Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

"Besides being able to cut a hair in two and being exceptionally sharp, the strange thing about this sword is... its bloodlust!"

Xu Qing's expression was slightly strange when he said this.

For some reason, the weekly special feature that appears in the shop lately is "bloodthirst," which has led him to forge countless bloodthirsty swords in a short period of time.

Chapter 76 The Auction Reopens, But the Visitors Are Not Friendly!

Wei Zhuang's Heart Sword, the Heavenly Wrath forged under Bai Qi's name, and now the Tear Mark Sword, make up three bloodthirsty swords.

Although the Spring Life Sword, forged for Tian Guang, was stained with blood, it was ultimately designed for healing and retained some gentleness. The recently forged Heavenly Wrath and Tear Mark, however, had been tempered to the extreme of malevolence, making them weapons capable of devouring their masters!

Situ Wanli clearly failed to grasp the mystery of Xu Qing's sword-forging. After hearing about the eerie aspects of the Tear-Stained Sword, his expression was complex and difficult to describe: "This sword is truly... demonic."

He racked his brains, but only the word "monster" could adequately describe it.

After all, what ordinary swordsmith would specialize in forging such a bloodthirsty and deadly weapon?

A thought quietly crept into Situ Wanli's mind.

Could the "Heavenly Wrath Sword," which fetched an astronomical price thanks to Bai Qi's infamous reputation, also have been crafted by this Brother Xu?

Previously, Xu Qing only mentioned that the Seven Swords of the Big Dipper were forged by him, without mentioning much about the origin of the Heavenly Wrath Sword, only providing a brilliant marketing strategy. Now, upon reflection, this astonishing and ferocious weapon is exactly the same as the tear stain before his eyes.

If that's true.

This Brother Xu is even more worthy of our friendship.

Situ Wanli's admiration for the chivalrous leader's ability to recognize talent deepened.

"Now that Brother Xu's new sword is complete, let's seize the day and hold another grand gathering at the Hidden Dragon Hall." Situ Wanli suppressed his turbulent thoughts and turned his gaze back to the Tear-Stained Sword. "But, Brother, are you truly not going to keep this sword?"

“It’s useless to me,” Xu Qing replied curtly.

“In that case,” Situ Wanli nodded, his voice deep and serious, “then let it make its grand finale appearance.”

……

"An auction?" Bai Yifei, the Blood-Clad Marquis, dressed in a scarlet brocade robe and with snow-white hair, curled his lips into a cold smile as he looked at the Emerald Tiger beside him. "When did you become interested in these mundane spectacles?"

Jade Tiger put on his usual obsequious smile, his plump body leaning forward slightly: "Your Excellency is too kind. You are the one who orchestrates everything, stirring up the winds and waves in Xinzheng. I am but a common man, with eyes only for worldly possessions and those... coveted treasures."

He deliberately lowered his stance, after all, the marquis in front of him who had just returned from the border was truly remarkable, and had already turned the tide upon his return.

First, they secretly released the trapped beast, the deposed crown prince Tianze of Baiyue. Then, Baiyue refugees shed blood, assassins stormed the palace, the crown prince was kidnapped... one horrifying thing after another happened.

On the surface, it appears to be Tianze's mad revenge, but in reality, it is all in the hands of Xueyi Hou.

Tianze may seem arrogant, but he is always bound by an invisible chain personally tied by the Marquis around his neck.

On the main seat, General Ji Wuye gripped the hilt of the Heavenly Wrath Sword tightly with his knuckles turning white, his fierce aura almost solidified.

He didn't care about the Baiyue refugees, and even scoffed at the frightened royal palace. The only thing he cared about was the safety of the crown prince, a crucial piece he had already placed on his power chessboard.

"Are you sure the Crown Prince is completely safe?" Ji Wuye's voice was like sand grinding together, suppressing his rage.

The Heavenly Wrath Sword seemed to sense its master's anger, and an ominous aura emanated from it.

Bai Yifei sensed that aura, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes. He was naturally curious about Ji Wuye's decision to abandon his saber and use a sword, especially since the sword looked particularly fierce. However, he did not press the matter.

He kept his curiosity to himself, his tone remaining indifferent as he answered Ji Wuye's questions.

“Tianze may seem crazy, but he knows his limits. As long as the shackles within him remain unbroken, he will not dare to overstep the line or offend me.”

"That would be for the best." Ji Wuye snorted coldly, attributing all the murderous intent and nameless anger surging in his heart to Han Fei, Zhang Kaidi and other eyesores. He never doubted the sword in his hand. After all, this sword gave him a completely different feeling, as if the power of this sword was inexhaustible.

If it weren't for Bai Yifei releasing Tianze and implicating the Crown Prince, he would have been happy to see those Baiyue people stirring up trouble.

Seeing this, Jade Tiger quickly interjected with a smile: "General, it is said that another world-renowned treasure will appear in this auction by the Hidden Dragon Hall..."

He had hoped this news would please him, since both the Seven Swords of the Big Dipper and the Heavenly Wrath in the hands of the Great General now originated from there.

To everyone's surprise, Ji Wuye simply waved his hand impatiently: "I'm not interested. Go if you want."

A barely perceptible hint of disappointment flashed in Jade Tiger's eyes, but he quickly forced a smile.

No problem, once he brings back the most dazzling treasure from the auction, I'm sure he can make the general smile.

The general's temper has become increasingly frightening lately, and as his subordinate, he has to find a way to share his burdens.

He was just a businessman, without the power of a marquis.

Therefore, the only way to win the general's favor was through rare and precious treasures.

……

Time flies.

Amidst the turmoil within Xinzheng City and the unresolved crisis at the Crown Prince's residence, the Qianlong Hall outside the city is already bustling with activity.

