Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 215 The Battle of Xinzheng, the Luo Net Attacks
South Korea, Xinzheng City.

As dawn pierced the sky, only faint embers remained of the raging inferno outside the city. Atop the city wall, someone looked down into the distance.

Wei Zhuang, with his silver hair, stood leaning on his sword. The Shark Tooth sword in his hand was already unsheathed. His black and gold cloak fluttered in the wind, and his silver hair danced wildly.

The fire was extinguished faster than expected; only a day after the initial blaze, it was already nearing its end.

"The Qin army is ready to attack. Can we hold out this time?"

Zhang Liang stood aside, his tone revealing his dejection. Faced with overwhelming force, all his schemes and calculations seemed so pale.

Wei Zhuang's expression turned serious, and then he said in a deep voice, "In any war, there are winners and losers. Didn't we all know that from the beginning?"

"Did we really get involved because of Han Fei?"

Zhang Liang put his hands behind his back, his eyes darting around.

Having weathered storms and seen the world, the somewhat naive boy of yesteryear has now learned to stand at the forefront.

"Brother Wei Zhuang, isn't that right?"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang glanced sideways at the young man beside him, then continued, "Perhaps no one knows the answer, not even us, but we are now in the thick of it, and to break free..."

Zhang Liang gently clenched his hands behind his back, a thousand thoughts flashing through his mind.

There is a saying in Go: "Those involved are confused, while bystanders see clearly." This means that those who are involved in the game are unable to see the situation clearly because of their own interests, while those who are not involved can remain calm and objective, and can analyze the problem more rationally and draw conclusions without being swayed by emotions.

In the current conflict between the states of Qin and Han, both are considered pawns, and the difficulty of breaking this deadlock is self-evident.

"I once heard Master Xiuyuan Qingxu say that a strategist can win half a move by personally entering the game."

A breeze blew across the city wall, and the dust outside the city slowly dispersed. Wei Zhuang narrowed his eyes. He still couldn't see through the young man from the Taoist Heavenly Sect.

The few strategies he left behind were indeed rare and effective ways to govern the world, after he and Han Fei studied them carefully. However, at that time, the court was entangled with Ye Mu and Han Yu, and Han Wang An was indecisive, so they could only watch the opportunity slip away.

"Qingxu"

Wei Zhuang suddenly turned around and looked at Zhang Liang, a hint of solemnity flashing in his eyes.

Do you really think Qingxu has no plans for the Seven Kingdoms?

Seeing Wei Zhuang's cautiousness, Zhang Liang frowned.

He had a good impression of that boy from back then. As a highly accomplished disciple of Taoism, the boy did not interfere in worldly affairs, and he did not think there was anything wrong with what the boy did.

"What do you mean by that, Brother Wei Zhuang?"

Wei Zhuang gave Zhang Liang a deep look. He had witnessed Zhang Liang's rapid growth over the past few years, and he couldn't believe that the other party was completely oblivious.

He's crazier than any of us have ever seen.

"Among the seven kingdoms today, the most outstanding talents in each country can only think of reforming and strengthening their own nations, or those with even greater ambitions aim to end this chaotic era."

"Just like the King of Qin—Ying Zheng."

At this point, Zhang Liang nodded subconsciously.

When Ying Zheng visited, he met him in person. The young king did indeed possess an air of dominance over the world.

This time, however, Zhang Liang did not interrupt Wei Zhuang, but stood quietly to the side and listened.

"What Qingxu wanted to end was not just this chaotic world, but the rules that had long been ingrained in people's hearts."

"In my opinion, his ambition is even greater than that person's. There's a saying that often circulates in the martial arts world: Taoists are either geniuses or madmen. Which one do you think Qingxu is?"

Zhang Liang remained silent.

If Wei Zhuang had said these words to others, perhaps they wouldn't have understood them, but he was different. Having received a good education, he was able to understand the deeper meaning behind Wei Zhuang's words.

The rules that Wei Zhuang spoke of were not simply reforms, but a qualitative change from the inside out, a reshaping and reconstruction after breaking everything down, more like a rebirth from the ashes.

"The genius and the madman are ultimately the same person. Perhaps the madman people talk about is just someone we can't understand from their perspective. Just like when faced with the same problem, different people will do different things."

"And when faced with the same situation, how could a genius possibly act in the same way as an ordinary person?"

Wei Zhuang suddenly smiled.

"Interesting answer."

He had asked Han Fei the same question before, and he remembered Han Fei's answer at the time.

