Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

“We really do need to leave.” Unexpectedly, Xu Qing did not refuse Situ Wanli’s repeated persuasion.

Situ Wanli was taken aback, then turned to Xu Qing and said, "Brother Xu, have you come to your senses?"

Xu Qing smiled but didn't answer the question. Instead, he turned to Situ Wanli and said, "Brother Situ, at this point, let's be frank. I know you're from a farming family, and farmers have some tricks up their sleeves. I wonder if you'd be interested in doing some profitable business with me?"

Situ Wanli raised an eyebrow slightly when he saw Xu Qing expose his true identity.

Then he thought of Xu Qing's acquaintance with Xia Kui, and in addition, Qianlong Hall had been rooted in Korea for many years, so it would not be difficult for some people with ulterior motives to find out its relationship with the Farmer's Family.

He simply admitted it.

"Indeed, brother, I am a farmer. May I ask what kind of business you are talking about?"

"Transfer Jade Tiger's assets!" Xu Qing stated his purpose.

Chapter 93: A Farewell Message to Nongyu

"Brother, you..."

Situ Wanli stared at Xu Qing in shock, his voice filled with astonishment.

“Those Baiyue people captured Jade Tiger alive,” Xu Qing stated calmly. “I have brought him back now.”

Situ Wanli's mind flashed back to the fat, smiling face of Jade Tiger at the auction, and his seemingly gentle but actually threatening words. The displeasure in his heart turned into a cold pleasure.

"Excellent! Truly excellent!" Situ Wanli clapped his hands and laughed, his eyes gleaming. "Quickly, take me to see his magnificent appearance!"

Xu Qing responded and led Situ Wanli around the noisy front hall, heading towards the temporary sword-making workshop in the backyard.

There are several quiet rooms here, originally intended for Xu Qing to rest, but now they have become a place for Xu Qing to temporarily hide people.

Situ Wanli was not surprised by this; he had simply followed Xu Qing here.

Pushing open one of the doors, a smell mixed with blood and dust hit you.

On the ground, a figure bound with hemp rope like a fat pig waiting to be slaughtered had its limbs twisted at bizarre angles, clearly broken. Its once arrogant, fat face was now covered in bruises and bloodstains, with only its eyes still able to move in terror.

"Spare me! Spare me!" Upon hearing the sound, Emerald Tiger could not discern who it was, and could only wail repeatedly, tears streaming down its face.

“Jade Tiger!” Situ Wanli stepped forward, his voice full of undisguised sarcasm. “I never thought you’d have such a day of weeping and groveling!”

The wailing stopped abruptly.

Jade Tiger turned his head with difficulty, and Situ Wanli's figure was reflected in his swollen eyes.

"It's you?!"

Shock froze on his horribly disfigured face, then transformed into boundless hatred.

"It's you! Situ Wanli!" His voice was hoarse, like a broken gong. "It was you who colluded with those Baiyue barbarians to plot against me!"

After a brief moment of bewilderment, he finally connected this sudden disaster with the unpleasant auction.

"Because of that sword? Just for all those swords?!"

At the second auction, he intimidated many merchants with words, deterring them from bidding, and thus acquired all the swords at the reserve price, thinking he had gotten a great deal. But his triumph lasted only a few days, as Lanxiu Manor was reduced to ashes, and amidst the flames, the cold questioning of the Baiyue woman Yan Lingji still echoed in his ears.

She was pressing for answers about the sword's whereabouts.

At the time, he thought that the Baiyue people were greedy, or that they had a grudge against the night and that's why they wanted to take the sword.

Only now, seeing Situ Wanli standing in front of him, did he realize the real reason behind it all: this was a meticulously planned revenge!

"It was you...it was all your trap!" The Emerald Tiger's eyes were bloodshot; if it weren't for its restraints, it would have pounced on the tiger and devoured its flesh.

"He's not entirely stupid, it's just a pity he realized it too late." Another voice rang out, carrying a youthful clarity, beside Situ Wanli.

Upon hearing the sound, Jade Tiger looked over and saw a young man. Although his attire was different from that of the mysterious bronze-masked man in the cave, his figure and familiar voice made him realize that he was the mysterious man who had been with the group of Baiyue people earlier. This undoubtedly meant that he had witnessed Situ Wanli colluding with the Baiyue people.

