Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

As a young man, Gai Nie loved swordsmanship, so he once imitated the heroes of Yan and Zhao and traveled all over the world. He even went to Puyang in Wei State to consult with the famous swordsmanship master of Wei State, Gongsun Yu. Because they were close in age, Gai Nie and her senior brother Jing Ke got along very well.

However, that was two years ago.

Gongsun Liji never expected to meet an old friend in this place called Xinling today.

"Senior brother will be very happy to see you, Brother Gai."

Gongsun Liji smiled and said to Gai Nie.

"Brother Jing is also in Xinling?"

Gai Nie was somewhat surprised to hear this.

Gongsun Liji raised her head, like a proud little swan, "My senior brother is currently a retainer of Lord Xinling!"

Upon hearing the title "Lord Xinling"...

Gai Nie and his junior brother Wei Zhuang exchanged glances, their eyes fixed on each other.

Xu Qing, noticing their gazes, and seemingly lost in thought, put down his earthenware bowl and casually asked them, "Have you two come for Lord Xinling?"

“How come you see?”

Wei Zhuang already knew some of his senior brother's past. Although he was very interested, he did not ignore the person next to him.

The concept of temperament is rather mysterious and elusive.

But it does exist.

Xu Qing may appear unkempt and his clothes may not be fancy, but he possesses a unique aura that sets him apart from those around him, which can be seen in his eyes.

Uneducated common people have blank and ignorant eyes.

Xu Qing's gaze, however, was so bright and clear, as if he understood everything.

"Knowing people" is also a practice of the Guigu School.

After all, the Guigu School has always considered itself to be in control of the world's affairs and to be the master of the game. When they are angry, the feudal lords tremble; when they are at peace, the world is at ease.

"It's obvious. People who come to Xinling for no reason are basically here for Lord Xinling," Xu Qing said with a smile, his gaze sweeping over some wandering swordsmen in the distance. "These people are all like that."

"Even if they did not ultimately become retainers of Lord Xinling, they still chose to stay in Xinling."

"Of course, with your abilities, you can become retainers of Lord Xinling if you wish."

Upon hearing Xu Qing's words, Wei Zhuang nodded slightly and said in a deep voice, "Although Lord Xinling has a great reputation, he is not qualified to be my lord."

“Indeed!” Xu Qing nodded in agreement. “Although he is famous throughout the world, he is only a feudal lord. Unless he replaces his elder brother and becomes the king of Wei… Under heaven, only a king is qualified to receive your assistance.”

Do you know our origins?

Wei Zhuang's tone changed slightly.

"The School of Guigu, it's all about strategy and tactics!"

Xu Qing casually remarked, "Although your disciples are not as numerous as those of the Confucian and Mohist schools, your reputation throughout the world is quite considerable."

"Of course, I am not interested in whether you can influence the world; I only care that you are swordsmen."

"For a swordsman, a good sword is an essential item!"

Are you interested in buying a good sword?

Xu Qing smiled and asked Wei Zhuang again, his face revealing a mysterious expression, "I guarantee that my sword will not be inferior to the famous swords in the sword manual!"

If it were an ordinary swordsman, hearing these words would definitely be very tempting.

But Wei Zhuang was different.

This is because, although the sword in his hand is not listed in the sword manual, it is still no less famous than the swords listed in the manual.

Its name is 'Shark Tooth', and it is called the Demon Sword.

Wei Zhuang's acquisition of the demonic sword Shark Tooth was a stroke of luck, while his senior brother Gai Nie still uses an ordinary sword.

However, Wei Zhuang did not refuse Xu Qing because he possessed the Shark Tooth Sword. Instead, he became curious and asked Xu Qing, "Since you met us, you have been trying to sell me swords. Are you a sword seller?"

"I am a swordsmith!"

Xu Qing explained his background.

"In this world, there are swordsmen, sword appraisers, and just like them, swordsmiths!"

"Swordsmen travel far and wide in search of a good sword that suits their hands, sword appraisers want to evaluate the famous swords of the world, but for me, as a swordsmith, seeking good materials and forging a sharp blade is my way. A famous sword must also be worthy of its master, otherwise, wouldn't it be a regrettable disgrace?"

"A swordsmith like you is truly a rare find!"

Wei Zhuang said sincerely.

Gai Nie, who was standing to the side, had a conversation with Gongsun Liji.

Upon learning that Gongsun Liji's senior brother, Jing Ke, was now a retainer of Lord Xinling, he made a difficult request to Gongsun Liji, asking her to persuade her senior brother Jing Ke to help them meet Lord Xinling.

Chapter 8 Swordsmanship

Although Jing Ke was from the State of Wei, he possessed the generous and passionate spirit of the chivalrous knights of Yan and Zhao. His outgoing and sociable nature allowed him to quickly become familiar with those around him after becoming a retainer of Lord Xinling.

