Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 218 Xuan Jian, Zi Nu

"Qingxu"

Looking at Xiu Yuan standing in front of her, Madam Mingzhu's eyes flickered. Whether in the martial arts world or in the Seven Kingdoms, this was a name that could stand on its own.

"It seems that my sister knew Master Qingxu back then."

Then the stunningly beautiful lady looked at Hu Meiren sitting next to the young man. At this moment, she seemed to have figured out many things, including some of the things that happened back then.

Lady Hu glanced at the young man beside her. Seeing that he made no move, she didn't say anything more. Living in the inner palace, she knew better than ordinary women how to behave properly.

"The Qin army has already invaded!"

As the shouts outside grew clearer, Madam Mingzhu reached out and ran her hand along the armrest of her chair, her tone becoming somewhat complicated.

"Everyone says that the night is the root of South Korea's decline, but what would South Korea be like without the night?"

As one of the four fierce generals of the night, she has a clearer understanding of the changes in South Korea over the years than many others, including the rise and fall of South Korea.

"With the cover of night, those in the court dared not harbor any ulterior motives, and diligently maintained the status quo. Even if there were occasional minor mistakes, they were all harmless."

"But since Han Fei returned to the country, he has formed the Quicksand organization, attacked the Nightfall and the imperial court, causing unease and fear among everyone. What has he gained?"

"In essence, it's just a redistribution of power. But how much has it really changed for the State of Han? And now it's even attracted the attention of the State of Qin."

"I am just a woman and I don't know much about court affairs, but I don't think the appearance of the Ninth Prince is a good thing for the country."

"He was arrogant and unparalleled, looking down on everyone and manipulating all forces at will, but did the outcome change?"

"South Korea has still ended up like this."

When Han Fei was mentioned, Lady Mingzhu's reaction was somewhat strange.

They seem to despise or even disapprove of everything Han Fei did.

"He said he wanted ninety-nine out of the seven kingdoms, but in the end, he couldn't even protect his own sister, his own father, or his own country. I'm very curious, how did he react when he found out all this in Qin?"

Xiu Yuan stood by the window with his hands behind his back, watching the flock of birds startled into flight in the sky. His gaze became somewhat complicated.

Was Lady Mingzhu's assessment right or wrong? From her perspective, Han Fei's series of efforts in Han did not change the fate of Han. Does this mean that Han Fei's actions were meaningless?
Of course, this is only from her perspective.

What if we look at it from another perspective? For example, Hu Meiren, the people of Xinzheng City, Honglian, Wei Zhuang, Zhang Liang, and even King Han.

The answer might be different again.

"What does the master think?"

After a while, Madam Mingzhu looked at the young man standing by the window again and spoke slowly.

A gentle breeze blew by, and the wind chimes under the eaves rang melodiously.

The boy remained silent for a moment before shaking his head.

"If Madam wishes to inquire about right and wrong, then I'm sorry."

"In my opinion, there is rarely a right or wrong in a matter itself, because the standards of good and evil, and the scale of right and wrong are defined by people. Han Fei's reforms were aimed at saving the country. Whether he reformed or not, Qin's policy of expanding eastward would not change. Without Han Fei, the darkness of night could not stop Qin's iron hooves. Xueyi Fort is the best evidence."

"Whether Ji Wuye can hold out until the end is still an unknown."

"I don't know how much of a bottom line a general corrupted by the net still has, but you should know, madam."

"To attribute the defeat of Han to one person is absurd. Even the King of Qin admired Han Fei's talent. If he had not been a prince of Han, he would probably have become the prime minister of Qin, and Han might have been crushed by the iron hooves of Qin long ago."

Hu Meiren sat to the side, listening to the conversation between the two, remaining silent.

In fact, in her opinion, Han Fei was a good thing for South Korea. Without Han Fei, the night would have always shrouded the skies over South Korea.

Both Nightfall and Quicksand are assassin organizations, and from Madam Mingzhu's perspective, there seems to be no difference between the two organizations.

But acting under the cover of night for personal gain, without regard for consequences, only brings chaos and disorder. The only outcome of such development is destruction.

However, the quicksand operates according to its own rules, following the laws of heaven and earth without fail; using techniques to detect treachery and punishment to stop punishment—these are the rules. Therefore, the quicksand brings order and hope.

One is destruction, the other is hope; the contrast makes the outcome obvious.

As someone involved in the situation, Madam Mingzhu might not be able to see these things, but as an outsider, she saw them clearly.

