Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 157 Unexpected Hearing of Lian Po, Armored Gate

The sun rises and sets, sets and rises again, in this cycle repeating for more than a dozen times.

On this day, two young men arrived at the Wei Kingdom's fortress.

Looking at the majestic pass before him, the young man felt a pang of regret.

"No matter how high or great one's cultivation is, how much use will it be in the face of overwhelming forces?"

Upon hearing the boy's words, a silver-haired girl standing beside him showed a hint of complexity in her usually cool gaze.

Along the way, they saw many things: the green hills remained, but the people of yesteryear were gone; the flowing water was ever-flowing, but their hometown was no longer there.

Under the immense power of time, many things gradually disappear into the long river of history, and what remains are often insignificant things.

When the splendor fades and everything becomes a fleeting memory, when the golden splendor is reduced to ruins, when the departed look back and only the willows sway in the breeze remain.

Her state of mind seemed to have become more fulfilled, a fulfillment that was different from indifference, but rather a sense of relief.

Accept all impossibilities and imperfections, just as the moon has its phases, and ultimately choose to let go.

"I heard from passersby that the general guarding the pass is Lian Po, an old general of Zhao. I did not see this old general during my trip to Handan. Now that I have met him again, it is just like the saying, 'You may plant flowers with care but they may not bloom, while you may plant willows without care and they may thrive.'"

"Fate is a strange thing."

The boy raised his head, looking at the two large characters on the majestic city gate, his eyes lingering.

"Your name is Xiuyuan. You must have a different kind of fate than most people!"

The boy shook his head.

"It's just a name. I don't think fate will always be on my side. Life is full of ups and downs. If I can meet someone, that's great. If not, perhaps letting go is the best choice."

These two people were Xiu Yuan and Xiao Meng, who had crossed the border between Qin and Han and come to the State of Wei.

At the gate, guards were on duty, conducting routine checks. Compared to places like Daicheng they had encountered before, the checks here were much more casual. Sometimes, when the soldiers saw that the people were pale and thin, they didn't even bother to rummage through their baskets and simply waved them away, letting them go straight in.

"I don't have a travel permit."

Xiaomeng stopped under a willow tree not far from the gate, her tone somewhat complicated.

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan also waved his hand.

"I don't think I have any."

Xiaomeng tilted her head and looked over, as if asking them how to get into the city.

"Turn over?"

Xiu Yuan examined the height of the city wall before him, pinched his chin, and spoke.

"At this time??"

Upon hearing this, Xiaomeng's eye twitched. In broad daylight, climbing over the wall? Of course, it wasn't that they couldn't climb over, but there were so many eyes watching outside. If they climbed over the wall, they would probably be labeled as bandits by the city gatekeepers the next moment. They came to the city gatekeepers mainly to rest and see Lian Po, and they didn't want to get into trouble.

Xiu Yuan turned to look at the girl beside him and said, "Junior Sister Xiaomeng, have you forgotten something?"

Xiaomeng looked up.

But the next moment, a hint of suspicion appeared in her eyes.

Is she planning to use the trick of blending in with the crowd just to enter the city?

Xiu Yuan glanced at the situation at the gate. There were only a few people left there. He then stretched out his hand and said softly, "We should go too."

Seeing Xiu Yuan's actions, Xiao Meng seemed to guess his intentions and reached out to grab his hand. The next moment, their figures faded further and further, and in a few breaths, they completely disappeared from the spot.

When the two figures reappeared, they had already entered the city.

Guancheng is a relatively unknown city located in the heart of the Wei Kingdom. For the time being, it is quite peaceful, with bustling streets lined with shops and people coming and going.

However, this also shows that the State of Wei did not trust this veteran general of the State of Zhao very much. Otherwise, given his ability to command troops, they would never have arranged for him to retire in such a place.

Unfortunately, the current King of Wei lacks the courage to appoint Lian Po to guard the Hexi region.

After walking down the street for a while, Xiu Yuan said softly, "Let's find a place to stay first and go tonight. Visiting him during the day would be too conspicuous and unnecessary trouble."

Xiaomeng nodded.

Speaking of which, the decision to choose Guancheng as the first stop was Xiu Yuan's suggestion. Based on their guesses, Chenjia Village was probably already in ruins, and even if they got there, they wouldn't find any clues.

