Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Xu Qing stood before the mountain gate, gazing calmly at this sacred Confucian site, and couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

This kind of neutrality and seclusion may seem peaceful and carefree, but it actually harbors hidden dangers.

When Ying Zheng unified the world, what he feared most was this impartial and indifferent attitude. He should have either openly opposed Qin, so that even if he was suppressed, he would still have some integrity; or he should have readily submitted to Qin and served the Qin, so that he could preserve his clan and cultural heritage.

Only the Confucianists, seemingly detached from the matter, were actually escaping it. They neither resisted nor submitted, which displeased the First Emperor who unified the six kingdoms the most. In the long run, they inevitably brought trouble upon themselves.

Xu Qing came here not only to settle old scores from years ago, but more importantly, he intended to take this opportunity to offer some advice to the Confucianists and point out the hidden dangers behind their neutrality.

Of course, the most important thing is to first enter the Confucian school.

Although he was in his true form at this moment, completely different from his appearance when he hid under Hou Shengmen, after a moment's consideration, he decided to visit under the name of "Mr. Qing". He had interacted with the Confucianists under the name of Mr. Qing in the past. By visiting under this name, he could not only meet the Confucianists smoothly, but also save a lot of unnecessary trouble.

When Xu Qing arrived at the gate of the Confucian temple, a Confucian scholar stationed there immediately stepped forward and asked him questions.

"Where do you come from, sir?"

Xu Qing remained calm and spoke in a nonchalant tone: "My name is Qing. I have come from Xianyang to pay a visit to the leaders of the Confucian school. Please inform them of my arrival."

Upon hearing this, the scholar in front of Xu Qing was taken aback for a moment, but then dared not delay. Although Xu Qing did not say much, his arrival from Xianyang was enough to make him take the matter seriously.

He quickly said to Xu Qing, "Please wait a moment, sir. I will go and inform the head of the household."

He did not say who was in charge.

Chapter 389 Xu Qing's Admonition

Xu Qing did not wait long in front of the Confucian mountain gate.

Before long, a figure dressed in a plain Confucian robe with a gentle face hurried over. It was Yan Lu, the second-in-command of the Confucian school.

Upon seeing Xu Qing, he stopped in his tracks and then looked her up and down.

Upon hearing the message from his disciple that someone had come to pay a visit and identified himself as "Qing," Yan Lu immediately thought of "Master Qing," who had once visited the Confucian school. In the past, Master Qing had visited the farmer's home twice. The first time, he gave the Confucian school four swords.

Uncle Xun's Washing Ink Kun Blade, Senior Brother Fu Nian's Azure Blood Long Wind, the One-Piercing Sword in his hand, and the Sword that Destroys Mortals and Transcends Saints were all passed on to his junior brother Zhang Liang, who later joined the sect.

Today, these four swords have become renowned within Confucianism, and together with the Tai'a sword, which was already present in Confucianism, they are known as the Five Great Swords of Confucianism.

The second time, he brought another person who Yan Lu cared about, namely "Jing Ni", to the Confucian school, thus settling a matter on his mind.

However, Yan Lu was still somewhat disappointed when he saw what the person looked like.

'It seems it's not Mr. Qing!'

As for the name, it's probably just a coincidence.

However, Yan Lu quickly composed himself and went to greet Xu Qing, asking, "Sir, have you come from Xianyang?"

If it came from elsewhere, it wouldn't be worth the Confucian scholars' careful consideration.

Only Xianyang was different.

This was the capital of the Qin state, and after Qin unified the country, it became the center of the world.

If it were just a tourist who had come all the way from Xianyang, that would be fine.

What I fear is that the people who came here are officials from Xianyang, carrying some kind of imperial decree.

Yan Lu was full of guesses, his gaze fixed on Xu Qing, secretly pondering the origins of the person in front of him.

If these are officials from Xianyang, are they here to test the Confucianism, or...?

Various speculations swirled in his mind, but he hesitated to draw any conclusions.

Just as Yan Lu was feeling uneasy, Xu Qing spoke first, his tone calm yet familiar, gently calling out, "Yan Lu, it's been a long time."

The call startled Yan Lu, causing him to abruptly stop in his tracks. The solemnity on his face was instantly replaced by astonishment, and his eyes widened slightly as he stared at Xu Qing in disbelief.

