The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 23 The name of a hero
Right after parting ways with Jiang Huaiyin, Zhou Yan and Shen Cangming headed towards the town where they had accepted the bounty, while also taking the people along the way to towns they were familiar with, or at least towns where they knew people.

The chaos had just been quelled, and the people didn't have much to offer, but they all brought gifts of gratitude to Zhou Yan and Shen Cangming. Zhou Yan politely declined the gifts, but kept some food and necessities for them.

After a bloody victory, Zhou Yan's swordsmanship seemed to have broken through an invisible barrier and entered a period of rapid improvement. Whenever he encountered bandits or robbers along the way, he was entrusted with dealing with them.

Zhou Yan had even more bandages on his body.

But his opponent was even more unlucky than him.

Through repeated practical training, Zhou Yan's swordsmanship finally became proficient. Since he had acquired a horse in the bandit's den, Shen Cangming decided to teach him riding skills. However, when he first started riding, he didn't ride the yellow horse, but instead rode Shen Cangming's warhorse.

"Once you learn this, you'll be able to ride a regular horse with ease."

Zhou Yan was in high spirits. He put down his knife, mounted his horse, and the big black horse snorted. Zhou Yan said, "Giddy up! Giddy up!" The big black horse took two steps forward, but then, finding the brat too noisy, it suddenly leaped up, stopped abruptly, and swayed.

Zhou Yan screamed and flew out, landing in the grass. He pulled himself out, his face covered in dandelions. The big black horse snorted, its hot breath spraying his face as if mocking him.

Zhou Yan gritted his teeth, and as he spoke and breathed, dandelions flew everywhere as he said:
"Wait, Big Black!"

The dark horse watched as he threatened him.

The boy held up one finger and said seriously:
"I'm going to eat all your bean cakes tonight!"

! ! ! !
The big black horse panicked and twitched its ears slightly. It stomped its front hooves on the ground, wanting to kick the guy but not daring to. It neighed as it stomped its front hooves on the ground and turned its head to look at Shen Cangming sitting on the rock.

Shen Cangming said, "He won't actually eat it."

The dark horse cried out in even more grievance.

Zhou Yan patted his behind and came up with a brilliant idea.

He went to collect the bean cakes.

Shen Cangming lowered his head, his fingers stroking the object on his knee. It was a bow, not particularly fine, and couldn't compare to the hard bows of the border troops. It had been found in Shuangcui Peak Village. He ran his fingers over the bowstring, and the bowstring made a slight humming sound, like a bird flapping its wings.

He had a dazed feeling, both strange and familiar.

He remembered that when he was young, he held a bow. At the age of sixteen, he rode a spirited horse, held a fierce bow, and went to shoot with the most valiant Tibetan archers. Twenty-six years later, his archery skills were perfected.

The Tibetans represented the elite "Guiqi Archers," the Turks the "Eagle Shooters," the "Fuli," and the Tushi cavalry the "Abu Muzai," meaning a galloping bull. He had dealt with all of these top-tier archer cavalry from various foreign tribes.

He still remembered how to hold the bow, but when he grasped the bow, it felt completely unfamiliar.

In those twenty-six years, countless arrows, countless battles, and countless brushes with death—the true art of archery that had been mastered had vanished, leaving behind a blank. This was not a state of complete ignorance of archery that had occurred to those who had never studied it.

It is an emptiness, as if something within oneself has been permanently stripped away, like the pure nothingness felt by the closed eye when one eye is open and the other is closed.

But even in such emptiness and despair, there is new hope.

Laughter followed.

He looked up and saw that the boy was sitting on the horse's back, holding a bamboo pole with bean cakes hanging from it, like fishing, catching the big black horse. So the warhorse was finally hooked, wanting to eat the bean cakes, and carried the boy forward.

They just walked in a crooked and unsteady manner.

The shadows of the man and the horse twisted like a pretzel, sometimes to the left, sometimes to the right.

"Left, left, oh yes, yes, yes!"

"No, no!"

"Holy crap, there's a river in front of Big Black, damn it!!!"

With a loud splash, the warhorse plunged into the river, splashing water everywhere. Satisfied, it bit into a bean cake. The young man held tightly to the reins, and the strings of his zither, hanging from his waist, fell into the water and were bitten by a fish.

Shen Cangming didn't notice the tenderness in his eyes and the smile on his lips.

"Zhou Yan".

He said, "Starting today, I will teach you archery."

Although Shen Cangming had forgotten the true art of archery, he still remembered how to train a new recruit in archery, and he began to slowly teach Zhou Yan archery.

According to Li Weigong's military strategy of the Tang Dynasty, a truly brave and valiant warrior should be unparalleled in horsemanship and archery.

Several days later, Zhou Yan was finally able to barely control the big black horse. When he went to ride the yellow horse, he suddenly found it very easy and quickly mastered riding skills. However, archery was very difficult.

Under these circumstances, they tied up the bandits and returned to the town where the bounty had been placed. Along the way, they performed acts of chivalry, and Zhou Yan's reputation gradually spread. It was also learned that Zhou Yan had wiped out the entire Shuangcui Peak stronghold.

