Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Jingni was quite surprised.

She valued Xu Qing because of his sword-making skills. However, after handing over the materials to Xu Qing, she didn't pay much attention to his sword-making progress. After all, for her at the moment, the most important thing was to gradually get closer to Lord Xinling.

Only by gradually becoming familiar with Lord Xinling and dispelling his wariness could the assassination be accomplished.

In this process, I may have to make some sacrifices.

But for the sake of the mission, she would do anything.

Naturally, she had no interest in paying attention to Xu Qing.

However, Xu Qing was someone she valued, and he had only recently joined the Luo Wang organization, so after receiving Xu Qing's message, she immediately came to meet with him.

Xu Qing didn't stand on ceremony; a jade pendant slipped from his sleeve.

He placed it on the table.

"This is the superior sword I recently forged, named Flying Shadow!"

He introduced his sword to Jingni.

Upon hearing this, Jingni was first taken aback, and then a strange look appeared in her eyes.

She scrutinized Xu Qing, her expression roughly conveying, "Are you making fun of me?"

No matter how you look at it, this jade pendant doesn't resemble a sword at all.

“This sword is rather strange,” Xu Qing said with a smile. “Pick it up and infuse it with your inner strength, and you will understand its mysteries.”

Jing Ni remained silent, but simply raised her hand. In an instant, the jade pendant that Xu Qing had placed on the table fell into Jing Ni's hand. Following Xu Qing's instructions, she slowly channeled her inner energy into it.

In an instant, an invisible yet condensed and tangible sharp energy suddenly extended from the edge of the jade pendant.

Jing Ni instinctively slashed her wrist.

"Sizzle—crack!"

The heavy sandalwood table in front of me, like cutting fermented bean curd, suddenly split in two.

With a muffled thud, the dust settled.

A deathly silence filled the room.

Jingni lowered her head, staring intently at the jade pendant in her palm. She could clearly feel the coldness and sharpness of the invisible blade of energy emanating from it. Even with her accustomed experience of the bizarre and extraordinary, she was shaken to her core. This mind-bending "sword" had been created in the hands of the person before her in such a short time.

A near-mad idea quietly took root in her mind: the path to assassinating Lord Xinling might no longer have to be so circuitous and tortuous...

According to Luo Wang's plan, she used her beauty as bait to slowly approach Lord Xinling, and ideally become his wife or concubine, and his closest person.

Then, Luo Wang was tasked with assassinating Lord Xinling, and I happened to be right next to him at that time.

When Lord Xinling relaxed his guard, he delivered a fatal blow.

But now, with the sword forged by Xu Qing, a major problem has undoubtedly been solved.

That is, it was difficult for Lord Xinling to carry weapons with him.

When someone goes to Zuiyue Tower to watch a dance, in addition to clearing the area, they will also be searched to prevent anyone from carrying weapons, and even sharp items such as hairpins are not allowed.

However, if it is a jade pendant, it should be fine.

Chapter 15 The Invisible Blade, Murderous Intent in the Night

"How much is this sword worth?"

Although Jingni admired the sword, she also knew that it was forged by Xu Qing.

Even though she was a member of the Luo Wang organization, accustomed to cunning and force, Xu Qing was someone she valued, and he had already displayed astonishing talent in sword forging. Such a person could only be won over with gentle persuasion; how could she possibly seize him by coercion?

She was determined to take this sword into her hands, no matter the cost.

"It's free."

Xu Qing's lips curled slightly as he uttered words that Jing Ni hadn't expected.

“I don’t know how much you know about me, but I sell swords and I never do so for money.”

As he spoke, he pulled out a familiar animal hide from his pocket.

"Once you sign it, this sword will be yours."

"Similarly, I can give you the rest of the swords for free, but the person who receives the sword must sign a sword contract to show that the sword was obtained from me."

Jing Ni raised her eyebrows slightly beneath her mask, somewhat unable to understand Xu Qing's actions.

Xu Qing smiled and said, "This is just one of my personal hobbies."

"I'm not after money, only fame. When I see others sign sword contracts and exchange them for famous swords from me, I feel a sense of satisfaction that's hard to describe..."

Jingni's brows relaxed again; she could only attribute it all to Xu Qing's strange hobby.

He picked up the sword contract and examined it carefully.

The gist of it is that she has now made a fair trade with the swordsmith Xu Qing, obtaining a famous sword from him in return, using this as a contract and a guarantee.

It was supposed to be a fair trade, but Xu Qing didn't say what he wanted.

It's as if this is just a randomly drafted contract, without any real meaning.

After thinking it over, Jing Ni still signed a sword contract with Xu Qing.

