Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

They are different from ordinary students; they are the direct disciples of the sect leader and are strong successors to the next Confucian sect leader.

Naturally, it was impossible for him to spend all his time studying in the schoolhouse like the other students.

Confucianism granted them a considerable degree of freedom.

Besides sparring, Fu Nian and Yan Lu often took Xu Qing sightseeing in Sanghai City.

Sanghai is not large, but there are indeed many places to visit within the city.

Xu Qing also enjoys traveling.

He even took Fu Nian and Yan Lu to try the local delicacy of Qilu, "shark fin cooked with bear paw," but after eating it, they found that it was just so-so.

The reason this dish is so famous is mainly because of the preciousness of its ingredients.

Besides the scenery and food of Sanghai, Xu Qing also remembered that there was a prison hidden in Sanghai City called "Tooth-Eating Prison". It was said to be a military fortress built by Jiang Ziya in the past. Later, Duke Huan of Qi changed it into a prison for the Rong and Di barbarians who possessed supernatural powers.

Both Sheng Qi and Pao Ding were imprisoned there in the future.

Upon closer examination, there are actually some contradictions regarding Sheng Qi's imprisonment in the Tooth-Eating Prison.

Because in the first part of the anime, Sheng Qi was released by Li Si.

It should be noted that the Tooth-Eating Prison is located in Sanghai, within the territory of the Qi Kingdom.

The distance between the Qin and Qi states was extremely far.

Unless Li Si knew the art of teleportation, and when Gai Nie defected, he teleported directly to Sanghai and released Sheng Qi.

This is obviously impossible.

Therefore, there is only one possibility.

That is, there was a problem with the subsequent explanations in the original work.

Sheng Qi has the tattoos of the seven states on his body and was once imprisoned in Qi. The Tooth-Eating Prison was not a prison that was only put into use during the Qin Dynasty, but it is still in use today. It is possible that the prison where Sheng Qi was imprisoned in Qi was the Tooth-Eating Prison.

While he was in Qin, he was probably being held in another prison, which was located near Xianyang.

Only in this way could Li Si release Sheng Qi immediately after Gai Nie's defection.

Of course, the above are just some of Xu Qing's conjectures.

No one knows exactly what happened.

After all, there are just too many logical flaws in the original work.

After learning that there was such a prison in Sanghai City, Xu Qing had no intention of exploring it.

If it's an abandoned prison, it could be a place to visit and take photos.

But now, the Tooth-Eating Prison is not an abandoned prison, but an official prison of the State of Qi.

After wandering around for most of the day, as the sun began to set, Xu Qing, Fu Nian, and Yan Lu returned to the foot of Xiaoshengxianzhuang Mountain.

Looking at the house with the wooden sign "Youjian Inn" hanging not far away, Xu Qing turned to the two of them and said, "You two go back to the manor first, I'll wander around the city for a while longer."

Fu Nian and Yan Lu nodded upon hearing this, watched him turn and walk towards the inn, and then walked side by side up the stone steps towards Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

As soon as Xu Qing stepped into the inn, a fat man wearing a coarse cloth shirt and with a round belly came to greet him. It was none other than Ding, the innkeeper and cook.

He seemed to be constantly at the inn. Upon seeing Xu Qing, he immediately put on a smile: "Sir, would you like to stay overnight or have a meal?"

"What, you don't recognize me after just a few days?" Xu Qing looked at him with a smile in her eyes.

Fatty Ding was stunned for a moment, then raised his hand and slapped his forehead, saying with annoyance, "Oh dear, what a terrible memory I have! It's you, sir!"

How could he really forget that a few days ago, Xu Qing and several envoys from Hou Sheng stayed at the inn for one night? At that time, the inn didn't have many guests, and Xu Qing and his group had an outstanding demeanor and their clothes were different from ordinary travelers, making them easy to remember at a glance.

"Does the guest need lodging?" Fatty Ding asked again, unconsciously wiping his hand on his apron.

"I'm not staying overnight today, and I'm not eating right now either," Xu Qing shook his head.

It wasn't mealtime yet. Although Fatty Ding's cooking skills were indeed quite good, he wasn't a gourmand and didn't have high expectations for food. In his early years, when he was wandering in the wild, he often ate only dew and was lucky to have a hot meal to fill his stomach. He had no interest in choosing flavors.

Upon hearing this, Fatty Ding's smile froze, and he couldn't help but wonder: If he's not eating or staying at the inn, what's he doing here? Could it be that something went wrong when he stayed at the inn a few days ago, and he's here to cause trouble?

