Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Li Kai, dressed in rags and looking withered, had been waiting there for a long time, like a stone sculpture frozen in the shadows.

Xu Qing appeared at the street corner, walking with a composed gait.

"Let's go."

Without exchanging pleasantries, Xu Qing led Li Kai through the slightly chilly streets of the morning and headed straight for a clothing shop in the city.

Having agreed to let Li Kai see his daughter, Xu Qing wouldn't be perfunctory.

However, given Li Kai's current appearance, resembling that of a refugee, let alone stepping into the elegant room of Zilan Pavilion, he would likely be driven away by the guards even if he approached the magnificent gate.

Making a clean change of appearance was already a luxury; the scars all over his face and the withered, aged look brought on by overdrawing his life were the eternal marks left on him by the battlefield.

All Xu Qing could do was try her best to give him a "reasonable" disguise.

He chose a set of brocade robes commonly worn by merchants. Although the color was rich, it was inevitably gaudy. However, the material was of the highest quality. He also paired it with a small round hat of the same color, which could just cover part of the scar on his forehead. Finally, Xu Qing found a finely crafted half-face mask to cover the most hideous part of Li Kai's scar below his nose. The edge of the mask was engraved with simple cloud patterns, which made it look mysterious and noble.

"He barely... resembles a merchant who travels all over the country."

Xu Qing took a step back and scrutinized the transformed Li Kai.

The magnificent robes hung loosely on his emaciated body, and his eyes beneath the mask remained cloudy and aged. However, his deliberately straight back and the deliberate maintenance of his demeanor washed away some of the servant's lowliness and revealed a kind of deliberate "nobility," even though beneath this nobility lay an unspeakable sorrow and unnaturalness.

"Next, let's find a place to rest and recharge. Tonight, I'll take you to Zilan Pavilion." Xu Qing's voice brooked no argument.

Li Kai nodded blankly, like a puppet being pulled by invisible threads, he had no objection to Xu Qing's arrangements.

Strangely enough, after knowing each other for only two days, he felt little wariness towards this young man who knew all his weaknesses and vulnerabilities. It was as if all his struggles were futile and laughable in the other's eyes, and only obedience was the only protection for that distant bloodline.

Time has never seemed to slow down; every moment felt like being tortured on scalding sand.

The thought of finally seeing his long-lost, yet unrecognizable, biological child stirred up a stormy sea in Li Kai's withered heart.

Expectation, fear, guilt, ecstasy... all sorts of emotions intertwined and tore at him, almost cracking his broken body. He could only clench his cold fingers under his sleeves tightly, repeatedly telling himself: just one look, just one look!

As the sun dips westward and dusk settles in, the sun begins to set.

The hustle and bustle of Xinzheng did not subside; instead, it took on a different look as the lights came on.

The poor go to bed early, while for the powerful and wealthy in the city, the night is just beginning.

Before the Purple Orchid Pavilion, the lights were dazzling and carriages and horses filled the gate.

One after another, lavishly decorated carriages stopped in front of the gate, and well-dressed guests chatted and laughed as they entered this most famous den of iniquity and pleasure in Xinzheng. The faint sounds of silk and bamboo instruments drifted out, mingling with the sweet fragrance of cosmetics, weaving a captivating web.

Xu Qingyi changed into a more exquisite and appropriate dark brocade robe, which made his posture stand out and his temperament even more outstanding.

He glanced at Li Kai beside him, who looked slightly stiff but whose eyes were unusually intense behind his mask, and said in a low voice, "Let's go. Remember, you are a merchant who came to see the song and dance performance."

The two followed the flow of people and stepped into the brightly lit and fragrant entrance of Zilan Pavilion.

Chapter 59 A Game Within a Box, Subtext

Tonight, Zilan Pavilion is brightly lit and even more bustling than usual.

Besides those familiar faces and regular customers,

Han Fei also stepped into this beautiful land.

As the person Zi Nu and Wei Zhuang were betting on, his every move naturally attracted their attention.

When the other two guests arrived at Zilan Pavilion...

Zi Nu personally went to greet them and led them to Han Fei.

Although she is the owner of Zilan Pavilion, it doesn't mean that Zi Nu does everything herself. The guests who can get her to personally attend to them are all extraordinary.

Xu Qing back then possessed a unique aura that transcended worldly affairs, which made her unable to resist personally stepping forward to test the truth.

These two guests were distinguished by their high status.

Zhang Kaidi, the prime minister of South Korea, and his grandson Zhang Liang.

Han Fei had previously informed Zi Nu that a distinguished guest would be arriving tonight, and that she would be led directly to a private room.

But when Zi Nu actually saw Zhang Kaidi's stern and serious face appear at the entrance of Zi Lan Xuan, a hint of surprise still flashed in her eyes.

After all, this prime minister, known for his rigidity, would never set foot in such a place of pleasure.

After escorting the Zhang family to the door, Zi Nu did not linger but quietly withdrew, leaving that space to Han Fei and the others.

But a few ripples stirred within me.

That was a very quick move.

In the morning, at the Yi Bao Hui meeting, the riddle box was handed over to Han Fei. Unexpectedly, he solved it before nightfall and then had a secret talk with the Prime Minister in the Zi Lan Xuan.

The purpose is obvious.

