Chapter 106: Self-Defense Weapon

The man in black possessed considerable martial skill; even when attacked from both front and rear, he remained composed. He raised the short knife in his right hand to parry the dagger thrust from Xiao Ding, then swiftly leapt to the side, evading the heavy blade swung by Fat Fan from behind, maintaining his balance without showing any sign of distress.

At that moment, Zhao Hu and the others brandished their weapons, charging toward the man in black. Yet, he calmly deflected each attack with ease. It was evident his martial prowess surpassed everyone present.

Though Xiao Ding was versed in close-quarter combat, facing such a formidable opponent proved insufficient. Fat Fan, despite his martial training, was mediocre at best. Zhao Hu and his companions were mere villagers with no martial experience whatsoever.

As the skirmish dragged on, Zhao Hu and company repeatedly found themselves in dire straits, narrowly avoiding injury several times. Only Xiao Ding and Fat Fan could somewhat match the man in black in brief exchanges.

The man in black smiled coldly, suddenly swinging his blade at Xiao Ding’s face. Xiao Ding hastily raised his dagger to block, but the man in black feigned a retreat mid-strike, withdrawing his blade and suddenly thrusting toward Zhao Hu.

Startled, Zhao Hu leapt aside. Seizing the opening, the man in black slipped through Zhao Hu’s gap, racing straight toward O’Mulin beyond the circle of encirclement.

“Mu Lin, watch out!” Xiao Ding shouted just as the man in black reached O’Mulin, reaching out to seize her. Unexpectedly, O’Mulin, seeing him break through the encirclement and move to grab her, ducked low, slipping under his arm, then swiftly kicked backward, striking the bend of his rear leg.

The man in black hadn’t anticipated someone so young would possess martial skill, and in his momentary lapse, he was struck. His left leg buckled.

At that moment, Fat Fan and Xiao Ding caught up, swinging their weapons at him. The man in black straightened, raising his short knife to parry. Realizing he could no longer seize O’Mulin, he turned and fled into the deep woods.

Xiao Ding and Fat Fan chased for a while but, worried about leaving O’Mulin alone, ceased pursuit and let the man in black escape.

When they returned near their new home, they saw O’Muyun and Tian Xiaofu, along with the little wolf Huīhuī, panting as they hurried from the hill.

“Sister, are you alright?” O’Muyun, having just heard of O’Mulin’s ordeal, had rushed back.

“You two siblings must be more cautious from now on,” Xiao Ding warned. “Your family’s enemies have now set their sights on both of you.”

The siblings nodded in agreement.

This incident made Xiao Ding acutely aware of his own limitations. Had his martial skills been stronger, he wouldn’t have let that man in black escape today. That man was like a ticking time bomb—though he had fled now, he might return with reinforcements, threatening their family’s safety in the future.

Xiao Ding knew his martial prowess wouldn’t improve significantly in the short term. Though he was practicing the “Heart-Melting Technique,” he understood it wasn’t a conventional martial art. Since it was an ancient Taoist cultivation method, it was likely a form of spiritual cultivation rather than ordinary martial training, a conclusion drawn from the fact that it cultivated spiritual energy rather than the typical internal energy martial artists developed.

Regardless of the method, gaining a sudden, substantial boost in power for self-defense was impossible. He had to find other solutions.

First, he considered acquiring some defensive weapons. He recalled the firearms he had used before crossing over when he was in the military. If he could create guns in this era, those would be the perfect defense—no matter how skilled one was, a bullet was deadly.

But he quickly dismissed this idea. With the current forging technology, making a firearm was impossible. Take, for example, the seamless barrel—if the technology wasn’t up to standard, the barrel might explode when firing, injuring the user instead of the enemy.

Moreover, manufacturing rifled barrels required specialized lathes, and even if a compliant barrel were made, producing compatible bullets was another huge challenge. So, he abandoned the notion.

Next, Xiao Ding thought of the “Soul-Stealing Tube” that Tang Yun Zhi had lent him previously. Such concealed weapons could be useful for defense. At first, he hadn’t understood why the “Soul-Stealing Tube” was made from bamboo rather than iron.

After using it twice, it dawned on him: as a hidden weapon, the “Soul-Stealing Tube” was meant for stealth. It contained poisoned steel needles, and if made of iron, the needles would clatter inside, easily alerting enemies. Bamboo allowed for silent use.

Unfortunately, Xiao Ding didn’t know the internal structure or the firing mechanism of the “Soul-Stealing Tube,” so he couldn’t replicate it.

Thinking of hidden weapons led him to recall modern crossbows from his original world—powerful, capable of rapid fire, and effective for self-defense, rivaling handguns. Being a special forces soldier before, he was familiar with various weapons and had dismantled modern crossbows, understanding their principles.

He resolved to visit the blacksmith tomorrow to have several crossbows made for defense.

Since he planned to go to the forge tomorrow, he needed to draft detailed blueprints for the crossbow components today. After dinner, Xiao Ding sat down with pen and ink, sketching, marking dimensions for each part.

Er Niu, noticing Xiao Ding drawing incessantly after the meal, approached curiously. “Husband, what are you drawing?”

“A defensive weapon—a crossbow capable of continuous firing. I think I’ll call it a ‘stringed crossbow.’”

“Is it because of what happened to Mu Lin today that you want to make this crossbow?” Er Niu guessed his intention.

“Yes. None in our family can truly defend themselves yet. Since someone is targeting us, we can’t just wait to be slaughtered,” Xiao Ding explained.

“You’re right, husband. I support you,” Er Niu said obediently.

“By the way, Er Niu, how’s your cultivation coming along? Do you feel any energy gathering in your dantian?”

“Over the past couple of days, I think I can sense a faint energy there,” she replied honestly.

“That’s good. Have you taught the cultivation method to Mother and the others?”

“I’ve taught them all. Only Little Ya, Little E, and Little Zhu have followed along; Mother doesn’t believe me and refuses to learn,” Er Niu said with a sigh.

“That’s alright. Once Little Ya and Little E make progress and show results, Mother will follow,” Xiao Ding comforted her, understanding Mrs. Li’s mindset.

“Husband, when will I reach the fourth level in cultivation?” Er Niu asked.

“That’s hard to say. I’m only at the first level myself,” Xiao Ding replied.

“Ah? Husband, if progress is this slow, when will we finally be able to consummate our marriage?” Er Niu fretted upon hearing this.

“...” Xiao Ding thought, here we go again.