Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

A rustling sound came from the reeds ahead, and a short figure slowly parted the tall grass on both sides and stepped out.

The newcomer had white hair and beard, long eyebrows that drooped down, almost obscuring his eyes, and a cane made of thorny wood in his hand.

This appearance bears a striking resemblance to the previous Feng Hu Zi.

But the person before him was definitely not Feng Hu Zi.

Before Feng Huzi introduced himself, Xu Qing, having never met him before, naturally did not recognize him.

Although Xu Qing was seeing this person for the first time, he recognized him instantly.

In the original story, many extraordinary people emerged in the State of Chu, and this person was one of them.

His figure moved between the Qin court and the anti-Qin forces. On the surface, he was a senior figure of the Yin-Yang School, highly respected by the masters in the school. In secret, however, he repeatedly provided crucial assistance to the anti-Qin forces.

His name is Chu Nan Gong!

Zhang Liang, Han Xin, Tianming, the Xiang clan... many figures have all benefited from his guidance and kindness.

He can be described as a master of his craft and a legend in the martial arts world.

Xu Qing never expected that his brief fishing trip by the water would attract this legendary figure.

"Is this the old gentleman's place of seclusion?" Xu Qing asked with a serious expression.

Although he knew that this person seemed to have no ill intentions in the original work, Xu Qing did not dare to let his guard down at all. After all, the other party came from the Yin-Yang School, and people from this school were always mysterious and unpredictable, and there were many who were ruthless.

Moreover, the other party had just made a sudden move to test the waters.

"How do you know?" Chu Nan Gong asked slowly, his long eyebrows lowered, making it impossible to see the expression in his eyes.

"I've heard that all wild beasts have a sense of territory and usually don't bother each other. If another beast trespasses, it will surely be a fight to the death. If this place is the old gentleman's place of quiet cultivation, and I have inadvertently disturbed you, I will apologize and leave immediately." Xu Qing spoke calmly, not wanting to cause any more trouble.

Chu Nan Gong gently shook his head: "This place does not belong to this old man."

"I have come here to find you."

"You've come for me?" Xu Qing frowned slightly. "Forgive my frankness, but I have never met you before, sir, and we have no relation whatsoever..."

Chu Nan Gong slowly said, "Although you have no relation to me, the sword in your hand has drawn me here."

"Oh?" Xu Qing looked surprised.

These words reminded him of Feng Hu Zi again.

Feng Hu Zi was able to find Qianlong Hall, which could be attributed to Tian Guang's information.

So this Lord Chu Nan before me has also come for the sword?

How did he learn of his whereabouts and hide in this Yunmeng Marsh?

"Some time ago, I was cultivating in seclusion in the southern part of Chu when I suddenly sensed a faint aura. It seemed that something that resonated with me and was destined for me had appeared in the territory of Chu. So, I abandoned my cultivation and followed that aura toward Shouchun."

"Coincidentally, the King of Chu's destiny star was dim at that time, and I thought there was some connection between the two. But when I arrived in Shouchun, I found that there was actually no connection. I was too late..."

"After that, I continued to follow that wisp of energy, traveling a long way until I finally arrived at this Yunmeng Marsh!"

After saying this, Chu Nan Gong stroked his pale beard.

"You young man, you've really put this old man through a lot of trouble!"

"Therefore, after finding you, I gave you a slight punishment, intending to let you know that it is not easy for an old man to travel the world. I never expected that you, young man, would be so capable!"

"However, I have finally figured out what is drawing me here."

His gaze returned to Xu Qing's sword.

Xu Qing fell silent. He began to wonder if he, too, possessed some kind of sacred body.

For example, it is said to naturally attract the elderly's sacred body.

Why are all the people who've been contacting me lately all old men?

After explaining the reason, Chu Nan Gong asked Xu Qing, "Where did you obtain this sword?"

As he said this, his eyes, which had been hidden by his long, white eyebrows, opened, revealing a glint of light.

Xu Qing felt a heavy weight descend upon him.

This reveals Chu Nan Gong's extremely terrifying strength.

Chapter 113 Chu Nan Gong Seeks a Sword, a Tool for Carrying the Dao!

"I forged it!"

Facing the pressure from Chu Nan Gong, Xu Qing spoke calmly.

Upon hearing this, Chu Nan Gong was taken aback, and the immense aura that was enveloping Xu Qing also showed a slight fluctuation.

A hint of surprise flashed across Chu Nan Gong's withered face, and the powerful aura that enveloped Xu Qing paused slightly.

"Such a divine object, how could it be forged from mortal flesh?" The aged voice echoed, revealing an incredulous caution.

"What, you don't believe me?" Xu Qing raised an eyebrow slightly.

Chu Nan Gong remained silent, his turbid gaze piercing Xu Qing like a probe, and locking onto the longsword in his hand that shimmered with a three-colored halo.

Time seemed to stretch out until a long sigh broke the silence: "It seems I was mistaken..."

Through his observation of Xu Qing, he discerned the faint sword aura emanating from Xu Qing's body.

That sword energy and the Xuan Shu sword in Xu Qing's hand were almost of the same origin. Their energy merged and became almost one, clearly born from the same source.

