People in the Qin Dynasty sought good fortune and avoided misfortune.

Chapter 412, Xiong Qi and Tian Guang's conspiracy

Meanwhile, a celebratory banquet was being prepared inside the Taiyi Palace.

Chisongzi and Beimingzi welcomed the leaders of the Hundred Schools and sat together, chatting and laughing.

The disciples of the Hundred Schools gathered in twos and threes, chatting and laughing. They were either close friends from the same sect or new acquaintances from other sects.

The leaders of each sect naturally had no objection to their disciples getting to know each other. Besides attending the ceremony, they also took the opportunity to interact with other sects and thus strengthen their relationships.

When you're out in the world, having more friends means having more options; you never know when you might need their help.

Among them, the most conspicuous was Situ Wanli. As the head of the Qianlong Hall, he had always been dealing with various families and powerful figures from different countries. After cooperating with Xu Qing, he and the Qianlong Hall became even more famous in the martial arts world. It can be said that he knew one-third of the disciples from various families present.

Now that Xu Qing has won the covenant with the celestial beings, his fame has once again resounded throughout the land, and he has also benefited from it.

Many disciples from various schools approached Situ Wanli, hoping to cultivate a closer relationship with him and thus find a way to connect with Xu Qing. Situ Wanli, naturally adept at networking, wouldn't miss this opportunity to expand his connections and increase his influence.

From the farmer's position, Tian Meng looked at Situ Wanli, who was surrounded by people from all the families, and a hint of displeasure flashed in his eyes.

"Hmph! This Situ Wanli is just the head of the Hidden Dragon Hall. Anyone who doesn't know better would think he's the leader of our Farmer's Clan."

Tian Hu looked at Situ Wanli, who was laughing loudly, and said in a dissatisfied tone.

"Second brother, stop talking nonsense. Situ Wanli is, after all, the head of the Hidden Dragon Hall, a high-ranking member of our Farmer's Clan," Tian Meng said in a deep voice.

"Brother, I just can't stand his smug look," Tian Hu said, pursing his lips.

Those who can accompany their sect leader to Mount Taiyi are at least elite disciples within the sect, and the future pillars of the sect. Building good relationships with these people is entirely beneficial.

As an outsider, Situ Wanli was surrounded by at least dozens of disciples from various schools of thought, while no one took the initiative to talk to him and his elder brother Tian Meng, which truly angered Tian Hu.

“Someone might be more anxious than we are.”

As Tian Meng spoke, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at the Zhu family, who were talking with two or three people on the other side, and a strange look flashed in his eyes.

Although Tian Hu was ruthless, he wasn't stupid. He naturally understood his elder brother's words. He glanced at the Zhu family, who were talking to people with rosy smiles, and said in a low voice...
"The Zhu family's power is growing stronger and stronger. He is just an outsider. Why is the leader of the Xia family siding with outsiders and taking over the strongest Shennong Hall? Logically speaking, it should be you, eldest brother, who should be in charge."

"The leader of the chivalrous sect naturally has his own ideas. By the way, where is the leader? Why isn't he here?"

When Tian Guang was mentioned, Tian Meng glanced at the assembled leaders of various sects and asked with some confusion.

"What else could he be doing? He must be dealing with that good-for-nothing Wu Kuang." Tian Hu muttered in dissatisfaction.

Mentioning Wu Kuang, not only Tian Hu, but even Tian Meng couldn't help but feel angry, as the trouble Wu Kuang had caused was truly a disgrace to the farming family.

"That's it"

As Tian Meng spoke, his gaze moved around the room until he finally found Tian Mi, who was talking to two female disciples of the Heavenly Sect.

Tian Mi covered her mouth and laughed non-stop, her curvaceous figure shaking with laughter.

"That idiot Wu Kuang ruined his future for this woman, and she turned around and fell for someone else? She really is a smooth talker, with a heart as venomous as a scorpion," Tian Meng thought to himself.

