Qin Shi: I went astray in the Heavenly Sect

Chapter 224 Yan Lingji Appears, the Feud of the Xiang Clan

"who are you?"

Tianming stared wide-eyed at the woman in the red dress who had suddenly appeared beside him, his face full of surprise. He was stunned. He had seen many people along the way with Gai Nie, but none of them were as beautiful as the woman in front of him.

"I know your uncle!"

The woman in the red dress parted her lips slightly, her voice clear and melodious, carrying a hint of mysterious laughter.

However, as soon as she finished speaking, her expression suddenly changed slightly, as if she had sensed something. In a flash, she disappeared from the spot like a ghost.

Tianming felt a blur before his eyes, and before he could react, the other person had already disappeared from his sight. When he came to his senses, he saw that the girl in the red dress had appeared not far away, blocking the giant man who was as tall as an iron tower.

Her movements were light and graceful; her two slender fingers steadily caught the long sword Yuanhong that was shooting towards her. The tip of the sword trembled slightly between her fingers, but it could not advance any further.

At the same time, she shouted coldly, "Wushuang, stop!"

Although her voice wasn't loud, it carried an undeniable authority. The giant iron tower was taken aback when he saw the newcomer. He clearly hadn't expected such a turn of events. He scratched his head, looking somewhat confused, but ultimately obeyed the order and stood motionless.

Then, the girl in the red dress turned around, looked at Gai Nie with clear eyes, and said again, "I mean no harm."

Gai Nie narrowed his eyes as he looked at the newcomer. He had dealt with this person in Korea before, but after Korea was destroyed, the person disappeared.

The fact that the other party is here now suggests that the situation is probably not as simple as she claims.

"If I had other intentions, could Mr. Gai, in his current state, have stopped me?"

Gai Nie sighed inwardly. Under normal circumstances, he probably wouldn't care about the other party's intentions, but now he really didn't have the energy to deal with it.

The sword strike had already exhausted his already limited energy. Seeing the man fall unconscious again, the girl in the red dress turned around and looked behind her.

When the group saw the girl looking over, their expressions darkened.

Everyone present knew Gai Nie's reputation; being able to block Gai Nie's sword was enough to demonstrate his strength.

"Mr. Xiang Liang, how have you been?"

Upon hearing the other person mention his name, Xiang Liang seemed to recall the person's background.

"Yan Ling Ji??"

The person who came was Yan Lingji.

Looking at the men around her who were hesitant to step forward, Yan Lingji smiled.

"It seems you've run into some trouble."

Upon seeing the newcomer, Xiang Liang's face darkened. After many years, their circumstances had undergone a complete transformation.

According to the intelligence received, Yan Lingji has already entered the Grandmaster realm, and their Xiang clan is no longer the same as it used to be.

Seeing that Xiang Liang remained silent, Yan Lingji thought for a moment and added an explanation.

"Although Wushuang is one of us from Baiyue, he has been living in the quicksand for many years. His actions are not my intention."

Upon hearing the words "quicksand," Xiang Liang frowned.

In truth, the reputation of Quicksand has not been good in recent years. Wei Zhuang has acted without any principles, killing people from Qin and the other six states, killing the good and the bad. No one likes a person without any bottom line.

Therefore, it's no exaggeration to say that the quicksand was infamous at this point.

Upon hearing Yan Lingji's words, Fan Zeng, who was standing to the side, had a thoughtful look in his eyes.

Actually, he didn't know this girl, but judging from the situation, she didn't seem to have any ill intentions. The burly man named Wushuang in the arena was invulnerable to swords and spears. If the other party hadn't intervened, their side might have already been defeated.

In battle, the key is to know yourself and your enemy, and you will never be defeated.

A shrewd strategist can often spot flaws in the smallest details and thus resolve a predicament, just as some wise men can see the coming of autumn from a single leaf.

Given the current complex situation, the appearance of Yan Lingji is actually an asset to them.

Gai Nie defected from the Qin state and was ordered to be killed by Ying Zheng. Although the reason for this is unknown, he was forced to become a member of the anti-Qin forces.

In today's world, those who are determined to oppose Qin are their friends. If they can take this opportunity to forge a good relationship, it would undoubtedly be a good thing for them.

As for Yan Lingji, in his view, at this moment, their side could only be on good terms, not offend her.

"May I ask what brings this young lady here today?"

After a moment of contemplation, Fan Zeng asked in a deep voice.

