Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

The gilded sword case is opened.

Just like Guo Kai had done, Zhao Qian's gaze was instantly captivated by the contents of the box, and he could not look away.

"What a fine sword!" he exclaimed. "An absolutely superb sword! It perfectly suits my taste!"

Unable to contain his excitement, Zhao Qian, like a child who had received a new and exciting toy, grabbed the sword and began to wildly and haphazardly gesturing to the rhythm, oblivious to everyone around him. He even twirled with the dancers at the table, and this so-called "sword dance" was utterly devoid of any rhythm or beauty.

When he finally stopped, panting, Guo Kai was already beaming with admiration, showering him with compliments.

"I've seen the pearl and the sword." Zhao Qian, still savoring the sight, stroked the sword in his hand and eagerly asked, "Grand Tutor, shouldn't I see the third gift as well?"

The first two items are already rare treasures, so I wonder how amazing this final item will be.

Guo Kai bowed and smiled, "The third treasure I have prepared for Your Highness is an unparalleled beauty. Although the songs and dances at the banquet are excellent, they cannot compare to her..." Before he could finish speaking, he had already cast his gaze at a guest seated below him. This was a pre-arranged signal, indicating that the guest should lead the beauty into the room.

However, the waiting time silently stretched on.

The graceful figure I had envisioned never appeared.

The Crown Prince's birthday banquet finally came to an end.

Despite having the precious jewels and swords presented by Guo Kai before him, Zhao Qian was in a good mood, but in the end, the third treasure that "flew away" spoiled his enjoyment, preventing him from fully appreciating it.

When Guo Kai bid farewell to Zhao Qian's residence, his face was so gloomy it could drip water.

As soon as he left the mansion, he immediately led his men to the music hall in a menacing manner.

The response I received was like a bucket of cold water.

His men had already escorted the "Snow Princess" away.

The problem wasn't with the music bureau. Where had things gone wrong? Guo Kai recalled the woman's repeated refusals to dance, and a plan formed in his mind.

"Offending the Crown Prince and spoiling the Crown Prince's mood..." He said to his trusted subordinates, his voice icy cold, "No matter where she hides in the world, you'll find her by digging three feet into the ground!"

……

"Tsk, Guo Kai has quite a temper."

Xu Qing remained in the side courtyard of the manor. Although he rarely inquired about the affairs of the manor, he was well aware of the oppressive atmosphere and the anxiety among the people.

"This city of Handan is nothing special; perhaps it's time to leave," Xu Qing thought to himself.

Even though he didn't know why Guo Kai was so furious, he understood that staying here would be like sinking deeper into a quagmire.

The meticulously crafted sword has already been delivered. Now, it remains to be seen whether it can stir up the waves he expects among the nobles of Zhao, or even bring unexpected joy.

As for forging an even more magnificent sword? He had no interest in it at the moment.

On this day, he left the manor as usual, pretending to go into town for a stroll.

However, halfway there, it suddenly changed direction and headed straight for the desolate wilderness.

Upon seeing this, the few "tails" hidden behind them exchanged glances, hesitated for a moment, but still chose to continue the pursuit.

After chasing them along a deserted mountain road, the target mysteriously disappeared.

The group was startled and were about to search...

"Is your lord being too cautious?" A deep voice suddenly sounded from behind them, revealing neither joy nor anger.

The group turned around abruptly and saw that Xu Qing had somehow appeared on a boulder, calmly looking down at them.

"The sword has been presented; I am not one to break my promise."

"Staying under surveillance day and night like this..."

"Are you afraid that I will forge a better sword for someone else?"

His words were calm, yet each one was clear and distinct.

The lead pursuer recalled Guo Kai's strict orders: if this person behaves abnormally, capture him immediately!

In this situation, the unusual activity is undeniable.

Several men's eyes suddenly turned fierce, and they turned around and pounced on Xu Qing in unison, their vicious moves aimed straight for vital points.

A cold glint flashed in Xu Qing's eyes, his robe sleeves fluttered without wind, and his figure approached like a ghost.

He felt no pity for Guo Kai's henchmen. Just as he approached the leader, a cold, sharp sword blade silently slid out from his sleeve, like a venomous snake flicking its tongue.

puff!

Blood splattered everywhere!

The men didn't even have time to utter a full cry; their screams were cut short as soon as they reached their throats. The cold blade had precisely severed their lives, leaving only the heavy stench of blood in the air.

As henchmen trained by Guo Kai, these men, relying on their master's power and privilege, lived a life of ease and comfort, possessing physiques far stronger than ordinary people and considerable martial arts skills. However, they were still too weak in front of Xu Qing. Although they were indeed swordsmiths, each sword they crafted brought Xu Qing something, causing his strength to improve constantly.

His strength is by no means weak.

In today's world, martial arts are flourishing, and the various schools of thought have offered their own interpretations of the realms of martial arts. Taoism reveres "the unity of heaven and man and the natural way," Mohism advocates the power of "universal love," Yin-Yang philosophy seeks the mystery of "the ultimate unity," Confucianism speaks of "following one's heart's desires without transgressing the rules," and the Agricultural School believes that "the earth nourishes all things, and Shennong is immortal"... With numerous schools and vastly different philosophies, it is naturally difficult to unify the classification of martial arts realms.

However, for the sake of simplicity, the common people in the martial arts world often use a few realms that Zhuangzi roughly mentioned when he discussed Taoism at the Jixia Academy in the State of Qi a hundred years ago, such as "acquired," "innate," "grandmaster," "great grandmaster," and "heavenly being," to measure the depth of martial arts. Although this set of terms cannot encompass the profound mysteries of the top masters of all schools, it is clear enough to define ordinary martial artists.

