Fatty Yang thirsted for slaughter, and so did he. At this moment, the two of them almost merged into one, almost ready to kill everything before them.
Until a large hand grasped the knife's edge.
Though it was bare-handed, that hand wasn't harmed by the sharp blade at all.
"Yang Huchi! Do you want to kill even me?"
The man who shouted this had an extraordinary tall and large body. He was the tallest man Du Chengfeng had ever seen in his two lifetimes. His towering figure, more than a yard tall, blocked out the sun, casting a vast shadow. Even Fatty Yang's hefty frame was completely engulfed in that shadow.
Subsequently, Du Chengfeng vaguely felt something dissipating from his body or perhaps from the knife itself.
It was at this moment that Du Chengfeng realized how absurd his previous thoughts were. As someone who sought peace, he usually lived a life unconcerned with worldly disputes, only wishing to live well. But just now, he had become more vicious and malevolent than any bloodthirsty demon.
"The Evil Qi has entered your body; you've killed too many."
The extremely tall man casually pushed the blade aside.
Regaining his senses, Fatty Yang's knees buckled, and he knelt to the ground.
"Thank you, my lord, for helping to grind the knife and save my life!"
... Grind the knife?
Du Chengfeng suddenly felt something was off. If he remembered correctly, long ago, or rather before he met Fatty Yang, someone should have asked him to grind the knife. At that time, he thought it was a good job without much risk. But looking at it now... was there more to the story?
Later, Du Chengfeng learned that there indeed was more to it. As the saying goes, "With a sharp blade, a killing intent arises." The more a weapon has been used for slaughter, the more incredible its power becomes. Like how Fatty Yang, with this intense Evil Qi, single-handedly massacred the entire Inspectorate.
But a knife can harm others, and it can also harm the wielder. Using this power naturally comes with a price. In mild cases, the Evil Qi will enter the brain, causing immediate madness, akin to death. In severe cases, like what happened to Fatty Yang, the Evil Qi would enter the body, leading to a loss of sanity, turning him into a bloodthirsty maniac.
Only a few with great willpower and courage can withstand the Evil Qi, even reversing it by grinding the blade to dissipate the Evil Qi.
And the lord referred to by Fatty Yang was precisely such a person.
Being the blade carried by Fatty Yang, Du Chengfeng gradually learned that the man was now the leader of the strongest rebel army in the world. He personally ended the previous Great Yu dynasty and founded the Great Chen dynasty as the Grand Ancestor Emperor. During the wars with him, Fatty Yang wielded this great knife to slay myriad—of course, mostly pigs. After the massacre at the Inspectorate and with his vengeance achieved, Fatty Yang was left with lingering fear and ceased killing, returning to his old trade, handling the logistics of the rebel army.
After the founding of the Chen dynasty, the unambitious Fatty Yang wisely chose to retire swiftly from the tumultuous court scene, withdrawing completely, taking his second wife and newborn son back to Ji Town to live peacefully as a wealthy gentleman, thus continuing the Yang family lineage.
Of course, in continuing the Yang lineage, Du Chengfeng as the great knife wasn't without use. But this time, it was not the long-deceased Fatty Yang using him, but his descendants. Some wanted to experience their ancestor's glory, while others sought to protect their kin. Thankfully, these descendants all understood the dangers of the Evil Qi entering their bodies. So whenever the Evil Qi was about to affect his sanity, a Master Craftsman would cleanse it from Du Chengfeng.
After being polished so many times, Du Chengfeng learned some of the techniques of the Master Craftsmen. However, he was more curious about how these Master Craftsmen managed not to be affected by the Evil Qi. To him, they seemed to lack the so-called great willpower and courage, yet they could readily polish the blade, even cleansing the Evil Qi completely.
Perhaps he should find an opportunity to understand these things, as he now knew that to live a normal life and to enjoy peace, one must have the power to defend it. And the power of Evil Qi, which goes beyond imagination, clearly must be considered…
Wait, he's clearly a knife, so why is he talking about living a peaceful life?
"Who exactly am I?"
Du Chengfeng suddenly felt bewildered. He clearly should be a knife from being forged to ending up in Fatty Yang's hands and then being passed down the Yang family. Wait, is he really a knife? Or rather, if he's truly a knife, why does he have consciousness?
"Am I human? Or a knife?"
As time passed, the tearing in Du Chengfeng's mind became more severe. He clearly remembered he should be a knife, living as a knife for what felt like an eternity. Yet, he always felt he should be human. After all, a knife couldn't have human consciousness, nor could it have thoughts and intentions like a human.
But with each use, Du Chengfeng found it increasingly hard to distinguish what he truly was and what he had become.
Until he was once again lifted.
It was a sturdy young member of the Yang family, his broad form reminiscent of Fatty Yang. Facing mounted and armed nomadic cavalry, this young version of Fatty Yang showed no fear. Brandishing the large knife overhead, he chopped down the nomads one by one, even taking the horse's heads off!
The Yang descendant was killing with exhilaration, but Du Chengfeng was not fairing well. His consciousness had already been torn into chaos, and the malevolent Evil Qi from slaying nearly a hundred nomads enveloped him. The bloodthirsty thoughts surged back, and he now fully saw himself as a bloodthirsty cursed blade!
"Kill!"
At that moment, Du Chengfeng's mind was filled with slaughter; only more blood and corpses could satisfy him. He desperately wanted to tear through those fragile bodies, for this was the mission of a blade.
But just as he was about to swing himself and wreak havoc, a stronger will surged from within his mind.
"Is this really what I want? Is this really me? Or rather, is this all I want?"
In his daze, he vaguely saw the figure of Fatty Yang.
Although he once resented this fool for valuing him at only two hundred coins, at this moment, recalling that figure, he faintly saw his own reflection in it.
It was his long-held desire, the thing he considered most important.
"All I want is to live peacefully and lead an ordinary life."
Clenching his fists, Du Chengfeng finally opened his eyes.
In the instant his consciousness was about to be utterly destroyed, he finally found his true self.
He wasn't a knife, he was a human.