Chapter 3: The Blade Robber

Tang Feng then understood why Wan'er insisted on setting the price at fifteen wen of copper coins; it turned out that this was all she had. "Wan'er, let your brother buy this hairpin; he has never bought anything for you before. This time, let him pay for it. Shopkeeper, here is one tael of silver, for you." After saying this, Tang Feng quickly handed over the silver ingot, which he had already warmed in his hand. However, Wan'er spoke up, saying, "Brother's money was earned with his life; how can Wan'er carelessly spend brother's money."

Tang Feng seized a long bench beside the broken table, kicked the door open, and hurled the bench out. The person guarding the doorway fell for the trap, and was struck down with a single blow.

Fortunately, many of the men in this village were unwilling to be slaughtered without a fight. They picked up farming tools from their homes and began to resist vigorously. Seeing Tang Feng easily slay more than ten Japanese invaders, they gathered behind him and followed him forward to continue the fight.

"Wait a moment, my dear lady, I am truly afraid of you. Here, I will sell it to you for fifteen wen; I have never sold it at this price before," the vendor said, and then proceeded to wrap the silver hairpin for Wan'er.

At night, the sound of the wind wails outdoors, sweeping through the village and the sparse trees. The moon has also slipped into the thick clouds, with only a few stars dimly guarding this dilapidated and desolate village

Tang Feng saw that his mother had already entered the forest, and his heart finally felt somewhat at ease. He hurriedly rushed forward to begin searching for Dong Xiaowan. However, all around him were flames soaring into the sky, and the sounds of wailing were incessant. Although he had dealt with the pirates he encountered along the way with a single strike, these pirates were too scattered, making it impossible to eliminate them all at once; he could only kill one when he came across them.

Finally, Tang Feng reached the west end of the village and saw three or four people ahead. Among them, two were holding a young girl and were rushing forward. Tang Feng, feeling anxious, did not hesitate and threw his long knife with all his might.

In the midst of his dreams, Tang Feng suddenly heard a cacophony of voices outside, accompanied by continuous screams. He hurriedly rolled over and jumped out of bed, grabbing the axe he used for chopping firewood each day. Just as he was about to push the door open, he suddenly remembered something. He quickly turned and rushed to the inner room, not having time to explain anything to his mother. He lifted her onto his back and began to carry her outside.

The villagers screamed in panic as they hurriedly opened the door and rushed out, only to be met by those who had long been waiting by the door, who struck them down with a single blow. They did not even have time to let out a cry before they fell into a pool of blood

How much is this hairpin?" Tang Feng walked up behind Wan'er and asked loudly to the vendor, who was lost in endless fantasies while gazing at Wan'er in front of him.

"Twenty wen, you might as well go and rob it instead." Wan'er put down the silver hairpin in her hand and retorted to the peddler with dissatisfaction. After speaking, she turned around and was about to pull Tang Feng away.

"Mother, how can I leave you here? Look, the fire has already started; leaving you here is certain death. Mother, stop arguing with me. I will save you first, then go rescue Wan'er. If you disagree, then I will accompany you and we will both perish in this fire together." Tang Feng spoke urgently. Fu Meiniang patted Tang Feng's back twice with force, her voice hoarse as she said, "Foolish child, foolish child, instead of saving your future wife, you insist on worrying about this old corpse of mine." Seeing that he was so determined, she had no choice but to follow him, allowing him to carry her out.

This ingot of exactly one tael of silver left the peddler somewhat dazed. After a long while, he finally took the silver, placed it in his mouth, bit it with his teeth, and then held it in his hand. Seeing that the silver was indeed of excellent quality, he couldn't help but break into a broad smile. Once he received the remaining change, Tang Feng accompanied the equally joyful Wan'er as they walked home together

"This hairpin of yours is clearly not made of silver; it has merely been coated with silver wash a few times. You still want twenty wen; it is evident that you are a deceitful vendor. Here’s the deal: I will offer you a flat price of fifteen wen. Take it or leave it." After Wan'er finished speaking, she turned to leave.

