Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Whether it's forcibly upgrading traits, experiencing packs for swordsmiths, or the traits themselves, all require the special currency of reputation.

Tian Guang took in the burning passion that flashed in Xu Qing's eyes, but did not point it out. He suddenly changed the subject: "Mr. Xu, there are two things that amaze me. First, it is your unparalleled sword-making skills. Every sword you make is a divine weapon, with an undeniable sharpness."

He paused slightly, his gaze suddenly becoming sharp as needles, as if trying to pierce through Xu Qing's composure: "Secondly, how exactly did you know, sir, that I am the leader of the Farmer's School of Chivalry?"

At first, he thought it was Situ Wanli who told Xu Qing.

But after meeting Situ Wanli and having a conversation, he learned that this was not the case.

On that day in South Korea, Xu Qing suddenly appeared at the entrance of the Farmer's Hidden Dragon Hall, claiming to be an old friend of his, and thus befriended Situ Wanli. After that, the two joined forces to do business, with one in charge of forging swords and the other in charge of selling the forged swords through auctions and other means.

To be honest, Tian Guang found the business these two were involved in very interesting.

However, what concerned him most was what Situ Wanli said next.

Xu Qing seemed to know from the very beginning that he was the leader of the peasant chivalrous family.

They had long been aware that Qianlongtang, Situ Wanli, and others were from farming families.

But Tian Guang knew the answer.

During their brief encounter in the State of Qi, he did not reveal his true identity to Xu Qing.

He didn't even reveal that he came from a farming family.

Xu Qing's expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied, "Though the world is vast, the various schools of thought are not isolated islands. Disciples of the Farmer's School are everywhere, and while the name of the leader of the Chivalrous School may be hidden, it is not an absolute secret. Moreover..."

He smiled slightly and took out an object from his pocket. It was an antique-style token engraved with the unique patterns of the Mohist school.

"Before Mr. Tian Guang, I had already crossed paths with the Six-Fingered Black Knight, the leader of the Mohist School, and was even invited to set foot in the Mohist Mechanical City, which was full of traps and difficult for outsiders to find."

When Tian Guang saw the token that Xu Qing took out, his eyes narrowed. "It is indeed a token of the Mo family."

Most of his doubts were instantly resolved, and he felt enlightened.

"So that's how it is! Mr. Xu is actually a disciple of the Mohist school? Xu... the Xu family, a famous sword-making family in the State of Zhao, has all turned to Mohism. Could you be a member of the Xu family?"

A clear logical chain formed in his mind: the Mo family's intelligence network was extensive and deep, and they had discovered his identity as the leader of the knights; the Xu family was skilled in sword forging, and Xu Qing had inherited their skills; everything made perfect sense.

Just as Xu Qing said, among the various schools of thought, there were intersections. Even if there was no direct contact, they would occasionally discover some of the secrets of each other's schools.

Many people are unaware of the whereabouts of the Xu family, once renowned swordsmiths in the State of Zhao.

The farmers, however, knew that they had already quietly joined the Mohist school.

Naturally, given that the Mohist school is no less powerful than the Agricultural school, and in fact, the Mohist school is now much more famous than the Agricultural school, it is not surprising that the Mohist school discovered his identity as the leader of the chivalrous sect.

Unexpectedly, Xu Qing gave a completely different answer: "I am neither a disciple of the Mo family nor of the Xu clan. It was just by chance that I exchanged sword-forging techniques with the Xu clan in the Mechanized City."

Tian Guang was slightly taken aback, quite surprised by Xu Qing's answer.

He looked at Xu Qing.

Xu Qing was also looking at him, her gaze sincere.

In the end, Tian Guang chose to believe Xu Qing.

Although Xu Qing had deep ties with the Mohist school, he was ultimately a free man. This did not diminish his value; on the contrary, it fueled Tian Guang's burning desire.

"Mr. Xu," Tian Guang leaned forward slightly, his tone sincere and solemn, "what do you think of my farmhouse?"

"Not bad at all!"

Xu Qing thought about the farmhouses in the original work and realized it was hard to say. Besides being heavily infiltrated by the Luo Net, they were also rife with infighting.

Of course, that refers to the later stages of rural life.

After the incident involving Lord Changping, the peasants had come into the Qin state's sights and were discovered by the Luo Wang (a spy network), which is why they were infiltrated.

Although there were some sordid incidents in the early farming community, such as plotting against Wu Kuang and framing Chen Sheng, overall, under Tian Guang's leadership, the community presented a vibrant and thriving scene.

Even in the later, rotten peasant families, there were still many heroes and admirable figures.

"Then..." Tian Guang stopped beating around the bush and extended the most direct invitation, "Would you be willing to join my Farmer's School? The Farmer's School is inclusive and open-minded, unlike the strict rules of Confucianism and Mohism. If you agree, you will become the chief swordsmith of the Farmer's School! The entire Farmer's School will spare no effort to help you forge a legendary sword!"

This promise carries immense weight, demonstrating their eagerness to recruit talented individuals.

It sounds unbelievable.

However, if you take a closer look at the swords that Xu Qing had forged before, you'll realize that Xu Qing deserved to be treated this way.

Tian Guang had no idea how many swords Xu Qing had forged.

But he himself possessed Xu Qing's sword.

He also learned about Xu Qing's sword-forging speed from Situ Wanli.

