Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 101 The Arrival of Yan Lingji, the Qin Kingdom's Carriage
The candlelight flickered as Nongyu pushed open the door and entered. Looking at everything familiar before her, a warm feeling welled up in her heart.

When she was captured and faced Blood-Clad Marquis, one of the Four Fiends of the Night, she didn't know what she was about to face, but at that moment, her heart was surprisingly calm.

She didn't know why she reacted that way, but when Zi Nu told her that a young man had walked out of Zi Lan Xuan with his peach wood sword, she began to understand why she could face Bai Yifei calmly.

"came back."

His tone was still the same calm one I remembered, but this time, Nongyu chuckled. The beautiful girl looked at the boy standing by the window, a warm feeling flowing through her heart.

Nongyu casually closed the door, her gaze sweeping across the room. A peach wood sword hung above the bed, swaying gently in the breeze.

"Sister Zi Nu said you went out tonight."

Upon hearing this, Chen Xiuyuan withdrew his gaze from the darkness and nodded slightly.

I went to visit someone.

Upon hearing this answer, Nongyu gently raised her hand, a smile playing on her lips. She thought to herself, "If I go to visit him with my sword, will this young man be an unwelcome guest to that person?"

"I got into another fight."

The other party's words seemed casual, but she knew the weight they carried. The man who commanded 100,000 soldiers of Snowclothes Fortress, one of the Four Fierce Generals of the Night, was no simple opponent.

"You're not hurt?"

Xiu Yuan shook his head, recalling their previous encounter. He could tell that Bai Yifei was no simple opponent; he had a wealth of experience in fighting. He was able to suppress Bai Yifei not through any skill, but through sheer brute force.

If they were of equal skill level, even if I could win this battle, it would be extremely difficult. His experience with his opponents and his ability to adapt to changing situations are far beyond my reach.

He still has a long way to go in terms of fighting against others.

"Hu Meiren must be very worried about you. Go see her tomorrow."

Nongyu nodded gently.

"Isn't Xiu Yuan going to ask if I'm injured?"

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan frowned slightly. Under those circumstances, he did not believe that Bai Yifei would dare to break his promise.

He turned around and saw the girl looking at him with a smile, her beautiful eyes filled with tenderness.

Time seemed to freeze at this moment, as a girl etched a slightly furrowed brow into her heart.

On the fourth floor, after watching Han Fei and Zhang Liang leave, Zi Nu decided to go and see Nong Yu. However, when she pushed open the door, she found the room empty.

Zi Nu, standing at the door, frowned, her eyes flickering uncertainly. Nong Yu had just returned; could she have disappeared again?

However, she immediately dismissed the thought as soon as it popped into her head. With Wei Zhuang and Xiu Yuan both there, it would be almost impossible to kidnap someone without alerting them, especially since Wei Zhuang was on the fourth floor.

After thinking for a moment, Zi Nu turned and went downstairs. If she wasn't mistaken, Nong Yu should have gone to find that little guy.

Right now, she happens to have some things she wants to ask the other party.

After knocking twice, a familiar voice came from inside.

"It's Zi Nu, go open the door!"

Seeing the little girl in front of her again, Zi Nu curled her lips and teased, "In the dead of night, a man and a woman alone, aren't you afraid someone will eat you up?"

Upon hearing this, Nongyu blushed slightly and gently shook Zinu's arm.

"Sister Zi Nu~~"

Zi Nu exchanged a few more jokes with Nong Yu, then stepped inside. Nong Yu casually closed the door and returned to sit down.

"Xiuyuan, thank you for Nongyu's matter. If you ever need Zilanxuan's help in the future, please don't hesitate to ask."

Looking at the young man before her, the Purple Goddess spoke solemnly.

This time, Nongyu's disappearance is a very troublesome situation for them. If Chen Xiuyuan doesn't take action, even if they manage to rescue her in the end, they can't guarantee what will happen to Nongyu.
After all, the one who made the move was Bai Yifei, and he was not a kind person.

Nongyu sat down next to Zinu, and hearing her words, the girl felt a sense of comfort.

“Miss Zi Nu is too kind. Nong Yu helped me a lot some time ago. I will not stand idly by if she is in danger.”

Just as Chen Xiuyuan finished speaking, a commotion suddenly broke out outside the window.

The three of them frowned simultaneously, then slowly walked to the window and looked out. They saw that several squads of imperial guards had appeared on the street.

Seeing this, Zi Nu's gaze turned melancholy, and she sighed softly.

"It seems that the commotion at the Zheng Palace has been too great and has crossed the bottom line for that king."

After saying this, Zi Nu couldn't help but glance at Chen Xiuyuan. Seeing that his expression remained calm and as if nothing had happened, she shook her head helplessly.

