Wandering Sword Seller's Life in the Qin Dynasty

"Could it be... Wei Zhuang?" he guessed.

After all, Mo Ya has recently been ordered by General Ji Wuye to keep a close eye on the movements of Zi Lan Xuan.

Although the owner of Zilan Pavilion had severed ties with Han Fei, Wei Zhuang, and others, and Wei Zhuang had not set foot there for a long time, it was still difficult to prevent Wei Zhuang from noticing Mo Ya's surveillance and secretly taking ruthless action.

But... is Wei Zhuang really that powerful? How could he have subdued Mo Ya to this extent?

“I…” Mo Ya opened his mouth, but his throat felt like it had been rubbed with sandpaper, “…I don’t know.”

He tried his best to recall the previous night, but his mind was blank. The harder he tried to think, the more his temples felt like they were being hit by a heavy hammer, and a wave of excruciating pain washed over him.

"Ugh—!" Mo Ya clutched his head in pain, howling as he had no choice but to give up his futile struggle.

Seeing this, Bai Feng frowned deeply and finally stopped asking questions.

He quickly took off his outer robe and threw it to Mo Ya: "Cover yourself up first."

The two remained silent and quickly left this place of trouble, heading swiftly towards the General's Mansion.

Only by using the power of night can the fog shrouding Mo Ya be dispelled.

As soon as you step into the solemn gates of the General's Mansion, before you even get to the depths, a clear yet slightly melancholic melody drifts over like silk threads, lingering around your ears.

Bai Feng paused almost imperceptibly, her mind instantly drawn to the familiar sound of the zither.

Mo Ya, ever perceptive, immediately reached out and slapped Bai Feng hard on the shoulder, his voice low and warning: "Don't listen to her, she's the young general's woman!"

Bai Feng snapped back to reality, glanced at the direction from which the zither music came with a complicated look, and nodded silently.

With the recent death of the King of Han and the ascension of a new ruler, the transition of power was fraught with undercurrents.

General Ji Wuye decisively recalled his son Ji Yihu to Xinzheng, intending to let him stand out in front of the new king and pave the way for him to take sole power in the future.

This young general, Ji Yihu, perfectly inherited his father's arrogance, but lacked even a fraction of his father's shrewdness. He was an absolute playboy, indulging in debauchery and numerous misdeeds.

Upon his first return to Xinzheng, he heard of the reputation of Zilanxuan and naturally had to go and "see" it for himself.

It was this trip that changed things.

He became instantly infatuated with a girl playing the zither in the Purple Orchid Pavilion.

In the days that followed, Ji Yihu became a regular at Zilanxuan, just to listen to the clear and melodious sound of the zither.

Zi Nu, being pragmatic, quickly severed ties with Han Fei, Wei Zhuang, and others to protect Zi Lan Xuan. Ji Wu Ye, considering his son's infatuation and Zi Nu's "sensible" nature, temporarily tolerated the existence of Zi Lan Xuan.

However, the fact that the son of a great general spent his days indulging in brothels eventually displeased Ji Wuye.

Therefore, an order was issued to Zilanxuan.

The courtesan Nongyu, who haunted the young general's dreams, went from being the top courtesan at Zilan Pavilion to becoming Ji Yihu's personal courtesan in the inner garden of the general's mansion.

Her musical skills were unparalleled, and her temperament was as elegant as an orchid in a secluded valley. Ji Yihu got his wish and would immerse himself in her music whenever he had free time.

Strangely, this young general, who is known for his tyranny and lust, has not yet crossed any lines with Nongyu.

Perhaps it was this elusive coolness that attracted him like moonlight, making him subconsciously feel that forcibly destroying it would only cause him to lose the charm that captivated him.

……

In the quiet room of the inn, Xu Qing closed his eyes and concentrated, his fingertips unconsciously tapping lightly on the table.

He was processing the fragments of memories he had extracted from the depths of Mo Ya's soul the previous night.

The arts of the Yin-Yang School are indeed mysterious and unpredictable!

In the original work, whether it was Yan Lingji's seduction of Han Fei or Bai Yifei's illusionary interrogation of Yan Lingji, their essence was both a bewitching technique. If the opponent's will was as firm as a rock, they could resist it.

The methods of the Yin-Yang School are completely different.

It directly targets the origin of the soul, making mind control a mere formality. Furthermore, it possesses a secret soul-searching technique that can forcibly invade another person's spiritual platform and examine everything deep within their memories, making it utterly domineering.

Of course, such bizarre and evil magic comes at a heavy price.

If the caster's cultivation level is insufficient, not only will they fail to succeed, but their own soul will also suffer severe damage. As for the victim, at best, their memory will be confused and their soul will be shaken; at worst, their spiritual platform will collapse, turning them into a mentally disabled person.

Last night, after searching through Mo Ya's memories, Xu Qing even attempted to brutally erase them.

He had no idea what state Mo Ya was in now.

However, the information extracted from the depths of Mo Ya's soul was far more valuable than expected.

“Nongyu…” Xu Qing slowly opened his eyes, his gaze sharp as a drawn blade, chillingly cold, “No wonder you remained silent last night!”

Last night, he was startled by Nongyu's strange behavior. He questioned Zinu about it, but Zinu's words were evasive, only saying that Nongyu was carrying out "secret matters" without giving any details.

At that moment, he finally understood.

Nongyu, living in the General's Mansion, a den of dragons and tigers, is now Ji Yihu's caged canary, his... exclusive Qin Ji.

