Chapter 84: Bountiful Harvest, Saber Art Mastery
Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Bountiful Harvest, Saber Art Mastery
The guards and Xie Yuan cupped their fists in salute one by one. Xie Yuan returned the gesture to each of them, watching as they departed.
Once everyone had left, Xie Yuan spurred his horse north, returning to Yunzhao County.
Come to think of it, he still had no idea what Situ Qin’s family did or how powerful they were.
But the sudden appearance of the black-clad assassins, and Tai Bo’s arrival like a rushing wind, only added to the young woman’s air of mystery.
’A rich lady this powerful... her reward shouldn’t be too shabby, right?’
Xie Yuan thought to himself.
’A cultivation technique that the Escort Agency would keep under lock and key... could it be A-Class, or even higher?’
The C-Class Rushing Wolf Saber Skill was already incredibly useful. An A-Class technique would be a game-changer.
As for the reward, not asking for one was one thing, but since she insisted on giving him something, it would be disrespectful to refuse.
Besides, according to her, they would probably meet again in the future, right?
Xie Yuan thought of Situ Qin’s perfect little face and her playful, teasing words. His heart couldn’t help but stir, but then he shook his head.
’She prodded him a little, and he was ready to go all-in? He was being baited like a fish.’
’Forget it.’ Whether this was one of life’s great delusions or not, given the current disparity in their status and strength, not to mention the treacherous undercurrents within a great family, it was best to keep his distance. Otherwise, it could lead to disaster.
To establish himself in this world, the Martial Dao was paramount. Women would only interfere with the speed of his cultivation... no, scratch that. Rich women were the exception. Rich women also gave out cultivation techniques and weapons.
Xie Yuan’s thoughts soared as he urged his horse back to Yunzhao.
After a night’s rest, Xie Yuan had intended to report to Zhao Xingyang first, but the head of the escort was busy and had already left on a job.
So, he went to turn in his report. The clerk checked Situ Qin’s confirmation letter again and again, then scurried off to find the manager. The manager, in turn, scurried off to find a head of the escort, finally tracking down Xu Mo the Head of the Escort, who was the only one on duty at the agency.
Xu Mo the Head of the Escort was of medium build with a square-jawed face. He was over forty, and his hair was already graying at the temples, making him look somewhat weary. However, he was a peaceful man and had always been well-liked in the Escort Agency.
He took the confirmation letter and read it two or three times himself before saying with some surprise:
"Xiaoxie, according to this report, you played a huge role in a matter involving the Third Training. You’ve earned a B-Class merit!"
Xu Mo considered for a moment, then nodded and made his decision:
"Even though the Chief is not here, this is a done deal, so we’ll proceed. A B-Class merit... and you’re still a Junior-level Darts Master... Wait a second, it just hit me. You’re already at the Second Training?!"
Xu Mo was momentarily stunned before sighing.
"I really don’t know where Zhao Xingyang found you. The youth of today... each one is more incredible than the last!"
He shook his head and sighed again and again.
"By rights, you could be promoted to a senior Darts Master, but that truly requires the Chief’s approval. We’ll have to wait for his return. As for the rest—the merit and the silver reward—I approve their release."
Xu Mo stamped the document, and the mission hall manager personally handed Xie Yuan his reward money and recorded his B-Class merit.
Holding the heavy hundred taels of silver, Xie Yuan was also slightly dazed.
The platform truly determined the difficulty of making money. He still remembered the days when he’d worked himself to the bone for a mere ten taels of silver.
Yet now, a single mission had earned him a cut of a hundred taels.
Although this mission had the bonus of a rich benefactor, the conclusion remained the same.
But Xie Yuan’s horizons had broadened. He now cared more about things related to the Martial Dao and no longer got endlessly excited over simple gold and silver. He just thought, ’I have too much money. What’s the best way to spend it?’
Should he get a mansion, like the other Darts Masters?
Xie Yuan thought about it and decided against it. Housing prices in Yunzhao County were quite high, and a hundred taels wouldn’t buy a very good residence.
Besides, he was all alone; there was no need to buy a house. Not to mention, prices were still falling.
’It’s better to convert it into strength.’
Xie Yuan stroked his chin in thought, then suddenly remembered that both his saber and axe had been damaged in the last battle.
During that intense fight, if his weapons hadn’t been badly chipped, forcing him to constantly pick up and switch sabers, he would have had more options. He might have even avoided the few minor injuries he’d sustained. He was lucky it was only minor injuries this time; he might not be so fortunate next time.
