Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Wei Zhuang told him all of this through the darkness of night.

If the King of Qin is willing to show leniency, then sending him to Qin will be a great achievement for Han Yu; if he stays in Qin and doesn't return, Han Yu will have one less major threat.

Deep down, Han Fei was naturally reluctant to leave the state of Han.

But for the sake of South Korea, he had to go through this ordeal.

With mixed feelings, he left the eaves of the main hall and headed out of the palace.

……

The palace gates of Xianyang Palace were wide open. Ying Zheng held the scroll of Han Feizi, which he had once obtained from Li Si, in his hand. He repeatedly stroked the sentence "The matter is in the four directions, but the key lies in the center" on the bamboo slip with his fingertips, his eyes shining like flames.

Although he had taken personal control of the government and held the reins of power in the Qin state, he still retained some of the youthful passion in his bones.

In the original story, he was able to secretly travel to Xinzheng with Gai Nie just to see Han Fei. Now that he heard that Han Fei was coming in person, he could no longer hold back.

"Guards!" Ying Zheng's voice was tinged with laughter. "Pass on my order: on the day the envoy from Han arrives, he shall be treated with a state banquet, and all ceremonial music and regalia shall be prepared in accordance with the rites for a feudal lord!"

This matter quickly spread.

When Li Si, who was serving as a guest minister, learned of this, a shadow immediately fell over his heart.

He and Han Fei were from the same school, so their relationship should have been very good.

But even the best friendships will gradually wither away as one enters the political arena and faces the harsh realities of life.

During his time in the Qin state, Li Si's career was not smooth sailing.

First, he risked his life to join Lü Buwei and finally got a job under Lü Buwei. However, before he could make any contribution, Lü Buwei was implicated in the Lao Ai Rebellion and was directly overthrown.

After that, the Qin state experienced the incident of the King of Qin expelling his guests.

He saw an opportunity and decisively wrote a letter entitled "Admonition Against Expelling Foreign Guests," which finally won the attention of the King of Qin. In order to please the King of Qin, Li Si displayed all his knowledge in front of the King.

He even gave the King of Qin the books that Han Fei had given him when he left his master's school.

In Li Si's view, this was just a way to get closer to the King of Qin. The King of Qin liked Legalism, and Han Fei's book had many merits. Perhaps it could make the King of Qin value him, who was also proficient in Legalism, more. However, he did not expect that the King of Qin valued the person who was proficient in Legalism, but not him, Li Si, but the author of that book, his fellow student Han Fei.

The phrase "I wish I could travel arm in arm with Han Fei" may have been a joke, a reflection of the King of Qin after reading "Han Feizi." However, the King of Qin did not hide it from outsiders, so the saying eventually spread.

Many people know that the King of Qin valued Han Fei of Han highly.

However, no one took the matter seriously.

Li Si was the only exception.

These words were like a thorn in his heart.

He had gone to great lengths to gain a foothold in the Qin state, and now Han Fei was merely here as an envoy, yet the King of Qin wanted to treat him to a state banquet.

The last time Qin held a state banquet was when King Jian of Qi visited. Qi was a major power in the east and had good relations with Qin, so it naturally received a generous welcome.

But what about South Korea? It was just a weak state blocking Qin's eastward expansion. Was it worth taking so seriously?

Inside the mansion, Li Si clenched his fists, his nails almost digging into his palms, thinking about Han Fei's upcoming entry into Qin.

"Han Fei, oh Han Fei..." he murmured to himself, his eyes gradually turning from complicated to ruthless. If Han Fei really stayed in Qin, would Li Si still have a place to stand?

……

The clouds and mist of Mount Li were even thicker than those of Mount Zhongnan. The stronghold of the Yin-Yang School was hidden in a mountain valley. The candlelight inside the hall was a deep blue, making the figure behind the curtain even more mysterious.

Donghuang Taiyi's voice came from a high platform, deep and cold like a mountain stream: "Dongjun, the envoy from Han will arrive in Xianyang soon. Go and meet him."

Dongjun stood below the high platform, her beautiful face even more dazzling under the starlight. Facing the sect leader, she showed little fear, instead raising her proud head and asking, "Does Your Majesty the Eastern Emperor wish to inquire about the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon from him?"

"After the State of Han destroyed the State of Zheng, it did not obtain the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions of Zheng." Donghuang Taiyi paused for a moment, "However, Han Fei is a member of the royal family of Han, and he may know some secrets that others do not know. If you go and investigate, you may have unexpected gains."

Dongjun nodded in agreement, and as he turned and walked out of the palace, he looked up at the sky above Mount Li.

Hidden within the clouds are fragments of starlight, like a chessboard laid out by the Yin-Yang School, and no one can say for sure where Han Fei, this chess piece, will land.

……

Han Fei had already stirred up a great deal of trouble even before he arrived in Qin.

Without a doubt, his trip to Qin would not be too smooth.

Meanwhile, in the state of Qi, which was far from Qin.

Xu Qing, on the other hand, had heard a rumor about a sword.

"Xu Fu, a sorcerer from Langya, was said to be an expert in medicine and had a very high reputation among the people along the coast. Several months ago, a meteorite fell on the shore of the East China Sea. Many sorcerers chased after it, wanting to seize the celestial star. When they arrived there, they saw a strange stone displayed on the shore of the East China Sea. It was shaped like a sword and as heavy as gold. Even strong men could not lift it with both hands."

"While many alchemists were pondering how to deal with it, Xu Fu, renowned along the coast, arrived. He used the Yin-Yang method to refine it to the required number nine, and the stone shattered, revealing a divine sword. At that moment, the coast was as bright as day..."

"The King of Qi has recently learned of this person and is sending someone to summon him to the palace for an audience."

