Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

“You were the one who asked me about my purpose earlier.” Xu Qing’s gaze was sharp, but his voice was extremely calm. “Now, your attitude will determine how I deal with you.”

Instead of stating his opinion directly, he left the choice to Xiao Hei.

In an instant, a heavy sense of oppression enveloped Xiao Hei like dark clouds.

This feeling was not unfamiliar to her; she had experienced similar pressure from the Moon Goddess, the Eastern Lord, and even the Eastern Emperor in the past.

The oppression from those higher-ups was passive, a natural deterrent brought about by their status and power; while Xu Qing's oppression was active, like an invisible net, trapping her tightly, making even breathing difficult.

Xiao Hei's body trembled slightly uncontrollably, and cold sweat slid down his forehead, wetting the hair at his temples.

In her mental world, Xu Qing's figure grew larger and larger, like a god supporting the sky and the earth, while she became an ant crawling in a corner, insignificant and not worth mentioning. Despair surged into her heart like a tide, but she gritted her teeth and stubbornly refused to break down.

She couldn't lose; her younger sister needed her protection. It didn't matter if she died, but her sister absolutely couldn't be harmed!

"I'll take responsibility for my actions!" Xiao Hei took a deep breath, his voice trembling slightly but still firm. "Tonight, I deliberately infiltrated this place and provoked you. All the blame lies with me. As long as you let my sister go, I'll do anything you want!"

In the past, she would never have said such a thing. At that time, Donghuang Taiyi's restriction sealed her emotions. Although her younger sister held weight in her heart, it was not heavy enough for her to give up her life.

But ever since Xu Qing lifted her restraints, those sealed emotions burst forth like a flood breaking through a dam, just like a pot of fine wine buried underground for many years, the longer it is suppressed, the stronger its flavor becomes.

"What a deep sisterly bond!" Xu Qing exclaimed, her tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

He had similar thoughts when he read Xiao Hei's memories before, but Xiao Hei didn't hear him then; now, seeing the two sisters protecting each other, he finally voiced his feelings.

……

Although the process involved some deception and coercion, Xu Qing still managed to achieve the goal of "collecting twin sisters".

Following Xiaobai, Xiaohei also began to learn the self-cultivation of a maid. Fortunately, Xiaobai had already learned a lot beforehand, and with her patient guidance, Xiaohei quickly adapted. However, deep in his eyes, there was still a hint of resentment.

After all, the Yin-Yang School members are all proud and arrogant. They have submitted to Xu Qing only because their powers have been sealed and they have not found a chance to escape.

Once an opportunity arises, they will definitely turn against them immediately.

Xu Fu had already proven this through his actions. He suffered greatly in the quarry, but he never bowed to reality. He would never let go of any chance to escape.

Therefore, if you want these two sisters to truly serve you, you still need to train them properly.

Xu Qing wasn't in a hurry. He valued the twins quite a bit. Perhaps their skills weren't top-notch, but the fact that they were "twins" was a huge plus.

He recalled that the original animation never mentioned the fate of these two young masters of fate. Considering the consistent style of the Yin Yang School, it was not hard to guess that their end would not be good.

Rather than letting them remain in the Yin-Yang School and ultimately perish, it's better to recruit them and give them a way out.

The appearance of Shao Siming was an accident, but the appearance of another elder of the Yin-Yang family in the State of Qi was by no means accidental.

Xu Qing ignored Xu Fu for a long time, so long that the Yin-Yang School people traveled back and forth to Qi twice before finally deciding to see Xu Fu again. However, this time, he would change his identity.

The identities he fabricated in front of Shao Siming before, such as "the overthrower of the Yin-Yang School" and "the spokesperson for the wandering elders of the Yin-Yang School," could actually be put to use.

He wanted to see how Xu Fu, this liar, would react to his new identity.

……

Many industries have sprung up around Linzi, the capital of the State of Qi.

The fishing industry was well-developed in the State of Qi, but there were many other industries besides fishing. Near Linzi, there was a special breeding farm that raised cattle and sheep specifically for the royal family of Qi.

Under Xu Qing's arrangement, Xu Fu was transferred from the quarry to this place and became a shepherd who looked after the sheep.

Compared to the days spent moving stones all day in the quarry and being bullied by the guards, life here is undoubtedly much easier.

Xu Fu was not grateful at all; on the contrary, he felt it was an insult, and the hatred in his heart grew wildly like weeds.

