Zhang Chen had finished his deployments, but one matter troubled him.
All the generals had been sent out, and Zhang He would soon lead the army with him to Qu Liang. He now had no generals left to use, so who should he leave to guard Ye City?
Ye City was the capital of Wei Commandery, and extremely important. Although it was in the rear, not a single soldier could be left unguarded. If it were to be sneak-attacked by the enemy, could he still remain the Prefect?
Seeing the troubled look on Zhang Chen's face, Tian Feng, who was standing nearby, seemed to understand what he was thinking and said, "Is Lord troubled because there is no one to guard Ye City?"
"Sir's Clairvoyance is like a torch, that is exactly it. All the generals have their missions, and Junyi's martial arts are the best among them, so this battle cannot be without him. But Ye City cannot be left unguarded either. I really cannot think of anyone to send now."
Upon hearing this, Tian Feng bowed and said, "If Lord does not abandon me, this subordinate is willing to take on this important task."
"Sir?" Zhang Chen was surprised. "Sir is skilled in strategy, but guarding the city gates would be too arduous."
Tian Feng said, "Lord, rest assured. This battle will be decided outside the city. The enemy army will most likely not reach Ye City. Lord only needs to allocate two thousand soldiers to this subordinate, plus four junior officers, and this subordinate will definitely be able to defend Ye City."
Zhang Chen then said, "But if we go to war with the Yellow Turbans, I will have matters to discuss with Sir sooner or later. If Sir is not here, what should I do?"
Tian Feng smiled and said, "Offering advice against the enemy, when Lord arrives at Qu Liang, with Gongyu there, there will be no need to worry."
Zhang Chen pondered for a moment, then held Tian Feng's hands and said excitedly, "Since that is the case, then I will entrust this matter to Sir."
"Lord, rest assured. As long as this subordinate is here, Ye City will be here."
Zhang Chen immediately issued an order, allocating two thousand elite soldiers, plus ten junior officers, all under Tian Feng's command. Afterwards, Zhang Chen ordered Zhang He to gather the remaining five thousand troops, and they would set off for Qu Liang early tomorrow morning.
That afternoon, Li the Blacksmith and his father arrived at the Prefect's Residence. After many days, the weapons and armor forged for Zhang Chen were finally ready!
Zhang Chen had already dealt with Li the Blacksmith, but he had never met his father.
He saw that the old man was over sixty years old, but he was still strong and muscular, with clearly defined arm muscles. One could tell at a glance that he was an old craftsman who had been blacksmithing his whole life.
Zhang Chen secretly used his Insight Eye to observe him and was greatly astonished.
【Name: Li Ye】
【Owned Traits: Mighty Strength (Green), Blacksmithing Peak (Gold), Divine Weapon Hundred Refinements (Gold)】
【Blacksmithing Peak (Gold)】: You are an outstanding blacksmith, extremely skilled in blacksmithing and forging techniques. (No failures will occur during the blacksmithing process)
【Divine Weapon Hundred Refinements (Gold)】: You can often forge items of excellent quality. (Greatly increases the chance of forging high-quality items)
A blacksmith actually had two Gold traits!
The forging skills of these two people would definitely become a great help to him in the future!
Zhang Chen secretly calculated in his heart that if he wanted to build a strong army in the future, military equipment would also be extremely important.
This would require a large number of craftsmen, especially blacksmiths.
What if he could establish an organization and recruit craftsmen from all directions to work for him?
Instantly, a thought flashed through Zhang Chen's mind, but this idea had not yet taken shape and needed careful consideration.
Let's first look at the things brought by Li the Blacksmith and his father.
What Li the Blacksmith and his father brought was a long spear, a sword, and a set of armor.
Zhang Chen looked at the long spear in front of him. He saw that the spear shaft was about eighteen feet long, not made of wood, but forged from excellent refined iron. It was silvery-grey and shiny all over, with a suitable thickness, making it very comfortable to grip. The spearhead, about four inches long, was forged from Chishan Black Iron. Not only was the blade sharp, but unlike ordinary spearheads, it was four-edged, with blades on all four sides.
Seeing that this spear was quite extraordinary, Zhang Chen was very pleased. He immediately reached out and gripped the spear shaft, lifting it with just a slight pull. Then, with a spin, he twirled the spear and swung it a few times, feeling that its weight was neither too light nor too heavy, and it was extremely smooth to handle.
Li the Blacksmith and his father, who were standing by, couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.
Zhang Chen swung it around and asked, "This spear is neither too light nor too heavy, and it feels just right in my hand. What is its weight?"
