Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 103

"Let's talk about Xu Wang, who accompanied us all the way to Daliang City."

After their swords clashed and they each took a step back, Lu Wei accurately guessed the person: Zi Wu's question meant that this person must be a close friend of both of them, and such a person was rare.

"It is indeed this person." Ziwu continued his aggressive advance: "His father's dying wish for him to marry a woman from the Great Liang has been fulfilled, and she is a princess of the Ji clan!"

------

In Jicheng, the chivalrous leader Tian Guang opened the secret box that had been sent from Xianyang. After reading through all the information inside, he used his internal energy to shred the cloth into pieces.

After leaving his temporary residence, Tian Guang arrived at a bustling residential street in Jicheng and knocked on the door.

"General Fan must have already heard about the fall of the State of Han?"

“Not bad.” The burly man who greeted him inside and then closed the door again said calmly, “Does Changping-kun want my head?”

"Assassination is the worst possible strategy, but we no longer have time to form an alliance against Qin."

Tian Guang picked up an apple from the table, took out his dagger, and began to peel it. His peeling movements were steady, and his expression was focused.

"Prince Dan of Yan has gone to compete for the position of leader of the Mohist school. He is also an ambitious person. He would never risk his life and death if he did not have enough confidence."

"This trip is unlikely to go wrong. This Crown Prince will bring Mo Mei back, and the Mo family will then be at his service."

"I will personally present this backup plan, the assassination plot against the Qin emperor, to him at that time."

"Good, good, good!" Fan Yuqi exclaimed three times, took the apple that Tian Guang threw to him, took a big bite, chewed it down, and then his eyes widened: "Lord Changping has saved me several times and protected a trace of my Fan family's bloodline. My head has long been ready to be beheaded!"

"Please, Brother Tian Guang, put the plan into action!"

"Brother Fan Yuqi, do you still have any wishes?"

"..." Fan Yuqi remained silent for a long time: "I dare not have any more illusions, I only wish for a quick death."

"Then please, General Fan, await the Crown Prince's return..."

Tian Guang left. In the darkness of the room, where the candles had gone out, only the figure of the traitorous general Qin remained, slumped motionless on the table.

"The Drunken Soul Powder can make an unsuspecting person unconscious for a day and a night. Prepare more liquid food and massage him with your internal energy every day. Don't let General Fan's face get thin from hunger."

"Don't worry, boss."

Tian Zang, who had nominally replaced the 'death' Zhou He in the Tomb of the Six Sages, flashed forward, caught the small medicine bottle that Tian Guang threw backward, and took over the hut where Fan Yuqi was hiding.

Upon entering the house, a lift of the bed board revealed gold and silver valuables that had already been neatly arranged, along with a set of coarse linen clothes worn by farmers.

Why can't you just settle down and be a respectable and strong person?

Shaking his head, Tian Zang lifted Fan Yuqi onto the bed and laid him flat. Just in case, Tian Zang used a sharp sword to sever the tendons in Fan's hands and feet.

The movements were very gentle, as if caring for a lover.

Although Fan Yuqi had already fainted and was unlikely to wake up again, he was, after all, a righteous anti-Qin hero who would 'voluntarily' offer his head in future history books, a generous man who, despite being a Qin general, wished he could perish with the King of Qin.

He must be treated with the utmost respect.

It's uncertain when Prince Dan will return. Given his ability to care for Fan Yuqi, he can only guarantee she'll remain fresh for another month at most. After that, additional preservation methods will be needed...

Inside the Golden Terrace Restaurant in Jicheng, Gao Jianli and Kuang Xiuzheng were playing a duet of "High Mountains and Flowing Water." The sound of the guqin was "lofty like Mount Tai, vast like the rivers." The combination and mixing of the two pieces created a harmonious picture of mountains and rivers, imprinting it into the ears of all the listeners...

This restaurant is now part of the Crown Prince's estate, and many members of the Mohist school gather here, with all expenses covered by the Crown Prince's estate.

"Brother Jing Ke, since you and these two have braved the Qin Pass together, why don't you go up on stage and perform together?"

Two wandering swordsmen leaned on the second-floor railing, gazing at the night view of Jicheng and listening to the music inside the building. The man on the left, who was slightly younger, asked Jing Ke on the right a question with curiosity.

