Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Xu Qing has such a wide network of connections even from just one farming family.

She had previously followed Tian Guang and secretly eavesdropped on Xu Qing's conversation with him, and also learned that Xu Qing had a close relationship with the leader of the Mo family.

"When you're out in the world, having more friends always means having more options," Xu Qing said calmly, but his gaze suddenly fell on Jing Ni's face, his eyes deep, as if trying to see through her thoughts.

Jing Ni felt a little uncomfortable under Xu Qing's sudden gaze and subconsciously touched her cheek, thinking she had something on her face. But she was no ordinary woman after all, and she quickly regained her composure. Instead of avoiding Xu Qing's gaze, she went to meet it.

"You seem particularly interested in my affairs?" Xu Qing asked calmly.

Jing Ni felt a chill run down her spine, never expecting that Xu Qing would see through her little scheme.

Having her thoughts exposed, Jingni immediately composed herself and tried to cover it up: "It was just casual conversation between friends. If you think I'm being abrupt and don't want to answer, then it's fine if you don't say anything."

"I see..." Upon hearing this, Xu Qing's face suddenly showed a hint of disappointment, and her tone became somewhat wistful.

Jing Ni looked at Xu Qing's sudden change and was filled with doubt. She really didn't understand why Xu Qing would suddenly show such a look.

Just as she was wondering, Xu Qing continued, "I thought it was my unparalleled charm that piqued your interest. After all, being favored by a beauty is something to be proud of."

"Then you're probably overthinking it," Jing Ni replied expressionlessly.

"Am I really overthinking this?" Xu Qing persisted, his gaze still fixed on Jing Ni's face, his eyes filled with a hint of ambiguity, as if he wanted to see right through her.

Jingni thought to herself that Xu Qing had changed a lot over the years, but now it seemed that he had only changed his appearance and was still the same unruly playboy at heart.

Xu Qing watched Jing Ni quietly, his wine glass untouched, and a subtle atmosphere seemed to permeate the air.

After a long while, he withdrew his gaze and his tone returned to calm: "Tian Guang left after speaking with me earlier. If you simply wanted to see this old friend of mine, then you have achieved your goal."

After a pause, Xu Qing asked again, "What are your plans next? If you're planning to return to farming, I must advise you that farming is no longer a safe haven."

Upon hearing this, Jingni's eyes showed a hint of surprise: "What do you mean by that?"

“Think about it,” Xu Qing explained slowly, his tone serious. “The state of Han has now fallen, and the situation in the world is becoming increasingly turbulent. The tides of history have already begun to rise. The Farmer Clan is powerful and has been drawn into many conflicts. It won’t be long before they are targeted by the Qin State. You are already a fugitive from the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven). If you continue to stay with the Farmer Clan, the risk of your whereabouts being exposed will only increase if the Farmer Clan is targeted by the Qin State.”

"Did you get this information from the Luo Wang?" Jing Ni couldn't help but ask.

If what Xu Qing said is true, then the farmer's family really cannot stay any longer.

However, she didn't feel much regret or reluctance. After all, staying in the farmhouse was just a coincidence. If she hadn't learned about Xu Qing's deeds while in the farmhouse, she might have left long ago.

"It's fine if you think that way," Xu Qing said without directly denying it.

He couldn't very well tell Jingni that he predicted the future of the peasant family because he knew the original plot and was aware of Changping Jun and Tian Guang's schemes, could he?

Upon receiving Xu Qing's affirmative reply, Jing Ni immediately fell into deep thought.

She tapped her fingers lightly on the table, her mind racing. If the farm was truly about to fall into crisis, she had to find a new way out as soon as possible.

Having grown accustomed to a comfortable life in the countryside over the years, she really didn't want to go back to the days of constant wandering and being hunted down.

Xu Qing didn't disturb Jing Ni, but simply sat quietly to the side, watching her deep in thought.

Just then, Jing Ni suddenly raised her head, looked intently at Xu Qing, and asked, "Do you need anyone by your side?"

"???"

Xu Qing was slightly taken aback, then realized the meaning behind Jing Ni's words, and a hint of surprise appeared in her eyes, "So, you want to pledge your allegiance to me?"