Tang Feng picked up a long knife that had fallen to the ground with his foot, swung the knife, and immediately knocked down the other two pirates. However, one of the men kneeling before him looked strangely familiar. After staring for a while, Tang Feng finally recognized him; this was the Jin Yi Wei lieutenant who had attempted to harass Wan'er at the market that day. There was no need to ask; this group of pirates must have a direct connection to him. Just as he was about to raise his knife to strike him down on the spot.

The villagers behind him had no qualms about killing the Japanese pirates, but upon witnessing Tang Feng swiftly and decisively eliminate a government enforcer, a sudden silence fell over everyone. They all took a step back, seemingly wanting to distance themselves from this figure, who resembled a murderous demon from hell, as if that would bring them some comfort. More importantly, they feared being implicated in the murder of a government official.

From one to two, and from two to a group, the villagers followed Tang Feng, roaring and pursuing the pirates. At this moment, the pirates realized what a foolish mistake they had made, seeing the young man covered in blood, relentlessly wielding a blood-dripping long knife, slaughtering every pirate he encountered. His eyes, illuminated by the flames, had become as fierce and ruthless as a lone wolf.

The pirates are acutely aware of what fate awaits them when they provoke a solitary wolf. In a moment of panic, they scatter, hastily abandoning the treasures they have just seized, running with their heads down in a desperate bid for survival. Yet, no matter where they flee, they are invariably confronted by enraged villagers, who descend upon them with clubs, beating them to death on the spot

However, the knife in his hand, which he had just raised in the air, suddenly pierced through his own chest. Tang Feng pulled out the knife, not looking back, and instructed the obviously stunned sister-in-law, "Sister-in-law, you should quickly find a safe place to hide; I will rescue the others." After saying this, he prepared to carry his mother forward to fight.

As the two individuals emerged, Wan'er suddenly ran ahead to a vendor's stall, picked up a silver hairpin from the line, and examined it closely.

From outside the village, a group of about thirty to forty individuals, stealthily armed with long knives, crept in. Silently infiltrating the compound, one among them gestured to the others, and they immediately dispersed. As they walked, they took out the fire starters from their pockets, igniting the pine oil torches they had brought. Each time they passed a household, they swiftly threw the torches through the windows, and the flames inside the houses immediately flared up.

"Damn you, you bastard! In this world, what does it matter if I rebel?" With that, he swung his knife and severed the man's head, kicking it aside.

"Meier, this time Mother has also escaped danger. You should let Mother down. I will go with Sister Lin to find a place to hide. You must immediately go and rescue Wan'er. If you cannot bring Wan'er back to Mother, then Mother will no longer recognize you." Mother Fu said, forcefully breaking free from the ground, pulling the sister along, and running towards the forest ahead without looking back.

"Miss, you truly have a discerning eye; this hairpin seems as if it was custom-made for you. Just look at how well it matches you. As for the price? It's not much; I will only charge you twenty wen. " The peddler, startled from his pleasant dream by Tang Feng, quickly returned to his usual state, trying his best to persuade the two individuals, extolling the virtues of his wares.

Upon arriving at the gate, I saw three pirates dragging the neighbor's wife, intending to take her to a secluded place for humiliation. Tang Feng rushed up behind the three, raised his knife, and struck, slicing off half of one man's face with a single blow. Without hesitation, he swung again, slashing the abdomen of another pirate beside him. The pirate behind, thinking Tang Feng was unaware as he faced away and was carrying someone on his back, raised his knife to chop down.

"No need to wrap it up, I will give you the money," Wan'er said, and then took out a blue cloth pouch from her bosom. She opened it layer by layer, and finally, the pouch revealed exactly fifteen cash coins. Wan'er picked them up one by one and was about to hand them to the vendor.

After sending Wan'er back home and politely declining her father's offer to stay for a meal, he gently waved goodbye to the lovely figure peeking from behind the door frame and returned to his own home. Once he handed the remaining silver to Madam Fu, the elderly woman was momentarily unable to believe her eyes. After being pressed for the source of the silver, she carefully stored it away and turned to Tang and Shu Feng, chattering, "My son, this piece of silver, I must save it well for you. It will be used for arranging your marriage with Wan'er. You are no longer a child, and I have been waiting many years to hold my grandchild. By the way, there is still some thin porridge I left for you in the pot, and it is still warm. You should eat it quickly so you can rest early. Tomorrow morning, you need to go back to Shoushan to chop wood. We cannot become complacent just because we have some extra money; it is not our Fu family's way to sit idly by and let our resources dwindle." After saying this, she went to the inner room to rest.