Li the Blacksmith replied, "Reporting to Lord, this spear weighs eighty jin. The fact that Lord can wield it with such ease truly makes you a celestial being!"
Eighty jin? Zhang Chen thought to himself, Lord Guan's Green Dragon Crescent Blade weighs eighty-two jin. It's not bad that I can wield a weapon weighing eighty jin.
Thinking this, Zhang Chen stood the spear aside and took the armor to put it on.
He saw that the armor was light and flexible, and wearing it did not feel heavy. Looking closely, he saw that the inside was sewn with oxhide, and the outside was lined with metal scales, sewn very tightly. The scales looked silvery-white up close, but from a distance, they faintly shimmered with golden light.
The old man beside Li the Blacksmith said, "Lord, this armor is called the 'Golden Scale Armor'. The metal scales on it are made by melting 'Northern Desert Gold Essence' into silver water and then cooling it into shape. Although 'Northern Desert Gold Essence' has excellent toughness, it cannot be used alone and must be supplemented with other metals to increase its toughness and sturdiness."
"Good! Very good!" Zhang Chen nodded and then looked at the iron sword placed in the brocade box beside him.
"This sword is..."
Li the Blacksmith said, "Reporting to Lord, after forging the spearhead, there was still a lot of Black Iron left. This humble one dared not keep it privately, thinking that as a Prefect, Lord should have a sword by your side. So, I took the liberty of forging this sword for Lord. This sword is made of excellent refined iron, supplemented with Chishan Black Iron, and it took seven days to forge. It is incredibly sharp and can cut through iron like mud."
"Oh?" Zhang Chen's spirits were immediately lifted upon hearing this. He quickly drew the sword from its scabbard, and indeed, the sword hummed continuously, indicating its extraordinary nature.
Zhang Chen looked around and saw a rockery 擺件 on a table nearby. He walked over and swung the sword, cutting off a corner of the rockery with ease, as if slicing tofu.
Zhang Chen was overjoyed and immediately fell in love with it, saying, "This sword is exceptionally sharp, no less than ancient famous swords. Does it have a name?"
Li the Blacksmith said, "It has not been named yet. Please let Lord decide."
Zhang Chen examined the precious sword in his hand and thought to himself, Cao Cao has the Yitian and Qinggang swords, which are famous throughout the land. My Black Iron sword might not be worse than his.
Zhang Chen pondered for a moment and said, "Since it is forged from 'Chishan Black Iron', let's call it 'Chishan'."
Li the Blacksmith quickly said, "Lord is wise. The chishan sword in Lord's hands will surely help Lord achieve great deeds and leave a name in history!"
"Good! Well said!" Zhang Chen was delighted. "You and your father have rendered great service this time. This official will not go back on his word. Come, reward them!"
As soon as Zhang Chen finished speaking, a messenger had already brought in a wooden tray containing dozens of gold ingots, totaling five hundred taels.
Li the Blacksmith and his father were overjoyed. They immediately received the reward money and happily left the residence.
Zhang Chen looked at the three treasures before him and was also very pleased. With these, he felt even more confident on the battlefield.
Just then, a "ding" sound prompted him.
【Ding! Due to the host obtaining a divine weapon, the System's hidden function: Item Traits has been unlocked. The host can view and plunder item traits to enhance item attributes!】
【Ding! The "Item Traits" function has been unlocked, and the abilities of "Insight Eye" and "Hand of Plunder" have been enhanced.】
Zhang Chen felt a warmth in his eyes. The next second, he looked at the three treasures in front of him and found that trait cards appeared around each item.
【Xuan Tie Si Leng Qiang (Black Iron Four Edged Spear): Armor Break (Gold), Spear Skill Enhancement (Purple)】
【Armor Break (Gold)】: The spear tip is sharp and can easily pierce any armor.
【Spear Skill Enhancement (Purple)】: The power of spear techniques is greatly enhanced.
...
【Golden Scale Armor: Toughness (Gold)】
【Toughness (Gold)】: Martial arts below the Peak level or weapons below the Gold grade cannot break its defense.
...
【chishan sword: Weapon Break (Gold), Fame (Gold)】
【Weapon Break (Gold)】: Has absolute suppression over weapons and armor below the Gold grade, destroying them with a single blow.
【Fame (Gold)】: The holder's reputation is greatly enhanced.
What rare treasures! Zhang Chen immediately couldn't bear to part with them.
Just then, another prompt sound came from his ear.
【Ding! The Divine Weapon Ranking has been activated. The host can view the ranked divine weapons. Obtaining or destroying divine weapons can earn corresponding Plunder Value!】