Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

An ordinary person would have died long ago after such a long period of time.

Mozi, however, was different. After his death, his soul remained here, never dissipating. It seems that he still possesses the same wisdom as ordinary people. Isn't this a kind of alternative immortality? A kind of eternal consciousness?

"This doesn't count as immortality!"

Despite it being their first meeting, Xu Qing and Mo Zi didn't exchange any pleasantries. Instead, they chatted like old friends.

This is because, in Mozi's eyes, Xu Qing, who has come to this world, is no ordinary being.

If Xiaomeng's soul was just a firefly, then Xu Qing's soul was the blazing sun and bright moon in the heavens, so dazzling and vast.

Mozi believed that in his prime, he might have been able to contend with Xu Qing, but now he was just a wisp of a soul on the verge of dissipation, and he was only able to survive by relying on the special nature of this world.

"I never imagined that there would be such a master as you in the outside world. It seems that our predictions from back then were all wrong..."

Mozi also let out a sigh.

"You, in your remnant soul form, hid within the Illusionary Sound Box, awaiting a destined person to come here. What exactly did you foresee back then?"

Although Mozi didn't say some things, and he didn't communicate much with Xiaomeng, it didn't prevent Xu Qing from guessing Mozi's purpose. The Illusionary Sound Box could only be deciphered by specific people, who could then enter this special world, which only those with the right destiny could enter.

This is actually the main style of this world.

Destiny, or fate.

Swords have destiny, and so do many other things.

Faced with Xu Qing's question, Mozi sighed and did not hide anything, "Before I died, perhaps due to a stroke of good fortune, I did see some things, so I held on for a while longer and left some backup plans. Originally, I wanted to tell some things to those who were destined to meet me..."

"But after meeting you, I'm a little unsure if you two are destined to be together."

"Why do you think so?" Xu Qing asked Mozi again.

"The end of the Dharma!" Mozi uttered two words.

"Not only me, but many others also discovered this problem back then. The primordial energy between heaven and earth is gradually thinning. People in ancient times lived to be over a hundred years old and their movements were still vigorous... In that era, not to mention immortal beings, the strength of cultivators far surpassed that of today. It's just that as the primordial energy of heaven and earth dissipated, cultivators declined, which is why martial artists emerged. Only some sects, such as Taoism and Yin-Yang School, still retain some of the aura of ancient Qi cultivators."

"In my time, the primordial energy of heaven and earth was already very weak. Yet, a master like you, who shouldn't exist, emerged in the outside world. Does this mean that our predictions back then were wrong?"

"There is no end to the Dharma. The future I see is just a dream before I die."

In Mozi's view, external skills and internal skills are not difficult to cultivate; the most difficult to cultivate is the spirit and the soul.

Of the three—essence, energy, and spirit—essence corresponds to the body and can be understood as external skills, energy corresponds to internal energy and can be understood as internal skills, but spirit is different. It corresponds to the human soul, and the realm of the soul is extremely mysterious and difficult to cultivate. This belongs to the realm of the legendary "immortals and gods." Those who consume energy are immortal. They feed on essence and energy to nourish their spirits, thus achieving longevity. In any case, there was no specific method for cultivating the spirit in his era.

Even schools like Yin-Yang School and Taoism only have a few forbidden techniques that touch upon that field.

Why is the Illusionary Sound Box considered a supreme treasure of the Yin-Yang School?

It is because it contains thousands of musical notes that can stir one's spirit, leading to enlightenment. Each enlightenment will greatly increase one's spiritual power, and then use "spirit" to drive the essence, causing a surge in both aspects of cultivation.

Although only a remnant soul of Mozi remained here, his vision was still intact. He could see the power of Xu Qing's soul. Even in his era, such a powerful person was absolutely unmatched.

This made him begin to doubt the world outside.

Upon hearing Mozi's words, Xu Qing frowned slightly. He had not expected that what Mozi had seen was the end of Dharma.

