Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

The price of everything is predetermined!

Xu Qing has now defeated Gai Nie, severely damaging Gai Nie's reputation and achieving his intended goal. In a few days, he should go and meet Gai Nie to try and win him over.

That's what Zhao Gao was thinking.

……

Because of Zhao Gao's covert targeting, news of Gai Nie's defeat spread quickly.

I don't know where all these witnesses came from.

Furthermore, a lot of meddlesome people suddenly appeared out of nowhere. They pointed fingers and, under the guise of caring for the safety of the King of Qin, claimed that Gai Nie was incapable of protecting the King of Qin and that the King of Qin should strengthen the protective forces around him.

It seems that everything is for the King of Qin's benefit.

In reality, it was just to kick Gai Nie while he was down.

These rumors spread like wildfire and soon reached the palace and the ears of Ying Zheng.

Surprisingly, after learning about these things, Ying Zheng was not angry about Gai Nie's "incompetence".

Most people only know that Gai Nie was Ying Zheng's chief swordsmanship instructor, but they don't know that the friendship between Ying Zheng and Gai Nie was also extremely deep.

In the past, there were three great mountains above Qin Shi Huang's head.

They are Empress Dowager Zhao Ji, Marquis Changxin Lao Ai, and Marquis Wenxin Lü Buwei.

The existence of these three factors made him, the King of Qin, extremely frustrated.

He sought a way to break the deadlock, which is why he insisted on appointing Cheng Jiao as general to lead troops to attack the Zhao state despite everyone's opposition. He hoped that Cheng Jiao could make great contributions, then take charge of his own affairs and become his assistant.

Cheng Jiao was his brother and could be a capable assistant to him.

Unfortunately, Cheng Jiao proved to be incompetent, rebelled, and ultimately died.

Because of these events, Ying Zheng suffered a blow and was extremely distressed.

At this crucial moment, Gai Nie arrived in the Qin state.

On the surface, Gai Nie is a swordsman, whose role is the chief swordsmanship instructor in the imperial court.

But the true strength of the Guigu School has never been swordsmanship.

This is a world of swords. What ordinary people see are only those exquisite sword techniques and unique famous swords, but they overlook the fact that the Guigu School is more adept at strategy.

When he is angry, the feudal lords tremble; when he lives in peace, the world is at ease.

The strategies and tactics employed by the disciples of Guiguzi are enough to influence the course of history.

When Gai Nie entered the Qin Palace and met Ying Zheng, Ying Zheng learned swordsmanship from Gai Nie and actively asked him many questions.

On many issues, General Manager Gai Nie is able to offer unique insights.

Although the trip to Korea was omitted compared to the original novel, the friendship between Gai Nie and Ying Zheng did not fade as a result.

From Ying Zheng's predicament to the turmoil of his coronation in Yongcheng, to his dismissal of Lü Buwei as prime minister, regaining power, dominating the Qin state, and subsequently destroying two other states.

Gai Nie always stayed by Ying Zheng's side.

The current Ying Zheng is not yet the future First Emperor, so he still retains some normal human emotions and has not forced himself to become a "political being" in the true sense. He cherishes the friendship between him and Gai Nie.

"I never expected that you, Mr. Gai, would also lose!"

Ying Zheng clicked his tongue in amazement; he had been in a very good mood lately.

The fall of the Zhao state meant that all the humiliations he suffered in his childhood had been washed away. Now, the Qin state had taken over the Zhao state entirely, and good news was delivered to his desk every day. Although he was busy, he had already completed one-third of his great cause of unifying the world.

Because he was in a good mood for most of the time, Ying Zheng would occasionally relax a little.

Just like now, as he strolled in the garden, looking at Gai Nie following behind him, he couldn't help but make a joke.

“Mr. Xu is very strong, and I am no match for him.” Gai Nie was not discouraged by his defeat, but instead calmly admitted his failure.

"Mr. Xu?" Ying Zheng looked at Gai Nie with some surprise upon hearing the way Gai Nie addressed him. "You know him?"

Gai Nie nodded, "It was only after exchanging blows with the other party that we had a casual chat and I remembered that the other party was an old friend from years ago."

"I had some interaction with him in Xinling back then, and besides that, he is my junior brother's close friend!"

"I never imagined there was such a connection!" Ying Zheng exclaimed with admiration. "Although I have never met your junior brother, I know quite a bit about the Ghost Valley School of Strategists. Your junior brother must be no ordinary person either."

Gai Nie remained silent, which was taken as tacit agreement.

Xiao Zhuang was indeed no ordinary person; he was the greatest rival of his life.

Just then, he heard Ying Zheng say, "To be able to defeat you, and to be your junior brother's close friend, I'm quite curious about this Mr. Xu you mentioned..."

Upon hearing this, Gai Nie straightened up and quickly said to Ying Zheng, "To be honest, Your Majesty, Mr. Xu has asked me for a favor."

"What's the matter?"

Upon hearing Gai Nie's words, Ying Zheng became even more curious.

"Mr. Xu wishes to see the King!"

Upon hearing these words, Ying Zheng was first taken aback, then found it amusing and coincidental.

"Why are you only telling me now?" In front of Gai Nie, Ying Zheng spoke very gently, without referring to himself as a king or a nobleman. He treated Gai Nie as if he were a friend.

