During the last years of the Ming Dynasty, there were many bandits in the territory of Jinan, Shandong Province. Troops in the various counties were reinforced and they killed all they arrested.
The bandits in Zhangqiu County were more numerous than elsewhere. One soldier there carried a knife which was especially sharp. When he struck with the knife, it was as easy as cutting through the crevice between the bones. One day, the troops captured a dozen or so bandits and were marching them to the execution ground. One of them knew that soldier. He pleaded with him pitifully, saying, “I’ve heard that your knife is the sharpest. There’s never a need to strike twice when you chop off a head. I beg you, be my executioner!” The soldier said, “Fine. Keep close to me and be careful not to go stray.” The robber followed him to the execution ground. The soldier swished out his knife and, with one stroke, the robber’s head fell to the ground. Even as it rolled and bounced several steps away, it could be heard exclaiming in a loud voice, “What a sharp knife!”
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