Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 179 The Rebellion of Shouying, Ying Zheng's Surprise
"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Wuligou, Chu State.

The sound of something cutting through the air woke up the group of people who were still fast asleep. The few who had fought on the battlefield for years immediately realized that something was wrong and rolled on the spot to hide.

Seeing the cold arrow stuck at their feet, a thought immediately surfaced in their minds.

"Enemy attack?"

Xiang Quan's eyes were cold. This time, they returned to Shouying on the secret orders of the King of Chu. Logically speaking, their whereabouts should not have been discovered.

But tonight's assassination attempt made him realize that the situation in the capital might be far more complicated than they had thought.

Then, as if remembering something, he subconsciously looked towards the main hall and saw that the area had also been targeted by arrows, which made the man's eyes look strange.

In the instant he came to his senses, he wondered if the boy he had met here was a spy, but judging from the current situation, it seemed that was not the case.

"uncle!!"

Xiang Qian's gaze was icy. When had the Xiang family army ever been treated like this in the State of Chu?
"Those two people from before are suspicious!!"

The young man had thought of the same thing as Xiang Quan, but upon hearing the other's words, Xiang Quan gave a cold laugh and then pointed in the direction of the main hall. Xiang Qian looked over there as well.

The next moment, Xiang Qian's pupils suddenly contracted, and he saw that the direction of the fire in the main hall was also full of arrows.

"how so??"

They had been discussing whether the two young men who appeared there might be spies, and the cold arrows also caught them in the crossfire.

"These people are probably from Shouying!"

Xiang Quan's eyes flashed, then he looked outside the dilapidated courtyard. The arrows were shot from outside the courtyard, and they were indiscriminately covering the area. The target could not be those two young men; it could only be them.

"Is it those two people's idea?"

As the most outstanding young member of the Xiang family, Xiang Qian is not only exceptional in cultivation, but also extremely shrewd in his mind.

Xiang Yan briefly mentioned the power struggles within the Chu royal family, but the Xiang family's intention has always been clear: not to get involved in the royal conflicts.

Whoever is on the throne, the Xiang family will obey them.

This decision is quite similar to that of the Meng family in the Qin state, who were loyal only to the Qin state, not to any particular prince.

He and Xiang Quan are now returning to the capital, Shouying, because of a secret decree from the King of Chu.

"It's uncertain. We need to find an opportunity to break out."

After saying this, Xiang Quan stomped his foot, and the cold arrow that was shot at his feet was sent flying backward off the ground, which he then caught in his hand.

Looking at the arrow in Xiang Quan's hand, Xiang Qian frowned deeply. He remembered this kind of craftsmanship.

"Force?"

Xiang Quan smiled coldly, reached out and gently crushed the arrow in his hand.

"Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!"

Then another series of sharp whooshing sounds rang out.

The Xiang family army all hid behind cover, unable to move in the face of such a dense rain of arrows.

However, the next moment, a hint of suspicion flashed in everyone's eyes, and some even raised their hands and put them on their eyelids, seemingly wanting to rub their eyes.

But then, their expressions changed drastically, because they found that they could no longer move. After experiencing such a bizarre event, even these soldiers with excellent mental fortitude were momentarily disoriented.

Could it be that there's something evil in this dilapidated courtyard?

Seemingly having discovered something, Xiang Qian looked towards the lobby. He was about to speak when he realized he couldn't even speak.

Two figures appeared beside the fire in the main hall; they were the two boys they had seen before.

The orange flames turned grayish-white, and time seemed to stand still. The arrows in mid-air remained suspended in mid-air. The boy stood up, casually brushed aside the arrows flying everywhere, and then disappeared from the spot.

Seeing this scene, Xiang Qian felt his heart pounding. Although they had some guesses about the two people in the hall, the methods they were displaying now were incredibly terrifying to him.

He didn't know what the boy had gone to do. Just now, when the boy disappeared, he seemed to have seen a blurry figure leave the courtyard out of the corner of his eye.

A moment later, the boy reappeared in the hall. He then pulled the girl to the side, and the world returned to its previous colors. The sound of air being torn apart rang out, followed by a rain of arrows pouring down from the sky once again.

The boy stood there, watching the rain of arrows fall on the open ground, while Xiang Qian and his group, hiding in the shadows, stared in disbelief.

"Uncle, what should we do?"

Xiang Qian licked his dry lips, looking somewhat at a loss.

Xiang Quan peered through the crack. After that volley of arrows, there was no further movement. Recalling what had happened earlier, a strange thought arose in the general's mind: Could it be that the person who had ambushed them earlier was already dead, killed by this young man?
The man stood there silently for a long time, and everyone else held their breath, quietly waiting for Xiang Quan's answer. If Xiang Quan wanted to take action, they would not hesitate.

