Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

He forced himself to suppress the turmoil in his heart, and pretended to look up blankly. The deep wrinkles on his face trembled with his expression, and his hoarse and indistinct voice was like the friction of rusty old iron.

"This... this distinguished guest, what are you saying? Li Kai? I... don't recognize him..."

"Of course I'm talking about you! Or is it me?" Xu Qing's gaze was scorching, fixed on him, leaving no room for evasion.

Immediately, Xu Qing's lips curled into a playful smile, "But if it really is me, it doesn't matter. I can go and settle the blood debt with Liu Yi and take back the beauty..." He changed his tone, his tone becoming mockingly malicious, "and I can also get a daughter for free. Heh, this deal seems pretty worthwhile no matter how you look at it."

Another name came to Li Kai's ears.

"Liu Yi!"

If what Madam Hu felt in her heart was a deep, boundless love and endless affection, then the moment Liu Yi's name entered her ears, all that remained was a surging, boiling, bone-deep hatred.

On the battlefield of Baiyue back then... he and Liu Yi were both leading generals and were ordered to rush to the aid.

While passing by Huoyu Mountain Villa, he met the stunningly beautiful Ms. Hu, and the two fell in love and secretly pledged their lives to each other.

However, with the flames of war raging at the front, he had no choice but to prioritize the affairs of the state and leave with deep resentment. Unexpectedly, Liu Yi's reinforcements, which were supposed to arrive as scheduled, did not come. He was surrounded and fought a bloody battle. Although he survived by chance, he was covered in wounds, his face was contorted, and his life hung by a thread.

When he dragged his crippled body back to Fire Rain Manor after overcoming numerous hardships, he saw that the once prosperous manor had long since turned into a charred ruin.

He wandered the world, enduring hardship and suffering.

Upon finally returning to South Korea, the cruel truth pierced his heart like a sharp blade.

Her beloved had already given herself to Liu Yi, her former comrade-in-arms, and become the wife of her enemy.

Li Kai, who once served as the Right Sima of Han, was certainly not a fool. After investigation, he discovered that Liu Yi was the biggest culprit behind his downfall. Otherwise, it would be impossible to explain why his reinforcements did not arrive. After the destruction of Huoyu Manor, Liu Yi became the biggest beneficiary.

He had also considered taking revenge on Liu Yi.

But in the end, they gave up.

The more they investigated in secret, the more they discovered that the events of that year were far more complex than they had imagined.

Behind Liu Yi were Ji Wuye and Blood-Clad Marquis Bai Yifei.

These people would never go against Liu Yi for the sake of a half-crippled person like themselves.

That hatred could only be buried deep in the bones, gnawing day and night in solitude, growing ever hotter and heavier...

But Xu Qing's subsequent words struck him like a second thunderbolt, leaving him utterly shaken.

"Daughter? Daughter?" Li Kai looked up abruptly, his cloudy old eyes flashing with disbelief. "You're saying I have a daughter?"

His voice trembled violently.

In this mortal world, the pleasures of men and women, even those unplanned and clandestine encounters, are not uncommon. He and Madam Hu had long since fallen in love and pledged their lives to each other. If it weren't for the swift passage of war, they would have been a lawfully wedded couple long ago. Therefore, their many encounters were quite ordinary.

But... his daughter? He knew nothing about her.

"Your daughter?" Xu Qing glanced at him sideways, his playful expression deepening. "Oh? Didn't you say you didn't recognize Li Kai? If she's not Li Kai, then how come you have a daughter?"

Li Kai froze instantly; the boomerang had finally landed on him.

Feeling Xu Qing's gaze.

He suddenly realized that his pretense was in vain.

He took a deep breath, finally resigned himself to his fate, lowered his head, and then slowly raised it again. His voice was dry but carried a clear sense of desperation.

"You're right, I am Li Kai, the former Right Sima of the State of Han!"

"Tsk, why not just admit it sooner? Why waste your breath?" Xu Qing clicked his tongue lightly, slightly impatient.

Li opened his mouth, instinctively wanting to call him "guest" again, but the words caught in his throat, and he changed his mind, his tone filled with a humble eagerness.

"Sir, regarding the daughter you just mentioned... I humbly request your clarification!" Even though he looked as withered as a ghost, he bowed deeply to Xu Qing with utmost respect, as if the other was his only salvation.

"Your daughter?" Xu Qing's eyes held a hint of cold pity, yet also a mocking glint in them. "She's now the top courtesan at Zi Lan Xuan, quite famous indeed."

Li Kai was struck hard and swayed.

Zilan Pavilion, the most famous brothel in Xinzheng? The top courtesan? That...that means...

He almost lost his balance, his scarred and weathered old face contorted instantly, bloodshot eyes welling up, and a surge of rage mixed with shame and unspeakable pain erupted suddenly.

"Absurd! Absurd! What kind of behavior is this?!"

"Discretion?" Xu Qing scoffed, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world. "What's it worth? Can it feed you or save your life? It's the greatest misfortune for her to have parents like you. When she was born, her father was nowhere to be found, and her mother was still alive, but she only dared to give birth to her secretly and then heartlessly abandoned her in the wilderness..." He paused, his tone becoming increasingly sharp and sarcastic, "If it weren't for the kindness of the owner of Zilan Pavilion, who took in that abandoned baby and raised her, the grass on her grave would probably be taller than you."

Li Kairu was drained of all her strength and stood there blankly, speechless.

Xu Qing's words were like countless needles, piercing his heart. That past, which he had deliberately avoided and dared not delve into, was laid bare, and every word turned into a heavy whip, striking at his past cowardice and present pain.

