Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 236

"The plan to create the Net has failed, but you are the biggest beneficiary." Zhao Gao said with a sly smile as he casually tossed the Shennong Token in his hand in front of Hall Master Lu.

The metal token in mid-air spun and floated toward Lu Wei. Lu Wei raised his hand and easily suppressed the internal force that the other party had secretly exerted in the token, and firmly grasped the fake one.

"This gift is a personal gift to you. The next step for Luo Wang is to withdraw from Daze Mountain. Farmhouse is yours."

The Shennong Token is indeed a token, but if it is not in the hands of the leader of the Farmer's Clan, it is merely a slightly more sturdy metal token.

Unlike the Mo family's token, Mo Mei, which is a ruler-shaped sword, it can enhance the strength of the user's Mo family internal energy. Even if an outsider holds it, it will still have some use value.

Therefore, the Shennong Token, in the hands of the Luo Wang (a powerful organization), is at most a collectible for display. Since that's the case, it would be better to return it to the farmers to reduce trouble.

In Zhao Gao's plan, once someone becomes the leader of the chivalrous sect, the process of retrieving the Shennong Token will be a crucial step in legitimizing their status. The Luo Wang organization does not want to expend too much effort on the peasant faction in the short term, and even after the conflict, the two sides can still keep to themselves.

As long as they are not enemies with conflicting interests, they can be friends.

The farmhouse was originally his own property, but there was nothing wrong with letting Zhao Gao indulge in his God-like mentality of believing he was in control and could cut his losses in time: "Is this your sincerity?"

"Since I, Lu, have wiped out the Tian family's forces, wouldn't that count as me helping the Luo Net in some way?"

He was clearly eliminating dissidents and trying to seize power, yet he made it sound like he was repaying the Luo Wang organization.

Zhao Gao's understanding of Lu Wei deepened further, but it was undeniable that eliminating the Tian family of the peasants at this point in time would indeed be a merit that Luo Wang could report to the King of Qin.

The King of Qin neither needed nor had the ability to know the specific details of the operation. Reporting a failed "Netting" operation as a successful blow to the power of the Qi royal family, the Tian clan, and forcing them to relinquish control over the peasants, how could this not be considered a merit?

"Master Lu truly has a unique talent for vying for power and profit," Zhao Gao said with a sneer.

“We common folk have learned a lot about survival through hard work and struggle,” Lu Wei replied calmly. His words made Zhao Gao nod slowly and say, “You’re quite remarkable to have survived in this chaotic world and risen from a deserter from Zhao to the leader of the peasant chivalrous family.”

Just how many times has the Xu family of Jicheng sold their personal information...?

Watching Zhao Gao's figure disappear like a ghost after he finished speaking, Lu Wei calmly sheathed the Devouring Sea Sword.

This master of the Heavenly Net is very strong. Judging from his movement technique alone, he is superior to any one of the Six Sword Slaves. He may be comparable to one of the top masters of the Horizontal and Vertical Alliance and can be ranked among the world's top masters.

However, although Lu Tangzhu did not directly fight him, he managed to force him to speak politely instead of attacking him directly. This undoubtedly proves that Zhao Gao was not confident that he could win against Lu in actual combat.

As for Lu Wei, if it weren't for the fact that he held the official position of Chief of the Imperial Carriage Office of Qin, there would be many other options to consider.

------

Returning to the ruins of Spring Valley, the original Spring Valley Manor no longer existed. All the houses and buildings in the entire village had been leveled by internal energy: this was all the result of the Sixth Elder's Earthly Twenty-Four. The Six Sword Slaves were swordsmen, and their destruction was often more precise.

There are no Six Elders or Six Sword Slaves here now. Shortly after Zhao Gao disappeared from his sight, signal fireworks rose into the sky. The patterns and colors did not belong to the peasants; they were the retreat order from the Luo Net.

After the Six Sword Slaves retreated, the Sixth Elder pursued them without success and, without lingering, simply returned to the Tomb of the Six Sages.

The original location of Spring Valley Square was much cleaner than the surrounding area, so it could be roughly identified.

Zhu Jia, Tian Hu, and Zhang Er were all here. In addition, Tian Mi, who had escaped first, was also captured by Wu Kuang despite his injuries.

