Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Although the process was somewhat inexplicable, that kitchen knife was indeed very useful.

"Sir, you..."

Thinking of that incident, Fatty Ding immediately looked at Xu Qing in surprise.

Yes, Xu Qing has now returned to his original appearance. When he first appeared in front of Fatty Ding, he was the middle-aged man known as "Mr. Qing," so Fatty Ding naturally did not recognize him.

"I would like Manager Ding to deliver a letter for me."

Xu Qing mentioned the kitchen knife only to get closer to Fatty Ding; now, she reveals her main purpose.

Chapter 224 First Meet the Mohists, Then Visit the Confucian School

Just moments ago, Fatty Ding was secretly pondering the origins of that kitchen knife, repeatedly speculating about the connection between the man in the blue robe and the mysterious person who had given him the Eternal Spirit Knife years ago.

Hearing the other party mention "delivering a letter" so abruptly pulled him back to reality. He blinked instinctively, his Adam's apple bobbing slightly, before tentatively asking, "Sir... do you want me to help deliver a letter?"

“Exactly.” Xu Qing nodded slightly, his tone more serious than before. “A letter of great importance must be entrusted to a reliable person.”

He looked up at Fatty Ding, his gaze falling on the Eternal Spirit Blade hanging at the other's waist, and a meaningful smile appeared on his lips: "And in the entire Sanghai region, only an important figure like you can shoulder this heavy responsibility."

"Oh, sir, you flatter me too much!" Fatty Ding quickly waved his hand, a slightly embarrassed blush appearing on his face.

While being valued so highly made him feel good, he knew better than anyone that he was, on the surface, the head chef of an inn, but in reality, he was a spy planted by the Mohists near the Confucian school. Such a special identity, if too much attention was drawn, would only ruin the Mohists' important affairs.

He rubbed his greasy hands together, his tone tinged with self-deprecation: "I'm just a cook, not some important person."

“You’re no ordinary cook.” Xu Qing’s voice suddenly turned deep, each word clear and powerful, as if striking a bluestone. “You’ve mastered the art of dissecting an ox with a knife, and you can turn ingredients into delicacies with just a cleaver. More importantly, you’re one of the leaders of the Mohist school, in charge of the intelligence network in the Sanghai area.”

He leaned forward, his gaze sharp as a blade: "An ordinary cook is not qualified to be the leader of the Mohist school."

With a "whoosh," the smile on Fatty Ding's face froze instantly, his previously relaxed shoulders tensed up, and the honest look in his eyes was replaced by vigilance.

He subconsciously placed his hand on the Eternal Spirit Blade at his waist. The familiar touch of the cold hilt did not reassure him in the slightest.

This knife was given to him by Xu Qing out of the blue that day. Its sharpness far surpasses that of ordinary famous swords. He usually keeps it with him at all times, but now that his identity has been exposed, he immediately intends to draw the kitchen knife and start fighting.

"You don't need to be nervous." Seeing his expression, Xu Qing's tone returned to calm. "I am an old friend of the Mo family with some history."

Before he finished speaking, he took out a token from his pocket. The token was engraved with the unique patterns of the Mo family. This was the token that Six-Fingered Black Knight had given him back then. Even Six-Fingered Black Knight himself did not expect that Xu Qing would use this token so many times.

It was this token that once led Tian Guang to mistakenly believe that Xu Qing was someone the Mohists were trying to win over. Little did he know that the Six-Fingered Black Knight had never considered recruiting him, simply because the path Xu Qing followed was fundamentally different from the Mohists' philosophy of "universal love and non-aggression."

The moment Ding Pangzi's gaze fell upon the token, his pupils contracted sharply, and his hand on the hilt of the knife slowly loosened.

He leaned closer, carefully examining the patterns on the token. Once he confirmed it was correct, his tense expression instantly relaxed, and a hearty smile returned to his face. Even his voice rose a few decibels: "Oh my! No wonder I heard magpies chirping incessantly on the eaves this morning. Turns out, a distinguished guest has arrived!"

As the leader of the Mohist school, he naturally recognized that this was the personal token of the Six-Fingered Giant. Anyone who could possess this token must be a trusted friend of the Giant.

The previous wariness vanished, replaced by a sense of closeness.

“Commander Ding.” Xu Qing’s expression turned serious again, and he even changed his form of address. “I recently learned of something that, if not handled properly, could bring annihilation to the Mo family. Therefore, I need you to personally deliver this letter to the Six-Fingered Giant. Before that, you must not let anyone notice anything amiss, including the other disciples of the Mo family.”

When Fatty Ding heard the seriousness in his voice, his heart sank.

Although he was curious about the relationship between the man in front of him and the Grand Master, he knew that this was not the time to ask.

Xu Qing's calm and reliable demeanor made him instinctively choose to trust him.