After turning his gaze away, Tian Meng couldn't help but think of Tian Guang. He was looking forward to seeing how Tian Guang would deal with Wu Kuang. This was a good opportunity to suppress outsiders, and he certainly wouldn't let it pass.

Meanwhile, Tian Guang, who had not spoken with the leaders of the Hundred Schools, was waiting in a secluded place on Mount Taiyi.

Light footsteps sounded, and Tian Guang turned around to see Xiong Qi, dressed in a black and red official robe of the Qin state, walking towards him with a respectful expression on his face.

"Greetings, my lord," Tian Guang said, bowing.

"There's no need for formalities between us. What brings you here so suddenly?" Xiong Qi asked in a deep voice.

He originally wanted to take the initiative to find an opportunity to invite Tian Guang out, but he didn't expect that the other party would invite him first.

"It concerns Prince Ji Dan of Yan. You previously sent me to Yan to support him, but now he has been sent to Qin as a hostage. He is worried that Lord Yanchun will make a deal with Qin and take his life, so he has come to me for help."

"Moreover, he has close ties with the Mo family; just a few days ago at the Taiyi Mountain gate..."

Tian Guang briefly recounted his relationship with Ji Dan, as well as the connection between Ji Dan and the Mo family.

"Didn't Six-Fingered Black Knight refute this? He's quite fast; he's already formed such a deep friendship with the Mo family so quickly. It seems Six-Fingered Black Knight also intends to let him join the Mo family," Xiong Qi said thoughtfully.

He had Tian Guang help Ji Dan so that Ji Dan could become the ruler of Yan, thereby undermining Qin's strategy of befriending distant states while attacking nearby ones.

However, Lord Yanchun's power was deeply entrenched and formidable, far beyond what Ji Dan, a crown prince with little real authority, could handle. Fortunately, Ji Dan was no fool; he actually considered enlisting the help of the Mohists to deal with Lord Yanchun.

Moreover, he was very pleased with the progress of the other party's relationship with the Mo family, which showed that he had not chosen the wrong person.

"It seems that Six-Fingered Black Knight is quite satisfied with him, but Han Shen, one of the leaders of the Mohist School, seems quite dissatisfied with him," Tian Guang said in a deep voice. "Don't interfere in the affairs of the Mohist School for the time being, so as not to expose your people in Yan. Tell Ji Dan that you will find someone in Xianyang to protect him secretly, so that he doesn't need to worry."

Xiong Qi stood with one hand behind his back, looking down at Tian Guang and said.

"promise."

Xiong Qi seemed to suddenly realize something, frowned slightly, and asked in confusion.
"By the way, what's going on with Wu Kuang? Why did he suddenly make such outrageous remarks targeting Xu Qing?"

Seeing Xiong Qi's embarrassed expression, Tian Guang was unsure how to respond. After all, what Wu Kuang had done was truly shameful, and Wu Kuang was someone he and Xiong Qi had specifically mentioned and cultivated.

But when Xiong Qi asked, he could only tell the truth.

"Wu Kuang did this because of Tian Mi. He really likes Tian Mi and would do anything for her. But at some point, Tian Mi suddenly became curious about Xu Qing, so Wu Kuang..." Tian Guang said.

Upon hearing this, Xiong Qi was stunned and speechless. He hadn't expected that Wu Kuang would embarrass himself in public because of jealousy over a woman.

Among the outstanding disciples of the Farmer's School that Tian Guang had previously recommended to him, Wu Kuang was one of them.

Fortunately, he felt that Wu Kuang was not talented enough and did not let Tian Guang train him to be a part of the anti-Qin plan. If he had really brought him into his plan, the other party might have revealed his identity because of a woman.

"So what are you going to do with him?" Xiong Qi continued to ask.

"I can't make up my mind about this yet. His sworn brother is Chen Sheng, one of the three successors I've groomed in the Farmer's School. If we expel him from the Farmer's School, it might invite criticism from Chen Sheng," Tian Guang said helplessly.

