Chapter 5, The Great Knife Without a Blade

As soon as the fellow saw a big deal, he immediately put on a beaming smile, cheerfully approaching Cao Anmin, resembling a scheming businessman.

He? The streets and alleys of Yanzhou are well aware! He is merely an incompetent person of no significance

Ignoring the other person's astonished expression, Cao Anmin impatiently said, "Is it alright now?"

At this moment, while Cao Anmin was still unaware that he was secretly rejoicing over his acquaintance with Zhou Fang, the latter chuckled foolishly and said in a rough voice, "Then, Fang thanks you, big brother."

This weapon is called the Black Gold Spear. It is entirely dark in color and resembles a spear, lance, or halberd, but is more similar to a halberd. The spearhead is made of black gold and is larger than a spear or lance. This Black Gold Spear is approximately 10 feet long and weighs 90 jin. It is a family heirloom of the small shop

When the attendant saw that there were guests, he immediately looked up, only to see a burly man following the young man, standing at a height of 8 feet 4 inches (Chinese foot, 1 foot = 23.1 mm). With dark skin and a fierce appearance, the sight frightened the attendant so much that his whole body trembled, and he nearly dropped the iron hammer he was holding, almost smashing it onto his own foot.

These two individuals are Cao Anmin and Zhou Fang, who just confronted that young girl on the street.

"Ziyu, I will give you this black gold cone"

On the other side, the blacksmith shop in the west of the city

Indeed, this weapon is entirely devoid of blades or points, and it weighs one hundred and twenty pounds. Generally, it requires three strong men to wield it together. I advise you, dear guest, that it is better not to use such an item...

In a moment of confusion, both individuals turned to look in the direction indicated by Cao Anmin, only to be taken aback by the sight of a large long-handled saber emerging from the pile of iron. Although it was a saber, it lacked a blade, as if it had yet to be completed, yet it stood out remarkably amidst the iron heap.

The fellow, perplexed, looked at the black token handed over by Cao Anmin, and took it without thinking. However, upon closer inspection...

The fellow, while holding the iron box, inquired of Cao Anmin: "Since you are a person from the provincial government, why do you not find a suitable weapon in the military camp? Why must you come to my small blacksmith shop?"

However, to be honest, that Master Cao is indeed an interesting person

Yet, he could only manage a bitter smile. "Dear guest... just now, that weighed 90 jin, and this shop has nothing heavier than that..."

Zhou Fang is a simple-minded person, lacking any defenses against others. However, over the years in Yanzhou, he has not made many friends. Today, when he encountered Cao Anmin, he was even more surprised to find that the other party was a prominent official in the provincial government. The fact that such a distinguished person would be willing to befriend him was something he could never have dreamed of in the past

Oh... so it was just pig iron?" Zhou Fang said nonchalantly

This weight is quite suitable

I want this knife!

"Too light is just too light. Is there anything heavier?" Zhou Fang said, shaking his head more vigorously, clearly displeased.

Ah, ah... yes, yes, please wait a moment, my lord. In the next moment, realizing the situation, the fellow did not dare to be negligent and immediately began to search and gather something among the pile of weapons with a beaming smile.

Upon hearing what that fellow said, Cao Anmin became interested. He weighed it in his hands and found it indeed heavier than the weapons he had at home. However, he did not particularly like the eagle hook on this 'spearhead'.

Ah? I haven't reacted yet. Zhou Fang originally thought that Cao Anmin had taken a liking to this weapon. Although he also desired it, he did not dare to say much. Unexpectedly, the other party directly gifted him such a valuable item, leaving Zhou Fang momentarily at a loss.

"Guest, what kind of weapon do you desire?" The attendant steadied himself and began to inquire of Cao Anmin, yet he did not dare to look at the burly man behind him, appearing quite fearful.

Dear guest, this weighs nearly 40 pounds

Seeing all this, Cao Anmin was not surprised. After all, individuals like Zhou Fang, who are large and imposing, are indeed rare, and coupled with this fellow's somewhat fierce appearance, it is only natural that many people would be afraid.

Upon hearing this, the gentle woman did not refute but quietly watched her sister, who was still laughing heartily. However, in her mind, she seemed to grow increasingly intrigued by Cao Anmin, feeling that there was a tremendous power hidden within him, though she could not quite discern what it was.