He could wait for Situ Qin to deliver the axe, along with the axe technique, but a great axe wasn’t necessarily suitable for every situation. A long saber was still essential.
The standard-issue saber from the Escort Agency was no longer adequate. After some thought, Xie Yuan got up and went to the blacksmith shop next door. After looking around, he bought a Treasure Steel Saber that was in stock.
It cost sixty-six taels—an auspicious number for smooth sailing—and instantly wiped out more than half his savings, stripping him of any feeling of wealth.
But the long saber had a sharp curve and a chilling glint, like it held the cold clarity of autumn water. It was clearly a deadly weapon made for killing. Xie Yuan was extremely satisfied, so he didn’t mind the price. While he was at it, he also tossed his ruined Tiger Bone Axe on the counter and spent ten taels to have a new steel blade forged for it.
He might not use it in future battles, but he still had to chop firewood. He’d nearly worn a patina into the Tiger Bone from use and was very comfortable with it.
With only twenty-some taels left, Xie Yuan suddenly felt he couldn’t even treat himself to a big meal. He decided to save the money for injury medicine, medicinal baths, and other expenses.
As for the B-Class merit, Xie Yuan thought long and hard and decided to hold onto it for now.
The best use for a B-Class merit was, in fact, to exchange it for a high-level training method.
But Xie Yuan still held out hope for his Iron Cloth Shirt, even though his progress with the technique had recently stagnated.
’I’ll just wait for the fifteenth of the first lunar month. It’s only a few days away.’ He would go find Master Liu then and see if he could borrow the secret manual for a look. If he got lucky, wouldn’t that save his B-Class merit for other things?
If that didn’t work, he would reconsider exchanging it for a new training method.
In half a day, he had found a place for all the great rewards from this mission. Once the axe and the axe technique arrived, Xie Yuan’s strength would increase significantly once more.
’If only I could meet a benefactor on every mission... especially one as easy on the eyes as her.’
With his new weapon in hand, the more Xie Yuan handled it, the more he liked it. He had gained some insight into his saber techniques during the recent battle, so he spent his days swinging it nonstop, both to familiarize himself with the weapon and to practice his saber skills.
「A few days later.」
This C-Class saber technique had a breakthrough.
[Rushing Wolf Saber Skill · Major Success: (1/2000)]
’The Rushing Wolf Saber Skill is like a grey wolf’s pounce—swift and peerless. Minor Success is like a wolf king on the hunt, but Major Success is the charge of an entire pack, a rolling and unstoppable tide!’
A flash of understanding lit up Xie Yuan’s mind. He slashed out, tearing the very air in the courtyard in two. The slash produced an incredibly shrill whistle as it cut through the air, followed by a fierce gust of wind.
It was like the assault of a thousand wolves, incomparably swift, its momentum astonishing.
Xie Yuan sheathed his saber, satisfied.
Many people in the Escort Agency practiced the Rushing Wolf Saber Skill, but probably only a few had reached Major Success. As for reaching it as quickly as he had, there was likely no one else.
「In the blink of an eye, the fifteenth day of the first lunar month arrived.」
Xie Yuan got himself ready, strapping the brand-new Tiger Bone Axe to his waist and slinging the long saber over his back before riding his horse toward Panlong Town.
But just as he arrived outside Panlong Town, he found the area packed so tightly that it was impossible to move. He couldn’t even ride his horse in. Helpless, he had to stable his horse outside and squeeze into the town like a fish swimming through a school.
All these people were clearly here to watch the Three Families Martial Competition—a rare event in Panlong Town, and one that was closely tied to the town’s entire situation.
Ordinary people didn’t have much entertainment, so a public martial arts contest like this was an event not to be missed.
Xie Yuan felt a surge of anticipation. ’Since the stage is set and the audience is here, Master Liu should be around, right?’
’If he’d really run off, wouldn’t there have been news? Would there still be this much commotion?’
Feeling slightly anxious, Xie Yuan spotted disciples at the gate of the Iron Garb Sect’s martial arts hall lighting a string of firecrackers.
With a series of crackles and pops, the main gates swung open. Clad in a purple-red training uniform, a solemn-faced Liu the Monk stepped out through the smoke of the firecrackers.
Xie Yuan’s spirits soared. ’He really came!’