The next words, Yang Xuan simply couldn't bear to continue. Clearly, in Yang Xuan's view, the issue of evil qi entering one's body was far more dangerous than the plundering of the Hu people.
"If we are to use that blade, we must find a master craftsman to grind it, and cleanse away the evil qi. Admiral Liu does have a master craftsman, but that's not something we can afford right now... If you ask me, instead of placing our hopes on that blade, we should quickly seek reinforcements from Admiral Liu. As long as Admiral Liu is willing to help us..."
"There's no time, Uncle."
Yang Sanlang just shook his head.
"The Hu people's cavalry is swift with their light blades, they come and go like the wind. With the few hands we have here, we won't hold out until Admiral Liu's reinforcements arrive. Besides, Admiral Liu won't help us for nothing. When the soldiers and horses cross our land, can the Yang family really afford the price?"
"Then what do you suggest?"
Seeing that the younger Yang Sanlang dared to argue, Yang Xuan instantly became anxious.
"This won't work, that won't work, then what do you propose will work?"
"If you ask me... Uncle, indeed we don't have a master craftsman, but don't we have a grinding stone?"
Yang Sanlang's expression turned grim.
"Find some strapping men among the refugees and have them grind the blade."
"But they're not master craftsmen!"
Yang Xuan was so startled he almost tore out his beard.
"They don't know how to grind blades! By then, the evil qi will enter their bodies... are you asking them to fill the void with their lives?"
"In war, how can there be no casualties?"
Yang Sanlang gritted his teeth.
"As long as I can protect the Yang family, I will spare no cost."
...
...
...
When Du Chengfeng was first pulled into the Dock Fortress by Li the carpenter, he hadn't quite come to his senses until he was placed into the same squad as those sturdy youths and had a wooden spear thrust into his hand. It was only then that Du Chengfeng realized the predicament he was in.
He originally thought that his current situation was like an ordinary man's rags-to-riches story. Although the process was tough, the future seemed promising. But who could have foreseen that in an instant, his previously peaceful and stable working life would turn into a brutal battlefield for survival in chaotic times.
Just by looking at the cheap, crudely made wooden spear in his hand, Du Chengfeng could already tell that he and those sturdy youths were to be thrown into the frontline.
"This..."
Du Chengfeng was speechless for a long time.
Du Chengfeng knew his own capabilities. Though he could hold his own in a brawl, it was mainly because as a former man of peace, he was well-fed and had a sturdy physique, giving him more strength than these undernourished people of troubled times. However, on the battlefield against the horse-riding Hu people, brute strength alone was far from enough.
For someone like him with no battlefield experience, the battlefield was extremely dangerous, where blades and swords didn't see eye-to-eye, and individual combat skills were of no use.
Fortunately, right now, he didn't necessarily need to fight alone.
The hooligans who had previously tried to rob him were also brought into the team, and upon spotting Du Chengfeng, they surprisingly gathered around him, clearly showing they didn't want to leave.
Seeing these hooligans, whom he had disciplined several times, boldly lingering in front of him made the initially nervous Du Chengfeng laugh outright.
"You still dare to come over? Forgotten the beating you took last time?"
"It's because you're good at fighting that we came over."
The hooligans shamelessly admitted to their defeat with determination.
"If we follow others and they die, it'll be our turn. But if we follow you, you might last longer, and we might just live a little longer too."
These words made Du Chengfeng take a sideways glance. It turned out these hooligans weren't foolish; they planned to use him, the capable fighter, as their shield. However, this wasn't a bad thing for him; it actually suited his plans.
Fighting alone in the chaos would make him a perpetual target. But if there were more hands to cover his flanks and rear, he might just survive this perilous battle.
Since he was here, he might as well try to settle down. He was prepared to fight for his half-built little courtyard.
But just as Du Chengfeng adjusted his mindset and was ready for the imminent battle, a robust man with a short beard appeared in the distance.
The man approaching was known to Du Chengfeng; the man named Yang Sanlang was strong, powerful, and a notable figure in the Yang Fortress. He was currently leading this squad of sturdy youths. Now that Yang Sanlang had appeared, did it mean they were about to begin?
"Line up, let me see who's the strongest."
To Du Chengfeng's surprise, Yang Sanlang didn't shout any inspirational slogans. Instead, he began selecting people.
Is this to pick vanguards? The strongest ones up front?
"Swish——"
While Du Chengfeng was pondering this, the hooligans who had gathered around him unanimously took a step back.
This step made Du Chengfeng's physique, distinct from ordinary refugees, extremely conspicuous, and Yang Sanlang immediately turned his attention over.
"Yes, you, you don't have to fight. Put down the spear and come with me."
"...Huh?"
The hooligans who had just stepped back were filled with regret, while Du Chengfeng was puzzled—picking the strongest yet not letting him fight, then what was he supposed to do? Was he supposed to be sent out to deliver a message?
But if it were to report a message, then the route was wrong. Clearly, Yang Sanlang was leading him deeper into the Dock Fortress, which was not the way out.
"Here we are, it's here."
Stopping in front of a building resembling an ancestral hall, Yang Sanlang paused.
"While you won't be on the battlefield, what you need to do is also arduous... Do you see it? It's that blade. Help me grind it."
"...Just this?"
Du Chengfeng's expression turned peculiar.
Just grinding a blade, if only he had mentioned earlier, there wouldn't have been such a fuss, making it seem like he was recruiting for a suicide squad.
Although he hadn't learned how to grind blades, he had at least seen it done if not by him directly, even if he hadn't eaten pork he's seen pigs run. At the very least, he had once sharpened kitchen knives; all he needed to do was make the blade sharp and polished.
Sitting down on the bench, pouring water onto the grinding stone, Du Chengfeng prepared to begin. Clearly, compared to rushing to the frontline to die, this was indeed a better job.
However, the moment he picked up that warblade, his expression changed instantly.
Once, upon arriving in this world, he thought he had a script for survival in the wilderness. After arriving at the Yang Fortress, he thought he had a start-from-scratch storyline, and earlier, he had prepared to fight for survival in chaotic times.
But only upon touching this blade did he realize, this world might still hold something that challenged his imagination.
At the moment his right hand touched the hilt, a malign evil qi surged up his arm straight to his mind!
In a muddled consciousness, Du Chengfeng felt as if he had turned into a blade.