Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

In Liaodong, the cold wind was like a knife, swirling fine snowflakes that lashed against the wooden windows of the simple palace, making a howling sound, several times more biting than in Xianyang.

This hastily cobbled-together palace lacked the grandeur and magnificence of the Jicheng Palace, and had no carved beams or painted rafters. Even decent charcoal stoves for heating were scarce. Only a weak charcoal fire in the hall barely dispelled the biting cold, but it could not warm the icy heart of Prince Yan Xi.

Despite wearing a thick fox fur coat, King Xi of Yan still shivered uncontrollably, not from the cold, but from a deep-seated fear.

He sat upright on the mottled throne, his brows furrowed, his hands clenched into fists, his knuckles white. His former imperial majesty had vanished, leaving only panic and anxiety on his face.

If his assassination attempt on the King of Qin had not failed and the Qin army had not attacked Yan, why would he have abandoned the prosperous city of Ji and fled in such a miserable state to this harsh land of Liaodong to eke out a living?

He had comforted himself countless times that Liaodong was remote and beyond the reach of the Qin state. As long as he remained patient and bided his time, he might be able to continue the ancestral state of Yan with this barren land, and then attempt to restore the dynasty when the world changed.

But now, news of the fall of Chu has arrived, Qin has annexed four states and is riding high. Li Xin's army is heading straight for Liaodong. That little bit of self-deceiving hope has finally been ruthlessly shattered.

"Report!" A Yan general, dressed in tattered armor, stumbled into the hall, his expression panicked. He knelt on one knee, his voice trembling uncontrollably. "Your Majesty, intelligence reports from the front indicate that Li Xin's army has passed Yuyang and is less than a hundred li from Liaodong. In less than three days, they will be at the city gates!"

King Yan Xi jolted, rose slightly from his throne, and asked in a hoarse voice, "Where are the Qi reinforcements? Has the messenger I sent to Qi to request aid returned with any news?"

He had asked this question no less than ten times, each time with a sliver of humble hope, but each time he only received a despairing answer.

The general lowered his head even further and said with difficulty, "Your Majesty, the messenger... the messenger brought back news that the King of Qi is unwilling to send troops to help, and even unwilling to meet with our Yan envoy."

"Impossible!" King Xi of Yan shouted sternly, his tone full of disbelief. "Although Qi and Yan have old grudges, do you not understand the principle of 'if the lips are gone, the teeth will be cold'? Qin has destroyed Han, Zhao, Wei, and Chu, and next will be Yan. After Yan is destroyed, how can Qi remain unscathed? How dare he not send troops!"

The general gave a bitter smile, slowly raised his head, his eyes filled with helplessness: "Your Majesty, how could the King of Qi not understand this principle? It's just that Qin is now powerful, and no one in the world can stop it. Qi has always been subordinate to Qin, so how dare we offend the wolfish Qin for the sake of Yan? Moreover, back then, Yan allied with other states to attack Qi, captured its capital, and killed its royal family. The King of Qi has never forgotten this grudge. Now that Yan is in trouble, they have already done more than enough by not kicking us when we're down. How could they possibly send troops to help us?"

These words were like a bucket of ice water, dousing Yan Wangxi from head to toe.

He staggered back to his throne, his body swaying slightly, the color draining from his face, leaving only a deathly pale complexion.

He recalled the grandeur of Yan's conquest of Qi and the lamentations of Qi's royal family. Now, retribution had come in kind, and the grudges of the past had become his death warrant.

The hall fell into a deathly silence, with only the crackling of burning charcoal and the howling wind outside the window sounding particularly jarring.

King Xi of Yan stared blankly at the snow falling outside the palace, his heart filled with despair.

With no hope of reinforcements and a vast disparity in troop strength, Li Xin's army was on its way. The ancestral state he longed for and the imperial throne he coveted were destined to vanish like a bubble.

He raised his hand to touch his crown, his fingertips icy cold. This crown, which symbolized the monarch of the Yan Kingdom, now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds.

He was unwilling to accept the destruction of the Yan Kingdom and to become its last ruler, but he was powerless and could only wait for fate to decide his fate in the harsh Liaodong region.

The night was colder than during the day.

Even with more charcoal stoves placed in his bedchamber, the chill in his heart could not be dispelled.

After learning during the day that there was no hope of reinforcements, he pondered for an entire day, but unfortunately, he could not find any way to save the country.

King Xi of Yan was not a man skilled in strategy; otherwise, he would not have been outmaneuvered by Lord Changping and lured into a trap by Tian Guang, ultimately leading to the assassination attempt on the King of Qin by the Yan state.

Even now, he doesn't think there's anything wrong with assassinating the Qin emperor.

It's just that I was unlucky and failed to succeed.

Naturally, the fact that Yan Dan died before his assassination attempt on the King of Yan also greatly angered King Xi.