This made him curious, so he asked Mozi, "So, you foresaw that in the future, when we would fall into the Dharma-ending Age and the primordial energy of heaven and earth would completely dissipate, so you sealed your remnant soul in the Illusionary Sound Box to warn those who come after you?"

“That’s not the case!” Mozi shook his head. “The end of Dharma is an irreversible trend, just like the withering and flourishing of plants. Heaven and earth also have their own cycles of withering and flourishing. The golden age of heaven and earth was the ancient times, when the primordial energy of heaven and earth was abundant. Even if people did nothing, they could live to be a hundred years old. But since then, the primordial energy of heaven and earth has gradually become thinner. Sooner or later, the primordial energy between heaven and earth will cease to exist… Perhaps the primordial energy between heaven and earth will revive in the future, or perhaps it will never revive. Qi cultivators, and even martial artists, will completely disappear.”

"It can be said that the end of the Dharma is inevitable. I sealed my remnant soul here based on this inevitability, in order to give some warning to those who come after me."

"What warning?" Xu Qing asked Mozi again.

Mozi looked deeply at Xu Qing, thinking about the years he had spent here.

This was an extremely lonely period. In this special place, he had no companions and was left alone to sleep in solitude. But it was impossible for him to be asleep all the time, otherwise he would not have known the passage of time.

The reason he did this was because he had discovered a secret during his lifetime.

He cleverly stole the Illusionary Sound Box from the Yin-Yang School, and spent several years using his mastery of mechanical arts to unravel its secrets, thus learning the true secret of the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations that had been circulating throughout the world for a long time.

At that moment, he knew that this matter was of great importance. If the Illusionary Sound Box fell into the hands of evil people, it would surely cause chaos in the world. So he exhausted his efforts to hide the Illusionary Sound Box in a secret place. When he was on his deathbed, he divided his own primordial spirit and poured it into the Illusionary Sound Box.

Today, he has finally met his destined partner.

First Xiaomeng came here, and then Xu Qing also came here.

He was unsure whether everything he foresaw before his death was true or false.

But after thinking about it, since the other party had already come here and was an unparalleled expert, it wouldn't hurt to tell him.

"The Azure Dragon is an ominous sign!"

In response to Xu Qing's question, Mozi uttered four words.

Xu Qing frowned slightly. He thought of the matter related to the Illusionary Sound Box. This thing was not only a treasure of the Yin-Yang School, but also a key to deciphering the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon. It could be said that the Yin-Yang School's pursuit of the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon was closely related to this thing.

After all, the Yin-Yang School in its early days was just a deviant branch of Taoism. Their pursuit at that time was the "limit of heaven and man". In order to pursue the limit of heaven and man, they created all kinds of strange techniques, but they were not tolerated by the orthodox path. In the end, they parted ways with the Taoist sages and established their own school.

But at some point, the Yin-Yang School's pursuit changed; it was no longer the limit of heaven and man, but the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon.

The exact timing is not hard to guess.

Considering the secrets hidden within the Illusionary Sound Box and its status within the Yin-Yang School, it can be confirmed that it was obtained after they acquired the Illusionary Sound Box.

"Please elaborate," Xu Qing asked Mozi.

The secret of the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions has been passed down through the ages, and countless people have tried to decipher it. In fact, the reason Xu Qing was able to come here this time was because he was studying the bronze box of the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions of the Wei Kingdom, which led him to think of the Illusionary Sound Box. Since he could not decipher the Illusionary Sound Box himself, he gave it to Xiao Meng, wanting her to give it a try.

This triggered a series of chain reactions, leading to the scene we see now where we witness the remnant soul of Mozi.

"The Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon are stars in the sky, but on earth, they are a long-standing secret... It is said that whoever obtains this item will have the power to control the world."

"That power can indeed influence the world."

"Because it originated from... the ancient war lord!"