"This is truly...unbelievable!"

"What's so unbelievable about it?" Xu Qing's lips curled into a mocking smile.

Having had more personal contact with these old guys, the filter of being a senior expert had long since been removed from his mind.

Feng Hu Zi was renowned throughout the land, and his sword manual was regarded as the gold standard by many swordsmen. However, after personally experiencing his teachings, Feng Hu Zi's theories of destiny and fate were nothing but pedantic nonsense in his eyes.

People in this era are too easily seduced by "fate".

The Yin-Yang school explained dynastic changes through the concept of "the rotation of the Five Elements." In the Chu region, shamanistic practices flourished, and beliefs in ghosts and gods became widespread.

The Seven Mansions of the Azure Dragon are revered as the key to destiny, and it seems that whoever possesses them can control the universe.

But Xu Qing knew perfectly well that the so-called destiny was nothing but an illusory totem, and that true power could only be exerted by human effort.

He was well aware of the course of history, and if it came to "destiny," who was closer to it than him? But he disdained such a path.

Chu Nan Gong's mystification failed to stir even the slightest ripple in his heart.

Even though the other party said that this sword could not be forged from an ordinary mold, Xu Qing still managed to forge it.

As his thoughts wandered, Xu Qing's gaze fell upon Chu Nan Gong again. "In your opinion, this sword is quite extraordinary?"

"That's natural!"

Duke Chu Nan nodded, acknowledging the matter.

“That’s quite a coincidence.” Xu Qing continued, “Some time ago, Feng Hu Zi, a renowned sword appraiser from the Chu Kingdom, came to me and gave his evaluation of this sword. He said that its forging craftsmanship and material selection had reached the pinnacle, as if it were a creation of nature, but it was not a perfect sword because it had no soul. I want to know whether you are right or Feng Hu Zi is right?”

"Feng Hu Zi actually made such a comment?" Chu Nan Gong's surprise deepened.

Although he was not close to the sword appraiser, he was aware of his great reputation, even though they were both from the Chu region.

He met Xu Qing's gaze calmly: "This old man is ignorant of swordsmanship and cannot comprehend the realm in Feng Hu Zi's eyes. But this sword..." His withered fingers unconsciously tightened, "After seeing it and sensing its aura, I am certain that it is what I seek. May I... take a look?"

This request actually seems quite unreasonable.

It's like two people who were fighting just moments ago.

The next moment, the enemy in front of you suddenly stopped and said that he was very interested in the weapon in your hand. He asked if you could take a look at it and appreciate it.

If you agree, you'll look foolish.

After all, the crisis has not yet been resolved, so how can we put away our weapons?

Xu Qing knew Chu Nan Gong's character, but still needed to maintain a facade of vigilance.

His eyes narrowed slightly, a cold glint flashing within them: "The old gentleman even attacked me earlier!"

Chu Nan Gong was taken aback, then smiled wryly: "Young people do hold grudges."

"It's not that I hold a grudge, I'm just speaking my mind," Xu Qing said firmly.

Chu Nan Gong sighed deeply, his back hunching slightly: "If this causes enmity, I... will apologize to you."

He bowed deeply, adopting an extremely humble posture.

Xu Qing remained silent.

This made Chu Nan Gong feel extremely embarrassed.

He was not an unknown figure in the State of Chu; on the contrary, he was quite famous in his earlier years.

After all, he was a master of the Yin-Yang School, which originated in the State of Chu.

Although, with the passage of time, they have now moved far away from the State of Chu and gone to other countries, this does not mean that the Yin-Yang School has disappeared from the State of Chu.

The Hundred Schools of Thought were both sects and schools of thought.

As a school of thought, it was naturally prevalent throughout the world. In the State of Chu, there was also the Yin-Yang School. Not to mention, the Yin-Yang School's doctrines were extremely compatible with the witchcraft and ghost beliefs of the State of Chu. In his early years, Chu Nan Gong spread his teachings in the State of Chu and even gained the reputation of a great sage.

Thinking of this, he suddenly realized something.

He wanted to ask the other party for the sword, but he didn't even reveal his name. He had been away from the hustle and bustle of the world for too long and had forgotten these worldly rules.

"It was my old man who was confused." He straightened up, his voice suddenly becoming clear and bright. "My surname is Nan Gong, and because I am from Chu, people also call me—Chu Nan Gong!"

To Chu Nan Gong's delight, Xu Qing's expression changed slightly upon hearing his name, clearly indicating that his reputation was quite widespread.

What he didn't know was that after putting on airs, Xu Qing was considering how to give the person in front of him a way out. He wasn't really confident he could take down the other party if he directly started a conflict, after all, as a swordsmith, he wasn't good at fighting.

The public announcement of Chu Nan made him famous, which conveniently gave Xu Qing a way out.

Feigning surprise, Xu Qing asked, "You are the great sage of Chu, Duke of Chu Nan?"

He hesitated for a moment, and his tense demeanor gradually relaxed. "Now that you are here in person, let's let bygones be bygones."

Chu Nangong breathed a sigh of relief.

With his reputation still intact, he ultimately avoided a lot of trouble.

Just as he was about to bring up the request to see the sword again, Xu Qing did something that surprised him.