"Those people outside should have been dealt with!"

Xiang Quan sighed deeply, then turned to look at the young man in the hall.

"Let's go!"

"In any case, we should at least thank them for saving our lives."

Upon hearing this, everyone exchanged glances and breathed a sigh of relief.

Although they were not afraid to fight, the young man in the hall was clearly strange. If they were to start a fight directly, it would be tantamount to courting death, and for them, such a death would be too unworthy.

"I am Xiang Quan, and I greet you, young hero."

"Thank you so much, young hero, for saving my life!"

Seeing Xiang Quan take the initiative to speak, everyone else, including Xiang Qian, also paid their respects to Xiu Yuan. In fact, what Xiang Quan said was true. If Xiu Yuan hadn't intervened just now, they would have suffered casualties if they wanted to survive this calamity today.

“These people are probably after you. Their bodies are outside the yard; you can go and take a look.”

Xiu Yuan glanced at the person in front of him and spoke calmly.

He paused slightly at this point, then continued, "I want to know which faction these people belong to."

Upon hearing this, Xiang Quan gave a look to the man beside him, who nodded and then turned and walked out with another man beside him.

As for the others, they stood still and waited patiently for the answer.

How far is it from here to Shouying?

Xiu Yuan remained silent for a moment before asking again.

Xiang Quan frowned, his eyes flashing slightly. It seemed that the young man's target was Shou Ying.

After thinking for a moment, Xiang Quan replied, "There are still more than 300 li to go. If we ride at full speed, we should be able to arrive within three days."

"However, judging from the current situation, the situation in Shouying is somewhat chaotic. If you don't have anything urgent to attend to, it would be best not to go there recently."

The situation in Shouying was unclear during this period. Li Yuan was playing a power struggle with the two princes of the Chu royal family, which also involved the Empress Dowager in the harem. This matter was not a secret in Shouying.

The struggle and change of power can be deadly.

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan pondered for a moment before looking over.

Has anything major happened in the State of Chu recently?

Xiu Yuan was able to discern something from the other person's words, so he asked again.

"This"

Seeing that the other party seemed genuinely unaware, Xiang Quan was momentarily at a loss as to whether to speak or not. Moreover, from the other party's accent, he detected a hint of Qin and Zhao, clearly indicating that the other party was not from Chu.

It was from this point that he realized why the other party hadn't responded when he spoke earlier—probably to avoid unnecessary trouble.

Unexpectedly, an assassination attempt completely shattered this situation.

Seeing Xiang Quan hesitate to speak, Xiu Yuan looked over with a deep gaze.

Xiang Quan subconsciously looked up, but the moment their eyes met, the man recoiled as if he had been electrocuted.

Although the boy's gaze was very calm, it put a lot of pressure on him. This experience made him think of his elder brother in the clan, who was now the great general of Chu, Xiang Yan.

"Grandmaster realm."

Xiang Quan's heart skipped a beat. If he had only guessed before, he was now certain that the person in front of him was at least a Grandmaster.
Xiaomeng had no concept of the Grandmaster realm. Among the people she had met, there were several Grandmasters, but in reality, there weren't many Grandmasters in each country. For example, in the vast city of Daliang, there was only one Grandmaster, Yan Wu of the Armored Sect.

No one else has reached this level. Even Dian Qing, who is known as the one who is unharmed in a hundred battles, is only at the limit of the Innate Realm. He can fight against some Grandmasters without being defeated by the special nature of the Armored Sect's hard skills, but that's all. If he wants to win, he probably has to fight a protracted battle. In other words, he has to wear down his opponent by relying on the special nature of his hard skills.

In the Chu Kingdom, there is only one Grandmaster-level expert on the surface: General Xiang Yan.

As for others, they either hide in the shadows or are far from reaching that level.

That's why Xiang Quan was so shocked by the level of cultivation.

A young Grandmaster is an extremely extraordinary existence across the seven kingdoms!

"To be honest, young hero, quite a few things have indeed happened in the Chu Kingdom recently, but some of them involve clashes between royal families, so I cannot say more. I'll say it again: the situation in Shouying is probably very chaotic right now. If it's not absolutely necessary, young hero, it's best not to go."

In the end, Xiang Quan said something and offered a few words of advice.

Xiang Yan was a master, a master of military strategy, whose combat strength ranked among the top among the masters of the Hundred Schools of Thought. However, he also remembered that Xiang Yan once said that even a master could not play a significant role in a large-scale battle. The outcome of a war was determined more by the overall strength of the troops and the tactics of the army.

Shouying, as the capital of the Chu state, had undergone several relocations and was inherently unstable. Therefore, the army in Shouying was quite large, probably several times larger than that of other states.

Even if the person before him was a grandmaster, he would likely face certain death if surrounded by a large army. The other party had just saved them, and he didn't want this young man to die there without knowing why. "What if I insist on going?"

