Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

But Wei Zhuang is indeed one of Xu Qing's friends.

If he had killed Zhang Liang directly, it would have inevitably made his friends sad, or even resentful.

In an instant, spiritual power surged once more.

Zhang Liang suddenly realized that his surroundings had changed abruptly.

He immediately became alert, but before he could concentrate, another invisible force directly attacked his mind, temporarily shattering all his perceptions.

In that instant, Zhang Liang felt as if he had returned to the moment when his country was destroyed.

My grandfather died of a sudden stroke due to internal and external troubles, and my father also chose to die for his country. He was the only one left in the entire Zhang family.

Although he later left the state of Han with the help of his friend Wei Zhuang and came to the state of Qi, he was able to regain his place in the Confucian school by meeting Xunzi through his past relationship with Han Fei.

But the situation in South Korea remained a thorn in Zhang Liang's side.

After that, Zhang Liang studied at the Confucian school while also making plans.

He knew that Qin was powerful, and he also knew that Qin's destruction of Han was an inevitable trend.

But this doesn't mean he can accept that fact or forgive the Qin state.

If they were to forgive them just like that, wouldn't that mean that everything the Zhang family had done for South Korea for generations had become a joke?

In this life, Zhang Liang did not meet Xu Qing.

Or rather, this is a world without Xu Qing.

Naturally, such a world is a world of illusion.

Xu Qing is the most outstanding illusion master of the world. Not to mention that he forged the "Dust World Sword" for the Taoist sect, a supreme illusion sword that can trap people in the cycle of reincarnation, allowing them to understand their inner attachments in dreams and then attain enlightenment, he himself was able to create an incredibly realistic false world for people many years ago through illusion.

Whether it's allowing Gang, Kin, and Ming to attain enlightenment in their dreams.

It was during his encounter with Consort Yan in the Housheng Mansion that he plunged her into an endless cycle of reincarnation, leading her to realize her true nature.

All of these are examples of its use of illusion.

Keep in mind that was something Xu Qing could do back then.

Now, Xu Qing's mastery of illusion magic has only become more powerful.

While Zhang Liang was certainly strong, he was still much weaker than Yan Fei of yesteryear.

Even someone like Yan Fei, who cultivated Yin-Yang techniques, couldn't resist Xu Qing's illusions, let alone Zhang Liang.

Zhang Liang's perception was immediately rewritten, and he didn't feel that anything was wrong.

In the illusion, Zhang Liang outwardly remained the same gentle and refined Confucian scholar, devoted to studying Confucianism, discussing philosophy and reading with his fellow disciples every day, and respectfully serving Xunzi. But in secret, in order to avenge the Qin state, he began to secretly contact anti-Qin elements in various places.

He contacted all the former nobles, disillusioned strategists, and down-on-their-luck warriors scattered across the former territories of the six states, forming a secret anti-Qin force.

With his wisdom and resourcefulness, he devised a series of plans to disrupt the order of the Qin state.

Intercepting Qin's grain convoys, assassinating local officials, and inciting popular rebellion—every step was meticulously planned and ruthless, all aimed at weakening Qin's power and waiting for the moment when the world was in chaos so that Han could seize the opportunity to revive itself.

He carefully concealed his whereabouts, never revealing a single detail even to his closest confidants, Yan Lu and Fu Nian.

He knew that Confucianism advocated moderation and escapism, and if his fellow disciples knew about his plan, they would definitely try their best to stop him, and might even expel him from Confucianism.

But he couldn't care less about any of that. National and personal grievances were like poisonous vines, already entwining his heart, making it impossible for him to turn back.

In his heart, as long as he could avenge the Qin state and restore the Han state, he would not hesitate to pay any price, including dragging the entire Confucian school into the abyss.

Finally, after years of lying low, a meticulously planned anti-Qin operation quietly unfolded.

He contacted the old nobles of the former Qi state and agreed to launch a rebellion when Ying Zheng toured Langya, so as to take the opportunity to assassinate Ying Zheng and call on anti-Qin forces across the country to respond.

He thought his plan was flawless, but little did he know that Qin's spies were already all over the world, and his every move had already been noticed by the Xianyang authorities.

