Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

One sword divides Yin and Yang, two energies transform into three powers, and the three powers give birth to all things!

This sword is called—Xuan Shu!

It originates from "Yin Yang San He? What is its origin and transformation?", and is a sword that secretly conforms to Yin and Yang and contains the characteristic of "condensing Qi".

When this sword was officially created.

In a certain place within the State of Chu, an elderly man with white hair and a short stature slowly opened his eyes.

Historically, the emergence of divine swords has been accompanied by various special celestial phenomena.

Just like the famous sword "Tianwen" of the Chu Kingdom, when it appeared in the world, red rain fell from the sky. Many famous sword appraisers would be intrigued by this and would instinctively seek out the famous sword in order to see it.

In Xu Qing's system evaluation, this type of sword is clearly a fourth-tier sword, which can be considered a "legacy" sword.

Xu Qing has not yet forged such a sword.

But the sword at hand has reached the pinnacle of a third-tier famous sword.

It also contains some of the profound aura of a "legacy" sword.

Such strange phenomena would leave ordinary people completely unaware.

However, in this vast world, there are always those who transcend worldly realms, whose spirits have long since merged with the mountains, rivers, and stars, reaching the state of "unity of heaven and man," and thus being able to glimpse the mysterious energy flowing between heaven and earth.

Moreover, the place where Xu Qing forged the sword this time is within the territory of the Chu Kingdom.

The old man with white hair and beard and a short stature was living in seclusion in the Chu region.

In the darkness, a tremor originating from the depths of heaven and earth seized the old man's long-dormant soul without warning.

His desolate eyes suddenly opened, a hint of surprise flashing across their murky depths.

On a whim!

It was as if something that resonated with the path he cultivated had quietly descended into the world at that moment.

The old man's aged fingers instantly became afterimages as he frantically calculated in the void. Each collision of his fingertips caused imperceptible ripples to spread across the surrounding void.

Following that mysterious and profound feeling, he immersed his mind in the vast secrets of the heavens, as if trying to capture a fleeting ray of light in an endless sea of ​​stars.

In a short while, the clouds parted and the sun shone through.

With a pause at his fingertips, the old man's cloudy gaze pierced through the thatched hut and landed in a distant direction.

"It's... Shouchun?" A hint of surprise rose in my heart.

Shouchun was the new capital of the Chu Kingdom.

The old man was also from Chu, and in the past he was famous throughout Jingchu and his reputation resounded throughout the court and the countryside. However, in recent years, by chance he obtained the legendary "Heavenly Book", and he disappeared from the hustle and bustle of the world, hiding in the secluded valleys of the mountains, spending his days with the sound of the pine breeze and the bright moon, and devoted himself to comprehending the profound principles of the Heavenly Book.

He occasionally ventures out of the mountains, but only for a fleeting glimpse; if he encounters someone with whom he has a special connection, he may offer some guidance.

"Though I do not know what triggered the secrets of heaven, causing my heart to surge like a tide..." The old man slowly rose, brushing away non-existent dust from his clothes. Although his figure was hunched, a profound and imposing aura quietly permeated the air.

"But such a sensation is extraordinary; let's go and take a look."

Before leaving, he thought of some things he had seen while stargazing.

"...The King of Chu's destiny is fading, and his fate is nearing its end. This object appeared in Shouchun. Could it be... also a part of the will of Heaven?"

The whispers faded into the mountain wind, and the thatched hut was now empty.

Chapter 105 The King of Chu is dead, and great chaos is about to break out!

With his newly forged sword, Xu Qing infiltrated Song Yu's mansion as if it were empty.

"It seems Mr. Song Yu is in much better condition than last time." Xu Qing's voice rang out just as Song Yu saw off a group of guests and turned to go back into the house.

Song Yu was taken aback, then saw the familiar figure in the bronze mask inside the room, and sighed helplessly, "Isn't all of this thanks to you, Xu Zi?"

Since their last long conversation, during which he wrote "Ode to the Sword" for the five swords and learned that the swordsmith was the person before him, his long-neglected household has never had a peaceful day again.

"Countless people throughout the world desire to obtain the swords forged by Xu Zi, especially after the Xuanpu Sword fetched an astronomical price at the Qianlong Hall auction, the number of people rushing to acquire it has increased even more."

“These days, our mansion has been visited by a constant stream of visitors, including wealthy merchants, powerful figures, and chivalrous figures from the martial arts world, who have come with either threats and coercion or tempting us with great profits!”

"It's all because I saw those five swords and even wrote 'Ode to the Swords,' and they all want to pry out the whereabouts of the remaining four swords from me. Even if they can't find them, they still wish they could know their detailed appearance and characteristics..."

"You should know that in my early years, I offended someone, and my relatives and friends dared not visit me to avoid being implicated, for fear of incurring their wrath."

He didn't say who it was, but Xu Qing could guess.

Over the years, Song Yu only offended one person.

That was Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie.

Unfortunately, Huang Xie's power in the State of Chu now surpasses that of the King of Chu.

After all, the King of Chu was seriously ill and unable to preside over state affairs, so all matters of state were decided by Huang Xie.

Although the other party was the Prime Minister, he was practically a king in effect, much like Lü Buwei, the Chancellor of Qin.

That said, these two are indeed quite similar.

Both of them wielded immense power and influence, and both had given their favorite concubines to the king. Moreover, after their concubines married the king, they all had children.