He opened his mouth, but was speechless for a moment. His mind was blank. He had never seen the face of the person in front of him before, but the tone of voice and the familiarity in calling his name made him feel inexplicably familiar.

Seeing Yan Lu's appearance, Xu Qing's lips curled into a faint smile, her tone tinged with a hint of teasing: "What? You don't recognize me now that I've changed my appearance?"

These words exploded in Yan Lu's mind like a thunderbolt. He suddenly came to his senses, and combined the "Qing" that the person in front of him introduced himself with the familiar tone, he immediately made a bold guess.

He took a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and tentatively asked, "Are you Mr. Qing?"

Xu Qing nodded slightly, his expression still calm, and replied softly, "That's right, it is me. Back then, I hid under the Hou Sheng Sect and had no choice but to disguise my appearance. Today, I have come to show you my true face."

Upon receiving an affirmative answer, Yan Lu's astonishment completely transformed into joy and relief, and all her previous worries and doubts vanished.

He quickly stepped forward, cupped his hands in a respectful bow to Xu Qing, and said in a warm and respectful tone, "So it's Mr. Qing! I didn't recognize you just now, please forgive me."

As he spoke, Yan Lu stepped aside to make way for Xu Qing and gestured, "Please come into the manor for a talk, sir. If my senior brother and Uncle Xun knew that you were coming, they would be overjoyed."

Xu Qing nodded his thanks and stepped into Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

Upon entering, a serene atmosphere immediately greets you, adding a touch of elegance to the manor compared to the tranquility outside the gate.

Underfoot is a path paved with bluestone slabs, with flowers blooming on both sides, bringing a fragrant aroma. In the pond not far away, the blue waves ripple, with koi occasionally playing, and lotus leaves growing in them, extremely green. You can also faintly hear the sound of disciples reading, intertwined with the birdsong in the mountains, quiet and peaceful.

Xu Qing slowed his pace, his gaze sweeping over the scenery of the manor, and he sighed inwardly.

Many years later, this little Sage Village has not changed much since he came here. It is still as quiet and elegant as ever, as if the wars and changes in the outside world have not disturbed this pure land.

No, it should be said that the State of Qi did not suffer from any war or chaos at all.

When Wang Ben's army attacked Qi, Qi did not organize any effective resistance at all. It was a complete sweep of troops. Naturally, Qi suffered very few casualties. When they reached the city of Linzi, they did not launch any attack. Hou Sheng simply opened the city gates and surrendered.

It can be said that among the six states of Shandong, Qi was the one that was destroyed the easiest, even easier than Han.

After all, South Korea initially put up some resistance.

It was only because the country was weak and lacked capable generals that it was destroyed.

The Confucian school was located on the coast of the East China Sea, on the border of the State of Qi. This area was spared from the ravages of war. After the fall of Qi, the State of Qin sent people to take over the area peacefully.

However, although Sanghai is small, no one in the world dares to ignore it.

This is because the headquarters of Confucianism is located in the middle of the Sanghai Sea.

If the Mohists targeted the lower classes, the Confucians targeted the upper-class "scholars." To some extent, their influence was even more terrifying than that of the Mohists, and it is unknown whether the Confucians realized this.

As his thoughts raced, Xu Qing asked Yan Lu, "Are you the only one at the manor today?"

“My senior brother has been away on business and is not at the manor,” Yan Lu explained to Xu Qing. “However, my junior brother is at the manor. Would you like to see him, Mr. Qing?”

When Xu Qing visited the Confucian school for the second time, he had already met Zhang Liang and talked about the matter of destroying mortals and transcending sainthood. That could be considered the first meeting between Xu Qing and Zhang Liang, but they didn't talk much that time.

Now, after hearing Yan Lu's words, Xu Qing thought for a moment and said, "Since he has accepted my sword, then let's meet him."

Led by Yan Lu, Xu Qing arrived at the reception room of Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

Immediately afterwards, someone else brought over some fine tea, as Yan Lu had instructed.

Xu Qing didn't stand on ceremony and went straight there to drink tea and wait.

As for Yan Lu, he went to find his junior brother.

Xu Qing didn't wait here for long. Soon, two figures arrived one after the other.

The former was still Yan Lu, dressed in a plain scholar's robe, with a gentle expression and a composed gait; the latter was a young man dressed in a moon-white scholar's robe, with a tall and upright posture, a handsome and refined face, and a scholarly air between his brows and eyes, yet also a hint of sharpness that was not easily detected. This was none other than Zhang Liang.