As he was lost in thought, Xu Qing asked again, "You're known as Butcher Ding?"

Fatty Ding's heart skipped a beat, and he quickly nodded: "I'm a cook, and my surname is Ding, so some people do call me that."

“Then that must be it.” Xu Qing’s tone was calm, but his gaze was fixed on Fatty Ding’s face with a hint of inquiry. “I learned from others that there is a cook in Sanghai named Paoding, who is a descendant of Paoding who once butchered an ox for King Hui of Wei. Zhuangzi wrote about Paoding’s deeds in detail in his book ‘Nourishing Life’. I never expected that person would be you. What a coincidence.”

He paused, then continued, "I have always been fond of martial arts. The 'Nourishing Life' describes the process of Butcher Ding dissecting an ox, which is clearly a divine knife technique. You are his descendant, I wonder if you have mastered this knife technique? And how much of your ancestor's essence have you inherited?"

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Qing's gaze suddenly became intense, as if carrying an invisible pressure, and fell directly on Fatty Ding.

Ding Pangzi felt a chill run down his spine, and his previously relaxed body tensed up instantly. He then realized that the person in front of him was not just someone of noble status and extraordinary background; his aura was so powerful that it made people feel inexplicably uneasy.

He quickly organized his thoughts, forcing a simple, honest smile: "Sir, you're too kind. That's all ancient history. I'm nowhere near as capable as my ancestors..."

He wanted to say that he didn't know how to use a butcher's knife at all, but as soon as he got the words to his lips, the invisible pressure suddenly intensified, as if a hand was choking him, preventing him from saying the words "I don't know".

He could only force himself to change his words, his voice somewhat weak: "...I can only say that I know a little, just the basics."

Upon hearing this, Fatty Ding cursed Zhuang Zhou a thousand times in his heart. Why did he have to write a book?!

Although he made his ancestor famous, his ancestor was his ancestor, and he, as a descendant, only wanted to live a peaceful life and did not want to be targeted because of his fame.

Moreover, he also shoulders the important responsibility of the Mohist school, acting as an informant in Sanghai to keep an eye on the Confucian school's movements. Becoming too famous will only bring trouble.

He also secretly resented the person who tipped off Xu Qing. He had never told anyone that he was a descendant of the butcher, so who leaked this information?

"Even if it's just the surface, one should still be able to glimpse its essence." Xu Qing didn't pay attention to his little movements and said calmly, "I wonder if I would have the honor of witnessing the splendor of the 'Dissecting Ox Knife Technique'?"

While the question sounded like a inquiry, Fatty Ding was a smart man. Considering the pressure Xu Qing was under, he immediately understood that there was no other choice but to agree.

He quickly put on a smile and said, "Since you've said so, I'll of course oblige you."

As he spoke, he led Xu Qing to the back kitchen.

The kitchen wasn't large, but it was clean and tidy. Fresh vegetables and meats were laid out on the cutting board, and live fish that had just been bought were placed in a bamboo basket in the corner.

Fatty Ding stood in front of the chopping board, looked at it over and over for a while, and finally picked up a plump leg of lamb. The leg had just been processed and still had a little blood on it, with a clean white skin.

He took an ordinary kitchen knife from the knife rack, held it in his hand, took a deep breath, and then swung it at the lamb leg.

The blade sliced ​​through the air with a few soft "whoosh" sounds, the light flashing in the dimly lit kitchen, so fast that the movements were almost invisible.

In the blink of an eye, Fatty Ding put away his knife, returned it to the knife rack, and said to Xu Qing with a hint of embarrassment, "This is my 'Ox-cutting Knife Technique.' I apologize for the poor quality, sir."

Xu Qing shook his head, a hint of admiration flashing in his eyes: "Truly divine skill."

After saying that, he turned and walked out.

Fatty Ding was stunned for a moment. He didn't expect Xu Qing to react so coldly to the swordsmanship. He neither asked any questions nor praised him, and just turned around and left.

He was puzzled but dared not ask any questions. He could only put down what he was holding and quickly followed. As soon as the two left the kitchen, they saw the lamb leg on the cutting board suddenly "disintegrate," the meat and bone completely separated. Each piece of lamb was as thin as a cicada's wing, and the size was so uniform that it looked as if it had been measured with a ruler. The lamb bone, however, was completely intact, its surface smooth, without even a trace of meat left.

This one move alone is enough to show that Fatty Ding's knife skills have reached a level of exquisite detail.

