Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 107: Destined to be powerless

"Ninth Brother?"

A voice reached Han Fei's ears from Zilan Pavilion, startling him. He turned around and saw his younger sister.

"Honglian, what are you doing here??"

Han Fei asked instinctively, "The city of Xinzheng isn't very safe these days, so how did my sister manage to run away?"

Honglian, dressed in a pink palace gown, seemed unconcerned about the passersby around her. She strode towards Han Fei, glancing at the girls around her as she went.

One would offer a comment, another would chime in, acting as if they were family. Han Fei was at his wits' end, unsure of what to say to his carefree younger sister.

However, most of the girls and guests who came here withdrew their gazes after seeing that Honglian and Han Fei were acquainted.

Who is the Ninth Prince of Korea? After this period of fermentation, who among them wouldn't know? He is in charge of the criminal law of Korea, holds the position of Minister of Justice, and is incorruptible and impartial. No one wants to fall into his hands.

Furthermore, the major underworld forces in Xinzheng City had already learned of Han Fei's establishment of the Quicksand organization. With Wei Zhuang also present, he was a ruthless figure who had connections in both the legitimate and criminal worlds, so ordinary people dared not cause trouble there.

Honglian came to Han Fei's side, put her hand on his shoulder, and said with a smile, "I've come to see Xiu Yuan."

Upon hearing Honglian's words, Han Fei's lips twitched.

He thought Honglian had come to see him, but she turned out to be looking for that boy.

Fortunately, the other party was just a little guy, so Han Fei didn't think too much about it. If it had come looking for Wei Zhuang or Zhang Liang, he would have had to think about it carefully.

"What are you doing with him?"

Han Fei thought for a moment, then led Honglian to the fourth floor. The lobby was crowded and noisy, and it would be inappropriate for the young master and princess of Han to be seen there. As they walked, he asked her questions.

"It's nothing serious. Consort Hu from the palace said she wanted to hear his story. I ran into her this afternoon. It was Consort Hu who told me about this place."

Honglian did not hide anything and told the truth.

Han Fei frowned. He naturally knew who Consort Hu was. As one of his father's two most favored concubines, she was naturally very famous.

However, things are different now. After learning about part of the boy's strength, he had more to think about when Consort Hu summoned him and Nongyu to the palace.

His entry into the palace was probably not due to Consort Hu, but rather the arrangement of that young man. Of course, this is not just his own speculation. Later, the other party went directly to the Archives and rarely stayed in the harem, which also explains something.

"What a strange guy."

Han Fei shook his head and muttered to himself. He didn't object to reading, but he had never seen a boy so obsessed with it before!
"Where is he?"

Soon, Honglian arrived at the fourth floor with Han Fei. Compared to downstairs, the view here was more open, and of course, there were fewer people. So Honglian asked a question.

Han Fei found Honglian's words somewhat amusing. He didn't know what was wrong with his sister; since arriving here, she had stopped caring about him and was only focused on finding that little guy.

"He's on the second floor, probably reading a book right now. I'll have Miss Zi Nu invite him up in a bit."

Upon hearing this, Honglian nodded her little head gently and obediently followed him into the house.

Looking at his sister's back, Han Fei was stunned again. When did his sister become so easy to talk to? He felt like he was dreaming. He gently pinched his thigh, but perhaps he didn't pinch enough flesh, because a piercing pain almost brought him to tears.

Looking at the girl inside the room, he shook his head helplessly. In the end, everyone has their match. However, he didn't say much about it. He had a good impression of Xiu Yuan. Although he was indifferent, he was not heartless. Just like when Nong Yu was in danger, he would not stand idly by. Zi Nu was the same. He had saved her several times.

If Honglian and this young man can form a good relationship, it might be a good thing in the future.

As soon as he sat down, Han Fei raised an eyebrow. He noticed that Honglian had a very unique hairpin in her hair, and its style was also quite distinctive. Han Fei subconsciously asked, "Honglian, this hairpin is nice. Did Father give it to you?"

Unlike herself, Honglian was favored by King Han An, and he would often give her small things like these.

So when he left Korea to travel the world, he borrowed a lot of money from Honglian.

Upon hearing Han Fei's words, Hong Lian blinked, a hint of a smile appearing at the corner of her eyes.

"How is it, pretty, isn't it?"

Han Fei nodded.

This hairpin is indeed very beautiful. Of course, no matter how beautiful it is, it depends on who wears it. Honglian is already extremely beautiful, and this hairpin is a perfect match for her.

However, Han Fei wasn't very interested in such women's items, and after glancing at them twice, he looked away.

She then sat down at the table. Just then, Zi Nu pushed open the door and entered. Upon seeing Hong Lian, a hint of surprise flashed in Zi Nu's eyes. After all, Zi Lan Xuan was a place of pleasure, and Hong Lian was a princess of noble birth. It was indeed surprising that she would come to this place.

