Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Suddenly, he remembered a line from a game he played in his previous life.

"A sword is made of ordinary iron, but it gains a spirit through wielding it!"

Whether it's a famous sword or a legendary sword, it may not need to be made of the best materials. Even the most ordinary swords can develop a spirit and be passed down to future generations as long as they fall into the hands of the right person.

"This is the essence of harmony between people!"

Xu Qing understood more and more.

To forge a fourth-order sword, one must satisfy one of the three elements of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Xu Qing had forged swords with Man as the primary element before, but today, he had gained a completely new understanding of this.

Having understood everything, Xu Qing composed himself and embarked on his travels once again.

He continued to follow the sword energy between heaven and earth, stopping and starting along the way, looking at the mountains and rivers, searching for famous swords, and witnessing the peace and prosperity of the world after unification.

Several days later, Xu Qing arrived at a bustling city. This city had once belonged to the State of Wei, and even after unification, it remained a prosperous place with merchants gathering there.

By chance, he was invited by a local wealthy businessman to a banquet at his residence.

The wealthy merchant, having heard that Xu Qing was knowledgeable and familiar with many ancient artifacts and stories, wanted to invite him to appraise some of the antiques in his collection.

Xu Qing had no intention of socializing, but when he heard the wealthy merchant mention that he owned an ancient sword, his heart stirred and he accepted the invitation.

Upon arriving at the wealthy merchant's residence, the merchant led him to the study and carefully took out a sword from a sandalwood sword box. The moment the sword was revealed, Xu Qing's gaze immediately sharpened.

The sword was pure white, neither jade nor iron, its blade as thin as paper, yet it exuded a gentle yet sharp aura. Even indoors, it shimmered with a faint glow. The scabbard was engraved with intricate cloud patterns, simple yet elegant.

"I've heard that you are an expert in appraising swords, and that you've critiqued countless famous swords along the way," the wealthy merchant said to Xu Qing in a deep voice.

"I wonder, what is this sword like?"

In the past, those who knew of Xu Qing's existence were all important figures. Ordinary people, however, had never had any dealings with him.

During his travels around the world, few people recognized Xu Qing.

However, through his experience in appraising swords, he earned the reputation of a "sword appraiser," which is why he was invited by wealthy merchants after arriving in town.

Xu Qing didn't speak, but simply reached out and placed his fingers on the sword.

He soon learned the name of the sword.

The lowest grade of Kong Zhou's Three Swords is "Xiao Lian"!

The Luo Wang had sent people to search for Kong Zhou's three swords, but they never expected that one of them would be here.

Chapter 385 Every sword tells a story!

Long ago, a man named Kong Zhou possessed three swords: the superior one, Han Guang; the middle one, Cheng Ying; and the inferior one, Xiao Lian. Han Guang's blade was always invisible, an invisible blade that could penetrate any space, extremely mysterious. Cheng Ying, the middle one, was also an invisible sword, but it could reveal its blade at certain times. As for the inferior Xiao Lian, it was not as powerful as the other two; its blade would only temporarily become invisible at specific times.

Even so, the old Net still relentlessly pursued these three swords.

The reason is simply that the invisible sword is of immense help to the assassin.

Assassination is all about missing the mark and then escaping a great distance.

To seize that opportunity, they need to make numerous preparations while also being wary of others' defenses.

The invisible sword, because its blade is not visible, naturally lowers people's guard.

Seeing Xu Qing's focused gaze, the wealthy merchant's face showed a hint of pride, but he didn't say much. He simply stood quietly to the side, his eyes fixed on Xu Qing and the ancient sword, his expression full of anticipation, silently waiting for Xu Qing to finish his appraisal.

Xu Qing did not respond, his hand still resting on the Xiaolian Sword. At the same time, he activated the abilities of a fourth-level swordsmith, focusing his attention on the past of this famous sword.

In an instant, countless distant images flooded into my mind, longer and more profound than the history of the broken blade before.

He witnessed the birth of the Xiaolian Sword, forged by a master swordsmith of ancient times. Although the sword-making techniques of that era were not as sophisticated as they are today, the ancient times were rich in spiritual energy and had many powerful individuals, so the swords forged were extraordinary.

This sword underwent countless forgings and took several years to complete.

On the day the sword was forged, a faint glow appeared between heaven and earth. Although it lacked the mysterious ability of Han Guang to become invisible at any time and place, and the agility of Cheng Ying to appear at will, it still possessed its own extraordinary qualities. Only at specific moments, at the break of dawn and the twilight of dusk, would the sword's blade become invisible, its light concealed, harming people invisibly.

He also witnessed the entire process of the Xiaolian Sword falling into the hands of Kong Zhou's ancestors. By chance, Kong Zhou's ancestors successively obtained the three swords Hanguang, Chengying, and Xiaolian, which they carefully collected and regarded as treasures.

Later, during the time of Kong Zhou, who was renowned for his chivalry, these three swords became famous because of his reputation.

Wei Heiluan killed Qiu Bingzhang. Qiu Bingzhang's son, Lai Dan, sought a sword from Kong Zhou to avenge his father. His sincerity moved Kong Zhou, who then lent him the sword. However, Lai Dan wielded the sword and struck Wei Heiluan three times, but could not harm him in the slightest.

He only said that these three swords were not swords for killing.

This event was later recorded by Liezi and included in "Tang Wen".

However, these three swords are not truly swords that cannot kill, otherwise they would not have been pursued by the Net.

In the "memories" of Xiao Lianjian that Xu Qing saw, this sword had been stained with blood and had killed people.

The records in Liezi are clearly artistically embellished.

The three swords mentioned by Liezi are merely used to illustrate three realms. The three swords are just a vehicle for a story; whether they are true or not is another matter.

