Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

The Luo Wang organization was naturally pleased with this. Why would an organization eager to grow reject a weapon delivered to its doorstep?

Regardless of their character, their ability to commit countless evil deeds and still survive in this world speaks volumes about their strength. As long as they can be used by the organization and complete the tasks assigned to them, the organization will provide them with protection; it can be considered a tacit agreement.

As a top-tier assassin, Jing Ni rose through the ranks from mountains of corpses to a high position, and she had a keen understanding of the dark thoughts of those in the Luo Wang organization.

She had seen too much of the blood of traitors.

She never expected that this cold blade of betrayal would be turned against her today.

Ironically, it was Xu Qing herself who led her into the abyss of the net.

As her thoughts shifted, a strange sense of relief welled up in her heart. If she hadn't recruited this man, how could she have successfully assassinated Lord Xinling with the strange sword he forged? Not to mention being pulled out of the water by him when her life was hanging by a thread today.

The interconnected events created an intractable deadlock.

"You want to kill me?" She looked up, her voice as cold as ever.

"How could that be?" The faint smile on Xu Qing's lips never faded. "If I wanted you dead, I would have just stood by the cold river and watched. Why would I bother to fish you out?"

"So... you're going to use me to exchange for a bounty?" Jing Ni stared intently at him, her voice laced with probing. "Handing me over to Lord Xinling's men would indeed bring in a fortune. But don't forget, you're now also a member of the Net."

Xu Qing avoided her question, but a glint flashed in his eyes when he heard the words "Lord Xinling." His tone held a hint of amusement: "It seems... you've accomplished something truly astonishing?"

"Lord Xinling," he paused, his voice rising at the end, "died at your hands?"

Jingni's heart suddenly clenched.

How did he know this secret? Has word already spread throughout the martial arts world, or is he just that meticulous?

"Incredible!" Xu Qing exclaimed sincerely, then proceeded to unravel the mystery, revealing his speculation: "Lord Xinling, who had been dormant for many years, suddenly rose again, sweeping across the Liang Dynasty with thunderous force, executing Grand Minister Wei Yong, and ordering the Wei Wu soldiers to fight to the death. With a single call to arms, he could easily seize 100,000 elite troops, and taking the throne of Wei would be no difficult task... Yet, at the height of his power, he abruptly withdrew, returning to Xinling, feigning indulgence in wine and women..."

"This move is to dispel the suspicions of my elder brother who lives deep within the imperial palace."

"However, with the world in turmoil, it was not only the King of Wei who was suspicious of him. For the Qin Dynasty, which was eyeing the Central Plains, Lord Xinling himself was a thorn in their side and a thorn in their side."

"Therefore, when the news of his return to power came, you—infiltrated Xinling."

"I just didn't expect..." he changed the subject, staring intently at Jing Ni, "that you would ultimately choose a direct attack, and even more unexpectedly, that you... would succeed!"

Xu Qing's words carried a hint of genuine admiration.

Jingni remained silent.

He saw right through her, so what could she possibly argue with?

Now, her life hangs in the balance.

After being reborn, she suddenly realized how little she knew about the person before her. She had only brought him in because of his sword-making skills, without delving into his past, as if he had appeared out of nowhere. Now, upon closer examination, the Net knew almost nothing about him.

"How about we make a deal?" Xu Qing's voice broke the silence again.

……

The dark night of Lord Xinling's death has passed, but the storm is far from over.

Before dawn, the entire Xinling Mausoleum was already under martial law as if facing a formidable enemy.

The city gates of Ningyi were silently and abruptly locked, isolating the inside from the outside.

Not long after Xu Qing returned to the inn, his old friend arrived, having followed his trail.

“Mr. Xu.” Jing Ke stood outside the door, his face heavy, the grief in his eyes still lingering.

"Young Master Jing?" Xu Qing pretended not to know.

“There are villains causing trouble in the city.” Jing Ke’s voice carried a slight, almost imperceptible tremor. “His Majesty is worried that they might cause further trouble, so he has ordered us to investigate and search for their whereabouts.”

He deliberately emphasized the words "Your Majesty," as if this title could give him some comfort, unaware that the pain in his eyes had already betrayed him.

Xu Qing didn't elaborate, only nodding slightly: "I see. Shall we go inside to investigate?"

"No need!" Jing Ke hurriedly shook his head. "I will never forget your life-saving grace, sir. I've come to remind you... please be careful in everything you do!"

This admonition comes from the bottom of my heart.

Even though he knew Xu Qing was exceptionally skilled, the bloody battle of last night made him fully realize the terrifying nature of the Luo Wang.

Despite being heavily guarded, they were able to brazenly kill Lord Xinling.

Xu Qing solemnly replied, "I know."

Watching the young swordsman's heavy figure disappear at the top of the stairs, Xu Qing understood.

It seems that Lord Xinling's retainers kept the news of his death tightly under wraps, using the deceased's remaining prestige to impose a city-wide search. This was indeed a wise move. If news of the assassination of their lord had spread, Xinling would have instantly become a place of chaos and conflict, which would have made it easier for the assassins from the Luo Wang organization to escape and hide.

Only by maintaining a semblance of order can a net be woven to search for the deadly venomous snake.

The flames of revenge still burn silently deep within Lord Xinling's mansion.

Thinking of this, Xu Qing sighed softly.

"You mean well."

“Unfortunately…” He turned his gaze to the inner room, to the assassin whose appearance had been altered and who was now stirring up trouble, “I am not the good person you expect.”

He has a deep understanding of himself.

Deep within the transmigrator's soul, an invisible barrier seemed to separate him from the love, hate, and entanglements of the real world. The people before him sometimes appeared more like vivid images in the background. And the "system" deeply embedded in his consciousness subconsciously made him play the role of a "player."

