Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

“Your guess is not without merit,” Xu Qing replied, echoing Situ Wanli’s words. “Perhaps someone has become so harassed that they have decided to punish them.”

However, deep down, he knew the truth about Liu Yi's death.

Of course, there was no need to explain to Situ Wanli.

That was a sin that originated from Liu Yi himself.

Years ago, Liu Yi colluded with the "Three Wolves Who Cut Their Hair" to slaughter the entire Fire Rain Manor. When dividing the spoils, he betrayed his promise and lured the three wolves to their deaths, attempting to seize the so-called treasure for himself. Unexpectedly, one of the three wolves survived. He tempered his mind and body through endless suffering and eventually slithered into the depths of the night, taking the name "Vulture."

On the surface, he is a sharp blade in Ji Wuye's hand, but in secret, he keeps a close eye on Liu Yi, just to find the "treasure" that was stolen.

Why did he choose this moment to ruthlessly kill Liu Yi? Xu Qing had some guesses, but without evidence, he couldn't say more. What was certain was that even if Liu Yi was killed, the secret of Fire Rain Manor remained buried. Perhaps from the beginning, it wasn't a mountain of gold and silver, but some kind of profound mystery.

Liu Yi never figured it out until his death, nor did the vulture.

He may have touched the line, but unfortunately he didn't have time to investigate further before he lost his life at Wei Zhuang's hands.

The Baiyue assassins dug up his grave, prying fragments of clues from the corpse's mouth. They then fought against the night, but by the end of the second season of the anime, that crucial secret remained unanswered, like a stone sinking into the sea.

After all, the second season wasn't a true ending.

"Speaking of which, what exactly is the Azure Dragon Seven Mansions?"

Even though Xu Qing is a time traveler, he occasionally recalls the plot.

However, because the original work is not yet finished, many mysteries remain unsolved.

The Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions is such a thing.

It's exaggerated to the point of being unbelievable.

But apart from the copper box, nobody knows exactly what it is.

Some say it's a treasure, others say it's an elixir of immortality, and still others say it's a scam.

Behind the layers of mystery, the truth is now difficult to ascertain.

Even though Xu Qing is a transmigrator, in this respect he is not much better than the natives of this world.

His only advantage is probably that he knows some of the plot, which helps him avoid some detours.

And so, they waited quietly in the Hidden Dragon Hall for several more days.

On this day, the weather turned against us. From dawn, the sky was overcast and gloomy, with thick, leaden clouds pressing down overhead. By afternoon, a torrential downpour finally began, turning the world into a white expanse.

"I need to go into town!"

Inside the Hidden Dragon Hall, Xu Qing suddenly spoke up, abruptly addressing Situ Wanli.

Situ Wanli turned his head in surprise: "Brother Xu, you're going out in this windy and rainy weather?"

"There are some things that need to be done." Xu Qing didn't want to explain further.

“The situation in Xinzheng is turbulent,” Situ Wanli said with a worried expression. “If Liu Yi’s death is true, and he was indeed Ji Wuye’s confidant, then the city will likely soon be engulfed in chaos. You must be careful!”

“I understand.” Xu Qing nodded.

He then boarded the carriage prepared by Qianlong Hall.

The wheels rolled through the mud and broke through the heavy rain, once again entering the city of Xinzheng.

After entering the city.

Xu Qing didn't waste a moment and drove straight to Zilan Pavilion.

Surprisingly, Zilanxuan was closed today and did not open its doors to welcome guests.

Xu Qing stood in front of the tightly closed door and gently knocked.

Rainwater flowed down the eaves and accumulated in small puddles in front of the stone steps.

A short while later, the door opened slightly, and a maid peeked out.

"Honored guest, Zilan Pavilion is temporarily closed today," said the maid named Caidie apologetically.

"I am looking for Miss Zi Nu," Xu Qing stated his purpose directly.

Upon hearing this, Cai Die hesitated for a moment.

Just then, a familiar voice, lazy yet magnetic, came from behind Cai Die: "Cai Die, let him in."

Upon hearing this, the butterfly stepped aside to make way.

Xu Qing stepped across the threshold and into the somewhat quiet pavilion. In the dim light, he saw that purple figure leaning against the corner of the corridor, her graceful figure as before.

"Why did you suddenly close down?" Xu Qing brushed the water droplets off her shoulder and asked casually, "I was thinking of coming over for a visit."

Zi Nu approached gracefully, her gaze lingering on him for a moment: "There was a murder in the Xuanzhong before, and the sisters are still upset. I've decided to let them rest for a few days so they can calm their minds."

"I see." Xu Qing nodded knowingly; he was aware of this matter.

When Liu Yi died, a maid in Zilan Pavilion also perished, but she became Nongyu's scapegoat and was poisoned by Wujiu.

“But you…” Zi Nu’s eyes flickered with a probing look, “Your whereabouts are extremely mysterious. You disappeared without a trace before, but then you reappeared at this turbulent time.”

Since they joined forces with Han Fei to establish "Liusha", they have become allies.

Xu Qing was familiar with Han Fei and also knew Wei Zhuang. His actions were shrouded in mystery, and he knew many secrets, which Han Fei and the others had discussed.

I thought this person would make some moves in Xinzheng, but I never expected that I would lose all contact with him after that day.

Unexpectedly, during this turbulent time, he took the initiative to visit us.

"I just want to avoid the limelight," Xu Qing explained. "There's been too much trouble in the city lately, and I don't want to get involved unless absolutely necessary."

"Then why did you come here in the rain?" Zi Nuzhen tilted her head slightly, her curiosity growing.

Xu Qing paused for a moment, his gaze becoming calm and profound.

"Because... I'm waiting for someone."

Chapter 69 What else do you know?