At this moment, although Xu Qing has not yet reached the Grandmaster realm, he is already at the Innate Perfection level, a half-step Grandmaster!

With such cultivation, one could easily be considered a top-tier expert in the martial arts world. Dealing with these arrogant and domineering retainers would be a trivial matter, as easy as brushing away dust.

Chapter 42 A Visitor Arrives on a Stormy Night

After easily dealing with these people.

Xu Qing walked through the wilderness.

His steps were hurried and very swift.

Although there is no need to worry about the news leaking in the short term.

But as time went on, Guo Kai's men inevitably discovered something amiss.

He was unsure of his own importance in Guo Kai's heart, but he was very clear about Guo Kai's importance in the State of Zhao.

In the Zhao state, Guo Kai was undoubtedly the God of War.

If he wants to deal with someone, that person will have no chance of survival.

The historical Li Mu did not believe this.

Therefore, despite his invincibility, he eventually died.

Even someone as strong as Li Mu, who could be considered the Great Wall of Zhao, could not escape it, yet Xu Qing still believed in superstitions.

Soon, Xu Qing gradually moved away from Handan.

He deliberately avoided densely populated areas, choosing instead to travel swiftly along wild mountain paths. The State of Zhao was located on the eastern foothills of the Taihang Mountains, a rugged terrain with towering peaks and deep ravines, which provided him with natural cover. He was already adept at this nomadic lifestyle, drinking morning dew when thirsty, eating wild game when hungry, using the sky as his blanket and the earth as his mat, and found it quite easy.

After days of traversing dense forests and deep valleys without seeing any pursuers behind him, Xu Qing finally relaxed.

"It seems that my worth is not enough to catch Guo Kai's eye." He chuckled self-deprecatingly.

That's right, Guo Kai's enemies have always been people like Li Mu.

He was merely a swordsmith, and had not yet made a name for himself in the world, so why should Guo Kai care about him?

"Therefore, we still need to work harder!"

Xu Qing muttered to himself again.

On this day, deep in the vast mountains and forests, he discovered an abandoned mountain god shrine.

The stone temple had long been eroded by time, with moss climbing the mottled stone steps, vines entwining the dilapidated walls like spider webs, and a few broken pillars supporting the rickety roof, creating a scene of desolation and death. The beliefs of the Zhao state were diverse. The official rites were to be worshipped in accordance with the Zhou dynasty and to commemorate their ancestors, while the common people mostly worshipped the mountain god and the river god, firmly believing that "all things in the mountains, forests, rivers, and valleys that can produce clouds and wind and rain are gods."

This abandoned shrine is just one of the scattered relics of faith in the mountains and fields.

Xu Qing looked up at the sky. The leaden-gray clouds hung low and rolled, and the air was so stuffy it was suffocating.

"A downpour is coming," he murmured, his gaze returning to the dilapidated temple. "That saves us the trouble of finding shelter from the rain."

Xu Qing looked at the abandoned mountain god shrine, his eyes gleaming.

Then, he stepped inside with an open and confident air.

Inside, weeds grew rampant, and poisonous insects or other creatures might be hiding. Therefore, beforehand, Xu Qing deliberately used his internal energy to release his aura and intimidate the creature.

Things like poisonous insects and snakes.

They are very sensitive to any signs of danger.

Upon sensing the ominous aura, Xu Qing watched in disbelief as a black and white "silver ring" emerged from a crevice beneath the stone platform of the mountain god's shrine and meandered away.

"Good heavens, it really does contain a highly poisonous substance. If we're not careful, we might get a taste of it while we're sleeping tonight."

Xu Qing wasn't particularly afraid of venomous snakes.

After all, having spent a lot of time in the mountains and fields, I've seen quite a lot of things like this.

After watching the silver ring disappear into the distance, he roughly cleaned up the mountain god shrine.

This place has been deserted for a long time.

The stone statue on the altar is broken from the wind and sun. You can vaguely see that its original shape was a "fierce tiger". It makes sense that the mountain god is the mountain king.

It took a while to clear out a large open space.

Xu Qing started a bonfire.

As the fire was lit, the darkness inside the Sanjun Shrine was dispelled, and a sense of warmth was added.

He went out for a while, and when he returned, he had a plump wild rabbit in his hand, which would be his meal for the night.

The night was as dark as ink, swallowing up the last rays of sunlight.

Boom!

A pale white bolt of lightning tore through the sky, followed by a thunderclap that seemed to explode right overhead. In an instant, a gale whipped up large raindrops, like a celestial river pouring down, violently lashing the mountains and dilapidated temple. The sounds of wind, rain, and thunder intertwined into a chaotic roar, isolating the entire world from the outside world. Only the bonfire inside the temple stubbornly burned amidst the raging wind and rain, becoming the sole source of light and hope in the boundless darkness.

It was this tiny glimmer of light that attracted an unexpected visitor.

The hurried and disordered footsteps pierced through the clamor of the downpour, approaching from afar, treading through the mud, rushing hastily toward this forgotten shrine.

Xu Qing instantly became alert. Although he wouldn't immediately resort to violence, it's always better to be cautious when navigating the martial world.

Soon, a slender and disheveled figure stumbled in through the doorway and suddenly burst into the circle of light from the campfire.

It was a young girl, her coarse gray-brown clothes completely soaked by the torrential rain, clinging tightly to her body and outlining a breathtakingly mature figure far beyond her years. Her wet white hair clung to her pale, delicate cheeks and neck, glistening water droplets constantly rolling down from the ends, tracing the tip of her upturned nose and her bloodless lips, finally dripping onto the dusty ground. She was drenched, her slender body trembling slightly even after being enveloped in warmth, like a white butterfly ravaged by a storm, on the verge of withering.