The moon is high in the sky, and the sky is shining brightly.
Qi Jingzhi sat on a stone bench in the yard, holding a sharp knife between his eyebrows with both hands, looking at it carefully in the moonlight.
The knife was no more than a foot long, with a narrow body and a thin blade. The blade was sharp and had obviously been carefully polished.
Sharp and bright, with a heart-stopping cold light.
The hemp rope wrapped around the handle of the knife was an old thing. It had long been soaked in blood and turned an ugly black-red color.
Qi Jingzhi slowly turned the blade of the sword, his eyes were focused, his expression was serious and calm, and there was absolutely no impetuousness common among fifteen or sixteen year olds.
His eyebrows were straight and his eyes were very bright. Even though he was only wearing coarse linen clothes with rough stitching and serious wear and tear, he still couldn't hide his vitality.
Perhaps due to frequent exposure to wind and sun, the boy's skin was a little rough and his complexion was a little dark. At this moment, when illuminated by the bright moonlight, it revealed a warm and moist luster like topaz.
After a moment, Qi Jingzhi bent down and scooped some water from the bucket nearby, poured it on the knife with his backhand, and then pressed the blade on the whetstone between his feet.
"Huo...Huo..."
The sound of sharpening the knife began to sound regularly, short, dull, and repeated in a cycle.
I don't know how much time passed, but Qi Jingzhi's forehead was already sweating, but his movements were always firm and powerful, with a determination to move forward.
"What are you doing sharpening your knife in the middle of the night?"
An old voice suddenly came from the hall behind the young man.
The door was then pushed open from inside, and an old man in a coat walked out and stood behind Qi Jingzhi.
Most of this old man's temples have turned white, but he has a tall figure and a straight back. He doesn't look shabby at all, but his face seems sickly and slightly dull.
When he saw the knife in the young man's hand, he couldn't help but look surprised: "It's actually this one? You've treasured it since you were a child, wrapped it carefully and sealed it in a box. You like to talk to it when you have nothing to do. I have to hold it in my arms when I sleep, and I can't even touch it easily, so why are you willing to take it out and polish it hard today?"
The young man's movements stagnated, then returned to normal, as if he didn't care and said: "Who told my father to leave only such a thought? He gave me this knife, wasn't it just for me to use? I remember. I have said that this knife has really seen blood. It is very effective in peeling skin and gouging out the heart, and it can also ward off evil spirits and ward off evil?"
Hearing this, Old Man Qi's expression became more and more complicated, and he said in a low voice: "Where is the evil? Which one is the evil? You are not old, your temper is not small, and your mind is as sharp as a needle! Since ancient times, the people have not interacted with the officials. Dou, no matter how sharp you sharpen this knife, what will it do?"
"Anyway, I couldn't sleep, so I just wanted to find some work to do so that I wouldn't have to think too much. Grandpa taught me this method."
Qi Jingzhi still didn't look back, and said with a smile while sharpening the knife: "Master, please don't talk about me. Haven't you been tossing and turning on the bed most of the night? If you sleep peacefully, I won't sharpen the knife to disturb you. Today My father-in-law said, the wound on your back has not healed yet, so you need to get more rest and sleep..."
Before he finished speaking, he was interrupted by Old Man Qi's cold snort: "I haven't taken your grandpa seriously yet with a mere twenty-ridged staff. After recuperating at home for so many days, it's long gone. But you ...I have thoughts that I shouldn’t have in my heart, and if I really want to have an attack, it won’t just be as simple as breaking my muscles and bones.”
Qi Jingzhi smiled when he heard the words and did not answer Old Man Qi's words. Instead, he changed the topic and said, "Master, during the day I went to the city to deliver game to the big families in the county. I heard that the tigers in Nangang killed more than a dozen people." Even the hunters sent by the county government to hunt tigers died, and the county’s southbound trade route was completely cut off this time.”
After hearing this, Old Man Qi suddenly showed a bit of anger on his face, and his voice became louder: "I told the county a month ago that the tiger in Nangang can recognize the traps and avoid pitfalls. I'm afraid he has become a spirit. It is definitely not something that a few hunters can provoke, so it is only right to go to the county and ask for help quickly."
"The county magistrate was about to nod, but Dian Shi was a young man who had just taken office. He wanted to show off his skills. He said that I was shrinking from the battle and deceiving the public... Hey, a twenty-spine staff is just fine. He is an official of the imperial court. , I’ll hit him if I want, but I’ve only killed so many lives in vain, what a sin!”
