Mount & Blade: Warband in the Sengoku period of Japan

With sparkling eyes, Ah Xue snatched the gold beans from Chen Daoyuan: "Okay, this bear is yours, and I'll go down the mountain with you. Take me to a place where I can exchange these gold beans for food."

Chen Daoyuan asked, "What about your family?"

The parents of such a girl must be quite talented themselves.

"I have no family." When Xue said this, her face remained calm: "My mother died when she gave birth to me, and my father was killed by wolves in the mountains two years ago. He was not as strong as me and Uncle Quanbingwei. When he went out to collect firewood, he was targeted by several wolves. He couldn't outrun them or fight them off, so he died in the mountains."

The girl's calm narration may stem from her upbringing as a wild person in the mountains. These people are detached from society, fight against fate, and live like a pack of two-legged wild beasts. It's not surprising that they have a weak sense of human ethics.

Chen Daoyuan felt a pang of sympathy: "What about Quan Bingwei? And those who live with you? Let them come down the mountain and live in my castle. They can live with you in the castle town or on the farm. Since you serve me, I will naturally give you some food regularly, and let them cultivate some land. It should be easier for them to survive than in the mountains."

Ah Xue shook her head: "Uncle Quan Bingwei was old and didn't make it through last winter. There weren't many others either. After Uncle Quan Bingwei died, they felt that no one in the valley could lead them, so they went to the western mountains to seek refuge in a valley with more people."

Chen Daoyuan nodded in understanding: "I see."

"Hmph." Ah Xue raised her head slightly, a smug look on her lips: "Even if they were still here, I wouldn't bring them. If you're lying to me, I can fight and run away on my own. If I bring them along, and they get caught by you, we're doomed."

The girl had a slightly chubby, heart-shaped face with delicate features. When she smiled, she looked charming and sweet.

Chen Daoyuan was also affected by her temperament and relaxed. He jokingly said with a smile, "Are you that good? Even though you can kill such a big bear, you might not be able to beat so many of us."

Ah Xue showed the same strange expression as before. This time, Chen Daoyuan understood a little. She was looking down on him: "The breathing and footwork of all of you are not even as good as Uncle Quan Bingwei last year. I was able to beat Uncle Quan Bingwei when I was 9 years old. He said that even when he was in his twenties or thirties, it would probably take four or five of him to beat me last year. Among you, you are the only one who is a little dangerous. Even if I can't beat a group of you, I can still run away. You can't catch me even if you want to."

Chen Daoyuan's mind raced. The name Quan Bingwei certainly didn't sound like an ordinary villager; perhaps he was a samurai who had fled to the mountains: "Did Quan Bingwei teach you your fighting skills?"

The girl's disdain deepened: "What fighting skills? Uncle Quan Bingwei calls this 'minor military tactics,' don't you understand?"

Chen Daoyuan was speechless. You don't even know what a samurai or rice is, yet you know about military strategy?!

"Yes, it's the Minor Art of War. You don't even know what a samurai is. I thought you didn't know what the Minor Art of War was either."

Ah Xue asked curiously, "What does samurai have to do with minor military strategy?"

"A samurai is someone who fights using simple tactics."

The girl scoffed, "Your argument is illogical. I may know some basic military tactics, but does that make me a samurai?"

Chen Daoyuan smiled and said, "Right now you're just someone who uses basic military tactics to fight wild beasts, so you're not a warrior yet. But once you come with me and use basic military tactics to help me fight others, you will be a warrior."

Ah Xue stood up and hoisted the mountain halberd onto her shoulder: "Hmph, who said I've never fought with anyone? There's always fighting between different valleys in the mountains. I've killed as many people as bears... You just want me to help you kill someone, right? Tell me, who stole your things, and I'll help you get them back. But, according to the rules, I have to give you forty percent of what I get back."

Chen Daoyuan hadn't expected life in the mountains to be so wild. He explained, "No one's stealing my things. I'm the one who wants to steal from others—their food, supplies, and territory. If you're willing to help me, I'll regularly send you food. Once we defeat the others and seize the territory, I'll give you extra food and gold beans. How about it?"

Without the slightest hesitation, Ah Xue immediately asked, "How long is the regular distribution period? How much food will be distributed?"

Chen Daoyuan looked at the warriors around him and replied, "The warriors around me are currently being fed a stipend of nine shi of grain per year. They receive three shi each on the first, middle, and last days of the year. In case of war, they receive additional cash and a certificate of merit, which are the extra grain and gold beans I mentioned."

The wage standard in Chen Daoyuan's territory in Iwate County is indeed as described, but for now, it's just an empty promise from Chen Daoyuan. It was just announced a few days ago, and the first paycheck only covers the middle and lower months of this year. It will be paid after the autumn harvest of the lower month.

However, the hesitant warriors didn't have any objections. Chen Daoyuan was still providing for their daily food and drink, so they didn't care much about whether they received a salary or not.

