Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 203 The Strange Porcelain Pillow, Lord Changping's Investigation

"Did I not make a choice?"

"After I learned of the master's ambition"

At the cliff, Yi slowly walked over and sat down next to Xiuyuan. Her tense nerves had relaxed without her realizing it.

She sensed the same aura she had felt from the other person back then, the same aura she had felt from Wuming.

It was a burning passion for life. Wuming taught her to live for herself, so she came to the farmhouse, and choosing Tian Meng was out of necessity.

This time, what she could feel from this boy was a sense of peace, compassion, and empathy.

She was very curious as to why such emotions would appear in a disciple of the Taoist Tianzong sect.

"master."

"What are your thoughts on farmers today?"

Sitting here is undoubtedly very dangerous for Yi, because at this distance, if the other party wants to make a move, she will have no chance of escaping.

"A farmhouse?"

"The Farmer's Clan is the most powerful of the Hundred Families, with many disciples. They uphold the principles of chivalry and have been developing well under the leadership of their leader, Tian Guang."

"I've also heard that Tian Guang has a close personal relationship with Lord Changping of Qin. The peasant family might also become a weapon in the struggle between various forces."

"."

Upon hearing this, Yi's lips curled into a mocking smile.

Even though it's something an outsider could understand, the farmers thought they could stay out of this chaotic world, guarding their own little plot of land and living a carefree life.

"Lao Tzu, the founder of Taoism, once said in the Tao Te Ching: 'If you want to contract something, you must first expand it; if you want to weaken something, you must first strengthen it; if you want to abolish something, you must first promote it; if you want to take something, you must first give it.'"

"If you want to kill your enemy with the sword in your hand, the first thing you need to do is keep the sword sharp."

"That Lord Changping's support for farmers was never without purpose."

Upon hearing Yi's words, the boy frowned slightly.

That makes sense, but what he didn't expect was that the other party was quoting Taoist sayings.

Then Yi changed the subject and started talking about something else.

"The six elders of the peasant clan are still alive, and with Tian Guang and the others, I can't handle them alone."

The young man raised his eyes, a complex look in them. Years ago, the person in front of him was secretly arranged by the Luo Wang to assassinate Wei Wuji. Later, he met Wuming and, by chance, came to the farm. After that experience, he had insights into the affairs of the farm far beyond those of ordinary people.

"Having come from the Luo Wang (a powerful organization), you must be well aware of the methods Qin has used against the other six states over the years!"

Yi nodded gently.

"The march of history never stops. When one era ends, a new era will surely rise."

Seemingly understanding the meaning behind the young man's words, the beauty's pupils contracted involuntarily.

"Master, are you saying that the Qin state will be the final victor in this battle?"

Seeing Xiuyuan sitting to one side without responding, several thoughts flashed through Yi's mind.

For anyone, the net is indeed an inescapable nightmare, but from another perspective, the net is so all-pervasive that it is called the "heavenly net" or "earthly net," and it must have its extraordinary abilities.

Of the seven states today, Qin is undoubtedly the strongest, both in terms of national strength and talent.

As for the other six states, for one reason or another, there was constant infighting in the court and their national strength was declining. Even the states of Zhao and Chu, which were once regarded as rivals by Qin, are now in a situation where they cannot even protect themselves.

"Perhaps there is no winner in this battle!!"

After a while, the boy's words drifted over, and Yi's heart skipped a beat. It was an answer she never expected—there was no winner.

No winner?
She was somewhat confused. If the Qin state eventually unified the six states and became the only empire on this land, could that be considered a victory? If such an outcome could not be considered a victory, then what kind of outcome would be considered a victory in the eyes of this young man?
"The emergence of a new thing will inevitably go through a process. People need time to adapt to it, and not everyone can accept it at the beginning. Therefore, this process is destined to be not very pleasant."

"Since the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, various countries have been embroiled in conflict and turmoil for hundreds of years. While people yearn for peace, many have also adapted to this situation."

“In this situation, those who have vested interests will not willingly watch a situation they do not want to occur.”

"Whose interests were harmed by the unification of the seven kingdoms? Were they the interests of ordinary people? I don't think so. Even in wars between nations, it is always the common soldiers who charge to the front lines, not the generals. While the front lines are littered with corpses, the rear is filled with revelry every night."

"You should be able to understand the situation I'm describing!"

Hearing this, Yi's two little hands unconsciously clenched together. Walking in the darkness, she saw human nature far more clearly than ordinary people.

In every country today, there are people who least want to see that kind of situation, and these people hold quite high positions in their respective countries.

As the boy in front of me said, when that day really comes, these people will definitely not sit idly by and wait to die.