Back in the inn's lobby, Xu Qing looked at the still-dazed Fatty Ding and asked, "I made you forcefully demonstrate your ox-cutting technique, you're not unhappy about that, are you?"

Fatty Ding snapped out of his daze and quickly waved his hand, "Not at all! It's an honor for my Ding family that you know the story of my ancestors, sir. There's no reason for us to be dissatisfied!"

“Since there’s no dissatisfaction, let’s talk about compensation,” Xu Qing said.

"Compensation?" Fatty Ding was truly dumbfounded.

He was just worried that Xu Qing was there to cause trouble, perhaps trying to extort money by showing off his swordsmanship.

Logically, one should report such a matter to the authorities, but given his special status and the fact that he was a spy for the Mohists, he could not reveal his identity and could only try to avoid trouble.

He swallowed hard and asked cautiously, "Sir, how much compensation do you think would be appropriate?"

"That's a ridiculous question," Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, somewhat surprised. "The amount of compensation should be proposed by you, the person involved. Why are you asking me instead?"

Fatty Ding then realized that he wasn't being extorted, but rather that the person in front of him was offering to compensate him.

He breathed a sigh of relief, but dared not ask for an exorbitant amount. His instincts told him that going against this person would only lead to trouble.

He rubbed his hands together nervously and said, "Sir, you can give me whatever you think is appropriate. I don't have any specific requirements."

“Since you’re a cook, I’ll give you a kitchen knife.” Xu Qing said, flipping his hand and a kitchen knife appeared out of thin air in his hand.

The knife looks no different from an ordinary knife, except that the handle is carved with a dragon, with clear dragon scale patterns, as if it is about to take flight at any moment; the blade is so shiny that it can reflect a person's image, and upon closer inspection, there seems to be a faint dragon pattern coiled on the blade, appearing and disappearing.

"This cleaver is made from meteorite iron from outer space. It contains a strange power that can enhance the flavor of ingredients when cutting vegetables, making the taste more mellow," Xu Qing explained simply.

This kitchen knife isn't anything special; it's far inferior to those exotic swords. He forged it in his spare time recently.

Xu Qing has always loved to "discover" talent, and someone like Fatty Ding, with his unparalleled skill in butchering oxen and his culinary arts, is someone he naturally cannot miss.

At first, he was still struggling with what kind of sword to give Fatty Ding, but then he realized that the boundary between a knife and a sword is not so clear. Just like the Thousand-Machine Umbrella he gave Dao Zhi before, which could also be called the Thousand-Machine Sword because it contained a sword, so there was nothing wrong with forging a chef's knife for Fatty Ding.

He recalled the eight legendary kitchen utensils in "Cooking Master Boy," including two kitchen knives. He ultimately chose the one whose name best matched the current world's style, saying, "It's called the Eternal Spirit Knife. I hope you can use it well."

Ding Pangzi stood there, his mind blank. Today's experience was too bizarre. From being questioned about his ox-cutting knife technique to demonstrating his skills, and then receiving such a peculiar kitchen knife, he felt like he was dreaming the whole time. He could only passively listen and watch.

It wasn't until Xu Qing produced the contract and asked him to sign the "Sword Contract" that he dazedly pressed his fingerprint on it.

After Xu Qing put away the contract, placed the Eternal Spirit Blade in front of him, and turned to leave the inn, a gust of cold wind blew in from the open door, and Fatty Ding shivered and fully woke up.

He looked at the Eternal Spirit Blade in front of him and sighed, "What kind of mess is this..."

He still didn't understand what Xu Qing was trying to do, but when he looked down and touched the hilt of the Yongling Blade, it was icy cold to the touch, yet it also had a faint warmth. The blade was so sharp that it seemed to be able to cut through the air. As a top chef, he could tell at a glance that this was an excellent kitchen knife.

All things considered, it seems he didn't lose out.

……

Xiaoshengxianzhuang is an extremely peaceful place.

This comfortable situation will likely continue for many more years to come.

It wasn't until after the Qin state unified the world that it was drawn into many storms because of Zhang Liang.

At present, Zhang Liang clearly has not become a disciple of Confucianism.

Xu Qing didn't feel any spiritual elevation during his stay in the village, but he felt exceptionally comfortable.

I can wake up to the sound of morning reading in the early morning, bask in the sun in the courtyard in the afternoon, and discuss swordsmanship and classics with Fu Nian and Yan Lu in the evening.

But he was not one to stay long, and after some time he decided to leave.

On this day, he formally bid farewell to Fu Nian and Yan Lu.

"I've been bothering you a lot during this time."