Wu Kuang had not yet removed his mask at this time. When he forcibly removed Zhou Wen's mask, he was hit by a powerful punch from Tian Hu, and blood even spilled from the corner of his mouth. His internal injuries were not minor.

When Lu Wei, Zhu Jia, Tian Hu and the Six Sword Slaves were fighting, Tian Mi did not stay to watch the show just because she also belonged to the Luo Wang and the Luo Wang had the upper hand at the time. Instead, she subconsciously ran away.

For her, running away was never a bad thing: if Luo Wang won, she would still be the leader of Kuiwei Hall; if the Farmer's Clan miraculously turned the tide, she could say that she was forced by Luo Wang.

But what Tian Mi never expected was that after Wu Kuang exposed Zhou Wen, all his attention was focused on her... After all, the two of them were once a proper couple who had gone through the wedding ceremony!

Wu Kuang did not hesitate to draw his sword and chase after Tian Mi when she tried to escape: although he was injured, he could easily subdue her as long as he was careful to guard against the woman's venomous needles.

There's no doubt that Tian Mi is a member of Luo Wang. The scandal at Kuiwei Hall years ago was most likely orchestrated by Luo Wang; such a grudge cannot go unavenged!

His own brother, Chen Sheng, was still in a Qin prison on death row...

"Tell me, where have you taken my brother?" Tian Hu viciously grabbed Tian Mi's neck, still clinging to a sliver of hope that his brother was safe.

Perhaps, my older brother was simply captured and imprisoned by the other side...

"Brother Lu, the Luo Wang has retreated here. How's the pursuit going on your end?"

Zhu Jia stepped forward and hurriedly greeted them, asking questions.

“They escaped, and the other side has reinforcements.” Shaking his head, Lu Wei took out the real Shennong Token and showed it to the Zhu family: “But there was an unexpected gain.”

Even if Zhao Gao did not hand over the Shennong Token, the Hall Master would still produce the real token and claim that he had snatched it back from the Luo Wang.

He couldn't say that Tian Guang had identified him as the leader of the chivalrous sect a long time ago, otherwise, if the news reached Luo Wang's ears, Zhao Gao would definitely have more doubts... and today's performance would be in vain.

"This is... could it be Tian Guangxiao!" Zhu Jia's face was filled with shock. Tian Hu casually tossed Tian Mi aside and strode over with Zhang Er: "Shennong Token!"

"Yes, the leader of the chivalrous sect was killed by that traitor Zhou Wen!"

Unable to bear the pain from his internal injuries, Wu Kuang collapsed to the ground.

There wasn't enough time before, but now that he saw the Shennong Token, he spoke with a heavy heart on Lu Wei's behalf about what he knew about Tian Guang.

That night, after obtaining information about the leader's whereabouts from his inside contact, Wu Kuang was supposed to carry out the assassination. His sword did indeed pierce Tian Guang's shoulder, but then Wu Kuang was knocked unconscious by Tian Guang's palm strike...

When Wu Kuang woke up again, he was already in Zhou Wen's room. Zhou Wen told him that the mission was complete... the leader of the chivalrous sect had been personally executed by him...

At this point, he tore off his mask, revealing a haggard and pale face with the word "Ten Evils" tattooed on his forehead.

His true identity behind the mask is indeed shocking, but it seems insignificant compared to the news about the chivalrous leader Tian Guang.

Only Tian Mi, who was lying on the ground in agony, was even more terrified to see her 'deceased husband' come back to life. The other two hall masters were more focused on the information Wu Kuang was conveying.

"That bastard!" Zhu Jia's fur stood on end in anger, his fists clenched. "Tian Meng, Brother Zhou He, Xia Kui, and Brother Situ—he's the one who did it all!"

"Ah!" Only now did Tian Hu finally accept the tragic fate of his elder brother Tian Meng, a grief that had been shattered by the death of Xia Kui.

He drew his Tiger Soul Sword and slammed it into the ground: "The Net! I will never let it get away with me!"