That night, he lay in a pile of weeds in the corner of the farm, his eyes closed, his mind replaying his experience at the quarry. First, he tried to escape using alchemy, but not only did he fail, he was stripped of his clothes and publicly humiliated by the guards. Later, a mysterious person came to him and made a deal with him. Just when he was about to escape, he was suddenly transferred here.

Everything was too coincidental.

Xu Fu was no fool. These days, while cursing Hou Sheng, King Qi, and Mr. Qing in his heart, he pondered repeatedly that if it was not a coincidence, then there was only one possibility.

Someone is deliberately targeting me!

"Don't let me find a chance to escape from here!" As night deepened and a cold wind blew through the grass clippings, Xu Fu curled up and muttered to himself.

He opened his eyes, staring at the gray night sky above him, his eyes filled with resentment.

Life on the farm was indeed better than in the quarry; at least at night, you didn't have to sleep on a cold, hard stone bed, but instead on a thick layer of weeds.

However, the sanitary conditions were absurd. Lice and unknown insects lurked in the piles of weeds, and at night one could always feel the insects crawling all over one's body. Fortunately, Xu Fu had suffered enough during this time and had long since mastered the art of "endurance," so he was able to make do.

A gust of cold wind blew by, and Xu Fu couldn't help but shiver.

He subconsciously wrapped his tattered hemp clothes tighter around himself, wondering to himself why the wind was so cold tonight.

But the next second, he realized something was wrong. Nothing around him was moving, not even a blade of grass was swaying, but the chill was getting stronger and stronger, seeping into his bones like ice water.

"This isn't cold wind!" Xu Fu suddenly sat up, his eyes instantly becoming alert.

Although he had lost his martial arts skills, his years of experience remained.

This is murderous intent, a killing intent laced with poison!

A wave of fear surged up his spine, making him feel cold all over.

In the past, his powerful skills were the source of his arrogance, but now, without them, he is like a turtle without its shell, fragile and vulnerable.

He endured humiliation and hardship to live, solely for revenge, hoping to one day rise again.

"Xu Fu, the Lord of Clouds from the Yin-Yang School?" Just then, a cold voice came, like shattered ice hitting a stone, piercing and chilling.

Xu Fu looked in the direction of the sound and saw a tall, imposing figure standing not far away.

The man wore a bronze mask with intricate yin-yang patterns engraved on it. Under the moonlight streaming in from outside, the mask gleamed with a cold, hard luster. An eerie green glow surrounded his body, like floating will-o'-the-wisps, making his figure appear like a vengeful ghost.

"What Lord of the Clouds, what Xu Fu? I don't know anyone like that!" Xu Fu hurriedly waved his hands, his voice trembling slightly. "My name is Xu Shi, I'm just an ordinary shepherd!"

He knew in his heart that the visitor was up to no good, and if he admitted his identity, he would probably lose his life tonight.

"Xu Shi?" The newcomer's voice remained cold and emotionless. "As far as I know, Xu Fu also had another name, Xu Shi."

He slowly approached Xu Fu, the green light shimmering with his steps. "I've gone to great lengths to find you."

He stopped and looked down at Xu Fu, who was huddled in the weeds, his tone full of sarcasm: "I never expected that the dignified elder of the Yin-Yang Clan, Yun Zhongjun, would be in such a sorry state, dressed in tattered hemp clothes, covered in grass clippings, looking like a stray dog."

Xu Fu clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, but he dared not retaliate and could only grit his teeth and endure it.

"But none of that matters anymore." The visitor changed the subject, and the green light suddenly brightened a bit. "As long as you are still an elder of the Yin-Yang School and haven't been expelled by Donghuang Taiyi, you still have value."

He paused, a hint of cruelty in his voice, "Sending your head back to the Yin-Yang School would be a decent challenge. I just don't know if that Donghuang Taiyi, hiding in the shadows and afraid to show his true face, would dare to accept the challenge!"

Xu Fu's pupils contracted sharply as he gleaned crucial information from the other person's words.

The visitor's target is Donghuang Taiyi!

He had initially thought this person was in cahoots with the mysterious figure from before, but now it seemed he was after the Yin-Yang School.

I've suffered this undeserved calamity for no reason, being implicated by Donghuang Taiyi.

"Wait!" Xu Fu hurriedly spoke, fearing the other party would attack. "I have something to say!"

He knew he couldn't die. As long as there was a chance, he had to fight for it, even if it meant cooperating with the person who wanted to kill him, it was better than losing his life.

Chapter 185 Betrayal? No, it's being pragmatic!

"With death looming, do you have anything else to say?"

The icy words were like ice tempered for ten thousand years. As soon as they fell, an even more chilling killing intent poured down as if it were real, freezing the air around Xu Fu once again.