On the day the rebellion broke out, flames soared into the sky over Langya County, and the sounds of battle shook the heavens.

The expected widespread response did not materialize; instead, the Qin army swiftly arrived to provide reinforcements.

The Qin soldiers were all brave and skilled in battle, and well-equipped. The hastily assembled anti-Qin forces were no match for them, and the rebellion was completely suppressed in just a few hours.

Evidence of Zhang Liang's collusion with anti-Qin elements and plotting a rebellion was also found by the Qin army, clearly pointing to the Confucian Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

"Raze Xiaoshengxianzhuang to the ground and capture the remnants of the anti-Qin rebellion!"

At the command of the Qin general, countless Qin soldiers poured into the village, and the once tranquil and peaceful Confucian holy land was instantly transformed into a living hell.

The sound of the disciples reading was replaced by screams, the verdant bamboo path was stained red with blood, and the blue waves in the pond were rippled with blood. Everything that Zhang Liang had cherished was reduced to ashes in the flames of war.

Holding the Tai'a sword, Fu Nian stood before the gate of the manor, desperately resisting the Qin army in order to cover his disciples' retreat.

He was upright and righteous, and his swordsmanship was fierce. However, facing the endless Qin army, he was ultimately outnumbered and covered in wounds. In the end, he was pierced through the chest by the Qin soldiers' swords and fell into a pool of blood. Before his death, he was still shouting "Protect the Confucianism" and "Protect Zhang Liang".

Upon seeing this, Yan Lu's eyes widened in fury. Holding Han Guang, he rushed forward, trying to protect Fu Nian's body and cover Xunzi's retreat.

However, he was gentle and not good at fighting. Before long, he was severely wounded by the Qin army, hit by several arrows, and staggered to the side of Fu Nian.

He turned to look at Zhang Liang, who was fleeing in panic in the crowd, his eyes filled with disappointment and heartache, but he still used his last bit of strength to shout: "Zifang, run... don't be so stubborn!"

Xunzi was old and powerless to resist. He could only watch helplessly as his disciples died tragically. Seeing two younger disciples fall one after another, he was heartbroken and coughed up blood. He eventually died. Before he died, he looked in the direction of Zhang Liang, his eyes full of regret.

He never imagined that his most valued disciple would destroy the entire Confucian school because of his own obsession.

Chapter 391 A Dreamlike Illusion, The Tragedy of Obsession

Zhang Liang managed to escape in the chaos. He hid in the ruins of Sanghai City, gazing at the Xiaoshengxianzhuang engulfed in flames in the distance, listening to the shrill screams around him. Instead of feeling any guilt or remorse, he was overwhelmed by endless hatred.

He clenched his fists so tightly that his nails dug deep into his palms, drawing blood. He muttered, "It's not my fault, it's not my fault at all... It's because Qin was too tyrannical, they forced me into this situation! If Qin hadn't destroyed Han, if they hadn't been so ruthless, how could the Confucian school have ended up like this?"

He attributed all the blame to the tyranny of the Qin state, but never considered that if he had not been blinded by his obsession and had not colluded with anti-Qin elements, the Confucian school would not have suffered such a devastating disaster, and his two senior brothers and Xunzi would not have died as a result.

After that, Zhang Liang completely disappeared and began an endless path of revenge.

He wandered around, contacting the remaining anti-Qin forces, and plotting revenge against Qin time and time again. He assassinated Qin's princes and ministers, planned to burn down Qin's palaces and granaries, and instigated tribal rebellions on the border. But every plan ended in failure.

The Qin state was too powerful; his petty actions were like throwing an egg against a rock, utterly unable to shake the foundation of the Qin state.

Fortunately, he managed to escape each time, but this luck came at the cost of the lives of those around him.

Those who followed him in the anti-Qin movement, those kind-hearted people who took him in, and those who genuinely cared for him were all punished by the Qin army for his revenge plan. Some were killed, some were exiled, and none of them met a good end.

Once, he was being chased by the Qin army and hid in a small village. The villagers kindly took him in, but not long after, the Qin army found the village and, in order to find him, slaughtered everyone in the village.

Seeing the villagers lying in pools of blood and the innocent children losing their lives, Zhang Liang felt no remorse. Instead, he hated the Qin state even more. His hatred burned like wildfire, scorching his reason and driving him to madness.

