Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

"I have said all I can say; I have done everything I could!"

Xu Qing got up, showing no intention of lingering there.

As for reuniting with Six-Fingered Black Knight and giving him a sword? It's not the right occasion right now, let's talk about it another time.

……

In the lobby of an inn, Fatty Ding returned.

He was naturally quite curious about what Xu Qing and the Grand Master would discuss.

However, he ultimately restrained his curiosity and did not try to eavesdrop.

He was somewhat puzzled after seeing Xu Qing come down from the second floor.

I want to try striking up a conversation, but I don't know where to begin.

In the end, all they could do was watch Xu Qing leave the Youjian Inn.

After some time, he finally mustered up the courage to go to the private room on the second floor.

They saw that the Grand Master was still sitting behind his desk, his expression solemn.

He tapped the table lightly with his six fingers, which looked quite peculiar.

This is an old habit of Six-Fingered Black Knight.

When faced with a decision he cannot make, he will concentrate and think deeply.

Although they didn't talk much during their meeting, Xu Qing did present him with a difficult problem.

If, well, I mean if.

Yan Dan truly had a relationship with the Yin-Yang School that he was unaware of.

If they hadn't realized it, it might have really brought a calamity to the Mohist school.

However, on the other hand, Six-Fingered Black Knight has great faith in Yan Dan.

The scenes of him teaching Yan Dan kept replaying in his mind.

On one side were Xu Qing's words, and on the other side were Yan Dan's past experiences.

In the end, Six-Fingered Black Knight remained steadfast in his belief.

"Perhaps, I should go and see Yan Dan."

Six-Fingered Black Knight was naturally aware of Yan Dan's current situation in the Qin state.

Although the Qin state was quite far away, this matter concerned the peril of the Mohist school and could not be ignored.

Meanwhile, they returned to the inn where they were staying.

Xu Qing said to Jing Ni and Shao Siming in black and white, "We'll play for a few more days, and then we'll probably have to leave this place."

The encounter with the Six-Fingered Black Knight was neither legendary nor epic.

It was merely a request from Tian Guang.

After leaving Six-Fingered Black Knight with a difficult problem, Xu Qing naturally had no intention of staying in Sanghai City any longer.

Sanghai is not that big. I've been to Sanghai twice, and I've already seen most of the places that are worth visiting.

It's time to leave this place and start a new journey.

The world is vast, and although Xu Qing had traveled among the various states before, the places he had visited were not actually that many.

Now, he wants to experience the beauty of the world, especially the famous mountains and rivers, and the clear blue waters.

Perhaps in those places, one can find an opportunity to forge a new fourth-tier sword.

Chapter 229 Qin's Attack on Zhao, the Death of Li Mu

The north wind swept across the vast land, carrying withered leaves. Time slipped away quietly like sand through our fingers. In the blink of an eye, several months had passed in the alternation of day and night.

After a brief but crucial period of rest, the Qin state, a war machine forged in iron and blood and driven by ambition, finally roared once more. Rolling wheels crushed the dust, and sharp swords reflected the cold sun. This time, its sharp edge was no longer aimed at the weak state of Han, but at the Zhao state, which entrenched itself in the north and still possessed the strength to fight.

The war to destroy Han was a piece of cake for the Qin state.

The Qin army, like tigers among sheep, brought the state of Han under its control with almost no effort. The victory came too easily and did not even fully ignite the passion of the Qin soldiers.

However, from the very beginning of the campaign against Zhao, the Qin state encountered unprecedented obstacles, as if a fierce tiger had crashed into a solid rock, unable to advance an inch.

The person who forged this impregnable barrier was none other than Li Mu.

At a time when the wise ministers and generals of Zhao have either passed away or left, and the court is showing signs of decline, Li Mu is like the last bright star in the dark night, the only remaining military pillar of Zhao.

However, his deterrent power far exceeds what can be summarized as a "pillar". His border troops once defeated the Xiongnu, preventing the northern barbarians from grazing their horses in the south for decades. His military talent was so outstanding that it even surpassed that of Lian Po, who was famous throughout the world in the past.

Although the State of Zhao was no longer as powerful as it once was, it was precisely because of Li Mu's presence that the Qin army not only failed to gain any advantage in several battles, but also suffered heavy losses in a recent major battle, experiencing a defeat rarely seen in recent years.

The Qin general who suffered that defeat was also a figure who left a special mark on history—Fan Yuqi.

