Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

This mission was assigned by the upper echelons of the Luo network.

They wanted Wu Kuang to go to a certain place in the State of Qi and obtain something.

“This mission…” Xu Qing began slowly, his voice low, “has come at just the right time.”

Wu Kuang looked at him, waiting for him to continue. He keenly sensed that Xu Qing's words had a hidden meaning.

Xu Qing didn't say much, but simply handed the scroll back: "Since this is a task specifically assigned to you, it would be impolite to refuse. Go and carry it out. Remember, be careful in everything you do, and if things become impossible, prioritize your own safety."

"Understood." Wu Kuang nodded without asking any further questions.

He trusted Xu Qing's judgment; since Xu Qing chose not to expose him at this moment, there must be a reason.

The following day, Wu Kuang left Linzi again under the identity of "Jin Guang".

He remained as taciturn and unassuming as ever, mingling among merchants and travelers, heading towards the location indicated by the mission.

His experience in missions over the past few days has made him adept at the operation of the Net and such covert operations. His aura has become more restrained, and his steps are steady. Only his eyes, which occasionally scan his surroundings, are as sharp as a hawk's, revealing a vigilance that is far from that of an ordinary traveler.

The mission location was a post station that had been abandoned for many years. The ruins stood alone at the entrance of a valley overgrown with weeds, and the autumn wind swept through, bringing with it a desolate and mournful sound.

The setting sun cast a long shadow of him, and all around was so quiet that the only sounds were the wind and the rustling of the wild grass.

Wu Kuang did not immediately enter the post station, but instead hid behind a large rock not far away and observed carefully.

Instinct told him that the silence here was unusual; it was too clean, with very few traces of birds or animals.

He waited patiently until the sun was half-set and the sky began to darken.

Just as he was preparing to sneak into the post station to investigate.

A sudden attack swept towards him.

In an instant, more than ten figures sprang up from behind the surrounding rocks and weeds. The leader was a burly man with a full beard and bloodshot eyes, holding a long sword and charging forward with overwhelming killing intent. The men behind him were also agile, and the cold light of their drawn swords and sabers blended together in the twilight, instantly blocking all of Wu Kuang's escape routes.

Wu Kuang's expression changed slightly.

His actions were very secretive, but at this moment, he was attacked and killed.

Did someone expose his whereabouts?

All of this reveals a deep abnormality.

Chapter 168 Former formidable enemies are now commonplace!

Faced with this sudden attack, Wu Kuang had no choice but to raise his sword and fight back.

He was already quite skilled, and with Xu Qing's meticulous guidance these days, his martial arts have improved by leaps and bounds.

The Azure Light Sword in his hand transformed into a flowing emerald light, moving with him to deflect attacks from all directions, the clanging of metal against metal ringing out incessantly.

Amidst the sparks flying, Wu Kuang's mind raced as he began to ponder.

How did these people know my whereabouts? Why did they set up an ambush here?

The thought flashed through his mind, and he made up his mind that he needed to end the battle as soon as possible, capture one or two people alive, and interrogate them severely. The answer would then come to light.

Just as his move was about to change, the surrounding air suddenly turned icy cold, and an invisible chill seeped in, as if he had instantly stepped from late autumn into the dead of winter.

Thump thump... thump thump...

In this deathly silence and coldness, a dull yet unusually clear sound struck his eardrums, causing Wu Kuang to be startled.

Is this the sound of your voice?

He was immediately horrified to realize that it was his own heart pounding like a drum.

Several ambushers he had knocked down were still lying in pools of blood groaning, but the surviving men in black did not continue their attack. Instead, they retreated to both sides like a tide, making way for each other.

All eyes turned in awe to the other side.

A mysterious figure, clad in a wide cloak and completely concealed, slowly approached. His appearance brought with it a chilling, bone-deep cold. Each step he took was extremely slow, yet it felt as if he were stepping on Wu Kuang's heart, the heavy pressure like a collapsing mountain, making Wu Kuang's breathing difficult and cold sweat instantly beading on his forehead.

"!!!"

Wu Kuang was horrified, knowing he had encountered an unprecedentedly powerful enemy.

He forcefully gathered his inner strength, suppressing his surging blood and qi. The Azure Light Sword emitted a clear and melodious tremor, and he followed the sword, transforming into a streak of azure lightning that shot straight at the approaching person.

At the same time, he quietly activated the "Awakening of Insects" technique from the Twenty-Four Earthly Branches. His internal energy surged like spring thunder, and a barely perceptible arc of electricity appeared on the tip of his sword. His speed increased by another three points, and as the sword light passed, a corner of the mysterious man's cloak was torn apart by the sharp sword energy.

However, what met Wu Kuang's desperate attack was a seemingly casually raised hand from his opponent, along with an overwhelming and suffocating force.

"boom!"

Wu Kuang felt an irresistible force crashing down on him. His tiger's mouth split open, and the Azure Light Sword nearly slipped from his grasp. He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground. Blood gushed out, and everything went black before he lost consciousness.

……

"So, Wu Kuang went missing because of this mission?"

In the depths of Hou Sheng's mansion in Linzi City, in a quiet study.

Xu Qing sat leisurely by the window, seemingly aware of the turmoil outside the city, even though he never left the house.

When the puppet-like Hou San bowed and reported the news of Wu Kuang's disappearance, there was not much surprise on his face. As early as when Wu Kuang accepted that mission, he had sensed something unusual, but he did not point it out, intending to see just how deep the water was.

As a result, the bait was released, but the fish did not return to their nest.

