Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Sunlight shone through the clouds, and the days of rain finally stopped.

Xu Qing entered the elegant Zilan Pavilion, which was also where Han Fei and others usually discussed matters.

Han Fei, Zi Nu, and Wei Zhuang were nowhere to be seen, presumably having finally succumbed to exhaustion and gone to rest before dawn.

Surprisingly, one figure sat there listlessly.

"Has Miss Nongyu not gone to rest?" Xu Qing asked.

Looking in the direction of the sound, one could see that Nongyu looked haggard, with clear signs of not having slept all night.

“Mr. Xu…” Nongyu’s voice was a little hoarse, but it carried a glimmer of hope, “That day, did he… ask you to leave any message?”

This night was destined to be etched deep into her life.

The mystery of her birth, which she had been searching for for many years, was finally revealed. Her parents' voices and appearances seemed to become clear, including her mother whom she had never met and her father who was so close yet had passed by her that day.

The only thing I don't understand and regret is that we are so close yet so far, and we have never been able to recognize each other.

Recalling Xu Qing's words about "invisible protection" at the end of last night, although I could understand his predicament, the unease in my heart, the desire to confirm my father's feelings, grew stronger.

"He entrusted me to look after you," Xu Qing replied frankly and clearly.

Nongyu paused, her eyes swirling with emotion.

"However," Xu Qing changed the subject, his tone returning to its usual calm, "you can just take it as a joke, Miss. With Miss Zi Nu protecting you, and Brother Wei Zhuang, a master, guarding the Purple Orchid Pavilion, why would you need my help?"

I had breakfast at Zilanxuan.

Xu Qing did not wait for Zi Nu, Han Fei, Wei Zhuang and others to gather.

He bid a brief farewell to Nongyu and then quietly left Zilan Pavilion.

It was as if he had come here yesterday merely to rest for the night.

Stepping out of the Zilan Pavilion, Xu Qing disappeared into several secluded corners of Xinzheng City, taking away some items.

He then went straight out of the city and returned to Qianlong Hall.

The situation within Xinzheng City is becoming increasingly unpredictable and turbulent.

At this moment, the area outside the city is undoubtedly safer.

Situ Wanli was naturally delighted by Xu Qing's return.

Although a trace of curiosity lingered in his heart, wondering what this person had done during his time in the city, since Xu Qing remained silent, he wisely refrained from speaking.

Upon returning to the Hidden Dragon Hall, Xu Qing immediately plunged into the special sword-making workshop that Situ Wanli had prepared for him.

In this space where charcoal fires and heat waves surge, his outward actions involve forging in the furnace and hammering the sword blank.

However, behind that busy figure, his mind was mostly immersed in the system space deep within his consciousness, where he truly honed his swordsmanship.

Chapter 75 Another Bloodthirsty Sword

I don't know how Han Fei and the others disposed of the vulture's corpse.

Xu Qing left in a hurry that day and did not meet Han Fei and the others. He forgot to remind them that the best way to keep the secret completely was to "cremate" the body, because sometimes leaving the body is the same as leaving a hidden danger.

However, Xu Qing quickly dismissed this concern.

He was not Han Fei's nanny.

Leaving behind trouble is something Han Fei and his men should worry about; what does it have to do with him?

The reason he went to Xinzheng and got involved in the vulture's affairs was simply because he was interested in the Azure Dragon's Seven Mansions.

The vulture has obtained some clues about the treasure of Fire Rain Manor, or rather, the Seven Mansions of Azure Dragon.

In the days that followed, Xu Qing settled down at Qianlong Hall. He focused on sword forging while chatting with Situ Wanli. From Situ Wanli, he learned that the case of Liu Yi's death seemed to have been hastily closed. The official explanation was nothing more than "revenge killing."

Even with Situ Wanli's intelligence network, he was unable to uncover the deeper details.

“This case won’t be so easy to resolve…” Xu Qing shook his head and sighed softly upon hearing this.

Liu Yi's death was merely a prelude.

What it truly exposes is the old wound that South Korea has been trying so hard to cover up—the history of the Baiyue people.

That old incident is like a deeply buried malignant tumor for South Korea.

Normally, it can be suppressed with force and time, leaving no trace, but once it is exposed, it becomes like poison attacking the heart, and it is difficult to contain.

It is foreseeable that the vortex surrounding Baiyue will become increasingly turbulent, and various forces will inevitably take turns to appear.

Xu Qing? He's just an ordinary swordsmith.

Let's just stick to blacksmithing.

Time flies like sand, slipping away silently.

As Xu Qing had predicted, the situation in Xinzheng had descended into utter chaos. Undercurrents were swirling, and various factions were vying for power.

"Nine new swords have been forged!"

On this day, Xu Qing placed a batch of gleaming swords in front of Situ Wanli.

Situ Wanli's hand holding the teacup suddenly paused, the tea in the cup rippling slightly, reflecting his frozen expression.