When his junior sister told him that Gai Nie had come to Xinling, he was immediately very happy.

He rushed out of Lord Xinling's residence excitedly to meet Gai Nie.

This was the first time Xu Qing had met Jing Ke since arriving in Xinling.

"Looks like you've been doing pretty well lately!"

Xu Qing teased Jing Ke.

When Jing Ke saw Brother Gai again, he was very excited, but he did not neglect Xu Qing. If his acquaintance with Gai Nie was in his youth, then his acquaintance with Xu Qing stemmed from the life-saving grace he received. To this day, his heart is still full of gratitude. Although he had not met Xu Qing for some time, he learned about Mr. Xu's recent situation from his junior sister. He had actually conveyed to his junior sister that he could speak to Lord Xinling and make Xu Qing a guest of the lord, but Xu Qing refused. Therefore, Jing Ke did not force him in the end.

"How can you tell that I'm living a good life, Mr. Xu?"

“You’ve gained a lot of weight since then,” Xu Qing remarked. “It seems the food at Lord Xinling’s residence is quite good.”

Upon hearing this, Jing Ke felt somewhat embarrassed.

After greeting Jing Ke, Xu Qing left the space to Jing Ke and Gai Nie.

Although Gongsun Liji and Gai Nie had already reminisced, that was Gongsun Liji. Jing Ke and Gai Nie could naturally reminisce as well.

Xu Qing had no intention of being a third wheel.

He said, "Let's enjoy ourselves to the fullest," and then left for the time being.

Surprisingly, Wei Zhuang also walked away.

Aren't you going with your senior brother?

Xu Qing glanced at Wei Zhuang.

Wei Zhuang's lips curled into a mocking smile: "To pry into other people's past is not the act of a true man."

"is it?"

Xu Qing's eyes were deep, and he said to Wei Zhuang, "In that case, how about we go and appraise the swords together?"

"Take a look and see which sword suits you better!"

Wei Zhuang's eyes flashed with a strange light.

So this guy is still not giving up and hasn't given up on selling swords to me?

He wanted to say that he didn't need a sword.

Shark Tooth is already one of the world's finest swords.

However, after thinking about it, I haven't said those words yet.

It's simply because people like Xu Qing are just too interesting.

My senior brother doesn't need me right now, so I'll just treat this as a chance to have some fun and kill some time.

"Then I'll go with you."

Wei Zhuang said to Xu Qing.

The matter of indirectly delivering the visiting card to Lord Xinling through Jing Ke, a retainer of Lord Xinling, will be handled by his senior brother. At present, he really has nothing to do.

They followed Xu Qing all the way to an inn.

Xu Qing stepped into the inn's room, while Wei Zhuang waited outside.

I only waited a little while.

When Xu Qing came out, he was already carrying two swords.

In terms of appearance, the two swords are completely different.

One sword has a crimson scabbard, while the other is jet black; in addition, their shapes are also different.

The red scabbard is a heavy sword, like a tiger crouching in a deep abyss, while the black scabbard is a light sword, like a green snake coiling around bamboo.

"A heavy sword can split mountains and shatter rocks, yet still retain its sharpness; a light sword can cut jade and sever gold without breaking its tough bones. As for the name of the sword, you can choose whatever you like."

Xu Qing spoke to Wei Zhuang.

These two swords were his best possessions at the moment.

Having traveled the world for a long time, Xu Qing finally managed to forge a sword of "famous sword" level. Such a sword naturally needed to find a good sword master. Therefore, when Xu Qing learned that the Battle of Puyang had broken out, he went to Puyang immediately and eventually managed to wait for Jing Ke, becoming an angel investor and successfully finding a suitable sword master for the "Broken Mountain" sword.

Encountering the two strategists in Xinling was an unexpected event.

It would be rather unreasonable not to give these two outstanding disciples of Guigu Valley, who have yet to complete their apprenticeship and become famous, two swords to them.

Even though he noticed that the sword in Wei Zhuang's hand was exceptionally good.

But so what?

That's Wei Zhuang's sword, not his, but that doesn't stop him from selling swords.

The only problem is that, due to the level of the swordsmith, Xu Qing currently does not have any swords of the famous sword level.

The sword Xu Qing currently possesses is his best stockpile. It is an excellent sword, and even among excellent swords, it is considered top-grade. It can be called a top-grade sword at the peak of the ninth level of the excellent swords, which is already close to the level of a half-step famous sword. However, it is still not as good as a famous sword, since it has no name.

In the general's words, a famous sword must have a name.

After listening to Xu Qing's introduction of the two swords, Wei Zhuang also tried them out.