Those children all became crown princes.

The new king will be born only after the old king dies.

"Is it because of me, sir, that I've implicated you?" Xu Qing asked apologetically.

Song Yu shook his head: "How can you talk about being implicated?"

"Although there were some arrogant visitors, none of them dared to act recklessly because of the many eyes and ears in Shouchun. Most of them maintained their manners." Song Yu said calmly, even with a hint of relief. "To my shame, my humble abode has not been so lively for a long time."

He had already tasted the bitterness and coldness of human relationships during those ten years of exile-like seclusion. After so long in solitude, the occasional sound of voices, even if their motives were impure, brought some solace to the loneliness of a scholar in his heart.

Xu Qing looked at Song Yu's sincere and earnest expression and remained silent.

"You've come to see me today, is it because you need me to compose a new poem for you?" Song Yu asked in turn.

“Not bad.” Xu Qing nodded. “The few swords that were not completed before have been finished recently. Together with the previous five swords, they form the Nine Swords of Heavenly Inquiry. I wonder if you would be willing to use these swords as the foundation to continue the previous sword inscription?”

Song Yu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then smiled and said, "Why not? With a sword before us, how can we not offer our praise?"

Xu Qing waved.

In an instant, just like the last time, four longswords of different shapes and concealed sharpness appeared one after another, their light flowing and reflected in Song Yu's deep eyes.

……

Song Yu's inspiration flowed freely, and he completed the "Nine Swords Ode" in a very short time, combining it with the previous half to form a complete work.

Nine holds extraordinary significance in the Chu region, representing the extreme of Yang.

The Nine Tripods symbolize supreme royal power, and King Zhuang of Chu's ambition to conquer the Central Plains reflects his desire to rule the world.

The Nine Phoenixes were the totem of the Chu state, and the ancestor Zhu Rong was also regarded as the incarnation of the phoenix.

Qu Yuan wrote "Nine Songs" and "Nine Chapters," and Song Yu also wrote "Nine Arguments."

When I first saw the Five Swords, I already sensed they were extraordinary.

Today, observing all nine swords together, one can truly understand their perfect harmony.

After writing the last word of "Nine Swords Ode", Song Yu felt all the pent-up emotions in his chest disappear, and he felt completely relieved.

Following precedent, Xu Qing left behind funds for the writing fee.

Before leaving, remembering what Song Yu had said about visitors causing trouble, he added, "If anyone comes to disturb you again in the future and asks about the whereabouts of the sword, just say that the sword is in Li Yuan's hands, and you may save yourself some trouble."

After speaking, his figure seemed to melt into the wind, disappearing without a trace.

Song Yu watched Xu Qing disappear into the direction he went, and whispered that name: "Li Yuan..."

Of course he knew this person.

He was the emperor's brother-in-law and had a close relationship with Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie.

Since the sword has fallen into Li Yuan's hands, doesn't that mean that those swords have been obtained by Huang Xie?

"Alas, a pearl cast before swine!" After a soft sigh, Song Yu shook his head and chuckled to himself, "With Huang Xie's power, it's not unusual for him to acquire a few of them. But whether he can keep them for long... hehe, divine swords have spirits, and the virtuous will possess them. Those without virtue, even if they temporarily hold them in their hands through power, will inevitably be reduced to ashes."

As for why Xu Qing wanted him to say that, it was simply to "shift the blame."

Because of his essay "Ode to the Sword," he has become the center of a vortex.

With the exorbitant price of the Xuanpu Sword before us, people's greed is burning fiercely. Fortunately, we are now in Shouchun, and it seems that countless eyes are watching us, which prevents those with ulterior motives from making any rash moves.

But in the long run, who can guarantee that those greedy people won't take risks?

"Xu Zi is kind-hearted," Song Yu muttered to himself, understanding Xu Qing's goodwill, his gaze gradually becoming calm and indifferent.

At the same time, he became increasingly curious about the true face behind Xu Qing's mask.

……

Li Yuan returned from Qianlong Hall once again.

Although the trip was very expensive, he was very pleased with himself.

Back in the secret chamber of the mansion, he dismissed his attendants and eagerly opened the heavy sword case.

Inside the box, two cold lights shone brightly.

On the spine of a sword, the sun, moon, and stars revolve; on the blade, wind patterns are carved as if tearing silk.

It is precisely the two swords, "Liexing" and "Boqiang"!

The speed and efficiency with which Qianlong Hall acted far exceeded Li Yuan's expectations, and a slight doubt even crossed his mind that "the other party already had this item."

However, that's no longer important.

With powerful tools at their disposal, great things are within reach.

Li Yuan immediately summoned his two most trusted and secretly trained assassin leaders and solemnly presented the sword box to them.

"These two swords are temporarily bestowed upon you!" Li Yuan's voice was deep and sharp. "Quickly master their power, and make them... as easy as your own arms and legs!"

He was willing to spend a fortune to obtain a sword from the Hidden Dragon Hall, not just to satisfy Huang Xie, but mainly because of the unease that had been plaguing him in recent days.

Years ago, when his ambition first sprouted, he began secretly raising assassins, initially as a means of self-protection and to prepare for the future. Later, as he handled more and more dirty deeds for Huang Xie, this backup plan gradually became a venomous fang aimed at Huang Xie.

Even as the emperor's brother-in-law, if those secrets were exposed, he would be instantly shattered to pieces and his family would be destroyed.