Compared to when he was still somewhat naive when we last met, Zhang Liang has now shed his immaturity and grown into a composed and handsome young man.

On the way to the reception room, Yan Lu had already informed him of his identity as a guest. Upon learning that Mr. Qing had come to the Confucian school again, Zhang Liang immediately had the idea of ​​preparing to meet him.

During their last meeting, he and Mr. Qing—no, I should say Xu Qing—discussed some things.

Whether his feelings were complicated afterward is another matter, but Xu Qing's sword certainly brought him a lot of benefits.

Since joining the Confucian school, he has obtained the Extinction Sword, which contains a vast and gentle sword energy that subtly helps him hone his cultivation and calm his mind. Over the years, his swordsmanship and Confucianism have made great progress, and the Extinction Sword has played an indispensable role in this.

Since his experience in South Korea, Zhang Liang had long realized that personal strength was a very important thing.

That's why, upon learning that Xu Qing had come here again, he immediately wanted to see Xu Qing one more time.

As the two entered the reception room, Yan Lu stepped forward first and greeted Xu Qing again, "Mr. Qing!"

Zhang Liang also came to Xu Qing's side, his gaze falling on Xu Qing's face with some surprise.

The reason is that Xu Qingzhi's appearance at this moment is completely different from the one he saw last time.

However, the second senior brother said that this was Mr. Qing.

Is my second senior brother lying to me?

Or perhaps, this is the other party's true nature?

That's true. Although I guessed the other party's true identity last time, I really didn't know what the other party looked like. But I can be sure that what I saw last time was definitely not their true face.

According to what he had heard from Han Fei, Wei Zhuang, and others in the past, Xu Qing was a young man, not a middle-aged man.

Just as Zhang Liang was thinking this, he only felt Xu Qing's gaze calmly fall on him, her brows furrowing slightly before she fell silent again.

Because of Xu Qing's appearance, Zhang Liang hesitated to speak first.

After a while, he heard Xu Qing say in a deep voice, "Zhang Liang, it seems you haven't heeded my warning."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Liang was taken aback again.

Yan Lu, who was standing to the side, was also stunned. A look of surprise flashed in his eyes. He turned to look at Xu Qing, then at Zhang Liang, who looked bewildered. He was filled with doubt.

What did Mr. Qing advise his junior brother?

Why do you say such things as soon as you see your junior brother?

Many questions swirled in his mind, but he did not dare to ask them rashly.

It took Zhang Liang a while to slowly come to his senses. He respectfully bowed to Xu Qing, his tone tinged with a hint of probing: "Mr. Qing... what is the meaning of this?"

Xu Qing didn't explain much, only saying coldly, "I just feel a little uncomfortable that my previous words weren't heeded. So, I'm just going to have a proper talk with you now."

Zhang Liang frowned slightly. "Mr. Qing, what would you like to talk to me about?"

Xu Qing's voice was cold and indifferent, without any preamble, starting the conversation at zero frames: "Of course it's about matters related to South Korea!"

Upon hearing the word "South Korea," Zhang Liang felt a chill run down his spine. The first thing that came to mind was the "national and family feud" that Xu Qing had casually mentioned during their last meeting. Xu Qing spoke of it lightly at the time, but for him, how could he so easily let it go?

Of course, he couldn't admit these things openly. Therefore, after Xu Qing said those words, Zhang Liang immediately retorted, "Mr. Qing is joking. I have always kept your advice in mind. The state of Han has already been destroyed. I have long since let go of the past and devoted myself to Confucianism... What is there to talk about with the state of Han?"

"Let go?" Xu Qing sneered, interrupting him. His spiritual power quietly leaked out, and an invisible pressure enveloped Zhang Liang. "The unwillingness and forbearance in your eyes, and the subtle changes in your heart rate when you mentioned South Korea, which of these things makes you seem to have let go? I can see that your obsession has not only not dissipated, but has become even more profound."

As a top expert, Xu Qing's mental strength far surpasses that of ordinary people. Zhang Liang's deeply hidden thoughts are transparent to him. There is no need for words; he can see through them with just one glance.

"I don't know what kind of magic that trash Korea has for you that makes you so obsessed with it, but what I want to say is that no one is to blame for the demise of Korea. If you want to attribute it to the Qin state, then it can only be said that your vision is not that great."