Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 196 Encountering the Wind Beard, Entering the Martial World
In the royal palace of Shouying City.

A slightly thin man sat high on the throne, listening to the servants' reports. When he heard that the person standing behind Nian Duan was a Grandmaster, his face turned sickly pale.

"Grandmaster"

A heavy murmur echoed through the silent hall.

"So that's what Master Qi meant before."

After a moment of silence, the man waved his hand, dismissing the others.

"The Xiang family."

The main gate was tightly closed, and the hall was dimly lit. After a long while, another voice rang out, but this time, the voice was full of sarcasm.

Is the State of Chu truly as it appears to the outside world? And who is really in control behind all this turmoil?
On the other side, at the Lingyin Mansion, Li Yuan fainted immediately after learning that Nian Duan had been rescued by a young boy.

In the face of life and death, everything else seems insignificant, even someone as powerful as him.

When the magistrate opened his eyes again, his black hair was streaked with gray; overnight, his hair had turned white.

Looking at the servants attending to him, Li Yuan suddenly felt a sense of calm, and all the initial thoughts of vying for fame and fortune disappeared.

Having faced a life-or-death situation, he seemed to have figured many things out.

"Somebody come!"

"grown ups?"

"Bring over the prescription that Xiang Quan sent!"

"Sir, the prescription is very likely fake."

"Do it!"

In the General's Mansion, Xiang Yan looked at Xiang Liang in front of him and asked in a deep voice, "Has anything else happened at the military camp?"

Xiang Liang bowed.

"Father, it has already been suppressed."

“Those two do have connections with the Silver Moon Army. Li Shutong is one of their men. I brought him with me when I returned to the city this time. He's waiting outside the main hall. Would you like to see him?”

Xiang Yan waved her hand.

What's the reaction from the palace?

This time, his concession wasn't because of Li Yuan, Li Huan, Mi Hao, or Mi Fuchu, but because of the current King of Chu.

Urgent reports have arrived from the front lines that Qin is making another major move on the border. If the current king continues in this manner, then he will have to consider whether to replace him with a new king.

Xiang Liang shook his head and replied softly, "No."

Xiang Liang was quite disappointed with the current king. Xiang Quan returned to the city because of a secret edict, and even encountered an assassination attempt on his way back, but the matter was eventually dropped.

As for what happened in the palace, he didn't know who did it, but he was certain that it was definitely not the Mirror Lake Physician, because the other party had been in the General's Mansion the whole time and had been under their surveillance, so he had no time to commit the crime.

But he still sent people to arrest them. Did he not trust the Xiang clan, or did he want to smear the Xiang clan?

That's why Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu were so nervous after learning that the General had sent a secret order to the Tenglong Army, because they were worried that Xiang Yan would rebel.

Therefore, when Qingxu later took action, the Xiang clan did not make any move and chose to remain on the sidelines.

Firstly, things haven't reached that point yet; secondly, they are also expressing their dissatisfaction to the person in the palace.

"Liang'er, where do you think this ship from the State of Chu will ultimately sail?"

As for Mi Hao and Mi Fuchu, their expressions were quite different. Looking at the still-shaken Mi Hao, Mi Fuchu's eyes showed a hint of disdain. At this point, what's the use of being afraid?

And now, is the King of Chu just going to let that young man leave like this? For the State of Chu, this is a great disgrace.

After leaving Mi Hao, Mi Fuchu's face was terribly gloomy. The situation in the palace had developed to this point, which was largely due to his instigation, or rather, his efforts. However, the result was far from what he had expected.

Looking at the false calm on the street, Mi Fu Chu clenched his fists and murmured to himself, "I can't wait any longer."

"The second Grandmaster of Taoism?"

Qi region, Daze Mountain.

Tian Guang, the leader of the peasant clan, looked at the intelligence report in his hand and felt inexplicably heavy-hearted.

Three days have passed since the Battle of Shouying City in the State of Chu, and the story of this battle where one man fought against a thousand soldiers has been spread by busybodies.

No one laughed that the Imperial Guards, despite mobilizing a thousand men, still failed to stop the boy. Instead, people were amazed that the Taoist Heavenly Sect had produced another Grandmaster, a terrifyingly young one.

A mountain breeze blows, its coolness seemingly able to soothe all irritability and bring peace to the soul.

After a while, Tian Guang summoned his trusted aides and said in a deep voice, "Someone, secretly deliver this intelligence to Lord Changping!"

Besides the young grandmaster mentioned in the intelligence report, there was another matter: other signs seemed to be emerging in Shouying City. The Prime Minister Li Yuan had died, and the two royal uncles of the Chu Kingdom were making moves. It seemed that the Chu Kingdom was about to undergo a real change.

