Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

Unexpectedly, upon her return, her situation did not improve; instead, she became a political pawn and a tool for Han Yu to win over Ji Wuye.

Xinzheng City.

Xu Qing rented a room at the inn.

In the past, Situ Wanli was worried that Xu Qing would suffer Ji Wuye's revenge because of the Jade Tiger incident.

Xu Qing, however, didn't care at all.

Admittedly, he was the mastermind behind Jade Tiger's death, and he also forged several swords, which fell into the hands of Ji Wuye, Wei Zhuang, Tian Ze, and others.

However, he always remained an outsider, mostly acting as a behind-the-scenes instigator. Apart from a few encounters with Wei Zhuang and Han Fei, he almost never appeared in front of outsiders, and even when meeting Tian Ze, he wore a mask to cover his face.

"Interesting. This Purple Orchid Pavilion is still standing? Has Ji Wuye not destroyed this place?"

Xu Qing stood by the window, gazing at the magnificent, brightly lit buildings in the distance.

In the original novel, due to the turmoil caused by Ying Zheng, Zi Lan Xuan was burned down, and afterwards Han Fei compensated Zi Nu with Emerald Villa.

What makes it stand here today?

It should be noted that after Han Yu succeeded to the throne, Ji Wuye's power was at its zenith, and Zhang Kaidi was completely suppressed. Even Han Fei, who was allied with him, was powerless to resist. Not to mention that Han Fei had repeatedly angered Ji Wuye. It was no secret that he frequently visited Zilan Pavilion, and Wei Zhuang had never hidden it from him.

With so many rivals gathered in one place, if he were Ji Wuye, even if he didn't force them to close down, he would constantly harass them, making their lives miserable and their business difficult.

But right now, things seem calm and peaceful.

As dusk falls, the lights of Zilanxuan Pavilion are just coming on, and carriages and horses are coming and going in front of the gate, which shows that the business is booming.

Now that you're back, go and meet up with your old friends.

Xu Qing said calmly.

He was very interested in the storms and waves of this place, but he was even more concerned about the movements of the swords that had been forged there.

When they first entered the fray, they hoped that these swords would make waves in South Korea.

The greater the commotion, the higher his reputation.

However, apart from Tianze stirring up some waves, it was like a stone sinking into the sea, with no further response—which disappointed him greatly.

It is worth noting that the subsequent forging of swords in the State of Chu earned him great prestige, and to this day, the name "Master Xu" remains extremely well-known in Chu.

To forge a fourth-tier sword, materials and properties are of paramount importance. What Xu Qing currently lacks is the reputation required to upgrade its properties.

Since no one else is stirring up trouble, he will stir up this stagnant pool.

The fastest way to gain prestige is to ignite chaos in a country, and South Korea, a chaotic and weak land, is the perfect testing ground.

Inside the Purple Orchid Pavilion, the music and singing continued unabated.

Xu Qing stepped inside as he had done in the past.

Soon, a familiar figure appeared before them. Unlike before, her makeup was more elegant and radiant today.

"Is it really you?" Zi Nu's eyes flashed with genuine surprise when she saw Xu Qing.

She had been gazing at the entrance from the second-floor railing, and when she caught a glimpse of Xu Qing's figure, she hesitated for a moment before coming down to confirm.

"It's been a long time." Xu Qing greeted him with a warm smile.

Although she was quite surprised by Xu Qing's arrival, Zi Nu eventually led him to a private room in Zi Lan Xuan.

"Where are Han Fei and Wei Zhuang?" Xu Qing asked casually as he sat down and accepted the wine offered by Zi Nu.

He had thought that once he stepped into the Purple Orchid Pavilion, he would see the two of them.

"Are you really completely unaware of the current situation in South Korea?" Zi Nu glanced at him with deep eyes.

Xu Qing remained silent. "It seems I've said too much."

“I thought Zilanxuan was still open for business as usual, and their business had not declined. They would still gather here as usual.”

Zi Nu sighed softly, "It is precisely because they no longer frequent this place that Zi Lan Xuan is able to continue operating."