Xiu Yuan put his hands behind his back and looked out at the night sky.

The weather tonight isn't very good; it feels very stuffy, as if a rain is about to fall but hasn't yet.

Xiaomeng stood to the side, but this time she didn't say anything.

For her, the purpose of this trip down the mountain had been achieved. As for the trip to Shouying in Chu, it was somewhat related to her, but not much. Therefore, the girl, who was a bit cold by nature, did not want to bother with these matters.

“Hey, your uncle doesn’t want you to go because he means well. Shouying City is not like here. Several Chu troops are stationed there, totaling nearly 100,000 men. Even a Grandmaster wouldn’t get away with it there.”

Seeing that the person in front of him seemed determined to go to Shouying, Xiang Qian felt indignant and spoke up to warn him.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Quan did not object. On the contrary, he felt that Xiang Qian had not gone too far this time. Perhaps only after things are pointed out will some people give up.

"One hundred thousand?"

Upon hearing this number, Xiu Yuan was taken aback, but he didn't show it on his face. He could recall some fragments from his memory. According to historical records, the Chu army was indeed quite large, and Shouying was not its original capital, but rather the capital after the capital was moved.

In the decisive battle between Qin and Chu, Ying Zheng even dispatched 600,000 troops, which also shows that the number of Chu troops was an extremely terrifying number.

One person against 100,000.

This is indeed unrealistic. Even Gai Nie, who later became the Sword Saint, suffered extremely serious injuries while fighting three hundred Qin soldiers in the Valley of the Crescent Moon.

Undeniably, protecting Tianming was a factor in this, but it also shows that the Grandmaster realm is not invincible. Without Tianming as a burden, three hundred Qin soldiers might not be Gai Nie's limit, but if that number were multiplied by two or three, Gai Nie would probably be powerless.

Of course, this doesn't mean that a thousand people could definitely take down a Sword Saint like Gai Nie. After all, if Gai Nie can't win, he can escape. Just as he and Wei Zhuang said in the Gnawing Tooth Prison, if they wanted to leave, no one could stop them.

If a Grandmaster is solely focused on escaping, it would require the intervention of two or more Grandmasters to capture the opponent.

Of course, the "masters" mentioned here refer to those with roughly the same combat strength. If their actual combat strength differs greatly, then that's another story.

Seeing the young man fall silent, Xiang Quan sighed softly in his heart.

The martial world and the battlefield are two different realms.

Just then, the two men who had gone out earlier returned with grim faces.

They were also holding two waist tokens with Chu script engraved on them. Upon seeing these, Xiang Quan's gaze immediately darkened.

He then reached out and took one of the pieces, examining it closely in his hand. Xiang Qian, standing beside him, did the same.

Four legions, totaling about 80,000 men, were stationed near Shouying: the Crimson Flame Legion, the Fierce Tiger Legion, the Soaring Dragon Legion, and the Silver Moon Legion.

In addition, there are 20,000 imperial guards protecting the capital, bringing the total to around 100,000.

Three of the four legions are under Xiang Yan's control: the Crimson Flame Legion, the Fierce Tiger Legion, and the Soaring Dragon Legion.

However, the Imperial Guard and the Silver Moon Legion are in the hands of other people.

The waist tags worn by those people outside did not belong to anyone else, but to the "Fierce Tiger Legion." The arrows from before also came from the Imperial Guard. There was too much information involved, so even Xiang Quan found it difficult to calm down for a moment.

"what happened?"

Xiang Quan's gaze was sharp as he swept it over the two men.

They've already been attacked by these two legions before they even reached Shouying. Who can guarantee that nothing else has happened to the other legions stationed in Shouying?

“General, we don’t know either, but Lao Niu and I just checked, and there’s nothing wrong with either the equipment or the identity token.”

Upon hearing this answer, Xiang Quan sighed softly.

Judging from the current situation, Shouying's predicament is probably not optimistic.

Then, as if remembering something, he turned to look at the two little ones in front of him.

"May I ask what brings you to Shouying, young hero?"

Xiu Yuan narrowed his eyes and looked at Xiang Quan again. He had a feeling that the person in front of him seemed to have some other ideas.

After thinking for a moment, Xiu Yuan replied, "I'm here to visit two friends from the martial arts world."

Upon hearing this answer, Xiang Quan's eyes immediately lit up.

A man of the martial arts world!

As long as they don't get involved with the imperial court, they might become friends.

A Grandmaster-level helper might not be of much help in a war, but for Shouying right now, it could be a great asset.

"To be honest, young hero, we are under the command of General Xiang Yan. The general is currently in Shouying. The Xiang family has friends all over the world. Perhaps we can help the person you are visiting."

