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

Chapter 424, Xu Qing Enjoying Himself, Wu Kuang incompetent
"I know this is unfair to the farmers, but for the sake of the bigger picture, please reconsider my words."

After speaking, Xu Qing bowed respectfully to Tian Guang, awaiting his reply.

Tian Guang looked at Xu Qing in silence, his face full of hesitation and contemplation, but the smile that flashed in his eyes showed that he was not conflicted.

Sending the peasants to Qin was just an excuse he used to send Tianmi out. He naturally couldn't actually let the peasant disciples enter Qin immediately. Even if Xu Qing wanted to reveal his identity, he would use the conflict between the Confucian and peasant schools to delay.

However, Xu Qing's cleverness backfired, saving him a lot of trouble. But he still had to put on a show, otherwise he would easily arouse Xu Qing's suspicion.

Tian Guang's eyes darted up and down Xu Qing's body. After hesitating several times, he finally reached out and helped Xu Qing up, saying in a deep voice...

"Very well, since it's for the sake of the bigger picture, then let's do as you say. However, since you're unwilling to reveal your identity, if the Farmer's School is ever needed in the future, the disciples below might not recognize your identity, which could potentially delay the opportunity."

"Here's what we'll do: select a few people from the farmers' families and have them follow you around. If necessary, they can mobilize the farmers' disciples."

Hearing Tian Guang's well-considered decision, Xu Qing's eyes flickered slightly, and a thoughtful look appeared on his face, as if he was considering a suitable candidate.

Xu Qing hadn't expected that Tian Guang would be so meticulous in his plan to send Tian Mi to his side; it was truly a series of interconnected schemes.

“I’m not familiar with the disciples of the Farmer’s Clan. The only one I know is Hall Master Situ. However, Hall Master Situ is in charge of the Hidden Dragon Hall and certainly can’t focus on following me. So I might as well do a good deed and fulfill the brother-sister relationship between Tian Mi and Wu Kuang, and let her stay by my side.”

"Moreover, Tian Mi, being a woman, can disguise herself as a maid in my household without arousing suspicion from others."

Xu Qing looked at Tian Guang thoughtfully and said in a slightly deep voice.

"If Da Liangzao really doesn't like Tianmi, there are many other people in the farmhouse to choose from. You can think it over carefully. There's no need to rush to give me an answer."

Tian Guang said this insincerely, seemingly without any intention of forcing Xu Qing to accept Tian Mi.

"No need, Tian Mi is no different from the other disciples," Xu Qing said, shaking his head.

"It is her good fortune that the Grand Master is willing to take her in. Please wait here for a moment, and I will call Tian Mi over right away."

Seeing that Xu Qing had finally accepted Tian Mi, Tian Guang remained as calm as ever, nodding with an unchanged expression.

"Then I'll trouble Xia Kui to call the rest of the Farmer's Clan core members here as well, so that I can get to know them and formally acknowledge my identity as a descendant of the Farmer's Clan's Xu family," Xu Qing said.

Tian Guang looked at Xu Qing's serious expression, his heart sank, but he maintained his smile and nodded slightly.

"Of course, please go to the front hall first. I will have Tian Mi wait with you for a moment while I go and summon Zhu Jia, Tian Meng and others."

"Then I'll have to trouble you, Xia Kui," Xu Qing said with a smile and a nod.

After saying that, Tian Guang and Xu Qing walked towards the main hall while chatting and laughing. Just after leaving the room, Xu Qing felt as if someone was watching him from behind, so he turned around to look.

"Dairyozo, did you lose something in your room?"

When Tian Guang saw Xu Qing looking at the next room, his heart tightened and he immediately asked.

Xu Qing glanced at the three houses side by side behind her, a smile appearing in her eyes, but she quickly looked away.

"It's nothing. I just felt like someone was watching me. It must have been my imagination. Preparing for the Celestial Pact has been exhausting, and I've been a bit too nervous. I guess I need to find some time to relax."

Xu Qing shook his head slightly, his voice carrying a hint of amusement.

"I see. Although Kuiwei Hall specializes in grains, farmers inevitably suffer from muscle and bone injuries from farming. Therefore, farmers also have a set of massage techniques. I can have one of my disciples try it on you later."

Tian Guang also joked with a smile, glancing subtly at the houses behind him.

"Really? Then I'm really looking forward to it."

Xu Qing and Tian Guang walked outside chatting and laughing. In the house behind them, a pair of eyes were staring intently at their departing figures.

Wu Kuang stood in the shadows of the house, staring at Xu Qing's retreating figure as he disappeared around the corner, unable to come to his senses. He had heard the entire conversation between Tian Guang and Xu Qing.

"Sister Tianmi."

The thought of Tian Mi becoming Xu Qing's maid caused Wu Kuang's breath to catch in his throat. He clenched his fists tightly, his face showing a complex mix of emotions: pain, anger, and helplessness.

The goddess he cherished most was about to grovel and serve another man, and all to atone for his sins. This was something Wu Kuang could not accept.

"no."

Wu Kuang's eyes were bloodshot, and a resolute look appeared on his face. He reached out to open the door and go out, intending to have a serious talk with Xu Qing.

