From the Qin Dynasty onwards, he eked out a living among the heavens.

Chapter Sixteen: Sword and Zither – Nongyu's Return to Her Heart

In the evening, Zi Nu came out of the back door of Zi Lan Xuan and walked along the south long street towards the suburbs. When Xu Huang left, he said, "I have something I would like to ask Miss Zi Nu for help with later." This man never spoke lightly, but since he had asked, she went to listen. It just so happened that Han Fei and Wei Zhuang were still discussing matters in the hall, and Nong Yu was also resting, so she took the opportunity to go.

When they arrived at the riverside residence, dusk had just fallen. The gate was ajar, and Xu Huang sat on a stone platform in the courtyard, a long, narrow paulownia wood sword case beside him.

"Here it is." He didn't look up, but poured a cup of cold tea and pushed it towards her.

Zi Nu sat down opposite her, her gaze falling on the sword box. She could tell at a glance that this box was no ordinary item; the wood, the workmanship, and the size were all different from any of the boxes she had seen when exchanging weapons before.

"Is that all?" She looked at the sword case.

Xu Huang lifted the lid of the box. The last rays of twilight fell on the sword, its four-foot silver-gray blade gleaming with a warm, cold light, the forging pattern in the center of the spine resembling a solidified lightning bolt.

Zi Nu's gaze lingered on the forging pattern, and after a long while, she spoke: "This one is different from the previous ones."

"This was forged before Jidu." Xu Huang ran his fingertips along the spine of the sword, and the blade emitted a very soft ringing sound. "I practiced with one sword after another during that period, and when I forged this last one, my technique was just right. The meteorite iron fragments and cold steel essence were layered nearly a hundred times, barely meeting the threshold of the famous sword manual. Only after forging this one did I start working on Jidu."

He closed the box and pushed it in front of Zi Nu.

"The sword is named Purple Lightning. Give it to Nongyu for me."

Zi Nu raised her eyes.

"I said in the hall during the day that she wouldn't join the quicksand, but I didn't finish my sentence." Xu Huang picked up his teacup. "She's too clean-cut; it's a pity to keep her in Xinzheng. This sword isn't for her to kill. I've seen her swordsmanship; it's clean and upright, supple yet resilient, but her temperament isn't suited for a life of slaughter. But this sword has no killing intent, no murderous aura; it's just a pure sword. Just like her."

He paused for a moment, then said, "You're the person she trusts most. It's more appropriate for you to give it to her than for me to do it myself."

Zi Nu gently stroked the surface of the sword case with her fingers and remained silent for a while.

"Are you planning to take her with you?"

"It's up to her. If she's willing, I'll take her away from Xinzheng."

Zi Nu didn't say anything more. She picked up the sword box, stood up, paused at the courtyard gate, and glanced at him sideways.

"Nongyu is from my Zilan Pavilion. Take her away, and protect her well."

"Yes."

After Zi Nu disappeared at the end of the river bend path, Xu Huang finished his cold tea and got up to walk into the city.

The lights were just coming on in the main hall on the second floor of Zilanxuan.

When Zi Nu returned to the hall, she was carrying a paulownia wood sword case. Han Fei and Wei Zhuang were talking at the table, while Nong Yu sat at the zither table, casually plucking the strings. Zi Nu walked up to Nong Yu and gently placed the sword case on the zither table.

"This was given to you by Young Master Xu."

Nongyu paused for a moment, looked at Zinu, then at the sword box, and reached out to open it.

The hall fell silent for a moment as the lamplight fell upon the sword. The four-foot-long, silver-gray blade, its forging patterns as sharp as lightning, exuded a chilling aura, but not a murderous intent; it was simply the coldness of the metal itself.

Han Fei leaned closer, gasping, "This... was forged by Brother Xu?"

"The last sword forged before the casting of Jidu." Zi Nu sat down beside the table. "The sword is named Purple Lightning. It's the pinnacle of a practice piece, worthy of being included in the list of famous swords."

Wei Zhuang turned around from the window, his silver-gray eyes falling on the sword, and took two steps closer. He reached out and grasped the hilt, took the sword out of its sheath, flipped his wrist, and slid his index finger along the spine of the sword, pausing at the forging pattern.

"A fine sword," he said, then placed the sword back into its case. The movement was so light that the blade made almost no sound as it touched the bottom of the case.

Nongyu reached out, her fingertips touching the hilt of the sword. It was cool and solid. She grasped the sword; the blade gleamed steadily in her hand, without the slightest tremor. She placed the sword back in its case, held the case with both hands, and bowed deeply to Zinu.

