Chapter 41: Chapter 39: Crossbow! Looking for buyers! 1
Translator: 549690339 I J —
“I need to ask the Manor Lord for his opinion.” Director Liu went to seek Manor Lord Mo Tie’s approval.
It wasn’t long before Director Liu returned. He said to Su Changkong, “The Manor Lord agreed, but you must be careful and ensure your safety!”
Hmm, thank you!” Su Changkong’s eyes lit up with excitement.
Now that he could use the workshop’s forging equipment, Su Changkong could start building the crossbow!
During the day, Su Changkong forged weapons as usual, but when evening came and all the others had left to rest, he stayed alone in the workshop, crafting the parts needed for the crossbow.
“Clang, clang, clang!”
In the evening, Su Changkong held a small hammer, forging a delicate metal piece in front of him. This component required even more advanced forging skills; Su Changkong’s forging ability had reached the fifth realm, making it difficult for anyone in Black Iron Manor to match his skill!
Working overtime and relentlessly, after twenty days of diligent forging and studying, Su Changkong finally crafted his first crossbow!
Looking at the finished product, Su Changkong’s eyes shone with excitement. Wrapped around the bow’s stock were black leather straps to increase stability and enhance the structural density. The prod was about a meter long, and the entire thing resembled a cross.
“Let’s test the finished product!”
Su Changkong tested the power of the crossbow he had made.
In a forest outside Black Iron Manor, Su Changkong pulled the crossbow string back to full draw, nocked an arrow he had crafted, aimed at a tree some distance away, and then pulled the trigger.
“Thump!”
The bowstring snapped back, releasing a muffled “thump,” accompanied by the sound of the mechanism. The arrow, propelled by a strong kinetic force, flew through the air with a whistling sound!
“Hiss!”
The arrow hit the tree, burying itself two to three inches into the wood, and the fletching trembled. Its power was formidable!
After several trials, Su Changkong reached a conclusion.
My crafted crossbow’s power and range are comparable to that of a common bow and arrow, with an effective range of about seventy to a hundred meters!” Su Changkong nodded to himself in approval.
Compared to a bow and arrow, it is slower and more cumbersome to load a crossbow, but its advantages lie in its ease of use and high accuracy. No need to master archery; an ordinary person can be trained to use it in just a few days- lowering the barrier to entry but also the lower limit of skill required.
Unlike the bow, experienced archers would need to practice for several years, which sets the two weapons apart on different levels. That’s why the Great Flame Empire banned crossbows but not bows!
Su Changkong believed that with better materials and more advanced forging techniques, he could further enhance the power of the crossbow, extending its effective range to over a hundred meters. However, he chose not to do so.
The crossbows he crafted were meant for selling, not to be made too good or too sophisticated. Conversely, creating such high-quality crossbows could draw unwanted attention!
Thus, this was sufficient.
“I will mass-produce crossbows based on the quality of this one,” Su Changkong thought to himself.
After crafting the first crossbow and gaining experience, Su Changkong was able to work even faster, with the second crossbow taking only ten days to complete.
Before he knew it, a month and a half had flown by.
“I have crafted three crossbows; it’s time to sell them.”
During this time, Su Changkong had made a total of three crossbows, he reflected.
The crossbow, with its higher technical requirements for crafting and easier operation than a bow and arrow, could not be legally sold due to the proclamation from the Great Flame Empire. Privately owning armaments was a major crime, so finding a buyer without arousing suspicion or danger to oneself was challenging.
In the past month, Su Changkong had used up all of the Vital Qi Spread, and he needed funds to purchase more medicinal materials.
“I can askYan Song for help,” he thought.
A figure emerged in Su Changkong’s mind.
Yan Song was a Blade Catcher, having mingled in the Martial World for many years, he should know where to sell some items that could not withstand the light of day.
Thus, Su Changkong set out and made a trip to Ginseng Town, to the residence where Yan Song lived.
What slightly relieved Su Changkong was that Yan Song still lived within Ginseng Town, otherwise Su Changkong would have been making the trip in vain.
It wasn’t long after Su Changkong knocked on the door that it opened a crack, revealing Yan Song’s face. Considering Yan Song’s appearance and the slight sweat on his forehead, he must have been practicing martial arts.
“Brother Wentai?”
Upon seeing Su Changkong at the doorway, Yan Song was surprised, not having expected Su Changkong to return so soon, but he quickly recovered and invited, “Come in and have a seat first.”
Falling in line with the request, Su Changkong entered the residence, and Yan Song poured a cup of tea for him.
Getting straight to the point, Su Changkong spoke, “Brother Yan, I’ve come to you to inquire about some information.”
“I’ll tell you everything I know! Just ask, Brother Wen,” Yan Song replied very straightforwardly.
After a slight hesitation, Su Changkong finally spoke, “I would like to sell some items that are not easy to dispose of…”
Su Changkong did not specify what he wanted to sell, but an understanding smile immediately appeared on Yan Song’s face, “Indeed, sometimes the things we acquire are not easily marketable.”
Having often killed some thieves and bandits himself, Yan Song had acquired quite a few problematic goods that were difficult to deal with, and he figured that Su Changkong was in a similar situation.
Brother Yan, do you know a channel for selling these goods?” Su Changkong asked, intrigued by Yan Song’s reaction.
Yan Song nodded, “Yes, do you know of the Ghost Market?”
The Ghost Market?” Su Changkong was puzzled.
Yan Song explained, “The Ghost Market, this place has everything for sale, anything can be sold… You can think of it as a black market, nearly every region has a Ghost Market.”
“I see!”
Su Changkong realized that this so-called Ghost Market was essentially a black market. In the Ghost Market, some prohibited items always found buyers. Of course, the transactions were not guaranteed, and one might be deceived, or even targeted by schemers and lose one’s life!
“If I head to this Ghost Market, the crossbow I’ve forged should be able to be sold,” Su Changkong thought to himself. He was in dire need of money, and the Ghost Market, being akin to a black market, provided an opportunity to sell some items that were strictly forbidden elsewhere!
Su Changkong said to Yan Song, “Brother Yan, I wish to visit this Ghost Market.
Could you tell me where to find it?”
“Of course, the Ghost Market closest to Clearwater City is situated beyond two hundred li to the south, on a desolate mountain. It opens once a month on the night of the 15th. Take this token with you and arrive at the location on time, and someone will guide you into the Ghost Market,” Yan Song replied very forthrightly, providing the location and precautions for the Ghost Market. He then went inside the house, fetched a black token, and handed it to Su Changkong.
Located in a desolate mountain, utterly barren, the Ghost Market would be hardly a place anyone would visit without an introduction. Yan Song also knew of the Ghost Market within the Clearwater City area only through someone’s introduction after many years of struggle in the Martial World of Clearwater City.
“Thank you so much, Brother Yan!”
Expressing his gratitude, Su Changkong recognized that indeed, having more friends opened more paths-through Yan Song, he had learned of the Ghost Market’s location!
Afterwards, Su Changkong bid farewell and departed, with Yan Song rising to see him off.
“Yan Lang… who was that just now?”
Not long after Su Changkong had left, a lady with a gentle demeanor appeared at the door and asked curiously.
A friend, Yan Song casually responded, a tender expression on his face, “Jie Er, come inside and have a seat.”
The lady nodded shyly, understanding without need for further words.