Chu Di, Wanming Mountain.

An old man with white hair and beard was fishing by the stream at the foot of the mountain. He was wearing a straw hat and had a bamboo basket beside him. He was dressed in coarse cloth clothes with the cuffs rolled up, revealing half of his bronze arm.

Beside the stream was an official road, and a carriage was slowly making its way over.

The driver was a young man. When he saw the old man, he narrowed his eyes, gently patted the horse's back, and stopped the carriage.

"Sir, what's wrong?"

After a while, a voice came from inside the carriage, a slightly playful voice.

The boy loosened the reins and replied softly, "There's someone here. You drive the carriage, I'll go see."

Then a girl emerged from the carriage, a girl in a bright red dress.

She gently raised her eyes and saw the old man sitting by the stream, a strange look appearing between her brows.

This place is located in the wilderness, and is extremely remote. Logically speaking, there should be no one here at all, so the person who appears here is naturally suspicious.

In the past few days, after they left Shouying, they hardly saw anyone, or rather, most of the people in the know didn't dare to follow them.

As for the petty thieves on the road, they were all scared away by the boy beside him.

"Senior brother?"

A voice echoed in the boy's heart, and the boy shook his head.

"It's alright. If I'm not mistaken, this place should be Wanming Mountain, and this person might be our second target in Shouying."

The boy then got off the carriage and slowly walked to the stream.

The boy stood quietly to the side, watching the stream flow gently, without saying a word.

The old man seemed oblivious, his gaze fixed on the fishing float in the water.

The stream flowed on, and time passed. They stood there for half an hour. The old man seemed surprised that the young man had such composure. He spoke first, saying, "I heard that a genius has appeared in the Taoist Heavenly Sect. He has become a Grandmaster at a young age and even suppressed a thousand troops with a single sword in Shouying City!"

The boy chuckled softly.

"It's not that exaggerated, that sword didn't actually come down in the end!"

Upon hearing this, the old man slightly lifted his bamboo hat, revealing the shimmering water above the stream. His gaze was deep, as if he could see the city of Shouying from that day.

"If it falls, the State of Chu may very well embark on a different path!"

The boy did not respond.

Countless possibilities arise from everything, and no one can be certain what will happen if something hasn't happened yet.

"I heard from the Xiang clan that you were looking for me."

Seeing that the boy remained silent, the old man spoke again.

The young man nodded.

"I thought I would never have the chance to meet you, sir."

The old man was taken aback for a moment, then burst into laughter, his laughter filled with a sense of joy.

"I've never believed in such things as fate or destiny. If I believe something is right, I will pursue it with all my might. Only in this way can I make the most of my life."

"Young man, tell me!"

Why do you want to see me?

The boy was silent for a moment, then shook his head.

"There were some things that needed to be done, but they're not now."

Upon hearing this answer, the old man let out a soft "hmm".

I had something to do, but now I don't. I just don't know if this change in the other person happened before or after I saw them.

If the change occurred before meeting him, it was due to the other person themselves; if it occurred after meeting him, it was due to him.

However, having seen many ups and downs, he didn't dwell on this change too much.

It's fine if it is, or it isn't!

I am just an ordinary person after all, and I can't change so many things. The person in front of me looks like a young man, but he is actually a grandmaster and one of the people standing at the top of the martial arts world.

How could he possibly solve the problems the other party was facing? Through the trials of time, he had long since come to know himself; he was merely a sword appraiser, and the only thing he could change was himself.

"I heard you also have a sword."

The weathered voice came again, and the young man nodded. After thinking for a moment, he gave a soft shout.

“Peach Blossom!”

A faint aura appeared, and a peach wood sword pierced through the air from inside the carriage, hovering in front of him.

The old man's eyes flashed, his gaze becoming extremely sharp. His originally unremarkable appearance now possessed the sharpness of a grandmaster.

Of course, this change is just a metaphor; it doesn't mean that the old man in front of us is actually a grandmaster, but rather that he has cultivated his confidence over many years of immersion in a certain field.

"What a divine weapon with a spiritual power!"

"May I have a look?"

The boy nodded, then he raised his right hand slightly, and the peach wood sword flew to the old man's front.

"Peach wood sword?"

The old man was taken aback when he saw the sword.

Most of the world's most powerful weapons are forged from metal using advanced forging techniques, aiming for the ability to cut a hair in two or for simple, effortless craftsmanship. But a sword made of peach wood—this was the first time he had ever seen one made by a master. Wooden swords were usually just toys for adults to amuse children, not something that could be used to kill enemies on the battlefield.

But when he thought of the person in front of him, who seemed to be just a teenager, he felt somewhat relieved.

