Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

A hint of surprise flashed in Xu Qing's eyes, and her brows furrowed slightly.

In his mind, the Qin army was always fierce. Wherever they went, they would not only burn, kill, and loot, but they also showed little mercy to the people of other countries.

When the city of Daliang fell, although Wang Ben restrained his soldiers from indiscriminately killing innocent people, Xu Qing also heard that many noble mansions in the city had been destroyed, and ordinary people were living in constant fear.

But the Qin soldier in front of him was completely different. He disregarded his own safety and shuttled through the raging fire. Every time he rescued someone, he would whisper a few words of comfort before turning around and rushing back into the fire, seemingly without fatigue or fear.

Another house collapsed with a crash, sparks flying onto the Qin soldier's armor and burning his skin. He groaned, but did not flinch. Instead, he lunged against the wall, bracing his shoulder against the collapsing beam, and shouted into the house, "Is anyone still inside? Come out quickly!"

A muffled groan came from inside the room; it sounded like a child's voice.

Upon hearing this voice, the Qin soldier's eyes immediately narrowed.

After seeing this scene, Xu Qing didn't say much, but simply moved to the other person's side.

Immediately afterwards, an invisible force burst forth, blowing the crossbeam that the Qin army was supporting to the side.

"Let me help you!"

Chapter 322 Please accept me as your disciple, sir!

Caught off guard, the Qin army found that by the time they reacted, the pressure on their shoulders had vanished. Only the man in the blue robe stood quietly beside them, while in front of them, flames raged. Yet the man beside him remained calm, as if the raging fire had nothing to do with him.

"you are?"

"Who I am is not important!" Xu Qing saw the doubt in the Qin soldier's mind and explained, "What's important is that we are all good people, and we are all here to put out the fire, aren't we?"

This claim of being a good person surprised the Qin army slightly.

He quickly turned to Xu Qing and said, "There are survivors inside, it seems to be a child!"

Xu Qing didn't speak, but simply raised his hand, and in an instant, all the raging flames burning everything in front of him were drawn towards him.

The flames converged, transforming into a ferocious and terrifying fire dragon.

They came toward Xu Qing, catching the eye of the Qin army and causing them to look horrified.

"This……"

Xu Qing ignored the shock of the people around him, and simply manipulated the many fire dragons, causing them to gather in the open space behind him, and then explode with a bang, disappearing into the world.

With Xu Qing's action, the raging fire in front of them, although not completely extinguished, was indeed much smaller.

If the fire was raging before, it is now just a few scattered embers.

"let's go!"

Xu Qing then spoke to the Qin soldiers beside him.

Step forward.

Because of the fire, the house was teetering on the brink of collapse. Even the slightest movement would cause pieces of wood and beams to fall down. However, before they could get close to Xu Qing, they were repelled by the protective aura surrounding his body.

The Qin soldiers following behind Xu Qing, however, did not stroll around as leisurely as Xu Qing, but instead appeared extremely cautious.

He followed Xu Qing, carefully stepping into the depths of the house. His eyes quickly scanned the room, and soon he saw a little girl trembling beside a cabinet in the corner.

The little girl was about seven or eight years old, wearing a tattered dress, her face covered in soot and tears, her hair slightly singed and curly from the fire. Her small body was curled up behind the cabinet, her hands tightly hugging her knees, her expression terrified, but she dared not make a loud sound.

Xu Qing naturally saw the other person as well. He slowed his pace, softened his tone, and reached out his hand to the little girl: "Don't be afraid, I'm here to save you."

The little girl paused for a moment when she saw the hand outstretched in front of her, and then timidly reached out her own hand.

The large hand grasped the small hand, instantly pulling the other person back from the brink of despair.

……

Having chosen to help the Qin army put out the fire, Xu Qing naturally wanted to help them to the end.

This wasn't the only place in the city that caught fire.

There are many other places as well.

Previously, only one Qin soldier and some brave men in the city were busy fighting the fire. However, the fire was raging and devoured everything, beyond human power to resist. Even if the Qin soldier had good intentions, he could not save everyone.