Mozi was an extremely direct person. He didn't even keep anyone in suspense and directly explained the origin of the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions.

"Chi You, the God of War? Not the Zhou Dynasty?" Xu Qing couldn't help but ask after hearing Mozi's words.

Leaving aside the era of Mozi, if we consider the time period when Xu Qing was in the outside world, going back about eight or nine hundred years, it corresponds exactly to the fact that the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions have been passed down for a thousand years.

Therefore, some people speculate that the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions are related to the Zhou Dynasty.

“The Azure Dragon Seven Mansions are indeed closely related to the Zhou Dynasty and Jiang Ziya. It was Jiang Ziya who built those seven bronze boxes…” Mozi began, speaking to Xu Qing, “But the secret, to trace its origins, must be traced back to the Battle of Zhuolu in ancient times!”

Mozi's tone carried a deep sense of vicissitude as he recounted to Xu Qing all the secrets he knew.

Chapter 330 Ancient Secrets, Discussing State Affairs

Mozi's voice slowly echoed in the world constructed by the Illusionary Sound Box. Every word and sentence was like a thunderclap, ringing in Xu Qing's ears and peeling away the mysterious veil of the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon that had been passed down for thousands of years.

"In ancient times, Chi You roamed the world... The Yellow Emperor defeated him at Zhuolu, but although he was defeated, he did not die. Left with no other choice, the Yellow Emperor had to dismember him and bury him separately..."

Mozi first recounted a distant ancient story, and then, after a slight change in tone, mentioned another figure closely related to the Azure Dragon and the Seven Mansions.

"Jiang Taigong obtained the Yellow Stone Heavenly Book, attained enlightenment at Qishan, and assisted King Wu in overthrowing King Zhou. By chance, he discovered this ancient secret, but also realized the great risks hidden within. To guard against unforeseen circumstances, after a mysterious journey, he cast seven bronze boxes, and before his death, he hid all the secrets he knew in the boxes, and left a prophecy: 'He who obtains the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon will gain the power to control the world.'"

"Because of Jiang Taigong's legendary status, these seven bronze boxes were initially highly sought after by the world. However, at that time, the Zhou Dynasty was at its peak, and the bronze boxes, along with the Nine Tripods, were firmly controlled by the Zhou royal family."

"As time flows and years change, no dynasty lasts forever. As the vassal states grew stronger and the Zhou royal family declined, they placed their hopes for revival on the seven constellations of the Azure Dragon. However, even though the Zhou royal family did their best, they could not unravel the secret. Instead, in the process of searching, the seven bronze boxes were scattered throughout the world."

"Until several hundred years ago, a remarkable person emerged in the Chu region. He unraveled some of the secrets of the Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon and found a way to open the bronze box. However, even so, he was ultimately unable to collect all seven boxes. In order to continue exploring the secrets, he combined the witchcraft that had been passed down in the Chu region for thousands of years and forged the Illusionary Sound Box. This Illusionary Sound Box later fell into the hands of the Yin-Yang School. Because it was forged by witchcraft and contained thousands of demonic sounds, it could both captivate people's minds and help them greatly improve their character and power. Therefore, it was regarded as a supreme treasure by the Yin-Yang School."

"Later, when I came to live in my time, I had the good fortune to obtain the Yellow Stone Heavenly Book, which had been held by the Yellow Emperor and Jiang Taigong. I had a special connection with the Heavenly Book and learned many principles from it. I also received the last teachings left by Jiang Taigong in the Heavenly Book."

Thus, what followed was a natural progression. Having discovered some of the hidden secrets, Mozi, unwilling to let the lurking calamity manifest, secretly attacked the Yin-Yang School, seizing the Illusionary Sound Box and intending to hide it in a secret place so that no one would have the opportunity to unravel the secrets of the Azure Dragon Seven Constellations.

But he was ultimately just a mortal, and even with unfathomable power, he could not escape the day when his lifespan would run out.