After a while, Chen Xiuyuan slowly said, "Bai Yifei is very troublesome. If you encounter him alone in the future, don't linger in the fight. Run away if you can."

Upon hearing this, Zi Nu's lips twitched, and she couldn't help but roll her eyes at him.

She's not like Wei Zhuang, a born warmonger. What kind of crazy person would she be to challenge Bai Yifei to a duel?

"Does Xiu Yuan think I'm that kind of person?"

Chen Xiuyuan looked up at the night sky. It was past midnight, and most parts of the city were dark. Silence was the dominant theme at this time.

"Miss Zi Nu, have you ever heard the saying?"

Zi Nu smiled gently. She remembered saying the same thing to this little guy before.

"Oh?"

Chen Xiuyuan slowly exhaled, his gaze becoming profound.

"When you're in the world, you're not in control of your own destiny. No one can guarantee that what they do is what they want. Even a king is often no exception. And some things just won't happen just because you don't want them to."

Upon hearing this, Zi Nu's eyes darkened. She had known about this for a long time. Before Wei Zhuang appeared, she had been the one who held up the huge Zi Lan Xuan.

Chen Xiuyuan looked westward and, calculating the time, thought that person should be arriving soon. Recalling the fate of the Ninth Young Master, a trace of regret flashed in his eyes.

"If Quicksand really intends to reshape Korea, then I will give Zi Nu a piece of advice: If you save people but lose land, you can save both people and land; if you save land but lose people, you can lose both people and land."

"Although Han Fei advocated that the laws of heaven and earth should be followed without fail, and that this invisible force would be indestructible, the law is destined to be carried out by people. Born in this era, not everyone is qualified to be the sword wielder. King Han is not qualified, Ji Wuye is not qualified, Bai Yifei is not qualified either, and even Wei Zhuang is not qualified."

Chen Xiuyuan's voice was somewhat ethereal. Zi Nu seemed to sense something, and her heart trembled slightly. She turned to look at the young man beside her. At this moment, his originally calm aura had changed drastically. He was surrounded by an indescribable majesty, and his eyes seemed to contain the universe, capable of observing the past and present.

If this little guy is a person, it's more like a god standing above the river of time, looking down on the human world.

The next day, in a secluded spot outside the city, Han Fei met Tian Ze with the small bottle.

Tianze seemed somewhat surprised by Han Fei's arrival. The antidote was a means by which Nightfall controlled him, and it was only in the hands of a very few people. It was not easy to obtain, yet Quicksand had completed this task in such a short time. How could he not be surprised?

Without Honglian, Tianze could no longer play the game of choosing between two options. With Weizhuang by his side, the exchange process went smoothly without any further mishaps.

After the exchange was completed, Tianze suddenly spoke up: "I am very curious how such a good-for-nothing could become the crown prince of Han. If Han were handed over to him, perhaps I wouldn't even need to lift a finger, and Han would become dust in history."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang narrowed his eyes. He wasn't sure what Tian Ze meant by those words—whether it was to sow discord or simply to mock them. But he had to admit that the statement itself was not wrong; the future of Korea could not be entrusted to such a person.

Watching the Crown Prince stagger onto the carriage in the distance, his gaze flickered uncertainly. Perhaps they weren't the only ones who disliked this useless Crown Prince. Recalling some information he had obtained before, a strange look flashed in his eyes. It seemed that the Fourth Prince, Han Yu, had long harbored some dissatisfaction with this Crown Prince.

He knew that Han Fei wouldn't do anything illegal, so for him, the Fourth Young Master Han Yu would be a very handy knife, and this knife could kill people in his hands.

In the Han royal palace, after only one day, Consort Hu saw her sister's daughter again, and she wept with joy.

Holding Nongyu's small hand, Hu Meiren whispered many things to her. Nongyu listened quietly without any dissatisfaction until Hu Meiren asked Nongyu who had saved her. Only then did Nongyu speak up and tell her about the boy.

Having navigated the inner palace for so long, Consort Hu possessed a keen intuition. Recalling the commotion of the previous night, she instinctively asked, "Was it him who caused that commotion the other night?"

Nongyu smiled and nodded.

Upon seeing this, Hu Meiren's expression changed slightly, and she hesitated to speak.

Finally, she spoke up, saying, "He's a good boy, and his skills are exceptional. He's just a little young. If you're willing to wait, he'll be a good man."

Girls always talk like this; in the end, the conversation always comes back to the same topics, especially in chaotic times. A girl, especially a girl with some beauty, will have a very hard time if she is all alone.

As she spoke, a hint of worry resurfaced in Hu Meiren's eyes. Although her niece was a beauty, she knew all too well that in this era, beauty was the cheapest thing.

That young man, with such skills at such a young age, is bound to achieve great things in the future, and such a person will never lack women around him.

