Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

The woman "Long'er," who had already been examined and was unarmed, suddenly sprang up in an instant, her movements as swift as the wind, like a colorful butterfly flitting among flowers, and rushed straight for Lord Xinling's face.

The guards standing nearby changed their expressions drastically, and their long swords were drawn with a clang, their cold light flashing like lightning, aiming straight for the guards' vital points.

A cold, mocking glint flashed in Long'er's eyes.

With a gentle flick of her wrist, her slender hand lightly brushed against the jade pendant at her waist—

The invisible blade is the most deadly.

……

Early morning.

The morning light was faint, and the dew had not yet dried.

Xu Qing got up very early.

He hasn't been forging swords recently, nor has he been selling swords on the street.

On the contrary, seeing people fishing yesterday gave me some ideas, so I prepared a fishing rod yesterday, planning to find a good spot as soon as possible and cast a few times.

After all, there aren't many forms of entertainment in this world.

He could only find some amusement on his own.

He continued on his journey and soon arrived at a river outside Ningyi City.

I found a suitable fishing spot in a sparsely vegetated area. It was backed by several large trees, and the shade made it very cool.

He was very lucky.

Or perhaps his fishing skills were exceptionally high; he soon got a bite and caught a crucian carp the size of his palm.

Chapter 16 Catching a Giant Salamander

The morning mist had not yet dissipated, and the river surface was as smooth as a mirror.

Xu Qing put the small fish into the bamboo basket and cast the fishing rod back into the water.

Suddenly.

The rod suddenly sank.

"It got stuck?" Xu Qing frowned slightly, about to break the line, but suddenly loosened his grip.

A strange glint flashed in his eyes. He flicked his wrist, and his inner strength, like a trickle, instantly flowed into the seemingly fragile fishing line. The slender thread instantly became as taut as a strong bow, bearing immense weight.

"rise!"

wow-

Water splashed everywhere, and a figure wrapped in a soaked golden robe was suddenly pulled out of the water by a tremendous force and fell heavily onto the grassy bank.

Xu Qing suddenly stood up, his gaze solemn.

A fisherman can catch anything except fish.

He had dismissed these words before, but today he has no choice but to believe them.

He approached the figure. The woman's eyebrows were like distant mountains, and her face was exquisitely beautiful. At this moment, however, she was as pale as snow, and even more so as deathly as gray. The wounds on her shoulders and abdomen were so deep that the bone was visible. Although they had stopped bleeding after being soaked in the river for a long time, they looked even more gruesome.

She had lost too much blood and was severely injured; she was on the verge of death, but still had a breath left.

More importantly, Xu Qing recognized her.

The newly crowned top courtesan of Zuiyue Tower, "Long'er".

Of course, this is a pseudonym; in Xu Qing's heart, she prefers to call her "Jing Ni".

Even though she had joined the Luo Wang organization and knew that the person in front of her was still a "first-class killer" and had not yet wielded the real Jing Ni sword, she was not qualified to inherit the title of "first-class heaven." The name "Jing Ni" was just an unspoken code name to her, not the person's real name at this moment.

But Xu Qing was familiar with this name.

What Xu Qing really wanted to know was why she was seriously injured, fell into the water, and drifted to this place.

"Perhaps, I will know the answer after you wake up."

Xu Qing whispered, but his hands moved swiftly like the wind. He did not give up on the rescue. After all, the other party was currently his superior and a major customer who had bought many swords from him.

Thinking of the sword, his mind stirred slightly, and his consciousness sank into the system panel.

The "Reputation" value skyrocketed like boiling water, as if the sword he forged had just severed a head that shook the heavens and earth.

Thinking of everything about Jing Ni, a sense of understanding flashed through his mind, but his face remained calm.

He helped Jingni quickly clean her wounds. Although soaking her in the river water stopped the bleeding, it brought a more dangerous hidden danger: the foul water entering her body made her extremely prone to festering.

Fortunately, he was never arrogant when traveling the world, and he had all kinds of wound medicine and antidote powder, as well as first aid skills.

After a brief treatment, Xu Qing picked up the weak Jing Ni and found a secluded cave nearby. He then circulated his all-powerful inner energy, transforming it into a warm current that slowly flowed into Jing Ni's body through his palm, protecting her swaying heartbeat and stimulating her remaining life force.

I don't know how much time passed.

Jingni's long eyelashes trembled slightly. A faint light pierced her eyes, initially causing a bewildered, chaotic sensation.

Immediately, the killer's instincts, ingrained in his very bones, awakened!

What happened? Where am I?