He patted his chest, his tone firm: "Since you trust me, Old Ding, sir, I will never let you down! I will personally deliver this letter to the Grand Master, and there will be absolutely no mistakes along the way!"

For Fatty Ding, the inn located near the Confucian school was never for making money, but for monitoring the Confucian school's movements. This was an important task given to her by the Mohist school.

Now that the safety of the Mo family is at stake, let alone temporarily closing the inn for a few days, even if he were asked to set off for the Mechanical City immediately, he would not hesitate for a moment.

After the agreement was reached, Xu Qing took out a small bamboo tube from his sleeve. The tube was sealed tightly with sealing wax, and inside was the so-called letter.

Fatty Ding carefully took it, hid it close to his body, and was determined to hand it over to the Grand Master so that no one could see it beforehand.

What he didn't know was that Xu Qing hadn't written a single word of what Tian Guang had told him about the crisis facing the Mohists in the letter. This letter was less of an informant and more of an "invitation."

Xu Qing hoped to meet with Six-Fingered Black Knight in person to explain the whole story.

If the Six-Fingered Black Knight is unwilling to keep the appointment, then it can only be said that the Mo family is destined to suffer this calamity.

For the next few days, Xu Qing stayed at Youjian Inn with Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai.

Fatty Ding personally cooked a table full of his signature dishes, each one smelling delicious. Even Xiao Hei, Xiao Bai, and Jing Ni, who weren't particularly picky about food, couldn't help but secretly praise Fatty Ding's culinary skills.

However, it all only lasted until the next day.

The reason was that Fatty Ding chose to close his business the next day.

It turned out that Fatty Ding was really worried about the safety of the Mo family and wished he could rush to the Mechanized City overnight. If Xu Qing and his group hadn't been staying there, he would have closed the door and left last night.

Before closing, he specifically sought out Xu Qing, his face showing some apology: "Sir, I'm really sorry, I have to deliver the letter right away, so I'll have to trouble you to stay at another inn."

"It's alright." Xu Qing waved his hand, watching Ding Pangzi pack his luggage quickly, and nodded inwardly.

He originally thought that Fatty Ding was just a lazy cook, but he didn't expect him to be so decisive at the critical moment. This made him see another side of the Mo family. They seemed casual, but in fact they had a strong sense of responsibility. Once they needed to take on a mission, they would do it without hesitation.

After settling into a different inn, Xu Qing told Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai to stay in the room to rest, while he took Jing Ni and headed towards the Confucian Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai are, after all, members of the Yin-Yang School, and it's unclear whether Han Fei's death in this world is related to the Yin-Yang School.

If they were to appear in the Confucian school, it's hard to say how Xunzi would react; it's best to be cautious.

Before setting off, Xu Qing made a special effort to tidy up her clothes, changing into a moon-white long robe, tying her hair up with a jade hairpin, her temples slightly gray, and her demeanor changed accordingly. She was no longer the carefree person she had been before, but instead had become more gentle and refined.

After his identity as "Mr. Qing" was taken offline in Linzi, it has now reappeared in Sanghai. Although it is only temporary, having this identity will save him a lot of trouble when going to Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

Xu Qing had previously visited the Confucian school with Hou Sheng's envoy. Because he was familiar with Fu Nian, he not only had a good tour of the manor, but was also treated as an honored guest.

At this moment, he arrived at the gate of Xiaoshengxianzhuang again, announced his name to the Confucian disciples guarding the gate, and explained that he wanted to meet Fu Nian.

The disciple dared not delay and hurriedly went in to report. Not long after, Fu Nian strode out.

Compared to the last time we met, Fu Nian seemed to have matured a lot. The immaturity between his brows had faded, replaced by a more composed demeanor.

When he saw Xu Qing, a gentle smile appeared on his face, and he quickly stepped forward: "Mr. Qing, it's been a long time. How have you been?"

"Mr. Fu Nian, it's been a long time. You've become even more composed," Xu Qing replied with a smile, and the two exchanged a few pleasantries.

Jingni followed Xu Qing and, observing Fu Nian's attitude towards Xu Qing, gained a deeper understanding of him. This man's connections were indeed extensive, with even important figures from the Confucian school treating him with such courtesy.

"Mr. Qing, what brings you to Xiaoshengxianzhuang? ... Does the Prime Minister have any instructions?" Fu Nian asked tentatively as he led the two inside.

Fu Shang, the leader of the Confucian school, was his father. Xu Qing came last time for Hou Sheng's affairs, and it was no secret that "Mr. Qing is Hou Sheng's retainer." So he naturally assumed that Xu Qing's visit this time was also for Hou Sheng's benefit.

"I have already left the Prime Minister's residence and am no longer a retainer of Hou Sheng," Xu Qing said calmly, without a trace of lingering affection in his voice.

