Chapter 53: He Has to Call You Uncle
Translator: Atlas Studios Editor: Atlas Studios
Mi Ziwen asked his entourage to bring along the weapons Zhou Shu had forged. He was about to leave the 0th Workshop when he suddenly stopped and turned around. “Second Brother, since you mentioned the execution, when the time comes, if you’re free, you should come to the execution ground to take a look.”
“I have to go too?” Zhou Shu said in surprise.
Why would I go?
Didn’t you just say it?
Anyone who supervises the execution will be marked by Great Wei.
Great Wei is a powerful country that’s not inferior to Great Xia. How could it be good for them to hate me?
My arms and legs aren’t like yours, Mi Ziwen. You are the successor of Great Xia’s God of War, Meng Bai. If I’m targeted by Great Wei, how can I protect myself with just the title of Mi Ziwen’s sworn brother?
This title will make Great Wei hate me even more!
“You don’t have to go.” Mi Ziwen smiled. “This is just my suggestion.
“Second Brother, although you forge, you shouldn’t neglect the importance of the Martial Dao. A person who does not know martial arts won’t be able to forge good weapons.”
“What does this have to do with me going to watch the execution?” Zhou Shu asked.
Forgers had to understand the Martial Dao. He understood this point. After all, weapons were meant for martial artists. If forgers didn’t understand the Martial Dao, how could they forge good weapons?
“As you said before, a weapon must see blood before it can become a true weapon. A true martial artist is no different.
“Second Brother, you don’t have many chances to kill enemies in the capital. It might be useful to go to the execution ground to take a look.” Mi Ziwen smiled. At least it can train his courage, right?
In the military, he had seen plenty of new recruits who were scared stiff after seeing a dead person for the first time.
So that’s how it is. Zhou Shu heaved a sigh of relief. He really wasn’t afraid of blood.
In this life, he had already killed people. At the very beginning, he had felt miserable for many days after killing the Forging Apprentice with ill intentions. Now, he no longer felt much even after killing dozens of men in black.
Even Zhou Shu didn’t know whether he had become more cold-blooded or more mature than his previous life.
However, he knew that he didn’t like killing people. But he didn’t like being killed even more. If someone threatened his life, he wouldn’t hesitate in the slightest.
“Alright, I’ll go take a look when the time comes,” Zhou Shu replied. “But Big Brother, you will be there on official business, so I won’t disturb you when I’m there. I’ll just watch from outside the execution ground with others.”
“As it should be.” Mi Ziwen nodded. He didn’t want to expose his relationship with Zhou Shu.
If Teacher knows about it, who knows what the consequences will be?
Since Teacher doesn’t want to acknowledge Second Brother, perhaps he has other plans. I became sworn brothers with Second Brother on impulse. Who knows if it will disrupt Teacher’s plans?
After calming down, Mi Ziwen regretted his carelessness.
But now that they were sworn brothers, there was no point in regretting it. He couldn’t just turn his back on him. That would really offend him.
Mi Ziwen left the 0th Workshop with a bitter smile.
Zhou Shu’s feelings weren’t that complicated. Having a big brother didn’t affect him much.
If there was something, it would be that he became rich!
Becoming rich could solve many problems!
Therefore, Zhou Shu was very happy!
How generous! Zhou Shu counted the banknotes that Mi Ziwen had just given him. When he received them, he had only felt a thick stack. At the time, he hadn’t thought much about it. But now that he counted them, it really didn’t disappoint!
There were twenty banknotes in total, each worth a hundred taels. All together, they were worth 2,000 taels of silver!
According to the prices in his previous life, 2,000 taels of silver was almost equivalent to four million yuan!
Zhou Shu felt as if he had won the lottery. This big brother had given him four million yuan on the first meeting, and he had even said that he didn’t bring anything this time and would give him another gift next time.
Is this the happiness of the rich?
“Haitang, is this big brother of mine very powerful?” Zhou Shu turned to ask Haitang.
Haitang was the princess’s maid before, so she probably knew some things that ordinary people didn’t.
Haitang was actually still in a daze.
She had been assigned by the princess to stay with Zhou Shu. To be honest, Zhou Shu, the mere superintendent of a Forging Division workshop, was not worthy of her attention.
As the princess’s trusted maid, even the ministers of the court had to be polite to her.
But now, she really felt that she couldn’t see through Zhou Shu.
Sir Mi actually became sworn brothers with him?
Is it possible that he really has some strengths that I don’t know?
Not only does Her Highness value him so much, but even Sir Mi became his sworn brother?
Haitang was extremely puzzled.
“You mean Sir Mi?”
Haitang shook her little head. What am I thinking? What do these things have to do with me? I’m only a little maid, so I just have to complete Her Highness’s mission properly.