The long knife precisely pierced through the back of the pirate who was holding the girl and running forward. He ran a few more steps before crashing to the ground, bringing the girl he was clutching down with him. Another empty-handed man was just about to reach out to grab the girl's arm on the ground, but Tang Feng had already arrived at the scene. With the machete in his other hand, he swiftly severed the man's forearm, causing it to fall to the ground.

"Fu Mei, I saw them take Dong Xiaowan away," A-sao shouted urgently to Tang Feng in front. A-sao's exclamation truly startled Tang Feng. My goodness, the Wan'er who had been following him for so long was actually the Dong Xiaowan who had captivated Shunzhi throughout history. Moreover, the renowned talent, Ao Bijiang, was also deeply infatuated with Dong Xiaowan. But how did she end up entangled with this unfortunate fellow, Fu Mei?

Tang Feng endured the discomfort and drank down two bowls of coarse bran mixed with wild vegetables, which was enough to scratch his throat, then lay down fully clothed. Suddenly, the face of the flight attendant he had just met appeared in his mind, and after a moment, it transformed into the charming visage of Wan'er, with the two faces merging into one. Before long, Tang Feng fell asleep.

Then this fellow crawled forward half a step, wiping his nose and tears, and cried out to him, "Hero, please show some mercy and spare my life. I was momentarily blinded by greed, but it was all the work of those Japanese pirates, and it has nothing to do with me. Moreover, I am an official of the court; if you were to kill me, it would be tantamount to rebellion." It would have been better if he had not said this latter part, but as soon as he did, Tang Feng's eyes widened in shock.

"Meier, it seems that trouble has surely arisen outside. Listen to your mother, take the silver with you, and quickly go find Wan'er. Leave this place at once. I, an old woman, am of no use anymore. Hurry and find Wan'er, heed your mother's words." As Fu Mei's mother spoke, she struggled to get down to the ground.

"Wan'er, there are people following us. It seems we cannot go home directly; we should take a detour before returning," Tang Feng said, nonchalantly following Wan'er as they began to stroll through the streets, deliberately choosing crowded areas. This time, the person riding behind them found it quite challenging and had no choice but to dismount, struggling to lead the horse through the crowd while searching for the figures of Tang Feng and Wan'er.

Taking advantage of the moment when the knife fell, Tang Feng swiftly dashed out of the house, only to come face to face with a person. He was immediately startled to find that this individual was dressed like a Japanese pirate. Understanding the situation in an instant, before the man could raise his knife, Tang Feng swiftly beheaded him with a single strike. Kicking the lifeless body aside, he seized the Japanese sword and charged out into the courtyard.

Tang Feng held a deep admiration for Wan'er, preferring to painstakingly save a few coins rather than seek assistance from others. He spoke, "Wan'er, why must you be so clear-cut? Just yesterday, my mother mentioned that if you hadn't happened to find me there, I don't know what would have happened. Therefore, you need not contest this small hairpin with me any longer." As he spoke, he carefully rewrapped the cloth bag in Wan'er's hands and gently placed the silver hairpin into her delicate hands, which were as warm as jade. Thus, you need not contest this small hairpin with me any longer.

At this moment, Tang Feng and Wan Er were hiding at the entrance of a cave, secretly watching the person leading the horse as he searched everywhere for them. After searching for a long time without finding any trace of Tang Feng and Wan Er, the person finally had no choice but to mount his horse and, feeling displeased, urged the horse to leave.

"Miss, you say this price is unacceptable, so why don't you propose a price? If you don't say anything, how would I know what price would satisfy you?" The vendor, after all, did not want to lose the opportunity to converse more with this beautiful woman, and hurriedly tried to draw the two of them back with his words.