All Heavens Strategy Game

In the afternoon,

Su Ming then went to the village chief's house to borrow the skinny donkey, and drove the same borrowed cart, crunching through the thick snow, creaking and groaning as it drove away from Sishui Village.

The snow has stopped, but the chill is even stronger.

Icicles hung from the withered trees along the roadside, and the world was a desolate white.

The donkey cart moved slowly, and by the time they reached Linjiang County, the sun was already high in the sky.

The city gate was much quieter than usual, with only a few soldiers standing guard with their necks hunched over, and the inspections were very lax.

After entering the city, there were few pedestrians on the streets, and most of the shops had their doors half-closed, giving off a desolate feeling.

Even the beggars who used to huddle under the eaves of street corners are now few and far between. It's unclear whether they've frozen to death or found other places to escape the deadly cold.

Su Ming didn't look around much, and drove the donkey cart straight to Wang's Ironwood Shop, a place he knew well by heart.

Inside the shop, the fire in the stove burned brighter than last time, barely dispelling the chill that seeped in through the cracks in the door.

The shop assistant, Wang Tielei, was wiping the countertop idly with a rag when he saw Su Ming come in. His eyes lit up, and he quickly put down the rag and went to greet him.

"Brother Su? It's been a while since you've been here! What are you here to buy today?"

Wang Tielei put on a smile, but his eyes unconsciously glanced behind Su Ming, as if expecting him to bring back some rare prey.

"Buy a few machetes," Su Ming said calmly, getting straight to the point.

"A machete?" Wang Tielei paused for a moment, then laughed, "No problem, no problem! Our machetes are all made of top-quality wrought iron, very durable! How many do you want?"

"Three blades, the best ones, with thicker and wider blades, and heavier backs," Su Ming added.

Wang Tielei had some doubts. Should he buy three good machetes?

This is not something an ordinary farmer would be willing to use.

But he didn't show it on his face, and replied verbally, "Okay! Please wait a moment, I'll go to the back and choose one for you!"

As he turned around, he couldn't resist his curiosity and casually asked, "Brother Su, are you buying these for the villagers? Buying three good knives at once is quite a generous move."

—The main reason was that the laws of the Great Zhou Dynasty stipulated that a household was not allowed to buy too many ironwares, so he asked a few more questions.

Su Ming smiled and said casually, "Yes, the snow is heavy and firewood is hard to chop. Several families in the village chipped in money and asked me to bring back some useful tools."

The reason was perfectly reasonable, and Wang Tielei had no doubts. He quickly brought out three heavy wood-chopping knives from behind him.

The blade was dark and heavy, with a cold, dark blue sheen under the firelight. The back of the blade was indeed nearly twice as thick as a regular woodcutter's knife, giving it a substantial weight.

This is certainly not an ordinary wood-chopping knife, but a "plain knife head".

Simply attach a sturdy long wooden stick, and you have a broadsword commonly used by soldiers on the battlefield. It is easy to chop and its power far surpasses that of ordinary wood-chopping knives and hunting knives.

The broadsword that Su Ming used before had become somewhat dull and chipped after hunting wild boars and processing goats, which affected his ability to exert force.

Secondly, when fighting a pack of wolves, and killing so many wolves, your weapons must be kept absolutely sharp. At critical moments, even the slightest difference can mean the difference between life and death. It's always good to have extra blades on hand.

If you ruin a blade, you can immediately replace it with a new one!

"Look at this quality!" Wang Tielei placed the knife on the counter.

Su Ming picked up a knife, flicked it with his finger, and produced a clear, melodious sound that lingered for a long time.

He examined the blade edge and forging patterns again, then nodded: "Not bad. How much?"

"These knives are made of high-quality materials and are finely crafted. Each knife costs 350 coins, and three knives..." Wang Tielei fiddled with the abacus.

"One tael of silver for three bundles," Su Ming quoted a price directly.

Wang Tielei clicked his tongue: "Brother Su, this price is a bit... Never mind, you're a regular customer, let's just consider it making friends!" He readily agreed and tied the three knives together with straw rope.

After paying, Su Ming didn't leave immediately. He tapped his fingers lightly on the counter, pondered for a moment, and asked, "Brother Tie Lei, do you... have any good arrowheads for sale here? The kind that can handle big things."

"A big one?" Wang Tielei's eyes lit up, and he lowered his voice, "Brother Su... has his eye on another big one?"

Su Ming remained noncommittal: "It's better to be prepared. With the mountains covered in snow, ordinary small beasts are nowhere to be seen. If we encounter a large one, we'll always have a suitable weapon."

"Understood! Understood!" Wang Tielei nodded repeatedly, turned around and rummaged under the counter for a while, took out a long wooden box, and carefully opened it.

There were ten arrowheads neatly stacked inside.

Unlike the flat, triangular or conical arrowheads that Su Ming often used, these arrowheads were longer, heavier, and had a dark metallic sheen.

