Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Xu Qing paused for a moment, then made no attempt to hide it, "I plan to visit Xinling."

"Xinling?"

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Jing Ke and his junior sister exchanged bewildered glances.

Finally, it was his junior sister, Gongsun Liji, who spoke first, "Lord Xinling, Wei Wuji, is famous throughout the land and is unparalleled in chivalry. Senior brother, why don't we go to Lord Xinling too!"

She was the first to make a suggestion.

Upon hearing this, Jing Ke thought of the rumors that Lord Xinling liked to keep retainers.

Now that Puyang has fallen, my junior sister and I are all alone and helpless, and we must find a place to go.

Chapter 4: The Swordsman Tests His Skills at Ningyi City Gate; A Stunning Figure in Purple Appears.

In the struggle against the Qin Dynasty, four renowned sages emerged from the six states of Shandong: Lord Mengchang (Tian Wen), Lord Pingyuan (Zhao Sheng), Lord Xinling (Wei Wuji), and Lord Chunshen (Huang Xie). All four were known for their courteous treatment of scholars and their patronage of retainers, and are often referred to as the "Four Lords of the Warring States." Although the term "lord" was strictly limited to the sons of feudal lords, and Huang Xie was not among them, this title is more widely known to later generations.

For Xu Qing, the name "Four Gentlemen" was equally endearing: Tian Wen, Zhao Sheng, Wei Wuji, and Huang Xie. Each of the four lords had their own strengths and left behind many remarkable achievements. However, today, this once illustrious reputation has faded like yesterday's flowers. Tian Wen and Zhao Sheng have both passed away; Wei Wuji, due to Qin's machinations, fell out of favor with the King of Wei and was relegated to his fiefdom of Xinling, where he indulged in wine and women, practically living in seclusion; only Huang Xie remains, serving as the Prime Minister of Chu, still enjoying considerable prestige.

Even so, the names of the four men, especially Lord Xinling (Wei Wuji), were widely known throughout the land. When Liu Bang later became an outlaw, his name still resonated, and Liu Bang even considered joining him, unaware that Wei Wuji had already passed away many years ago.

The State of Wei bordered the State of Wei. Jing Ke's teacher, Gongsun Yu, was the garrison commander of Puyang in Wei and was known for his chivalrous spirit. Influenced by him, Jing Ke had befriended heroes since childhood and had naturally heard of Lord Xinling's great name many times. Now, when his junior sister suggested joining him, he was deeply moved—his master had passed away, and he and his junior sister truly felt lost about their future.

Xu Qing's suggestion to go to Xinling stirred Jing Ke's thoughts, and the idea of ​​serving Lord Xinling arose spontaneously.

Thus, on Xu Qing's journey to Xinling, he unexpectedly gained two "followers," the brother and sister Jing Ke.

He hadn't expected Jing Ke to think of seeking refuge with Wei Wuji. In his view, shouldn't Jing Ke's true path in life have been to join the Mohist school, gain the appreciation of the Six-Fingered Black Knight, become the leader of the Mohist school, and then mingle with Yan Dan? After the Six-Fingered Black Knight died and Yan Dan succeeded him as the leader of the Mohist school, wouldn't he have been willing to be the sharpest sword in Yan Dan's hand to carry out that earth-shattering stab?

However, although he had some complaints in his heart, he did not show it.

Since the sword has already been sold to Jing Ke, how he uses it and whether he can become famous throughout the world are all his own business.

More than any of these, Xu Qing was concerned about the "sword technique" he had obtained from Jing Ke. This was an ability he had passively acquired from Jing Ke after the sword contract was signed. Even Jing Ke himself was unaware that the unique sword technique his master had taught him had fallen into Xu Qing's hands.

This sword technique consists of eighteen moves. In the novel, it is the precursor to the "Eighteen Swords of Heaven-Shaking". Of course, this is the world of anime, and it is hard to say whether the Eighteen Swords of Heaven-Shaking actually exist. After all, Jing Ke's ultimate move in the anime is called the "Five-Step Killing Sword". However, the fact that this sword technique could be used as a bargaining chip for Jing Ke to purchase the famous sword "Broken Mountain" speaks volumes about its exquisite nature.

Because Jing Ke was right beside him, Xu Qing couldn't practice in actual combat. Instead, he kept recalling various sword techniques in his mind to strengthen his memory.

Several days later...

Xu Qing and Jing Ke, brother and sister, finally parted ways.

Simply because they came to Xinling, or rather, Ningyi.

Xinling was a large fiefdom, famous because of Lord Xinling. The city's real name was actually Ningyi, but as Lord Xinling became famous throughout the world, few people mentioned his original name and mostly referred to him as Xinling.

