302 Obsessed with Riches (1/2)
Chapter 302: Obsessed with Riches
Translator: TransnEditor: Transn
The melon-hilted scimitar was three feet and one inch long, and the end of its hilt was shaped exquisitely like a melon, hence its name.
One could clearly observe that its blade was curved, making it similar in style to the scimitars favored by the barbarians in the Western Region. It was heavy, such that one's hand would droop when carrying it, and it was so keen that it gave the wielder confidence to slice through metal or stone without using much strength.
The eldest machete man was known as Liu. He was scrawny and skeletal-like. In fact, he looked so frail that it seemed he might collapse and die at any moment. However, life works in mysterious ways, and this old man - who had difficulty even with grasping a saber - was the most senior of all the machete men and highly respected, so much so that everyone called him ”Liu Zu”.
Liu Zu drew the melon-hilted scimitar and presented it with both hands (while trembling slightly) to the Dragon King. It was the ultimate prize for winning the Machete God Contest.
Gu Shenwei received the scimitar from the old man and silently marveled at its quality. He examined it for a while before sheathing it again. Liu Zu personally placed it in a wooden box and applied a seal over the container. They were in North City, and everyone was forbidden to carry weapons openly in these parts without permission.
A few of the older machete men were looking eagerly at the Dragon King, their gaze carrying a mixture of adulation, anticipation, and awe in equal parts. However, there was also a tinge of craftiness in the way they were looking at him.
Gu Shenwei could sense that they wanted something from him. There had to be a reason why these old machete men, who had already made a name for themselves and were already living a life of luxury in North City, would organize the Machete God Contest. He placed the wooden box on the table and waited for them to speak first.
In the end, it was Liu Zu who spoke up on behalf of the machete men. He chose not to go straight to the point but started off with a story instead.
”The melon-hilted scimitar has an extraordinary history. I don't know whether you have heard about it before, Dragon King?”
Gu Shenwei shook his head.
Liu Zu laughed softly, causing his throat to give out heavy breathing sounds. It seemed as if the laugh was too much for him to take. ”To be honest with you, Dragon King, this scimitar is known to bring bad luck to its owner. All of its previous 22 owners died in a terrible manner, and none of them had possessed it for more than a year.”
In fact, seven of its previous owners died under the sword, six died from drowning, four from burns, another three fell to their deaths and the remaining two died from poisoning. Out of all the weapons forged by Daga, the scimitar could only be considered as of a normal standard and it was of good but not uncomparable quality. It was infamous because of the terrible fate suffered by its owners.
Liu Zu did not intend to use the scimitar's history with its owners to scare Dragon King, as he came quickly to explain. Its previous owners were all bandits and he had no reason to believe that Dragon King would end up like them too. It was rare for someone in their line of work to leave this world peacefully.
”Your predecessor was called Chihe, and he was commonly known as the 'Butcher of Tianshan'. After every robbery he committed, he would kill off all witnesses, regardless of age or gender. Sigh, it took so much effort from us to get rid of him.”
Gu Shenwei had heard of the Butcher of Tianshan before, and knew about his ruthlessness. There were huge bounties on him in many countries, and it was known that he had a younger brother, Chipo, who was even more ruthless. Chipo had a scary nickname - the Hearteater - and it was said that he would rip out the heart of his victims and eat it on the spot. It was reported that he claimed this would increase his skills.
Gu Shenwei knew where this was going, but he wanted the machete men to broach the subject.
Liu Zu sighed, then smiled as he continued. ”Even though us old men have already left the jianghu, we still wish to grow our retirement funds. With this in mind, we pooled together to start a modest business, and we do not know why but this drew Chihe's attention and he started looking for trouble with us. We took it in stride for a long time and had to hire someone to get rid of him only when it started getting out of hand. To us, it's all part of the game, but his brother, the Hearteater Chipo, publicly announced that he would avenge his brother's death.”
”You can always look for the person who got rid of Chihe to take care of his brother too,” replied Gu Shenwei unenthusiastically. He did not want to show any interest in this matter.
The machete men laughed bitterly. Liu Zu replied, ”He's already been killed, and Chipo said that we would be next. Unless... unless we cough up one million taels of silver to appease him.”
”Where can we find such an amount of money,” interrupted another old machete man indignantly.
”So, your intention is...”
The other machete men followed Liu Zu's lead and their smiles became even more adulatory in nature as they replied, ”We wanted to select the person with the best machete techniques and get this Machete God to take care of Chipo. Beyond our wildest dreams, you came to join the contest, and not only did this make us unbelievably happy, but we also secretly think that we no longer have to worry about the Hearteater anymore.”
”I have not agreed to anything yet,” Gu Shenwei reminded the old moneybags. He was sure that they would be able to fork out one million taels of silver to pay for his services.
”That's right, that's right. We should consider the Machete God Contest and the offer to kill Chipo as two separate cases.”
Gu Shenwei had more pressing matters to attend to and did not wish to be involved in the vendetta between the machete men and Chipo. He stood up, took the melon-hilted scimitar and prepared to leave. ”I've never seen Chipo before, and I bear no grudges against him. The Great Snow Mountain is also not involved in jianghu matters. You should look elsewhere for a killer.”
The old men were flustered, upon seeing that the Dragon King was leaving. They quickly surrounded him, and each began trying to convince Gu Shenwei to take up the job.
”Please stay, Dragon King.”
”Now that the melon-hilted scimitar is in your possession, Dragon King, Chipo will definitely be looking for you. Why don't we join forces?”
”Dragon King, we will pay you, one million... two million... no, no, four million taels of silver.”
In the end, it was Liu Zu who understood the Dragon King the most. He waved his hand at the others, signaling for them to be quiet, before speaking, ”Dragon King, you should know that the Hearteater, Chipo, has joined the Golden Roc Fort.”
Gu Shenwei stopped in his tracks. He turned to look at the trembling Liu Zu and paused for a moment before replying, ”That is even more reason for me to not get involved in the affairs of Chipo. The Great Snow Mountain and the Golden Roc Fort are in a ceasefire deal now, and I will not break it.”