He could only hear people crying amidst the flames, but he was powerless to do anything about it.

Now, with Xu Qing's help, even the raging flames cannot stop their advance.

In the past, within the Yin-Yang School, Xu Qing reversed the Nine Waters Wind, transforming the water technique that manipulated water vapor into the fire technique that manipulated flames, forming the unique Nine Fire Dragon. Now, he used the same technique again, continuing to employ this method, drawing away the raging fires atop the buildings.

Led by Qin Jun, some young people in the city rushed into the fire and rescued their families trapped inside.

Although not everyone was rescued due to limited rescue capabilities and the size of the fire, Xu Qing still managed to save quite a few people.

"Thank you so much for today!"

As the sun set, Qin Jun's body was covered in black marks, and his face was filthy, but his eyes were exceptionally bright. He looked at Xu Qing, who was still spotless and aloof from the world, and spoke solemnly.

Xu Qing said calmly, "It's just doing what I can."

"But you are unlike any other Qin soldier I have ever seen. I wonder what to call you?"

Upon hearing this, the Qin soldier did not hide anything and told Xu Qing his name, "Zhang Han!"

"And how should I address you, sir?"

Xu Qing didn't hide anything and said his name, "Xu Qing!"

……

Meeting someone by chance doesn't mean you have to become close friends.

According to Zhang Han, he did not have many companions with him this time.

He went alone to deliver a message.

He only stopped temporarily to rescue a few people after seeing the place set on fire and the people struggling in the flames. Now that the matter was over, Zhang Han would not linger any longer.

So he rode away from the place again.

After Zhang Han left, Xu Qing also had no intention of staying any longer; he was also preparing to leave.

Just then, he noticed that there was a tagalong following him around.

However, he pretended not to notice and continued walking.

To accommodate the tagalong following behind him, he deliberately slowed his pace.

He moved forward, and so did the other person.

He stopped, and the other person stopped as well.

The other person followed him closely, neither daring to get close nor creating any distance.

They continued until they arrived at a desolate wilderness.

Xu Qing stopped again, then turned her head to look at the little girl following her from a distance. "Is there something you need?"

His voice wasn't loud, but it reached the little girl's ears with perfect clarity.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, the little girl gritted her teeth, quickened her pace, and ran all the way to Xu Qing's side. She looked at Xu Qing with a determined gaze, and in the next instant, she knelt down before Xu Qing, saying, "Please accept me as your disciple!"

"You want to become my apprentice?" Xu Qing looked at the little girl kneeling in front of him with a half-smile, but a hint of understanding flashed deep in his eyes.

He had already recognized the child in front of him as Xiaomeng, who would later become the famous leader of the Tianzong Sect.

In the original story, Xiaomeng was rescued by Zhang Han and eventually sent to the foot of Tianzong Mountain to become his disciple. However, by chance, she did not follow Zhang Han today, but instead followed him all the way.

Xu Qing knew Xiaomeng's aptitude all too well. She was born with a Daoist spirit and had extremely high comprehension, making her a cultivation prodigy that was only seen once in a century.

Even knowing this, he did not agree immediately. The matter of taking on a disciple involves many things, especially a stubborn and determined child like Xiaomeng. If he were to accept her without testing her, it might not be a good thing.

Xu Qing snapped out of his thoughts, his tone still cold, and replied directly and ruthlessly: "I never take on disciples!"

Although Xu Qing had taught others, such as A Jin, A Gang, and A Ming from the Yan Kingdom, and had also taught them the Great Iron Hammer Sword Technique, in Xu Qing's eyes, none of them could be considered his disciples.

Most of the time, it's just that when they're in the mood, they teach the other person a few moves.

Hearing Xu Qing's heartless words, the little girl's expression changed instantly, but she did not back down at all. She simply slammed her head to the ground and kowtowed, trying to move Xu Qing in this way. Her forehead quickly turned red from the kowtow, but she still refused to get up.

Xu Qing didn't let the little girl get up, but simply asked her, "Why did you leave? After a fire, shouldn't the most important thing be to rebuild your home?"

