Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

The Corpse-Driving Demon can manipulate corpses to speak, the Net-Slaying Demon can devour souls and steal memories, the Xuanjian Twin Swords also have the ability to devour souls, not to mention the illusions that are everywhere.

In such a world, the soul is never an untouchable taboo, but rather "material" that can be manipulated and exploited.

The Yin-Yang School was already skilled in such methods, so Xu Qing took the opportunity to come up with a whimsical idea.

Since a fourth-tier sword requires a "spirit" as a guide, why can't we inscribe the soul of another person into the sword and artificially create a sword spirit?

Once an idea takes root, it can no longer be suppressed.

Despite some setbacks along the way, the final result proved that he succeeded.

This not only means that he personally broke through the threshold of a fourth-tier swordsmith, but also that as long as he continues to accumulate experience in this way, it will only be a matter of time before he officially advances to the next tier.

As for naming the new sword "Ling Shuang", in addition to paying homage to the Heart Sword as its base, it also contains the metaphor of "standing tall against the frost and snow".

Frost and snow were originally a symbol of Bai Yifei, but now they have become the place where his soul returns, which can be considered a different kind of "perfection".

Sheathing the Ling Shuang sword, Xu Qing turned and headed towards the front courtyard of the Qianlong Hall.

After Situ Wanli left, the place was taken over by the disciples of the Farmer's School. The disciple in charge of guarding the place had seen Xu Qing before and knew that he was the "God of Wealth" who could make swords fetch astronomical prices.

Upon seeing him, they quickly bowed and greeted him, "Mr. Xu!"

"I've troubled you a lot these past few days," Xu Qing nodded slightly, his tone calm.

"You're too kind, sir!" The farmer's disciple quickly waved his hand, his face full of respect. "You are a distinguished guest of the farmer's family. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask."

"I will!"

Xu Qing said something and then left Qianlong Hall, heading straight for Xinzheng City.

At this time, Xinzheng was under martial law. Han Yu was furious about Bai Yifei's death and vented all his anger on Wei Zhuang and the people of Zilanxuan. He was determined to find a "scapegoat" to quell the criticism from the court and the public. Little did he know that Wei Zhuang was not a scapegoat at all, but the real culprit.

In addition, since Ji Wuye and Bai did not die one after the other, there were also many internal conflicts within the Nightfall organization.

However, Xu Qing didn't care about any of that.

What he cared about was what kind of bargaining chips Madam Mingzhu would offer to save her life.

It should be noted that the Nightfall regime had been entrenched in Korea for decades. When Ji Wuye was in power, he amassed countless riches under the name of the Nightfall regime. Even if the Korean national treasury was empty, the Nightfall regime's private coffers were certainly full.

Xu Qing followed the secret passage that Zi Nu had previously told him, easily sneaking into the palace and heading straight for Lady Mingzhu's side hall.

Since the death of King Han An, she has been placed in this remote palace by Han Yu, and has long lost the glory of her former favored concubine.

"It's been a few days since we last met. I wonder what kind of surprise you have in store for me this time?"

Looking at the Tide Demoness, Xu Qing said calmly.

Upon hearing this, Madam Mingzhu trembled violently.

These past few days have undoubtedly been agonizing for her.

With Bai Yifei dead, the Nightfall was completely out of control. She tried to take control under the name of "Tide Demoness," only to find that she had lost her former power.

Among the four fierce generals, she and Emerald Tiger were the most easily replaceable. Emerald Tiger relied on Ji Wuye's power to do business, and without his backing, he was worthless. She, on the other hand, relied on her beauty to seduce the king. Now that King Han An is dead and Han Yu has no interest in her, in the eyes of the people of Nightfall, she is already "outdated".

If it weren't for her status as Bai Yifei's cousin and her knowledge of some of Bai Yifei's secrets, she wouldn't even be able to hold onto the little power she has now.

Even so, faced with the relentless pursuit of the man in the straw raincoat, she could only retreat step by step.

That ruthless general, always clad in a straw raincoat and bamboo hat, had long since taken control of the night's intelligence network, making it easy for him to seize power.

"It seems you haven't brought me any surprises, but you're going to bring yourself a shock."