“Jade Tiger…” Xu Qing bent down, his cold gaze falling on the Jade Tiger’s terrified eyes, “Does the promise you made in the cave still stand? Offer up all your wealth in exchange for your life, how about it?”

The jade tiger's fat body trembled violently.

The words that had been uttered in the desperate situation of the cave to save their lives had now become bargaining chips for the other party, and the intense sense of humiliation instantly overwhelmed the fear.

"Want my family fortune? Dream on!" He gritted his teeth, appearing almost insane, pinning his last hope on the infamous reputation of the Nightfall. "So what if I die? The General and the Blood-Clad Marquis will never let you go! On the road to the Yellow Springs, you'll be my companions!"

Situ Wanli frowned slightly upon hearing this. The names Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei were indeed like thorns, bringing a chill of reality.

Xu Qing remained unfazed and snorted lightly: "You are indeed a dying man, but how can our lives be decided by a mere skeleton in a tomb like you? Ji Wuye and Bai Yifei? Though their names are resounding, they are nothing more than wolves trapped in a corner of the tiny land of Korea."

He ignored the trapped beast on the ground, turned to Situ Wanli, and spoke faster.

“Brother, Jade Tiger’s vast wealth is nothing more than a drop in the ocean in Xinzheng. His real gold mines are all in his Jade Mountain Villa in Nanyang. Once we get him to talk and obtain the token, we can empty his coffers before nightfall realizes what’s going on…”

These words were like a spark thrown into an oil drum, instantly igniting the burning greed in Situ Wanli's eyes, and the trace of fear was quickly suppressed.

At the same time, he understood Xu Qing's subtext.

"Don't worry!" Situ Wanli's voice was deep and resolute, his gaze sharp as a knife. "I have plenty of ways to make him vomit up everything he needs to vomit."

Farmers are numerous and powerful, with all sorts of extraordinary people and talents. Once you get them to talk, there are ways that are more reliable and effective than whips and branding irons.

"We need to act quickly!" Xu Qing emphasized. "The longer we delay, the more likely Ji Wuye and the others will react."

Situ Wanli naturally understood this principle well.

Once night falls and the search is in full swing, it will be virtually impossible to gain any further influence over the jade tiger industry in Nanyang.

The two men, oblivious to everyone else, discussed how to divide Jade Tiger's vast fortune, as if the fat, dying body on the ground was merely a lifeless object.

As Jade Tiger listened to their ruthless analysis of the ownership of his wealth, he was terrified. A sudden urge to die arose within him. He would rather kill himself than let his life's work benefit his enemies.

He suddenly opened his mouth, as if to bite his tongue.

However, the moment the thought arose, two gusts of wind from the fingertips almost simultaneously pierced through the air.

puff!puff!

With precise finger pressure, the acupoint was pierced, and a feeling of tingling, numbness, and weakness instantly swept through the entire body.

Jade Tiger was horrified to discover that not only could it not move its limbs, but it had also lost control of its throat and tongue, and could only whimper "ho ho," making suicide a distant dream.

After the discussion was completed, Situ Wanli began to secretly move the Jade Tiger to a more secluded location, while also hurriedly leaving to arrange the evacuation.

He had already made an appointment with Xu Qing to set off immediately, temporarily leaving the troublesome place of Xinzheng, with his destination being Nanyang.

Xu Qing watched Situ Wanli's busy figure, then turned and walked towards another, slightly cleaner, quiet room.

The door slid open silently, revealing a dimly lit room. A girl dressed in black night clothes lay down fully clothed, seemingly asleep, but Xu Qing keenly noticed the extremely subtle changes in her breathing rhythm.

"Now that you're awake, why pretend anymore?" Xu Qing's voice wasn't loud, but it was clear and distinct. "Nongyu... Miss."

The figure on the bed stiffened slightly, then slowly sat up.

The girl had a fair and beautiful face, and her eyes held a resolute look of facing death, clearly indicating that she was prepared to face the worst possible outcome.

However, when her gaze fell upon Xu Qing standing at the door, a look of astonishment instantly replaced the icy expression in her eyes.

"Mr. Xu? How could it be you?" Her voice carried confusion and a hint of barely perceptible hope.

“Of course it’s me.” Xu Qing walked in, casually closing the door behind him, making the room even softer. “Tianze entrusted you to me.”

"Tianze!" Nongyu was startled, and her gaze toward Xu Qing became increasingly complicated.