"Oh?" A hint of surprise flashed in Fu Nian's eyes, followed by a look of relief.

In his view, someone as talented as Xu Qing had no need to stoop to Hou Sheng's level.

Although Hou Sheng's reputation among the common people wasn't bad, those in the core Confucian circle knew that Hou Sheng was hypocritical and had no real skills; in fact, they looked down on him in private.

"I came here not for Confucianism, but because I happened to be in Sanghai on business and thought of some friends at Xiaoshengxianzhuang, so I came to pay them a visit," Xu Qing explained calmly, slowing his pace.

"I see." Fu Nian nodded and asked no more questions.

Xu Qing suddenly remembered something and asked, "I wonder if Mr. Yan Lu is in the manor?"

"Mr. Qing, is there something you need from Junior Brother Zilu?" Fu Nian looked at Xu Qing with some confusion, not understanding why he would suddenly bring up Yan Lu.

"This person next to me..." Xu Qing turned to Jing Ni, "I knew Mr. Yan Lu before he joined the Confucian school. Now that we've come to Xiaoshengxianzhuang, it's only right that we let them meet and catch up."

He spoke frankly, without any attempt to conceal anything.

Fu Nian then turned his gaze to Jing Ni and carefully examined her. He saw that Jing Ni was dressed in plain clothes, with a cold temperament and a somewhat aloof look in her eyes. She did not look like an ordinary woman.

He was curious about the relationship between Jing Ni and Yan Lu. Were they family or old friends?

But he didn't stop him, after all, Yan Lu was an old acquaintance, and it was only right for them to catch up.

“Junior Brother Zilu is currently reading in the study inside the manor. I’ll go and call him over.” Fu Nian said, then turned to go find Yan Lu.

"Thank you for your trouble, Mr. Fu Nian." Xu Qing bowed and thanked him.

Fu Nian moved quickly, and soon he arrived with two figures.

One of the figures was Yan Lu, dressed in a Confucian gray robe, with a gentle and refined demeanor. He had also grown somewhat since their last meeting.

The other figure looked familiar to Xu Qing—it was Zhang Liang!

Xu Qing was slightly taken aback, but then felt relieved.

With the fall of the state of Han, Zhang Liang, as a remnant of Han, naturally had to find another way out.

With the world in chaos, Qi is relatively stable, and many people choose to seek refuge there. It's not surprising that Zhang Liang chose to come here. As for his joining the Confucian school, it's even more logical. Han Fei was a disciple of Xunzi, and Zhang Liang had a close relationship with Han Fei. With this relationship, it was only natural for him to want to join the Confucian school.

Yan Lu was initially curious as to why his senior brother had suddenly sought him out, given that he had very few old friends in the world.

But when he saw Jing Ni standing next to Xu Qing, all his doubts vanished instantly.

Although Jing Ni's clothes and makeup were different from back then, Yan Lu still recognized her at a glance. In the past, his master "Nameless" sacrificed himself to resolve the grudges. Afterwards, he had personally seen this female assassin from the Luo Wang network take off her mask and had a brief conversation with her.

That happened many years ago, but he still remembers what the other person looked like.

"Lu, it's been a long time." Jing Ni broke the silence first, her voice softer than usual, carrying a hint of barely perceptible emotion.

Yan Lu snapped out of her reverie, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. She then nodded and softly replied, "Yes, many years have passed."

"Shall we find a place to talk?" Jingni looked at him, her tone somewhat tentative.

Yan Lu pondered for a moment, and finally nodded.

He was very familiar with the terrain of Xiaoshengxianzhuang, and took the initiative to lead Jingni towards a secluded pavilion in the village. The two figures quickly disappeared into the depths of the bamboo forest.

Only Fu Nian, Xu Qing, and Zhang Liang remained in the reception room, and the atmosphere became somewhat quiet.

Fu Nian and Xu Qing had known each other for a long time, but Zhang Liang was different. He had not been a member of the Confucian school for long, and because he had received a precious gift from his senior brother Fu Nian, he became curious as soon as he learned that the true giver of the gift had arrived.

During his time with the Confucian school, he personally witnessed the peculiarities of those swords.

Such a sword, given away so readily, truly belongs to an extraordinary person.

Speaking of swords, it inevitably reminded him of another person who had made a fleeting appearance in South Korea.

He had never actually met that person, but he had heard about them from Han Fei, Wei Zhuang, Zi Nu, and others.

He had even personally witnessed the sword that man gave to Zi Nu and Mr. Wei Zhuang, which could be described as the sharpest sword in the world.

It was also because that person simply gave away the precious sword casually.

Upon arriving at Xiaoshengxianzhuang, they learned that a similar person had appeared there before, which immediately sparked their speculation.