This was not the first time that Qi Jingzhi heard Old Man Qi mention this matter. Although he was angry, he still felt a little unbelievable: "My grandfather always said that the tiger was unusual, but if there really are monsters and monsters in this world, I will follow you anyway." I've been wandering around the mountains for several years, why have I never seen him before?"
"How old are you, and how dare you say anything outrageous? When I was fighting for my life on the battlefield, what kind of evil things did I not see? Jackals, tigers and leopards were eating their bellies among the corpses, and even their eyes looked like ordinary wild beasts. It’s different, if a small team encounters them, it’s a death sentence!”
Old Man Qi looked at his grandson who was eager to try, and said seriously: "That tiger on Nangang is a cruel beast. It doesn't matter whether it is a monster or a monster. Our grandson and grandson just need to stay away from it."
"Even if I can escape the first grade of junior high school, I'm afraid I can't escape the fifteenth grade!"
Qi Jingzhi suddenly stopped sharpening the knife, looked back at Old Man Qi, and said seriously: "I've already fallen foul of Dian Shi, and that guy doesn't seem to be a big-hearted person. But now that the tiger problem is getting worse, our family is already a hunter, and sooner or later the task of hunting tigers will fall on us..."
When the young man talked about it later, there was a hint of coldness in his eyes and in his tone: "They say that tigers are harmful to people, but tigers are harmful to people's hearts. If we didn't make some preparations early, wouldn't we be able to manipulate him in vain? To die?"
The old man Qi was mature and knowledgeable, so he naturally understood the meaning of his grandson's words.
He was silent for a moment and sighed: "No matter which tiger, our grandson can't afford to offend him. It's also my fault. I shouldn't have taught you how to bow, sword, fist, and kick, and raised your temper to be so wild. You haven't known how high the sky is and how high it is since you were a child." . You are the only child in our family, so you must never do those suicidal things unless absolutely necessary!"
After saying this, Old Man Qi didn't wait for his grandson to agree. He turned around angrily and went into the house, slamming the door shut. At the end, he said, "It's your grandpa who has to do it, and I'll do it first!"
Not long after, there was loud snoring in the house.
Qi Jingzhi smiled knowingly, finally stopped sharpening his knife, sat up straight on the stone bench, and looked forward silently.
The village where their grandfather and grandson live is called Shanqian Village, located on the outskirts of Xiaosong Mountain in the west of the county.
The courtyard where I live is built on an unnamed hill, occupying a piece of flat land halfway up the sunny slope, with an extremely wide view.
The young man looked beyond the fence to the vast expanse of pine forest bathed in the light of the bright moon. In his ears, the night wind roared, the pine waves burst, and the faint sounds of howling wolves and apes were heard.
As he watched and listened like this, most of the hostility in his heart suddenly dissipated, and heroic spirit emerged again, filling his heart.
Mountain hunters and hunters earn their living by grabbing food with bows and knives in their hands. Tigers, leopards, jackals, and wolves only have food in their bellies and clothing on their bodies. They are definitely not comparable to those people outside who dig in the soil and can run away like monks but cannot run away from temples. If you really want to turn your face, you will dive into the vast mountains after five steps with blood spattered. Let alone the history of a county, what can you do if you are the current leader of the country?
They sat there respectfully for most of the night, until the stars and the moon gradually disappeared, and a red sun appeared in the eastern sky.
The crimson rays of sunlight fell on his face, and his eyes were full of brilliance.
The young man's ears moved to confirm that his grandfather was still sleeping peacefully. He immediately stood up, placed the sharp knife on the stone bench, and bowed three times to the fierce blade.
"The sages have said that when you offer sacrifices to gods, it's like the gods are there!"
He moved his lips and said softly: "Today, the lives of my grandfather and grandson are entrusted to you! If you don't abandon me, I will repay you with blood and food!"
After praying extremely seriously, Qi Jingzhi lowered his head and rolled up his left sleeve, revealing the scabbard tied to the inside of his forearm.
He carefully stuffed the sharp-edged knife into its sheath, put down his sleeve, held the handle of the knife near his wrist, and tried waving his arm a few times.
After everything was ready, the young man turned around silently and strode towards the courtyard gate.
