Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

“Then you have indeed asked the wrong person. My answer is exactly the same as before.” Xu Qing spread his hands again.

Zi Nu knew that she would hardly get what she needed from this person. Perhaps Han Fei's keen insight and wisdom could find some clues.

Regardless, Xu Qing's return brings a glimmer of hope amidst this turbulent time.

"This is a place of pleasure and romance, so let's just talk about pleasure and romance, and not about state affairs."

Xu Qing then changed the subject again.

"I once promised to forge a sword for you!"

"Now that I've come to visit again, I have no gifts to offer, so I'll just give you this sword."

With a flick of his sleeve, a magnificent longsword silently landed on the table. The blade was an elegant and deep purplish-black, with cloud patterns flowing through it. The trident pommel was exquisitely crafted as the sword's edge gleamed.

"This sword is called the Purple Cloud Sword!"

"It is an auspicious sword, after all, it has many auspicious clouds on it. Your name contains the character for purple, and you are a businessman, so naturally you hope for good fortune. Therefore, I have forged this sword for you."

Xu Qing explained the origins of the sword to Zi Nu.

But before Zi Nu could properly appreciate and examine the sword,

He added, "But that's one thing, when will the materials you promised me arrive?"

He came here not only to fulfill his initial promise, but also to collect debts.

Zi Nu was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, but then she understood: "The materials you want are in Zi Lan Xuan."

"You've come at just the right time."

She did indeed keep her word. After agreeing to Xu Qing's request that day, she used Zilanxuan's channels to collect a lot of rare casting materials. However, because Xu Qing disappeared, no one came to collect the goods. She originally thought they would be shelved, but Xu Qing has now returned.

"There's no time like the present, take me to see it!" Xu Qing's eyes revealed undisguised eagerness.

Zi Nu gave him a deep look, said nothing more, and turned to lead him to the backyard.

The long corridor was deep and secluded, with a subtle fragrance floating in the air.

Halfway there, Xu Qing paused almost imperceptibly, his eyes sweeping over the treetops outside the corridor.

A jet-black crow had quietly landed there, its blood-red eyes coldly staring at them.

Xu Qing's lips curved into a silent smile, but she didn't say anything.

Zi Nu pushed open an inconspicuous door, revealing several wooden crates neatly stacked inside.

Xu Qing stepped forward and lifted the lid of the box. Inside, there was a dazzling array of rare ores and materials. The cold iron gleamed, and the red copper glowed. They were all top-quality materials for forging swords.

"If you wish to forge a sword, would you like me to find you a safe place?" Zi Nu asked. She had always been curious about Xu Qing's sword-forging skills, after all, the swords Xu Qing forged were truly extraordinary.

"No need to trouble yourself," Xu Qing replied casually, his gaze lingering among the ore.

Zi Nu's eyes flashed, and a knowing smile appeared on her lips: "I almost forgot, you have a close relationship with the Hidden Dragon Hall outside the city."

She paused, seemingly probing casually: "Qianlong Hall seems to be a force of the Farmer's Clan... So, Mr. Xu Qing is a member of the Farmer's Clan?"

Jade Tiger was attacked, and his family fortune was mysteriously swallowed up. Ji Wuye was furious but had no clue whatsoever. In the end, the matter was left unresolved due to the upheaval in Korea.

After reviewing the events, Liu Sha combined the information brought back by Nong Yu with several investigations, and finally the clues vaguely pointed to Qianlong Hall, which in turn led to the discovery of the Farmer Family behind it.

If it really was this behemoth that made the move, then everything makes sense.

However, the involvement of the farmers made this already murky Korean Go game even more unpredictable.

"Your intelligence is quite impressive, you even found out the background of the Hidden Dragon Hall." Xu Qing glanced at Zi Nu. "But you've got one thing wrong, I'm not from the Farmer's Clan!"

"Even if Mr. Xu Qing is not from a farming family, he still has close ties with farming families, doesn't he?"

"Otherwise, it would have been impossible for him to disappear along with the head of the Hidden Dragon Hall after the incident with Jade Tiger!"

Xu Qing remained calm and did not respond.

Chapter 119 When dealing with perverts, a heavy blow must be dealt!

After inspecting his sword-forging materials, Xu Qing did not rush to put them into his system space.

After all, there are quite a few of these materials, and taking them away directly in front of Zi Nu would inevitably expose the deception.

That being said, Zi Nu was quite dedicated in collecting so many materials.

What surprised Xu Qing even more was that Zi Nu did not mention to him that these materials required money.

In fact, Xu Qing misjudged Zi Nu.

While Zi Nu may have shown a mercenary side to Xu Qing earlier, it doesn't mean she's truly greedy.

She is also very generous when it comes to true friends.

Helping Xu Qing collect materials was something she was willing to do, and she didn't crave any so-called reward.

Putting aside the information Xu Qing had given them, and the fact that he had saved Nongyu.

The sword he gave to Wei Zhuang earlier was no ordinary item.

Even though a contract was signed between the two parties.

But in Zi Nu's view, the contract was more like a joke, and Xu Qing did not receive any substantial reward from Wei Zhuang.

Zi Nu knew that at an auction held by the Qianlong Hall outside the city, a sword had been sold for a staggering ten thousand taels of gold.

They hadn't taken it seriously at first, but after learning about the relationship between Xu Qing and Qianlong Hall, they naturally investigated Qianlong Hall as well.