"In any case, Zilanxuan has been operating in Xinzheng for many years, and I have connections with many powerful and influential people. As long as I don't get involved in those disputes, I can naturally open my doors to customers."

“But if we insist on befriending the Ninth Young Master and the others…” Zi Nu paused slightly, her voice lowering a few degrees, “some people may not be able to tolerate this small place.”

"So, you chose to cut ties with them?" Xu Qing looked at Zi Nu with some surprise.

Zi Nu did not answer directly, but only said something meaningful: "You see this Purple Orchid Pavilion as a riot of flowers, but how do you know that... no one is watching from outside the window?"

She looked out the window.

As dusk fell, a crow quietly perched on a withered branch, blending into the twilight like an ink dot.

Xu Qing followed her gaze and remained silent.

Chapter 118 Old Stories, Purple Cloud Sword!

Zi Nu's gaze shifted, landing on Xu Qing with a deep sense of inquiry.

"Speaking of which, you've been gone for so long, what brings you here all of a sudden?"

South Korea is currently in a state of chaos, yet Xu Qing is nowhere to be seen.

However, Zi Nu knew that this person knew far too many secrets.

Having appeared several times, he was intimately familiar with the secrets of all the various factions. Had he chosen to stay in Xinzheng at that time, he would likely have become the center of the storm and been closely monitored by all the factions.

Unfortunately, this person vanished as if he had disappeared from the face of the earth after the vultures attacked Zilan Pavilion. It wasn't until Nongyu returned from outside the city that she brought back some news about him.

Speaking of Nongyu, her life story is quite eventful.

Volunteering to enter the palace as an inside agent, Hou Zhuang eventually found Tian Ze's whereabouts and obtained a mysterious bottle through negotiations. They managed to give the bottle to Nong Yu, intending for her to investigate within the palace. However, she unexpectedly stumbled upon the secret between Xueyi Hou Bai Yifei and Lady Mingzhu. After a series of twists and turns, Nong Yu was taken to Xueyi Fortress, where she was thought to be doomed.

Fortunately, Bai Yifei had to leave in a hurry due to important matters. She discovered a secret passage leading to the underground in the Marquis's room, and while searching in it, she encountered an accident - the Baiyue assassin group broke into Xueyi Castle.

In a short period of time, Nongyu was captured one after another, and one can imagine her predicament.

Unexpectedly, at this very moment, she turned danger into safety, and it was Xu Qing who helped her escape.

Their final escape route was the Hidden Dragon Hall outside the city.

After Nongyu returned to Zilan Pavilion, she kept a low profile and endured for a long time, not daring to show herself easily, because Bai Yifei had seen her true face, so as not to cause any further trouble.

Even so, through Nongyu's account, the members of Liusha had already clarified several things: First, Xu Qing and Tianze had a close relationship and were involved in some way; second, the Qianlong Hall outside the city had a deep connection with Xu Qing and was where Xu Qing was hiding; third, the famous swords that were auctioned in the Qianlong Hall were probably also related to him, and the fire at the Emerald Tiger Manor was also his doing, but whether it was related to those swords was unknown.

Having understood the connection, Liu Sha had been waiting for Xu Qing to reappear and was also eager to find Tian Ze.

Although Nongyu personally experienced the underground of Xueyi Fortress and witnessed the secrets, she failed to find the Gu Mother. Their plan to exchange the Gu Mother for Princess Honglian and the Crown Prince ultimately failed.

However, it backfired.

After that, Tianze vanished without a trace, as if by ghost, abandoning all hope of revenge.

Based on the fire at Snow Robe Fortress and what Nongyu saw, it is reasonable to speculate that he had obtained the Gu Mother and chose to disappear without a trace.

In order to rescue Princess Honglian, it is still necessary to find Tianze, but neither the quicksand nor the furious Bai Yifei can find a trace of him.

Just then, an even greater tragedy struck—King Han died suddenly!

What exactly happened in the deep palace? Did the Tide Demoness have anything to do with it? No one knows.

The only thing the people of Liusha were certain of was that South Korea was plunged into tumultuous turmoil from that point on.