This Fan Yuqi can be described as a "rare flower" in a chaotic world.

He was originally a retainer of Lü Buwei, and it was through Lü Buwei's recommendation that he was able to join the ranks of Qin army generals. When Cheng Jiao led his army to attack Zhao, he accompanied him as a deputy general. Nominally, Cheng Jiao was the commander-in-chief, but this young man had grown up in the deep palace and knew nothing about military strategy. In reality, the command of the entire army was in the hands of Fan Yuqi.

But no one expected that when the army reached Tunliu, Fan Yuqi would incite Cheng Jiao to rebel, citing his "disapproval of Lü Buwei's act of giving away concubines to usurp the country and disrupt the court."

It is no exaggeration to say that Fan Yuqi was the true instigator of the Tunliu mutiny that shook the Qin court.

What's even more puzzling is that after the mutiny was quelled, he was not only spared the death penalty, but his life was also saved. Although he was guilty, he was still given the opportunity to redeem himself and clear his name.

The one who secretly protected Fan Yuqi was none other than Lord Changping.

Perhaps it was a cruel twist of fate, but not long after, Fan Yuqi had the opportunity to distinguish himself. When the Qin state launched a major attack on Zhao, he was reappointed as a general.

This time, there was no one in the army who was ignorant of military affairs, Cheng Jiao, who hindered him. Logically speaking, he should have seized this excellent opportunity to lead the Qin army to fight bravely and make up for his past mistakes.

However, Fan Yuqi's actions completely deviated from everyone's expectations.

No one knows whether he was truly incompetent or harbored resentment and was deliberately seeking revenge against the Qin state.

In his battle against Li Mu, the Qin army he led was almost completely wiped out. The battlefield littered with corpses became a testament to his incompetence and made Li Mu famous overnight, becoming a "formidable enemy of Qin" known throughout the world.

After the defeat, Fan Yuqi knew very well that the chance to redeem himself through meritorious service had completely vanished. If he returned to Xianyang at this time, he would inevitably face execution by being cut in half at the waist and his body displayed in the marketplace.

So, amidst the chaos of the Qin army's defeat, he chose to flee.

It's important to understand that the Qin state had strict laws and a vast network of assassination organizations like the Luo Wang, making it nearly impossible for any defector to escape death under their pursuit. Yet, Fan Yuqi created a miracle, not only successfully escaping Qin territory but also completely disappearing from the Qin army's sights.

Fan Yuqi's escape thoroughly enraged King Zheng of Qin. In his fury, the king ordered the execution of all of Fan Yuqi's family members left in Xianyang, sparing no one, men, women, or children.

When news of his family's tragic deaths reached Fan Yuqi, instead of reflecting on his own mistakes, he blamed all his resentment on the Qin state and the King of Qin, believing that the King of Qin was "unrighteous and unjust," which led to his family's destruction and death.

At this moment, Xu Qing, who was standing on a hillside gazing into the distance, heard the news that Qin's attack on Zhao had been thwarted by Li Mu, and the first person that came to mind was Fan Yuqi.

He did not want to delve into the twisted resentment in Fan Yuqi's heart, nor did he intend to explore the real reason for his betrayal of the Qin state. However, he was well aware that Fan Yuqi's successful escape from the inescapable net of the Luowang must have been supported by a powerful force in secret.

The identity of this force is no secret.

Apart from the powerful and deeply entrenched peasant clans among the six states, no other force was capable of doing this.

It is likely that Fan Yuqi was a pawn carefully selected and placed by Lord Changping from the very beginning.

More than the fate of Fan Yuqi, Xu Qing was concerned about how Prince Dan of Yan, who was still a hostage in Qin, would respond in this Qin-Zhao war that was sweeping across the land. What role would Lord Changping, who already knew Dan's true nature, play in this upheaval?

In the original historical trajectory, the mastermind behind Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin was none other than Yan Dan.

But in today's world, the assassination attempt that shocked the world had a crucial driving force behind it all—Lord Changping.

It was Lord Changping who secretly manipulated everything. First, he had Tian Guang approach Yan Dan, who was in despair, and when Yan Dan had nowhere else to turn, he proposed the "Dragon Slaying Plan." Then, he cleverly sent Fan Yuqi to Yan Dan, laying the key foreshadowing for the assassination of Qin.

Throughout his life, Yan Dan was concerned about the safety of the Yan state. In order to preserve the legacy of his ancestors, he had long been willing to pay any price.