With the support of Lord Changping, the peasant family gradually rose to prominence. However, Tian Guang was not entirely clear about what Lord Changping intended to achieve.

A scholar will die for one who understands him.

Lord Changping needed him to lead the farmers to accumulate strength, so he needed to do this well.

If Xu Qing's sword could be used by the peasants, it would definitely help them gain extremely powerful strength.

Xu Qing remained silent for a moment, and the air seemed to freeze.

Finally, he slowly shook his head: "I appreciate Mr. Tian Guang's kindness. However, I am a free spirit by nature and have no intention of joining his household."

A fleeting hint of disappointment crossed Tian Guang's eyes, quickly replaced by a carefree smile: "What a pity! But a gentleman does not force others to do things against their will. No matter what, Mr. Xu will always be a friend of my farming family!"

He knew that some things couldn't be forced, so it was better to maintain the friendship than to force it.

As long as the friendship is maintained, even if Xu Qing really forges a good sword, won't the farmers still be the first to benefit?

At that time, what difference did it make whether Xu Qing joined a farming family or not?

"Of course we should cherish it," Xu Qing replied solemnly.

Before parting, Tian Guang took out a bronze token and handed it to Xu Qing. It was simple in design and engraved with rice ear patterns: "I am giving this to you, sir. If any juniors do not recognize it in the future and cause misunderstandings, showing this token may save some trouble."

Xu Qing accepted the token, but felt somewhat disappointed.

He thought it was a decree from Shennong!

The result was just an ordinary token.

But thinking about it carefully, it makes sense. The Shennong Decree is equivalent to the personal presence of the Hero, and can even command the six halls of the Farmer's Clan.

This kind of thing can't be given away randomly, of course.

After seeing Tian Guang off, Xu Qing continued to devote himself to the matter of sword forging.

And so, some time passed.

He finally completed several of the nine swords he had conceived.

This also allows Situ Wanli to open his business.

Situ Wanli must be waiting anxiously.

In fact, the time was not particularly long. For an ordinary swordsmith, whether or not they could forge a sword was a problem.

That day, very early in the morning.

Xu Qing carried the sword box and arrived at the door of Situ Wanli's room.

"Brother Situ, are you awake yet?"

Xu Qing's voice came out and reached the ears of the fast-sleeping Situ Wanli.

Situ Wanli suddenly woke up from his sleep, initially somewhat impatient.

He quickly realized who was calling him and immediately suppressed his displeasure.

Then he hurriedly put on his clothes and went out of the room.

"Brother, is there something you need from your older brother?"

He was all smiles, incredibly kind.

Xu Qing liked the other person's mercenary demeanor.

If he were unruly, Xu Qing would find it a little strange!

Chapter 100 Song Yu of Chu, Five Swords of Heavenly Inquiry

Before Xu Qing could speak, Situ Wanli asked first, "Has the sword been forged?"

After much thought, he realized that the only thing that could make someone as pure-hearted as Brother Xu take the initiative to contact him was this matter.

"Several blades have indeed been forged," Xu Qing nodded in response.

A glint of light flashed in Situ Wanli's eyes. "Excellent! Then I'll immediately begin preparations for the auction?"

"Wait a minute." Xu Qing raised his hand to stop him.

"Oh?" Situ Wanli looked surprised.

"Brother, don't you think that relying solely on your introduction at the auction to attract bidding is a bit too simplistic and outdated?" Xu Qing's gaze was calm. "In that case, it may be difficult to fully demonstrate the true value of this sword."

"What do you mean by that, brother?" Situ Wanli immediately composed himself and pretended to listen attentively.

He would be more than happy to earn more.

"There are only a few people in the world with discerning eyes; most are those who follow the crowd. Even if you speak eloquently on stage, there will still be many who have doubts. They will be cautious in their bidding and mostly adopt a wait-and-see attitude."

"In the end, the foundation of Qianlong Hall in Chu is still shallow, unlike Xinzheng in Han, which has been established for more than ten years and whose reputation has long been deeply rooted in people's hearts..." Xu Qing pointed out the key point.

Situ Wanli deeply agreed. Although he was responsible for the vast territory of Chu, and his family's roots were also here, and he even had the intention of promoting the leader of the chivalrous clan, Shouchun City was ultimately a new capital. Qianlong Hall had only been established here for a few years, and its reputation and prestige were indeed difficult to compare with the old members of Han.

"Therefore, we need to invite celebrities to promote the sword," Xu Qing stated the core idea.

"Celebrity?" Situ Wanli was slightly taken aback, clearly not understanding the meaning of Xu Qing's modern colloquialism.

Could it be referring to the most dazzling star in the night sky?

Xu Qing realized that the other party did not understand, so he explained again: "It means inviting those famous figures to evaluate and promote our swords. In this way, even though the swords have not been drawn, their names can already shake the world."

Situ Wanli was a shrewd man and immediately understood: "Brother, you mean... ask famous scholars to promote us? In other words, create momentum?"

His mind raced, and he blurted out, "You want to have the Feng Hu Zi family appraise it? If we have their comments, even if it doesn't get into the catalog immediately, as long as we spread the word, it will definitely cause a frenzy at the auction!"

"However, the Feng Hu Zi family has always been reclusive, appearing only once every five years when the sword manual is updated, to publish the new manual..."

“I know.” Xu Qing nodded.