"The person who should thank me is not me," Zi Nu said, supporting her wrist.

Just then, footsteps came from the stairs.

Xu Huang carried the wooden box in and placed it on the ground. He was dressed in plain clothes, with dewdrops clinging to his shoulders.

"The last batch." He lifted the lid of the box. "Three swords, two daggers, and one knife. I won't be forging any more practice pieces like this."

Zi Nu took out a narrow-bladed sword and examined it, nodding slightly: "This batch is better than the previous ones."

"You've already mastered the technique of casting Jidu, and casting Jidu has taken you a step further." Xu Huang sat down at the table and poured himself a cup of tea.

Han Fei leaned closer to examine the weapons in the box, clicking his tongue in amazement: "Brother Xu, with your skills, it's a real pity you're not a swordsmith."

"I always have been." Xu Huang picked up his teacup, his tone indifferent.

Han Fei was taken aback, then chuckled. After laughing, his gaze swept over Xu Huang, a hint of curiosity appearing in his eyes: "Speaking of which, Brother Xu just mentioned that Zidian was forged before Jidu. What kind of weapon is Jidu, exactly?"

Xu Huang put down his teacup. He didn't answer, but casually reached out with his left hand. In the instant his five fingers loosely clenched, a knife appeared out of thin air in his palm. The blade was jet black, seven feet and three inches long, a two-handed longsword. The blade was nearly a palm's width wide, with thick, straight lines, and layers of ridges on its broad spine, the surface covered with dark patterns resembling the veins of mountains and rivers. The moment the entire knife was held horizontally, a powerful and domineering aura silently spread out.

Wei Zhuang's pupils contracted slightly. "Hidden Sword Technique," he said in a low voice.

Xu Huang remained expressionless, casually flipping his wrist so the blade lay horizontally. "This is Jidu. Forged after I finished casting Zidian. The day the blade was completed, I casually broke through a minor realm." He spoke lightly, as if he were talking about what he had eaten that day.

Wei Zhuang remained silent for a long time, his voice returning to its usual cold and hard tone, but with an added layer of subtle solemnity: "That January, you were forging this sword?" Xu Huang met his gaze and nodded slightly.

With a flick of his wrist, Xu Huang's Jidu Blade vanished into thin air. He picked up his teacup again, his expression as calm as ever. A long silence filled the hall before Han Fei let out a long sigh and said with a wry smile, "Brother Xu, every time you come, you have to give us a little scare before you leave."

"You're the one who asked." Xu Huang took a sip of tea.

Nongyu gently placed the sword case beside the zither table, paused for a moment on the case, then withdrew her hand and placed it on the zither strings.

"Would you like to hear a song, young master?"

Xu Huang nodded slightly: "Play whatever you want."

Nongyu's fingertips touched the strings. The zither's initial sound was clear and ethereal. As it spread out, the technique was impeccable. But as Xu Huang listened, his brows twitched slightly. Deep within the zither's sound lay something that shouldn't be there, like a turbulent current pressing beneath still waters, calm on the surface but surging within.

The song ended. Nongyu withdrew her fingers and looked up at him.

Xu Huang put down his teacup: "Your heart is in turmoil."

Nongyu's fingers trembled. Han Fei was about to smooth things over when Xu Huang continued, "Your technique hasn't deteriorated. Your mind is in turmoil. You're thinking that playing the zither is useless, only wielding a sword is useful, aren't you?"

Nongyu remained silent. Her fingertips turned white.

The hall fell silent. Han Fei stopped smiling, Zi Nu put down her teacup, and Wei Zhuang's gaze also fell on Nong Yu.

"When I said you weren't suited for Quicksand during the day, I meant that your strength couldn't match your character," Xu Huang said calmly. "But that's not the main point. The main point is that you're simply not a member of Quicksand."

Nongyu raised her head, her eyes misty.

"You're too pure," Xu Huang said, his tone softening as he looked at her. "You're clear about right and wrong, deeply loyal, and your heart remains unchanged even after hardships. Such a person isn't suited to wielding a sword to kill, but is suited for something else. Your music can calm people down. Han Fei fought wits with powerful ministers and risked his life against the night, but after listening to you play a piece, he could recover. Wei Zhuang practiced swordsmanship to the point of losing control of his murderous aura, but your music could calm him down. This is a great use, but you haven't seen it yourself. When you wield a sword, you're forcing yourself into someone else's mold. The more desperately you practice swordsmanship, the more unstable your music becomes. Because you're becoming someone who isn't yourself."

