Dian Wei stepped forward and took the sword from the barbarian soldier.
Upon receiving the sword, Dian Wei's eyes lit up. It was indeed a fine sword, simple and unadorned, yet rigid and straight. Although he had not used it, he knew that the sword was extremely sharp.
"It's a fine sword," Dian Wei muttered, then turned and walked towards Qin Ze, presenting it to him.
Qin Ze gripped the hilt and immediately felt a heavy weight. Although the blade was snow-white, it shone with a golden hue in the sunlight. Wu Li was also watching the sword from the side.
“Unwavering resolve…” He unconsciously murmured as he looked at the sword blade.
Qin Ze naturally saw those two words as well, and said:
"This sword has quite a history; it was passed down from the Jin family ancestors."
"Many years ago, warlords carved up their own territories and fought each other endlessly. The world was in turmoil, and the common people suffered greatly. There were countless stories of people dying on the battlefield and their families being destroyed. It was almost a time of darkness."
"At this time of war and turmoil, the Jin family raised the banner of righteousness, vowing to end the fighting and bring peace to the people. They raised an army in Nanze and led 50,000 soldiers to attack the 'Lie Wang' Yin Zaiye, who was entrenched in Langzhou. It was a battle in which the few defeated the many. The Jin family almost exhausted all their strength to take Langzhou. Even so, after entering Langzhou, they did not plunder civilians like other warlords."
"After this battle, the Jin family's army was reduced to less than 10,000 men, but just two months later, he had 80,000 men, including people from Langzhou and righteous men from all over the country who came to fight."
At this point, Wu Li couldn't help but say, "Your Majesty, that happened many years ago. Even if it was recorded by historians, it may not be true."
Qin Ze looked at the sword and pursed his lips, saying, "Maybe."
"This sword is said to have been forged by the swordsmiths of Langzhou at that time."
At this point, Qin Ze's eyes gradually turned cold. He slashed his sword into the void and said in a cold voice:
“矢志 means to be unwavering in one’s will.”
"Holding the sword, I swear an oath, and I will never waver."
"However, the vows made by our predecessors may not be fulfilled by our successors, which is why this precious sword has been covered in dust."
Qin Ze sheathed his sword, hanging it on the victory hook on his saddle, and looked at Yan Cheng:
"Well done, killing Jin Weizun is a great achievement."
"Rewards will be given in due course for those who have made contributions."
"Now come with us back to Guiyun City."
Yan Cheng was startled and immediately said respectfully:
"Yes, Your Majesty!"
——
The bright moon hung high in the sky, and under its pure light, Guiyun City was ablaze with lights.
Of course, this was not a scene of festive decorations. On important and grand days, the barbarians would express their joy with countless bonfires.
Just like now, the burning firewood crackled and popped, and the blazing flames grew even stronger in the night wind.
There were burly barbarian men with small drums hanging from their waists, rhythmically beating the drum skins and producing deep yet powerful music. There were also barbarian young women, who, despite being dressed in coarse linen clothes, were exceptionally tall and beautiful, with their bare arms and long, straight legs dancing to the beat of the drums, making strange movements.
There were so many bonfires lit that fine beads of sweat appeared on their bronze skin, which seemed to shimmer in the firelight.
Qin Ze tore apart the lamb leg in his hand, eating the lamb while appreciating the unique scenery.
“Your Majesty, such a simple welcome feast is still too modest…” said Wu Li, who was sitting to the side.
"When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I think it's a good idea." Qin Ze waved the golden-brown roasted lamb leg in his hand, which was emitting a rich aroma of meat. "The meat is also very delicious."
"That...that's great." Wu Li's tense expression immediately relaxed.
"Why aren't you eating? Don't you like lamb?" Qin Ze asked the others.
More than ten people sat around the campfire. Apart from Qin Ze, who was accompanied by Dian Wei and Xu Zhu, the rest were all barbarians and were all people in charge of the barbarian tribe. Yan Cheng was not among them. He was seriously injured, and as soon as he returned to Guiyun City, Wu Li told him to go and treat his injuries first.
At this moment, Dian Wei was gnawing on a lamb chop, his face glistening with oil, while Xu Chu was in a better state. The barbarians, on the other hand, were all sitting upright, their expressions tense.
"Eat, love to eat! Everyone loves to eat!" Upon hearing Qin Ze's question, Wu Li quickly waved his hand, and the others then carefully took the meat to eat.
Qin Ze chuckled softly; he knew why these people were so nervous.
After all, the large army they brought had already been to Guiyun City. Not to mention the soldiers in their armor, the cannons alone were enough to shock them.
In the first half of the night, Qin Ze ordered his men to place ten cannons in an open area, and then had Wu Li bring his people to watch them.
Then, under their watchful eyes, the ten cannons fired their shells at the targets piled up in the distance, instantly shattering them into pieces. The deafening sound of the cannons had already greatly shocked the barbarians, let alone their power.
Since there were plenty of shells, Qin Ze ordered his soldiers to keep firing for a good half hour, bombarding targets, trees, and then the barbarian's stone walls. Qin Ze even wanted them to bring in some cattle as human targets, but seeing that the Manchus seemed to be living a hard life, he gave up on that idea.
The deafening cannon fire undoubtedly made all the barbarians aware of its power and fully realize the strength that the Yan Kingdom possessed.
therefore--
Looking at these meat-eating barbarians, Qin Ze thought to himself that their so-called bravery and ferocity were actually quite docile in the face of overwhelming combat power.
"Your Majesty, please allow me to offer you a toast." At this moment, Wu Li stood up, carrying a bowl of wine, and bowed as he walked to Qin Ze.
"I appreciate your kind words, but I can't drink tonight."
"You know I'm going back tomorrow," Qin Ze said, waving his hand.
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