"What? Is that not allowed?" Jing Ni retorted, her tone brimming with confidence. "I believe I still have some strength. If I stay by your side, I can definitely help you. Besides, you even know the movements of the Luo Wang, so you must have planted many spies within the Luo Wang. If I stay by your side, I can also get clues about the Luo Wang as soon as possible. This will also make it easier for me to evade the Luo Wang's tracking."

She paused, then continued, "All things considered, it's safer to stay close to someone I know than to wander aimlessly in the world.

"That makes sense." Xu Qing couldn't help but exclaim, then extended his hand to Jing Ni and said with a smile, "Then I welcome you to join us!"

This time, it was Jingni's turn to be stunned.

She had only said those words on a whim. On one hand, she felt that Xu Qing had a vast intelligence network, and it would indeed be safe for her to stay by his side. On the other hand, her curiosity about Xu Qing was growing deeper and deeper. The more she investigated, the more mysterious she felt he was, and she wanted to uncover these mysteries herself. But she never expected that Xu Qing would agree without even the slightest hesitation.

"Aren't you worried that I might have ulterior motives towards you?" Jing Ni looked at Xu Qing, her eyes full of doubt.

“If it were someone else, I might be more cautious, but you…” Xu Qing’s gaze returned to Jing Ni’s face, his eyes full of trust. “I trust you completely. If you really wanted to do something to me, you wouldn’t have advised me to leave Luo Wang back then, and you certainly wouldn’t have destroyed all my files in Luo Wang before you left yourself.”

He paused, a self-deprecating smile appearing on his face: "I must say, you handled things very cleanly back then, so cleanly that even the Luo Wang didn't know I was once a member of them. Even earlier, the people from Luo Wang took the initiative to come to my door, wanting to recruit me to join them."

These words shocked Jingni even more.

She truly hadn't expected that Luo Wang would extend an olive branch to Xu Qing once again.

However, upon further reflection, given Xu Qing's notoriety for committing a major crime in the Yan Kingdom and the abilities he has displayed over the years, it seems reasonable that the Luo Wang would target him.

"So, is it too late for me to back out now? Just take what I said earlier as a joke." Jing Ni's lips curled up slightly, her tone tinged with amusement.

If Xu Qing is indeed being targeted by the Luo Wang, then staying by his side may not be safe. The Luo Wang's influence is all over the world, and once they discover Xu Qing's whereabouts, they will definitely spare no effort to hunt him down.

"Too late." Xu Qing rejected Jing Ni's words without hesitation, a sly smile on his face. "Because what you said earlier wasn't just five words, so it won't work."

"???" Jing Ni's face was full of confusion, she really didn't understand what this had to do with "five words".

However, she quickly realized that Xu Qing had seen through her joke.

Dealing with such a perceptive and intelligent person is indeed an easy thing.

Jingni thought to herself, and the smile on her face became more genuine.

……

Jing Ni's joining the group was undoubtedly an unexpected event.

In no time, more and more people gathered in Hou Sheng's Prime Minister's residence.

Upon arriving at the Prime Minister's residence, Jing Ni finally understood how Xu Qing had evaded the pursuit of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven). In addition to planting spies within the Luo Wang, he had also hidden himself in such a conspicuous place as the Prime Minister's residence in Qi State.

This truly exemplifies the saying "the greatest hermit lives in the court." Who would have thought that Xu Qing, whom the net had been searching for so desperately, was actually hiding in the most bustling and prosperous area of ​​Linzi?

In addition, Xu Qing's disguise skills also gave Jing Ni a clearer understanding of his situation. His current situation is probably more difficult than she imagined, otherwise he would not have shown his disguised appearance for so many years and dare not easily reveal his true face.

"These two, one is called Xiao Hei and the other Xiao Bai, are my maids." At this moment, Xu Qing had reverted to his "Master Qing" persona. He pointed to Shao Siming Hei Bai standing to the side and introduced them to Jing Ni.

Jingni's gaze fell on Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai, a strange light flashing in her eyes. The two girls not only looked exactly alike, but their appearances were also stunning. Their black and white outfits added to their unique charm.

What concerned Jingni even more was that Xu Qing would introduce these two maids so openly in front of her. Clearly, these two held a special place in Xu Qing's heart and were people he could trust.

However, Jingni didn't ask any further questions.

After all, she had only just arrived at Xu Qing's place and knew very little about Xu Qing's past and present.