For an assassin, the mission is everything, but for countries or individuals, interests come first. There are no eternal friends, but there are eternal interests.

The boy was silent for a moment, then his voice came again.

"A newly established regime, especially one in such turbulent circumstances, is destined to have countless people lurking in the shadows, waiting for their chance to strike. While the founder of this country is still alive, perhaps no one will succeed, but for an ordinary person, how many years can they last? A person's life is very short, like a fleeting moment."

"Under these circumstances, what kind of situation do you think the world would be in?"

At this point, the young man abruptly stopped speaking, not venturing further. However, to the beautiful woman beside him, his words were nothing short of a thunderclap.

Perhaps it was just a simple guess, but she had a feeling that this was something that was about to happen in the future.

"So, what the master needs to do is after that?"

"To be honest, I'd rather it were before then!!"

"You can lie low in the farmhouse and wait for my news. This may take a long time, but when that day comes, I hope you will make the right choice."

Hearing the young man's arrangement, Yi's eyes flashed wildly. Then she said, "Tian Meng has started to suspect me recently. He is the head of the Lieshan Hall, and his cultivation is only one step away from the Grandmaster realm. In addition, there are disciples of the Lieshan Hall. I have no chance of winning!"

Yi expressed her current situation in the farmhouse, which was also the problem she was facing. Otherwise, she would never have taken the initiative to show up to see the other party tonight.

Upon hearing this, a hint of reminiscence flashed in Xiu Yuan's eyes. His impression of Tian Meng was mainly focused on the matter of framing Chen Sheng. From the framing incident, it was not difficult to see that the other party was an ambitious person.

Things were fine when Tian Guang was in power, but after Tian Guang disappeared, his opponent plotted to drive away his biggest rival, Chen Sheng, and then won over Tian Zhong and Tian Mi. In addition, he also won over his brother Tian Hu. Four of the six halls of the Farmer's Clan were on his side. Once the time was right, he could easily ascend to the throne of the Farmer's Clan's leader.

Xiu Yuan didn't think there was anything wrong with ambitious people; it was just that differences in personal stances inevitably led to friction, just like in this matter. However, the existence of this Lieshan Hall Master had, to some extent, blocked his path.

"I'll handle Tian Meng's matter!"

Where is your sincerity?

Upon hearing the other party's reply, Yi felt her heart pounding like a drum. The problem that had left her helpless seemed to have been solved.

"What the master means is..."

"Literally, he will no longer be an obstacle for you in the farmhouse!"

After thinking for a moment, Yi asked again, "What does Master want?"

"Your daughter."

Yi's expression changed drastically. This was an unacceptable outcome for her. She had done all this for the sake of her child, and she would never agree to hand over her child because of this.

"This is impossible."

Xiu Yuan slowly got up, walked to the edge of the cliff, and looked down at the dense jungle below.

The Grandmaster realm has saved him a lot of trouble. For example, his night vision ability still allows him to see things nearby, although the distance is shorter than during the day.

After a while, Xiu Yuan said in a deep voice, "Her situation in the peasant family is not stable. I think the root cause of your being controlled by Tian Meng is her!"

"With her around, you'll always be in a passive position."

Upon hearing this, Yi fell silent.

It must be said that the young man was right, but she would never have been able to hand her daughter over to a stranger.

"I will protect her."

Xiu Yuan suddenly smiled, but his laughter carried a hint of mockery.

"A foolish decision!!"

"Whatever you want!!"

"Just in case, I will place a restriction inside your body."

Upon hearing the word "restriction," Yi was about to refuse when she suddenly found herself in darkness, with only black and white remaining in the world.

"The world has lost its color!"

After trying to move her body to no avail, Yi shook her head helplessly in her heart.

She had long heard of this unique skill of the Taoist Heavenly Sect, and now that she saw the other party use it, she had given up on the idea.

For her, this encounter was not a choice; refusing the other party's conditions would only lead to her death.

Fortunately, the other party did not forcibly take his daughter away; otherwise, he would probably have faced certain destruction.

Her thoughts raced, and then she sensed an immense aura that instantly surged into her eight extraordinary meridians, locking onto her heart meridian in the blink of an eye.

Prohibition?
Recalling what the boy had said earlier, Yi immediately guessed what this aura was.

Feeling this incredibly pure yet boundless and powerful internal energy, her heart sank. Compared to the opponent's internal energy, her own was worlds apart.

This was the first time she had encountered such terrifying power since she began practicing swordsmanship and martial arts.

After several breaths, when she came to her senses again, she found that there was no one in front of her, which surprised her. Then, a voice echoed in her heart.

I hope you won't let me down!