What's most distinctive is that there are three deep blood grooves below the arrowhead, extending all the way to the shaft, and the arrowhead also has fine but sharp barbs at the tip.

"Take a look at this," Wang Tielei said, picking up one with a hint of pride on his face. "This is called 'Heart-Piercing Arrow.' It was made from high-quality iron that the master specially sourced from the prefecture and had a master craftsman forge it."

"See this blood groove? It's deep and long, bleeding out extremely quickly! And look at these barbs; once they're in, don't expect to pull them out easily. The more you struggle, the tighter they get stuck, and the bigger the wound tears!"

He gestured with his hand, explaining, "If an ordinary arrow hits its prey, the prey can still run away. But this 'heart-piercing arrow,' once it penetrates the flesh three-tenths of an inch, will cause blood to gush out like a burst dam. No matter how strong the wild animal is, it won't be able to run a hundred paces before it collapses! It can be used against wild boars, bears, and even..."

He paused, then lowered his voice even further, "...wolves and leopards, those fierce creatures, are all very effective!"

Su Ming was intrigued.

This is exactly what he needs.

When dealing with wolves, which are thick-skinned and resilient, especially the wolf king, ordinary arrows would probably be ineffective in causing fatal wounds. This "heart-piercing arrow," designed specifically for bleeding, is the perfect solution.

"How much is one?" he asked.

Wang Tielei held up two fingers and waved them, then felt it wasn't enough and added another: "One hundred coins each."

Su Ming frowned slightly.

This price far exceeded his expectations.

Ordinary hunters' civilian arrows cost only six to ten coins each, but these "heart-piercing arrows" are more than ten times more expensive!

"That's too expensive, how about eighty coins?" Su Ming tried to bargain.

Wang Tielei shook his head with a bitter face: "Brother Su, it's really not that I'm not giving you face."

"These arrowheads are expensive to make and difficult to work with. The owner has set a fixed price, and not a penny can be lowered."

"To be honest, this price is something that ordinary hunters wouldn't even ask. Only someone like you, who is skilled at hunting large animals, would need it and be willing to buy it."

Su Ming remained silent.

He knew that what Wang Tielei said was true; good things naturally don't come cheap.

Thinking of the pack of wolves in the mountains, Little Stone's tattered clothes, and Aunt Stone's desperate tears, he no longer hesitated.

"I want twenty."

Wang Tielei was taken aback for a moment, then overjoyed: "Alright! I'll wrap it up for you right away!"

Twenty "heart-piercing arrows" cost two taels of silver.

Adding to the one tael of silver from the three specially made wood-chopping knives, three taels of the ten taels of silver that Cui Jinxi lent him were gone in the blink of an eye.

After carefully putting away the heavy arrowheads and machete, Su Ming casually asked, "Brother Tie Lei, you know this county well, do you know where I can buy... um, something that's especially effective against wild animals in the mountains? Like... something that makes them unable to smell human scent, or something that can temporarily weaken them?"

Upon hearing this, Wang Tielei looked around, leaned closer, and whispered, "Brother Su, are you... dealing with something particularly troublesome? We have ordinary medicine powder in the shop, but its effectiveness... is fine for foxes and rabbits, but against a big one, it might be a tough nut to crack."

He pointed north: "If you really want to find some unconventional and powerful guys, you might as well check out the 'Wild Market' in the north of the city."

"Those stalls are mostly run by old hunters and herb gatherers, selling all sorts of strange and unusual things from the mountains. They're shady, so you might find what you're looking for. But..."

He warned, "There are all sorts of people there, and it's hard to tell the real from the fake. You'd better be careful."

Su Ming nodded and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Brother Tie Lei."

After leaving Wang's ironwood shop, Su Ming led the donkey cart and headed north of the city in the direction Wang Tielei pointed out.

The further north you go, the more dilapidated and deserted the streets become, with snow left untouched and crunching underfoot.

Turning into a sheltered alley, a stench of fur, bitter herbs, and cheap tobacco hit me.

The alley wasn't deep, and some people were squatting or standing on both sides, with tattered cloths spread out in front of them, on which all sorts of things were displayed:

Frozen rabbits and pheasants, unidentified animal hides, strangely colored root herbs, rusty arrowheads, and even a few oddly shaped short knives.

This is the "Yeshi".

Although the place is small, it is warmer than outside and sheltered from the wind and snow in this alley. At this moment, thirty or forty people have gathered here, talking in hushed tones and bargaining, making it quite lively.

Su Ming slowly walked past, pulling his donkey cart, his sharp eyes scanning each stall.

What he was looking for was very clear—something to deal with wolves, especially something that could help him approach, ambush, and weaken the wolf pack.

Unfortunately, after looking at most of them, they were mostly ordinary prey or herbs touted as cures for rheumatism and aphrodisiacs.

Occasionally, there are a few stalls selling "animal repellent powder" and "sedative incense."

The stall owner was exaggerating and making wildly exaggerated claims.

Su Ming took a closer sniff and immediately realized it was nothing more than a mixture of inferior spices or irritating wood ash.