"Because I have some concerns!" Gai Nie said in a deep voice, "Mr. Xu is very strong. Although he is my junior brother's close friend, I have not had much interaction with him and know very little about him. If he intends to do something to the King... I am not confident that I can protect the King."

Logically speaking, Gai Nie shouldn't have said such a thing.

This is tantamount to him admitting his incompetence.

But he did say it so frankly.

It was also because of Gai Nie's honesty that Ying Zheng not only did not lose hope in Gai Nie, but instead began to value him even more.

Over the years, he has seen all sorts of people and heard countless stories, many of which were lies. Few dared to tell him the truth, but Gai Nie was one of them.

"Mr. Gai has such concerns and has uttered such words. I am becoming more and more interested in this Mr. Xu you mentioned. I want to see what kind of person he is that makes Mr. Gai feel inferior to him." A faint smile appeared on Ying Zheng's lips.

He then brought up the issue that Gai Nie was worried about, "As for my safety..."

"If something happens to me here in Xianyang, it only proves that there are problems with my Great Qin!"

Ying Zheng was not worried about assassination.

He had survived numerous assassination attempts before he took power.

The most dangerous time was when he was crowned in Yongcheng. The assassins that Lao Ai had prepared got within three feet of him, but even so, they still failed.

Although Gai Nie was the strongest master in front of him, he had more than just Gai Nie by his side.

……

The afternoon sun in Xianyang was gentle.

Inside the main room where Xu Qing lived, the air was filled with the fragrance of sandalwood. On the table lay a scroll of bamboo slips, the latest sword manual. He had seen someone selling it on the streets of Xianyang and, out of curiosity, had bought it.

These past few days, having nothing to do, he has been flipping through it.

There were many new swords on it, and Xu Qing saw some familiar ones, which reminded him of Feng Hu Zi, whom he had met in the State of Chu years ago.

Jingni, Xiao Hei, and Xiao Bai were not in the room next door, but were in the same room with Xu Qing.

Compared to the new sword manual, Jingni was more concerned about something else.

"Have you thought it through? How are you going to deal with the Net?"

Xu Qing has become quite famous these days.

This was certainly not something that ordinary people spread; the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) contributed significantly to this process.

However, the more this was the case, the more worried Jing Ni became. Being targeted by the Luo Wang was not a good thing.

But Xu Qing did nothing at all.

Hearing Jingni's worry, Xu Qing smiled faintly and did not respond. He then continued reading the "Sword Manual." Just then, a series of light footsteps sounded from the doorway. Xu Qing sensed the aura of the person who came and put away the bamboo scroll in his hand.

Almost at the same time, there was a knock on the door.

Xu Qing raised her eyes and said calmly, "Please come in."

The door was pushed open, and Gai Nie, dressed in plain clothes, held a new sword in his hand. This was not the sword that Xu Qing had forged for him. Although Xu Qing said he would return the sword to him, as the chief swordsmanship instructor of the palace, he could not go without a sword all the time.

Therefore, after returning to the palace last time, he went to collect a new standard longsword.

Gai Nie's gaze swept over Jing Ni and the others before finally landing on Xu Qing. "Mr. Xu, how have you been?"

"Not bad!" Xu Qing said calmly.

He wasn't surprised that Gai Nie had found this place. After their casual chat that day, he had told Gai Nie where he lived and was looking forward to Gai Nie's arrival.

Gai Nie didn't exchange pleasantries for long. After a brief chat with Xu Qing, he directly stated his purpose: "During our conversation that day, we didn't go into details. Since you are Xiao Zhuang's close friend, you are also a kind of old acquaintance to me. I have come today to introduce you to a friend."

Xu Qing's eyes changed slightly, and the corners of her lips curled up slightly. "Oh? Mr. Gai's friend must be no ordinary person."

Gai Nie met Xu Qing's gaze calmly: "This person has been kind to me and is someone I respect in my life. He has heard that you have superb swordsmanship and that you have connections with me and Xiao Zhuang. He is curious and wishes to meet you."

He did not directly reveal Ying Zheng's identity, but deliberately emphasized the words "a respected person," his tone carrying an unquestionable solemnity.

Xu Qing naturally guessed the true identity of this "friend".

However, this was something he did intentionally.

He had previously challenged Gai Nie to a duel simply to use Gai Nie's identity to make contact with that person.

Now, everything is proceeding according to Xu Qing's script, and its goal has clearly been achieved.

"Mr. Gai's invitation is so kind, how could I refuse?" Xu Qing raised his eyes to look at Gai Nie, a sharp glint in them. "I just wonder, when will your friend be free? And where would you like to meet?"

“He is straightforward and decisive. Once he has agreed, he will not delay,” Gai Nie said. “He will personally go to Wanghu Pavilion by Qujiang Pond in the west of the city at 9:00 AM three days later.”

After saying that, he added, “Sir, there is no need to be so formal. He is meeting me as a friend. We will not discuss the court or state affairs, but only swordsmanship and friendship.”

Xu Qing understood that Ying Zheng's unwillingness to exert pressure as the King of Qin was both a display of his magnanimity and a test of his abilities.

He nodded slightly: "Alright, I will be there as promised at Wanghu Pavilion at 9:00 AM three days from now."

After finishing their business, Gai Nie did not linger at Xu Qing's place.

It was as if he had come here only to inform Xu Qing of these things.

Watching Gai Nie leave, Xu Qing gently raised his hand, releasing an invisible force that instantly closed the door.

Then, he looked at Jing Ni.