Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 182 The Transaction: Confirming a Conjecture
"It really is that sword!"

In Shouying City, Yan Lingji grasped the peach sword in front of her, feeling the supreme yang power contained within it. The girl's gaze changed slightly. There are countless peach swords in the world, but only one peach sword belongs to that person.

What is he doing in Shouying?

Just as Yan Lingji was pondering the purpose of the young man's visit to Shouying, the wooden sword in her hand began to tremble slightly.

Yan Lingji subconsciously looked at her hand, thought for a moment, then loosened her grip on the peach sword. The wooden sword seemed to be controlled by a force, standing upright in mid-air.

After a while, the wooden sword slowly flew in one direction. Halfway there, it paused in mid-air, as if to tell her, "Come on."

Yan Lingji shook her head. She had been wondering when that boy had become a good person who would help those in need.

She turned and glanced at the three men in black lying on the ground, and sighed softly. In fact, they could have avoided dying. If they had spared her life, wouldn't they have also spared their own?
But then, thinking about this, the girl shrugged and muttered a self-deprecating remark.

In that situation just now, it was either her death or theirs; between the two, she would rather choose the latter.

After a while, seeing Tao Jian fly into a room on the second floor of the inn, Yan Lingji lightly touched the ground with her feet and floated in like a wild goose.

"Oh, I thought it was a date just for the two of us!"

Upon seeing a silver-haired girl in the room, Yan Lingji's eyes sparkled, and she smiled warmly.

"Girl who plays with fire, how have you been?"

Yan Lingji's expression froze. "A girl who plays with fire"—that didn't seem like a very good title.

What if I say I'm unwell?

Yan Lingji leaned casually against the window, one hand supporting her arm, the other hand slightly raised, her fingers twitching, a flame dancing between them.

"You are Yan Lingji?"

Xiaomeng slowly opened her eyes and looked at the girl by the window, a hint of amazement appearing in her calm gaze.

She doesn't care about physical beauty, but that doesn't stop her from having an eye for beauty.

The person before her was among the most beautiful people she had ever met, and in fact, one of the most beautiful.

At the foot of Mount Taiyi, Xiu Yuan brought back two girls: Nong Yu and Ni Chang, both exceptionally beautiful women.

And then there were the two I met at Jinghu Medical Clinic, Duanmu Rong and Dongjun from the Yin-Yang School. They were not only stunning beauties, but also rare beauties in the martial arts world.

But compared to the person in front of me, I still seem to be somewhat inferior in appearance alone.

"You know me??"

This was the first time Yan Lingji had ever seen Xiaomeng, a young woman with white hair; she had never seen such a person before.

"I'll let you in on a secret! This guy isn't a good person."

Xiaomeng raised an eyebrow. She knew Xiuyuan all too well what kind of person he was. In her opinion, judging a person by good or bad was a bit vulgar.

"My name is Xiaomeng, and Qingxu is my senior brother."

Yan Lingji was taken aback. Then she looked over and saw that the other person's expression was solemn and did not seem to be lying. She blinked and simply looked at the other person's age, which was about the same as Qingxu's. If they were to be senior and junior brothers, it was not entirely impossible.

"Huh??"

As if sensing something, Yan Lingji's face showed a hint of disbelief.

"Innate Realm??"

She asked tentatively, her eyes twitching twice. At this age, the Innate Realm expert had completely silenced the girl.

"Aren't you also at the Innate Realm?"

Xiaomeng didn't take it seriously. With a Grandmaster like Xiuyuan around, she thought that a mere Innate Realm cultivator was already slow.

Yan Lingji chuckled, but didn't reply. It was true that she was in the Innate Realm, but their ages were different.

What's the situation in South Korea right now?

After a moment of silence, Xiu Yuan spoke again.

Yan Lingji looked at the flame at her fingertips and gently shook her head.

"What does the young master wish to ask? Nightfall, quicksand, or our Baiyue?"

Xiu Yuan moved swiftly and arrived at the window, standing beside Yan Ling Ji.

A gentle night breeze blew by, ruffling two strands of hair on the boy's forehead. Tonight, the sky was filled with twinkling stars, and the movement of the stars seemed to herald a new beginning.

Let's just talk about the important things.

Yan Lingji looked at the young man in front of her. Compared to the last time they met, he seemed to have grown quite a bit taller.

"Not much has changed. One of the four fierce generals in the night is gone. Emerald Tiger is dead. It seems that something unpleasant happened between Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei, and their relationship is very strained. Ji Wuye intends to join forces with Han Yu."