Since Chenjia Village was under the jurisdiction of Guancheng, both of them believed that Guancheng should know some inside information about what happened in Chenjia Village. Therefore, instead of going directly to Chenjia Village, they came to Guancheng first.

After walking for a while, the two stopped in front of an inn. Looking at the name on the inn's signboard, Xiu Yuan scratched his brow and then looked at Xiao Meng.

He recognized the characters in the Wei script, but he didn't recognize the characters in the Wei script.

Xiaomeng seemed to have guessed Xiuyuan's thoughts, so she said softly, "Yuelai Inn."

Upon hearing the name, Xiu Yuan paused for a moment, then glanced at the plaque a few more times. He now knew the characters of the Three Kingdoms, including Qin, Zhao, and Han, each with its own distinct script. Now, there was another kingdom added to the list—Wei.

Every country has its own writing system, which is understandable, but it can be very inconvenient for some things. No wonder that after unifying the seven kingdoms, the First Emperor implemented the standardization of cart tracks and writing. To some extent, such a strategy was quite necessary.

Thinking of what happened after Qin unified the country, Xiu Yuan shook his head. Any growth requires a certain price, and this is true even in society.

He and Xiaomeng then went into the inn together, ordered a few simple dishes from the waiter, and the two young people sat down in a corner of the inn.

The inn always seems to have no shortage of people, as long as the innkeeper opens the door to welcome guests.

As soon as I sat down, I heard a rough voice coming from the lobby.

"I heard that General Lian Po wants to expand the garrison of the pass and wipe out all the mountain strongholds within a hundred miles. I'll sign up in a bit."

"Hey, do you think Lian Po is any good? I remember the last garrison commander was a man named Ju. He was utterly defeated by Qingfeng Village and almost lost his life."

“Last time was last time. General Lian Po is different from that Ju fellow. I’ve asked around and found out that although General Lian Po is older, he is a master of military strategy.”

"Grandmaster?" "A Grandmaster-level expert. Such figures are rare in the martial arts world. They are usually the leaders or elders of major sects. With him taking action this time, not to mention Qingfeng Village, even Qin Gou would be routed and flee in disarray!"

"If the other side is so powerful, why don't you go and wipe out those bandits and robbers yourself?"

"."

"Have you lost your mind? There are at least a thousand or two thousand people in those mountain strongholds outside. If you let him kill them all by himself, how long would it take?"

In the corner, Xiu Yuan raised an eyebrow. Lian Po had already reached the Grandmaster realm, which was somewhat unexpected news for him.

As for the other things the two men in the hall were discussing, he didn't pay much attention to them. A Grandmaster was indeed a figure in the martial arts world, but the probability of one person winning against two thousand people was not very high.

Unless one possesses special methods of combat like him, once one's internal energy is exhausted, the opponent will simply be worn down to death. Of course, one can also use underhanded methods, such as poisoning or arson, to kill these people in the mountain stronghold without much difficulty.

However, given the old general's personality, he probably wouldn't stoop to such a behavior.

Xiaomeng sat to the side, her expression also somewhat surprised. She seemed not to have expected that this old general guarding the pass would actually be a Grandmaster.

"A master of military strategy?"

Speaking of military strategists, Xiu Yuan had dealt with one before, the former general of the Zhao Kingdom. His strength far surpassed that of ordinary grandmasters. Even Jing Ni, who was skilled in assassination, was no match for him in a one-on-one situation.

Recalling some historical records, Xiu Yuan pinched his chin again.

The State of Zhao did indeed intend to reinstate this veteran general, but Guo Kai interfered in the matter, and the plan was eventually abandoned.

One sentence in particular left a deep impression on him.

"Lian Po is old, can he still eat?"

If he wasn't mistaken, this veteran's strength hadn't declined too much; he was probably still a true Grandmaster.

"Senior brother, is there something wrong with this?"

Upon hearing Xiu Yuan mention the words "master of military strategy," Xiao Meng asked another question.

Xiu Yuan's gaze flickered slightly before he said again, "It's nothing, but the master of military strategy is a bit troublesome. When I was in Handan, Zhao, I dealt with Li Mu, the current general of Zhao. He is very difficult to deal with, and even Ni Chang is no match for him."

Upon hearing the name Ni Chang, Xiao Meng frowned. She only knew that Ni Chang was a martial arts expert subdued by Xiu Yuan, but she was not very clear about her strength. Now that she heard that the very beautiful girl had actually fought with Li Mu, didn't that mean that the other party was at least a grandmaster?
"Is Ni Chang a Grandmaster-level expert?"