"To use Zhang Kaidi's influence to gain access to the Korean court... that's quite a brilliant move."

"The premise is that he can really unravel the complex mystery of the ghost soldiers robbing wages and taking lives."

Zi Nu, however, remained somewhat certain about this.

After all, she had already given some pointers on the key points and mysteries involved.

We returned to the lively atmosphere of laughter and song on the first floor.

While the distinguished guests upstairs were certainly important, Zi Nu dared not slight these wealthy patrons downstairs who spent lavishly.

As soon as I stepped downstairs, two figures came into view.

After recognizing one of them, Zi Nu paused slightly.

Then, she smiled slightly and walked gracefully toward him.

"Mr. Xu changed into a fine outfit, and I almost didn't recognize him at first."

"How is it?" Xu Qing met her gaze with a frank smile, and casually straightened his brand-new clothes. "I specially went to pick out this outfit."

"The people who frequent Zilan Pavilion are all nobles. If I dress too coarsely, wouldn't it damage the reputation of this place?"

"Therefore, it's always good to have some brocade and fine clothes to decorate the storefront."

Zi Nu covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes sparkling: "Mr. Xu is too modest. Even without this brocade robe, you are still an honored guest of my Zi Lan Xuan."

"Miss Zi Nu's words always make people feel like they are bathed in a spring breeze."

Xu Qing exchanged a few pleasantries with her, then changed the subject slightly: "I have some business to discuss with this friend. Would you please find a quiet place for us?"

For the first time, Zi Nu's gaze truly fell on the figure following Xu Qing.

He was somewhat thin, yet wrapped in an overly opulent merchant's robe. His face was covered by a half-exquisite mask, making him appear ordinary. However, Zi Nu had been running Zi Lan Xuan for many years and possessed a keen eye. With just one glance, she sensed that this person was far more than he appeared.

He is definitely not a merchant.

Although he felt something was amiss, he remained outwardly calm.

We welcome guests from all directions; sometimes, we see through things but don't need to point them out.

"Please follow me, both of you."

Zi Nu turned around and gracefully led the two to a private room on the second floor.

As they walked, Xu Qing's gaze inadvertently swept over her swaying figure, lingering for a moment.

All I can say is that she's quite easy to give birth to.

I wonder how old Zi Nu is.

Just as Xu Qing was lost in thought...

Zi Nu had already led the two of them to a private room and settled them in.

"Would you like some wine to ease your boredom? Or perhaps... a beautiful woman to keep you company and help you talk?" Zi Nu asked with a smile, as usual.

"If Miss Nongyu has some free time, please ask her to play a tune on the zither." Xu Qing said almost without hesitation.

Zi Nu's eyes flickered slightly, carrying a hint of a half-smile: "You certainly know how to pick people... but getting Nong Yu to play a tune comes at a price."

Xu Qing feigned a sigh, "Miss Zi Nu, I thought we were friends!"

Zi Nu's smile remained unchanged as she tactfully said, "Friendship is friendship, and business is business."

Xu Qing remained silent for a moment, and just when Zi Nu thought he was about to change his mind, he suddenly laughed.

"It's alright, it's Nongyu."

His tone was relaxed and confident. As he spoke, he flipped his hand, and a heavy gold ingot was placed on the table in front of him with a "snap," its light shimmering.

Is that enough?

Zi Nu looked at the gold ingot, a hint of genuine surprise flashing in her eyes, before her smile deepened: "It seems I really underestimated Mr. Xu; he is a wealthy man who keeps his abilities hidden."

The familiar intimacy in his words was different from the standard smile he had shown when entertaining guests earlier.

Xu Qing is Wei Zhuang's friend and knows their secret purpose, and even gave Wei Zhuang a sword.

This relationship has long transcended that of ordinary host and guest.

"What a coincidence, Nongyu is free right now." Zi Nu smiled, her slender fingers deftly tucking the gold ingot into her sleeve, as naturally as a butterfly resting on a flower.

Free money is free money, so why not take it?

Anyway, she's someone who refuses to suffer a loss.

Before long, the beaded curtain rustled softly, and a delicate fragrance wafted over.

A gentle and quiet young woman, carrying a guqin, entered the private room with light steps, like a lady stepping out of a painting.

She bowed slightly, her voice as clear as a spring flowing over stones: "Nongyu greets the two gentlemen."

As soon as he finished speaking, Li Kai, who had been sitting silently beside Xu Qing wearing a mask, suddenly stiffened. His cloudy eyes were fixed on Nongyu's face, as if he wanted to etch the charm of her features into his eyes. His breath even froze for a moment.

That familiar silhouette almost... overlapped with the gentle and charming girl deep in my memory.

The dazed wave instantly overwhelmed him.

Immediately afterwards, his gaze was drawn to Nongyu's waist as if by a magnet.

A magnificent fire agate, as beautiful as the glow of sunset, hangs there quietly, shimmering with light.

Those were raw stones he obtained in the Baiyue region years ago, which he entrusted to Huoyu Manor for careful carving, becoming two unique tokens of love.

Xu Qing noticed Li Kai's unusual behavior beside him and spoke up, gently saying to Nongyu, "I have long heard that Miss Nongyu's zither skills are unparalleled in Zilan Pavilion. It is truly an honor for both of us to hear her divine music today."