Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

As the sword flashed, its sharp edge reached the leader of the Luo Wang organization.

He was startled and instinctively drew his sword, but he was a fraction of a second too late.

puff!

Xu Qing's sword swept across him, severing the arm from which he had drawn the sword. The sword and the severed hand fell to the ground together.

Immediately afterwards, the swords of the other assassins from the Luo Wang organization came one after another.

However, Xu Qing swept his sword away, deflecting all the swords.

He leaped past, leaving a trail of afterimages, and in an instant, almost all of these assassins from the Luo Wang organization were wiped out.

The reason it was almost completely wiped out.

It's because there's still one survivor.

Because the leader knew many secrets, Xu Qing spared his life for the time being.

"What right do you have to speak so arrogantly in front of me?"

Xu Qing sheathed his sword, approached the man with the missing arm, and asked him this question.

Immediately afterwards, he cast an illusion.

This person was then interrogated.

Xu Qing quickly read the other person's memories and what they knew.

Gradually, Xu Qing also learned some things about the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven).

"So that's what happened!"

After Ying Zheng assumed power, Luo Wang completely broke away from Lü Buwei's control. After taking control of Luo Wang, Ying Zheng entrusted it to a trusted person for temporary management. Subsequently, a purge was launched within Luo Wang, and those from Lü Buwei and Lao Ai's faction were purged. Naturally, during this process, many positions in Luo Wang became vacant and urgently needed to be filled. Xu Qing's files from back then had already been completely destroyed by Jing Ni, and with the internal turmoil within Luo Wang, no one knew that he had once been a member of Luo Wang.

"Thank you for informing me." Xu Qing spoke calmly, his sword flashing again, instantly extinguishing the leader's aura.

He glanced at the corpse on the ground, without pausing, and simply bent down to put the swords of the Luo Wang assassins into his robes. The materials of these swords were still acceptable, and they would make good materials for reforging.

After finishing all that, Xu Qing went to the stream as usual and caught half a basket of small blue-scaled fish.

Back in his humble thatched hut, he lit a fire, cooked a pot of fish soup in an earthenware pot, and ate it with coarse rice.

After the meal, he cleaned the thatched hut as if no one had ever lived there, then shouldered his bag and headed toward Linzi City.

Hiding in the wilderness was no longer an option. Xu Qing had intended to find a secluded corner of the city to hide in, but as soon as he arrived at the gate of Linzi, he saw a gilded notice posted on the city wall. It stated that the Prime Minister of Qi, Hou Sheng, was recruiting talented people and rare treasures. Anyone who could present treasures or display their talents would be richly rewarded.

Xu Qing paused for a moment, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes.

Then, he found a shop, bought some things, and disguised himself.

Over the years, Xu Qing has acquired many skills from various people, including the art of disguise. Although it is not as outrageous as the disguise technique of Mo Yu Qilin, it is still sufficient for simple disguises.

Not long after, Xu Qing's appearance changed. His face was still the same, but he had a dark brown beard around his mouth. In addition, the hair on his temples was a little gray. If he was young and chivalrous before, and extremely sharp, then he was now more mature and composed, with a detached and indifferent air about him.

Aside from those who are very familiar with Xu Qing, most people would not recognize him and be certain that he is the Sword Madman who made a great name for himself in the Yan Kingdom.

Well, it's better not to call him Sword Maniac, since Xu Qing really doesn't like that title.

After tidying up, he took down the notice and headed straight for the Hou Sheng Prime Minister's residence.

The servants at the gate, seeing that he was dressed simply but had an extraordinary bearing, dared not be negligent in the slightest and quickly bowed and asked, "Sir, have you come to present a treasure or to pledge your allegiance to the Prime Minister?"

"Presenting the treasure." Xu Qing nodded.

The servant dared not delay and hurriedly went inside to report.

Before half an incense stick had burned, he quickly came out and respectfully led Xu Qing inside: "The Prime Minister invites you in."

Passing through three courtyards, the bluestone path was swept spotless, and the fruit trees on both sides were lush and leafy, with plump fruits hanging from the branches, and not a single speck of dust on the leaves.

The further you go in, the clearer the sounds of string and wind instruments become. When you reach the main hall, the carved wooden door is open, and a middle-aged man in a purple brocade robe is reclining on a soft couch, a bright white jade bead between his fingers, which he rolls gently in his palm.

This man was fair-skinned and beardless, with cloudy eyes that held a hint of shrewdness; he was none other than Hou Sheng, the prime minister of the State of Qi.

Two maids knelt beside the couch, one holding a wine pot and the other a jade cup, carefully pouring wine for Hou Sheng.

Hou Sheng raised his eyes and glanced over, his gaze first landing on Xu Qing's blue cloth robe, then quickly moving to his face, pausing on the dark brown beard, and casually asking, "Are you the one who presented the treasure, sir?"

Xu Qing's gaze swept over the maid beside the soft couch, a glint of light flashing in his eyes.

Hou Sheng noticed his gaze, immediately sat up straighter, and waved with a smile: "Sir, you have come from afar, would you like to have a drink first? This is wine sent by the State of Zhao, and it tastes very good."

