Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

Officer Zhang expressionlessly flicked the blood off his knife and clapped his hands.

Several figures flashed out from the darkness.

"Make the arrangements and get started immediately!"

One of them hesitated for a moment, then asked, "Banner Master, the Red Lotus has only been supported for less than a month. Is it too early to act now?"

"madness!"

Constable Zhang's eyes sharpened, and he shouted:

"We've already been exposed. If we don't act quickly, will we be wiped out in one fell swoop? Hurry! Send the signal now!"

"yes!"

Seeing that Constable Zhang had made his decision, the man didn't dare to say anything more. He took out a dart from his pocket, aimed it at the sky, and shot it out!

.......

Since parting ways with the banner lord, Shen Chu has remained secluded, spending his days and nights forging swords in the sword-forging courtyard.

Seeing this, Sun Ping joined him in processing the food.

Thanks to this, all of the government's orders have been completed.

And Shen Chu,

And finally, he transferred his inherent talent to the Bing level.

Shen Chu estimated that in a few more days, he would be able to raise his bone marrow to level C.

At that time, the sea will be wide enough for fish to leap freely.

He could then go straight to Qingyang Academy to continue his martial arts training.

This was originally a good thing.

But Shen Chu was unusually restless tonight and couldn't fall asleep no matter what she did.

He simply practiced the entire "Crushing Mountain Force" routine in the courtyard. After finishing the stance, he still felt a lingering sense of unease in his chest.

The night sky was clear and bright, seemingly no different from usual, but the unease in his heart grew stronger and stronger, as if some unseen danger was quietly approaching in the darkness.

Just as he was about to throw another punch to calm himself down, a red light suddenly burst forth in the night sky.

It was in the shape of a lotus flower, formed by some kind of fireworks, slowly blooming in the night sky.

Crimson red like blood, eerily striking!

Then, the second, the third...

One red lotus after another burst open in the night sky over Changping County, enveloping the entire county in an eerie red light!

Almost at the same instant, a battle cry came from afar, spreading like wildfire!

"The Red Lotus descends to earth, changing fate and altering destiny!"

Shen Chu's pupils suddenly contracted!

The Red Lotus Cult has acted ahead of schedule!

Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

They clearly said it would start a month later, so why was it brought forward?

What happened?

Why did the flag lord break his promise?

But these thoughts only flashed through my mind. Right now, the most important thing is to save my own life and the lives of those around me!

Without any hesitation, he turned and rushed to the neighboring courtyard, kicking open the door to Madam Hu and Hu Bai's room.

Madam Hu was startled awake and huddled in the corner of the bed, clutching her blanket in a panic. Hu Bai, on the other hand, had already gotten out of bed, holding a short stick in his hand, and looked warily toward the door.

"Don't panic, come with me!"

Shen Chu's words were concise and to the point.

"The Red Lotus Cult has rebelled! The city is in chaos! Come with me immediately!"

Without saying a word, Hu Bai grabbed his mother and headed for the door.

Although Madam Hu's face was deathly pale, she remained calm, tightly holding Hu Bai's hand, and followed Shen Chu out the door.

After Shen Chu woke Sun Ping up again,

The four of them rushed to Li Chengwen's courtyard again.

Li Chengwen had been awakened by the commotion outside. He was standing at the courtyard gate, wearing his coat and looking around. When he saw Shen Chu and the others rushing over, he quickly went to greet them: "Shen Chu! What's going on outside? I heard someone shouting..."

"The Red Lotus Cult has rebelled," Shen Chu interrupted him.

"Quickly, go and fetch Master Li! We must leave immediately!"

Li Chengwen's expression changed instantly, but he didn't ask any questions and turned to rush into Master Li's courtyard.

A moment later, Master Li emerged, supported by Li Chengwen.

Although the old man was over fifty, he had experienced many ups and downs. Faced with this sudden change, although his expression was solemn, he did not panic.

He immediately gave the order: "Close the gates! Everyone take up arms and guard the front and back yards! Send someone to the county government to report and ask them to send reinforcements!"

Several guards responded and began to move the heavy bolts to reinforce the gate, while a young guard ran out through the back door and headed straight for the county government office.

Shen Chu frowned.

He walked up to Master Li and said in a deep voice, "Master Li, I suggest we don't hold our ground, but charge straight out of the city. The county government is probably in dire straits itself."

Master Li shook his head, his tone stubborn: "No! The Li family's foundation is all here. There are finished knives and tens of thousands of taels of silver in the storeroom. How can we just throw them away? As long as we hold out for a while, the government will naturally send troops to quell the rebellion!"

Shen Chu wanted to persuade him further, but seeing the uncompromising expression on Master Li's face, she could only swallow her words.

He turned to look at Li Chengwen, who also looked troubled, clearly unable to persuade his father either.

You can't reason with a damned ghost.

I have done everything I could!

Shen Chu didn't want to waste any more time. He was preparing to knock out Master Li and take him away directly.

Just then, there was a rapid knocking at the door, accompanied by a familiar voice:

"Open the door! It's me! Xu Zhibao!"

Li Chengwen's eyes lit up, and he quickly ordered someone to open the gate.

Sure enough, Xu Zhibao and Xu Qingqing were standing outside the door, both covered in blood, followed by seven or eight bodyguards from the Xu Family Escort Agency. They all looked exhausted, clearly having fought their way here.

As soon as Xu Zhibao entered, he asked loudly, "Mr. Li! Are you alright?"

Master Li stepped forward, cupping his hands in greeting, and said, "Officer Xu, you've come at the right time! What's the situation outside?"

Xu Zhibao wiped the blood from his face:

"The Red Lotus Cult has suddenly started setting fires and killing people all over the city, and they've taken control of the county government! We barely managed to fight our way out, and knowing that your Li family is a prominent household in the city, you must be their primary target, so we rushed over to inform you!"

Xu Qingqing added from the side:

"On our way here, we ran into one of your Li family's guards. He said he was on his way to the county government to deliver a message, but we told him that the county government had already fallen, and that Constable Zhang was a member of the Red Lotus Sect, and even its banner leader!"

"Also, the second young master has been killed!"

"What?!" Master Li and Li Chengwen exclaimed in shock.

"Officer Zhang is a member of the Red Lotus Cult?!"

"Ji Wu was also killed!"

Shen Chu's heart sank.

If Officer Zhang is indeed the flag lord, then everything makes sense.

But he couldn't understand why the uprising had started ahead of schedule!

Little did Shen Chu know that it was Li Jiwu's betrayal that made Zhang the constable realize his identity might be exposed, so he simply took action ahead of time!

An older bodyguard sighed and said to Master Li:

"Master Li, I've been a镖师 (bodyguard/escort) for decades and have seen this kind of scene several times. When a sect like the Red Lotus Cult rebels, they always target wealthy families first, looting money, grain, and weapons. The mansions of the rich are their primary targets. Holding your position in the mansion is a sure way to die. Running out, taking advantage of the chaos to break out of the city, is the only way to survive!"