It might fool a layman, but it's likely to backfire when dealing with a wolf with a keen sense of smell.

Just as he was feeling somewhat disappointed and preparing to leave to try his luck elsewhere, an inconspicuous corner at the deepest part of the alley caught his attention.

There squatted a thin, wiry old man, wearing only a tattered, thin jacket, shivering from the cold, huddled there like a quail.

On the tattered cloth spread out in front of him, there was no prey or herbs, only three small, dusty earthenware bottles.

Su Ming's heart stirred, and he walked over.

Seeing a guest arrive, the old man forced a smile onto his face, which was blue from the cold, and quickly pointed to the three small bottles, introducing them with trembling teeth:

"Sir, sir... take a look at this, 'Tibetan Flavor Powder,' a secret family recipe passed down through generations!"

"Apply it to your body, and as long as wild animals don't see you, even their keenest noses won't be able to smell your presence! One bottle sells for one tael of silver!"

One tael of silver per bottle?

Su Ming was secretly shocked; this price was even more outrageous than the "Heart-Piercing Arrow."

But he didn't show it on his face. He squatted down, picked up a small bottle, uncorked it, and brought it to his nose to smell it.

It has an extremely light, almost odorless scent of wood ash mixed with some kind of mineral. It is not pungent, but rather has a calming effect.

"Would it work on wolves?" Su Ming asked directly.

"It works! Of course it works!" Seeing his interest, the old man perked up, stopped trembling, and began to speak with spittle flying.

"Don't even mention one or two wolves; even if you crouch right next to a pack, as long as they don't see you, they won't notice! This powder of mine was personally tested by generations of hunters!"

Su Ming looked up at him calmly: "Where is the Wolf King?"

The old man choked for a moment, his eyes darting around, then patted his chest and said, "A wolf king? That's no problem! No matter how powerful a beast is, it still relies on its nose, right? If you cover up the smell, how can it possibly detect it?"

Su Ming said no more, plugged the bottle, put it back in its place, and got up as if to leave.

"Hey, hey, hey! Please wait, sir!" the old man cried out anxiously. "Sir, you truly know your stuff!"

"To be honest, that wolf king is incredibly intelligent. My powder... will definitely fool it for a while! It won't be able to detect it for a long time!"

"But if it takes too long... well, I can't guarantee that."

Su Ming stopped and turned around: "Just a short while?"

"Yes! It will definitely work in a short time! If it takes too long, the effect will weaken, or it will become suspicious and scrutinize the medicine carefully, then... then it's not certain." This time the old man told the truth, looking at Su Ming expectantly.

Su Ming pondered in his heart.

He doesn't need to lie in wait for a long time; he only needs to briefly conceal his presence and get close enough to deliver a fatal blow when the crucial attack is launched.

"Are you sure it will really work?" Su Ming asked again, his tone becoming more serious.

"It works! It's an ancestral recipe, I've tried it myself!" The old man puffed out his withered chest.

Su Ming looked at him and said slowly, "Think carefully before you answer. If it's useless and you cause me to almost lose my life or return empty-handed, my return won't be as simple as just overturning your mess."

Upon hearing this, the old man, far from being frightened, seemed insulted, and retorted with a stiff neck, "You young man! I, Old Hu, have been setting up a stall in this market for quite some time now!"

"This powder is a unique formula, and the ingredients are all very expensive. I only earn a small profit from my hard work. If my family hadn't suffered this misfortune, I would never have sold this stuff! If it doesn't work for you, come at me! You can overturn my stall, beat me up, even kill me, I'll accept it! But what if it really works? What can you do then?"

Su Ming hadn't expected the old man to be so tough. He smiled and said, "I see you're dressed so thinly in this cold weather, you must be freezing. If your powder is really as effective as you say, and helps me get what I want... I'll give you a wolfskin coat."

"A wolfskin coat?" Old Hu was taken aback, looked Su Ming up and down, pursed his lips, clearly not taking it seriously, and casually replied, "Alright! It's a deal!"

Su Ming said no more, took out three taels of silver from his pocket, placed it on the stall, picked up the three bottles of "Tibetan Flavor Powder", and carefully put them into his pocket.

"Alright! Take care, sir! Guaranteed to work!" Old Hu grabbed the silver, clutched it tightly in his hand, feeling its heavy, icy touch. His face broke into a wide smile, and he even forgot to wipe the snot that had come out of his nose from the cold.

When he looked up, intending to say a few more auspicious words, he found that the boy had already led the donkey cart and disappeared around the corner of the alley.

"A wolfskin coat? Ha..." Old Hu shook his head, stuffed the silver into the closest part of his body, shrank his neck, and continued to squat down, staring blankly at the empty stall, calculating in his mind how much grain he could exchange for these three taels of silver to get through the winter.

He didn't take the boy's words to heart at all.

Wolf hunting?

Is this young man planning to go into the mountains to hunt wolves?

What a ridiculous joke!