Seeing Tian Guang's predicament, Xiong Qi fell into deep thought, and a flash of inspiration quickly appeared in his mind.

"He made outrageous remarks in front of everyone. After the Covenant between Heaven and Man, this matter will surely spread to everyone. There is no place for him in the martial arts world or the imperial court. If he wants to survive, he can no longer use the identity of Wu Kuang," Xiong Qi said.

"So what do you mean?" Tian Guang asked, puzzled.

"Currently, Xu Qing and the King have devised a plan to deal with Lao Ai, who was recommended by Lü Buwei. Once Lao Ai gets into trouble, the entire Qin court will be implicated, and the one most deeply affected will be the Luo Wang organization jointly controlled by the two of them."

"I heard that Lao Ai and Lü Buwei had Luo Wang assassinate the king in Xinzheng. Once the king comes to power, Luo Wang will surely be eliminated. At that time, Luo Wang will not be as airtight as it is now."

Xiong Qi turned to look at the overlapping mountain ranges in the distance and slowly expressed his thoughts.

"You want Wu Kuang to infiltrate the Net?"

Tian Guang paused, looking somewhat surprised, and asked.

Xiong Qi gazed silently at the distant mountains ahead. The sun cast a long shadow from the wall beside him, gradually enveloping him.

Tian Guang looked at Xiong Qi's inscrutable expression, and his own expression turned serious.

The Qin state could rely on many means to deal with the six states east of the mountains, such as the Qin army and merchants, but only two of them served as the mainstay: the Qin army and the Luowang (a type of military net), especially the latter.

The all-pervasive Luo Wang wove a terrifying spiderweb across the six states of Shandong. Its tasks included spying, recruiting officials, and assassinating anti-Qin figures. The Luo Wang's contribution to the Qin army's successive defeats of the six states of Shandong cannot be ignored.

It has always been the Qin state that instigated the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) to infiltrate the six states. If they could counter-infiltrate the Luo Wang, they might not be able to dismantle it from within, but at least they would know some of its activities and wouldn't be completely clueless when facing it.

More importantly, since Lü Buwei took control of the Luo Wang organization, he has begun to infiltrate various schools of thought, and most of the anti-Qin figures supported by Xiong Qi are also from various schools of thought and the Jianghu (江湖, the martial arts world).

Therefore, it becomes essential to plant spies within the network.

“Letting him infiltrate the Net is a good idea, but it’s uncertain whether he’s willing. Whether he enters the Net or infiltrates it, he will have to endure inhuman experiences. I’m not sure if he can withstand it,” Tian Guang said hesitantly.

"Doesn't Wu Kuang value that woman highly?" Xiong Qi said in a deep voice.

Tian Guang's eyes showed a hint of surprise as he looked at Xiong Qi's half-face hidden in the shadows, and suddenly felt that the master in front of him was somewhat unfamiliar.

Although Xiong Qi mostly did things in secret, he didn't use many despicable methods. Using a woman to coerce or entice someone was a first for him, especially since this person was a disciple he valued highly.

Noticing the unusual expression on Tian Guang's face, Xiong Qi sighed softly, turned to look at Tian Guang, and then disappeared into the darkness, saying with a complex expression.

“We don’t have much time left. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary measures. I know this is not fair to Wu Kuang, but for the sake of all people, some individual sacrifices are inevitable.”

Upon hearing this, Tian Guang recalled the grand goal that Xiong Qi had once told him, and without further hesitation, he cupped his hands and said...

"Rest assured, my lord, I will persuade Wu Kuang."

"Take good care of Wu Kuang's affairs. Just let me know if you need anything, and I'll arrange for someone to help you," Xiong Qi said, nodding.

"promise."

Seeing Tian Guang agree, Xiong Qi's expression turned somewhat somber, and he suddenly changed the subject.
What is your opinion of Xu Qing?

(End of this chapter)