“His teachings transcend worldly customs, dynasties, eras, and even human emotions and desires. I know his teachings are correct, but I cannot accept them.”

After standing there for a while, Zhang Liang spoke again.

"I thought Princess Honglian would eventually hand over the Fourth Prince Han Yu!"

Recalling what happened yesterday, Wei Zhuang's eyes narrowed.

He considered the people of Baiyue as nothing more than pawns, but in the end, that woman turned the tables on him.

"Han Yu."

Speaking of the fourth prince of Han, Wei Zhuang's eyes flickered with emotion. After Han Fei entered Qin, Han Yu became very active and even secretly colluded with Ji Wuye, thinking of betrothing Honglian to him in order to win over this great general.

Unfortunately, things didn't go as planned. News from the front lines reported that Blood-Clad Marquis Bai Yifei and the Snow-Clad Fort army had suffered heavy casualties, becoming the final straw that broke the camel's back.

Therefore, Ji Wuye died at his hands.

Later, he wanted to settle accounts with Han Yu, but Honglian stopped him. This time was no different; Honglian ultimately did not agree to Tianze's conditions.

"You don't seem to object to this decision."

Wei Zhuang merely glanced at Zhang Liang indifferently, offering no further explanation.

Zhang Liang shrugged.

"How does Brother Wei Zhuang view someone who is willing to sacrifice anything for a goal?"

When Zhang Liang asked him a question, Wei Zhuang did not answer. Although he disliked indecisive people, when it came to this matter, it was a different story.

From a rational perspective, handing over Han Yu would be the best option, but from a moral perspective, this approach is hard to accept.

Compared to calmly choosing to hand over Han Yu, Wei Zhuang and Zhang Liang actually agreed more with Hong Lian's choice.

Even if we hand over Han Yu, it won't have much impact on the current situation, which is already in dire straits. Even with the addition of Baiyue, their chances of winning are extremely slim.

"However, Brother Wei Zhuang was really domineering back then. He suppressed two Grandmasters, Tian Ze and Yan Ling Ji, all by himself, forcing them to take action."

Wei Zhuang withdrew his gaze and looked back at the battlefield.

"That woman's internal strength is not simple. Perhaps what she said is true. Her current master is no longer Tianze, but Qingxu of the Taoist Tianzong."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liang was taken aback.

After a while, Zhang Liang spoke again, "Tianze doesn't seem angry about this." Wei Zhuang thought for a moment and replied, "Their relationship is probably the same as that of the Quicksand. Han Fei is the leader, and we are the members. There is no superior-subordinate relationship between them. They are just a group of like-minded people working towards the same goal. If we have to say there is a relationship, then there is probably only one: they all come from the same country."

"Get ready!"

"This battle may not be easy. The people from Luo Wang may very well strike at the same time as Nesten launches his attack."

Zhang Liang nodded, then looked at the distant battlefield. There, the Qin army was already beginning to stir, and this battle was ultimately inevitable.

Time flies by.

Half a day passed in the blink of an eye, and Wei Zhuang looked at the two people in front of him with icy eyes.

“Jing Ni and Yan Ri, the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) really thinks highly of me, sending two top-tier assassins at once.”

In an alley in Xinzheng City, two men in black armor suddenly appeared in front of Wei Zhuang. The two men were dressed in the standard black armor of the Qin state and blocked Wei Zhuang in the alley from the front and the back.

One of the men in front of him was holding Yanri, one of the Eight Swords of Yue, while the other was holding Jingni, another of the Eight Swords of Yue.

This isn't the first time Wei Zhuang has dealt with assassins from the Luo Wang organization. However, this is the first time he's faced two of them simultaneously.

The top-tier assassins of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) are all at the Grandmaster level, making them extremely difficult to deal with. Even a single one would be a formidable opponent for most people in the martial world, who would be left with no choice but to offer their necks for slaughter.

“You are a special opponent. I am not confident that I can defeat you by myself, so I have brought in a helper.”

Yan Ri raised his long sword, pointing it at Wei Zhuang, and at the same time, he began to explain.

Jing Ni, standing behind him, responded with a cold laugh: "I did see a disciple of Guigu in Xianyang City. I have already experienced Gai Nie's vertical sword technique. I hope your horizontal sword technique will not disappoint us."

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang gave a cold laugh.

"It seems your words are more powerful than your swords. Is it something to be happy about that his men escaped?"

Jing Ni, behind the mask, narrowed her eyes and her aura changed. Almost in the blink of an eye, this top-tier assassin from the Luo Wang organization completed her magnificent transformation.