Xiu Yuan nodded, then added after a moment's thought.

A voice resounded from the depths of Xiaomeng's heart.

"She was originally a top-tier assassin of the Luo Wang organization, codenamed Jing Ni, who had been lurking in Handan. The last time you came back to San Yang Village with me, we met her at Fei Hu Zhai. However, at that time, she had not yet broken through to the Innate Realm. Now, she has become a Grandmaster."

A hint of understanding flashed in Xiaomeng's calm gaze. She had thought that the girl looked somewhat familiar, and that the girl's gaze had been very strange when she left the mountain, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what was so strange about her.

Now, hearing Xiu Yuan mention that place, she finally remembered the girl from her memories.

"However, there is one thing you guessed correctly: when Ni Chang was in Handan, she worked in a brothel and was the most beautiful courtesan there."

Xiao Meng recalled the words she had spoken before, and a flicker of emotion crossed her eyes. Although her guess was correct, she still couldn't be happy that Xiu Yuan had a girl by his side, after all, this girl was just too beautiful.

"Oh"

Xiaomeng nodded gently.

"When we go to Lian Po's place tonight, stay close to me and don't wander off. This is our first time dealing with Lian Po, and we're not sure what kind of person he is, so it's best to be careful."

Xiaomeng paused with her chopsticks, then nodded to indicate that she understood.

Just as the two continued eating, another voice came from the hall.

"I heard that the Armored Sect is recruiting again."

Armored Gate
This special sect within the Wei Kingdom, which even Bei Mingzi specifically mentioned, clearly attracted the attention of Xiu Yuan and Xiao Meng.

The two then listened quietly again.

"In fact, being able to join the Armored Sect is a shortcut for both of us. The Great General himself came from the Armored Sect."

"I have heard some things about what you said. My cousin from Daliang has mentioned it. The reason why the Armored Sect has achieved its current status is related to the young master Wei Wuji. He personally supported the sect back then. The successive leaders of the Armored Sect usually joined the army and held very important positions in the army."

"Our Wei Wu Zu, who are invincible throughout the world, are mostly from this school. Among them is a famous general named Dian Qing, who once destroyed thirteen chariots on the battlefield without a scratch, making the enemy tremble with fear. His Majesty once personally praised him as having a bronze head and iron arms, and being unharmed in a hundred battles."

When they talked about that peerless warrior on the battlefield, the two men's faces flushed and they became very excited.

"There is another female general, I remember her name is Mei San Niang, she is also a ruthless character, she also comes from the Armored Sect. If you can become a disciple of these two, your future will be equally bright."

In the State of Wei, the ultimate dream for any soldier is to join the Wei Wuzu, a top-tier force that, though small in number, is exceptionally strong and has already made a name for itself among the seven states.

"It's just that the Armored Armor Sect has a rather high threshold for accepting disciples. I'm afraid they won't accept people like you and me."

"I have heard some things about this. Actually, the initial threshold for joining the Armored Sect was not high. It's just that many people who joined later dropped out because they couldn't stand the training. That's why the General keeps raising the threshold to weed out those who are not determined."

"Can't take the training??"

Listening to the conversation in the hall, Xiu Yuan couldn't help but shake his head again. Compared to internal energy cultivation, the Armored Sect, which cultivates hard skills, has to endure a lot of hardship. To achieve the effect of having a copper head and iron arms, one has to be beaten up. Those who can persevere are not only incredibly determined, but also ruthless.

As for Dian Qing and Mei San Niang, whom the two mentioned, he still had some impression of them. After the Wei Kingdom was destroyed, the two should have joined the peasant family. One became a confidant of the Zhu family, and the other became Tian Yan's right-hand man.

However, Xiaomeng didn't have much of an impression of these two people. Her focus was always on the Armored Gate and the Wei Warriors. When she left the mountain, Beimingzi mentioned something to her: don't confront the Wei Warriors head-on.

"Senior brother."

"Don't worry, our affairs shouldn't cause any friction with them. The Wei Wu soldiers have been stationed in Hexi for many years to resist attacks from Qin and Han. They don't have time to get involved in the Chenjia Village matter."

Hearing Xiu Yuan's words of comfort, the girl nodded thoughtfully, but she had a bad feeling that this trip to Wei Kingdom was probably not so simple.

"Let's hope so!!"

(End of this chapter)