After learning what Lady Mingzhu had done outside the palace in the past few days, Xu Qing spoke calmly, a hint of coldness in his voice.

Madam Mingzhu's expression changed drastically.

The bizarre methods Xu Qing used to "train" her in this palace made her afraid to even harbor hatred towards him; all she felt when facing him was endless fear.

"I...I have tried my best to win over the old guard of Nightfall, but the Straw Raincoat Guys are too fast..." Madam Mingzhu's voice trembled, fearing that Xu Qing would be angry.

She could not forget the excruciating pain of her soul being torn apart when the curse mark Xu Qing had planted on her took effect, nor could she forget the tragic scene of Bai Yifei dying under Xu Qing's sword.

Compared to Wei Zhuang, the man before her was the real devil.

"The man in the straw raincoat?" Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, his tone showing more interest.

Bai Yifei's remnant soul is severely fragmented, and there is very little information about the Straw-Clad Swordsman. This ruthless general, who always hides in the shadows, is precisely the most mysterious figure in the original novel.

Lady Mingzhu dared not conceal the truth and quickly said, "This man always conceals himself with black clothes and a straw hat. Because he often fishes by the river, he is known as 'The Straw-Cloaked Guest.' He followed Ji Wuye in his early years and controlled the Nightfall intelligence network. Ji Wuye trusts him extremely... My cousin once tried to investigate his background, but he has never even seen his true face. But it is certain that he is not loyal to Ji Wuye. He has just been lying in wait for the opportunity to seize power."

"So, by dying, Bai Yifei actually benefited him?" Xu Qing's lips curled into a cold smile.

What he hated most was that someone coveted his "spoils of war." Jade Tiger died because he tried to take advantage of his interests, and now the Straw-Clothed Man dared to set his sights on Nightfall, which was tantamount to courting death.

Madam Mingzhu wanted to argue, but was interrupted by Xu Qing's cold gaze.

"Fine, you're just a piece of trash anyway." Xu Qing said calmly, his tone devoid of any emotion, yet more hurtful than any angry rebuke. "If you were any useful, you wouldn't have been so easily taken hostage by Wei Zhuang in the first place."

Madam Mingzhu's face turned pale, but she dared not refute.

“Now, I’ll give you a chance to redeem yourself.” Xu Qing stepped forward, his fingertip touching her brow. “Contact the Straw-Cloaked Man and tell him you have the core treasure of Nightfall to trade with him. I want to see if this cowardly general dares to show himself.”

The coolness of the cursed seal spread from between her brows, and Lady Mingzhu trembled. She quickly nodded, "I...I'll go and do it right away!"

……

As he left the palace, Xu Qing couldn't help but chuckle to himself.

The security of the Korean royal palace was practically non-existent. Not only could he come and go as he pleased, but even Lady Myungju's frequent trips out of the palace to contact her former subordinates in recent days had not aroused any suspicion.

It seems that Han Yu was too busy investigating Bai Yifei's death to pay attention to this once-favored concubine.

Following the clues left by Zi Nu, Xu Qing headed towards the mountains outside the city.

After the Zilan Pavilion suffered a mishap, Zi Nu did not panic. Instead, she followed her pre-prepared plan and first transferred everyone to the Qijue Hall. After Bai Yifei died, Han Yu issued an order to arrest him, and they quickly completed a second transfer, finally settling in this stronghold hidden in the mountain.

As soon as Xu Qing approached the stronghold's perimeter, he was detected by the sentries.

A moment later, a familiar figure emerged from the secret passage; it was Nongyu.

“Mr. Xu Qing.” Nongyu’s voice was still gentle, but there was a hint of weariness in her eyes.

"Take me to see Zi Nu." Xu Qing skipped the pleasantries and went straight to the point.

After passing through the winding secret passage, the view suddenly opened up. The interior of the mountain had been hollowed out and arranged into a simple living space. Zi Nu and Wei Zhuang were sitting at a stone table drinking together, and the wine pot on the table was already more than half empty.

“You two seem to have quite the leisure.” Xu Qing walked to the stone table and sat down, his gaze sweeping over the two of them. “I thought that having nowhere to go in Korea would make you both frown.”

