Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

However, this does not mean that Zhao Gao has completely given up on offending Xu Qing.

Xu Qing knew that the other party was a jackal, and would rush up and bite you the moment it saw you were weak.

However, he didn't seem to care.

On the other hand, after destroying Zhao and crippling Yan, Qin had a period of recuperation. In particular, after farmers came to Qin and brought advanced agricultural and water conservancy technologies, the domestic turmoil was quelled, and the Qin war machine finally started moving again.

This time, the target is... the State of Wei!

Chapter 316 The Old Sword of Yesteryear, Encounter with Xinling

Hundreds of years ago, the state of Jin was divided into three kingdoms: Han, Wei, and Zhao. These three kingdoms enjoyed a period of prosperity for hundreds of years, experiencing both glory and decline.

But all of this will eventually perish with the rise of the Qin state.

The states of Han and Zhao have been destroyed one after another, leaving only the isolated state of Wei among the three Jin states.

How can they possibly remain unaffected by this trend?

Naturally, Xu Qing was not immune to this trend.

In the past, when the Qin state destroyed Han and Zhao, he personally went to Han and Zhao and secretly looted the treasuries of both countries.

Now that Qin is attacking Wei, even if he doesn't intend to loot Wei's treasury, he is prepared to go to Wei.

This time, he didn't take Jingni, Xiao Hei, or Xiao Bai with him when he left. He only said a few words to them before Xu Qing left Xianyang alone. He left quietly, but it probably won't be long before someone finds out.

After all, he is now considered a thorn in the side of the Luo Wang organization.

Entering Wei from Qin was a very easy thing.

Not to mention that the two countries are adjacent to each other, after Qin destroyed Zhao and Han, Wei was almost completely surrounded by Qin, and they simply couldn't organize any effective defenses.

The autumn wind blows across the yellowing wheat fields, but it cannot stir up any joy of harvest. Only the faint sound of horses' hooves coming from the distant horizon is like a dull knife, repeatedly cutting into the tranquility of this land.

The Qin cavalry swept across the border like a tide. The once prosperous cities are now mostly ruins. Along the official roads, one can see displaced people everywhere. The old, weak, women and children help each other along, their eyes filled with fear and confusion. Occasionally, the cries of children can be heard, which are particularly jarring in the bleak autumn wind.

Since entering Wei, Xu Qing has not moved quickly. Even if he wanted to, he could roam freely throughout the entire Wei Kingdom in a very short time, but that would completely defeat the purpose of traveling.

He actually spent quite a while traveling in the State of Wei.

Along with that, he also visited the state of Wei, which is near Wei.

Of all the places in the Wei Kingdom, the one I am most familiar with is Xinling.

Although Ningyi in Xinling was not large, it was the setting for many stories of love, hate, and passion.

It was there that he met many people. If there was any regret, it was probably that he never got to meet Lord Xinling before his death.

Looking back now, I still regret it quite a bit.

This is also related to Xu Qing's idea of ​​developing in a low-key manner back then. If it were him now, he would probably have to forge a sword for Lord Xinling.

"Sir, please have mercy and give me some food."

A ragged child tugged at his sleeve; his face was sallow and his lips were cracked.

Xu Qing bent down, said nothing, and simply took out a small bag of dry food from his pocket and handed it over. The child's eyes lit up instantly, and he quickly shared it with the elder beside him.

The old people bowed to him repeatedly, murmuring "benefactor" over and over again. Xu Qing nodded slightly, turned around, and continued walking.

He traveled to many places, sometimes to villages destroyed by war, sometimes to towns filled with refugees, witnessing countless partings and hearing countless lamentations.

Some fought Qin soldiers with their bare hands to protect their families; some sold all their possessions for a single bite of food; and some held the bodies of their fallen loved ones and wept in the wilderness until dawn.

Along the way, he also encountered some people who remained true to themselves.

Outside a besieged town, a general defending the city, knowing he was outnumbered, still refused to surrender, standing atop the city wall and shouting: "We are the flesh and blood of Wei, we would rather die than surrender!"

Xu Qing watched quietly from a distance. Seeing that the man's sword was rusty, he casually took out a sword he had previously forged. It was not a famous sword, but only a second-tier sword. However, it was undoubtedly much better than the rusty sword in the man's hand.

He casually tossed the sword across the air towards the city wall, where it landed beside the general. The general's eyes narrowed, and he instinctively gripped the sword. As for whether the sword would kill the Qin army or what its fate would be, Xu Qing didn't care.

What he valued was the other person's courage.

After finishing this task, Xu Qing turned and left. He came quietly and left just as quietly. The sounds of fighting and sword cries behind him mingled together, becoming a bright spot in the chaotic world.

On this day, Xu Qing arrived at a remote village. The village was nestled against the mountains and by the water, and should have been a paradise, but at this moment it was shrouded in a bloody atmosphere.

The old locust tree at the village entrance had been cut down, and several villagers' corpses were hanging from the trunk. Blood dripped down the trunk, staining the soil beneath their feet red.

A group of bandits dressed in black and wielding sharp blades were plundering the village. They were killing and looting indiscriminately, and the cries of women and screams of children could be heard everywhere.

In times of chaos, when the old order is broken, it is also a time when many villains do whatever they want. At such times, the most ruthless people are not necessarily soldiers from other countries, but villains from one's own country.