This time, the killing intent was no longer a faint intimidation, but a chilling force that tore at one's very bones. Xu Fu could even clearly feel the hairs on the back of his neck standing on end, his heart feeling as if it were being squeezed by an invisible hand, and even his breathing became heavy.

He staggered back half a step, his back slamming against the wall behind him. The rough stone wall hurt his shoulder blades, but it was nothing compared to the piercing fear in his heart.

"I... I can be your helper!" Xu Fu's voice trembled slightly, but it was more urgent and certain than before. "I don't know what grudge you have with Donghuang Taiyi, but don't be fooled by my identity as Yun Zhongjun of the Yin Yang School. In reality... Donghuang Taiyi doesn't care about my life or death at all!"

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his gaze swept over the figure shrouded in shadow. Seeing that the other party did not interrupt immediately, he quickly continued, "Our Yin-Yang Clan elders are nothing more than pawns in his hands that he can replace at any time. Even if you kill me, you won't be able to anger him at all. To him, I'm no different from the weeds by the roadside!"

The killing intent was so real that Xu Fu had no doubt that if he uttered even a single unnecessary word, the other party would strike and kill him in the next second.

He decided to stop hiding his true intentions and laid bare the most brutal survival rules of the Yin-Yang School, his tone full of desperate honesty: "On the contrary, if you spare my life, I can do a lot for you! I am now completely powerless and pose no threat to you. Moreover, I know countless secrets of the Yin-Yang School. As long as you spare my life, I will tell you all the secrets!"

The mysterious figure in the shadows was none other than Xu Qing in disguise.

It's unclear when it started, but using aliases has become his habit. Although hiding one's identity isn't exactly the behavior of a gentleman, Xu Qing never considered himself a "gentleman." Besides, this method often yields twice the result with half the effort, and it's really useful.

At that moment, listening to Xu Fu's urgent pleas for mercy, he couldn't help but think to himself, "He really values ​​his life."

But on second thought, it makes perfect sense. Didn't Xu Fu in history flee with young boys and girls because he knew the elixir of immortality was a scam and was afraid of being punished by the First Emperor? This guy was an extremely selfish person to begin with, so it's not surprising that he would sell Donghuang Taiyi out of everything just to save his own life.

"The most valuable thing you have to me is your head." Xu Qing deliberately lowered his voice, making his tone sound colder and harder, as if he didn't want to waste any more words with Xu Fu.

As he spoke, he slowly raised his right hand, and the eerie light surrounding him immediately converged on his palm like a swarm of bees returning to their nest. The light had an eerie green hue, like will-o'-the-wisps drifting from a grave, reflecting on the bronze mask on his face and outlining sinister patterns. Even the surrounding air seemed to be tainted with a putrid smell.

"and many more……"

Xu Fu's voice suddenly rose, cold sweat trickling down his temples and splashing into the dust on the ground, leaving a small, dark mark.

Faced with imminent death, his mind raced, desperately searching for any means to keep him alive.

During this period, he suffered greatly, and his skills were even crippled, but he persevered.

It's simply because he wants to live!

If I were to die so inexplicably, what would all the suffering I've endured during this time amount to?

However, Xu Qing seemed not to hear his shouts. His raised hand remained steadily suspended in mid-air, and the green light in his palm grew even stronger. Even Xu Fu's hair was pulled slightly by that invisible force.

Of course, Xu Qing had no intention of killing Xu Fu just like that.

If he wanted to kill someone, he wouldn't have gone to all this trouble to come all this way.

His real goal was to completely drain Xu Fu of his value, but before that, he had to keep him teetering on the edge of death a few more times, letting fear completely destroy his psychological defenses.

The current developments are clearly going more smoothly than he expected, and Xu Fu's integrity is more fragile than he imagined.

Seeing that the other party remained unmoved, Xu Fu felt the green light in his palm almost touch his nose, and the shadow of death completely enveloped him.

He no longer cared about the dignity of an elder, or even the pain in his knees.

With a thud, Xu Fu's knees slammed heavily onto the hard ground. The gravel made his knees numb, but he didn't even flinch. He just stared intently in Xu Qing's direction, his eyes full of pleading.

Xu Qing's hand suddenly froze.

He looked at Xu Fu kneeling in front of him with some surprise. He hadn't even really exerted his strength yet, but the other party had already knelt down so readily.

"Interesting." Xu Qing snapped out of his reverie, a playful smile curving his lips behind the mask. It seemed that Xu Fu was truly going all out to survive.