That is why he went to such lengths to carry out the assassination plot against the Qin emperor.

Of course, Yan Fei, Yan Dan's wife, also played an indispensable role in this matter.

Initially, the leader of the Mohist school, Six-Fingered Black Knight, disagreed with participating in the assassination attempt on the Qin emperor, believing it to be too risky and inconsistent with the Mohist school's philosophy of "universal love and non-aggression."

After learning of this, Yan Fei secretly intervened to help Yan Dan achieve his goal. She even contacted the Quicksand organization led by Wei Zhuang, which ultimately led to the tragic death of Six-Fingered Black Knight.

This matter seems to have been done by Yan Fei in private, but did Yan Dan really know nothing about it afterwards? Xu Qing has always been skeptical about this.

It should be noted that the Six-Fingered Black Knight was afflicted with the Six Soul Curse and ultimately died deep within the forbidden area of ​​the Mo Clan. The forbidden area of ​​the Mo Clan has strict rules, and only the Grand Master is qualified to enter.

After succeeding as the leader of the Mohist school, Yan Dan must have entered the forbidden area and could not have failed to discover the corpse of the Six-Fingered Black Knight.

However, he chose to completely conceal the matter and never mentioned it to the outside world.

On the surface, he was protecting his wife Yan Fei, but if we look at it from another angle, revealing the truth about the death of the Six-Fingered Black Knight would actually not benefit Yan Dan. After all, only with the death of the Six-Fingered Black Knight could he rightfully become the leader of the Mohist School and control its power.

Once the truth is revealed, not only will Yanfei be in dire straits, but his own position may also be shaken.

Therefore, even if Xu Qing were in Yan Dan's shoes, he would make the same choice.

Xu Qing was never a peaceful person; he would often make many connections over a small matter. Now, having only heard that Qin's attack on Zhao had been thwarted, he had already pieced together so many intricate clues in his mind.

But beyond these thoughts, he was more concerned about the future. Would the thrilling and suspenseful assassination attempt by Jing Ke in the original story still happen as scheduled, given the many variables that have arisen?

How will Six-Fingered Black Knight, who had met him once before, view Yan Dan after that meeting?

"Li Mu is doomed!"

Just as Xu Qing was lost in his thoughts, a resolute voice suddenly broke the tranquility of the mountains from not far away.

The speaker was Jing Ni, who was standing side by side with Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai. It was unclear what they had been talking about, but she suddenly uttered such a surprising statement.

Since traveling with Xu Qing, Jing Ni, Xiao Hei, and Xiao Bai have come from different backgrounds and have no past experiences. However, as time goes by, they gradually become familiar with each other and occasionally chat during breaks in their journey.

Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai are not the taciturn, mute Shao Siming from the original story. After Xu Qing broke the seal in their minds, their emotions and memories, which had been sealed for many years, returned. Now they are no different from ordinary women. They are curious about all kinds of gossip, express their opinions on the world situation, and can think independently and come up with unique insights.

Hearing Jing Ni's words, Xu Qing snapped out of his thoughts and took the initiative to ask, "How do you know?"

Xiao Hei and Xiao Bai also turned their gazes toward Jing Ni, their eyes filled with confusion.

Just now they were discussing how the Qin army had suffered repeated setbacks at Li Mu's hands. How come Jing Ni is so certain that Li Mu will die in the blink of an eye?

Jingni turned her head, her gaze calm as she looked at Xu Qing, and slowly explained, "Although I have long since escaped the net, I know Qin's style of doing things all too well. Qin has always been clear about its goals, and it never cares whether the means are honorable or not in order to achieve them. Now, Li Mu has blocked the Qin army's advance with his own strength, becoming the biggest obstacle to Qin's conquest of Zhao. Given Qin's nature, in order to achieve its goal of conquering Zhao, it will definitely eliminate Li Mu at all costs."

She paused, her tone turning colder: "On the surface, the Qin army will continue to send large forces to attack Zhao, putting pressure on the Zhao army; but in secret, the assassins of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) have probably already infiltrated Zhao territory, waiting for the right opportunity to strike. Li Mu may be an unparalleled military genius, but he is ultimately human, not a god. If he is careless, he will inevitably fall into the trap set by Qin."

These words were clear and logical, and everyone who heard them would find Jingni's judgment irrefutable.

Xu Qing shook his head and offered a different perspective: "The State of Zhao may perish, but Li Mu may not necessarily die!"