought about this and fell silent, losing interest in the delicious roasted meat.

"Forget it!" Qiaofu suddenly said, "Ke Ge, I’ll just follow you, no need to think too much!"

Qiaogui smiled honestly, "That’s right. We’ll just work hard, and you can’t let us down."

Seeing the trust in the Qiao brothers’ eyes, Zhang Ke felt a heavy responsibility. After some thought, he said, "In my opinion, there are two paths. One is..."

Suddenly, a horse neighed, followed by a haughty voice laughing, "Anyone inside? If you’re breathing, get out! This place is ours now!"

Zhang Ke’s brows furrowed, and he stood up, his hand on the hilt of his sword. Qiaogui and Qiaofu also grabbed their knives and stood behind Zhang Ke like two gatekeepers.

Outside the watchtower, two tall men in blue robes were riding horses, looking arrogant. Behind them was a carriage with the curtains closed, making it impossible to see inside.

The bearded leader saw that Zhang Ke and his companions were just three young boys and said contemptuously, "Boys, we’re staying here tonight. Get lost, or you’ll make me angry!"

His tone was like shooing flies, and Zhang Ke’s anger flared up.

"Go play the big shot with your wife and kids. First come, first served. Don’t you know the rules?"

The bearded man was furious, "You little brat, daring to defy me. I’ll teach you a lesson!"

He raised his whip, and Zhang Ke’s hand was on his short sword, ready to fight.

"Master Chu, don’t cause trouble."

The carriage curtain was lifted, and a figure appeared, wearing a dark red fox fur coat, with a delicate and charming face, especially her eyes, which were brighter than pearls, clear and pure.

Zhang Ke was surprised to see a young beauty in the carriage and was momentarily stunned.

The beauty smiled gracefully, "Friend, Master Chu has a short temper. I apologize for him. In the wilderness, can we stay here for the night?"

"We’re not claiming this place as our own. You’re welcome to stay!"

The beauty heard the dissatisfaction in Zhang Ke’s voice but didn’t mind, smiling, "Master Chu, Master Wang, let’s rest here."

"Sure, Miss, you’re kind. These boys are lucky."

They chose a spot opposite Zhang Ke and his companions, finding two undamaged houses. Zhang Ke ignored them and continued eating his roasted meat.

Clang!

A string of copper coins landed in front of Zhang Ke. Master Chu, with his full beard, stood above them, looking down.

"Boy, your meat smells good. I have money, enough to buy you dozens of pounds of meat. Give me all the roasted meat!"

Zhang Ke glanced at the copper coins on the ground with disdain and sneered, "Money doesn’t work here. I decide what to do with my roasted meat. Your coins can only buy a piece, and..."

Suddenly, he threw the roasted meat in front of Master Chu, and the greasy meat piece was covered in dust.

Zhang Ke grinned, "Politeness demands reciprocity. You can have this!"

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