Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

As for turning away, Tian Guang never considered doing so. He was eager to know what this mysterious expert's purpose was in visiting late at night.

Therefore, he stared at Yan Dan's door with increasing caution, while concentrating and holding his breath, trying to catch any sounds coming from inside.

The figure in the courtyard, just like Dongjun Yanfei who had visited this place before, walked straight towards Yan Dan's room. The difference was that the owner of this room had now changed to Yan Dan; but what was the same was that the visitor was also a member of the Yin-Yang School.

The figure pushed open the door and stepped into the dimly lit room, immediately spotting Yan Dan sitting in the corner.

Yan Dan was not lying on the bed, but sitting upright behind the desk, her back straight, but stiff like a puppet, lifeless.

Upon seeing the newcomer, his eyes flickered slightly, his movements slow and stiff, like rusty parts.

"You've come," Yan Dan said, his voice hoarse like sandpaper scraping. He didn't seem surprised by the arrival of the visitor.

"I never expected that you would come to Qin on your own initiative." The visitor sighed softly, his tone calm but without much surprise, as if he had already anticipated this.

“Ever since you turned me into this, even though I try my best to imitate ordinary people, I can’t hide it from those who are interested, especially those who are close to me.” Yan Dan spoke slowly, without any emotional fluctuation in her words. “After they noticed my abnormality, it was only natural that they sent me to Qin as a sacrifice.”

"You should be grateful that I let you live." The newcomer spoke calmly, his tone carrying an undeniable air, as if reminding Yan Dan of the price he had paid for being "alive."

"Hmph! Do I even deserve to be called alive?" Yan Dan let out a cold snort, her hoarse voice finally revealing a hint of suppressed pain and resentment.

Those who came naturally understood that Yan Dan's current state could not be considered truly "alive".

But that's all he can do. Bringing someone back to life is defying the heavens and is by no means an easy task. Yan Dan's success today is already a matter of chance.

In the past, the Yin-Yang School occupied the Yan State for many years, leaving behind many traditions and secret treasures.

As the crown prince of Yan, Yan Dan obtained a pill left behind by the Yin-Yang School by chance. It was with the help of that pill that he laid a solid foundation in martial arts and gained considerable strength.

Yan Dan himself was unaware of this connection between himself and the Yin-Yang School.

On the Yin-Yang School's side, from the moment Yan Dan became acquainted with elixirs, he became the object of their secret surveillance.

Donghuang Taiyi, who spent years observing the stars, discerned celestial secrets from the changing trajectories of the stars and had long ago calculated Yan Dan's importance in the Yin-Yang School's grand undertaking. Therefore, Donghuang Taiyi's decisive decision to lead the Yin-Yang School to the Qin State was to seize the initiative before the chaos of the times arrived and pave the way for subsequent plans.

Even so, Donghuang Taiyi never interfered too much in Yan Dan's life. He knew that fate was unpredictable and that rash intervention could easily cause changes. The only prudent thing to do was to follow nature and let Yan Dan develop according to the established trajectory.

But fate had other plans. One day, when Donghuang Taiyi was observing the stars, he discovered that Yan Dan's destiny star had suddenly dimmed, and there were faint signs that he was about to fall.

This was an outcome he absolutely could not accept. Yan Dan was crucial to the Yin-Yang School's great cause and could not die like this.

Therefore, Donghuang Taiyi immediately set off, traveling day and night to the State of Yan.

With his cultivation level, traveling day and night without eating or drinking, covering hundreds of miles a day was no problem. He arrived in the Yan Kingdom almost immediately after Yan Dan's "death".

Unfortunately, it was too late. By then, Yan Dan had already stopped breathing and her body was starting to get cold.

If it were an ordinary person, they would have already resigned themselves to their fate by now, but the Yin-Yang School is inherently stubborn and has a demonic nature in its bones.

Donghuang Taiyi did not give up. He realized that Yan Dan's soul had not yet dissipated, so he risked using the forbidden techniques of the Yin-Yang School to refine Yan Dan's body into a flesh puppet, and then used a secret method to imprison his soul in the body.