It was mainly that "Flying Shadow" sword that she loved so much.

Once the sword contract is formed, the ownership of the Flying Shadow Sword will change.

Xu Qing then packed up the remaining swords and handed them to Jing Ni.

Although she verbally said it was free, Jing Ni still promised to compensate Xu Qing with a batch of precious sword-forging materials afterward. If the materials were insufficient, she would find a way to help Xu Qing collect them.

She knew that Xu Qing was willing to join the Luo Wang organization for the sake of those sword-forging materials.

This is a swordsmith who has transcended vulgar interests and is completely immersed in the world of sword making.

Although young, their strength should not be underestimated.

……

The night was deep.

The brilliant lights in Zuiyue Tower pierced through the surrounding darkness.

Tonight, the Drunken Moon Pavilion remains desolate.

Regular customers, seemingly having already heard the news, dared not come upstairs to disturb them.

Lord Xinling returned.

In the past, Lord Xinling could have enjoyed himself with his guests, reveling in the beauty of dances and music. But times have changed. During his previous trip to Daliang, he dealt with Wei Yong with swift and decisive action. Although he relinquished power and retired to his fiefdom, the suspicion and fear he felt throughout the court have not diminished in the slightest.

The guests under his patronage were deeply concerned for the safety of the emperor, and their actions were extremely cautious. Every drink and every bite was thoroughly investigated, let alone the place where they stayed during this journey.

Tonight, the entire Drunken Moon Pavilion has been thoroughly searched to prevent any hidden dangers. This action may seem domineering, but Xinling is the fiefdom of Lord Xinling; why should he be afraid of it?

Inside the hall, the sounds of string and wind instruments had already begun.

A beautiful woman in a golden dress gracefully stepped onto the stage.

She was dressed simply, without any pearls or jade ornaments, except for a lustrous jade pendant hanging from her waist, its shape elegant and antique.

Lord Xinling's gaze swept over the jade pendant, and his heart stirred slightly, for he himself also had a jade pendant that he had worn close to his body since childhood, on which were engraved the three characters "Yan Wuji," which was the origin of his name.

The music was melodious, and the dance was graceful.

Lord Xinling has recently visited Zuiyue Tower several times, just to watch the "Cage Girl" dance. Her dance steps are graceful, and her artistic conception is ever-changing, seemingly able to discern the changes in his state of mind.

The dance at this moment subtly conveys a sense of melancholy, like a pearl hidden in dust or a great ambition left unfulfilled.

Doesn't this frustration perfectly reflect the pent-up emotions in his heart?

Even if he achieved fame at a young age and harbored ambitions to save the world and govern the country, how many moves in this game of chess would he actually have the chance to make?

The secret scrolls found in Wei Yong's mansion during his previous trip to Daliang were like a poisonous thorn piercing his heart. The death of his old friend, General Zhu Hai of Wei, was actually related to his elder brother, the king.

General Zhu Hai had once helped him steal the tally to rescue Zhao. Later, he made great contributions alongside him and became the general of Wei, commanding the Wei Wu soldiers. However, his elder brother listened to the slander of Wei Yong and bestowed upon him a sword and wine. As a result, he was assassinated by an assassin that very night after drinking the wine.

The sword broke as a result.

Although the investigation later revealed that the murderer was the Qin state's Luowang (a secret police organization).

But his elder brother, the king, is definitely not immune to this matter.

After all, his martial arts skills outside the armor gate were unparalleled.

General Zhu Hai was one of the best among them, impervious to swords and spears.

That cup of wine likely ruined the unparalleled external martial arts of the Armored Sect, and the damaged imperial sword cut off the General's last chance of survival...

Upon obtaining the case file, Lord Xinling immediately burned it, feeling a chill run through his heart.

Executing Wei Yong would certainly allow him to display his brilliance again, but if this continues, the next one to be bestowed with fine wine and a precious sword would probably be Wei Wuji.

Therefore, he had to return to Xinling and live in seclusion in his fief.

Amidst a multitude of thoughts, the dance was nearing its end.

Suddenly!

The music around them suddenly changed, and the sounds of clashing swords and galloping horses rose up, filling the hall with a chilling atmosphere!

The next moment—

"Clang! Crack!"

The doors and windows shattered!

"Assassins—!" Exclamations of alarm rose and fell from the guests outside the door, as the sounds of fighting and the whistling of weapons cutting through the air suddenly came from the outer hall.

Lord Xinling's expression remained as somber as a mountain.

Since gaining fame, he has faced countless perilous situations; the current battle is but a minor skirmish.

He had no heart to appreciate the dance anymore. He turned up and headed toward the guards and guests.

At that very moment, an unexpected turn of events occurred.