Nongyu remained silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "Then, young master, where do you think I should go?"

"Go to a place where you don't need to wield a sword. The world is vast, and not all of it is chaos. Your zither shouldn't be played only for the powerful and swordsmen. Purple Lightning is for self-defense, not for you to enter the game. Your path lies in the zither."

Nongyu nodded gently and carefully gathered the musical scores on the zither table.

A moment of silence fell over the hall. Han Fei stood up, walked to Xu Huang, and respectfully bowed with his hands clasped in greeting.

"Brother Xu, would you be willing to join the Quicksand?"

Xu Huang downed the cold tea in one gulp. "No thanks." The two words were simple, but decisive.

He got up and walked to the side wall of the hall. There, he had drawn a few rough lines with charcoal on the wall, which were the outlines of the seven kingdoms, with Korea in the center and surrounded by powerful neighbors on all sides.

"Ninth Prince, my decision not to join the Quicksand is not because I look down on your ambitions. Your ambitions are admirable. But between ambition and reality lies a deep abyss that you cannot cross for the time being." His fingertip landed on the map of Korea. "The deep-seated problems in Korea have penetrated to the bone marrow. Ji Wuye holds immense power and influence. His four fierce generals under his command each occupy a region, Blood-Clad Marquis controls the army, Emerald Tiger controls the finances, Tide Maiden bewitches the king, and Straw-Cloaked Guest is in charge of espionage. Your father, King Han An, has only ever been good at political maneuvering and has no courage for reform. You, Han Fei, are too trusting of the law and too sentimental. The law cannot restrain powerful ministers who wield the sword, and family ties are your greatest weakness."

The fingertip moved westward, landing on the Qin state. "Let's talk about external threats. Han is situated in a land of constant warfare, but the real threat is Qin. Shang Yang's reforms over twenty years transformed a small border state into a ferocious army. Such a Qin state has only one direction: eastward expansion! And on the path eastward, Han will be the first to fall. How much time does Han have? Five years? Ten years? Or will it be uprooted before it even has a chance to blossom and bear fruit?"

He walked back to his desk and sat down, his voice deepening. "Therefore, until Ji Wuye falls, the darkness is dismantled, the King of Han has no real resolve, and there is no way to deal with the threat from Qin, I will not enter this game."

Silence remained in the hall for a long time. Han Fei kept his head down. Nongyu quietly watched Xu Huang, her hand resting on the Purple Lightning Sword Case beside the zither table.

After a long silence, Han Fei raised his head. "I have considered everything Brother Xu mentioned."

"Thinking about it and having someone tell you it to your face are two different things." Xu Huang looked at him. "Thinking about it a hundred times in your heart is not as good as having someone tell you that you don't have enough time."

Han Fei closed his eyes and let out a long breath. When he opened them again, the dazed look in his eyes had faded, replaced by an unprecedented seriousness. "After listening to Brother Xu's words today, Han Fei is completely convinced. May I ask, Brother Xu, what would you do in my shoes?"

Xu Huang was silent for a moment. "Before Qin makes its move, we must first become an impenetrable nail. Make every step the Qin army takes costly. Only in this way can we wait for a change in the situation. The balance between the seven states has never been maintained by any one state. What you lost today was merely an illusion about the situation. Only when the illusion is gone can you see the real path."

Han Fei remained silent for a long time before slowly nodding: "I understand."

Xu Huang stood up and looked at Nongyu. "Miss Nongyu, I won't stay in Xinzheng for long. When I leave, if you're willing to come with me, I'll take you to a place where you can survive without wielding a sword. Your zither will only be used for playing there. Zidian will be your strength."

Nongyu stood up, held the sword box in her arms, and bowed deeply to him.

Han Fei looked at the sword box in Nongyu's arms, then at Xu Huang, and chuckled softly: "Brother Xu, you did not join the Quicksand, but what you left us is more than just a seat."

Xu Huang didn't say much, and finished the cooled tea in his cup. Night had fallen outside the window, and everyone in the hall dispersed.

In the backyard of Zilan Pavilion, the moonlight was as white as frost.

Nongyu sat alone on the stone bench, clutching the Purple Lightning Sword Case. The case lid was open, revealing the silver-gray blade, which gleamed with a cool yet warm light under the moonlight. She reached out and gently stroked the spine of the sword, her fingertips pausing at the forging patterns. Xu Huang's words from the hall still echoed in her mind: he said she wasn't suited for the Quicksand faction, that she was too pure, that her zither was of great use, and that she should go somewhere where she wouldn't need to wield a sword. He also said he would take her away.

