Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

After entering Chu, he visited many famous figures in the region.

The Feng Hu Zi family, a renowned family of sword appraisers, also possesses the "Sword Manual," an authoritative list coveted by many swordsmen. Naturally, he wanted to see it and see how his sword was described in the Feng Hu Zi Sword Manual.

Unfortunately, meeting Feng Hu Zi is not an easy thing.

Therefore, there was no insistence.

"The one I want to invite is not Feng Hu Zi." Xu Qing looked south towards Shouchun City. "I want to see Song Yu and ask him to write a poem for my sword."

Xu Qing had mentioned Song Yu in a conversation with Tian Guang, and felt that there was a predestined connection between them.

It is said that Song Yu was a disciple of Qu Yuan. It is only reasonable for Song Yu to ask his disciple, Qu Yuan, for his opinion on the sword he forged based on Qu Yuan's "Heavenly Questions".

Feng Hu Zi is indeed hard to find, but Song Yu is right here in Shouchun City.

“Song Yu?” Situ Wanli was suddenly taken aback.

That old fellow who was neglected by the King of Chu and suppressed by Huang Xie, who had been dismissed from all positions and lost all power?

But in a flash, his back suddenly straightened.

Yes! Although this man has lost power, his fame still remains in the literary world of Chu... If we could obtain a poem about swords from him, how could we not make our precious swords famous throughout the world?

“But…” Situ Wanli’s Adam’s apple bobbed, “that old man is extremely aloof; even Huang Xie offered him a thousand gold pieces for a poem, but he refused…”

“Therefore, I need to personally visit this renowned scholar from the past,” Xu Qing said with certainty.

……

The southern corner of Shouchun City.

An old courtyard lies quietly by the water.

The courtyard wall is mottled, and a small river meanders a few steps away from the gate. Two weeping willows grow alongside the water, their slender branches swaying lazily in the morning breeze.

An elderly man with silver hair and beard, dressed in coarse linen clothes, walked to the riverbank, bent down and picked up a bamboo fish basket. He glanced at the few small fish inside and couldn't help but sigh softly.

He poured the small fish into the prepared basket, and then put the empty basket into the deep part of the river.

He turned around, his steps faltering, and walked toward the narrow courtyard.

As dawn broke, the light outlined a face weathered by time yet still bearing traces of its former handsome features—it was none other than Song Yu, the once peerless talent of the Chu Kingdom.

When he pushed open the creaking courtyard gate and stepped into the familiar yet cramped house, his body suddenly stiffened.

Inside the room, a figure had appeared at some point.

The newcomer stood quietly, his face covered by an ancient bronze mask, surveying the humble room.

The old man instantly became alert: "Who are you?"

The man did not answer directly, but his deep voice came through the mask, carrying an indescribable sigh: "Song Yu, once a prominent figure in the State of Chu, who could have imagined that his later years would be so desolate? A dilapidated courtyard, and he still has to personally salvage his three meals a day..."

Upon hearing this, a complex expression crossed Song Yu's aged face, and a hint of self-mockery appeared in the corners of his eyes and brows.

How could he not feel resentful about this ending?

The line “Poor scholar, deprived of his post, is filled with resentment” in “Nine Arguments” fully expresses the sentiments of the speaker.

Faced with the corruption in the court, he also said, "The fierce dogs bark and howl, but the gates and bridges are closed and impassable," directly criticizing the reality of the powerful and wealthy in power.

however……

What can be done about it?

"Have you come here to mock an old man like me?" Song Yu's voice carried the desolation of someone who had experienced the vicissitudes of life.

“That’s not the case.” The masked man, Xu Qing, slowly shook his head, his gaze behind the bronze mask falling on the old man. “I have long admired Song Yu of Chu, whose poetry was unparalleled in his time. Today, I am willing to offer a large sum of money to invite him to compose a poem for my sword.”

"I am not interested in such things!"

Upon hearing Xu Qing's purpose, Song Yu resolutely refused and ordered him to leave.

"This is my humble abode. Please step out!"

Xu Qing seemed not to hear him, his voice as calm as ever: "Sir, would you be interested in admiring these swords first before making a decision?"

Before he finished speaking, without any visible movement, he simply flicked his sleeve, and a sharp, cold light suddenly pierced the air.

A clear and resonant sound!

A long sword, its blade gleaming coldly, was now stuck upside down in the ground between Xu Qing and Song Yu, its blade still trembling slightly.

"This sword is named 'Starry Sky'!" Xu Qing pointed to the longsword on the ground, his calm voice echoing clearly in the small room.

"Its meaning comes from 'Where do the sun and moon belong? Where are the stars arranged?'"

Song Yu initially had no good feelings towards this uninvited guest who had concealed his true identity and entered his home without permission, and had no interest whatsoever in the matter of the sword poem.

However, upon hearing these words, especially the familiar phrase "Where do the sun and moon belong? Where are the stars arranged?", he was deeply shaken.

This sentence is a question posed by his teacher Qu Yuan in "Heavenly Questions," which aims to explore the order of the stars.

The sword before me was actually forged based on my master's masterpiece.

My thoughts drifted to the divine sword of the Chu Kingdom—Tianwen!

That sword is the pinnacle of Chu's sword-making skills. It was forged based on the Emperor's Sword that Zhuangzi discussed when he talked about swords. Legend has it that when the sword was forged, red rain fell from the sky with a magnificent sound, so it was named after its master's work, which also implies "asking the heavens".

Today, the Tianwen Sword is the sword of the King of Chu and a symbol of the Chu royal power.

After the He Shi Bi was lost, this sword, along with the Sui Hou Pearl which fell into the Chu Kingdom, were known as the Twin Jades of Chu.