So she whispered some secrets to Nongyu, until Nongyu blushed deeply, her pretty face turning red to the roots of her ears. Meanwhile, in the archives of the Han King's palace, Chen Xiuyuan resumed his daily reading routine, but this time, he had a girl by his side. This girl was none other than Honglian, whom he had met a few times before.

Honglian was an extremely intelligent girl who acted with great discretion, knowing what she should and shouldn't do. Therefore, even Chen Xiuyuan didn't have much resistance to this uninvited girl.

As for Honglian, seeing Chen Xiuyuan's attitude, she naturally had no complaints and instead went along with it and stayed.

She had always heard Han Fei talk about how amazing his master was and how much he had gained from his studies because of his good teacher. At first, she didn't take these things seriously.

Until last time, Chen Xiuyuan said something to her that made her feel enlightened. At that time, she realized that her ninth brother was right. If she wanted to achieve something, a good master was indispensable.

Now, seven kingdoms stand side by side, and a hundred schools of thought contend. Each school has its own knowledge and many principles, but there are too few famous teachers. At least, there are none in Korea. If Korea had famous teachers, her ninth brother would not have gone abroad to study.

She remembered that there was a saying in Confucianism: "When three people walk together, there must be one who can teach me. I will choose the good qualities of that person and follow them, and correct my own bad qualities."

Although Chen Xiuyuan was very young, she felt that he could be her teacher, so she came.

There were many books in the archives, but she didn't intend to read them all. She only took some books on strategy and military tactics to read, memorized them, and then consulted Chen Xiuyuan. Every time she did this, she gained something.

For her, these days seemed pretty good. At least compared to the previous day, she could feel herself making progress. Some things in the court that she couldn't understand before, she could now grasp some of the underlying principles.

But once she understood some things, she could no longer be happy. The truth is always cruel; it won't change because of other people's attempts to embellish it. Some people are just deceiving themselves.

In contrast to this storehouse, another storm is brewing in Xinzheng City.

The Crown Prince's sudden death caused an uproar in the court. However, this time, the perpetrator acted extremely discreetly, leaving no clues. Even Prince Han An thought it was an accident and, after venting his dissatisfaction, did not pursue the matter further.

However, Ji Wuye guessed who was behind this. Mo Ya had reported to him that the Fourth Prince Han Yu intended to assassinate the Crown Prince, but he had stopped him. Now that the Crown Prince was dead, he knew that Han Yu was most likely involved in this matter.

However, misfortune never comes singly. Just after the death of the Crown Prince, information about the girl named Nongyu was placed on his desk. Just looking at the contents, Ji Wuye's anger flared up instantly.

He never expected that Blood-Clad Marquis Bai Yifei had actually been in contact with Nongyu long ago, but Bai Yifei had never told him about this, and there was something very strange about it: in the end, it was Bai Yifei who sent Nongyu back.

"Can you tell this general what exactly is going on between Bai Yifei and that girl named Nongyu?"

The man in the straw raincoat remained silent for a moment before shaking his head.

He was able to find out this information because he had already infiltrated the area around the Marquis's residence. So he knew the result, but there was only one result. As for the reason, he was powerless to do anything about it.

If you want to know what really happened, you'll probably have to ask Bai Yifei for confirmation.

But who is Bai Yifei? Sending him to verify with the other party is no different from courting death.

Ji Wuye gently swirled the wine glass in his hand, a hint of coldness flashing deep in his eyes. What exactly was Bai Yifei trying to do?

He then said coldly, "I remember he wasn't the type to show mercy to women."

Bai Yifei inherited his mother's skills and title. He had heard of that secret technique. Maintaining an ageless appearance and powerful skills came at a high price. In the deep valley outside Snow Robe Fortress, besides the corpses of enemy soldiers, there were also the remains of many young and beautiful girls.

Upon hearing Ji Wuye's words, the man in the straw raincoat did not say much. Intelligence often requires accuracy, and a false report can lead to greater hidden dangers. He could not draw conclusions about Bai Yifei's matter without conducting an investigation.

Ji Wuye glanced at the man in the straw raincoat kneeling on the ground and continued to ask, "What's the latest news about the battle at the Zheng Palace?"

The man in the straw raincoat's eyes flickered slightly, then he said in a deep voice, "We haven't received any reliable information about the battle at the former site of the Zheng King's Palace yet. As for the sword light that hung in the sky that day, I have sent people to look through the records of the Hundred Schools of Thought, but so far, we have not found any relevant records. It will take time to determine which school the opponent's moves came from."

After a while, watching the figure in the straw raincoat slowly disappear, Ji Wuye narrowed his eyes, a hint of coldness appearing in them.

If Bai Yifei loses control, then the Tide Demoness in the palace may also become unreliable, and he may need to find some new allies.

In the west, a well-equipped cavalry escorted a carriage slowly eastward. At the very front of the procession, a rider held a large banner with a black dragon baring its fangs and claws on it, and in the center was a large character "Qin".