Similarly, Ah Xue didn't seem to mind the treatment, looking a little confused: "So much food?" As she spoke, her gaze kept sweeping over the bear, clearly using it as a unit of measurement.

Chen Daoyuan nodded solemnly, and Ah Xue cheered, "As long as you're not lying, I'll work for you! Kashira (bandit leader), tell me, who are we going to kill?"

Chen Daoyuan sighed, "Don't call me boss... I am Chen Daoyuan, you can call me Lord Chen. We're not going to kill anyone now, we'll wait until after the autumn harvest at the end of September before we set off."

Ah Xue's joy froze instantly: "Huh? What time is September? How long is that? Autumn harvest? Do you mean after the taro harvest?"

Chen Daoyuan sighed: "Yes, probably about seventy or eighty days."

Ah Xue sighed as well: "Sigh, I'll go with you now. What should we eat?"

Chen Daoyuan guessed that the girl probably didn't understand what he had just said about the three-yuan grain distribution, so he was too lazy to explain further: "We have meals served every day in the city, and you can come and eat as you please. After the autumn harvest and before we go to war, the grain will be distributed. This year it's six shi (a unit of dry measure). You can eat however you like at home. The rest will be distributed after we go to war, depending on your performance."

Now the girl was finally completely happy, and her face showed a somewhat ingratiating expression towards Chen Daoyuan: "Okay, boss, then I'll eat at your house from now on."

"Don't call me boss... never mind, whatever makes you happy."

The negotiation with Ah Xue was considered complete. This girl was still very simple and honest by nature. After agreeing to follow Chen Daoyuan, she seemed to want to show more goodwill and ingratiate herself. She turned around and walked to the bear carcass: "Boss, let me skin and butcher this bear for you. I know this very well."

As she spoke, Ah Xue put down the huge halberd and took out a dark stone dagger, intending to use it to cut open the bear skin.

Chen Daoyuan was taken aback. Seeing her holding such a large thallium, he thought these savages had no shortage of iron. He didn't expect her to still be using stone tools.

"Use this." Chen Daoyuan took out a knife from his waist and handed it over. At the same time, he remembered something and added, "This knife is for you. When we go down the mountain, I'll give you another samurai knife."

Ah Xue didn't pay attention to these details. She took the knife Chen Daoyuan handed her and touched it: "Oh, it's made of iron? You mean you'll give me a knife like this after we go down the mountain?"

Chen Daoyuan thought for a moment and said, "Pretty much."

The knife he handed over wasn't from this era; it was a collector's item from the basement—a limited-edition CPM-3V T6 hunting knife made by Lionsteel.

Chen Daoyuan's words were pretty much what he meant. He wasn't planning to use the locally produced eutectoid steel to deceive the young girl, but rather he thought that since the girl had high combat skills, the monstrous heavy-duty hacking machine made of 3V material in the basement might also be able to appear in the world.

The creation of that thing was purely due to the Italian old man having too much money to burn. Even Chen Daoyuan could only carry it around, take pictures, and get exhausted after waving it around a few times. But this girl in front of him could probably use it normally.

The cutting effect of this hunting knife was naturally extraordinary, and Ah Xue excitedly shouted as she peeled the skin.

Chen Daoyuan then approached and asked, "Ah Xue, can I take a look at your mountain thallium?"

"Okay, but it's just a loan!"

Chen Daoyuan smiled slightly, and with a forceful pull, he picked up the thallium.

Upon closer inspection, this was not a large machete at all; it was simply a piece of crudely refined iron ore!

The entire blade was extremely rough. Chen Daoyuan could tell at a glance that it was made from coarse materials such as iron sand, which were barely melted and then cast. Its strength was only maintained by the fact that the body was more than an inch thick. The edge was also like it had been chewed by a dog, barely managed to be sharpened.

"Ah Xue, where did this thallium come from?"

Ah Xue didn't even look up, her hands swiftly cutting the bear skin and meat: "It was made by my father and Uncle Quan Bingwei after they panned for iron sand in the river and then smelted it together in a stove."

Looking at the crimson bloodstains embedded in the blade's sharp edges, Chen Daoyuan couldn't help but marvel... This thing actually managed to sever a bear's head? It must have been smashed off by brute force...

If this little girl were to put on armor and wield one of those crazy hack-and-slash knives... I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to fight back at all.

Ah Xue wasn't exaggerating; she was indeed extremely skilled at skinning and dismembering bears. Before long, a whole bear skin, a pile of bear meat, four bear paws, and a complete bear gallbladder were all separated.

The girl's movements were fluid and graceful, even pleasing to Chen Daoyuan's eye. The T6 hunting knife was as obedient as a finger in her hands.

Chen Daoyuan squinted, watching the hunting knife swiftly slice through the bear's flesh and bones in Ah Xue's hand... This girl would definitely be a master at killing on the battlefield.