Becoming a Martial Master: Starting as a Swordsmith

"Shen Chu!"

Shen Chu turned around.

Li Chengwen was seen supporting Master Li as they walked toward him.

Mr. Li was pale and walked with a faltering gait, as if he had aged ten years overnight.

Li Chengwen's face also showed signs of fatigue, but his mental state was still quite good. When he saw Shen Chu, his eyes lit up noticeably.

The two walked up to Shen Chu, and Li Chengwen released his father's arm and solemnly bowed to Shen Chu.

"Shen Chu, I can't thank you enough. If it weren't for you tonight, my son and I would probably be..."

His voice choked as he spoke, he paused, then continued...

"My father and I have discussed it and we'd like to invite you to come back to the mansion with us. The house is in a complete mess right now, and I'd feel more at ease if you were here with us."

Shen Chu didn't refuse and nodded: "Let's go, I'll go back with you."

Under the moonlight, the three of them walked through the devastated streets and returned to the gate of the Li residence.

The gates of the Li residence were wide open, and the once imposing gate panels bore several marks of chiseling and hacking. The screen wall inside the gate had collapsed halfway, with broken bricks scattered all over the ground.

The scene in the courtyard was even more shocking. The doors and windows of the rooms were smashed, the cabinets and drawers inside were ransacked, and almost all the valuables were looted.

The bodies of several guards lay in the corridor, and someone had already covered them with straw mats.

Standing in the courtyard, looking at the home he had lived in for decades and poured his life's blood into, now reduced to a scene of utter devastation, Mr. Li's body began to tremble involuntarily.

Li Chengwen tried to help him up, but he refused.

Master Li then slowly walked to the front of the main hall, reached out and touched the door that had been hacked open in several places, and finally, tears welled up in his eyes and slid down his cheeks:

"I...I started from scratch and worked hard for most of my life...In the end, I lost my home, my son, and even the person I shared my bed with was a pawn planted by someone else..."

His voice was hoarse and trembling, filled with endless desolation and sorrow.

"What have I been striving for all my life...?"

Shen Chu stood aside, watching the old man's back, and couldn't help but feel a little sad.

Although Mr. Li was not a great philanthropist, he was not a great villain either. He was just an ordinary merchant who had built up his fortune through hard work and shrewdness.

As a result of the rebellion, his family property was looted, his second son was killed, and his second wife turned out to be a spy for the Red Lotus Cult.

Such a blow would be difficult for anyone to bear.

It's truly a matter of timing and fate; destiny plays tricks on people.

However, amidst this heavy atmosphere, Li Chengwen suddenly spoke up nonchalantly: "Hey Dad, why are you saying all this! So what if the house was smashed and our things were stolen! Our family is still here, our skills are still here, what's there to be afraid of! We can just start over!"

He walked over, put his arm around Mr. Li's shoulder, patted him hard, and spoke with a carefree optimism:

"Don't worry, although your son isn't good at studying or martial arts, he's a whiz at business! My older sister will also help us find business, and with Shen Chu and Master Sun's skills, once we rebuild the forge and work for three to five years, I guarantee we'll restore the Li family's reputation! At that time, not only in Changping County, but even in Qingyang Prefecture, people will recognize the Li family's name!"

Mr. Li was left both amused and exasperated by his son's witty banter.

Tears still clung to his face, but his lips twitched involuntarily. He wanted to scold him sternly, but he didn't know where to begin.

In the end, Master Li simply sighed deeply and slapped Li Chengwen on the back of the head:

"You good-for-nothing...all you do is talk big."

"Hehe, you'll see, whether it's big talk or not."

Li Chengwen rubbed the back of his head, grinned, and revealed a set of big white teeth.

Shen Chu stood to the side, watching the father and son bickering amidst the ruins, and a slight smile involuntarily crept onto her lips.

He suddenly realized that Li Chengwen, who usually seemed a bit simple-minded and even unreliable, was actually much more reliable than he had imagined in crucial moments.

......

Everything returned to calm.

At the urging of Qingyang Academy and Longchuan Sword Sect,

On the streets of Changping County, people began to leave their homes to clear away rubble and garbage in front of their doors and repair any damage.

Several grain shops and pharmacies also reopened after coordination, and long queues immediately formed in front of them.

Although a faint smell of blood still lingered in the air, it was much better than the nightmarish catastrophe that had just occurred.

Shen Chu has been very busy these past few days.

He helped the Li family clear the ruins, inventory the remaining supplies, and repair the house.

During this time, he tried several times to find an opportunity to talk to Hu Bai alone, but each time he was interrupted by various things.

Either Li Chengwen asked him for help, or Xu Zhibao invited him to drink, or some people came to thank him for saving their lives.

After several attempts, Shen Chu finally understood.

Everyone has their own secrets.

He himself harbors the secrets of the system, so why should he expect Hu Bai to be completely honest with him?

Moreover, although Hu Bai had concealed many things, he had never harmed him; on the contrary, he had saved his life at a crucial moment.

Based on this alone, he had no reason to force Hu Bai to speak.

After figuring this out, Shen Chu felt a weight lifted from her heart.

He decided to stop trying to talk to Hu Bai and just let things take their natural course.

......

That morning, a student from Qingyang Academy came to the Li residence, saying that Miss Situ had invited Young Master Shen to the county government office for a meeting.

Shen Chu put down her work, washed her face, and followed the student to the county government office.

A few days later, the county government office had been cleaned up considerably.

The collapsed walls were cleared away, and the broken doors and windows were replaced with intact ones. Although it couldn't be described as completely new, it at least looked like a government office.

Situ Aotian was sitting in the main hall, engrossed in reading a thick stack of documents. Hearing footsteps, he looked up, saw Shen Chu, put down his brush, and smiled at him.

"You're here? Please have a seat."

Shen Chu sat down in the chair opposite her and, without any formalities, asked directly, "What brings Miss Situ here?"

Situ Aotian leaned back in his chair, stretched, let out a comfortable sigh, and then spoke:

"Two things. First, the cleanup work is basically done. Order has been restored in the city, and the people's emotions have stabilized. I have already sent someone to submit a detailed report to Qingyang County. I estimate that the magistrate will return to his post in a few days, and then I will hand over this mess."