"Hey, you little brat, are you teasing me?" Jing Ke gave the young man a hard knock on the head, then turned around. The peaceful and beautiful scene inside the building came into view, and he couldn't help but close his eyes to enjoy it.

"Wuyang, how wonderful it would be if these days never changed..."

Are you worried about His Highness the Crown Prince? Or about the Qin Kingdom?

Wu Yang, also known as Qin Wu Yang, was in his early twenties, in the prime of his life.

He was the grandson of Qin Kai, a wise general during the reign of King Zhao of Yan, who "defeated the Donghu, forcing them to retreat more than a thousand li to the north," and "crossed the Liao River to defeat the Jishi Joseon," thus securing more than two thousand li of land for the Yan state.

He was close friends with Prince Dan since childhood. When he was thirteen, he killed the son of a powerful figure in the street. Thanks to the efforts of his elders and Prince Dan's protection, he was released without charge.

Later, Qin Wuyang joined the Mo family along with Yan Dan and learned superb swordsmanship.

After Jing Ke entered Yan, he and Jing Ke were both disciples of the Mohist school. He admired Jing Ke's "Five-Step Kill" swordsmanship and, at the behest of Prince Dan, he took the initiative to befriend him.

The two often drank and practiced swordsmanship, which was quite enjoyable.

The young man was favored by Jing Ke and even learned a few moves of the "Five-Step Killing Technique," making him a half-disciple of Jing Ke's swordsmanship.

"I've only ever heard of the complete Mo Family Forbidden Zone Trial. It's said that only Mo Family disciples who have a thorough understanding of the Mo Family's way of chivalry and are exceptionally talented can possibly pass it."

"Judging by the time, the trial shouldn't last more than three days. The results of His Highness's trial should already be known in the Mechanized City..."

"If it's bad news, the little wooden kite from the organization should bring the message over in the next day or the day after."

"What if it's good news?" After waiting for a long time without any further information, Qin Wuyang turned his head and asked.

"Good news!" Jing Ke exhaled through his nose and laughed, "Then of course, it's because the new Grand Master has returned to Yan riding the Vermilion Bird!"

"It seems Brother Jing Ke is hoping for good news." Qin Wuyang also smiled, and together they turned to look at the brightly lit Golden Terrace.

"This must be good news. Our Mohist school must quickly produce a new leader. A leaderless situation is disastrous for any sect..."

"The same applies to countries."

As if by some strange twist of fate, the conversation naturally turned to the State of Qin:

"After the Zhou ancestral temple was destroyed by Qin more than 20 years ago, this war-torn state destroyed the Han state this year and set its sights on the Zhao state."

"If the State of Zhao also falls, everything in Ji City will be directly ravaged by war..."

Jing Ke's smile faded. His hatred for the King of Qin stemmed not only from the doctrines of the Mohist school, but also from...

Recalling the news from the State of Wei, Jing Ke gripped his long sword tightly.

"His Highness the Crown Prince will lead the Mohists and the Yan Kingdom to protect the people of Ji City!" Qin Wuyang said earnestly, placing his hand on Jing Ke's shoulder.

For these two ordinary wandering knights, protecting everything they loved was something worth sacrificing their lives for...

Chapter 126 Encountering the Net Again

The two positions in the Gonggong Hall of the Wei Kingdom were filled by one person each from the Xinling Retainers and the representatives of the wandering knights, to serve as A Ye's deputy after he came to Daliang.

Theoretically speaking, these two positions should originally have belonged to Li Shiqi and Zhang Er, who were the most familiar with the Hall Master among the representatives of their respective forces.

But in the end, Chen Yu and Li Shang were chosen.

Li Shiqi voluntarily gave up his position to his younger brother. He himself was a scholar who did not practice martial arts, and he did not have a noble status or wealth, so it was difficult for him to control those wandering knights under his command.

After straightforwardly appointing Li Shang to take charge, he served as his younger brother's advisor. The two brothers had a harmonious relationship and no major problems were expected.

As for why Chen Yu was able to replace Zhang Er, it was because Zhang Er had other important duties.

He joined the Four Mountains Hall.

This was Lu Wei's task. Zhang Er was sensible, quick-witted, highly capable, and deeply devoted to Lord Xinling, making him the best candidate among Lord Xinling's retainers to do this job.