"Run for your life??"

"I wonder if you can escape with your life from my sword!!"

Before the words had even finished, Jing Ni's long sword had already slashed down, and with a whoosh, an extremely sharp sword aura pierced through the air.

"General, where are you looking?"

Just as Wei Zhuang was thinking of getting away, a voice reached his ears from the side.

What followed was a sword light, an incomparably dazzling sword light.

Feeling the fluctuations coming from his side, Wei Zhuang's expression froze. Even though it was only the first time they had exchanged blows, he felt immense pressure from these two top-tier assassins from the Luo Wang organization.

Without time to think, Wei Zhuang stepped forward and his body spun in mid-air like a top. As Shark Tooth spun violently, its blade deflected the incoming sword and also dodged Jing Ni's sword energy.

"interesting!"

Despite his failed attack, Yan Ri showed no dissatisfaction. Looking at Wei Zhuang standing in the arena, his gaze became intense, as if a hunter had spotted his prey.

"As expected, it's only when the disciples of Guigu Valley fight that it's truly satisfying!!"

Upon hearing this, Wei Zhuang narrowed his eyes, and a sword aura began to swirl around the Shark Tooth sword.

"Two against one, and you still manage to be so proud of it? You're the most shameless top-tier member of the Luo Wang organization I've ever met!"

In this era, Guiguzi was also given another name: the School of Diplomacy.

Therefore, Wei Zhuang, who came from the Ghost Valley, was also quite skilled in verbal communication. With just one sentence, he left Yan Ri speechless.

From the very beginning, the other side had already stated that they were worried that one person alone would not be able to take it down, so they would attack together with two people.

Therefore, if one continues to make boastful claims, wouldn't that be considered extremely shameless by others?

“My goal is to kill you, not to defeat you. Your provocations won’t work on me.”

After a moment of silence, Yan Ri raised his longsword and charged forward once more.

Meanwhile, Jing Ni was not idle either; the Yue King's Eight Swords demonstrated their true strength during the siege of Wei Zhuang.

Sword energy swirled and swept across the ground; faced with these attacks, Wei Zhuang had no choice but to dodge.

This wasn't the first time Wei Zhuang had faced multiple opponents while traveling the martial world, but Yan Ri and Jing Ni left him somewhat helpless.

"Tear!!"

The longsword swept across the black and gold cloak, and before Wei Zhuang could dodge, the cloak he was wearing was torn open with a large hole.

Wei Zhuang pushed off with his feet, using the wall for leverage, and quickly advanced. Through the previous exchange, he had already sensed that Jing Ni was slightly weaker than his opponent this time. Although she was a Grandmaster, her combat power was slightly inferior.

In a one-on-two situation, the weaker side is the key to breaking the deadlock.

So after leveraging this opportunity, he chose Jing Ni, who had been constantly "shooting sneak attacks," as his target.

Wei Zhuang was very fast. Even Yan Ri didn't have time to react. The moment he raised his sword to block, Wei Zhuang ruthlessly slashed him away.

Feeling the force returning from the shark tooth, Wei Zhuang's eyes hardened. The difference in strength between Yan Ri and him was not significant. In a one-on-one situation, it would take him at least two hundred moves to defeat his opponent.

So after knocking his opponent away, he didn't hesitate and darted forward, arriving directly in front of Jing Ni.

In mid-air, Wei Zhuang joined two fingers together and slashed across the Shark Tooth Sword, unleashing a surge of powerful internal energy that coursed through the blade.

The ultimate move of the Horizontal Sword Technique is called "Horizontal Sweep Across the Eight Directions." Wei Zhuang seized this fleeting opportunity, and instantly, eight sword energies were unleashed in one strike.

Jing Ni seemed surprised by Wei Zhuang's decisiveness. After assessing the situation, she made a snap decision and chose herself as the breakthrough point.

"It spans all directions!!"

He naturally recognized Wei Zhuang's move. As the supreme secret of the Horizontal Sword Technique, this move was extremely powerful, unleashing eight sword energies in an instant. Very few people could completely block it.

"You made a mistake by turning your back on Yanri in order to defeat me! And this mistake has sealed your fate!!"

Jing Ni held her long sword horizontally in front of her, and looked at Wei Zhuang who was closing in on her, and smiled coldly.

Trading injury for death, he didn't lose out in this deal.

"Really?"

Just as the sun was about to pierce the sky, a voice reached their ears.

A streak of flame suddenly appeared in mid-air, forcing Yan Ri back.

"You are??"

"."

(End of this chapter)