"We narrowly escaped death today, thanks to the Sixth Elder who sensed the strange aura in the Great Swamp Mountain and chose to leave the tomb, but..." Lu Wei calmly and blatantly put the Shennong Token into his pocket: "The Heroic Leader is now confirmed dead, and only three of the Six Hall Masters remain. We need to immediately select a new Heroic Leader to set things right!"

The lord held his head high, his meaning quite clear.

"What I mean is..." Upon hearing this, Zhang Er immediately responded to the topic with a serious face: "Gonggong Hall is the strongest of the six halls. Today, Hall Master Lu personally retrieved the Farmer's Token. This position of Hero Leader belongs to Hall Master Lu!"

Chapter 270 The Net Reports Its Merits

From the perspectives of the Zhu family and Tian Hu, everything has happened too fast since the murder of Situ Wanli the day before yesterday.

Because of Situ Wanli's death, the imposter Tian Meng proposed that "the peasant clan's lack of unity has allowed outsiders to commit atrocities in the Daze Mountains. Now that Tian Guang has been missing for many years, a new leader must be chosen to lead the peasant brothers in uniting against the outsiders and hunting down the murderers."

Therefore, the leaders of the various halls gathered at Chungu Manor to consult with the elders of the Six Sages' Tomb.

In this incident, the Zhu family was caught up in the tide of events, while Tian Hu completely obeyed the fake elder brother. At the critical moment, Wu Kuang suddenly appeared and exposed the conspiracy that Tian Meng was actually Zhou Wen, a traitor from the Farmer's Clan, in disguise. Subsequently, the Luo Wang assassins were exposed from the shadows, and the Sixth Elder came to the rescue. After a chaotic battle, the Luo Wang withdrew, confirming that Lieshan Hall and Kuiwei Hall had been infiltrated by the Luo Wang.

The situation in the peasant family had never been so perilous. Three of the six hall masters were vacant, and there were still a large number of potential lurking enemies that needed to be identified.

At this juncture, Lu Wei proposed continuing the agenda of electing a new leader of the martial arts world, since the original leader, Tian Guang, was indeed dead. After some consideration, Zhu Jia and Tian Hu did not refuse.

The fact that Zhang Er miraculously appeared near Chun Gu Manor with his disciples today is probably inseparable from Lu Wei's detour to Si Yue Hall this morning. As the Si Yue General Manager, who is only second to the Hall Master, his support already represents the attitude of Si Yue Hall.

Zhu Jia's ambition to become the leader of the Xia family has gradually faded after experiencing various events in recent years, especially his connection with the rumor of "Xiong Xin, the youngest son of the King of Chu," which could potentially ignite and implicate the Farmer School at any time. Moreover, because of Xiong Qi, he has also formed an alliance with the Mohist School... Zhu Jia believes that he can no longer become the leader of the Xia family under these circumstances.

If he withdraws personally, then considering that Brother Lu was able to lead the initially weak Gonggong Hall to become the number one of the six halls, it is the popular choice to make him the leader of the heroes.

Thinking of this, Zhu Jia stepped forward and expressed his support for Zhang Er's proposal.

Thus, only Chiyou Hall's attitude remains.

In Tian Hu's eyes, after Tian Guang, the position of the new leader of the Xia clan should have belonged to his eldest brother. Now that his eldest brother was dead, he himself was the leader of the Tian family, and logically, the position of Xia clan leader should have been given to him...

After all, in theory, he could still get some support from the royal family of Qi... but among the peasants, he was the only one they could still support.

But seeing the gazes of Lu Wei, Zhu Jia, and Zhang Er all fixed on him, Tian Hu clenched his fist and gritted his teeth: "I have no objection."

Even though Tian Hu had been deceived by the fake Tian Meng all these years, he couldn't easily escape the crime of aiding the enemy. Seeing that he had temporarily given in, Lu Wei smiled and turned away, not immediately pursuing the matter: after he officially became the leader of the chivalrous sect and arranged several vacant hall master positions, he would have his subordinates cause trouble for Tian Hu and then use the results of the Yan Emperor's Decree among the hall masters to remove him from his position!