It was all Yan Dan who deceived him, making him believe that Yan Dan was capable of great things. If he had known earlier that Yan Dan was such a useless person, he would never have entrusted the assassination of Qin to Yan Dan, nor would he have hastily embarked on the plan after Yan Dan's death in order to complete it.

It can be said that the main reason for the failure of the assassination attempt on the King of Qin was Yan Dan.

People always find excuses for their mistakes, and without a doubt, in Yan Wangxi's mind, Yan Dan, who had long since died, was the scapegoat.

Splash!

A cold wind blew by, howling loudly; tonight's wind was not only cold, but also quite strong.

Just then, the window, which had been tightly closed, was blown open.

As the window was blown open, the cold wind from outside rushed in, carrying snowflakes that pelted the walls with a soft, rustling sound.

Because the country was about to perish, King Xi of Yan did not sleep. After feeling the bone-chilling cold, he glanced at the window that had been blown open and was about to call someone to close it. However, at this moment, he thought for a moment and decided to go and close the window himself.

However, before he could even reach the window, the surroundings suddenly became deathly silent.

The howling wind seemed to be cut off instantly, and the crackling of the burning charcoal, the sound of wind and snow outside the window, and the footsteps of the night watchmen in the distance all disappeared without a trace.

Yan Wangxi's heart clenched suddenly, and a chill shot from the soles of his feet straight to the top of his head, even more intense than the cold wind outside the window.

He turned his head stiffly, his gaze sweeping across the palace. He was shocked to find that the eunuchs and servants who had been standing on both sides were all still in their original positions, motionless, their eyes wide open but without any expression, as if they had been frozen in place. He couldn't even detect their breathing. The entire palace, along with the heavens and earth, was plunged into an eerie silence.

"Who?!"

Yan Wangxi's throat tightened, his voice became hoarse, his hands unconsciously clenched his robes, and he involuntarily took two steps back, his eyes filled with terror.

He could clearly feel a powerful aura enveloping the entire palace. The aura was cold and sinister, carrying a chilling killing intent that made the hairs on his body stand on end.

Just then, a cold and indifferent voice, as if from the deepest hell, quietly rang in his ears. It was calm and undisturbed, yet carried a sense of oppression that struck straight to the heart: "King Xi of Yan, your country is destroyed and your family is ruined. What is the meaning of living like this?"

Upon hearing this, the Prince of Yan was startled and trembled violently as if struck by lightning. He immediately looked in the direction of the sound.

From the shadows beside the window, a young man slowly emerged. He was tall and straight, dressed in a dark outfit, surrounded by a faint black aura. His face was handsome, yet it carried a hint of aloofness and coldness. His eyes were as black as ink, devoid of any warmth, as if he were looking at an insignificant, inanimate object.

The young man's face seemed vaguely familiar to Prince Yan, as if he had seen him somewhere before. However, his mind was in turmoil, filled with fear, and he had no time to think about it carefully.

He suppressed the panic in his heart and asked in a trembling voice, "Who...who are you? How dare you trespass into my palace? Aren't you afraid of death?!"

Upon hearing this, the young man's lips curled into a cold smile. He slowly stepped forward, and with each step, a thin layer of white frost seemed to condense on the ground, his killing intent growing ever stronger.

He spoke calmly, his words piercing Yan Wangxi like icy blades: "Have you even forgotten me? I killed your brother Yan Chunjun and your son Yan Dan."

"It's you!"

One sentence immediately stirred up many memories for Prince Xi of Yan.

He had never actually met Xu Qing in person, but at the height of Yan's power, Xu Qing was undoubtedly Yan's most wanted criminal.

Not to mention that he killed Yan Chunjun back then, Yan Dan was also killed by Xu Qing when he broke into the mansion.

Upon realizing this, Prince Yan was immediately filled with shock and anger, and looked at Xu Qing with resentment.

If Xu Qing hadn't killed Yan Dan, none of the subsequent events would have occurred.

"Help! Help!"

The Prince of Yan immediately shouted angrily, wanting to summon his guards.

However, after calling for most of the day, no one came.

Xu Qing looked at Prince Yan Xi calmly and said, "Stop shouting, no one will come to save you!"

Prince Yan Xi was also aware of this. His body trembled slightly, and he couldn't help but ask Xu Qing, "What do you want to do?"

Upon hearing this question, Xu Qing's lips curled into a strange smile.

"Now that the Qin army is pressing in, the Yan state is on the verge of destruction. As the King of Yan, you are powerless to stop the collapse of your ancestral state. I have come here to help you and send you on your way, so that you will not have to witness the tragic end of the Yan state."

Chapter 362 Killing the King to Save the World, the Three Heroes of Smoke and Dust

The moment the words left his mouth, Prince Yan was struck dumb, as if his blood had frozen.

The fear on his face instantly overshadowed his resentment, and he did something that shocked Xu Qing: he knelt down on the cold ground and kowtowed directly to Xu Qing.