This place was originally just a trading post, where auctions were held occasionally.

Zi Nu once handed over an important item containing "water to dissolve gold" to Han Fei at the Qianlong Hall's treasure exchange meeting, which enabled Han Fei to solve the case of the ghost soldiers robbing the funds.

After Xu Qing arrived at Qianlong Hall, the hall held two auctions in quick succession.

The most important item was a precious sword.

In the second auction, there was even an incident where a jade tiger, taking advantage of its power, tried to drive down the price.

This might explain why Xu Qing sent Tianze to deal with Emerald Tiger.

Of course, this is something that Zi Nu and the others only realized later.

Even without the sword incident, Xu Qing could never repay their kindness.

Therefore, after accepting the request to collect materials, Zi Nu spared no expense in searching for them.

Besides, South Korea is currently rife with undercurrents, and Quicksand is at a disadvantage on the surface. Xu Qing's origins are mysterious and his methods are even more ingenious. If we can win over Xu Qing through goodwill and make him a strong ally, we might be able to break the deadlock.

Upon seeing Xu Qing again, certain thoughts quietly began to stir in Zi Nu's heart.

"By the way, although the sword was a gift, a contract still needs to be signed." Xu Qing walked to the door and turned to Zi Nu.

Zi Nu was slightly taken aback, not expecting that Xu Qing's "contract addiction" had continued to this day.

Without saying much, she followed him back to the private room, took the contract, glanced at it briefly, and then signed it.

Only now did she truly examine the gift.

"Purple Cloud Sword." She whispered in her heart as her fingertips brushed across the sword's blade.

In terms of ingenuity, this sword is indeed inferior to her Chain Serpent Soft Sword, after all, the Chain Serpent Soft Sword can transform into a belt wrapped around the waist, extending and retracting at will, making it unpredictable and treacherous. However, Xu Qing actually remembered something she had casually mentioned in the past... This thoughtfulness allowed Zi Nu to understand Xu Qing's character even better.

This is a person who keeps his promises!

"Don't just look, try it out and see if it suits you." Xu Qing's voice came again, interrupting Zi Nu's thoughts.

Zi Nu's eyes flickered slightly. Now, Zi Lan Xuan was deserted, with Han Fei, Wei Zhuang, and Zhang Liang not having set foot there for a long time. The arrival of Xu Qing, this "old friend," brought her a rare sense of joy.

Upon hearing this, she did not refuse. She picked up the Purple Cloud Sword, flicked her wrist, and moved with the sword.

Her purple hair flew like a waterfall, and her clothes fluttered gracefully.

Inside the private room, the misty purple sword energy flowed like water, filling the air with a mysterious and indescribable aura.

Zi Nu felt the powerful force transmitted through the sword, which was completely different from the Chain Serpent Soft Sword. A hint of surprise flashed across her beautiful eyes. This sword was just like Wei Zhuang's "Heart Sword", containing strange power.

While its ingenuity is inferior to that of the Chain Serpent Soft Sword, its power is still superior.

This gift is truly precious.

Xu Qing was unimpressed by Zi Nu's amazement.

His mind was focused on the abilities he had gained from Zi Nu after signing the sword contract.

alchemy!

This is not some magical art of turning stone into gold, but rather the first level of cultivation in the Yin-Yang school—understanding the principles of the Five Elements' generation and destruction, and following these principles to perform the transformation and interdependence of elements. Its principles are somewhat similar to those of chemistry in later generations, but the world is filled with all sorts of mysterious forces, the essence of which is difficult to explain with science.

"It seems your background is not simple either," Xu Qing thought to himself, and sighed.

Zi Nu was unaware of the secrets of the sword contract, so she wrote it down. Little did she know that her actions would inadvertently reveal some of her true nature to Xu Qing.

Before meeting Chu Nan Gong, Xu Qing might have only had doubts, but after reading the Yin-Yang classics given to him by the old man and verifying what he had just learned, the answer was obvious.

However, he didn't point it out.

After all, everyone has their own secrets, and whether or not they are willing to reveal those secrets depends on their own wishes.

During the time they spent together, they would occasionally chat.

He knew quite a bit about the Yin-Yang School, a sect that split from Taoism due to its radical ideology, was not a monolithic entity. Its influence shifted with the rise and fall of various states. It originated in the state of Chu, later assisted the state of Yan in its conquest of Qi, and in recent years joined the state of Qin. In this process, its branches and lineages were scattered in all directions. Not everyone who knew some Yin-Yang techniques was a member of the Yin-Yang School headquarters in Qin.

Take Chu Nan Gong himself, for example. He was a highly accomplished person who was outside the main lineage of the Yin-Yang School in the Qin State.

"What a fine sword!" Zi Nu, unaware of Xu Qing's thoughts, gave this evaluation after testing the sword, just like many others before her.

But Xu Qing's response this time is different.

"I'd say it's alright, I guess!"

He showed no pride whatsoever.

People grow and mature. Now that he has witnessed higher-level swords, he no longer feels proud of third-level swords.

"By the way, is Nongyu still in Zilan Pavilion?"

Xu Qing thought of something and asked Zi Nu.

Zi Nu immediately fell silent.

Xu Qing was incredibly perceptive; upon seeing Zi Nu's appearance, he immediately knew the answer.