“The situation in Shouying is somewhat complicated now. The people you need to visit will likely have changed. It’s not enough for one person to find them.”

"If you don't mind, young hero, you might as well travel with us. Once we report back to the general, he will surely help you find the person you are looking for, given your previous assistance."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan reached out and touched his chin. Based on the information he had received, Shouying was probably not very stable. Yan Ri had mentioned the power struggle within the Chu royal family earlier.

With 100,000 troops stationed in Shouying, what kind of scene would the city be like? Just thinking about it, it's definitely not a very peaceful place.

Finding someone in a place like this is probably like finding a needle in a haystack. As for whether he can see them or not, he's not worried. It's just a matter of being an uninvited guest a couple more times!

Those standing nearby exchanged bewildered glances upon hearing this. They hadn't even figured out the boy's background yet! Why was Xiang Quan in such a hurry to take him to see the General?

Xiu Yuan turned and glanced at Xiao Meng. Seeing that the girl had no objections, he nodded.

"can."

Seeing that Xiu Yuan had agreed, Xiang Quan was overjoyed. There was a saying that the Xiang clan made friends all over the world, and that was no exaggeration. However, the Xiang clan had probably never met someone with such talent before!

As for the final outcome, Xiang Quan was not worried. Even if things went badly, he couldn't let the other party go to one of the other companies.

"May I ask who the young hero is visiting?"

Then Xiang Quan asked again.

Xiu Yuan did not hide anything and said directly, "The wise man of Chu, Chu Nan Gong, and the sword appraiser Feng Hu Zi."

Upon hearing these two names, Xiang Quan then looked at the group of people beside him.

Seeing that they both shook their heads, Xiang Quan looked somewhat embarrassed. In fact, he had heard about these two people.

After all, these two were famous figures in the State of Chu. Chu Nan Gong was also known as the first sage of Chu. As for the sword appraiser Feng Hu Zi, needless to say, he had a keen eye for sword forging and appraisal, and his reputation had long been spread throughout the seven states.

“Uncle, these two are extremely famous in Chu. Finding them shouldn’t be too difficult. It will just require the brothers to make a few more trips, and they should be able to make some progress.”

Before Xiang Qian left Shouying, he had heard about these two people on the street. One was said to be like a dragon, appearing only briefly and never returning. As for the other, he seemed to be living in seclusion on Wanming Mountain, but he had a rather eccentric personality and rarely received guests.

However, the young man seemed to have seen through Xiang Quan's plan, so he gave Xiang Quan a way out.

Upon hearing this, Xiang Quan nodded.

"Young hero, rest assured, the reputation of our Xiang clan in the Chu Kingdom is still very important."

Time passed, and on the other side, within the Qin Kingdom, at the foot of Mount Taiyi, a merchant in a caravan looked at the white paper in his hand, his eyes flashing with shrewdness.

Having traveled among the seven kingdoms, he had never seen anything like it before. It felt as soft and light as silk, and when ink was applied to it, it could clearly record the text.

More importantly, this item was much cheaper than silk and easier to preserve, which gave him a huge business opportunity.

He then gave an order to empty half of the goods from more than a dozen carriages and replace them with white paper.

He had originally planned to acquire the formula, but upon hearing that it was a Taoist item, he had to temporarily abandon the idea.

The Taoists were one of the Hundred Schools of Thought, and their strength was extraordinary. They were not people a merchant like him could afford to offend. So in the end, he only exchanged the blank paper for something else and left without stopping.

Such examples have occurred countless times in the past month alone. Of course, some caravans with slightly stronger resources even hired guards who had reached the Innate Realm, but in the end, upon learning that the items were Taoist, they could only regretfully give up.

In the short span of just over a month, thanks to the activities of these caravans, white paper gradually appeared in various countries.

Inside the royal palace of Xianyang, the capital of the Qin Dynasty, a man dressed in a black dragon robe gleamed as he looked at the pristine white paper in his hand.

"Mr. Gai, what do you think of this item?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a young swordsman stepped out from the side, took the white paper from the other man's hand, and examined it carefully.

Then I rubbed it with my hands and found that this stuff was very suitable for writing and preservation. My eyes lit up.

"Your Majesty, what is this?"

"Paper, I heard from the caravan that it is used for writing and recording. I have a feeling that this thing will definitely change the current situation of a hundred schools of thought contending."

Upon hearing this, the young swordsman sighed softly.

"May I ask what the price is, Your Majesty?"

"According to the messenger, this item is not expensive, and the inventor of this item is a Taoist."

"Taoism?"

The swordsman was taken aback when he heard about this sect. When did those mountain people start to concern themselves with world affairs?

"What, doesn't it seem unbelievable? I find it somewhat unbelievable myself, but Taoism has truly given me and the world a great gift!!"

(End of this chapter)