People in the Qin Dynasty, entertained during the Warring States period

Chapter 83 The Scent of a True Troll

Jing Ni's words silenced the room.

Cao Ze knew that Jing Ni was not a woman who spoke falsehoods.

But what's even more puzzling is, how could Jing Ke bring Lu Goujian to the brink of death?

"Please don't be offended, senior..."

Lu Goujian waved his hand, "She's right, I don't have many days left to live."

Jing Ke panicked and asked, "Uncle Lu, what's wrong?"

"Oh! I shouldn't have used my full strength!"

Lu Goujian laughed heartily: "What's the panic! Do you think you can do this to me with your mediocre skills?"

Cao Ze asked Jing Ni in a low voice, "What happened?"

Jing Ni glanced at Lu Goujian and said, "When he used the Ink Sword: Non-Aggression just now, his internal energy was stagnant and his body was burning hot. This seems to be a technique of the Yin-Yang School."

Lu Goujian laughed and said, "You little girl are indeed worthy of being the top-ranking member of the Luo Wang. I have indeed fallen under the spell of the Yin Yang School."

Cao Ze suddenly remembered a detail.

In the original work, Da Siming mentioned that all the leaders of the Mohist school in history died under the Yin-Yang school's Yin-Yang curse - the Six Souls Terror Curse.

"Could it be that you, senior, have been afflicted by the Six Soul Curse of the Yin-Yang School?"

Lu Goujian exclaimed in surprise, "You are even more amazing, you even know about the Yin-Yang curse that I am under."

Cao Ze said in surprise, "As far as I know, the Six Souls Terror Curse itself has a strong stimulus, and at the same time, it is accompanied by a catalyst that enhances the power of the curse seal. If it is cast directly, it is easy to identify and prevent. Moreover, it must be in direct contact and maintained for a period of time before it can be cast successfully."

"Senior has already cultivated to the level of a Grandmaster. In all the world, who could possibly cast this curse upon you?"

"Hmm? Could it be..."

Lu Goujian didn't mince words and said straightforwardly, "That's right, it's the current leader of the Yin-Yang School, Donghuang Taiyi."

Cao Ze took a light breath. If we were to talk about who is the most mysterious in Qin's Time, Donghuang Taiyi would undoubtedly be in the top three.

Their strength, appearance, true purpose, and everything else are unknown.

"Senior, could it be that Donghuang Taiyi has already become a celestial being?"

Lu Goujian spat.

"He's just a big coat hanger, does he even deserve to be called a celestial being?"

Cao Ze smiled. As for the fact that Donghuang Taiyi was a coat hanger, all I can say is that novelists are truly audacious, daring to talk about anything on the Hundred Schools Forum.

After Lu Goujian finished speaking disparagingly of Donghuang Taiyi, he said, "My cultivation has reached the peak of the Grandmaster level."

"As for Donghuang Taiyi, he has already broken through to the Grandmaster level by living a long life. Otherwise, I would not have been hit by this guy's Six Souls Curse. If he were a celestial being, I would already be dead."

Cao Ze's heart stirred. "What is a Grandmaster? He is Zhuangzi's Grandmaster."

"Yes and no. Below the Celestials and above the Grandmasters, there is the Grandmaster, also known in the martial arts world as the Half-Step Celestial."

"Nowadays, the only ones who can fight against Donghuang Taiyi and whose cultivation is at the Grandmaster level are probably Xunzi of the Confucian school and Beimingzi of the Taoist school."

Lu Goujian was both amazed and somewhat dejected. He had already reached the level of a Grandmaster and mastered the third sword of the Three Swords Techniques, the Ink Sword - Heavenly Will. He was just a little short of becoming the fourth Grandmaster in the world.

Cao Ze asked, "I wonder why Donghuang Taiyi wants to harm you, senior?"

Lu Goujian laughed and said, "Who doesn't know that the Yin-Yang School is obsessed with the Azure Dragon and the Seven Mansions?"

"Donghuang Taiyi believed that our Mo family possessed information about the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon, so he came to our door and fought with me while I was traveling alone."

"I must say, this coy coat hanger who hides his face is extremely powerful. Perhaps only if I join forces with the Nameless Sword Saint can we have a chance to fight him."

Cao Ze once again overestimated the Grandmaster's strength. At the same time, he was very curious about the Nameless Sword Saint, but Lu Goujian was clearly not very interested when the Nameless Sword Saint was mentioned, so he did not press him for details.

Jing Ke was so anxious he was like an ant on a hot pan, but the two of them were still chatting.

"Grandpa, how do we break this Six Soul Curse? Stop just chatting."

"Brother Cao Ze, do you know?"

Cao Ze pondered and said, "I've heard that if one can cultivate the Mo family's mental cultivation method to the tenth level of universal love, one can break any Yin-Yang school's spells."

Lu Goujian chuckled and shook his head. "The realm of universal love is so far away. Only the founder of the Mohist school has ever stepped into this realm. I have only barely managed to cultivate to the ninth level of Heavenly Will."

"If someone of low strength were to cast a curse on me, I could suppress and dispel it with my current level of power. Unfortunately..."

"Forget it, let's not talk about this unpleasant thing."

"I have resigned from my position as a high-ranking official and am now living in seclusion here, hoping to enjoy my remaining years in peace."