In life, eight or nine out of ten things cannot be perfect. Just as the Great Dao is fifty, and the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine, with one missing, even the Heavenly Dao is like this, let alone a human being?
He then examined the peach wood sword in front of him.

The old man put down the bamboo pole in his hand, put two fingers together, and gently touched the blade of the peach sword. He immediately realized that this thing was not as simple as he had imagined.

“I have heard that in the past, when Kuafu chased the sun, his staff turned into a forest, and the peach wood became a divine object, containing the essence of the sun and the moon, called ‘Dragon-Subduing Wood’. It is the essence of the five elements, and although its texture is soft, it has a fierce sword aura and can connect with the righteous energy of heaven and earth.”

"What is even more remarkable is that this sword also contains the power of extreme yang. If I am not mistaken, on the day this sword was completed, it should have incorporated a piece of extreme yang material. Wood helps fire, just as a dragon gets clouds and rain, fully grasping the mystery of 'wood and fire generating each other, yin and yang complementing each other'."

At this point, the old man flicked his finger lightly on the sword, and several Taoist inscriptions suddenly appeared on the blade, containing the profound Taoist principle of the endless cycle of life.

"This sword does bear some resemblance to another sword of your Heavenly Sect—Qiu Li."

"I have been observing swords for sixty years, and I know countless famous swords in the world, but only a handful can be listed on the best swords list. This sword..."

At this point, the old man suddenly felt the sword tremble slightly. His hand loosened instinctively, and the wooden sword flew back to the boy with great intelligence. Seeing this, he didn't know what he was thinking, but he couldn't help but chuckle.

The so-called ranking of famous swords in the martial arts world is based on two factors: the swords themselves and the people who wield them. This young man, regardless of what sword he holds, is worthy of being in the top ten.

"A sword becomes famous throughout the world not only because of its own quality, but also mainly because of its owner. If this sword were in someone else's hands, it might be ranked outside the top twenties, but because its owner is you, it will rank very high."

"A sword is originally made of ordinary iron, but it becomes spiritual through wielding, moves with the heart, lives with blood, and dies from non-thought."

"In a few years, this sword will definitely appear on the list of famous swords."

Upon hearing this, the young man suddenly asked, "When you mention the famous swords list, are you ranking the people or the swords?"

The old man seemed surprised by the young man's question. After a moment of silence, he spoke again: "Every sword has its own origin. Just like this peach sword, in the hands of an ordinary person, it can only be a toy. But in the hands of a martial arts master, it will become a deadly weapon, allowing more people to know about it."

"Therefore, the rankings on the sword manual can be said to be created by the swordsmen and the swords together."

"The Taoist way is one of continuous creation; I have fully grasped its essence!"

Time passed quickly, and half an hour later, the boy turned and left, returning to the carriage.

A young woman sat on the carriage seat outside the carriage. Seeing the young man return, she couldn't help but ask softly, "Who is this old man?"

The boy did not answer her question at first. Instead, he handed her the wooden sword and took the reins from her. He tightened the reins and the horse rode forward again.

"Wind Beard".

After a while, the boy finally spoke slowly.

The girl frowned; she seemed to have heard this name somewhere before.

"Could it be that famous sword appraiser from the Chu Kingdom, Feng Hu Zi?"

The young man nodded.

When the girl saw the boy nod, a strange look appeared in her eyes. It seemed that the most widely circulated sword manual in the martial arts world was written by this person.

Recalling the other party's status in the art of sword appraisal, the girl couldn't help but ask again, "Then, has this peach-shaped sword caught his eye?"

She had witnessed the young man flying through the air on his sword, and now that she knew he was the sword appraiser Feng Hu Zi, she naturally wanted to ask him how he evaluated the sword.

"In other people's hands, this sword would be ranked outside the top twenty, but in my hands, it can be ranked in the top ten!"

Upon hearing this, the girl's eyes widened in surprise; such an answer was truly unexpected.

"That old guy is really cunning."

"He said everything, good and bad."

The boy stared straight ahead, a faint, almost imperceptible, deep meaning flickering in the corner of his eye.

The other person seemed to be quite different from what I had imagined; he was a rather interesting old man.

The girl beside her put her legs up on the crossbar of the carriage and started playing with the peach wood sword in her hand.

She knew perfectly well how this sword was forged; it had never been fired or hammered, and was entirely carved from peach wood.

Later, the young man beside her used a Taoist secret technique to infuse a piece of fire essence into it, and that was all.

This wooden sword, according to that person, was actually ranked among the top ten of the famous swords.

"Does that mean that if this sword were in my hands, it would only rank outside the top twenties?"