"The Farmer's Clan is currently in a state of turmoil and upheaval. Under these circumstances, I, Lu, have been appointed to this critical mission. I will certainly eliminate any hidden dangers within the Farmer's Clan and create a peaceful environment for its disciples to live in!" Lu Xiaokui spoke eloquently.

"Next, I will uphold the will of my disciples and enter the Tomb of the Six Sages to apply for the test from the elders and obtain the Nine-Star Pearl Grass!"

This is a necessary procedure. In addition to the Shennong Token, the Ultimate Pearl Grass is also an important item representing the identity of the Xia Kui.

With the old chivalrous leader in trouble, the Nine Star Pearl Grass could only be distributed with the joint decision of the six elders. When Lu Wei entered the Tomb of the Six Sages again, he felt no psychological pressure.

The entire peasant family, with hundreds of thousands of disciples, were all his subordinates!

These six elders are also disciples of the Farmer's Clan, and should therefore obey the orders of Lord Xia Kui.

While it's important for them to remain within the Six Sages' Tomb to cultivate themselves and maintain the agricultural traditions, they've already left the tomb once today. If necessary, they might be able to leave Daze Mountain again.

------

When Zhao Gao saw his six sword slave subordinates, who were covered in wounds, in Licheng outside Daze Mountain, his expression was very unpleasant.

The Six Sword Slaves knew that their performance had not satisfied their master, so they knelt down, bowed their heads, and remained silent, waiting to be questioned.

"Even six old guys can make you all look so disheveled. The inherited formation left by the Shennong Ancestor to the Farmer's Clan is indeed quite powerful."

The peasants were just a bunch of peasants, but they were surprisingly strong. Although the Luo Net had a history of hundreds of years, it was still somewhat inferior to the great sage ancestor Shennong, who was recorded in history.

The Six Sword Slaves were among the world's top combat forces. Even Zhao Gao himself could not compare with them in terms of martial prowess. Even Gai Nie, the chief swordsmanship instructor of the King of Qin, a man known as the Sword Saint, fairly assessed that he would die within one or two moves against the Six Sword Slaves.

But today they were unable to defeat Lu Wei, and were also slightly outmatched in combat against the Sixth Elder. The first formal mission they had assigned to the Six Sword Slaves ended in two consecutive defeats.

The six people's time for the six-in-one training was ultimately too short. Next, we need to assign them more tasks as training.

Without offering much comment on the six men's performance that day, he waved for them to leave, and shortly afterward, Zhou Wen, who was unconscious, was carried up.

Zhou Wen lost his right hand and had previously suffered Lu Wei's Frost Palm. He fainted shortly after escaping the mountains and forests, but fortunately, he was rescued in time by the scattered assassins of the Luo Wang organization.

Staring at his face, which was even paler than his own due to blood loss, Zhao Gao confirmed that Zhou Wen was currently fighting for his life. If such a person could crawl out of death, he could undoubtedly continue to be a sharp weapon, used as a blade that was always hanging over the heads of farmers.

With a sly smile, Zhao Gao ordered him to be given some secret medicine that would come at a price, and then ordered the return journey to Xianyang.

Upon returning, the first thing he did was immediately report the news from the farm to King Ying Zheng of Qin:

"Your Majesty, I have completely eliminated the power of the Tian clan among the farmers, and Qi has lost another ally in the future."

"Is this a farmer's house?" Ying Zheng, dressed in casual clothes, was practicing swordsmanship in the back garden, with Gai Nie standing beside him, occasionally correcting some of his improper movements.

For the King of Qin, swordsmanship was a compulsory course for nobles, which could relieve his fatigue from handling government affairs, but that was all.

Ying Zheng would not spend much energy training his ability to fight to the death, and there was no possibility that he, the supreme king, would need to personally kill enemies.

If it really comes to that, his personal strength will be useless.

As Zhao Gao stopped swinging his sword, he could see out of the corner of his eye that Ying Zheng was wielding a famous sword with a standard and ancient style. It was none other than Tianwen, which ranked first on Feng Hu Zi's sword manual.

Only the sword ranked number one is qualified to become the King of Qin's weapon.

"As one of the Hundred Schools of Thought, the Agricultural School has 100,000 disciples, but its fame is far less than that of Taoism, Confucianism, and Mohism?"