Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

However, they still encountered difficulties in selling swords directly here.

"So, Chen Ying doesn't have a branch of the Hidden Dragon Hall?" Xu Qing learned about the Farmer's layout in this area from Situ Wanli.

Situ Wanli explained, "Although the Farmer's School has established numerous Hidden Dragon Halls in various countries to exchange treasures and conduct trade, it only operates one hall within each country. While it did have a branch hall in Chenying, it was moved to Shouchun after the Chu Kingdom relocated its capital." He paused, then looked at Xu Qing, "What do you think, brother? Will you stay in Chenying to focus on forging swords, or will you accompany me to Shouchun?"

“Chen Ying is certainly good, quiet and undisturbed. However…” Situ Wanli added, “This place is far from Shouchun, and even if the sword is forged, it will be difficult to receive timely feedback. If it is to be transported to Qianlong Hall in Shouchun for sale, the journey is long and the Chu region is vast, which may cause many inconveniences.”

Xu Qing keenly discerned Situ Wanli's true intention: "Brother, do you want me to go to Shouchun?"

Today, Situ Wanli took the initiative to come and mentioned the difficulty of selling. Xu Qing did not understand his meaning at first, but by now he already understood.

Situ Wanli hoped that he would come along, but he was worried that he would be tired from the journey, so he subtly discussed the matter with him under the pretext of selling goods.

“That’s right!” Seeing that his thoughts had been exposed, Situ Wanli simply said, “Firstly, the cooperation with Korea in the past was very smooth. You forged the sword, and I could immediately sell it, which benefited both of us. To be honest, after the Korean affair, the main hall has entrusted me with all the affairs of the Chu Kingdom’s Hidden Dragon Hall.” He paused slightly, his expression becoming a little more serious, “Secondly, it’s because the leader of the chivalrous sect wants to see you, brother.”

"Oh?" Xu Qing looked slightly surprised.

"The Hero King has been busy in Chu lately. Upon learning of your arrival, he immediately sent word to me, hoping to arrange a meeting." Situ Wanli lowered his voice. "Brother, you know that the Hero King holds a very high position in our peasant family... This meeting is quite important. I humbly hope that you can put in a good word for me with the Hero King..."

As expected, it was still the familiar Situ Wanli, every step he took was full of calculation.

Xu Qing was not opposed to the trip to Shouchun, and after thinking for a moment, he agreed.

As for Situ Wanli's claim that Chen Ying was advantageous for sword forging, it was not crucial to him. Whether or not there was a sword forging workshop was not important to him. He could forge swords even in an inn, since he carried a sword forging workshop with him.

So, not long after arriving in Chenying, the group set off again.

This is not surprising, as Chenying was merely a temporary stop for farmers. The real hub and core would naturally be located in the capital of a state, such as Xinzheng in Han or Shouchun in Chu.

The journey was quite circuitous. Starting from Chenying, one had to cross the Ying River and the Huai River, make a brief stop in Juyang, and finally arrive at the new capital, Shouchun.

Upon arriving in Shouchun, Xu Qing's expectations were inevitably dampened, and he was somewhat disappointed.

Although this city relies on natural barriers such as the Huai River, unlike Chen Ying which is unobstructed, it is, after all, a newly established capital with a short history of construction. In Xu Qing's view, its prosperous atmosphere is not as profound as that of the old capital, Chen Ying.

After all, when the capital was moved inland, the powerful and wealthy could move their entire families, but ordinary people who had lived there for generations would not easily leave their hometowns.

However, this slight disappointment was quickly dispelled by the sights of the Hidden Dragon Hall.

"The layout of this Qianlong Hall seems quite different from the one in Xinzheng?" Xu Qing examined the building in front of him.

“Customs vary from country to country, so the forms and structures will naturally differ,” Situ Wanli explained. “Furthermore, this branch hall was recently moved here with the Chu capital and has not been built for long…”

Xu Qing nodded, no longer asking any questions, and turned his gaze to Situ Wanli: "Have you prepared everything I asked for?"

“I have already prepared everything for you, my brother!” Situ Wanli said with a smile, leading Xu Qing into the inner room of the workshop. “Although this place is newly set up, in order to ensure that you can forge swords without any problems, I specially instructed my disciples to set it up exactly like the original workshop of the Korean Qianlong Hall, striving to make it exactly the same.”