"Heh...truly, cold-blooded and ruthless!" Xu Qing's lips curled into a cold arc, seemingly mocking Zi Nu, yet also carrying a complex sigh for Nong Yu.

This woman, just as he remembered her trajectory, willingly placed herself time and again in the most dangerous vortexes for the sake of so-called loyalty and mission, until she was shattered to pieces...

"In the end... you still didn't heed my advice." Xu Qing shook his head gently, casting aside that useless regret.

After all, she chose her own path, and he couldn't interfere with Nongyu's decision.

As the thought crossed his mind, other information from Mo Ya's memories surfaced.

His purpose in coming to South Korea was to stir up trouble and gain prestige.

The specific moves to be made still need to be clarified in this complex game played by South Korea.

Now, a clear path has taken shape in my mind.

"Perhaps we can start with this young general, Ji Yihu." Xu Qing paused, his fingertips pausing.

Mo Ya's memories clearly show that Ji Yihu's obsession with Nongyu had bordered on madness. He regarded her as his own possession, and because of Nongyu, he had repeatedly visited Zilan Pavilion. Now that he had "invited" her into his mansion, his burning possessiveness would only become more distorted and dangerous.

This is precisely the crack that can be exploited.

He instigated a conflict between Ji Wuye and his son, causing the darkness to tear apart from within.

As for how to ignite the powder keg between the father and son? Xu Qing's mind raced, and he instantly came up with a plan.

The "Heavenly Wrath" sword of the past was designed to incite greed in people's hearts, and ultimately fell into the hands of Ji Wuye.

So... what if we also tailor-make a sword for Ji Yihu, who has some sycophantic traits?

A sword of jealousy that can ignite the most vicious flames of envy deep within people's hearts!

Jealousy versus greed—which will prevail?

Chapter 121 The Purpose of Quicksand, Xu Qing's Intentions!

The city lights are coming on again.

Xu Qing once again came to Zilan Pavilion.

Zilanxuan opens for business every evening.

At such a time, even if he were to step inside, he would only be treated as a guest and would not be given much attention.

As for Mo Ya last night, how did he find him?

It was just curiosity that got the better of them.

After all, Xu Qing and Zi Nu had been spending quite a bit of time together.

Afterwards, regarding the matter of a lone man and woman being alone together, he made a special trip to the storeroom in the backyard.

There's bound to be some unsavory stuff involved.

He followed the general's orders and kept a close eye on the Zilan Pavilion. If he found anyone suspicious, he would naturally investigate them.

Because the General never let his guard down around Zilan Pavilion.

Han Fei's methods of relying on the laws of the land had already deeply angered the general.

Moreover, the general's only son, Ji Yihu, is so infatuated with a Qin player from Zilan Pavilion that he has forgotten himself. How could he not be suspicious?

On the surface, he could only satisfy his son's one preference by "inviting" the zither player named Nongyu into the mansion.

However, he never removed his surveillance from the seemingly peaceful Zilan Pavilion.

If there is any conspiracy, the general will not hesitate to destroy Zilan Pavilion and then kill the Qin Ji.

Whether this action will hurt Ji Yihu is unknown.

All of the above are just Mo Ya's guesses.

This is what Xu Qing learned after interrogating Mo Ya and reading his memories.

Last night, because Mo Ya had seen his true face.

He himself harbored the idea that he could kill Mo Ya if necessary, and thus used various methods against Mo Ya.

Afterwards, perhaps feeling that Mo Ya was in a rather pitiful state.

Given that some of Mo Ya's memories had already been erased, they ultimately decided to let him go.

This move will inevitably cause endless trouble. Whether Mo Ya is dead or alive, it is bound to alert the enemy, and the suspicion of the Nightfall will surely increase.

But so what?

If he were to provoke a swift and severe response, Zi Nu's Zi Lan Xuan would be the first to suffer the consequences, but Xu Qing would have his own way of escaping.

After reading Mo Ya's memories last night and learning about Nong Yu's situation, and understanding the ruthless scheming behind Zi Nu's seemingly helpless actions, his last bit of sympathy for Zi Nu vanished.

Zi Nu herself, of course, also foresaw the impending storm.

There were many eyewitnesses to the amusing incident on the street during the day, and since it was very close to Zilan Pavilion, she naturally knew about it as well.

They also knew who those people were who were morally corrupt.

Therefore, when Xu Qing reappeared at the door, Zi Nu almost immediately stepped forward and subtly led him into a secluded private room.

Without any pleasantries or the cup of amber-colored wine offered to the guest, the moment the door to the private room closed, Zi Nu blurted out her urgent question, her gaze fixed on Xu Qing: "Was the farce during the day your doing?"

Xu Qing raised an eyebrow, a hint of casual doubt flashing in his eyes: "What do you mean by that, Miss Zi Nu? I don't understand."

"Mo Ya!" Zi Nu's voice dropped, her eyes suddenly turning sharp as needles. "What did you do to him?"

Xu Qing's expression remained calm, and his tone was as indifferent as ever: "I don't know any Mo Ya. However, when I stepped out of your residence last night, someone did follow me suspiciously with ill intentions. In order to protect myself, I had no choice but to take action." He paused and added, "I am a person who dislikes bloodshed, so I spared his life."

Zi Nu's breath caught in her throat, and she asked in a deep voice, "So you stripped him naked and abandoned him in the marketplace?"