Lost in thought, she heard footsteps behind her. Steady and powerful, each step seemed to be on a fixed rhythm. She knew who it was without turning around.

"Young master," she said softly.

Xu Huang sat down beside her. Moonlight filtered through the branches of the old locust tree, casting dappled shadows on the two of them. He didn't speak, but simply reached out, his fingertips gently tracing the spine of the Purple Lightning sword in her bosom, then covering her hand resting on the hilt. Her hand was slightly cool, and she curled up slightly in his palm.

"This sword was the last one I forged before I made Ketu." His voice was a little lower than usual. "I practiced with one sword after another during that period, and my technique was just at its most refined. When I was forging this sword, I thought that this sword could not be sold or given away, but had to be kept for someone."

Nongyu didn't look up. Her fingers trembled slightly in his palm, but she didn't pull them away.

"Young Master," she said softly, "I grew up in Zilan Pavilion, raised by Sister Zinu. The people here, every zither, every cup of tea—it's my world. You want me to go with you?" She paused, then looked up. Moonlight shone in her eyes, making the thin mist in them shine. "If I leave, what will happen to Sister Zinu? What will happen to Liusha? Everyone here is risking their lives for a game they may never win. How can I leave alone?"

Xu Huang looked at her, not answering immediately. He raised his hand and gently wiped away the tear that hadn't fallen from the corner of her eye with his fingertips, then turned her hand over so her palm was facing up. Moonlight fell on the lines of her fair palm, making the fine marks worn by the strings of the zither clearly visible. He gently stroked those marks with his fingertips, his movements extremely slow and light.

"You think I told you to leave so you could abandon them?"

Nongyu was slightly taken aback.

"I'm telling you to leave, not to escape. I'm telling you to wait for them somewhere else." Xu Huang's voice wasn't loud, but it was as steady as a rock. "Today in the hall, I said that Quicksand was in trouble from both inside and outside, and Han Fei asked me what he would do if he were in their shoes. I said, 'Become an extremely hard nail.' This nail isn't just Han Fei's responsibility; Quicksand needs someone outside to leave them a way out. If that day ever comes, and the situation in Xinzheng collapses, the Nightfall attacks, and the court falls, Quicksand won't be able to stay here any longer. There has to be a place to retreat to. That place is where you and I are going."

Nongyu's eyelashes trembled slightly. She looked at him without interrupting.

"Although I don't join the Quicksand, I consider Han Fei, Wei Zhuang, and Zi Nu as friends. If that day ever comes when the Quicksand collapses and the Nightfall gains power, I will save as many as I can and protect as many as I can. I thought this through during my seclusion. So you're not abandoning them; you're going ahead for them."

He paused, then gently tightened his grip on her hand.

"I know you're worried about Zi Nu. She raised you from childhood; she's your closest person. But precisely because she's your closest person, what she wants most is for you to no longer be stuck in this quagmire. She wants you to leave, not because she doesn't want you, but because she wants you to live the life she never had the chance to live."

Nongyu lowered her head, and tears finally streamed down her face. She didn't wipe them away, but let them drip onto the Zidian sword case, spreading a small dark stain.

"Young master," her voice trembled slightly, yet remained remarkably steady, "then promise me one thing."

"you say."

"No matter what happens to Liu Sha in the end—whether they win or lose, no matter what becomes of Xinzheng, you must help me protect Sister Zi Nu. Protect Han Fei, protect Wei Zhuang. Protect everyone in this Zi Lan Xuan."

Xu Huang raised his hand and lifted her face. Her face was streaked with tears in the moonlight, but her eyes remained unwavering. He lowered his head and placed a very light and steady kiss on her brow.

"I promise you. Even if the quicksand collapses, I will protect everyone you care about. I'm here for you."

Nongyu closed her eyes. The kiss landed on her brow, but it felt as if it had touched the deepest, softest part of her heart. She reached out and grasped his collar, pressing her forehead against his chest, her shoulders trembling slightly.

"Then I'll go with you," she said. "Not to run away. I'll go ahead for them."

Xu Huang didn't answer, but simply pulled her into his arms. The branches and leaves of the old locust tree rustled in the night wind, and moonlight filtered through the leaves, falling on the two of them like a silent witness. Zidian lay quietly in its sword case, its silver-gray blade gleaming with a warm yet cool light.