Zi Nu picked up the wine pot and poured Xu Qing a cup of wine, her tone tinged with melancholy: "It's all done now, worrying is useless. At least we're still alive, aren't we?"

Her words contained both her reflections on the past and her helplessness in the present.

Xu Qing looked at Wei Zhuang, his tone more probing: "The disciples of Guigu have always considered themselves the players, choosing their own states to stand against each other throughout history. Now you've chosen the state of Han, but you don't even have a place to stay anymore. Are you really willing to accept this?"

Wei Zhuang paused slightly in his hand holding the wine glass, his expression remaining solemn, but he did not refute.

He was indeed unwilling, but more than that, he had a clear understanding of the situation. South Korea was already terminally ill, and even without the cover of night, it wouldn't last much longer. He had previously wanted to work with Han Fei to turn the tide and rewrite the outcome, but now, he could no longer do so.

Therefore, all we can do is accept our fate.

Of course, accepting one's fate does not mean being content with it.

"Since you're not satisfied, why not take on some freelance work?" Xu Qing changed the subject and said calmly.

He was very kind; he was helping Weizhuang find a job and achieve re-employment.

After all, in the original novel, Wei Zhuang led the Quicksand organization to transform itself into an assassin organization after the fall of the State of Han.

It is clear that becoming an assassin is Wei Zhuang's ultimate destiny.

Xu Qing was helping Wei Zhuang avoid taking some detours over the years.

Moreover, Wei Zhuang no longer has a place to stay in South Korea, so he shouldn't even think about saving South Korea.

Wei Zhuang looked up, a hint of surprise in his eyes: "What kind of work?"

Given Xu Qing's strength, is there really something that requires his intervention?

"Kill someone."

Xu Qing spoke calmly, revealing the name of the person he wanted to kill: "The Man in the Straw Raincoat."

"!!!"

Wei Zhuang's pupils contracted slightly as he stared at Xu Qing, remaining silent for a long time.

Zi Nu also stopped pouring the wine and looked at Xu Qing with a serious expression.

Among the four fierce generals of the night, the man in the straw raincoat has always been the most mysterious. They have been searching for him for a long time, but they have never been able to find out his whereabouts.

"What kind of looks are those?!"

Feeling the gazes of the two people, Xu Qing remained calm. "Jade Tiger and Bai Yifei are both dead, and Ji Wuye is dead too. If another Straw Hat Man dies, the Nightfall will completely collapse. Isn't that a good thing for you?"

He looked at Wei Zhuang, his tone somewhat seductive, "You always wanted to eliminate the Night Curtain, this is just the final step."

Wei Zhuang was silent for a moment, then slowly asked, "Do you know his whereabouts?"

“I don’t know, but someone does,” Xu Qing said with a smile. “Someone will help us lure him out. All you have to do is plunge your sword into his heart when he shows himself.”

With that, Xu Qing flipped his palm and a sword suddenly appeared in his hand—the very same Heart Sword that he had taken away earlier.

Wei Zhuang's pupils contracted slightly. He reached out and took the sword, but as soon as his fingertips touched the hilt, he noticed something was wrong: "This sword... has changed."

“I reforged it, and now it’s called the Frost Sword,” Xu Qing explained. “Besides retaining the original Heart Sword’s ability to absorb blood and heal, it has also gained stronger destructive power, making it a perfect combination of offense and defense.”

He briefly explained the capabilities of the Frostbite Sword.

As for the fourth-tier sword, the fact that Bai Yifei's remnant soul was incorporated into the sword during its forging process, and Bai Yifei's red and white twin swords, resulting in an excessive amount of Bai Yifei's essence in the sword, were things he did not tell Wei Zhuang.

Wei Zhuang's gaze hardened as he gave Xu Qing a deep look.

In the end, he didn't say much more.

If it were the original him, having already acquired the Shark Tooth sword, he would absolutely not have accepted the second sword.

However, having personally used the Heart Sword, especially in his battle with Bai Yifei, the sword provided him with considerable assistance.

He realized the immense boost the Heart Sword had given him.

If it weren't for Xin Jian repeatedly healing his injuries, he wouldn't have been able to withstand Bai Yifei for so long.

"I can help you kill the man in the straw raincoat!"

Wei Zhuang spoke in a deep voice.