In Xianyang, the capital of Qin, a young scholar met Lü Buwei, the prime minister of Qin. Lü Buwei, a merchant by trade, negotiated a deal with the scholar that would only bring him profit. Both of them felt they had made a good deal. The wheels of fate began to turn again, and the young scholar boarded Lü Buwei's ship and entered the Qin court. His name was Li Si.

Time flies, and two more days have passed in the blink of an eye. On this day, another girl appeared in the storage room, a girl with fiery passion.

"Young master, I've been looking for you everywhere!"

When Honglian heard the voice coming from outside the door, she frowned, because the voice reminded her of something unpleasant.

She looked up at the boy sitting opposite her. Judging from the meaning of his words, the person who came was probably looking for him.

The footsteps grew closer, and Honglian couldn't help but say, "Xiuyuan, that person."

Before Honglian could finish speaking, her voice came again.

"Oh!! There's another beauty here. Young master is truly blessed with good fortune. I remember the last time you were with a beauty wasn't her."

Honglian pouted and turned around to see an extremely beautiful girl walking over.

Then, as if remembering something, she asked nervously, "What do you want to do?"

Upon seeing Honglian's expression, the girl's lips suddenly curled into a smile.

"Little beauty, do you recognize me?"

Honglian placed her hands in front of her, clenched her fists, and said warily, "My Ninth Brother told me about you. You are from Baiyue and your name is Yan Lingji."

The newcomer was Yan Lingji. Upon hearing Honglian's words, she covered her mouth and smiled.

"Ninth Brother? You mean Ninth Prince Han Fei, right? But since you call him Ninth Brother, you must be a princess. There aren't many princesses in the Kingdom of Han, and the only one who is close to Ninth Prince is Princess Honglian. Little beauty, am I right?"

Hearing the other party's words, Honglian was startled. In just a simple glance, the other party was able to analyze her identity, which showed that the other party was not simple at all.

Then Yan Lingji chuckled and waved to Honglian.

"Forget it, I won't scare you anymore."

"I'm not here to see you today, I'm here to see him."

Upon hearing this, Honglian turned to look at Chen Xiuyuan. Seeing that Chen Xiuyuan did not stop her, she sat down again.

Yan Lingji looked at the young man behind Honglian, her eyes flickering slightly. She couldn't understand what was so interesting about these books. If she didn't know that he was from the Daoist Tianzong, she would have thought he was a Confucian disciple.

She came here today to return the other party's identity token to its rightful owner and to convey Chisongzi's instructions.

However, she did not expect that Princess Honglian was also there. With outsiders present, she naturally could not say much, so she found a place to sit down.

"Hey, what do you want with Xiu Yuan?"

Seeing that Yan Lingji was sitting to the side without saying a word, Honglian couldn't help but ask.

Hearing Honglian's words, Yanlingji's eyes flashed with a smile. In Korea, there weren't many girls she was willing to tease, and today she had met another one.

"It's a secret!!"

Honglian narrowed her eyes, crossed her arms, and carefully examined the person in front of her. Exquisite and beautiful features, skin as white as snow, a curvaceous figure under a fiery red dress, and a pair of light blue eyes with a smile that could bewitch all beings.

It must be said that the other party was an extremely rare beauty, very beautiful, even the ladies in her father's harem paled in comparison.

secret??
Recalling the secret the other party had mentioned, Honglian's heart became somewhat complicated. Yan Lingji was from Baiyue, and they were not exactly behaving themselves in Xinzheng these days; they were the ones causing all sorts of trouble.

She didn't want Xiuyuan to get involved with these people.

"What secret??"

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingji chuckled.

"My little beauty, if I could tell you a secret, it wouldn't be a secret anymore."

Honglian blushed. She no longer possessed the temperament of Chilian in the future. Realizing she had said the wrong thing, she had no choice but to change the subject.

"What are you plotting now? The culprit behind the destruction of the Baiyue was not the state of Han. If you really want revenge, why don't you go to the state of Chu?"

Yan Lingji looked quite surprised when she heard this. She seemed not to have expected that this princess in the harem would know about the events of Baiyue back then.

"Princess, you should ask your father about this matter. The culprit behind the destruction of Baiyue is naturally the State of Chu. However, the actions of the State of Han in taking advantage of the situation are not exactly benevolent."

"Besides, I'm not in charge. Whether to retaliate against Chu or Han first is not up to me."

Honglian frowned.

The person in charge?
"You mean Tianze, the crown prince of Baiyue? He's a madman who even kills your own people. I think you'd better not follow him."

Upon hearing this, a trace of sadness flashed deep in Yan Lingji's eyes.

"Little beauty, has anyone ever told you that many times, people don't have a choice?"

(End of this chapter)