The largest hardware market in F City.
Xu Qian wanted to pick a suitable weapon. She had already browsed dozens of knife shops, but they only sold kitchen knives, fruit knives, or butcher knives. Not a single one for actual combat.
Finally, with dwindling hope, Xu Qian walked into the last shop, tucked away in a deep alley.
"Welcome," a mechanical voice chirped as she opened the glass door.
The shop was small, but the knives were neatly displayed in a showcase. A large Tang Dynasty sword was mounted above the showcase, immaculately clean.
A spark of light flashed in Xu Qian's eyes.
There was no one in the shop. She walked to the counter and looked down to see an old man with snow-white hair slumped over the desk, his mouth wide open in sleep.
"Hoo... hoo..."
"Boss."
Xu Qian tapped the counter.
The old man jolted awake reflexively. "Hello, hello! What kind of knife are you looking for? We have fruit knives, meat knives, kitchen knives, everything! Whatever you want, we have it!"
Xu Qian's eyelids twitched slightly, and she pointed at the Tang Dynasty sword in the showcase.
"I want this one."
The old man sized Xu Qian up. The young girl had a cold demeanor, her features as pure and distant as a snow lotus on a mountaintop, yet exceptionally beautiful and unforgettable.
The old man frowned and shook his head. "You can't lift it, so there's no need to force yourself. Come with me."
Xu Qian's brows lifted. After a pause, she followed the old man to the backyard. It was a courtyard with an ancient charm, resembling architecture from a hundred years ago. It was old but possessed a unique character.
The old man opened one of the doors.
"Click," the light switched on.
"See if there's anything you like."
Xu Qian's pupils contracted slightly, surprise flickering in her eyes.
The room was large, with rows of knives displayed in glass cabinets. Even through the glass, their formidable aura could be felt.
Xu Qian walked around the room, completely at a loss. "Boss, do you have any recommendations? I need something light and sharp."
"For a girl's self-defense, you could consider this Machete. It's a military-grade chopper, made of alloy steel, about 81 centimeters long and weighing 1000 grams. Although it looks ordinary, this machete can end a life with ease. Furthermore, if it pierces the opponent's body, the wound will not close."
The old man, wearing white gloves, placed the Machete before her with a smile.
The blade was black and unremarkable, yet for some reason, Xu Qian's heart trembled slightly. She felt this knife was the one.
"I'll take it. How much?"
"That depends on whether the Machete is willing to accept you. Knives have spirits. If it's unwilling to accept you, you won't be able to take it." The old man's expression turned solemn, his tone surprisingly stern.
"..."
Xu Qian narrowed her eyes. This was the first time she had heard of such a thing.
"How do I do that?"
"Just reach out and touch its blade. If you don't bleed, it belongs to you."
Xu Qian stared at the all-black knife. A powerful attraction drew her hand forward. Her fingertip lightly brushed against the blade, yet she felt no pain, nor was there any mark on her finger.
Admiration gleamed in the old man's eyes. "Congratulations, this Machete is willing to accompany you. Here, take it."
Xu Qian grasped the handle. It felt slightly heavy but manageable.
"The Machete is the sharpest knife. It has survived since World War II, stained with the blood of countless people. Its killing intent is very strong..."
Xu Qian's eyes curved slightly, and she smiled, pursing her lips. "Boss, just tell me, how much?"
The boss named a price. After a moment's hesitation, Xu Qian nodded in agreement.
Money was not important. After all, such money would be useless in the apocalypse.
Xu Qian casually picked out a few boxes of sharp daggers, arranged for delivery, and then turned to leave.
The old man watched Xu Qian's receding figure, lost in thought. This woman was not to be underestimated. The Machete was stained with immense blood, and very few could subdue it. To do so, one must possess a strong aura of bloodshed.
After fifty full years, this knife had finally found its master.
Xu Qian gently caressed the blade of the Machete with her fair fingertips.
She would still use knives, of course. She had, after all, chopped up quite a few zombies in her previous life. Guns, in the apocalypse, were difficult to come by unless you were in the military. Moreover, without a silencer, firing a shot would attract zombies from afar. Thus, soldiers rarely fired their weapons. Post-apocalypse rifles were usually equipped with bayonets. In the first year or two of the apocalypse, aside from supernatural abilities, knives were the most practical weapons.
Not everyone had supernatural abilities, and those in the first or second tier of ability were largely ineffective. It took two to three years into the apocalypse for ability users to truly start using their powers offensively.
The alley was very secluded. Xu Qian wasn't afraid of anyone. She raised her hand, preparing to put the knife into her spatial storage.
"Yo, isn't this that arrogant little sister? Grab her and let the brothers have some fun."
A chilling glint flickered in Xu Qian's calm, dark eyes as she looked up.
Gu Fanru, limp as a boneless being in his wheelchair, was surrounded by a dozen subordinates dressed in black. A cold sneer played on his lips, his breathing rapid.
This woman had forced him into a wheelchair for life. Grab her, make her kneel like a dog, make her lick shoes, lick toilets... Gu Fan's eyes were red. Seeing her ice-pure face only fueled his excitement.
With a command, the dozen men charged at her.
Xu Qian's lips curled into a slight smile. She regarded them as nothing more than garbage.
"Enhance attack."
Perfect timing. Let's test if her knife was sharp enough to cut people.
With a nimble leap, she moved her hand. Blade fell, directly shaving off the hair from the top of their heads. All the subordinates were transformed into perfect baldies.
Flying hair fragments filled the air.
"Aaaahhhh!"
The dozen subordinates simultaneously touched their bare scalps, their faces turning pale with fright. They turned and fled. If they didn't run, what if it was their heads that fell?
With the subordinates gone, only Gu Fan was left alone in his wheelchair.
Gu Fan's expression froze completely. His body trembled violently. "What do you want to do?"
Xu Qian narrowed her eyes slightly. She raised her right hand, the knife's tip tracing over his forehead, cheek, and chin. Blood stained his clothes.
Gu Fan's face contorted. His voice trembled. "Let me go, please. I'll never dare again."
Blood and an unidentifiable liquid pooled beneath his wheelchair.
"You dare a lot."
A cold light appeared in Xu Qian's eyes. She considered simply beheading him, saving herself the annoyance of this fly constantly buzzing around her.
"Let him go. I promise he won't appear before you again."
A man's deep voice, devoid of any discernible emotion.
Gu Fan exhaled as if granted a great pardon. "Xiao Huai, save me."
The tip of the knife slowly slid down Gu Fan's bloody, fat face, reaching his heart.
"Oh? Then how do you guarantee he won't bother me again?"
"With my life."
Xu Qian scoffed. "Your life is of no use to me."
"But your life must be useful, right?" Jiang Huai held a gun to the back of Xu Qian's head, his finger on the trigger.
Xu Qian's pupils contracted. Her cold voice drew out the words, "Do you think my knife is faster, or... your gun?"
A flame ignited in Xu Qian's eyes. She raised her knife and thrust it forward.
Gu Fan's chest was instantly engulfed in pain.
"Xiao Huai, Xiao Huai, put down the gun, put it down..." Gu Fan trembled with fear, his face drained of color. He swore he would never provoke this demoness again.
Jiang Huai's eyes narrowed. He lowered the gun. "What do you want?"
A faint light flashed in Xu Qian's dark eyes. She turned back. "Give me the gun and the bullets, and you can leave."
Jiang Huai, dressed in black shirt and black pants today, was tall and slender, his eyes like stars, his expression icy.
Without the slightest hesitation, he handed the gun to her and pushed Gu Fan, turning to leave.
Xu Qian's expression paused slightly. He was as decisive and straightforward as in her past life.