He no longer cared about anyone's life, nor did he devise meticulous plans. He was willing to pay any price to cause even the slightest loss to the Qin state.

He became ruthless and cunning, resorting to any means necessary. The once gentle and refined Confucian disciple was completely transformed into a madman controlled by hatred.

He wandered aimlessly, like a lost soul, with only the word "revenge" in his eyes. Even when he was all alone and the road ahead was bleak, he never thought of giving up.

Outside the illusion, Xu Qing quietly looked at Zhang Liang, whose face was pale and who was trembling all over. There was no ripple in her eyes, only a faint sigh.

He channeled his spiritual power to maintain the illusion's operation, wanting Zhang Liang to witness firsthand the tragedy his obsession and revenge would ultimately bring—not only destroying himself but also dragging down everyone he cared about and destroying the Confucianism he depended on for survival.

Yan Lu, standing to the side, watched as Zhang Liang's eyes closed at some point, his expression constantly changing, sometimes contorted in pain, sometimes utterly deranged.

Although he didn't understand what Xu Qing had done, he was still filled with worry and anxiety.

He tried several times to beg Xu Qing to stop, but was stopped by Xu Qing's cold gaze.

Left with no other choice, he could only continue to wait and see.

In the illusion, Zhang Liang continues his vengeful madness. His eyes are empty and resolute, and his body is covered in blood and ferocity. He is no longer the handsome and gentle man he once was.

He didn't know when he would wake up from this nightmare caused by his obsession.

He remained consumed by his personal revenge.

It's unclear when exactly, but the initial vision of helping South Korea regain its independence has been completely forgotten.

He lived for only one purpose: to find ways to disrupt the order of the Qin state and destroy it.

Only when the Qin state is destroyed can he prove that what he did was right.

Only then could I convince myself that those who died did not sacrifice themselves in vain.

It must be said that Zhang Liang was indeed a clever man. In the extremely realistic world created by Xu Qing, he did cause great trouble for the Qin state through his strategies. Although the people around Zhang Liang were all dead, he was still alive, and his revenge against the Qin state never ended.

As time passed, he became Qin's most wanted criminal.

Ultimately, however, it was like an ant trying to shake a tree; it was powerless to do so.

After yet another failed attempt, Zhang Liang died.

Death is not the end, of course.

In particular, Xu Qing discovered that even until his death, Zhang Liang's obsession had never faded.

Therefore, the second cycle begins once again.

At this moment, Zhang Liang encountered the same experience as Yan Fei had before.

The difference is that Yanfei at that time, even in the illusion, retained her self-awareness, but she was unable to control her life in the illusion. She then witnessed everything she experienced from a third-person perspective. As for Zhang Liang, Xu Qing had blinded his self-awareness before each life reset.

In this chapter of his life, he once again became a disciple of the Confucian school, Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

However, this time Xu Qing made it closer to the original work.

For example, the leader of the Mohist school was Yan Dan.

Zhang Liang continued to befriend anti-Qin elements across the land, and naturally, he also met Yan Dan. He went to the Mo Family's Mechanized City, the anti-Qin forces' stronghold, but because Gai Nie took Tianming to the Mechanized City, they attracted the Qin army's pursuit.

The city of the mechanical city was breached by quicksand and destroyed in an instant.

Afterwards, Zhang Liang returned to Xiaoshengxianzhuang and hid the new leader of the Mohist school, "Tianming," and the Xiang clan's "Xiang Shaoyu" in Xiaoshengxianzhuang. Little did he know that this was the beginning of trouble.

If Tianming and Xiang Shaoyu had simply stayed at Xiaoshengxianzhuang and studied diligently, that would have been fine.

But they didn't.

The mirage was unveiled in Sanghai. Tianming and Xiang Shaoyu caused a ruckus inside the mirage before being rescued by Dao Zhi and his companions.

However, their appearances were also discovered by the Qin state.

Naturally, the investigation led to the Confucian school.

In particular, Tianming and Xiang Shaoyu, who had made public appearances in the "White Horse is Not a Horse" incident, were among those who challenged the Confucianists.

Therefore, Xiaoshengxianzhuang has once again been caught in a storm.