Oh my dear sister Wenji! If he truly had talent, he wouldn't sulk at a perfectly good banquet. It is said that Cao Xin spoke some nonsensical and incomprehensible words at the banquet, which even provoked Cao Mengde to publicly declare, 'A mere child is not worthy of counsel.' Hmph, what ability can such a mediocre person possess

This blacksmith shop is not large and is open-air, with no roof, only two earthen walls surrounding it, while the other two sides are covered with black cloth serving as walls. The area seems to be only about 20 square meters. However, as the old saying goes, "Though the sparrow is small, it has all its vital organs." On the surface, it may not appear to have much to offer, but it is equipped with a variety of weapons. Yet, the more weapons are displayed, the more crowded the place seems.

While the fellow was secretly astonished at who Cao Anmin really was, he was unexpectedly jolted awake once again by the latter's words

"Most of the barracks are for soldiers, and they are all registered. Our military law is strict. I am merely a minor official in the state government and do not have the authority to misuse public resources." As Cao Anmin spoke, he was unaware that Zhou Fang, beside him, had inadvertently regarded him with a higher opinion.

In ancient times, status was regarded with utmost importance

"This weapon is too light, it has little weight," Zhou Fang said, shaking his head as he weighed a broadsword in his hand

With a light chuckle, Cao Anmin did not immediately respond to his companion's words, but turned back and said: "Ziyu, I want to buy a suitable weapon; it just so happens that you should buy one as well"

At this moment, while Zhou Fang was lost in thought, he did not notice that at some point, Cao Anmin had already taken out the weapons from the iron box, examining them up and down, occasionally muttering to himself.

Just as that fellow was secretly shaking his head and smiling bitterly, Cao Anmin slowly walked up to the pile of iron. Gripping the handle of the dull knife with his right hand, he suddenly shouted loudly, channeling all his strength into his right hand. With a slight bend of his waist, the dull knife was abruptly pulled out from the pile of iron, gripped in mid-air by his right hand, effortlessly and in an instant.

The gentle woman immediately shook her head, pursed her lips, and pondered over what had just happened, then softly said: "I don't think so. Just now, that Young Master Cao said something... 'A man's knees are worth gold.'... Although I have followed my father for many years and have learned countless ancient texts and literature, I have never heard such grandiose words. I believe this person is not as incompetent as others say..."

Are you from the state capital?

Along the way, Cao Anmin gradually became familiar with Zhou Fang. The thought that this person could be considered a figure from the Three Kingdoms period made Cao Anmin even more excited. What was even more surprising was that the other party was only sixteen years old, two years younger than himself. One must realize that being so tall at the age of sixteen, in just a few more years... wouldn't he exceed 2 meters?

Upon seeing this, the fellow could only laugh and cry at the same time. "Guest, that is a piece of iron I stumbled upon in the mountains, shaped into a long handle. It was originally intended to forge a long-handled broadsword, but after three months of hard work, the blade proved exceedingly difficult to temper, so I had no choice but to leave it here and no longer use it

On the street, shortly after the carriage had set off, the dignified woman inside, noticing that Cao Anmin and Zhou Fang had long disappeared from view, began to reproach the person beside her, "Ting Mei, you are also a woman of marriageable age; how can you cause a scene on the street? If your father finds out, he will surely be driven to distraction by you."

"Oh? Then how heavy is this weapon?" Before the attendant could finish speaking, Cao Anmin pointed to a black object in a pile of iron in the corner and inquired.

"Buddy, is there any weapon heavier than this?"

The fellow first glanced at Cao Anmin, noticing that the other party was also smiling at him, seemingly sharing the same sentiment as the giant. He was immediately at a loss for words, and after a moment of hesitation, he said: "There is... indeed, but the price is quite steep."

After a moment of astonishment, Zhou Fang finally laughed heartily and said, "Haha, thank you, big brother, for this gift. I really like this weapon. Hahahaha." As he spoke, he began to fondle it affectionately.

"You may speak freely; the price is negotiable." Cao Anmin understood the other party's intention and said this while taking out a token from his pocket and handing it to the attendant, saying: "Take a look for yourself; feel free to bring out the best weapons."

Before long, a large black iron box was swiftly pulled out by the other party

"Hey! It wasn't my fault to begin with; it was those two guys who were in the wrong." Seeing her sister blame her, the little girl immediately pouted her lips and put on a look of grievance, which indeed made her appear somewhat like a girl.

"Excuse me, brother, are there any handy weapons here?" A young man dressed in a light white robe stood at the entrance of a blacksmith's shop, smiling as he inquired of the worker who was vigorously hammering away, bare-chested.