"Is the news accurate?"

Upon seeing Zi Nu, Han Fei asked in a deep voice.

Zi Nu nodded.

"It is that person, but he is that person's swordsmanship teacher. Why would he be here? It doesn't make sense to say that he is protecting Li Si."

Hearing Zi Nu's words, Hong Lian frowned, then her eyes darted around, and she said with a smile, "Ninth Brother, isn't this the sister from last time? Aren't you going to introduce her?"

Upon hearing this, Han Fei chuckled, then introduced, "Zi Nu, the owner of this Zi Lan Pavilion is a great beauty!"

Honglian narrowed her eyes upon hearing this.

Before Han Fei could react, she grabbed his ear with her small hand.

"You're just being glib. Do you think I can't tell whether this Zi Nu is a beauty or not? Father doesn't like you, and you don't even try to figure out why. You'll regret it when Fourth Brother surpasses you!"

Seeing this, Han Fei quickly raised his hands in surrender. He was truly helpless when it came to his sister, whom he couldn't bear to scold or beat.

Upon hearing this, Zi Nu covered her mouth and chuckled.

"Princess Honglian's words are as sweet as honey; I love hearing them."

"What are you saying, Sister Zi Nu? Ninth Brother is quite right. Sister Zi Nu is a rare beauty!"

Upon hearing this, Zi Nu's smile deepened, and Han Fei seized the opportunity to escape Hong Lian's clutches.

Then Honglian asked, "What were Sister Zinu and Ninth Brother talking about just now? If it's alright, I'd like to hear it too."

Upon hearing this, Zi Nu glanced at Han Fei, and Hong Lian followed her gaze, raising her small fist. Han Fei's lips twitched, and after thinking for a moment, he nodded to Zi Nu.

Zi Nu was somewhat surprised to see this. After all, in her opinion, Hong Lian was just a princess who lived a life of luxury in the royal family. She probably couldn't understand this kind of information about various countries, or even if she did, it wouldn't mean anything to her.

Of course, she had no objection to Han Fei's insistence, since it wasn't exactly important intelligence anyway.

After thinking for a moment, Zi Nu spoke again: "There is a sect in the martial arts world called Guigu. Generally speaking, Master Guigu will take on two disciples in his lifetime, one vertical and one horizontal. Although Guigu has few people, each generation of successors is an exceptionally talented person."

Hearing Zi Nu's words, Hong Lian nodded thoughtfully.

She had read about it in books on strategy.

She remembered a description of the Guigu School: "The common people are in dire straits, and the world is desolate. The Hundred Schools of Thought are at my disposal."

"I know this sect. When it is angry, the feudal lords tremble; when it is at peace, the world is at ease. Su Qin united the six states, held the seals of office of all six states, and refused to come out of Qin for fifteen years. Zhang Yi was a man of great talent and strategy, who broke the alliance with the Qin and helped Qin to expand eastward and dominate the chaotic world. Pang Juan was brave and invincible, which made the originally weak Wei state dominate the Central Plains. Sun Bin was an invincible strategist, who besieged Wei to rescue Zhao, killed Pang Juan, and wrote a great military treatise that has been passed down to later generations."

Hearing Honglian's answer, Zinu nodded in surprise. She seemed not to have expected that this little girl would also care about these things.

She then continued, "The disciples of Guigu in this generation are Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang. Gai Nie is the chief swordsmanship instructor in the Qin state, and Wei Zhuang is a member of Liu Sha in the Han state. Your Ninth Brother was able to stand out in the previous confrontation with Ji Wuye and Han Yu, which was also due to Wei Zhuang's strong assistance."

Upon hearing this, Honglian couldn't help but glance at Han Fei. She seemed surprised that her ninth brother had such a formidable subordinate.

"Today, Liu Sha received news that the King of Qin's chief swordsmanship instructor has come to Han, or rather, to Xinzheng."

"But this is a bit strange. As the King of Qin's bodyguard, why would he come to Xinzheng?"

Zi Nu sighed softly.

At this point, Honglian had already grasped the general outline of the matter. After thinking for a moment, she said, "Something unusual must be going on. If Gai Nie is indeed the King of Qin's bodyguard, then his appearance in Xinzheng is very likely at the behest of that King of Qin."

"Furthermore, according to the information Sister Zi Nu gave us before, Gai Nie must be an extremely skilled person, and his appearance may have been his own initiative."

Upon hearing Honglian's words, Han Fei and Zi Nu's expressions changed slightly.

Han Fei carefully examined his younger sister, Honglian. In just a few days, she seemed to have undergone a tremendous change.

A calm analysis leads to a fair conclusion; such ability is sufficient for some official positions.