"Mr. Xu, I know I was wrong. I shouldn't have issued a warrant for your arrest, and I shouldn't have held a grudge against you. Please, spare me! Spare me!"

He spoke incoherently, his voice trembling with sobs, showing no semblance of a king: "If you spare my life, I will give you the entire treasury of Yan, gold, silver, jewels, silks, and the beauties of my palace—whatever you want, I will give you! I can even abdicate and be at your beck and call, just ask that you spare my life. I would be willing to serve you like a slave!"

No one expected that Prince Xi of Yan would be so spineless and give in so quickly.

Xu Qing's eyes showed a hint of surprise, but he quickly understood the reason.

King Xi of Yan was clearly not a man of backbone. If he had any backbone, he would not have fled to Liaodong to eke out a living. The Yan state should have been destroyed last time.

This person is selfish and self-serving. Seeing that death is imminent, he is willing to abandon all dignity in order to survive.

Xu Qing's expression returned to its coldness, and his voice was icy as well, "You know you're wrong? You don't know you're wrong, you just know you're about to die."

Upon hearing this, the King of Yan's expression changed drastically.

Xu Qing spoke again, his tone full of sarcasm: "The Yan Kingdom is about to perish, and its treasury is already empty. The so-called gold and silver treasures are nothing but illusions. Even if you gave them to me, what use would they be?"

King Yan was taken aback and quickly explained, "There's also the land in Liaodong, and the wealth I've secretly hidden. All of that is still there. As long as you spare me, it's all yours!"

"No need." Xu Qing waved his hand, his tone indifferent. "Even if I let you go today, you won't live for more than a few days. Do you think Li Xin's army will leave you a way out when they are at the gates of the city? Even if Li Xin spares you, Ying Zheng will never spare a king who has lost his country."

"Do you know King Fuchu of Chu? He was defeated and captured, and obediently went to Xianyang, thinking he could survive. But in the end, didn't he die a violent and inexplicable death? How much better are you than him? You're just prolonging your life for a few more days. Why struggle like this?"

He never mentioned the death of King Fuchu of Chu, which was something he did secretly.

Upon hearing this devastating news, Prince Xi of Yan froze, his hope completely swallowed by despair.

"King Fu Chu of Chu is also dead?"

He had heard that King Fuchu of Chu had been taken to Xianyang, and he still held a sliver of hope that Ying Zheng might spare the lives of the kings of other states. But now that he heard that King Fuchu had also died tragically, that last glimmer of hope was completely crushed.

He collapsed to the ground, trembling uncontrollably. His face was deathly pale, and his lips quivered, but he could no longer utter a word of pleading.

Yes, the State of Chu was several times stronger than the State of Yan, yet even the King of Chu could not escape death, let alone this King of Yan who was barely clinging to life.

Xu Qing was right; he had no way out.

Even so, the instinct for survival made him raise his head, his eyes unfocused as he looked at Xu Qing, his voice as weak as a mosquito's buzz: "Please...please, give me another chance, I...I don't want to die..."

Looking at his cowardly and self-destructive appearance, Xu Qing's contempt deepened, and his patience completely ran out.

Without further ado, he flipped his right hand, and the fully forged King-Slaying Sword suddenly appeared in his grasp. Without giving Prince Yan any time to react, the sword flashed and, without any obstruction, pierced directly through Prince Yan's chest.

Yan Wangxi's eyes widened, his face filled with disbelief. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but could only let out a hoarse, leaking sound. His body slowly fell backward, the light in his eyes gradually fading, until he finally lost all life.

Just as Yan Wangxi breathed his last, the King-Slaying Sword suddenly unleashed a strange power, with a strong suction force emanating from the sword.

The blood in Yan Wangxi's body, as if drawn by an invisible force, flowed slowly along the sword, and was completely devoured by the sword that killed the king, leaving not a single drop behind.

At the same time, a faint soul floated out from the corpse of Prince Yan Xi, filled with endless fear and resentment, but it was unable to break free from the suction of the King-Slaying Sword. It was pulled towards the sword little by little and eventually merged into the sword.

After devouring the blood and soul of Yan Wangxi, the King-Slaying Sword's murderous aura grew even stronger and more agile.

Xu Qing gripped the sword hilt, feeling the power emanating from the blade, and a satisfied smile appeared on his lips.

Then he glanced down at the corpse on the ground, his expression calm and unwavering, as if he had only killed an ant.

After doing all this, Xu Qing turned and walked to the window. The wind and snow outside were still howling, and the cold wind, carrying snowflakes, hit his face, but it could not shake him in the slightest.

He leaped into the air, his figure disappearing into the swirling snow, leaving behind only a desolate palace and the eunuchs and servants still frozen in their postures, telling the story of what had just happened.

……

Not long after Xu Qing left, the desolate world came back to life, and naturally, the death of Prince Yan Xi was soon discovered, causing a sensation.