"As for Quicksand, Ninth Prince Han Fei hasn't made many moves lately. I've visited him a few times with my master, and he seems to be grooming Princess Honglian. The others haven't changed much; they're still the same as before."

"That white-haired guy's skills have improved a lot recently. It seems he has broken through to the Grandmaster realm. Half a month ago, he fought with Bai Yifei and Bai Yifei was seriously injured by him. If he hadn't used a secret technique, he probably would have died."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan narrowed his eyes, then asked, "The one with white hair, are you referring to Wei Zhuang?"

Yan Lingji rolled her eyes. In Xinzheng, there was no one else with white hair who could reach the Grandmaster realm except for that Ghost Valley disciple.
"Master Qingxu, what do you say?"

"As for us Baiyue..."

When the Baiyue were mentioned, Yan Lingji's tone became somewhat heavy.

"The King of Poisons is dead. Only I, the Corpse-Driving Demon, Wushuang, and my master remain. My master, the Corpse-Driving Demon, and Wushuang formed an alliance with Liusha in Xinzheng. I came to the State of Chu."

Xiu Yuan was not surprised by this result. Baiyue did not have many options to begin with, and forming an alliance with Liusha was a good choice in the face of the night.

Of course, if one wants to restore a kingdom but only focuses on Xinzheng, that's another matter. The world is vast, and besides the seven kingdoms, there are still large tracts of land that have not been occupied.

If that's the case, it will be another big problem for the people. The Baiyue people are struggling to survive, and I'm afraid no one will be willing to go with Tianze!
"Tianze gave you a new task?"

Yan Lingji remained silent for a moment, then gently shook her head.

"No, I came to the State of Chu for my own private matters."

As if remembering something, Xiu Yuan asked, "Is it because of the relatives who were separated from you in that fire back then?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingji's expression changed drastically, and she stared intently at the young man before her. "What do you know?"

Seeing the other party's reaction, Xiu Yuan raised an eyebrow. He knew he had guessed correctly. Among those who contributed to the fall of Baiyue, Chu contributed the most. It was only natural that Yan Lingji came to Chu to investigate the past.

"That's just hearsay! I probably wasn't even born when the Baiyue kingdom was destroyed!"

Upon hearing this, the girl's expression suddenly turned somewhat disappointed. She then slowly looked away. What the other person said was true; he was too young and certainly didn't seem to be someone in the know.

After a moment of silence, Xiu Yuan withdrew his gaze and looked at the town hidden in the darkness at his feet. He sighed softly. The main theme of this era was war, and even this capital city had been affected by the war.

What's the situation in the State of Chu?

Yan Lingji looked down at the bustling street below, and the scene was so similar to Xinzheng in South Korea.

The court of Chu seemed to be even more chaotic than that of Han.

The fact that the Grand General does not interfere in court affairs seems to be much better than in South Korea, but the power struggles in the court have not improved much as a result.

Thinking about what she had seen and heard in Shouying during this time, a hint of sarcasm appeared in the corner of the girl's eyes.

"A bunch of lunatics."

"."

Xiu Yuan shook his head; it sounded like Shou Ying's situation was even more chaotic than he had imagined.

"How many factions are currently in power in the Chu court?"

"General Xiang Yan, Magistrate Li Yuan, and two royal uncles. Xiang Yan commands the army and holds three major legions: the Tenglong Legion, the Menghu Legion, and the Chiyan Legion. Logically, he should be the most powerful, but this general does not form factions and holds a transcendent position."

"As for the other three, each of them has their own ulterior motives, stirring up chaos in the court. This time, I originally wanted to see Li Yuan and use him to investigate the Baiyue matter from back then, but I didn't expect to be discovered as soon as I entered the mansion."

Hearing this, Xiu Yuan shook his head inwardly.

Yan Lingji's purpose was different from his; he only wanted to find his long-lost relatives and didn't need to analyze the relationships among the people in the court.

Whoever can help her find the truth and her lost relatives, perhaps that person will be a good person to her.

"What intelligence do you have regarding Empress Dowager Li Huan?"

Xiu Yuan then changed his approach, directly asking the relevant people, leaving the truth to him to judge.

"Queen Mother?"

Yan Lingji frowned. She had heard a lot about this person since she came to Shouying. After thinking for a moment, she replied, "She must be sick. Lingyin Li Yuan is her half-brother. These days, this Lingyin has been running around looking for famous doctors to treat her."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan nodded. In fact, he already knew this, since the messenger had already arrived at Jinghu Medical Manor, and they had even met.