Even though she later managed to retain a sliver of life with the help of the "Gathering Immortal Pill," Yan Dan's life was worse than death.

Unable to eat or drink, he could only survive by relying on secret methods; he feared sunlight, and would feel a burning pain all over his body if exposed to strong light; even more terrifying, he could clearly sense the death energy constantly growing in his body, and every breath felt like swallowing cold poison.

Donghuang Taiyi was well aware of Yan Dan's suffering, but he never thought he had done anything wrong. If it weren't for him, Yan Dan would have turned into a handful of dust long ago. Now, he was "living on" like this, which at least gave him a glimmer of hope.

"Of course you're alive," Donghuang Taiyi replied calmly. "As long as there's a glimmer of hope, you might be able to completely wash away the death energy in your body and truly be reborn when you find the right opportunity in the future."

The words "truly come back to life" exploded in Yan Dan's heart like a thunderclap, and for the first time, a faint ripple appeared in his lifeless eyes.

It was because he still held onto this obsession that he barely endured the pain he was in. Even though he loathed his own body and this dark world, he never truly gave up.

"You...can you really do it?" Yan Dan stared intently at Donghuang Taiyi, his voice trembling slightly with excitement. This was the answer he most urgently wanted to know at this moment.

"I am not capable of that at the moment," Donghuang Taiyi said frankly, his tone carrying a hint of awe for destiny. "Although I can observe the stars and know fate, and have insight into some of the trajectory, destiny is ever-changing, and even I cannot completely control the future."

He paused, then his tone suddenly became incredibly firm as he said, word by word, "But immortals are different. After becoming an immortal, one can transcend life and death and possess supreme power. At that time, reversing your fate will be as easy as lifting a finger."

Hearing Donghuang Taiyi's words, Yan Dan suddenly felt enlightened.

It turns out that the person before me had the ambition to become an immortal!

Years ago, Yan Dan would have scoffed at this.

Although the Mohists advocated "enlightening ghosts" and proclaimed the existence of ghosts and gods, as the crown prince of Yan, he knew that this was merely a means for the Mohists to educate the people. The common people were ignorant, and by invoking their awe through the concept of ghosts and gods, the Mohists could better govern them.

But all of this was completely overturned after he was brought back to life. Now, Yan Dan sincerely hopes that ghosts and gods really exist, that they will either free him from this painful "living" and take him to the underworld, or grant him a chance to truly be reborn.

Now that Yan Dan understood Donghuang Taiyi's ambition, a new question arose in his mind: "What do you want me to do?"

He knew very well that Donghuang Taiyi had gone to great lengths to keep him "alive" and could not possibly have done so without asking for anything in return. And what could he possibly offer in return?

Perhaps seeing that Yan Dan was already in Qin, or perhaps unwilling to shatter the last glimmer of hope in his heart, Donghuang Taiyi did not hide anything and slowly said, "I want you to do two things."

He held up one finger, his tone solemn: "First, find the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions of Yan Kingdom. This item is related to the secret of immortality and is the key to becoming an immortal."

Then, he extended a second finger: "Secondly, the Mohists once stole a treasure from the Yin-Yang School. Only by finding that treasure can we unlock the secret of the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions."

Upon hearing this, Yan Dan was slightly taken aback, a strange ripple appearing in her eyes.

He wasn't unfamiliar with terms like "Azure Dragon Seven Mansions" and "Mo Family Treasures," but he never imagined they would have such a close connection to him.

After a long silence, he finally spoke, his voice tinged with helplessness and self-mockery: "It seems I have no other choice."

Seeing this, Donghuang Taiyi softened his tone and said in a deep voice, "Don't worry."

He paused, then added, "Even if I can't help you recover through conventional means in the future, the Yin-Yang School has other secret methods. As long as you help me achieve my goal, I will definitely be able to give you a new life."