On his deathbed, through the extraordinary power of the Yellow Stone Book, Mozi foresaw glimpses of the future. Desiring to alter that predetermined future, he split his own soul and poured it into the Illusionary Sound Box, awaiting the arrival of a destined person. He knew he couldn't hide the box forever; it would eventually be found. If someone could decipher its true secrets, he might be able to offer them a warning.

"In short, the things hidden in the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions must never be allowed to appear in the world."

"The people of ancient times were far more powerful than those of today. Back then, the primordial energy of heaven and earth was abundant. Even when the calamity of the Seven Constellations of the Azure Dragon appeared in the world, there were strong people who could quell the turmoil. But in this era of declining Dharma, it is absolutely impossible to do so."

This is why Mozi frequently mentioned the end of Dharma. The end of Dharma is not because the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions are inherently inauspicious, but because it is the key to whether or not their calamities can be averted.

Mozi saw things very clearly. In the Dharma-ending Age, Qi cultivators have disappeared, and even martial artists are far less powerful than in ancient times. In such a situation, how can people cope once a crisis breaks out?

Xu Qing was unaware of Mozi's thoughts; otherwise, he would have certainly refuted them.

In his view, when individual strength weakens, one can seek other paths, such as the Mohist mechanical arts, which have great potential.

In the original story, Gongshu Chou created crossbows that could cause explosions when fired. If one were to delve deeper into this technology, it would not be impossible to create missiles or nuclear weapons.

Ultimately, the era he lived in was only a couple of hundred years ago, when humanity had just entered the age of firearms, and technological iterations have always been rapid.

……

In reality, Xu Qing and Xiao Meng stood motionless, both lost in thought. Xiao Meng held the Illusionary Sound Box in both hands; the box was already open, and eerie melodies flowed continuously from it.

This is undoubtedly the best opportunity for someone to launch a sneak attack on Xu Qing.

But the opportunity vanished the next moment, because Xu Qing had already regained his senses.

The moment his soul returned to its place, he immediately dispelled the Soul-Changing Technique, allowing his soul to leave Xiaomeng's body and return to his own.

As he departed, Xiaomeng's soul followed suit and returned to itself.

Xu Qing's soul was strong, and he felt no discomfort after returning to his body. Xiao Meng, however, was completely different. She was still young, and although she had outstanding talent, talent was not the same as skill. The moment her soul returned to its place, she felt dizzy and it took her a long time to recover.

“Master…” Xiaomeng held the Illusionary Sound Box, looked up at Xu Qing, her voice still a little weak.

Xu Qing's expression was solemn, and he said in a deep voice, "What happened today must not be told to anyone!"

"Yes!" Xiaomeng knew that this matter was of great importance, and quickly and respectfully agreed.

As soon as he finished speaking, Xu Qing raised his hand and summoned the Illusionary Sound Box, which flew into his hand. The lid slowly closed, and the eerie melodies dissipated.

After that, neither of them mentioned the Illusionary Sound Box again. Everything they had encountered that day became an unspeakable secret between them.

Xu Qing then took Xiaomeng on a tour of the former territory of Wei for several days before entering the neighboring territory of Zhao. Strictly speaking, these places now belong to Qin.

The landscape was vast and beautiful, and the two were not in a hurry to travel. Traveling on foot was already difficult, which is why they had been walking for a long time but had been wandering around in a limited area.

Meanwhile, another group of people were extremely anxious: the people of Chu and Lord Changping, who was in the Qin camp but whose heart was in Chu.

The anxiety of the Chu people is not hard to understand. After Qin conquered Daliang and destroyed Wei, it launched an attack on Chu without taking any rest. The commander of the army was none other than the invincible Wang Jian.

The people of Chu were filled with fear at the thought that Qin had already destroyed Han, Zhao and Wei, and severely damaged Yan, and now its military might was pointing directly at Chu.

Changping Jun's anxiety was even greater.