Zi Nu gave Xu Qing a deep look, a hint of inquiry flashing in her eyes.

She didn't say much, but simply stepped aside and led Xu Qing into an elegant, quiet room.

Before long, the maid Caidie served warm wine.

"Have a drink to ward off the chill," Zi Nu said with her usual languid tone.

Xu Qing didn't refuse, picked up his wine cup and took a sip. The warmth flowed down his throat, and he put down the cup, his gaze sweeping across the somewhat empty room. He asked casually, "Are you all alone here today?"

"Oh?" Zi Nu raised an eyebrow slightly. "What do you mean by that, sir?"

"I thought Wei Zhuang, Han Fei, and the young master of Old Zhang's family should all be gathered here right now."

Zi Nu was slightly taken aback, but then she realized who he was referring to as "Old Zhang" and couldn't help but laugh: "If Prime Minister Zhang knew that you were calling him that, I'm afraid things wouldn't end well."

"Then let him not know." Xu Qing's tone was casual to the point of being dismissive, as if the Prime Minister Zhang Kaidi was no different from an ordinary person in the marketplace.

Zi Nu had no intention of dwelling on this topic, and instead explained, "Wei Zhuang and Han Fei each have important matters to attend to today and are certainly not here."

"But is it related to Liu Yi's death?" Xu Qing asked casually.

Zi Nu's gaze suddenly sharpened, like a drawn blade, piercing Xu Qing's young face.

"How much does Mr. Xu actually know?" Her voice held a barely perceptible tension, her curiosity undisguised. "I am very curious about this."

"Then you'd better not be curious about me." Xu Qing met her gaze without flinching, a faint smile playing on his lips. "I'm afraid you'll be attracted by my personal charm and become deeply entangled in it, unable to extricate yourself."

Zi Nu was taken aback for a moment upon hearing this, then covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes sparkling with charm: "Mr. Xu is truly witty."

After laughing, she readily admitted, "Young Master Han Fei and Wei Zhuang are indeed working on Liu Yi's case. After all, Young Master Han Fei now holds the position of Minister of Justice, in charge of criminal matters."

“He is truly dedicated to his duty.” Xu Qing’s tone carried a hint of indescribable emotion. “Knowing that the Ghost Soldiers’ robbery of the funds had already made him a thorn in Ji Wuye’s side, he was still so actively investigating Liu Yi’s case, showing more concern than his superior, Ji Wuye.”

As he said this, Han Fei's actions in the original work involuntarily came to mind. He established the Quicksand and tried to use "law" as a weapon to eliminate Ji Wuye and the Nightfall in a dignified manner. However, his methods were sometimes not exactly righteous. In fact, he was walking on the edge of the law and even violated it.

Ironically, even after the fall of Korea, Ji Wuye did not die under the law, but rather perished at the hands of Wei Zhuang's Shark Tooth Sword.

Knights use martial arts to break the law, and scholars use literature to disrupt the law.

Han Fei's own words still echoed in my ears, yet what ended the night was precisely the "martial arts" that he himself had described as "breaking the rules."

Thinking back on the original intention of establishing Quicksand and its future direction, Xu Qing gently shook his head.

'A fool's dream; all his actions are nothing but a fleeting illusion, like a reflection in a mirror or the moon's reflection in water!'

"You... don't think they can solve this case?" Zi Nu saw him shake his head slightly and assumed he was still worried about Han Fei, so she couldn't help but ask him in a low voice.

"With Han Fei's wisdom, solving this case shouldn't be difficult," Xu Qing said confidently, but then his tone shifted, "However, some old wounds, once reopened, will inevitably cause some people unbearable pain and boundless hatred. He, the instigator, will likely become the target of everyone's wrath..."

Zi Nu frowned slightly: "And what do you know?"

A thick fog seemed to always surround Xu Qing. She tried to see through it several times, but always felt powerless. Every time they met, this person brought her new surprises.

"Baiyue." Xu Qing uttered only two words, concise and to the point.

Zi Nu's heart sank suddenly.

After Liu Yi's death, Han Fei and Wei Zhuang found a secret box engraved with Baiyue symbols in his mansion. After bringing it back to Zilanxuan, they deciphered the ancient mark that symbolized a promise of life and death.

Following this clue, they turned their attention to the long-forgotten Baiyue War, simply because Liu Yi was one of the participants back then.

In addition, Han Fei also noticed something unusual about Liu Yi's widow, Lady Hu.

Therefore, today Han Fei and Zhang Liangcai, under the guise of accompanying a nobleman, went to the theater in an attempt to find clues from Lady Hu's sister, Consort Hu, the favorite concubine of King Han.

Wei Zhuang, on the other hand, went out of the city to visit an old friend and delve into the history of the Baiyue people.

She stayed at Zilan Pavilion, waiting for news, but unexpectedly, Xu Qing arrived instead.

"What kind of past lies between Liu Yi and Baiyue?" Zi Nu's voice became serious, with a hint of urgency.

"The joy of solving a mystery lies in the process of personally seeking the answer." Xu Qing's lips curled up slightly, with a hint of mockery. "Now that Han Fei and Wei Zhuang have already thrown themselves into it, the day when the truth is revealed is probably not far off. Although I know a little about it, I don't want to tell you in advance, lest I spoil your anticipation."

Those words really sounded like they deserved a beating.

Zi Nu couldn't help but roll her eyes at him with a charming and seductive look.

But seeing his resolute attitude, and knowing that pressing him for an answer would be pointless, he gave up.

After all, Xu Qing was a friend, not an enemy, yet he never joined the Quicksand.

"The rain is pouring down outside, and I'm too lazy to find another inn to stay in." Xu Qing changed the subject and made another request, "Could you please find me a room to rest for the night, Miss Zi Nu?"