"If this is the case, perhaps Gai Nie has someone he wants to see."

At this point, Han Fei and Zi Nu exchanged a glance, and then Zi Nu couldn't help but say, "If this person wants to see someone, there's probably only one in the entire Xinzheng who can do so—Wei Zhuang, a fellow disciple from Guigu." "Then why does he want to see Wei Zhuang?"

Honglian frowned and continued.

"Is it because of the traditions of Guiguzi throughout history?"

At this point, Honglian shook her head. The Ghost Valley Sect's decisive battles were not so much in the martial world, but in the imperial court and on the battlefield.

"Perhaps he wanted to tell Wei Zhuang something."

Honglian's voice grew softer and softer, but Han Fei, who was standing next to her, still heard it. This conclusion was based on his guesses.

He was just curious how Honglian's understanding of things could improve so quickly in just a few days, even defying common sense.

On the other side, looking at the Red Lotus Princess before her, the Purple Goddess's expression was quite complicated; this one also seemed to be a rough gem.

"Honglian, how did you come up with these ideas?"

After a while, Han Fei suddenly asked.

Upon hearing this, Honglian was taken aback, because she felt that Han Fei's question was a bit strange. These were just her subconscious reactions, and there was no reason for them.
"Ninth Brother, am I wrong?"

Han Fei gave a wry smile and said in a deep voice, "There's nothing wrong with it; on the contrary, it's very logical. But have you ever thought about it? These are things that ordinary people simply cannot see with their limited perspective and vision."

"For most people, what they can see is limited to what is in front of them. They see one as one and two as two. They rarely think about why it is one or why it is two, let alone other factors. Only those who are meticulous and whose vision and perspective are a cut above or even several cuts above ordinary people will consider these things."

"Just like playing chess, some people can only see one or two moves ahead, but others can see ten or more moves ahead. When playing chess with such people, the game may be decided before the middle game even begins."

At this point, Han Fei continued with a complicated expression, "The old you, faced with this situation, would never have said such astonishing things. Can you tell me what you've been doing these past few days?"

As he spoke, Han Fei's eyes became somewhat fervent. For South Korea at present, talent is the most scarce resource. If the method of Honglian's rapid improvement could be replicated, it would be a leap forward for the entire country.

Upon hearing Han Fei's words, Honglian frowned, seemingly guessing something in her mind; her behavior just now seemed a bit excessive.

However, upon reflection, she realized she hadn't done anything particularly special; she had simply spent a few days reading with the boy in the archives. Of course, these few days weren't just one or two days, but rather lasted for seven or eight days.

Then she said, "I didn't do anything. A while ago, Xiuyuan was reading books in the archives. I was free, so I would read with him. After I finished reading those books, I would ask him questions when I encountered problems, and he would answer them for me. That's about it."

Upon hearing this, Han Fei and Zi Nu's expressions tightened slightly. Knowledge from the book?

They seemed somewhat skeptical. During the Qin-Zhao wars, Zhao Kuo was a general of Zhao who, despite being well-read, had very little battlefield experience. He was ultimately defeated, and nearly 400,000 surrendered Zhao soldiers were massacred by Bai Qi, leaving Zhao devastated. Therefore, the content of books alone could not possibly bring about a dramatic change in a short period of time.

"It's him??"

Han Fei pondered for a moment. If he ruled out the influence of the book, then there was only one left—Xiu Yuan, the boy who hid in the archives reading. It was he who caused the change in Hong Lian.

Are those things really useful?
Zi Nu seemed to have guessed Han Fei's thoughts, then she gently shook her head and said, "What's useful isn't those books, but that person!"

Compared to martial arts skills, wisdom is the most powerful guarantee for survival in chaotic times.

“Honglian was subtly influenced by Xiuyuan during their interactions, so it’s not surprising that she changed in this way. However, there’s one thing I’m curious about: what books did Honglian read?”

"There are many types of books. There are biographies that describe a person's life experiences. Such books can indeed offer a lot of lessons for a person. Then there are historical facts and personal insights. The value of these books lies in the people who recorded them or the people who experienced them."

At this point, Zi Nu sighed softly. People are different from one another. Take Xunzi, for example. His understanding of the world was profound; he had reached a very high level and possessed a clear standard for judging right and wrong, a standard that was supported by most people. Reading his books, it would be difficult not to improve oneself.

Is Honglian still reading in the archives?

After a moment of silence, Han Fei asked again in a soft voice.

Honglian shook her head. At least she didn't go to the archives today, because she didn't see the boy again.

"It's not very interesting to watch it alone."

Hearing these seemingly defiant words, Han Fei and Zi Nu exchanged a smile, and it seemed to make sense.

"His favors are not cheap!"