Time passed quickly, and the overburdened gate south of Xinzheng City finally broke down, allowing the Qin army to pour in.

The fall of the city gates seemed to signal the end of the war.

In the alley, Wei Zhuang looked at the two swords that had suddenly appeared in the field with a cold gaze.

"Black and white Xuanjian?"

In a war that destroyed a nation, the Luo Net did not send two Heavenly-level experts, but three. The holder of Xuan Jian also participated in this operation.

However, the opponent never showed himself, but remained hidden in the shadows. Xuan Jian only joined the battle just as Wei Zhuang was about to succeed.

"The outcome of the battle is decided, and we think there is no need for us to continue fighting."

Upon seeing the newly appeared man in black armor, the expressions of everyone present turned somewhat gloomy.

By this point in the battle, both sides had suffered injuries, but comparatively, Yan Ri and Jing Ni's injuries were far more severe than theirs.

"Is the battle already decided?"

"Our battle is not over, and you are far inferior to its previous master. You are a coward hiding in the shadows and are not worthy of wielding these two swords!!"

With a low murmur, Wei Zhuang pointed his sword at Xuan Jian, his tone utterly impolite.

The previous owner of the Black and White Xuanjian sword, who had dealt with Gai Nie, was a legendary swordsman. Although he was a member of the Luo Wang organization, he was a respectable man. However, the person before him was a complete scoundrel.

"The purpose of a battle is to achieve victory; does the method really matter?"

"You call yourself a disciple of Guigu, yet you can't even see this clearly. It seems that the successors of Guigu are getting worse with each generation."

Wei Zhuang glanced at the street behind him, then slashed his Shark Tooth Sword, unleashing a sharp sword aura.

Are you lecturing me?

"What right does a piece of trash who doesn't dare stand in front of me have to say these things?"

When it comes to roasting people, Wei Zhuang is better than Tian Ze and the others. Hearing Wei Zhuang's words, Tian Ze and the others stood there with their arms crossed, looking at the others with cold smiles.

Footsteps could be heard on the street in the distance. They knew that Xuan Jian was right and the battle was over, but that didn't stop them from enjoying the predicament of these three assassins from the Luo Wang organization.

Yan Ri and Jing Ni were thrown out, while Xuan Jian was staggered by the sword strike.

When he came to his senses, he saw Wei Zhuang and the others turn and leave.

"He could be a hidden danger."

Yan Ri spoke in a heavy tone and returned to the original spot.

"Once Neishiteng's men arrive, we might be able to take him down!"

Jing Ni leaned on her longsword, a hint of madness in her eyes.

In the battle just now, Wei Zhuang fought against Yan Ri, while Tian Ze and Yan Ling Ji attacked him together, so his injuries were the most severe. If Xuan Jian hadn't appeared, he probably would have perished here.

Hearing their words, Xuan Jian gave a cold laugh.

"Our mission is not to kill, but to hold them off so that Nessten's army can successfully attack the city. Have you considered how much of our chance of winning would be if we continued to attack now?"

"If you want to die, I won't hesitate to grant your wish!"

Upon hearing this, Yan Ri and Jing Ni clenched their fists. They had their own plans for this battle, but now it seemed that those plans were no longer feasible.

In a room on the fifth floor of Zilan Pavilion, watching the smoke of war rise over Xinzheng City, Zi Nu stood by the window and murmured to herself, "Did we fail?"

Suddenly, a young man appeared beside her.

The once grand brothel was now empty, with only one person remaining. Seeing this, the young man asked softly, "Did you send the girls away?"

"I heard you were coming a while ago, but I didn't expect you to arrive so late."

"I arrived a while ago, but there were some matters to attend to at the palace, so I went ahead and left."

"In the palace?"

As if remembering something, Zi Nu sighed softly.

"Is that Lady Hu? She's a relative of Nongyu. Now that you've come to Xinzheng, that little girl will surely ask you to take care of her."

The young man shook his head.

“Nongyu also remembers you, her older sister.”

Upon hearing this, a hint of warmth appeared in Zi Nu's somewhat disappointed eyes.

"How's that girl been lately?"

When it comes to Nongyu, Zinu seems to have endless things to say.

Just then, several troop of Qin cavalry swept through the streets. Upon seeing this, Zi Nu narrowed her eyes.

The defense of Xinzheng ultimately failed. Since ancient times, it has always been a case of the victor being king and the loser being villains; the losers have no future.