As the situation escalated, in order to protect the foundation of Zilan Pavilion, Zi Nu even had to publicly sever ties with Han Fei and Wei Zhuang.

Now, Zilan Pavilion is surrounded by spies; the slightest misstep could lead to utter ruin.

She could disregard her own safety, but she couldn't neglect to plan for the many sisters in Zilanxuan.

"I've been away from Korea for a long time and missed my old friends. Is it wrong for me to come back and see you all?" Xu Qing met Zi Nu's gaze with a calm expression.

After their eyes met for a moment, Zi Nu still couldn't glean any information from those deep eyes.

"Where are Tianze and the others?" she asked, her tone turning serious.

"How could I know Tianze's whereabouts?" Xu Qing shook his head. "Miss Zi Nu has asked the wrong person."

“Nongyu has already confessed that you colluded with Tianze…” Zi Nu’s eyes turned slightly cold, “And what about the Emerald Tiger Manor? Was that also your doing?”

Xu Qing remained silent for a moment, then frankly said, "I did indeed entrust Tianze with dealing with Jade Tiger back then. But I left Korea after that, so I really don't know where he is now." He then changed the subject and asked, "As far as I know, Princess Honglian, whom Tianze kidnapped, has already returned to her country safely. Why are you still looking for Tianze?"

Zi Shen's expression grew increasingly solemn: "Hong Lian has returned, but the Crown Prince has not returned safely. The death of the King of Han and the absence of the Crown Prince have given the villains an opportunity to cause today's chaos. Tian Ze is the key figure; without finding him, we cannot uncover the truth."

Upon hearing this, Xu Qing paused slightly, then a strange smile appeared on his lips: "This is Han Fei's idea? Truly... interesting!"

"The situation has deteriorated to this point, and Han Fei is not thinking of a way to break the deadlock, but rather tracing back to the source? Even if he finds out the cause and effect, what can he do? Can he really bring down the likes of Ji Wuye by relying on that so-called 'law'? Not to mention, the one sitting on this throne now is Han Yu!"

Zi Nu remained silent.

Han Fei's "naiveté" bordered on stubbornness, but wasn't it also a kind of persistence? It was precisely because some people wantonly trampled on the law, causing chaos in the country and exhaustion for the people, that he was even more determined to uphold the sword of "law" and hope to use the law to uphold justice.

The kidnapping of the crown prince and the sudden death of the King of Han seem to be the result of Tianze's wicked schemes to avenge himself and create chaos in Han. The fire at Xueyi Fort further confirms his vengeful nature.

However, after Honglian returned, her personality changed drastically, and the secrets she privately revealed to Han Fei shrouded everything in a new fog.

Princess Honglian was depressed because she had witnessed the death of the Crown Prince!

According to her, after torturing her and the Crown Prince, Tianze inexplicably released them.

Despite their confusion, the two decided to return to Xinzheng, but unexpectedly, tragedy struck on the way—they were attacked and killed before they even entered the city!

The crown prince died on the spot, and she was also in danger.

At the critical moment, Yan Lingji from the Baiyue assassin group rescued her, and she was then able to return to Xinzheng.

The death of the Crown Prince had become her secret; she had not told Zhang Kaidi or Ji Wuye, but only confided in Han Fei.

This also became one of the reasons why the people of Liusha ultimately accepted Han Yu's ascension to the throne—without this secret, they would have devoted all their efforts to finding the whereabouts of the crown prince.

On the surface, the biggest suspect is still Tianze: first giving hope, then inflicting despair.

Ironically, it was his own people who ultimately saved Honglian. The mystery is beyond words.

Fortunately, Honglian found Han Fei as soon as she returned. After his analysis, she decided not to spread the news of the Crown Prince's death, but the truth is still unknown.

To find out the truth, finding Tianze is the best course of action.

Unfortunately, he disappeared.

Upon seeing Xu Qing again, Zi Nu instinctively wanted to investigate further.

"The truth may be too late to undo the damage, but it shouldn't be buried forever!" Zi Nu replied in a deep voice, her words revealing a hint of determination.