Seemingly having guessed Han Fei's idea, Zi Nu stood aside and whispered a reminder.

Han Fei paid a heavy price for the deal they had negotiated earlier. At that time, she didn't say anything to remind him. In fact, the girl from Baiyue and Xiu Yuan already knew each other. Even if they hadn't gone to rescue her, the other party would probably have still rescued her in the end.

After thinking it over, Han Fei temporarily abandoned this tempting idea. Zi Nu was right; asking that young man to help would come at a high price.

"Honglian, what do you think of South Korea right now?"

After a moment of silence, Han Fei sat down again and then asked.

This is a heavy topic, especially for Honglian at this moment.

When a person can clearly see what's really going on around them, they are definitely not happy.

"Ninth Brother, why are you asking this?"

Honglian didn't seem to want to answer the question, and Han Fei gently shook his head upon seeing this.

He who knows others is wise; he who knows himself is enlightened.

It is already quite commendable to be able to recognize one's own shortcomings rather than blindly worship others.

After standing there for a while, Han Fei's eyes flickered uncertainly. He seemed to see another path, a path completely different from the one he had seen in his dream.

"red lotus."

Han Fei emphasized his words again, and this time Honglian did not try to evade the question. Instead, she said seriously, "It's very dangerous. If you're not careful, you could face annihilation."

"I've long heard that Li Si and Ninth Brother are from the same school, but compared to Ninth Brother, his path seems to be much more difficult. Now that he's encountered such a good opportunity, he certainly won't let it go. Or rather, this time he will definitely go all out. Facing Han, Qin only needs a reason to send troops. As for who the real culprit is? He probably won't even care!"

"So for Li Si, the most crucial thing is not the murderer, but to convince him that it was indeed that person who did it, so that Qin would have no choice but to accept that this matter had nothing to do with Han!"

Upon hearing this, Han Fei and Zi Nu both sighed in unison. Indeed, this was also the place where Han Fei was still hesitating.

At this moment, a strange glint flashed in Honglian's eyes, and she continued, "If it weren't just the swordsmanship instructors from the King of Qin who appeared in Xinzheng, then there might still be room for maneuver."

The room suddenly fell silent. This was a startling guess, but it wasn't entirely unfounded. After all, there was only one person Gai Nie needed to protect, and if that person also appeared in Xinzheng, then Gai Nie's appearance would make perfect sense.

"It's a bold guess, but if that person really does appear in Xinzheng, it probably won't be a good thing for Xinzheng."

Han Fei stood up and stood behind the window, looking up at the night sky. In this boundless darkness, how many people were watching everything before him? According to the intelligence he had received, the King of Qin seemed to be having a hard time. He had not yet fully seized power. The Qin court was somewhat similar to that of the Han court, but of course, there were also differences.

The King of Qin was a young king with a strong drive for advancement, while the King of Han had lost his ambition.

In the Qin court, Prime Minister Lü Buwei held absolute power, wielding immense influence. In the Han state, besides Lü Buwei, there was also Prime Minister Zhang Kaidi, the fourth prince Han Yu, and someone else who could counterbalance him.

Of course, compared with Qin, Han has some irreparable disadvantages, such as the natural geographical disadvantages mentioned by the boy at the beginning, and the fact that Qin's national strength is far superior to Han's now.

"By the way, Ninth Brother, when will Xiu Yuan be finished with his work?"

After a while, Honglian brought up the boy again.

This time, however, Han Fei sensed a hint of danger. Although the other party was not very old, his wisdom could not be judged by common sense. Not to mention Hong Lian, even he himself would probably unconsciously develop admiration for him if he spent a long time with him.

Looking at Honglian sitting to the side, propping her head up with one hand and seemingly a little bored, Han Fei sighed softly in his heart. In chaotic times, no one has many choices, and neither does he, nor does Honglian.

Now that Honglian possesses such quick wit and intelligence, he doesn't want to waste it. If he trains her a little in the future, perhaps she can take on great responsibilities.

However, his sister's secret feelings for him were perhaps too unaware of them because she was caught up in the situation.

But for that boy...
Thinking of Xiu Yuan, Han Fei sighed inexplicably. With such insights and such a perspective, would the other party really still care about matters between men and women?

Thinking of the awkward situation where the falling flowers are willing but the flowing water is indifferent, he couldn't help but feel a headache, but he was powerless to stop it.

"What are you thinking about, young master?"

Han Fei spoke softly, "Do you think Xiu Yuan might find a girl he likes in the future?"

Upon hearing this, Zi Nu chuckled.

"Of course it will."

"Just like the girls of Zilan Pavilion, most people have long since become indifferent to love, but when they meet the right person, they will still be like moths to a flame, even if they know it is a trap, they will not hesitate."

Some things are simply beyond our control.

(End of this chapter)