The girl's words came again, her tone quite jealous. In fact, for the boy beside her, this sword was not very useful. Even an ordinary wooden sword would have earth-shattering power in his hands.

But in her hands, or in the hands of anyone who cultivates fire-attribute techniques, it is an invaluable treasure.

In the end, it was only in the hands of the other party that this sword was able to break into the top ten of the famous swords list. It has to be said that this is a great irony!
Does this famous sword manual focus on the people or the swords?

Where do you plan to go next?

The boy leaned back against the carriage; after returning to Mirror Lake, he would have to go back.

The girl beside him did not belong to the Qin state, but rather to the Han state. However, that's not quite right; she should belong to the Baiyue, a state that had already been destroyed.

The girl slightly bent her knees, then placed her hands on her knees, her body swaying with the movement of the carriage.

A hint of sadness lingered in her alluring eyes.

"I don't know, maybe I'll go to Shouying City again in a while!"

The boy frowned slightly, then shook his head inwardly.

"Go find that person?"

“My home is gone; Xinzheng is not my home.”

This is a heavy topic. War has destroyed one family after another, and both the victors and the vanquished are tasting the bitter fruit of war.

The war never ends, and no one can escape this law. After a while, the boy asked again, "Do you believe in fate?"

The girl turned slightly to the side, staring intently at him, eager to know what he wanted to say.
The boy possessed a comforting aura that unconsciously made those who approached him forget the danger and become captivated by him.

The girl only came to her senses when the carriage wheel hit a stone and the carriage lurched slightly.

What if I say I believe?

The boy's gaze seemed to drift into the distance at that moment.

"Then let nature take its course! If he is not dead and you are destined to meet, you will meet him when the time comes. If you are not destined to meet, even if you force it, you will probably not recognize each other when you meet him."

Upon hearing this, the girl suddenly chuckled softly.

“I’ve heard Madam Hu say that the young master’s secular name is Xiuyuan.”

The boy hummed in agreement.

"Can fate be cultivated?"

The girl moved closer to Xiu Yuan. She was willing to believe in fate, so she wanted to know if fate could really be cultivated.
Xiu Yuan shook his head; he himself wasn't sure about this question.

"do not know."

The girl rolled her eyes in exasperation at this disappointing answer.

"Young master, has anyone ever told you that sometimes you're really a killjoy?"

Xiu Yuan raised his head and looked up at the sky. The sky was a clear blue with a few white clouds dotting it. It was autumn, and the sky was exceptionally high and distant.

"Is it a downer?"

"To weave one lie and then cover it up with countless others is to deceive oneself. When the lie is exposed one day, people are often more heartbroken."

"Then why not just accept that reality from the beginning? We are living in the world, not in a dream."

The girl, mimicking the boy, also looked up at the sky.

A gentle breeze blew by, and a few strands of her hair fell onto Xiu Yuan's face, still carrying a hint of her youthful fragrance.

"I wish I could live in a dream forever."

The sound was very low, carried by the wind to Xiu Yuan's ears, and Xiu Yuan sighed inwardly.

The world seems to have always been this way, except that some people strive to bring their dream life into reality, while others are destined never to realize that dream.

This is an unavoidable situation; in a space with limited resources, it is destined that not everyone can realize their wishes.

It seems that all they can do is bring more of their dreams into reality.

"No wonder Han Fei thinks so highly of you. You two are the same; neither of you indulges in those unrealistic dreams! You only create beautiful dreams for others!"

Xiu Yuan chuckled.

"Han Fei?"

Inside the carriage, the three of them looked somewhat dazed upon hearing Xiu Yuan and Yan Ling Ji's conversation.

The three of them didn't know much about Yan Ling Ji, with Xiao Meng knowing the most.

But those things are only Xiu Yuan's side of the story.

Hearing this girl's words now, they couldn't help but feel a sense of empathy.

In this era, they are also experiencing similar things, but compared to each other, they seem to be lucky, at least they have their own spiritual sustenance.

Unlike this girl, who is like duckweed on the water, drifting aimlessly with no home.

The carriage gradually moved further and further away, disappearing from the official road. Two rows of ruts were left on the soil, like a stroke of a brush, marking the traces of those who had passed by.

Time waits for no one, and once gone, it never returns. The world is a place where new people replace the old. Today, someone has set foot on this land and left a brief mark.

Perhaps one day someone will come and leave their mark here.

How about I give you a choice?

"What kind of choice?"

"This is??"

"You bastard!!"

"I'll bite you to death!!"

The sound faded away with the wind, leaving a tremor in the air. A carriage slowly left the imperial court and once again entered the world of martial arts.

(End of this chapter)