"Thank you for your kindness, brother." Xu Qing said calmly, his heart unmoved.

Don't be fooled by Situ Wanli's current enthusiasm for him, and even his willingness to risk his life alongside him; it's only because the benefits are great enough.

A good sword can easily cost several thousand or even ten thousand gold pieces.

This is incredibly profitable compared to his business ventures.

"Now that everything is ready, I'll start the furnace immediately," Xu Qing said, then asked, "When will Mr. Tian Guang arrive?"

"After receiving the letter, I immediately informed Xia Kui in secret that you have arrived in Shouchun," Situ Wanli replied. "Xia Kui should have gone there as soon as he received the letter and will arrive in a few days."

Xu Qing remained silent.

After Situ Wanli left, he lit the flames of the sword-forging furnace, but only as a decoration.

His mind sank into the system space he carried with him, and began the real forging in that invisible sword-making workshop.

This journey, from Chenying through Juyang to Shouchun, allowed me to experience the full range of customs and scenery of the Chu region, deepening my understanding of this land.

Xu Qing already had a plan in mind regarding the swords to be forged in this batch.

In states like Han and Zhao, swords were either prized for their ornate beauty or for their practicality. However, Chu was different. A pervasive shamanistic atmosphere permeated the region, with a deep-seated sense of mystery and the bizarre. Rural shrines dotted the landscape, and the worship of spirits and deities was far more prevalent than anywhere else. Therefore, in Chu, beauty was merely an embellishment; mystery was the core essence of the sword.

He had not yet finalized the sword's design, but the name of the sword was already decided.

The origins of sword forging in the Chu region should be traced back to the "Songs of Chu".

After weighing the options between "Nine Songs" and "Heavenly Questions," Xu Qing chose the latter.

After all, the former has already been copied by the Yin-Yang School.

The positions held by the Yin-Yang School all originated from the deities mentioned in the Nine Songs.

Although it seems a bit strange to use the name of a god instead of a person's name.

But compared to the other schools of thought in the Hundred Schools of Thought, its prestige is instantly elevated!

In addition, the State of Chu itself had a famous sword called "Tianwen". In the original story, this sword later fell into the hands of Ying Zheng and became the number one sword in the sword manual. It was revered as the sword of the Son of Heaven. Xu Qing's choice of the sword name from Tianwen can be regarded as a tribute, and also has a subtle sense of destiny.

This time, Xu Qing was determined to put more effort into forging the sword and was not going to use ordinary, high-quality swords as a substitute.

He wanted to forge a set of nine renowned swords born from the same source, each with a distinct personality, echoing the profound questions and grand artistic conception of "Heavenly Questions". To this end, he racked his brains to deduce the unique abilities of each sword, searching for perfectly matching qualities and rare materials, striving for a spiritual fusion and mutual complementarity.

Time slips away quietly in the process of refinement.

Half a month has passed, and the Nine Swords are still not complete.

However, an old friend, whom we expected but had not seen for a long time, stepped into the courtyard of Qianlong Hall first.

Tian Guang, the chivalrous leader of the farming family, has arrived as promised!

The reception room of Qianlong Hall was silent under the warm yellow candlelight.

Situ Wanli did not accompany them; at this moment, only Xu Qing and Tian Guang were facing each other in the room.

The tea smoke curled up on both sides of the table.

Tian Guang's gaze was as calm as a deep pool, settling on Xu Qing's still youthful features, carrying an imperceptible scrutiny and emotion. He finally broke the silence, his voice steady and carrying the weight of years.

"Mr. Xu, it's been a long time."

He truly hadn't expected that life's twists and turns would be so unexpected.

On the day of the Qi Kingdom gathering, he was initially just curious about the person who "gifted a sword" on the street, but later, he unexpectedly obtained a precious sword from Xu Qing.

Although there are many famous swords in the peasant family, Ganjiang, Moye, Juque, and Hupo are all listed in the sword manual.

As a chivalrous leader who shoulders heavy responsibilities and walks through wind and rain, being too sharp would attract attention, so he did not carry those well-known swords.

The Spring Life Sword that Xu Qing forged was not famous because it was a newly forged sword. Instead, it replaced his original sword and became his preferred weapon.

Its extraordinary power to heal internal injuries has given him a chance to catch his breath more than once when his clothes were stained with blood and he was surrounded by powerful enemies, allowing his wounds to quickly scab over before crucial battles.