For many powerful and wealthy individuals, the safety of the crown prince is far less alluring than the rare and precious treasures that are about to be unveiled.

After all, whoever sits in that position will ultimately have to rely on them.

The spacious auction hall was filled with dignitaries until the obese figure of Jade Tiger stepped into the hall again.

The air seemed to freeze instantly.

Many people looked as if they had eaten shit, feeling extremely unlucky.

Previously, grain merchant Lao Chen spent a fortune to successfully bid for Bai Qi's sword, but he died tragically at home just a few days later. After that, all of his grain shops were acquired by Emerald Tiger at low prices.

It goes without saying who did this.

Disdainful, fearful, and angry gazes converged on the Emerald Tiger.

"Jade Tiger!" one of the wealthy merchants couldn't contain himself any longer and shouted angrily, "How dare you, a person with no integrity, sit at the same table as us?!"

Jade Tiger didn't care at all, even grinning and revealing a greasy and cold smile: "Trustworthiness? What's it worth?"

His beady eyes swept across the crowd as he slowly added, "As for you all... you'd better keep a close eye on yourselves lately. Those mad dogs from Baiyue are causing quite a ruckus in the city. You know how many rare treasures you plundered from Baiyue back then. What if you get ambushed in some dark alley one day..."

He paused deliberately, leaving a blank space filled with bloodshed.

This is a blatant threat.

The wealthy businessman who had just reprimanded the man was ashen-faced, his eyes blazing with fury: "You!"

The jade tiger simply smiled, a smile that appeared particularly ferocious against the backdrop of the dazzling jewels in the room.

An invisible, cold blade was already hovering silently at the necks of everyone.

Situ Wanli, who was secretly watching this scene, frowned slightly.

The Jade Tiger was even more arrogant than before, which gave him a vague sense of unease.

However, the auction was about to begin, and at this point, there was clearly no intention to close the doors and stop.

So he straightened his clothes, put on a fake smile, and went on stage to announce the start of the auction.

Chapter 77 Let the villains deal with the villains!

"You beast!"

"brute!"

"The Jade Tiger has gone too far!"

At the start of the auction, Situ Wanli was still full of confidence, with a smile on his face indicating that he had the victory in his grasp.

The swords Xu Qing brought out this time were not only no less powerful than the last time, but some of them were even better. If this continued, the expected large sum of money seemed to be within easy reach.

However, when the final gong sounded at the auction, Situ Wan's face had turned ashen, as if he had swallowed a dead fly, his expression terrifyingly gloomy.

That worst-case scenario ultimately became a reality.

That Jade Tiger is utterly untrustworthy!

He brazenly used words to coerce other bidders at the auction, silencing them and preventing anyone from bidding against him.

Situ Wanli has always been proud of the rules of Qianlong Hall: first, openly announce the rules and reserve price; after the items are displayed, open bidding is conducted based on the reserve price.

This reputation for honesty and absolute fairness is the cornerstone of the prosperity of rural businesses.

Unexpectedly, this ironclad rule has become a loophole for Emerald Tiger to exploit and profit from.

Throughout the auction, except for the final, most prized sword which attracted a few daring bidders for a brief period, all the other swords were easily acquired by Jade Tiger at the lowest reserve price.

Did you make a profit?

It's just a pittance, a tiny profit.

Even the money spent on promoting the auction couldn't cover the shortfall.

After all the calculations, it turns out we suffered a huge loss in silence!

Situ Wanli was by nature vindictive, and profit was his absolute guiding principle. In the original story, even when the benefits promised by his longtime friend Zhu Jia were less than those offered by Tian Yan, he still betrayed Zhu Jia without hesitation. Now, faced with Fei Cuihu's cunning and forceful seizure, how could he possibly swallow his anger?

Especially after the auction ended, Jade Tiger smiled and said to him, "Since Qianlong Hall is based in Korea, it should take advantage of its extensive trade routes to hold more auctions like this. We Koreans also want to see the rare treasures of other countries."

These words sound grand and righteous, but considering his shameless attitude just now, they are clearly utter nonsense.

Their sinister intentions are obvious.

He simply wanted to get the Hidden Dragon Hall to search for treasures for him, while he could just sit back and wait to buy them at rock-bottom prices.

After all, with his formidable presence, who would dare to bid and compete for it?

Situ Wanli was furious and wanted to tear off the mask of civility on the spot, but because of Qianlong Hall's business in Korea and the fact that General Ji Wuye was backing Jade Tiger, he could only force out a stiff smile and nod in agreement.

After forcing himself to see off the beaming Jade Tiger, Situ Wanli could no longer contain his anger as soon as he stepped into the back hall. In front of Xu Qing, he roared out like a volcano erupting.

"Brother Xu! We can't just let this go!" After venting his anger, Situ Wanli abruptly turned to Xu Qing, who had been calmly observing from the sidelines. "That Jade Tiger is so vicious, do you have any way to subdue him?"

Xu Qing slightly raised his eyes, his gaze calm as still water: "What can I do? The contract we signed was that you would sell the sword. Now that Jade Tiger is causing trouble, you are the master of the Hidden Dragon Hall, so you should be the one to handle this matter. After all, I have also suffered a lot in this matter."

“Brother Xu…” Situ Wanli became anxious upon hearing this.

My brother didn't say that last time.

So, now that Jade Tiger is really causing trouble, why don't you want to get involved, brother?

He steadied himself, gritted his teeth, and proposed a backup plan: "If all else fails, we'll retreat! We'll find another place to start over. How about Qi? It's a prosperous trading nation that values ​​reputation highly; I doubt such a disgraceful incident will happen there again."

He took a deep breath, as if to suppress the pent-up frustration in his chest.