The Xu Qing she remembered was the spirited, slightly frivolous young man she knew from a few years ago. But now, it seemed that so many things had happened to him that she didn't know. He was like a mystery shrouded in mist; the more she got to know him, the less she could understand him.

"You've come at just the right time." After introducing Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai, Xu Qing suddenly spoke up, her tone tinged with relief. "If you had come to Linzi any later, you probably wouldn't have been able to find me."

"Oh?" Jing Ni's attention was instantly drawn. She looked up at Xu Qing, her eyes full of curiosity. "Why is that?"

In her view, although the Prime Minister's residence in Qi required concealing one's identity, it was also an extremely safe hiding place. Qi was far from Qin, and although the Luo Wang (a powerful network of intelligence) had influence in Qi, it was not considered strong. Hiding here was undoubtedly a good choice.

“Because more and more people are targeting me.” Xu Qing’s tone was calm, but his eyes were clear. “If I stay here, something will happen sooner or later. Rather than passively waiting for trouble to come my way, it’s better to move now and take the initiative.”

He believed he was capable of handling all kinds of crises, but being forced to react passively time and time again had long since made him weary.

He prefers to have everything under his control rather than be driven by circumstances.

Chapter 223 Returning to Sanghai, Reunited with Old Friends

If you think about it carefully, Linzi is the place where Xu Qing has stayed the longest.

In the past, he traveled all over the world. He might stay in one place, but he could not stay for long and would leave soon.

However, the fact that Linzi has a long history is only relative.

Because the Yin-Yang School sent people here one after another, and Xuan Jian had already left the State of Qi, Xu Qing also prepared to leave this place temporarily.

He certainly planted a seed in Yanfei's heart, and after that incident, Yanfei never appeared in front of him again.

But Xu Qing couldn't completely figure out what Yan Fei was thinking.

While he did see through everything about Yan Fei through that dream, people change, and one moment's thoughts may not remain unchanged the next. Furthermore, although Xu Qing knew the plot, the problem was that many parts of the story had already undergone drastic changes.

Just as he never imagined that Yan Dan would be refined into a corpse demon by Donghuang Taiyi, and even collude with the Yin Yang School.

It's important to know that in the original story, Yan Dan died from the Six Soul Curse of the Yin-Yang School's Grand Master of Fate.

Given the various hidden risks, leaving this place is the best solution.

However, there is still a lot of finishing work to be done before leaving.

Xu Qing first went to the stronghold of the Luo Wang organization and secretly met with the person from Luo Wang who had replaced Xuan Jian and was in charge of the "Qi Kingdom".

This person was not as high-ranking as Xuan Jian, but he was still a bit higher than Hou San. He was a "first-class killer". However, that was all. Xu Qing easily brainwashed him and gained some control over him.

This is done to avoid excessive risks.

After finishing this task, he went to see An Qisheng and talked with the Taoist priest for a while, mainly about the overseas islands.

As for what will happen to An Qisheng in Linzi after he leaves, Xu Qing isn't too worried.

This person is no ordinary individual.

In terms of strength, he is probably even stronger than Xu Fu back then. If he wants to leave, no one can stop him.

Naturally, Princess Honglian was recommended by Xu Qing to be An Qisheng's apprentice, and he also exchanged a few words with him.

It took a long time from start to finish.

After the final matters in Linzi were completed.

Xu Qing then formally resigned from his post.

Logically speaking, it would be acceptable to completely erase the identity of "Mr. Qing," for example, by staging a drama of "dying of illness" or "being murdered."

But after thinking about it, Xu Qing gave up.

Too much trouble.

He could simply resign to Hou Sheng. As for Hou Sheng's disagreement because he valued him, that was also easy to resolve.

The illusion cast on Hou Sheng earlier was no joke.

Hou Sheng was almost completely obedient to him when facing him.

Xu Qing easily escaped from the Prime Minister's residence, explaining to the outside world that "Mr. Qing" had other important matters to attend to and therefore needed to leave for a period of time.

When this news spread, some of Hou Sheng's retainers felt regret and reluctance to part with him, while others were extremely excited.

In the past, when Master Qing was the sole favorite of Empress Dowager Sheng, the presence of these people was practically nonexistent. Now that Master Qing is gone, they must continue to work hard to gain the favor of the Prime Minister, and then wealth and glory will be within their grasp.

After dealing with the matters in Linzi, Xu Qing's next task was to deal with the Mohist school.