Then, as if receiving some instructions, the Qin soldiers surrounded the area as well.

Time passed, and night fell. In previous years, the city of Xinzheng would have been filled with lanterns.

But at this moment, the surroundings were quiet, and the only thing that could be seen on the street was a long line of torches.

From the east of the city, for some unknown reason, shouts of battle suddenly came again.

Standing here, watching the flames soar into the sky in the east of the city, Zi Nu suddenly shook her head.

"It was Honglian's arrangement, but how useful are these things now?"

The boy remained silent, seemingly having anticipated this outcome. The girl continued, "After you left, she performed exceptionally well; even Han Fei changed his mind and let her join the Quicksand."

Zi Nu reached out and grabbed the railing outside the window, her tone becoming very complicated.

"Honglian was originally a carefree princess, but she eventually joined an assassin organization and became the most cunning strategist in the organization."

"Those inside, surrender now! If you resist, kill them without mercy!!"

Before long, more voices came in from outside, and Zi Nu sighed softly.

At first, she thought her Zilan Pavilion was receiving special treatment. But it turned out that wasn't the case. All the slightly larger shops had their doors smashed open by Qin soldiers.

"It seems we've lost this bet."

Shouts of battle rose again in the streets. Those shops that did not cooperate were beheaded by the Qin soldiers who rushed into the shops, followed by a great fire, a fire powerful enough to destroy everything.

Flames shot into the sky, growing closer and closer, eventually turning from scattered sparks into a raging inferno. Watching the red lotuses bloom in the darkness, Zi Nu suddenly felt a little tired. After so many years of roaming the martial world, this was the first time she had felt this way, a feeling of wanting to let go of everything.

"Fate has already been decided; you just don't believe it!"

The boy spoke, completely ignoring the footsteps behind him.

Zi Nu suddenly smiled.

"What if we don't believe, what if we do? Does believing in fate mean we can't change anything?"

The boy gently raised his hand, and in the firelight, a surge of emotion appeared deep within his calm eyes.

“A gamble naturally has winners and losers, but no right or wrong, especially in such a gamble, where the world’s power lies with Qin, not Han. This battle is not a fault of the battle itself, but rather a result of the world’s power.”

"If you want an answer, I can tell you."

Upon hearing the boy's words, Zi Nu raised an eyebrow.

Answer?

What did the other party mean? Was it the answer to fate, the answer to war, or the answer to this gamble?
"What is it??"

The boy sighed.

"The answer lies in Mount Taiyi. If Miss Zi Nu wants to know, I can take you there."

Zi Nu paused.

"Mount Taiyi?"

That place is the residence of the Heavenly Sect of Taoism, or rather, the residence of Taoism itself, where both the Heavenly Sect and the Human Sect reside.

Go to Mount Taiyi to find an answer.

Suddenly, the boy flicked his finger, and a whooshing sound rang out, followed by the sound of a heavy object rolling down the stairs.

Upon hearing the sound, Zi Nu glanced to the side. Standing on the fifth floor, her view was extremely wide, and she could clearly sense that the people below were becoming somewhat agitated.

"Those are Qin soldiers. Aren't you afraid Ying Zheng will come after you for taking action?"

The boy suddenly smiled.

"As long as they don't come up, they'll be fine."

Zi Nu stood still, pondered for a moment, and then looked into the distance again, towards the east of Xinzheng City.

They're still there.

The ambush location arranged by Honglian is easy to defend and difficult to attack. If Wei Zhuang and his men hold it to the death, it will cost Neishi Teng a lot to break through it.

After a moment of silence, the boy spoke again: "They have their own paths to walk."

Just then, a voice reached their ears.

"Master, they have all packed up."

Upon hearing this voice, Zi Nu glanced at the boy with a surprised look.

"how did you do it?"

Yan Lingji, this witch from Baiyue, has always been the master of the Baiyue prince Tianze. What kind of means did he use to make her switch allegiance?

The boy thought for a moment and replied.

"Forced confession."

Upon hearing this answer, Zi Nu chuckled. At the same time, she didn't believe it at all. If Yan Ling Ji were really so easy to subdue, Bai Yi Fei wouldn't have had to go through so much trouble back then.

What will happen afterward?

"I don't know, but I guess Ying Zheng wouldn't want to exterminate the royal families of the six states."

"You seem to know him very well?"

"Actually, I don't know him very well, I just know his goal."

(End of this chapter)