In this chaotic game of chess, all he seeks is the power to climb to the top.

Therefore, whether it's good or evil, right or wrong, it doesn't really matter to him.

In the blink of an eye, seven days have passed.

Lord Xinling's retainers searched frantically everywhere, uncovering many of the lurking henchmen of the net and eliminating them one by one.

However, no matter how much bloodshed they sought revenge, they could not change that cold, hard fact.

Lord Xinling is dead.

The seven-day limit—this news is like dry tinder roasting over a fire, ready to ignite a storm of rumors and burn away the last vestiges of secrecy.

Lord Xinling was assassinated by a snare.

If this news were to spread throughout the world, it would be like a thunderbolt to the entire Wei Kingdom. Panic would spread like a plague, the court's prestige would be utterly destroyed, and the notorious reputation of the Luo Wang organization would be further tarnished with an even more shocking and outrageous label.

We must never give in to the evil intentions of the Luo Wang organization!

So, on that day, a piece of news poured ice water into a boiling oil pan, instantly overshadowing all the rumors.

Lord Xinling...

He drank excessively and died drunk at home.

Chapter 18 Encountering Six Fingers in the Taihang Mountains

"Mr. Xu, it's good to see you again!"

The morning mist had not yet dissipated at the gate of Ningyi City.

Gongsun Liji clasped her hands in farewell to Xu Qing, her robes fluttering lightly in the cool morning breeze. Jing Ke, holding his long sword, stood silently not far away, watching this scene with gentle eyes.

Xu Qing nodded slightly, his voice calm: "The journey through the martial world is long, we will meet again someday."

Gongsun Liji said no more and turned to walk towards her senior brother Jing Ke.

The two merged into the sparse flow of people leaving the city, their figures gradually receding into the distance, eventually disappearing on the road leading out of Xinling.

Lord Xinling's death was a foregone conclusion.

When the news of his death—"He drank too much and died at home"—spread throughout the Wei Kingdom, the entire nation was shaken, and cries of grief filled the air. For Lord Xinling's retainers, the glorious stage had abruptly come to an end. Some chose to stay, willing to guard his tomb and accompany this fallen star in eternal slumber, while many more, like birds leaving their nest, had to find another place to perch.

Jing Ke also considered guarding the tomb.

Although his time following Lord Xinling was short, the gratitude he felt for his mentorship was profound. However, he was not alone, especially since his junior sister, Gongsun Liji, still needed his care. With Lord Xinling dead, the state of Wei was in turmoil, Qin was eyeing it covetously, and the fate of Wei was still fresh in his mind. He needed a truly stable "paradise" to protect his junior sister.

Xinling was no longer a paradise, so the mysterious place his master had mentioned before his death became a new direction in his heart.

"A paradise on earth, the Mo Family's Mechanical City..."

He murmured to himself, revealing where he was headed next.

After Jing Ke and Gongsun Liji disappeared, Xu Qing also prepared to leave Xinling.

Jingni has long since vanished without a trace.

Lord Xinling's retainers reacted swiftly, immediately sealing off the city and conducting a thorough search for any remaining members of the Luo Wang organization. However, the Luo Wang, this poisonous vine, had already taken deep root in every inch of Xinling's soil. Jing Ni's true danger lay only in the days when she was severely injured and unable to move, and it was precisely because of Xu Qing's help that she was able to safely pass through that fatal period of weakness. Once she regained her mobility, she was like a drop of ink thrown into water, instantly activating the Luo Wang's hidden agents in Ningyi, silently merging into the shadows, and disappearing without a trace.

……

Is the world really that small? For Xu Qing, a time traveler, the map of the seven kingdoms was clear as day, and the true outline of the world was crystal clear.

Is the world vast? In this era, mountains and passes are difficult to cross, and travel by boat and carriage is inconvenient. How many people spend their entire lives with their footprints covering only a hundred miles? Even if Xu Qing knows the world, he is not an immortal. His travels from the North Sea in the morning to Cangwu in the evening are just legends. From one place to another, only the hoofbeats of horses crush the dust and smoke, or his footsteps measure the mountains and rivers.

Having left Wei territory, he already had a destination in mind.

The land of Yan and Zhao has been home to many generous and tragic heroes since ancient times, as well as many chivalrous swordsmen.

Since he is a chivalrous hero, he should naturally have a sword worthy of his status.

Xu Qing planned to go there and continue his "sword-selling" career.

Although it's true that all the swords he forged before were sold to Luo Wang, that doesn't mean Xu Qing will become Luo Wang's exclusive swordsmith.

He never thought of becoming anyone's personal craftsman, especially since his boss was Jing Ni.

In the original story, not long after Jing Ni assassinated Lord Xinling, she carried out the mission of hunting down Wuming. Later, she was moved by Wuming and chose to leave Luo Wang. After killing the Luo Wang assassins who came to hunt her down, she gave birth to her child on a rainy night. She then wandered the world with her child until she arrived at a farmhouse, where she married Tian Meng and hid in the farmhouse.

Now, Lord Xinling has been killed by Jing Ni in a different way.

Xu Qing was unsure whether the other party would defect from Luo Wang again.

But he was unwilling to gamble.

So, after saving Jing Ni that day, he made a deal with her.

This adds a bit of security to the future.

Being in the Net, Xu Qing could obtain many sword-forging materials and had no worries about selling his swords. He enjoyed the benefits, but he didn't want to give anything in return. In other words, he joined the Net just to get something for free.

If Luo Wang doesn't let him get something for free, they'll have to talk to him about giving and contributing.

Then let's just let this trap go.

……