“Of course. Sir Mi has a powerful background,” Haitang said. “He’s the son of the first wife of the Mi family, one of the eight great families of Great Xia. He has been talented since he was a child. He studied literature and came top three in the imperial examination. He learned martial arts, and Great General Meng valued him and took him in as his disciple, inheriting the great general’s art of war and martial arts!”
“A master of both civil and military arts? Is he really that good?” Zhou Shu was flabbergasted. The assassination list only recorded Mi Ziwen being suspected of being General Meng’s successor. There was no more information. The suspected information was now confirmed by Haitang!
“That’s for sure.” Haitang nodded solemnly. “Superintendent, Sir Mi may be young, but he’s already…”
Haitang spoke a series of terms—rank, official rank, and noble rank—but Zhou Shu didn’t know much about them.
In short, Mi Ziwen had a family background, status, and a bright future. He was definitely not much inferior to Yin Wuyou!
“The Mi family has a lot of rare mineral mines. For a lot of forging materials, the Mi family is the exclusive supplier. A few thousand taels of silver is nothing to the next head of the Mi family,” Haitang continued.
Two thousand taels of silver was a massive amount to ordinary people. But to some people, it was really nothing.
Mi Ziwen was one of them.
“Heh, my big brother is so rich. In that case, won’t I be rich in the future?” Zhou Shu laughed unconcernedly. “Come, Haitang, we’ll split half. These are for you!”
Zhou Shu divided half of the banknotes and stuffed them into Haitang’s hands.
“Although Her Highness sent you here, and you’re not a formal member of the 0th Workshop, since you’re here, you’re one of us.
“Take the money and spend it however you want. Our 0th Workshop has money!”
Haitang’s eyes widened, and her little mouth opened, but she couldn’t make a single sound.
Is this Superintendent Zhou’s specialness?
He gave away one thousand taels just like that?
The reason Sir Mi doesn’t care about the two thousand taels is because he can afford it.
Superintendent Zhou, you used to be just a Forging Apprentice, and now you’re just a minor official.
Are you trying to bribe me into betraying Her Highness?
Impossible!
How could I, Haitang, be bribed with money?
Haitang’s petite face became incomparably resolute. She was just about to return the money to Zhou Shu when he turned around and walked out.
“Superintendent Zhou, where are you going? Wait for me!” When Haitang thought of her mission, she no longer cared about the money and hurriedly chased after him.
“I’m going to the Divine Constable Bureau to collect a debt. Why are you following me?” Zhou Shu looked helplessly at Haitang, who was closely following him. “You’re on vacation today!”
He really didn’t need anyone to serve him. Although it felt good to have a pretty little maid by his side, it was still troublesome.
If not for Haitang following him, he could have used his cultivation to rush to the capital. But now, he could only walk there slowly. Not to mention whether it would tire him or not, it was a waste of time!
“No, Her Highness told me to follow you closely,” Haitang said stubbornly.
“Did Her Highness ask you to serve me or monitor me?” Zhou Shu said angrily.
“Serve!” Haitang said without hesitation.
“I’ve never seen any maids who don’t know how to do anything…” Zhou Shu couldn’t help complaining.
“I—” Haitang’s face turned red, and she almost told the truth.
She was not a palace maid who did chores!
She was the princess’s personal maid and bodyguard. She was responsible for protecting the princess!
There were palace maids to do chores like laundry, cooking, and cleaning!
But she couldn’t tell him this!
The princess had said that she was to hide her identity and stay beside Superintendent Zhou as an ordinary maid. On the one hand, she was responsible for protecting him. On the other hand, she wanted to see if there were any undiscovered spies around him!
Haitang didn’t understand why the princess didn’t want her to tell the truth, but she had to follow the princess’s orders!
“Alright, follow me if you want.”
Although Yin Wuyou had said that Haitang would serve, he didn’t really dare to order her around like an ordinary maid.
Who knew why the princess had sent someone to his side? But he didn’t think that the princess really cared about his life.
“But let me say this first. I’m going to the Divine Constable Bureau to collect a debt. If they beat me up, you’ll be implicated,” Zhou Shu intimidated Haitang.
Haitang pursed her lips. “You’re going to the Divine Constable Bureau to look for Sun Gongping, right? He won’t dare to hit you.”
“You know that I’m going to look for Sun Gongping? Why won’t he dare to hit me?” Zhou Shu said strangely.
Besides Sun Gongping, who else do you know in the Divine Constable Bureau? The 0th Workshop has never provided weapons to the Divine Constable Bureau, Haitang thought.
Previously, under the orders of the princess, she had been paying attention to the movements of the 0th Workshop. Zhou Shu’s background was clean, and besides Sun Gongping, he had no other dealings with the Divine Constable Bureau.
“If he sees you now, he will have to call you uncle. If he dares to hit you, he will be disrespectful.” Haitang had a smile in her eyes.
“Who will have to call me uncle? Sun Gongping? What do you mean?” Zhou Shu was really puzzled.