Chapter 207 Resurrection, New Scheme

The night was as dark as ink, pressing heavily on the eaves of Xianyang City. Even the stars seemed to be swallowed by the thick darkness, leaving only a few faint moonlight to cast mottled shadows on the bluestone road.

Inside the room, there were no candles, and it was extremely dark, but both Yan Dan and Donghuang Taiyi could clearly see each other. Yan Dan was experiencing a physical problem at the moment, while Donghuang Taiyi had reached a state of profound cultivation.

The two talked for nearly an hour, and every word they uttered contained secrets that could shake the world.

Finally, Donghuang Taiyi pushed a bronze token in front of Yan Dan. Twisted cloud patterns were engraved on the token, and a faint light flowed around it. "This is the Yinming Token. It can help you temporarily suppress the death energy in your body. When the time is right, I will find a way to truly bring you back to life."

Yan Dan stared at the token, her pale fingers trembling slightly, a hint of longing flashing in her eyes, quickly replaced by doubt.

He wanted to ask more questions, but Donghuang Taiyi had already stood up. His black robe swept across the ground, bringing with it a cool breeze, and he walked straight towards the door.

When Donghuang Taiyi's boots stepped onto the frost-covered blue bricks in the courtyard, he suddenly stopped, and his aura instantly became sharp as a knife.

While talking with Yan Dan inside the house, his attention was entirely focused on Yan Dan. Now, as he stepped into the open courtyard, the oppressive aura belonging to the Yin Yang School leader quietly spread out, and he keenly detected a very faint aura that did not belong here. That aura was hidden in the shadows of the corner of the wall, like a lurking venomous snake, even its breathing was extremely light.

"Come out." Donghuang Taiyi's voice turned colder, his gaze like two bolts of lightning, shooting straight at the old locust tree on the east side of the courtyard wall.

In an instant, the old locust tree leaves rustled, and a faint sound of clothes rubbing against each other came from the shadows.

Tian Guang's heart tightened. He had been using the cover of night to lie on the thick branches of the locust tree, concealing his presence to the extreme using a farmer's secret method. But Donghuang Taiyi's gaze seemed to penetrate through all the concealment, completely locking onto his whereabouts.

His mind cleared instantly; he had been exposed!

Although he didn't hear the whole conversation between Donghuang Taiyi and Yan Dan, he still managed to glean key information such as "Azure Dragon Seven Constellations," "resurrection," and "Yinming Order."

These words exploded in his mind like thunder, making him even more certain that Yan Dan was hiding a shocking secret.

But at this moment, that tangible gaze sent chills down his spine. He knew that if he hesitated any longer, he would have no chance to escape.

Without the slightest hesitation, Tian Guang gripped the locust tree branch with his fingertips, his body darting downwards like a light ape. He lightly touched the blue brick with his toes and was about to flee towards the outside of the courtyard wall.

"Trying to leave?" Donghuang Taiyi sneered, his brows furrowing beneath his mask.

If the secrets he discussed with Yan Dan were leaked, it would not only disrupt the Yin-Yang School's plans but could also attract the Qin state's investigation. Since this person had overheard part of the conversation, he absolutely could not be allowed to leave.

What startled him even more was that he hadn't noticed the other person's presence immediately.

"A mere insect hiding in the shadows has some skill, but unfortunately, it's been exposed and can only stay here!" Donghuang Taiyi slowly raised his palm, and a dark vortex instantly condensed in his palm. A terrifying suction force spread out from the vortex, as if the surrounding air was being sucked away. Even the few faint rays of moonlight were pulled towards his palm, forming a distorted band of light.

Tian Guang, who was running away, suddenly stopped. His feet seemed to be bound by invisible ropes, and his speed suddenly slowed down.

He could clearly feel the suction force coming from behind him, tugging at his robes, and even causing his internal energy to become somewhat disordered.

However, his expression remained calm, and there was no trace of panic in his eyes. As soon as he sensed Donghuang Taiyi's strange aura, he knew that the other party was a top expert. He had been prepared to be exposed during this infiltration, just to find out the truth behind Yan Dan's drastic change in personality.