Xu Qing continued to read the history recorded on the sword.

Although Kong Zhou classified the Xiaolian Sword as a low-grade weapon, it was by no means an ordinary weapon. Since Kong Zhou, it has passed through the hands of countless sword masters, including hermits, generals who fought on the battlefield, wandering knights, and even assassins who acted in secret. Every sword master has used its sharpness to write their own story.

It has witnessed the conflicts of ancient times, the rise and fall of feudal lords, and the vicissitudes and peace of chaotic times. Time has left faint marks on it, but it has never diminished its sharpness and spirituality.

Xu Qing slowly pulled himself out of his thoughts, a hint of emotion rising in his eyes. He gently stroked the sword with his fingertips, a sense of regret suddenly welling up in his heart.

Upon careful recollection, he realized that he had indeed come into contact with other swords among the three swords of Kong Zhou, including the superior-grade Han Guang Sword, which was now in the hands of the Confucian scholar Yan Lu.

When he visited the Confucian school in the past, he had not yet reached the level of a fourth-tier swordsmith. Even if he saw the Han Guang Sword, he could not activate his ability to explore its historical traces, nor could he appreciate the mystery of this invisible blade. He could only watch from afar and could not borrow the sword to see it, which became a regret.

However, if the opportunity arises now, I might as well go and borrow the sword to take a look.

Pulling himself back to reality, Xu Qing had no intention of keeping the sword for himself. Instead, he looked at the expectant merchant and said, "This sword is called Xiaolian. It is a famous ancient sword. It is recorded in the 'Liezi - Tangwen'. I don't know if you have heard of it. If you haven't, you can look it up in the book."

"The sword is a fine sword, but if there's no need for it, it's best to keep it safe. After all, a common man is innocent, but possessing a treasure is a crime. Although the world is unified today, there are still many evildoers. If someone knows you've hidden such a sword, they might do something wicked..."

Perhaps because he had learned a lot from practicing swordsmanship at night, Xu Qing naturally spoke politely to the wealthy merchant.

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, the wealthy businessman was taken aback at first, then quickly said to Xu Qing, "Thank you for informing me, Mr. Xu!"

I didn't stay there for long.

After leaving the town, Xu Qing continued on his way.

This is a world of swords. Hundreds of years ago, the famous swords of Wu and Yue were unparalleled in the world. The names of many swordsmiths, such as Ou Yezi, Gan Jiang, Mo Xie, and Xue Zhu, were extremely well-known. They forged countless famous swords.

Going back further, the swordsmiths of ancient times were equally formidable.

For example, the three swords of Kong Zhou first appeared during the Yin-Shang period and were held by the Shang king, so they were also known as the three swords of the Yin emperor.

This isn't even the earliest one.

Please note that this is a world of anime.

The earliest swords can be traced back to the time of Chi You.

The Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden descended to earth and forged the Chi You Sword for Chi You using meteorites from outer space.

Although this is content from the theatrical version, Xu Qing has comprehended the Yellow Stone Book and even managed to unlock the secret of the Illusionary Sound Box through certain means, so he is quite certain that the Nine Heavens Mystic Maiden really exists in this world.

In other words, such a sword might actually exist in Loulan.

Even knowing of the sword's existence, Xu Qing had no intention of going to Loulan to search for it.

According to the plot of the theatrical version, some beings are simply too overpowered.

Leaving aside the Chi You Sword, just consider the Demon God of War and the Dragon Soul. With a wave of their hands, they destroyed the city of Loulan. This destructive power far surpasses that of the mechanical beasts of the Mohist and Gongshu families.

Therefore, Xu Qing did not intend to join the fun until he was certain of his success.

Although he didn't plan to go to Loulan, Xu Qing's footsteps never stopped in the Central Plains.

Over time, countless swords that were once recorded in history have fallen into disrepair.

Practicing swordsmanship at night is just the beginning.

In the years that followed, Xu Qing found several more swords that had been recorded in history.

For example, the "Qinglu Sword" can be traced back to the "Battle of Muye". After the Battle of Muye, King Wu of Zhou "struck him with the Qinglu Sword and beheaded him with the Yellow Yue Sword", using this sword to dispose of the body of King Zhou.

It can be said that this is also a sword with a long history.

However, a long history does not necessarily mean that this sword is powerful.

Like the broken blade that Xu Qing initially sought, it too had become dilapidated and broken over time.

Xu Qing did not find the sword in anyone's possession, but rather unearthed it from a pile of ruins.

This sword had been buried underground for countless years. The entire sword was already broken and dilapidated, just like the original broken blade. Only a trace of sword energy remained.

If Xu Qing hadn't unearthed it, the sword would probably have been completely lost in a few more years.

The saying "A person may die, but a sword cannot perish" is essentially a joke.

Swords are not eternal and indestructible, so how could they be imperishable?

"By digging you out, I've given you some new meaning to your existence."

Xu Qing looked at the tattered Qinglu sword in his hand and spoke softly.

They found a small mound.

Xu Qing comprehended the sword's power.

A thousand years of history passed by in an instant.

When he opened his eyes, a sense of vicissitude suddenly appeared in them.

"Another enlightenment!"

Xu Qing felt a surge of emotion.

Every ancient sword has a very complicated story behind it.

Because history has turned the page, these stories have also faded into obscurity along with the ancient sword. Some were recorded in books and writings, while others were completely annihilated and disappeared.

However, Xu Qing, with his unique abilities, has now unearthed these ancient stories from these ancient swords.

"Perhaps I could try writing a book!"

Xu Qing's eyes flickered.

Travel ten thousand miles and write ten thousand books.

Now that he had witnessed those stories, he didn't mind recording them.