After a long while, he seemed to regain some strength, his chapped lips moved, and he bowed once more to the mysterious figure before him who seemed to know everything.

“Sir, you have shown me great kindness by revealing such inside information. I, Li Kai, am deeply grateful. However, if I may be so bold as to ask, why did you tell me all this?” His voice was hoarse, filled with humble doubt and confusion.

Xu Qing's gaze swept over the theater, which was now somewhat deserted after the show.

"It was just a coincidence that I bumped into you here, and I also happened to know some old stories. Seeing how you were hiding, I just got on a whim."

His explanation was as casual as if he were talking about the weather, yet that casualness carried an undeniable authority.

The tone of the conversation immediately shifted, and the gaze fell on Li Kai, becoming like a tangible shackle.

"However, everything in this world has a cause and effect. Now that you know so much... as a price, you must do something for me."

"What is it?" Li Kai's heart clenched, a strong sense of unease rising within him.

Xu Qing stared into his weathered eyes, speaking each word with unwavering resolve.

"Leave Xinzheng, leave South Korea."

Chapter 58 Korea's Most Affectionate Person

Xu Qing's request was like a boulder thrown into stagnant water, stirring up a storm in Li Kai's heart.

Li Kai suddenly looked up, his once-sharp but now cloudy eyes filled with disbelief, astonishment, and deep confusion.

"Sir, why..."

His hoarse voice trembled almost imperceptibly, as if every word was a ripple of past wounds, "Why must I leave South Korea? I'm just a broken body, barely clinging to life, all I want, all I want is to watch them live in peace from afar..."

Xu Qing's gaze was as sharp as a hawk's, as if it had already seen through the humble thoughts in his heart.

Do you really think that by changing your appearance, no one will recognize you?

His voice wasn't loud, but every word was like an icicle, piercing Li Kai's last remaining hope.

Li Kai remained silent; he truly believed that.

After all, even he himself couldn't accept his current state of disgrace. However, he then thought of Xu Qing's revelation of his identity today. If Xu Qing could recognize him, who knew there wouldn't be a second person? Liu Yi's henchmen, the shadows of the night, even the enemies of Baiyue from back then... the waters of Xinzheng run deeper than he imagined.

But that's not the key point.

What truly chilled Li Kai to the bone was Xu Qing's unquestionable demand—to leave South Korea.

Revealing the truth could be explained as a spur-of-the-moment decision, but this expulsion order exudes an unquestionable resolve, as if Li Kai's very existence is a plague.

Xu Qing clearly saw the resistance and confusion in his eyes. He leaned forward slightly, lowered his voice, and spoke with an almost cruel calmness.

"What do you think you can protect by staying? No, Li Kai, your staying in Xinzheng will not only be of no use, but will be the biggest burden, a potential disaster that could explode at any moment. This disaster will not only devour you, but will also engulf everyone connected to you..."

"The one in Zilan Pavilion is someone I care about."

Xu Qing gave an answer that Li Kai could barely accept.

"Just as you have a treasure you would fight to protect, I also have a taboo I will never allow anyone to touch. I don't want her to be involved in any trouble. But your very existence is a hidden danger, and because you are her father, even if you are an incompetent father, I can't kill you."

Therefore, the only option is for you to leave South Korea.

"As long as you leave this place, leave the eye of the storm, your identity will not be revealed, and no one will dig up the old stories. Naturally, she won't be implicated!"

Xu Qing deliberately put on an act of genuine emotion, and at this moment, he had transformed into the most affectionate person in South Korea.

Upon hearing these words, Li Kai felt a strange sensation arise in his heart.

According to Xu Qing, his daughter is currently at Zi Lan Xuan, and is... the top courtesan there.

In other words, the person in front of him is his daughter's... admirer?

Thinking of this.

Li Kai, adopting the demeanor of a "father-in-law," couldn't help but scrutinize Xu Qing's appearance.

He subconsciously began to scrutinize Xu Qing again with an almost scrutinizing gaze.

The boy was only seventeen or eighteen years old, in the prime of his life, with a handsome face, a transcendent air between his brows, and an extraordinary temperament.

I hadn't noticed it before, but now that I look closely, he is indeed exceptionally handsome, and I can still vaguely see some of my former charm... But as soon as this thought arose, I thought of my current prestige.

The dashing and debonair Right Sima will ultimately only live on in the dust of the past.

At the same time, the harsh reality overwhelmed it like a cold tide.

Liu Yi!

That enemy who framed him, stole his wife, and destroyed everything he had!

Now holding a high position of power and with henchmen everywhere, if he knew he was still alive, he would stop at nothing to silence him in order to cover up his heinous crimes from back then.

At that time, not only himself, but also his daughter and Madam Hu will surely suffer a devastating disaster.

If you cannot protect it, then do not involve it further...

A bitter voice echoed in his heart, carrying a heavy sense of despair and relief.

His hunched body seemed even more bent, and his voice, though hoarse, carried a calm that seemed to have settled: "I understand. I promise you, I will leave South Korea."

He raised his head, a final flicker of pleading burning in his eyes. "But before I leave, sir, please grant me one request. I wish to see my daughter once, just once, and never let her know anything about me, never... acknowledge her."

That was a father's last and only obsession with his blood relatives.

"It's only human nature."

Xu Qing nodded and did not refuse.

……

As dawn breaks, a new day quietly arrives.

Undercurrents were stirring in Xinzheng City, and the Qianlong Hall's treasure exchange was about to begin, but this was irrelevant to the two people at this moment.

The morning dew was still fresh at the theater entrance.