After arriving in Xinling, Jing Ke took Gongsun Liji directly to Lord Xinling, hoping to become his retainer.

Whether he succeeds or not depends on luck.

Xu Qing had little interest in Wei Wuji himself; his gaze was fixed on the figures coming and going at the city gate—especially those down-on-their-luck "knights-errant" with worn-out weapons.

These are the customers he is targeting.

In many people's eyes, Lord Xinling was merely a dragon trapped in shallow waters, destined to rise again. If one could take advantage of his lowly status to join his ranks and wait for his comeback, wouldn't one rise to great heights? Therefore, every day, a constant stream of self-proclaimed knights flocked to Lord Xinling. It was difficult to distinguish between true and false knights, but most of them were impoverished and didn't even own a decent sword.

As a swordsmith, how could Xu Qing stand idly by? Dressed in coarse, old clothes, and exuding a somewhat unruly air, he lingered at the city gate. Whenever he encountered a chivalrous person of "extraordinary bearing," he would take the initiative to approach them and strike up a conversation.

"Great hero, I see you possess an inner radiance that belies your extraordinary nature. As the saying goes, a fine sword is given to a hero; would you like to exchange it for a more suitable and sharper weapon?"

"Change swords?" The swordsman was taken aback upon hearing this.

Xu Qing smiled slightly: "To be honest, I am a newly appointed swordsmith. I have just finished a new sword, but I do not know its quality. I would like to find an expert to appraise it. If you would be willing to test the sword for me, I would be extremely grateful."

Before he finished speaking, he had already drawn a gleaming sword from behind him. The moment the sword was drawn, its sharpness was immediately apparent.

The swordsman's eyes lit up—compared to the blunt sword in his hand, this sword was a divine weapon. Even though he was tempted, he couldn't help but wonder, "Such a fine sword, is it really given to me for free?"

"Of course!" Xu Qing smiled confidently. "As long as you sign a trial contract, this sword will belong to you."

He then pulled out a roll of animal hide contracts.

Seeing that the swordsman was illiterate, Xu Qing patiently explained the terms and conditions.

After confirming that it was indeed free of charge, the swordsman did not hesitate any longer, cut his finger with the new sword, and pressed his fingerprint on it.

Xu Qing put away the contract and solemnly presented the sword.

Watching the "hero" leave, he breathed a sigh of relief: "Another deal closed."

Afterwards, he moved to another place, took out a similar-looking sword from behind his back, and continued to look for "heroes" to sell his sword.

Several days passed in this way.

Xu Qing has sold his swords to countless heroes, successfully replacing the weapons and equipment of many impoverished warriors. He has done immeasurable good deeds.

"Mr. Xu, you're selling swords again!"

A gentle female voice sounded from behind Xu Qing.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing turned his head and saw a girl with purple hair and a red dress standing quietly with a smile on her face. It was Gongsun Liji, Jing Ke's junior sister. Her long purple hair would obviously be a bit out of place in the normal world, but this was the world of anime. The people in this world seemed to have long accepted these differences. On the contrary, different hair colors brought completely different charms to the person involved. Gongsun Liji, with her purple hair and red dress, gave people the feeling of being ethereal and fairy-like. Even though she had not yet grown to her most beautiful moment, a beauty in bud is also a kind of beauty.

"It is you!"

Xu Qing nodded slightly to Gongsun Liji.

Where is your senior brother?

After arriving at Xinling, although he had parted ways with Jing Ke and his sister, they were in the same place, so it was not surprising that they met again.

"My senior brother is drinking with someone!"

Gongsun Liji responded gently.

Chapter 5: The Angel Investor of the Swordsman!

"So, your senior brother has become a retainer of Lord Xinling?"

I found a teahouse.

Although he was called a tea server, all he really provided was warm water. Fortunately, Xu Qing was never picky. After all, on such a hot day, having water to drink was already a blessing. He took a big gulp from the earthenware bowl and then spoke to Gongsun Liji in front of him.

"Of course!" Gongsun Liji raised her chin slightly, her eyes blazing with light. "That day, my senior brother wielded the sword given to him by the master, and the entire hall was filled with the aura of swords. Lord Xinling applauded in admiration—"

She paused abruptly, her fingertips unconsciously stroking the rim of the bowl, "Later... upon hearing that we were descendants of Gongsun Yu of Puyang, they personally invited us into their residence."

Xu Qing tapped the ceramic bowl lightly with his knuckles, producing a crisp sound: "Your grandfather guarded Puyang for ten years, and Wei Wuji respected him as a hero. You have revealed your identities, and entering the mansion is nothing out of the ordinary."