"That won't be necessary."

Xu Qing shook his head and revealed his purpose, "I saw in the notice that the Prime Minister intends to recruit talented people and search for treasures?"

"Not bad!"

Hou Sheng nodded, not annoyed that Xu Qing hadn't bowed to him.

To him, these were all trivial matters. Even though Confucianism was prevalent in Qi and the scholars were very particular about etiquette, Hou Sheng did not value it. What he valued more was the benefits he could obtain. As long as the other party could bring him benefits, he would be willing to kowtow to them.

“I have a sword, a rare treasure, and I wish to exchange it for something from the Prime Minister.”

"Oh?" Hou Sheng was immediately surprised when he heard Xu Qing mention the treasure.

He didn't ask Xu Qing what he wanted, but instead asked, "Where's the sword?"

"At this!"

Xu Qing untied the item he was carrying on his back and lifted the cloth wrapped around it.

A sword caught Hou Sheng's eye. The sword was cast entirely from gold and bronze, giving it a faint reddish hue, as if it had been dyed by the sunset. The blade was long and straight, the hilt was uniquely shaped, and the guard was spherical.

Because Xu Qing did not demonstrate the power of this sword.

Therefore, Hou Sheng had no idea what kind of abilities this sword possessed.

However, this did not affect his belief that it was a good sword.

It was because, after this sword appeared, he sensed a sharp edge.

It was as if the very air itself had been cleaved open by the sword.

As a person who loves money more than anything, Hou Sheng enjoys collecting treasures and has a unique eye for them.

"A fine sword!"

Hou Sheng commented.

"What's its name?"

"By Dragon!"

“Youlong…” Hou Sheng murmured the name softly, feeling that it was quite a coincidence.

But instead of directly stating the answer, he asked Xu Qing, "What do you want?"

Although the sword wasn't displayed, its shape and sharpness almost certainly indicate that it's a fine sword and would make a good gift.

More important than these things is what Hou Sheng wants to know.

"I heard the Prime Minister is still recruiting retainers?" Xu Qing brought up another matter.

Yes, that's true!

The practice of supporting scholars was prevalent throughout the land.

Lord Mengchang of Qi in the past also kept many retainers. More importantly, he was not particular about details and was willing to recruit anyone.

However, precisely because of this, those petty thieves ended up doing Lord Mengchang a great favor.

Hou Sheng was the prime minister of Qi, so he naturally knew the benefits of supporting scholars.

If that person truly possessed any ability, he would spare no expense to hire him and keep him in his household.

"What does the Prime Minister think of me?"

"You?" Hou Sheng looked at Xu Qing in surprise.

"To be honest, Prime Minister, I am actually a swordsmith. This Dragon Sword is a work of my ancestor. I pride myself on my swordsmithing skills being no less than my ancestor's, but I am hampered by my family's poverty. If I could receive financial assistance, I would be able to forge an even better sword!"

After hearing Xu Qing's words, Hou Sheng looked at Xu Qing with even greater surprise.

Xu Qing met the other person's gaze without saying anything.

Before coming, Xu Qing had investigated matters related to Hou Sheng. Although Hou Sheng was similar to Guo Kai, apart from his corruption and abuse of power, Hou Sheng had a pretty good reputation. This reputation meant that as long as you paid enough, Hou Sheng would do anything for you within his power.

For example, who to deal with.

Or, to put it another way, what official position have you set your sights on?

Hou Sheng always sets clear prices for everything he does.

This certainly reveals his greed, but on the other hand, Xu Qing actually quite enjoys dealing with people like him.

He fears most encountering people who take money but don't deliver.

Chapter 157 Confucianism Uses Literature to Disrupt the Law

As dusk settled, it gradually seeped into the streets and alleys of Linzi City.

Outside the vermilion gate of Hou Sheng Mansion, two ram's horn palace lanterns were lit, their warm yellow glow swaying gently in the cool evening breeze.

A black-covered carriage slowly came to a stop, and the curtain was lifted by a hand with distinct knuckles.

The middle-aged man stepped out of the carriage, and as the hem of his black brocade robe swept across the carriage shaft, a jade pendant with a dark pattern was revealed at his waist.

His temples were frosted with white, yet he showed no signs of aging. His brows and eyes held a calm sharpness, and even the few strands of hair hanging down his forehead exuded a sense of composure.

"Mr. Qing!" The gatekeeper bowed deeply upon seeing him, his voice filled with undisguised reverence, his waist bowing even lower than when greeting other guests.

The other party nodded slightly and stepped into the Prime Minister's residence.

Hou Sheng's mansion was very large, and he followed the example of Lord Mengchang and Lord Xinling in the past, keeping many retainers.

These retainers usually lived in Hou Sheng Mansion when they had nothing to do, and received a considerable salary.

Of course, when necessary, they should also contribute their efforts to help Hou Sheng.

However, when they saw the middle-aged man, they all looked at him with awe and addressed him as "Mr. Qing".

No one dared to be disrespectful in front of him.

Although Mr. Qing had only been in the manor for a little over a month, he was already no longer an ordinary retainer.