He would take responsibility for his actions; he would never allow Tian Mi to sacrifice herself to Xu Qing just to help him. However, when Wu Kuang's hand was only inches away from the door, it trembled and he couldn't touch it. He wanted to go and explain to Xu Qing, but Tian Guang had warned him beforehand that he absolutely could not leave the house during this period.

Moreover, if he went to Xu Qing, judging from the other party's attitude just now, he would definitely not let him off easily. Now that his matter has finally been put on hold, if his impulsiveness causes Tian Guang and Tian Mi's efforts to be in vain, then he would truly deserve to die.

"Crack~"

Wu Kuang suddenly pulled his hand back and slapped himself. He leaned against the door and collapsed weakly to the ground, clutching his head.

"How could I be so incompetent? If it weren't for me, Tian Mi wouldn't have given herself to Xu Qing. It's all my fault."

Wu Kuang slumped to the ground, clutching his head in his hands. Though his expression was one of grief and indignation, he was powerless to resist Xu Qing's power and strength.

Thinking about what Xu Qing had just said about enjoying oneself, Wu Kuang, as a man, naturally understood what the other person meant by "enjoyment".

"Tian Mi."

Thinking about what Xu Qing might do to Tian Mi in the future, he seemed to see Xu Qing using him as a threat, forcing Tian Mi to not dare to resist and only let Xu Qing roughly tear open that pinkish-purple dress.

He seemed to clearly see Tian Mi's tears of pain, and he seemed to see Tian Mi being forcefully pressed onto the bed by Xu Qing, her delicate limbs struggling helplessly, and Tian Mi's painful and shrill screams...

"It's all my fault, if..."

Two clear tears fell onto the floor. Wu Kuang sobbed silently, clutching his head tightly with both hands, his body trembling uncontrollably.

Wu Kuang wanted to banish all the images that flashed through his mind, but once some thoughts appeared, they could not be dispelled, leaving Wu Kuang with only endless pain, self-blame, and regret for his incompetence.

On the other side, Xu Qing was brought to the hall by Tian Guang. After giving Xu Qing a few instructions, Tian Guang went to summon the core disciples of the Farmer's Clan.

After leaving the room, Tian Guang glanced back at Xu Qing and Tian Mi inside, a serious expression flashing across his face.

"Are you going to reveal your identity in a farmhouse? What exactly do you want to do?" Tian Guang wondered to himself.

He knew that Xu Qing could see that Tian Mi was someone he had deliberately planted there, but because of the benefits brought by the peasants' entry into Qin, Xu Qing had to accept Tian Mi even if he didn't want to. This was equivalent to an exchange of benefits between the two of them.

Conversely, since Xu Qing accepted Tian Mi, he also had to publicly reveal his identity as a descendant of Xu Zi among the core disciples of the Farmer's Clan.

Although everything was within his expectations, things were progressing too smoothly, which made him uneasy. He began to wonder if Xu Qing had really fallen into his trap, or if the other party was using a counter-strategy.

"But so what if his identity is revealed? Even if he's an outsider with the identity of a descendant of Xu Zi, does he really think he can take the position of the leader of the chivalrous sect?"

Tian Guang shook his head slightly, dismissing the somewhat absurd idea from his mind. Let alone Xu Qing, even if Xu Zi were resurrected, he would not be able to become the leader of the Farmer's Clan again.

In the past, the Tian family and other families were indeed on equal footing in the peasant family. However, now the Tian family is dominant, and people with other families also occupy the six national halls. Although there is no explicit rule, the chief of the knights can only be the Tian family. This is an indisputable unspoken rule.

This is because the Tian family holds most of the power in the farming community, especially the two major branches, Lieshan Hall and Chiyou Hall.

Moreover, among the heirs of the six halls of the Farmer's Clan, Zhu Jia of Shennong Hall and Chen Sheng of Kuiwei Hall are his loyal followers, while Tian Meng and Tian Hu are from within the clan. With the top four halls in his hands, he has no fear that Xu Qing will plot any schemes within the Farmer's Clan.

Although he was still somewhat uneasy, things had come to this point and neither he nor the farmer had any way out but to continue with the plan.

After withdrawing his gaze, Tian Guang turned and walked outside, preparing to summon the Zhu family and others.

Inside the hall, Xu Qing was sizing up Tian Mi.

As Xu Qing scrutinized her from head to toe, Tian Mi was extremely nervous, but her charming and pretty face still wore a smile as she held a cup of tea in her small hands and presented it to Xu Qing.

"Dai Ryozao, please have some tea~"

Her charming voice was captivating, yet it carried a hint of grievance, as if she were recounting the heartbreak of being rejected by Xu Qing.

Xu Qing did not accept the tea, but instead looked at Tian Mi's charming and alluring face.

Noticing Xu Qing's gaze, Tian Mi slightly raised her head, allowing Xu Qing to see her appearance more clearly.

Her pink eyes welled up with mist, revealing a delicate and pitiful expression. Her pink lips shimmered, and the two beauty marks under her eyes made her somewhat affected charm appear natural, easily arousing others' desire.

At the same time, Tian Mi's half-bent body leaned slightly forward, her slender waist slumped slightly, and her white, firm breasts were half-exposed from her pinkish-purple clothes.

The purple high-slit dress exposed her long, slender, and straight jade-like legs. Her small feet, encased in red high heels with crisscross straps, made her look like an obedient maid, not daring to be the slightest bit impolite or displeased.

(End of this chapter)