Zhang Er had been in the State of Wei for many years and had a considerable reputation. After joining the Four Mountains Hall, it wouldn't be difficult for him to rise quickly under Situ Wanli. It seemed that within ten years, he would be more than capable of becoming the head steward of the Four Mountains Hall!

Lu Tang is accelerating his preparations for the position of Xia Kui (Chief of the Knights)...

With all internal arrangements in place in Wei, the next step is to eliminate external threats.

This time, the enemy is still an old friend: the Net.

After the death of Lord Yanchun of Jicheng, this organization never appeared before Lu Wei again. Now, when they unexpectedly met again in Daliang, there was no joy of reunion, only the same bloodthirsty cruelty.

As the masterminds behind the actual assassination of Lord Xinling, the movements of Lord Xinling's remaining retainers were secretly monitored by the Luo Wang (a secret network of intelligence).

However, Zhang Er, Chen Yu, and others were no ordinary people. Even the infamous Luo Wang, with its limited forces in Wei and its members scattered among other princes, could not possibly maintain complete surveillance of the Xinling Temple.

The police could only check on what was happening at the Xinling Temple every now and then, and report any unusual activity to Xianyang.

Now, Xinling's retainers have been incorporated into Lu Wei's farming family:

Xinling's retainers, farmers, and Lu Wei.

With these three terms combined, given the cunning of the Luo Wang organization, they would basically confirm that the lost 'Jing Ni Sword' was in the hands of Hall Master Lu!

Given the spider's meticulous planning, how will Luo Wang react to this...?

Would they rather kill themselves than not? Or continue infiltrating the farms?

Lu Wei knelt before the Xinling Shrine, closing his eyes to rest, with the Devouring Sea Sword lying peacefully beside him. Ever since he decided to reveal Ji Yan's existence a few years ago, he had been prepared to meet the second or even third Heavenly Rank One expert.

Unexpectedly, Xinling's retainers were exceptionally good at keeping secrets, and the Luo Wang (a secret police organization) had failed to uncover this information.

However, things have developed to this point, and it can no longer be kept secret.

Ziwu, Lishang, and Chenyu's auras were slightly disordered. After entering Xinling Temple, they stood behind the hall master.

"There were four people who came to inspect the scene this time. They were very agile and broke through our two-layer encirclement, but none of them escaped. We took care of them all."

Li Shang and Tian Guang are very similar, not in appearance, but in their way of doing things and their personalities: direct and bold. Both are willing to take responsibility, making them the ideal leaders for wandering knights-errant.

"Well done. If nothing unexpected happens, the Luowang organization in Daliang City won't send anyone."

Lu Wei opened his eyes, got up and came to the three of them, raising his hand to use the Rejuvenation Technique to help them calm their internal energy.

A few nights ago, when the head of the hall was telling Chen Yu and Li Shang about the things they were going to do next in a small alley, he suddenly drew his sword and unleashed a burst of sword energy.

Where the sword energy passed, two corpses fell from the roof one after the other. The corpses were dressed in black and wearing straw hats. The white spider web pattern on their clothes was not bright, but it was unusually eye-catching.

Li Shang and Chen Yu were both knowledgeable men, and they exclaimed in unison: "A net!"

Since that night, cutting off the claws that the net had extended to them has become the top priority for the two of them these days. It is not surprising that Ziwu, who is warlike, joined in.

The three, along with a carefully selected group of skilled individuals, set traps and ambushed several waves of Luo Wang assassins, inflicting heavy losses on the Luo Wang Daliang branch. It is estimated that they will now have to await orders from Xianyang.

Regarding the attitude towards the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven), the Hall Master had decided years ago to launch a resolute counterattack.

The number of assassins in the Luo Wang network is ultimately limited. They have a presence in six kingdoms, involving both the imperial court and the martial arts world, so manpower allocation is bound to be tight.

Moreover, compared to the martial arts world, the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) focuses more on the imperial court, where their true core interests lie.

Lu Wei is now unafraid to confront the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) on the land of the Five Kingdoms. The only worry is that in the future, the Qin army's strength will most likely be used by them as allies to deal with the peasants.

However, the Qin army was not a private army like Luo Wang; otherwise, they would have controlled the throne in Xianyang Palace long ago.

With nearly ten years left before Qin unifies the six states, if they can demonstrate their strength, the Luo Wang organization will be more likely to choose to 'respect' Master Lu after weighing the pros and cons.