Such a powerful tool is rare to find a craftsman.

Tian Guang had considered recruiting Xu Qing, and after their parting in Qi, he even sent people to keep a close eye on him. However, Xu Qing vanished without a trace, like an elusive wisp of smoke, leaving him with no way to make a move, and the recruitment effort naturally had to be put on hold.

However, things are unpredictable. Just as he and Zhu Jia were working tirelessly to expand the agricultural base in the complex situation of Chu, Situ Wanli's secret letter stirred up ripples in his heart like a stone thrown into water.

The letter concerns the coveted wealth and legacy of South Korean tycoon Jae-ho.

Although there are risks involved in acquiring it, these risks are bearable in order for the farm to grow and thrive.

But what surprised him even more was that the person mentioned in the letter, the young swordsmith who had left a mark on his memory, had actually gotten together with Situ Wanli.

The threads of fate, after many twists and turns, have once again bound them together.

Therefore, ever since Xu Qing set foot in Shouchun, Chu State, Tian Guang had decided that he must have another conversation with this person.

Across from him at the desk, Xu Qing still retained a touch of calm youthful sharpness between his brows. Meeting Tian Guang's deep gaze, he smiled slightly and responded.

"Mr. Tian Guang, how have you been?"

Chapter 99 Tian Guang's Invitation, Nine Swords in Half

After exchanging pleasantries, they greeted each other.

Tian Guang shed his chivalrous demeanor, dressed like a wandering knight from the streets of Qi in his rough clothes and hearty smile. Only his hawk-like eyes revealed a sharp glint when they swept over Xu Qing.

“Mr. Xu truly intrigues me.” Tian Guang tapped his knuckles on the table, his fingers striking the wood grain with a dull thud. He leaned forward, revealing an old sword scar where his sleeve had slipped down. “I have seen many extraordinary people in this world, but someone like you, sir… is truly one of a kind.”

"What are you curious about?"

"It's not just one nose and two eyes!"

Xu Qing said calmly, "At most, he's a bit younger and more handsome than you."

Upon hearing this, Tian Guang couldn't help but laugh and said, "Speaking of handsomeness, Mr. Xu, you underestimate me! I've only become this way due to the passage of time and the weathering of life. Back in the day, I was quite the handsome Song Yu!"

"Song Yu, I heard he's still alive?" Hearing Tian Guang mention a famous and handsome man, Xu Qing couldn't help but think of what he had heard during his travels in the State of Chu.

Among the Chu state poems, Song Yu was another prominent figure after Qu Yuan.

Throughout his life, he wrote countless poems and essays.

Such as "Ode to the Wind", "Ode to Fishing", "Ode to the Goddess", etc... Xu Qing knew both "Ode to the Wind" and "Ode to the Goddess". The former contributed the famous line "The wind rises from the tip of the duckweed", while the latter was even more famous, referring to the clouds and rain of Wushan!

Because he had never paid attention to Song Yu's life, Xu Qing had always thought that he had died long ago.

Only after arriving in the State of Chu did they learn that this person had actually been alive all along.

He's now almost sixty years old.

He served under several generations of Chu kings, but now he is neglected, frustrated and unfulfilled, and lives a secluded life at home.

"Indeed, he is currently in Shouchun City. If the opportunity arises, Mr. Xu might be able to meet with him and have him write a poem for the sword you have forged..."

Tian Guangben mentioned it casually.

But Xu Qing's eyes lit up when she heard this.

"Great suggestion!"

After Qu Yuan's death, Song Yu became the most famous writer of fu (a type of Chinese prose-poetry) in Chu and even the whole world. Xu Qing didn't care whether Song Yu was valued by the King of Chu. What he valued was Song Yu's reputation. He was a well-deserved celebrity. Not to mention, this celebrity was also known for his good looks when he was young and would later be revered as one of the Four Great Beauties.

This person doesn't look like someone who's frustrated and unsuccessful; he's clearly a big star!

As long as Song Yu is willing to publicize his sword.

Why should Xu Qing worry that his sword will not become famous?

As long as the sword becomes famous, not to mention that the swords forged by the swordsmith Xu family will be able to sell for more money, Xu Qing himself will also gain extremely high prestige.

As the level of the swordsmith increases.

The special properties are secondary; there are also people who help collect the materials.

Reputation is what he values ​​most.