Could this sword before him be a replica of the Heavenly Questions? Song Yu wondered to himself.

He stared intently at it.

The sword's edge was as clear as autumn water, and along its spine, patterns of the sun, moon, stars, and clouds swirled and flowed, mysterious and unpredictable.

Xu Qing reached out and grasped the sword, slashing through the air. The sword light flowed, and the cool starlight sprinkled into the small room. As he danced, it seemed as if the stars of the heavens flickered within it.

After the demonstration, Xu Qing stopped, and the longsword returned to the ground.

Song Yu did not step forward to test the sword. After a moment of silence, he said in a deep voice, "A fine sword!"

"These are good swords!" Xu Qing said with unwavering confidence. He had put a lot of effort into making these swords.

If they weren't good swords, why would he forge them?

After he finished speaking, he flicked his sleeves again, and as Song Yu focused his gaze, a second longsword with a completely different light appeared beside "Lie Xing".

"The second sword is named 'Xi Ri'!"

Its origin lies in the line, "Before Xihe rose, what light did Ruohua possess?"

Song Yu certainly understood the meaning of the second sentence, which was to inquire about the secret of the sun god's control over the sun.

Corresponding to this sword, the entire body is reddish-gold in color, shining brightly like the sun in the sky, and the hilt is carved with a picture of six dragons driving a chariot through the clouds.

Xu Qing wielded his sword as before, and in an instant, golden light filled the room, dazzling and magnificent, as if it could cleanse all the filth in the world.

The sword was sheathed and stood firmly on the ground.

Xu Qing didn't wait for a pause.

The third sword, carrying a chilling aura, pierced through the air and arrived.

"The third sword is named 'Hongyuan'!"

Before Xu Qing could speak, it was Song Yu who spoke up.

"The spring is extremely deep; how can one fathom it?"

“Exactly!” Xu Qing nodded, wielding the longsword, its blade a dark jade color with flowing water patterns along its spine. The opening and closing of the sword's movements resembled a torrent of ink painting, yet it possessed a completely different artistic conception from the famous Mo family weapon, “Ink Eyebrow.”

Song Yu suddenly felt a few cool, damp drops fall on his body, and the surrounding air instantly became moist and sticky. When Xu Qing sheathed his sword and Hongyuan Sword disappeared into the ground in front of him, he was surprised to find that it was no illusion, because a puddle of clear water had indeed condensed at the center of where the sword had stood.

"But... are there any other swords?"

The three sword demonstrations were over. Even though Song Yu was not proficient in swordsmanship, he had a wealth of experience throughout his life and had even personally participated in suppressing rebellions. He was by no means a scholar who could not even kill a chicken. He could still distinguish the quality of the swords.

Moreover, he had personally witnessed the majesty of the Chu King's sword, "Tianwen".

After all, it was a divine weapon named after my mentor Hongpian!

These three swords were all forged using his mentor Tianwen as their source, which made him think of his mentor who had passed away many years ago.

The other person's voice and appearance flashed through his mind, deeply moving him.

“There are two more!” Xu Qing responded in a deep voice.

A fourth sword appeared in his hand. This sword was forged from black iron, and its blade was decorated with openwork wind patterns, like the eye of a storm. When it was swung, a strong wind arose, and the sword's shadow was fleeting and hard to find, clearly a weapon of unparalleled speed.

"This sword is named 'Boqiang'!"

The source is self-evident. Song Yu silently murmured to himself, "Where is Boqiang? Where is his benevolent spirit?" This is precisely the line that questions the whereabouts of the wind god Yuqiang.

"The last one..." Xu Qing's voice fell as the final hammer fell, "It is named 'Suspended Garden'!"

Chapter 101 Sword Ode, The Sword of Nourishing Life!

"Where is the buttock of Kunlun County Garden?"

This line is a question posed by Qu Yuan in his "Heavenly Questions" about the foundation of the Kunlun Immortal Garden. Now, a long, azure sword hangs in Xu Qing's hand, its blade adorned with lifelike peach patterns, as if it were truly a branch plucked from the garden of the Queen Mother of the West. Xu Qing lightly flicks his wrist, and the sword's energy spreads out, yet without a trace of murderous intent, only a vast and pure aura sweeps forth, carrying with it an endless vitality that makes one's heart tremble.

He gently planted the sword into the ground. Now, five longswords of different shapes stood side by side, their cold light gleaming, exuding a chilling aura.

Song Yu gazed at the sword formation, his eyes distant, as if piercing through time, seeing once again the proud figure of his mentor Qu Yuan, who held his pen and questioned the heavens.

After a long while, he slowly came to his senses, turned to Xu Qing, and said in a voice with the cool and straightforward tone characteristic of a scholar: "An ode can be written. Praising this divine weapon also suits my heart." He then changed the subject without beating around the bush, "However, the fee for writing it must not be reduced by a single penny!"

Song Yu was very direct.

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing was slightly taken aback, then replied, "Of course."

So, Song Yu wasn't exactly a man of integrity!

Previously, Situ Wanli also said that Huang Xie once spent a thousand gold pieces to ask Song Yu to compose a poem, but was refused by Song Yu. He thought that Song Yu was a stubborn person who would not be swayed by either soft or hard approaches, but it turns out that this was not the case.

Song Yu's rejection of Huang Xie was not because he didn't love money; after all, money could improve his impoverished life.

More likely, it's because he disliked Huang Xie as a person.

After all, Song Yu's current predicament is directly related to Huang Xie.

Therefore, Xu Qing decisively gave Song Yu fifty gold pieces.