He put down his cup in disbelief, strode over, and exclaimed in amazement, "My goodness! Brother Xu, you really... you've truly opened my eyes!"

He paced around the batch of swords, his gaze intense and full of amazement: "Brother, I thought it was already quite remarkable that you were able to forge even one sword in this short time. After all, sword forging is a process that involves countless hammerings and refinements, taking a great deal of time and effort..."

He was indeed shocked.

As a core disciple of the Farmer School, he knew how difficult forging was.

The peasants revered Chi You, the "God of War," and their smelting techniques were deeply ingrained. Situ Wanli knew that sword forging was a very complicated process, so after handing over the forging workshop to Xu Qing, he didn't pay attention to Xu Qing's sword-forging process.

After all, they are still in their honeymoon period.

Xu Qing had just made him a large sum of money.

If one rashly tries to uncover the secrets of Xu Qing's sword-making, it may incur Xu Qing's displeasure and thus ruin their relationship.

For top-notch swordsmiths, many sword-making techniques are top secret.

"I've always been quick at forging swords," Xu Qing said calmly, as if he were talking about something trivial. "Besides, these swords are only meant to be beautiful in shape; there's no need to be overly demanding in terms of craftsmanship. So, it's only natural that they're fast."

Situ Wanli was even more shaken.

He had assumed that the previous batch of swords sold for an astronomical price because they were Xu Qing's long-treasured collection.

Now it seems that it could have been accomplished in a short period of time?

If that's true... that would be an incredible surprise.

The demand for these magnificent swords among the elite is insatiable; the only constraint is production capacity. If Xu Qing can maintain this pace, they can amass a fortune in a short period.

As for the saying "rarity increases value"? With only a few dozen swords, the powerful and wealthy of the seven kingdoms have no worries about finding a market for them.

Even though the South Korean market is saturated, Qianlongtang's reach extends far beyond that; they have branches in seven countries.

The reason I was concerned about Jade Tiger before was simply because such a bad trend should not be encouraged.

After all, there were quite a few powerful and influential people among the seven kingdoms.

If this place fosters unhealthy trends, powerful figures in other countries might follow suit.

However, at the moment, Situ Wanli had no time to pay attention to the Jade Tiger.

He focused all his attention on the sword that Xu Qing had just forged.

The sword's blade shimmered with light, engraved with the names of ancient constellations: Tianfu, Tianliang, Tianji, Tiantong, Tianxiang, and Qisha.

Like the Big Dipper, this is the name of the six stars of the Southern Dipper.

Xu Qing also encountered some difficulties in forging these swords.

That is, whether or not to exclude the "Seven Kill Sword". After all, this name, like the belt "Twenty-Four Bridges Under the Moon", which he originally wanted to create, is somewhat taboo for Tang Shenwang and is suspected of being a path to death. However, in the end, he figured it out.

It's not Tang Shenwang's weapon; it just shares the same name as one of his martial souls.

The mere Tang God King, before becoming a god, might not have been as impressive as the War Demon God.

Besides, this world of mine is protected by the Great Goddess of the Nine Heavens.

Situ Wanli was naturally unaware of these intricacies. After carefully admiring the Six Swords of the Southern Dipper, his gaze was then firmly drawn to the other two swords.

These two swords are even more exquisite and beautiful, with gold and jade inlaid on the blades, exuding an air of nobility.

The swords were named: Insightful Eyes and Hidden Origin!

"Is this a supplement to the Big Dipper?" Situ Wanli understood.

Although the Big Dipper is called the Seven Stars, it actually contains two hidden stars that only appear under specific celestial phenomena.

“Exactly.” Xu Qing nodded.

Situ Wanli's eyes flashed with a sharp light. These two Hidden Star Swords were of significantly higher quality than all the previous ones. He had already begun to calculate their value.

His gaze swept over the nine swords, and he suddenly sensed something was wrong.

"Brother Xu just mentioned nine swords? These six stars of the Southern Dipper, plus the two stars of Hidden Origin and Clear Understanding, only amount to eight swords. What about the last sword..."

"The last one is here."

Xu Qing casually reached behind him, as if taking something out of thin air, and a long sword with an ancient design and hidden patterns was already in his hand.

Situ Wanli subconsciously looked behind Xu Qing, but there was nothing there. He had no idea where Xu Qing had hidden the things, which made him even more surprised.

He withdrew his gaze and stared intently at the new sword.

The sword's blade was as clear as autumn water, with a tear-like mark on its spine, conveying an indescribable sorrow and mystery.

"This sword is called Tear Mark." Xu Qing's voice was deep, like the murmur of a sword.

"Tear stains..."

Situ Wanli murmured the name softly, feeling that it was quite fitting.

"What is so special about this sword?"

Situ Wanli then asked Xu Qing another question.

This sword is different from the ornate swords of the Big Dipper and the Southern Dipper; it is clearly not an ordinary sword, and may even possess extraordinary abilities.