Jing Ke was stunned. Wasn't this just saying, "Wait to die?"

"Uncle Lu, if I had known you were injured, I would never have fought you with a sword."

Feeling guilty, Jing Ke threw his sword to the ground.

Lu Goujian shouted, "Why did you drop your sword? Pick it up!"

Jing Ke was taken aback, then silently bent down and picked it up.

Lu Goujian said, "Xiao Ke, you are the most talented young man I have ever seen in swordsmanship. If you abandon your sword because of me, it would be an insult to my swordsmanship!"

Jing Ke bowed three times to Lu Goujian and said, "This junior knows his mistake."

Lu Goujian suddenly laughed and said, "Would you be interested in becoming a wandering knight-errant in the Mohist school?"

"I have already assessed you. As long as you join the Mohist school, you can study the Mohist mental cultivation manual at your leisure. Once you cultivate to the ninth level of Heavenly Will, you will be able to enter the realm of Grandmaster."

"Are you willing?"

Cao Ze grinned. This old rascal is really wicked; he probably planned to lure Jing Ke to the Mohist school from the very beginning.

Jing Ke already felt ashamed because Lu Goujian risked his life to test his sword.

Knowing the reputation of the Mohists, he readily agreed.

Lu Goujian was in a good mood, and his laughter was loud and clear.

"Little Ke, I have high hopes for you. Remember to help me cut down Wuming a few times after you reach the ninth level of Heavenly Will."

Jing Ke asked curiously, "Grandpa, who is that nameless swordsman?"

Cao Ze quietly pricked up his ears. If he remembered correctly, the Nameless Sword Saint seemed to have a bronze treasure box about the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon.

"Him? Heh, a very strong person. His talent in swordsmanship is no less than yours. If we're talking about who in his generation and your generation has a chance to break through to the Grandmaster level, it's probably none other than Nameless."

Cao Ze was speechless. "Old people tend to be long-winded. Let's get to the point."

Jing Ke asked, "Then how should I challenge him to a sword duel?"

"He is in the State of Qi, but I don't know exactly where in Qi. You can go to the Confucian Little Sage Village to inquire."

"However, I need to tell you that if you find him, be careful of the sword in his hand."

Jing Ke asked, "What sword?"

"This sword is named Han Guang, and it is one of the three swords of Kong Zhou from the Spring and Autumn Period, as recorded in the Liezi: Tang Wen".

"There is no blade, or rather, the blade is invisible. The hilt is made of jade, and the blade is formed by internal force. Moreover, the blade can be formed at both the front and back of the hilt, and the formed blade will only be visible in the light."

"Its sharpness is concealed and not revealed, hence the name 'Hanguang' (meaning 'containing light')."

Jingni said, "It cannot be seen when viewed, nor can it be touched when moved. It is boundless and passes through things without them noticing."

"The Net has been searching for this sword."

Jing Ke solemnly replied, "I understand. I will definitely try to understand Hanguang!"

"Don't be nervous, Nameless never kills."

Lu Goujian sighed, "If we're talking about who in this world has the best chance of cultivating the Mohist mental techniques to the tenth level, perhaps it's only him. He may not have the ability to practice universal love, but he has the mindset to do so."

Cao Ze silently noted it down; the waters in Qin Shi Huang seemed to be getting deeper and deeper.

One of the eight major schools of Confucianism can produce a master who is at least half a step into the grandmaster level.

The Mohists, the Yin-Yang School, the Taoist School... each has its own profound foundation and its own unique strengths.

However, judging from Lu Goujian's words, the nameless swordsman and Xiaoshengxianzhuang have a close relationship.

Could it be that the bronze treasure box is in Xiaoshengxianzhuang?

Since meeting Old Man Lü and confirming that the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden truly exists in this world, he has become very interested in the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon.

Or rather, in the martial arts world, no one is uninterested in the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon.

Jing Ke stayed.

Lu Goujian was afflicted with the Six Souls Curse, so Cao Ze did not want Jing Ni to fight Lu Goujian with a sword.

They could only ride their donkey brother back to Handan with Jingni and Liwu.

However, it wasn't without its gains; at least it gave him an understanding of the current state of various schools of thought.

The Hundred Schools of Thought today is not the same as the Hundred Schools of Thought that will be hunted down and thrown into chaos decades later.

As Cao Ze drove his donkey past the city gate, he heard a shout from a soldier beside him.

"No one may ride a horse into the city without the king's order!"

“This is not a horse, it is a white horse. Does Your Majesty say that one cannot ride a white horse into the city?”

Cao Ze was startled. He smelled a familiar scent—the scent of the true form of the troll!

Chapter 84 Brother Donkey's Wife Came to the City

Cao Ze stopped and turned to look.

A thin old man, riding a white horse, was using his persuasive skills to talk the young goalkeeper.

"Let me emphasize again, this is a white horse, not a horse."

The young goalkeeper snapped, "How can a white horse not be a horse! Dismount now!"

Gongsun Long said, “The word ‘white’ is used to name color, and the word ‘horse’ is used to name form; color is not form, and form is not color. If we talk about color, then form should not be included, and if we talk about form, then color should not be included. If we combine them to form a thing, then it is not right. This is what is meant by ‘a white horse is not a horse.’”