Sitting there, the beautiful woman suddenly felt a sense of loss. Fate seemed to have played a cruel joke on her; after all the twists and turns, it seemed everything had returned to square one. Years ago, she was controlled by a net, becoming a murder weapon; now, she was controlled by someone else, becoming a sword in their hands.

However, compared to being controlled by the Net before, this time she didn't feel much resistance. To gamble on an unseen and intangible future was truly a bit crazy.

"Is he really just a teenager?"

On the other side, watching Xiu Yuan slowly walk out of the dense forest, Situ Wanli shook his head.

"Master, we should arrive at Four Seasons Town around tomorrow. Why don't you rest for a while?"

Upon hearing what the other person said, the boy nodded.

As night deepened, the boy who had been sitting cross-legged suddenly opened his eyes, then took a step and disappeared from the spot once again.

On a towering tree, Xiu Yuan looked at the back of his left hand, where a burning, scorching aura emanated.

The faint outline of a small porcelain pillow is visible in and out of sight.

"This is."

The unusual appearance of the porcelain pillow was a good thing for him.

He tried circulating the various cultivation techniques he was currently practicing. First, he practiced "Harmony with the World," then "Autumn Waters of Ten Thousand Rivers" and "Heart Like Still Water," and finally "Evergreen Technique."

After finding nothing amiss, he turned his attention to studying the moves, first the colorless heavens and earth, then the sword techniques he had comprehended, the power of the stars.

But in the end, he didn't find anything unusual. Looking at the back of his left hand, Xiu Yuan suddenly fell into deep thought.

If something unusual happens, it's impossible that nothing has happened; he was certain of that.

Recalling some of the things he had done in the past few days, Xiu Yuan seemed to have grasped a fleeting opportunity, and his expression turned to one of surprise and delight.

"To understand one's true nature and discern the truth from falsehood."

"Could it be...?"

As soon as he finished speaking, a gust of wind suddenly swept through the mountains and forests, and the spiritual energy of heaven and earth from the surrounding area rushed in.

Without even needing to consciously guide it, his eight extraordinary meridians were filled step by step, and then a mysterious aura surged into his heart.

At this moment, the pulse of heaven and earth was so clear in his perception; the direction of mountains and rivers, the distribution of lakes and rivers, were all presented in his mind.

He could achieve this perception through the unity of man and nature, but now it seems he can control everything with just a breath.

He could even see the traces of the wind blowing by, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy in the weather seemed to have been deliberately marked.

The field of vision began to extend outwards, and after nearly ten miles, it gradually came to a stop.

Half an incense stick later, the boy slowly opened his eyes. He looked at his palm, where the veins were clearly visible. With a gentle clench, he felt as if the world was being held in his hand.

"This is... the Grandmaster realm?"

Realm and combat power are two different categories. Before becoming a Grandmaster, realm is related to the cultivation of internal energy, but after becoming a Grandmaster, he is not quite sure what it is related to.

Combat strength encompasses several aspects, among which internal strength, techniques, and offensive methods are the most important.

Before arriving at the farmhouse, Xiu Yuan's combat strength had already reached the Grandmaster level. His victory over Yan Wu, who had broken through to the Grandmaster level, in Daliang City already demonstrated this.

Now, with his realm advancing once again, his combat power has also been further enhanced.

He had a feeling that he could easily defeat himself even if he faced his past selves several times over.

As for improving his cultivation level, he finally understood some of the tricks of the trade. After reaching the level of a Grandmaster, one needs to understand one's true nature, distinguish truth from falsehood, and seek one's true self.

That's why the previous trial of the heart occurred.

Now that he has taken this step and looks back, he understands the secret behind it.

Previously, I had internal strength but lacked the mental state to control it. It was like a child holding a sledgehammer; no matter how hard he tried, he could not unleash its full power.

Now, with his mindset further elevated, he has finally taken that step in his spiritual journey. The child has become a strongman, and the sledgehammer is no longer a burden.

"I never expected it to be like this~~"

Thinking about their encounter tonight, Xiu Yuan couldn't help but shake his head.

Entering the world and leaving the world are both aspects of the Daoist way. Those who have achieved success in cultivating the Dao will descend the mountain to gain experience. This experience is actually worldly cultivation. After experiencing the mundane world, they return to the mountain, which is worldly cultivation.

Breakthroughs in one's realm may be a single point that requires several rounds of refinement. Some people are exceptionally talented and may break through without needing to refine their skills, while others need to hone their skills repeatedly before achieving success naturally.

Of course, once you reach the Grandmaster level, the threshold becomes very high. Even geniuses have to stop and go through repeated trials and tribulations.