The officer in charge of apprehending the bandits had been waiting for him for a long time. He counted the number of bandits and their weapons, and determined the amount of the bounty for Zhou Yan. However, when he confiscated a knife, the officer was stunned. He picked up the knife, looked at it several times, and finally said with a complicated expression: "This is the sword of the garrison of Chang'an."

"There is an inscription on it."

The official in charge of apprehending the thieves sighed deeply. He knew that when His Majesty entered Shu, he took a group of elite soldiers with him. The further they went into Shu, the fewer people there were, and many soldiers deserted.

Among these people, some returned to their hometowns, while others succumbed to their desires and became bandits. The edge of this sword was still sharp, and it was covered in the smell of blood. It was unclear whether the deserter had become a thief or whether the deserter had been killed and the sword had been taken away.

I don't know what weapon that bandit used.

If one can skillfully wield a long-handled spear, then...

But none of that matters anymore.

The officer simply wiped the sword, solemnly putting away this weapon—perhaps a testament to struggle, or perhaps desire overriding duty—and bowed to Zhou Yan, saying, "Thank you, young hero, for dealing with these bandits. Ten strings of cash are the reward."

"By the way, there's one more thing."

The officer who was arresting thieves noticed the knife at Zhou Yan's waist and kindly reminded him, "..."
"Now that the government troops have recaptured Chang'an, General Guo of the Shuofang Army under the command of Marshal Guangping has ordered the search and suppression of the rebels and their associates. Anyone carrying a knife must be thoroughly investigated, and a warrant for carrying a knife must be issued. Without such a warrant, carrying a knife is prohibited."

"Even a sword won't do."

"Please bring the household registration documents to the office so I can take a look."

Zhou Yan remained expressionless and took out what Shen Cangming had prepared to show the other side. Zhou Yan had saved many people this time and had already gained some reputation in this area. The official in charge of catching thieves also had a good impression of him and said, "Zhou Yan is from Chang Le Town, Wan Nian County, Jing Zhao Prefecture."

"Fifteen years old, fair-skinned and beardless, with a well-proportioned figure."

"Alright, my lord, please accept this."

The officer quickly processed Zhou Yan's paperwork, a simple wooden plaque bearing Zhou Yan's name and place of origin. However, when Zhou Yan placed the knife on the table for registration, the officer frowned.
“This knife, sir, was privately forged; there is no inscription on it.”

Ordinary people can buy swords for self-defense.

However, every sword has an inscription recording where it was forged, the craftsman, the supervisor, the buyer, the blacksmith, and the armory. The inscription is also kept in triplicate.

Zhou Yan obtained this knife from a hungry ghost, and it has no inscriptions whatsoever.

These are privately forged weapons.

This matter could be big or small. The constable frowned, but seeing Zhou Yan's fair complexion and seemingly privileged background, he remembered that Chang Le Town was located in the eastern suburbs of Chang'an, only twenty miles from Yanxing Gate, and was one of the most severely affected areas.

The elderly and children were trampled by rebels, routed troops, and deserters, resulting in many deaths and injuries.

The young man's appearance suggests he has suffered some misfortune, forcing him to take up a knife and seek a way to survive. Thinking of this, and remembering how he saved many people, killed bandits, and returned the swords of the Chang'an garrison, a gentle expression appeared on his face.

He cautioned, "My lord, don't use this knife carelessly. Besides, it's not very good anymore, you see?"

He pointed to Zhou Yan's knife.

This knife was of poor quality to begin with. It was fine when practicing, but after sparring and actual combat, the blade developed pits and dents, and the center of gravity shifted. It should have been replaced.

The official in charge of apprehending thieves said:

"Originally, you would need the village head to prove your innocence and bring the [Village Innocence Certificate] to me to obtain the [Armed Forces Certificate]. However, since your actions are worthy of the heroes of our Great Tang Dynasty, and you have already passed through the gate and have all the necessary documents, I will give you this [Armed Forces Certificate]."

"With this, you're no longer an ordinary citizen; you can buy things like swords, shields, leather vests, bows, arrows, shields, and short spears. Of course, just like the soldiers, you have to register all the weapons and equipment you buy."

"Armor, crossbows, spears, and lances are fortified weapons. As for the Mo Dao, it is an important national weapon. I should discuss it with you, my lord."

He took out two wooden plaques for Zhou Yan. One was a weapon registration certificate for buying knives, and the other was a permit to carry a knife. The officer in charge of arresting thieves also specifically reminded him: "In addition, sir, with the new law, you can only buy knives at places that have been issued official weapon-making certificates."

Zhou Yan thanked him, and the officer who caught the thief said, "You're too kind, sir."

His smile faded, and he bowed deeply with his hands clasped.
“It is Xie Langjun we have been waiting for.”

"Thank you for your chivalry, young master."

Zhou Yan felt a little embarrassed. Seeing the wanted poster next to him, he suddenly remembered what had happened before he left and said, "By the way, there's something else I need to ask about. Before I left, there was a man here looking for his wife, Zhang Shoutian. How is he doing?"

The officer who was arresting the thieves paused for a moment, then replied:

"he?"

"he died."

(End of this chapter)