"Does the master think we rely on the legacy of our ancestors?" The girl suddenly frowned, her cheeks flushing red, whether from the sun or from annoyance.

“A sword doesn’t lie.” Xu Qing shook his head, his gaze sweeping over the fluttering banners on the city wall. “If Jing Ke’s swordsmanship is mediocre, even if you bring up the names of your ancestors, you will not be worthy of Lord Xinling’s approval.”

Gongsun Liji nodded in satisfaction.

She then briefly recounted her and her brother's life at Lord Xinling's residence. Her senior brother, Jing Ke, had made many friends there, spending his days drinking, making merry, and sparring with them. She, on the other hand, disliked both drinking and martial arts, so she chose to wander around the city.

The wind swept past the thatched shed of the teahouse, lifting a strand of Gongsun Liji's purple hair.

She stared blankly at the bustling streets, her voice barely audible, "Puyang before it was ravaged by war... was just as noisy."

Perhaps it was the peaceful life in Ningyi that touched a raw nerve in Gongsun Liji's heart, and she couldn't help but sigh.

Xu Qing glanced at Gongsun Liji but did not say anything to comfort her.

He simply watched Gongsun Liji quietly.

Gongsun Liji remained silent in the sorrowful atmosphere for a long time before finally noticing Xu Qing's somewhat "ambiguous" gaze. She snapped out of her daze, her cheeks slightly flushed, and said, "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Mr. Xu."

Xu Qing waved his hand and said, "It's nothing."

"With the country destroyed and the family ruined, grief is inevitable. I understand that Miss Li Ji is in pain."

Upon hearing this, Gongsun Liji's cheeks flushed even more. She quickly changed the subject, asking Xu Qing, "Mr. Xu, all this time, you've been offering..." After saying the word "offering," she realized it was inappropriate and quickly corrected herself, "...selling swords?"

Xu Qing noticed the change in Gongsun Liji's tone but didn't point it out. He simply nodded and said, "Yes."

"Although I haven't practiced martial arts much, my grandfather and senior brother are both very skilled swordsmen. I can tell that those people don't seem to be true heroes. Why would Mr. Xu sell such a good sword to them?"

Having witnessed firsthand how Xu Qing sold the sword to his senior brother, and having also seen a scene of Xu Qing selling a sword, she had some understanding of how Xu Qing sold swords. In reality, it was more like giving them away for free; one only needed to sign a so-called "sword contract" to obtain a precious sword.

“You don’t understand, young lady,” Xu Qing explained to Gongsun Liji. “Everyone has their downfalls. Perhaps, right now, they are impoverished people in the martial world who can’t even afford to eat. But even in such a predicament, they are still willing to carry crude swords and roam the martial world. This shows that they have a chivalrous heart and yearn for the existence of this martial world.”

"We should not discourage them because of this; instead, we should support them."

"What if one of them becomes a world-renowned hero someday?"

"By then, wouldn't I, who gave them the precious sword when they were still in humble circumstances, have become the discerning judge of talent?"

Gongsun Liji raised an eyebrow, seemingly surprised that Xu Qing would say such a thing.

She pondered for a moment and said, "But I still don't understand what benefit Mr. Xu can gain from this matter."

The way she gave the sword to her senior brother before was one thing, and the way she does it now is another.

They appeared to have signed a sword contract, but they didn't receive anything in return.

The sword contract seemed to be nothing more than a blank treaty.

If they are willing to abide by the contract, they can repay Xu Qing.

But in this world, morality has long since collapsed, and there is no longer any trust or righteousness between nations. Expecting people to voluntarily abide by trust and righteousness is simply empty talk.

Although those people signed a sword contract, they could have left this place after obtaining the sword.

Could Xu Qing possibly be going to chase them all over the world to collect their debts?

"Benefits? I've already taken them."

Xu Qing gave a strange smile, but didn't say anything more.

Just as when Jing Ke obtained the "Broken Mountain" sword, Xu Qing passively acquired the swordsmanship from it.

When he gives these "excellent" level swords to people in the martial arts world, he can also get a response from them. The person who receives the sword may not be very strong, but people who can travel in the martial arts world always have one or two outstanding skills.

Such as physical strength, wisdom, and aptitude for swordsmanship.

All of these things were given to Xu Qing as a reward when the sword contract was signed.

A fine sword may offer limited rewards, but the cumulative effect is significant.

Moreover, for Xu Qing, whose swordsmith level had long since reached the "second level" and who had even forged a third-grade "famous sword" level sword, it was not a difficult task to forge a "fine" level sword as long as he had suitable materials and conducted multiple furnace openings.

Although this type of sword doesn't have any high-level or rare characteristics, it is still much more useful than a crude sword.