While there aren't many masters at the Grandmaster level in the martial arts world, there are quite a few, but Grandmasters are extremely rare. This kind of enlightenment and self-discovery is a very important reason for this.

With a swift movement, Xiu Yuan returned to the spot he had just been, and no one around him noticed anything amiss.

Seeing this, the boy slowly exhaled.

"Farm life is so interesting!!"

On the other side, Yi had just returned to her residence when she heard a little girl talking to herself in a low voice.

"From the perspective of farmers, there doesn't seem to be much they can plan. The Taoist Tianzong sect mainly controls white paper and refined salt, and there are huge profits behind these."

"Even if the masters of the Taoist Heavenly Sect don't care about these things, the Human Sect shouldn't be like that. The Human Sect emphasizes worldly cultivation, and clothing, food, housing, and transportation all require expenses."

"If I were to handle this, the most crucial point would be..."

Yi paused, a hint of surprise in her eyes. If she hadn't sensed that there was only one person in the room, she would have thought that someone was teaching her daughter!

"Yan'er, she..."

After a while, Yi gently shook her head.

My daughter is still young and has little experience with the ways of the world, so some of the arrangements are not entirely satisfactory.

But that didn't diminish her joy. In chaotic times, weakness is the original sin. Her daughter, at such a young age, already possessed such a meticulous mind, far surpassing ordinary people.

With careful training, even relying solely on intelligence, they have the potential to rise to great heights in the future.

Because of the circumstances of her birth, her daughter was very weak from birth, and even now she always carries medicinal herbs with her. She has always felt somewhat guilty about this. Now that she has discovered her daughter's talent, it is definitely something to celebrate for Yi.

"Cough cough~~"

Outside the door, Yi coughed softly twice, and the little girl inside the room stopped talking abruptly.

"Yan'er, why aren't you asleep yet, it's so late?"

"Mother, I can't sleep."

The little girl lowered her head, looking pitiful, which made Yi feel somewhat helpless.

However, she felt she still needed to offer a reminder regarding what happened tonight.

"Yan'er, sometimes, even when you're alone, you have to be careful because walls have ears. Not everyone wants the best for us."

Hearing her mother's words, the little girl blinked. In fact, she had already guessed that her mother had heard what she had just said.

"Mother, do you have to do this at home too?"

Yi lowered her eyelids, and a hint of sourness rose in her nose.

Perhaps the boy was right; keeping his daughter in the countryside wasn't the best choice.

"Yan'er, some secrets can only be kept to yourself!"

"We can't tell even my father and me."

Yi pulled the little girl into her arms. At this moment, she still couldn't tell her daughter the truth. Her daughter was too young, and in terms of intelligence and methods, she was far from being a match for Tian Meng. It would be bad if she made things worse because of what she said.

Tian Meng was not a kind person. If I hadn't possessed martial arts skills, I would probably have become a tool in his hands.

Especially since the other party has already become suspicious of his identity, and given their temperament, they might very well use his daughter to threaten him into coercing him into cooperating.

“Everything will pass!”

She gently patted her daughter's back and murmured to herself that she had gained something from tonight's trip. Everything would be ready for tomorrow's meeting. This time, she was betting on a young man.

The Prime Minister's Residence in the Qin State.

Changping-jun looked at the secret report in his hand and nodded slightly.

"The Taoist matter has come about strangely, and there is probably more to it than meets the eye. It wouldn't hurt for Tian Guang to take this opportunity to test the waters!"

"How's the investigation going on the Heavenly Sect's side?"

Outside the door, a man who looked like a steward walked in and respectfully replied, "Reporting to your Excellency, the matter has been investigated."

"Just bring the goods over, and then you tell me!"

"That Master Qingxu is a disciple of Beimingzi of the Tianzong sect. His origins are unknown. However, Beimingzi's other disciple, Xiaomeng, is from the Wei Kingdom. This time, in order to settle the karmic debts, she went to Daliang with Qingxu."

"Later, because it involved court officials, Qingxu fought a fierce battle in Daliang City. The battle was extremely brutal, and several high-ranking officials in the Wei court died, including Grand Minister of Works Wei Yong and Imperial Guard Commander Li Qing."

"After Qingxu fought fiercely with Yan Wu, the patriarch of the Armored Sect, Yan Wu finally broke through to the Grandmaster level using a secret technique, but he was still no match for him and was killed. Xiaomeng was probably hit by the aftershocks of the battle between the two masters. Later, Qingxu led people to the Mirror Lake Medical Manor, and you know what happened after that."

"Grandmaster"

How old is Qingxu this year?

"The specifics are uncertain, but based on the investigation, she should be around thirteen or fourteen years old!"

"A young grandmaster??"

(End of this chapter)