"You people from the Luo Wang organization are truly unreliable in your work," Xu Qing said calmly, yet with a hint of barely perceptible sarcasm. "When you send people on missions, you can't even guarantee the safety of the executors. Shouldn't you have gathered sufficient intelligence before taking action?"

Xu Qing complained to Hou San.

Hou San listened to Xu Qing's complaints without saying a word.

He was merely a puppet, strictly following Xu Qing's orders and occasionally reporting the movements of the Luo Wang organization to Xu Qing. He had no independent thoughts of his own.

Xu Qing knew all this, so after saying those words, he didn't say anything more.

He simply sighed and asked Hou San, "Has that rank 1 Tian not arrived in Linzi yet?"

Hou San shook his head.

Xu Qing's eyes flickered, but he didn't say anything more, nor did he instruct the other party to search for Wu Kuang's whereabouts.

Two more days passed.

Hou San brought the latest developments: the top-ranking member of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) had successfully arrived in Linzi and taken over the Luo Wang operation in Qi.

"The big fish is here!"

Upon hearing this news, Xu Qing smiled and spoke softly.

He had some guesses about Wu Kuang before, but to verify them, he had to wait until this top-ranking member of the Luo Wang arrived in Qi.

Now that the other party has arrived, Xu Qing doesn't mind going to meet them.

Xu Qing naturally wouldn't take ordinary assassins from the Luo Wang organization seriously, but those of the highest rank were different.

This level of assassin is qualified to warrant Xu Qing's personal intervention.

Hou San was merely a first-class official of the Earth rank. After gaining control of him, Xu Qing gained considerable advantages, as he could manipulate the net within Linzi City through Hou San.

But that was before.

Now that Luo Wang has dispatched its top-ranking official to Qi, it means that Luo Wang's attention has also been focused on Qi.

Xu Qing wanted to try to control this top-ranking official.

If this succeeds, it means that the entire Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) of Qi will be completely freed from Qin's control and become a sharp blade in his hands. After all, the first-class Heavenly rank is the highest level of Luo Wang assassins, and only the Luo Wang controller has the right to command them.

……

Outside the city, in the desolate mountains, a seemingly ordinary house stands alone.

Inside, a dim oil lamp cast a faint glow, barely illuminating a corner of the table. A mysterious figure draped in a wide cloak was using this weak light to peruse several bamboo scrolls decorated with grotesque spider patterns. Outside, the night was as black as ink, with dark clouds obscuring the moon, making the stillness of the room all the more palpable.

Suddenly, he put down the bamboo slips in his hand.

Beneath the cloak's shadow, a pair of sharp eyes suddenly rose, gleaming with keen light.

"It seems that something unexpected has happened to the net of Qi." His voice was deep, with a metallic quality.

"How do you know?" A calm voice suddenly came from outside, clear and distinct, as if the speaker were standing right by the door.

"Just the fact that you were able to approach this place silently without triggering any alerts." The person inside the room slowly rose, his cloak fluttering even without wind. "Either your cultivation is extremely high, far surpassing the guards here; or you have an inside agent here all along." He paused, his tone certain. "However, in my opinion, it's more likely that it's both."

The person outside did not answer.

His response was a sudden, violent gust of wind.

"boom!"

The door was violently flung open by the raging airflow, and the flickering oil lamp went out with a thud, the last wisp of smoke dissipating. In an instant, the room was plunged into complete darkness, so dark that one could not see their own hand in front of their face.

At the very instant the light disappeared.

laugh!

A glint of cold light, like a shooting star in the dark night, tore through the thick darkness, carrying a chilling killing intent, aimed straight for the throat of the black-robed man inside the room! The sword light was sharp, and its speed far exceeded that of ordinary people.

The man in black robes reacted with ghostly speed. In the darkness, a long sword, completely black and seemingly capable of absorbing all light, suddenly appeared from its sheath. The sword trembled, and faint wails of vengeful spirits arose, spreading a sinister aura that attempted to devour the cold light.

However, that faint wisp of sword light contained the purest and most refined power, like the light of dawn, firmly piercing through the evil aura and dispelling the illusory ghostly shadows.

Upon seeing this, the person inside the room trembled with his black sword, continuing to evolve new sword techniques. At the same time, he raised his other hand, revealing a white sword that corresponded to the black sword. Streams of light appeared on the white sword, transforming into a protective shield.

The protective shield clashed with the wisp of sword light, and the stalemate didn't last long before it shattered instantly.

This wisp of sword light also vanished.

But this is only the beginning.

The attacker from the darkness unleashed a second sword strike, the sword light surging forth like moonlight spilling onto the ground, clear and brilliant, illuminating most of the room as bright as day, the air itself stagnating under the sword's aura.

The man in black robes channeled his inner energy, wielding his black and white swords in a crisscrossing motion, one yin and one yang, one treacherous and one righteous, their sword energies intertwining to form a net, forcefully clashing with this earth-shattering sword strike.

"boom!"

The clash of their energies sent shockwaves flying, causing the cloak covering the man in black robes to flutter and the brim of his hat to lift, revealing his true face. He was a middle-aged man with a weathered face, black hair with a red ribbon, a blue headband wrapped around his forehead, and a few strands of hair hanging down. His brows conveyed a sense of hardship and untamed spirit.

However, the sword light quickly dissipated, and the room was plunged into darkness again.

Even so, it was enough for the newcomer to see the true face of the man in black. Not to mention the light in the previous moment, even without light, the newcomer's unique skills would allow him to see clearly in the dark.

"Black sword takes lives, white sword suppresses souls, black and white mystical severance!"