Seeing that the speaker was an old man, Yan Lingji did not look down on him. She had been staying in Sanhepu for a long time, and sometimes she would go up the mountain to find Qingxu. In the process, she was able to come into contact with senior Taoist masters, most of whom were old men. Over time, she developed a sense of awe towards the old man, especially the old man who looked different from ordinary old men.

Looking at the people in front of her, Yan Lingji said softly, "I was just taking a walk when I happened to find you. Wushuang is from Baiyue and is my partner. Sanhe Shop is hiring, and I plan to take him there."

"Sanhepu?"

Upon hearing this place, Tianming scratched his head. As a newbie who had just plunged into the martial world, he obviously had never heard of this place. However, Xiang Liang, Fan Zeng, and Xiang Yu, who were standing next to him, had all heard of it. Upon hearing this, the three of them changed their expressions.

Xiang Yu slowly exhaled and stood aside to explain.

"Sanhepu is a shop jointly created by the Taoist Tianren sect, and it is also the only shop. This shop mainly sells two kinds of goods: white paper and refined salt. In recent years, the shop's business has been very good. There are rumors in the martial arts world that white paper and refined salt are Taoist products, and Sanhepu is their spokesperson."

“I remember my grandfather once commented on white paper and refined salt, saying that they were enough to usher in a new era.”

At this point, Xiang Yu couldn't help but glance at Yan Lingji again. If she really came from there, they probably wouldn't want to offend her.

Hearing this, Tianming was also taken aback.

He naturally knew about white paper and refined salt, having spent some time in Xianyang before. However, he was surprised to learn that these two items originated from a place called Daoism.

At the same time, Xiang Liang's gaze darkened.

As one of the few people present who knew the relationship between the person in front of him and the young Taoist, he finally spoke up and asked a question.

"How is Master Qingxu doing lately?"

Yan Lingji shook her head; she didn't want to say more about Qingxu.

"He summoned me here to settle the karmic debt from back then. The General once sent people to help me find my relatives. In truth, I do owe your Xiang clan a favor." "Wushuang has been staying in Liusha all these years, and the master of Liusha is Wei Zhuang. The current situation is enough to show that someone here has already been targeted by him."

Xiang Liang's expression froze. Being targeted by Wei Zhuang was not a good thing, and besides Gai Nie, the Xiang clan was also a strong possibility that Wei Zhuang was targeting them.

"Can Miss Yan Lingji stop Wei Zhuang?"

Xiang Liang's gaze held a hint of uncertainty. Did Qingxu send Yan Lingji to repay a favor because he believed the other party could stop Wei Zhuang, or was there another possibility?

Yan Lingji spread her hands.

"Can't stop it."

Although they are both at the Grandmaster level, there is still a significant gap in their combat strength.

Upon hearing this answer, Xiang Liang suddenly felt a toothache. Since he couldn't stop him, why provoke that madman in the first place? And what's the difference between openly poaching people from his hands and slapping him in the face?
Seemingly anticipating their thoughts, Yan Lingji continued, "Wei Zhuang is still quite far from here, and I'm afraid he won't be able to get here anytime soon. The only ones who can get here are people from nearby. Qingxu asked me to wait for him at Mirror Lake Medical Clinic. If you gentlemen don't mind, then let's go together for a couple of days to avoid this situation!"

"Jinghu Medical Clinic?"

Upon hearing this name, Fan Zeng and Xiang Liang exchanged a glance. While they might not be familiar with Sanhepu, they were very familiar with Jinghu Medical Clinic, as it was located within the former territory of the Chu Kingdom.

After Qingxu left a stone tablet at the Medical Manor, that place gradually became a forbidden area for fighting. Even those assassins who walked in the shadows were not willing to risk offending a Grandmaster to kill someone there.

Of course, there are always exceptions. Some people did not heed advice and their fates were not good. So, people in the martial arts world accepted the rule that Jinghu Medical Manor forbade violence.

Originally, they had this plan as well, since it was the place they trusted most to save people. Then, the two nodded at the same time.

"If that's the case, then I'll respectfully comply."

Xiang Liang made the final decision, and the group quickly packed up and set off at full speed towards Jinghu Medical Manor.

On the way, Gai Nie gradually woke up.

Looking at Yan Lingji at the carriage shaft, he remained silent for a moment before speaking, "Why are you here?"