Although the truth has not yet been fully revealed, it is already shocking enough.

The once spirited Crown Prince of Yan has become a "corpse ghost" who survives by relying on secret methods!

Such a secret was enough to cause a huge uproar among the Mohists and the former Yan state officials; he had to bring this news back to Lord Changping.

"Clang!"

A crisp sword cry pierced the night sky. Tian Guang gripped the Chun Sheng sword at his waist with a backhand. The moment the longsword was drawn, a warm sword light surged out like spring water, tearing apart the surrounding darkness. Within the sword light, there were faint phantom images of the changing seasons: tender willows in spring, lotus breezes in summer, frosty leaves in autumn, and winter plum blossoms in winter flashed by in turn, mixed with the hazy imagery of the alternation of the sun and moon.

Over the years, Tian Guang has never stopped his cultivation.

The Spring-Born Sword is in line with the Farmer's philosophy of "following the natural order and adapting to the seasons." Based on the idea that "spring brings forth all things," he incorporated the Farmer's Twenty-Four Earthly Formations into his swordsmanship. Not only did his swordsmanship become more exquisite, but his understanding of the formations also broke through his previous level, reaching the point of "man and formation as one."

At this moment, he held nothing back, his internal energy surging into the Spring Life Sword like a tidal wave, and the power of Earthly Marsh Twenty-Four erupted to its extreme in an instant.

The sword light suddenly surged, transforming into a gigantic sword shadow. Within the sword shadow, countless tiny threads intertwined into a net, drawing in the surrounding power of heaven and earth, forming a powerful force of nature that crashed towards Donghuang Taiyi's dark vortex.

"boom!"

The moment the two forces collided, a muffled sound exploded in the courtyard, and the shockwave spread in all directions, causing the bluestone bricks in the courtyard to crack.

The vortex in Donghuang Taiyi's palm shook violently, and the terrifying suction force was instantly dispersed. His pupils shrank slightly, not expecting that the strength of this insect was beyond his expectations.

He quickly gathered even greater power, but Tian Guang had already seized this fleeting opportunity. His figure shot towards the courtyard wall like an arrow, his toes barely touching the wall before he flipped over and disappeared into the deep night.

Ultimately, Tian Guang had been on high alert from the moment he began his infiltration, preparing to escape with every move; while Donghuang Taiyi's attack came in the blink of an eye, without him having fully gathered his strength. It was therefore quite reasonable that Tian Guang was able to escape successfully.

But when Donghuang Taiyi stood in the courtyard, his expression beneath the mask was unusually unpleasant.

A heavy, viscous black aura suddenly emanated from his body, swirling around him and causing ripples and even subtle distortions in the surrounding space—a sign of his rage.

To have allowed a tiny insect to escape right under his nose, and potentially reveal the secrets of the Yin-Yang School, was an unparalleled humiliation for him.

Inside the house, Yan Dan also sensed the magnificent yet malevolent power outside the courtyard. He stood up, leaning on the table, a trace of worry flashing across his pale face. He wanted to go out and ask Donghuang Taiyi what had happened.

But he stopped just as he reached the door. Donghuang Taiyi was always mysterious, and if the other party was unwilling to talk, there was no point in asking.

Moreover, he had more important things to worry about at the moment.

Once, what sustained him was only revenge—revenge against those who had turned him into this inhuman, grotesque figure.

However, his conversation with Donghuang Taiyi had given him a new longing: to truly come back to life, to get rid of this cold, pale, and even decaying body, and to feel the warmth of the sun and the flow of blood once again.

He wasn't sure if Donghuang Taiyi was deceiving him, after all, "resurrection" was too incredible, but he had no other choice.

It was Donghuang Taiyi who used a secret method to pull him back from the brink of death, allowing him to survive to this day as a "corpse demon"; it was also Donghuang Taiyi who gave him hope for revenge and rebirth.

He knew that Donghuang Taiyi kept him alive because he had great ambitions, perhaps to take advantage of his status as the Crown Prince of Yan, or perhaps for something else.