Why would the Baiyue prince entrust himself to Mr. Xu? What is the relationship between them? Many thoughts flashed through his mind.

Xu Qing had no intention of explaining his connection with Tianze, and instead asked, "But you, Miss Nongyu, why did you end up in such a dangerous place as Xueyi Fortress? You were originally a member of Zilan Pavilion, you should have..."

His gaze swept over her night clothes that she hadn't had time to change, and the rest of his sentence turned into a deep sigh.

"I think I understand."

Then, his voice suddenly turned cold, filled with undisguised anger.

"What a Wei Zhuang! What a Zi Nu! I thought they treated you like one of their own in Zi Lan Xuan, cherishing and protecting you. I never imagined they would see you as a pawn, caring nothing for your safety!"

Although this angry rebuke was directed at the person in charge of Zilan Pavilion, every word struck a chord with Nongyu.

She recalled the solemnity with which Xu Qing had mentioned "her father's entrustment" that day, and a warm feeling and a sense of guilt welled up in her heart.

Mr. Xu was indeed a man of his word, and had been secretly looking after me all along.

“Mr. Xu…” Nongyu felt a pang of sadness and hurriedly tried to explain, “This matter has nothing to do with Sister Zinu and the others. It was I… it was my own insistence on helping them…”

Under Xu Qing's silent gaze, Nongyu no longer concealed anything and recounted her experience of infiltrating the palace, investigating clues, uncovering Bai Yifei's secrets, and ultimately being trapped in Xueyi Fort.

"In other words..." Xu Qing waited for her to finish speaking before repeating in a deep voice, "In order to help them, you entered the palace as an inside agent. After obtaining the medicine bottle sent by an outsider, you intended to find out its origin, but you inadvertently discovered the secret of the Blood-Clad Marquis and were eventually captured by him and imprisoned in Snow-Clad Fortress. You then found the location of the underground palace and encountered the Baiyue people?"

He paused slightly, his tone filled with regret and reproach, "You were too reckless!"

“I know you mean well.” Xu Qing took a few steps closer, speaking earnestly, “But have you considered this? You are not an unknown person in Xinzheng. How many people in Zilan Pavilion have seen you and recognized your face? Your identity was exposed in the palace. Even if you manage to escape, it’s only a matter of time before the Blood-Clad Marquis follows your appearance and tracks down Zilan Pavilion. Your actions have put the entire Zilan Pavilion on the edge of a knife. This is not helping Zi Nu, but harming her!”

Nongyu's face turned ashen instantly, her lips parted slightly, but she remained speechless.

Xu Qing's words were like a heavy hammer, shattering her simple heart of helping others and revealing the hidden crisis consequences.

After a long silence, she lowered her eyes, her voice barely audible, filled with regret: "Yes, it was my oversight, I was too reckless."

"Nongyu!" Xu Qing no longer addressed her as "Miss," but called her by her name directly, his tone revealing the concern and seriousness of an elder. "Your father and I are old friends, and I promised him I would take care of you. It was precisely because I respected your choice that I did not forcibly take you away from Zilan Pavilion. But that does not mean I can stand by and watch you risk your life!"

His voice grew deeper and stronger:

"Promise me that from now on, you will think twice before you do anything! Think about yourself!"

“You are not an orphan. You still have your birth parents in this world. If something happens to you, how heartbroken they will be? Although Zi Nu has raised you, and you should remember her kindness, this kindness is absolutely not worth repaying with your life!” He softened his tone. “Besides, you have earned a lot of money for her over the years, which is itself a kind of repayment.”

Xu Qing, unusually, offered earnest advice like an elder.

As Nongyu listened, she not only didn't find it tedious, but also felt a long-lost, heartfelt warmth and protection.

This reprimand made her clearly realize that she was valued and cared for.

"Alright, you must keep these words in mind." Seeing that the time was right, Xu Qing calmed his slightly excited emotions. "Now, you should go back."

He paused, then added, "Also, please pass on a few words for me. To Wei Zhuang, and to Zi Nu..."

Chapter 94 A Journey to Nanyang: The Question of Iron and Blood

Nanyang, this land straddling the border between the states of Han and Chu, has been the dividing line between the Central Plains and the South since ancient times.

Because it is a border region, it has a history of frequent warfare, and an indescribable atmosphere of chaos has always permeated the area.

South Korea once paid little attention to this remote border region.