She instinctively reached for her waist—

But it was empty.

"What is the cage maiden looking for?"

A calm voice rang out from the side, like a pebble thrown into stagnant water.

Jingni was startled and forced herself to look sideways.

Seeing Xu Qing's face clearly, his tense nerves finally relaxed slightly. In any case, this person was "one of our own," and it was better to fall into his hands than to be devoured alive by Lord Xinling's bloodthirsty retainers.

"You...recognize me?" Her voice was hoarse, deliberately carrying a hint of unfamiliar wariness.

She had always disguised her appearance and voice when they met before, but now that her true appearance was revealed, she absolutely could not let him discover her identity.

"You jest, young lady." Xu Qing smiled faintly, but his eyes were deep and unfathomable. "I was also in the audience when the courtesan of Zuiyue Tower first took the stage. How could I not recognize Miss Long'er's beautiful face? I'm just curious, how did you end up so badly injured and adrift in the river?"

"Did you save me?" Jing Ni avoided the question and went straight to the point.

“Obviously.” Xu Qing said calmly, but his gaze was as real as if it were fixed on her face. “Fishing early in the morning yielded little fish, but we brought this ‘big fish’ of yours ashore.”

As soon as he said it, even he himself felt that this encounter was too bizarre.

On second thought, the salamander is a type of giant salamander, which is ultimately a fish.

Well, I didn't leave empty-handed.

"I see," Jingni replied softly, a sense of destiny rippling through her heart.

The scene from last night is still vivid in my mind.

Inside the Drunken Moon Pavilion, amidst the gentle sounds of silk and bamboo instruments, as Lord Xinling was captivated by the lingering charm of her final dance, a murderous intent suddenly descended.

The sounds of breaking windows, shouts of killing, and clashing weapons ripped through the silence. The assassins she had arranged launched their attack as planned, not to kill the enemy, but to tear open that fatal gap in the chaos.

Opportunities are fleeting.

Just as Lord Xinling was about to reunite with his guards and retainers, she made a move.

The "Flying Shadow" sword, crafted by Xu Qing, was incredibly strange. Its invisible blade of energy burst forth, delivering a fatal blow to Lord Xinling.

Blood stained her silk robes, and the shock and disbelief in Lord Xinling's eyes as he fell were the badges of honor for her mission.

However, the price of the successful assassination was equally terrible. The enraged retainers pounced like mad tigers. She fought a bloody battle, covered in wounds, and finally broke out of the window with her last breath, falling into the cold river behind the building. She then used her superb swimming skills to sneak away, but her injuries were too severe, and she sank into the boundless darkness.

I thought I was going to die...

Unexpectedly, he saved her.

A complex emotion, difficult to describe, welled up in her heart, only to be quickly swallowed up by a deeper sense of vigilance and instinct.

I'm very curious—

Xu Qing's voice rang out again, tinged with a knowing, playful tone. He had already opened his palm, revealing a rectangular jade pendant lying quietly in it.

Jingni's pupils suddenly contracted.

The chill was more biting than the river water, instantly penetrating every part of my body.

Xu Qing's gaze locked onto her like that of a hawk, and he asked, word by word, "Why is this sword on you?"

He leaned slightly forward, and an invisible pressure spread out.

"Or are you... my incredibly mysterious superior?"

If it were an ordinary person, they would think Xu Qing was joking. It was just a jade pendant, so why would he call it a sword?

But Jingni knew that she had been exposed.

This is because the sword was made by Xu Qing, and a few days ago, Xu Qing personally handed the sword to her.

"Now that you know, I need you to do some things for me."

Jing Ni deliberately changed her voice, making it neutral, the same voice she used when she first met Xu Qing, to show her identity and to use her superior status to order Xu Qing around.

"Are you kidding me?"

A strange smile appeared on Xu Qing's lips.

"Don't forget, you are now seriously injured, and your life is in my hands."

"Under these circumstances, you still want to order me around?"

Jingni's heart sank as she heard these words.

Chapter 17 Xinling's Final Fate

Although the Net of Power is strictly hierarchical, this does not mean that those in lower positions will submit to those in higher positions without any disloyalty.

betray.

In this organization teeming with desperate outlaws who live on the edge, such things are commonplace.

After all, those willing to join the Luo Wang organization were not benevolent individuals; they were mostly assassins and ruthless bandits who had fought their way through countless bloody battles. They joined for two reasons: first, they coveted the immense profits promised by Luo Wang; second, they hoped to rely on this powerful organization to escape the wrath of their enemies and even the authorities.