The little girl quickly answered the question, "I don't have a home anymore!"

"What a 'homeless' situation." Whether it was because her family was all dead, or because the Wei Kingdom had fallen, Xu Qing had no intention of delving into the reasons. So, he asked the little girl a second question, "Why do you want to become my disciple?"

"I want to gain power!" The little girl raised her head, looking at Xu Qing with unwavering eyes. "You... are very strong! Only by becoming as strong as you can I stop being bullied and protect everything I want to protect!"

When Xu Qing was fighting the fire, he could easily summon flames and transform into a dragon with a wave of his hand, and disperse the sea of ​​fire with a wave of his hand. This scene has long been deeply imprinted in the little girl's heart.

The ignorant masses would only regard him as a god, but the girl, though young, possessed a wisdom far beyond her years. She clearly knew that Xu Qing's strength was not a miracle, but rather his own ability and methods, which was exactly what she had been longing for.

"Just because I'm strong, does that mean I have to give you power?" Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, his tone carrying a hint of rhetoric, as if testing him or giving him guidance.

The little girl fell silent, her lips pressed tightly together, her hands clenched into small fists, her nails digging deep into her palms, but she didn't know how to answer.

She knew that Xu Qing had no obligation to help her, but Xu Qing was indeed the easiest way for her to obtain great power at the moment, and she didn't want to miss it, nor could she miss it.

Seeing the stubbornness and unwillingness in the little girl's eyes, Xu Qing had already made up his mind, but his face remained calm. He slowly spoke, his tone carrying an undeniable firmness: "If you really want to gain power, then come with me. The premise is that you can keep up with me."

Before he finished speaking, Xu Qing suddenly moved, shooting forward like an arrow. His figure darted through the desolate wilderness, moving so fast that he was left as a blur, instantly widening the distance between himself and the little girl.

He didn't use his full strength, but it far exceeded the limits of ordinary people. This was the first test he gave the little girl: her character and endurance.

If one doesn't even have the determination to follow him, how can one gain power or become his disciple?

Upon seeing this, a flicker of panic crossed the little girl's eyes, but it was quickly replaced by determination.

She scrambled to her feet, ignoring the pain in her forehead and her exhaustion, gritted her teeth, and took long strides, chasing after Xu Qing in the direction he had gone.

"I can keep up! I can definitely keep up!" she shouted silently in her heart, her small body bursting with amazing perseverance. Dust covered her skirt and sweat soaked her forehead, but she did not stop for a moment.

Xu Qing's speed increased, the figure in front of him became more and more blurred, the little girl's breathing became more and more rapid, her legs felt as heavy as lead, and every step she took felt like a struggle against her own limits.

Her vision began to blur, and all she could hear was her own heavy breathing and the whistling of the wind. Just when she was about to be completely left behind and could no longer see Xu Qing, she almost despaired, but she still refused to give up. With her last bit of strength, she took a step forward.

Just then, a clear and cold voice suddenly entered her ears from afar. It was calm and composed, yet every word was distinct, as if Xu Qing were standing right beside her, gently instructing her: "When inhaling, guide the breath into your abdomen, sink it to your dantian, and exhale slowly. Let the breath follow your meridians, circulating repeatedly. Remember not to be impatient..."

It was a simple yet exquisite breathing technique. It seemed ordinary, but it contained the most basic and core principles of cultivation. It was something Xu Qing had specially prepared for her.

Although he did not explicitly say he was taking her as a disciple, he was secretly giving her guidance, testing her patience and giving her a glimmer of hope. Whether she could grasp this glimmer of hope and keep up with him using this breathing technique depended entirely on herself.

The little girl was startled, then her eyes lit up with joy. She quickly followed the method taught by Xu Qing, adjusting her breathing, inhaling, exhaling, and calming her breath. Her originally rapid and disordered breathing gradually became more stable, and her fatigue seemed to lessen.

She gritted her teeth, silently reciting the breathing techniques as she quickened her pace, her gaze fixed on the faintly visible figure ahead.