After thinking for a moment, Xiu Yuan asked, "What illness does she have?"

Yan Lingji glanced at the young man. She felt that he seemed particularly concerned about the Empress Dowager's affairs, but Li Huan's matter was not so important to her, so she did not inquire about it.

"I don't know, but one thing is certain: the imperial physicians in the medical bureau seem helpless with the Empress Dowager's illness; it seems to be a very difficult disease to treat."

Xiu Yuan touched his chin. The situation was about as he had guessed. If the situation hadn't been so dire, Li Yuan wouldn't have bothered to extend his reach into the martial arts world.

"Any other information about this matter?"

Yan Lingji blinked her bright eyes. If she had some guesses about Xiu Yuan's attitude before, she was now certain that his visit to Shouying was probably closely related to the Empress Dowager's matter.

"The relationship between the two princes in the court and the King of Chu, the Empress Dowager, and Li Yuan is very tense. There are rumors in Shouying City that the Empress Dowager's illness may have been caused by the two princes, but I am not sure what the truth is."

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan shook his head.

If that's the case, then the memory I have is not unfounded.

"What are the origins of these two royal uncles of Chu?"

"They are the King of Chu's half-brother and half-brother."

Seeing that Xiu Yuan remained silent, Yan Lingji asked with some curiosity, "You seem particularly concerned about the Empress Dowager's affairs. Does the Heavenly Sect also have an interest in the affairs of secular dynasties?"

Tianzong doesn't concern himself with worldly affairs. Yan Lingji had already witnessed this situation back in Korea. If this young man wanted to get involved, Xinzheng would definitely not be in its current state.

Xiu Yuan has been inquiring about the Empress Dowager of Chu, and she subconsciously thinks that Tianzong wants to interfere in the affairs of Chu.

Xiu Yuan's eyes flickered slightly before he spoke, "Regarding Li Yuan, Li Huan, and the King of Chu, I've heard a rumor that the current King of Chu is actually the illegitimate son of Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie. Back then, Li Yuan was Huang Xie's retainer. When he learned that Prince Kaolie of Chu was having difficulty conceiving, he offered up his sister. Later, Li Huan successfully gave birth to a prince, and only then did Li Yuan gain a foothold in the Chu court."

Yan Lingji was taken aback upon hearing this.

An illegitimate child? The illegitimate child of Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie? If this is true, then the attitudes of Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu can be explained. But how credible is this story?

"And what about Lord Chunshen?"

"He's dead. If I'm not mistaken, he must have died at Li Yuan's hands."

"However, I am not particularly interested in these matters. My visit to Shouying this time is for other things, which happen to involve Empress Dowager Li Huan."

Time flew by, and Xiu Yuan asked a few more questions. He also obtained a lot of useful information from Yan Lingji. For example, Mi Hao had close private relations with the Silver Moon Legion, and Mi Fuchu had visited the Fierce Tiger Legion many times, suggesting that he had an excellent relationship with the generals in the army.

In recent days, urgent reports have come from the border that the Qin state seems to be encroaching on the border again, but the King of Chu has not yet made any move. In the past, at such times, the King of Chu would have arranged for Xiang Yan to go to the battlefield to fight the enemy, but this time, the royal order has been delayed.

Some ambitious people in the court wanted to speak up and persuade the king, but he fell ill and had not attended court for three days. The affairs of the court were being managed by the Prime Minister, Li Yuan.

Upon hearing this, Xiu Yuan guessed what was going on; Shouying was probably facing an impending storm.

Watching Xiu Yuan's departing figure, Xiao Meng got off the bed, and then the girl said softly, "Senior brother asked you to protect me, but I don't think it's necessary."

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingji smiled and shook her head.

"That's not my problem anymore. Now that the deal is done, I just need to focus on doing my own thing."

Xiaomeng glanced at the other person but didn't say anything.

In the end, Xiu Yuan made a deal with this girl: he could help Yan Ling Ji find out the truth of what happened back then, but Yan Ling Ji had to ensure Xiao Meng's safety in Shou Ying.

Yan Lingji was naturally pleased with this outcome. After all, with her power, investigating the truth in Shouying would be very difficult, while protecting a little girl would be much simpler.

"By the way, there's something I'm curious about: can people in your Heavenly Sect marry and have children?"

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(End of this chapter)