Inside Hou Sheng's residence, some of his retainers were chatting about the latest news.

More than Xu Fu, the sorcerer, they were curious about the divine sword that had fallen from the sky.

"I wonder if the other party will bring that sword with them when they arrive in Linzi, and what kind of sword it is?"

"I heard that the sword was named Amaterasu because when it appeared in the world, it illuminated the night, just like the sun."

Xu Qing listened quietly to the conversation of these retainers, especially the many rumors about the "Amaterasu Sword," and couldn't help but become interested in Xu Fu.

He certainly knew who Xu Fu was, and he also knew that, according to legend, this man who went to sea and never returned created a despicable race.

However, in this world, when Xu Fu is mentioned, it is inevitable to mention the sect behind him.

Yin Yang School!

The Yin-Yang School's purpose was never a secret to Xu Qing. In order to find the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon, they hid in the Qin State and relied on its power.

Behind many things, there are their hands at work.

Although Xu Fu was indeed from Langya, he suddenly became famous in the State of Qi and was even summoned by the King of Qi.

If you think about this matter carefully, it will inevitably give rise to a lot of thoughts.

"Is it for the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions of the State of Qi?"

Xu Qing's eyes flickered.

To be honest, he was quite curious about what the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions were.

Even if Xu Fu's purpose was not the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon, this person, in the original work, as the head of the five elders of the Yin-Yang School, was proficient in alchemy. Now that he has stepped into the chess game of the Qi Kingdom, Xu Qing naturally does not mind meeting him.

Logically speaking, magic could be used to defeat magic, allowing Luo Wang to investigate Xu Fu's background. In particular, among the rumors related to Xu Fu, there is a divine sword that fell from the sky called "Amaterasu." Luo Wang has always liked collecting famous swords, so they would probably be very interested in the Amaterasu sword.

However, after thinking it over, Xu Qing gave up on the idea.

He went straight to the back of the palace.

Although Hou Sheng was the prime minister of Qi, he did not do any real work. He spent his days either enjoying himself in his mansion or on his way to enjoy himself.

"Prime Minister!"

"Mr. Qing, you've arrived."

In the living room, Hou Sheng was enjoying a song and dance performance when he saw Xu Qing arrive. He immediately gestured for Xu Qing to sit down next to him.

Xu Qing didn't stand on ceremony and sat down next to Hou Sheng, immediately bringing up the important matter: "Has the Prime Minister ever heard of the alchemist Xu Fu?"

"Xu Fu? I've heard of him. He's made quite a name for himself along the coast recently. Your Majesty is preparing to meet him."

A faint smile appeared on Xu Qing's lips. "This Xu Fu is no ordinary person."

"Oh?" Upon hearing this, Hou Sheng immediately realized that Xu Fu was unusual. He then dismissed the dancers and musicians, leaving only him and Xu Qing in the living room.

Xu Qing continued, "I know quite a bit about this Xu Fu. As far as I know, his alchemy skills are unparalleled in the world. He has mastered three levels of alchemy techniques. The first level is the Ghost-Controlling Pill, which can strengthen the body for ordinary people. The second level is the True Man Pill, which can prolong life for ordinary people. As for the third level, it is extraordinary and is called the Immortal Gathering Pill."

"The Prime Minister should know what an immortal represents, right?"

Upon hearing this, Hou Sheng trembled immediately, quite excited, and a guess came to his mind.

"The three-tiered alchemy technique: the first tier strengthens the body, the second prolongs life, could the third tier grant immortality?"

“That’s right!” Xu Qing replied, “Even if it can’t make people live forever, the Gathering Immortal Pill can still make people transcend the mundane.”

"Now that such a person has answered the king's summons and is about to arrive in Linzi, we cannot let him go..."

Chapter 174 Xu Fu, a master of alchemy? Let's try a few True Person Pills first!

After learning about Xu Fu's extraordinary nature from Xu Qing, Hou Sheng immediately took the matter to heart.

Then, they went to the palace and found King Tian Jian of Qi.

Although he was the King of Qi's maternal uncle, Hou Sheng was actually not much older than the King of Qi.

The two of them practically grew up together.

Because Hou Sheng was slightly older, and because Tian Jian had been too well protected by his father, the Queen, since childhood, he lacked his own opinions. After his mother's death, he listened to Hou Sheng's words without question.

Tian Jian's health was not bad, but he was middle-aged after all, and he gradually felt that he was not up to the task in some things.

Upon hearing Hou Sheng mention Xu Fu's extraordinary qualities, he immediately became interested.

"Is what your uncle said true?"

"Was Xu Fu really that powerful?"

Tian Jian's eyes showed surprise.

He did indeed summon Xu Fu, mainly because he had suddenly heard of such a person. Now that Qi and Qin had formed an alliance and were at peace, it would be even better if some auspicious omens appeared.

When the rumors about Xu Fu reached Tian Jian's ears, he didn't take them too seriously. After all, there were quite a few alchemists in Qi, and they all claimed that there were immortals overseas and would go out to sea every now and then.

In the end, not a single person actually found the immortals or the immortal mountain.

Conversely, precisely because the rumors are so outrageous, when necessary, the events that happen to these sorcerers can be propagated as auspicious omens.

The story of Xu Fu obtaining the "Amaterasu Sword" is enough to be widely publicized.

Xu Fu obtained the sword just as he returned from the Qin state.

This matches perfectly.

It was because he represented the State of Qi in forging an alliance with the State of Qin, bringing peace to Qi, that such a sword descended upon the shores of the East Sea, illuminating the endless darkness.

Unexpectedly, Xu Fu actually had real abilities.

“Even if he’s not as powerful as the rumors say, he’s definitely not an ordinary person,” Hou Sheng said confidently to Tian Jian.