"stop!"

A furious shout rang out, and a middle-aged swordsman, wielding a long sword, sped down the mountain path.

His face was resolute, his clothes were covered in dust, and the long sword in his hand had a narrow blade. Although it had no fancy decorations, it gave Xu Qing a familiar feeling.

Even after some years, Xu Qing still recognized the sword.

It is his work.

Of course, this sword is not a famous sword. In Xu Qing's opinion, it is only a second-tier sword, so it can be considered an early sword.

When Xu Qing traveled the world in the past, he lost countless swords, so many that even he himself couldn't remember them all.

Unexpectedly, I encountered one here.

"It's fate!"

Xu Qing muttered to himself. He had originally planned to make a move, but because of this chivalrous man, he decided to observe first.

His figure instantly disappeared; at least, to outsiders, Xu Qing's presence was invisible.

The middle-aged swordsman charged into the bandits, his longsword flashing like lightning, and instantly killed two bandits.

However, the bandits numbered as many as twenty or thirty, and each of them was fierce and brutal, and their weapons were quite sophisticated.

Although the swordsman's swordsmanship was superb, he was no match for the enemy's superior numbers and soon began to falter.

Taking advantage of his unpreparedness, a bandit swung his knife from the side, the blade aimed directly at his back.

The swordsman felt a chill run down his spine. He wanted to turn around and block, but it was too late. He could only close his eyes and await his death.

Just then, a green shadow flashed by.

Xu Qing had appeared beside the swordsman without anyone noticing. He didn't draw his sword, but simply waved his hand, and an invisible force spread out. The bandits at the front were as if they had been hit by an invisible wall, and they were instantly sent flying backward, spitting blood and dying on the ground.

The other bandits were all shocked and stopped in their tracks, staring in disbelief at the man in the blue robe who had suddenly appeared before them.

"who are you?"

The bandit leader, wielding a large sword, demanded an explanation with a fierce but inwardly weak expression.

Seeing that Xu Qing was thin and not particularly tall or strong, but that move he had just made was really strange, he couldn't help but feel a little wary.

Xu Qing ignored the bandits and instead looked at the middle-aged swordsman, asking, "Why did you draw your sword?"

Upon hearing this, the middle-aged swordsman paused for a moment, but then gave his answer.

"When you see injustice on the road, do you need a reason to draw your sword and help?"

"Even if I am no match for him, even if I might die here?" Xu Qing asked the middle-aged swordsman again.

A resolute look appeared in the middle-aged swordsman's eyes, "I will not regret it even if I die!"

"Because I firmly believe that there is still justice in this world, and even though we are in a chaotic era, that is not a reason for these guys to act recklessly!"

"These people who slaughter women and children and bully the weak deserve to die!"

Upon hearing the middle-aged swordsman's words, the bandits immediately shifted their attention from Xu Qing to the middle-aged swordsman. "You think you can uphold justice?"

"It's absolutely laughable!"

Perhaps it was the middle-aged swordsman's words that amused the bandit leader, but his suspicion and uncertainty about Xu Qing vanished at this moment, after all, they outnumbered him.

Even though Xu Qing's appearance seemed strange, as long as they swarmed him, the opponent would surely die.

"Brothers, let's charge together and kill them!" The bandit leader said, then brandished his broadsword and led his bandits to charge towards Xu Qing and the middle-aged swordsman.

Looking at the menacing bandits.

Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged; he merely moved slightly, weaving through the bandits.

His movements appeared slow, yet each step was perfectly timed, dodging all attacks while occasionally flicking out a wisp of energy from his fingertips. Each wisp of energy that struck a bandit would instantly render them immobile, causing them to collapse to the ground.

In a short while, all twenty or thirty bandits were subdued, lying on the ground howling in pain, no longer showing their previous ferocity.

The middle-aged swordsman was deeply shocked by what he saw.

He knew all too well how ruthless these bandits were, and that he could only barely cope with them even with all his might. Yet Xu Qing had subdued them all without breaking a sweat, a feat that far exceeded his expectations.

"Thank you for saving me, sir." The middle-aged swordsman bowed deeply to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing said calmly, "Although your strength is not that great, your previous actions are enough to prove that you can barely be considered a hero."

"It's a real shame that someone like you, so naive, is dying like this!"

Without lingering any longer, Xu Qing turned to the middle-aged swordsman and said, "These people are yours to deal with."

"Whether you live or die is up to you!"

"Sir..." Upon hearing this, the middle-aged swordsman wanted to say something more, but Xu Qing had no intention of saying anything more.

He vanished in a flash.

It is worth mentioning that an ancient sword appeared where it left the ground, standing out prominently.

"The sword in your hand was quite good back then, but it's no good now. I'll give you this new sword."

"The sword is named 'Guardian of the Heart,' I hope you can hold fast to your true self!"

……

Clad in green robes, Xu Qing finally set foot on the land of Ningyi.

The city, once famous throughout the land because of Lord Xinling, is now nothing but desolation.

Although the flames of war have not yet spread here, this place will never again be as prosperous as it once was.

Once upon a time, Xu Qing was selling swords all over this city.

Now, because of Lord Xinling's death, the once bustling scene of chivalrous heroes coming and going is no longer seen here.