Hearing the noise from inside the carriage, Yan Lingji raised her delicate eyebrows slightly.

"If I say it's a coincidence, I wonder if Mr. Gai would believe me?"

coincidence?

A strange glint flashed in Gai Nie's eyes. In fact, coincidence could be a good excuse for this matter, but he had a feeling that Yan Ling Ji's arrival was not a coincidence.

But he had no reason to refute the current statement, so he stopped talking about it and changed the subject.

"I'm likely the target of the quicksand. Where are we headed?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingji narrowed her eyes. She had to admit that this sword saint had a very discerning eye, unlike Xiang Liang and the others, who had even suspected that Wei Zhuang's target was the Xiang clan.

Of course, there may be other reasons as well. Gai Nie and Wei Zhuang are from the same school and have a deep understanding of each other, so they have their own judgment on the current situation.

"Jinghu Medical Clinic".

Yan Lingji didn't hide anything and told him frankly. Then she added, "There's a high chance that Liu Sha's target is you and Tianming. But who said that only Liu Sha has been making moves along the way? Mr. Gai must have fought with another group, right?"

Upon hearing this, Gai Nie sighed softly.

The Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) is indeed a formidable opponent. Before Qin unified China, the Luo Wang had already recruited many martial arts masters. Now that Qin has unified China and has the empire as its backing, they are able to win over even more people.

"It is Yan Ri and Jing Ni."

Speaking of these two people, Gai Nie seemed to remember something and then asked, "Miss Yan Lingji, could you contact Master Qingxu? I have some important information that I urgently need to pass on to him."

Yan Lingji paused, then tossed the reins to the other driver and turned to enter the carriage.

"I'm afraid that won't work now. He told me to wait at Mirror Lake Medical Manor, but if the information is very important, I can relay it back to the Heavenly Sect on his behalf."

This was a somewhat unexpected answer from Gai Nie, but recalling the information he had seen before, he felt a little relieved.

Although Yan Lingji was a Baiyue person, she did not participate in the battle to annihilate Neishiteng in the Flowing Sands. The people she followed also changed. After getting rid of Tianze, she stayed by Qingxu's side. This has been confirmed by the internal intelligence of Luo Wang.

"Before I left Ying Zheng, I inadvertently saw some of the plans and missions of the Luo Wang. The Luo Wang was intentionally targeting the Daoist school, or rather, the Hundred Schools of Thought. They were secretly plotting a series of conspiracies to split the Hundred Schools of Thought and wreak havoc on the world, so as to achieve their ulterior motives."

Upon hearing this, Yan Lingji was taken aback.

Previously, Haijiao had received relevant intelligence, but at first, she only thought that Luo Wang was interested in the core formula of the blank paper and refined salt in their hands. Now, after hearing what Gai Nie said, the situation might not be so good.

"I remember the current commander of the Luo Net is Zhao Gao, the Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office, right?"

After a moment of silence, Yan Lingji asked softly.

Gai Nie nodded.

"It's him. This person is rather strange. He is deep and ruthless, and his cultivation level is not weak. He is not a kind person."

Yan Lingji touched her chin and then asked uncertainly, "Back then, Luo Wang infiltrated Sanhepu and Tianzong, and did a lot of dirty work in secret. In the end, Young Master visited the leader of Luo Wang, and then all the spies in Tianzong disappeared. Now that Luo Wang wants to cause trouble again, aren't you afraid that Young Master will go to him again?"

At this point, Yan Lingji continued, "Back then, the Heavenly-level members of the Luo Net were almost wiped out by the young master. It seems that this Zhongchefu official has forgotten what happened back then."

Upon hearing this, Gai Nie was speechless for a moment.

Qingxu's intervention back then had a significant impact behind the scenes, and it was only after the Yin-Yang School invited Donghuang Taiyi to quell the storm.

Seven or eight out of ten of the top experts of the Luo Wang were killed, resulting in huge losses. Even Zhao Gao was almost killed.

"I am not aware of these matters, but the information should be accurate."

After thinking for a moment, Yan Lingji nodded.

"Thank you for your help. I will arrange for someone to send the information back to the sect."

"By the way, there's one more thing. Who exactly is Tianming? I discovered that he has the Yin-Yang School's Sleep-Sealing Curse on his body. Only the higher-ups of the Yin-Yang School would use such a thing, so there's no reason for it to be used on a child."

"I'm sorry, I cannot disclose this information."

(End of this chapter)