Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 135

"From now on, any disciples of the Farmer's Family who are responsible for purchasing mines can come to Shouchun. I can issue them the Xiang Family Token, which allows them to report the Xiang Family's name in all their actions in the Chu Kingdom!"

"Thank you so much, Brother Xiang!"

The hunting trip passed by amidst conversations on pleasant topics.

After Lu Wei mastered the longbow in the first few shots, his subsequent archery skills were on par with Xiang Bo's, who was performing exceptionally well.

He was, after all, a martial artist; his eyesight and distance judgment were top-notch, and he was also very strong. There was no reason why his archery skills would be poor.

Carrying the game they had eaten that day, the two returned to Shouchun. At the inn, Xiang Bo casually instructed his soldiers to help them cancel their room reservations, while Lu Wei stayed at the mansion with him.

The banquet was lavish. During the day, the head of the hall and Xiang Bo only chatted about trivial matters, but in the evening, after a few drinks, the affairs of Chu and the world were brought up.

Xiang Bo came from a prestigious family, but he spent his days traveling among soldiers, and when it came to entertainment, he could only think of hunting. His knowledge and experience reflected the characteristics of the privileged class.

His insights did offer some help to Lu Wei in understanding the mindset of the Chu nobility; as for other aspects... one could generally glean some information from them as supplementary information about the situation in Chu...

The most noteworthy events, such as Jing Ke's assassination attempt on the King of Qin and the battles in Zhao, are naturally key topics that Xiang Bo should discuss.

The failed assassination attempt on the King of Qin filled him with regret, and the poor performance of the Yan army in Zhao also drew Xiang Bo's deep disdain.

"If our elite Chu army marches north to attack Qin, we will surely achieve a great victory!"

It is true that the Chu army was stronger than the Yan army, but why didn't the Chu state take this opportunity to attack Qin?

Lu Wei, being sensible, did not ask about this issue. He had already heard several versions of some rumors in the Yunmeng Market yesterday.

The death of Queen Dowager Zhao Ji of Qin this year has not been a major issue for Qin.

However, in the state of Chu, two kings died within two months...

Moreover, a palace secret from over a decade ago was uncovered in the royal palace, causing the State of Chu to lose face.

In the past, King Kaolie of Chu had no sons. Lord Chunshen, Huang Xie, was very worried about this, so he kindly took in the sister of Li Yuan, a man from Zhao, and worked day and night to make her pregnant. He then quickly sent her to the palace, where she gave birth to King Kaolie's eldest son.

Li Yuan's sister was thus made queen, and later gave birth to a second son, Xiong You, for King Kaolyeol. The identity of the second son's father is probably only known to his mother.

King Kaolie died ten years ago. Li Yuan's sister's eldest son, who was actually Lord Chunshen's son, Xiong Han, succeeded to the throne as King You of Chu.

When King You ascended the throne, Li Yuan, fearing that his secret would be exposed, sent his retainers to kill Huang Xie and subsequently exterminated his entire family. Lord Chunshen, who was listed among the Four Lords of the Warring States, ultimately met such an end, which was truly retribution.

King You died this year without an heir. His younger brother, Xiong You, succeeded him as King Ai of Chu.

But just two months later, the farce repeated itself. Xiong Fuchu, the illegitimate son of King Kaolie, sent his retainers to assassinate King Ai, revealing the secrets of the estate, claiming that Xiong Han and Xiong You were both sons of Lord Chunshen. He then wiped out the entire Li family and ascended the throne as King of Chu himself...

The powerful and wealthy certainly know how to play the game.

Given the current political situation in the court, it was clearly impossible to expect the State of Chu to seize the opportunity to send troops to attack Qin and then rescue Zhao.

The Xiang clan held military power in the Chu state and were oblivious to the secrets of the royal palace. Maintaining neutrality and preventing the chaos in the court from affecting the army was their greatest effort.

Li Yuan had ruled the Chu court for ten years, and most of the officials in the court were his confidants. Many local officials had also pledged their allegiance to him. Now that Li Yuan's entire family had been exterminated, these officials were all living in fear. If Chu could restore stability within three years, Xiong Fuchu would be considered to have passed the test.

------

The day after the banquet, Xiang Bo was summoned to the General's Mansion early in the morning by a messenger, but he didn't know why.

The sect leader meditated and cultivated his internal energy for a while. After the rooster crowed, he went out and began practicing his swordsmanship in the courtyard.

The servants in the mansion all knew that Lu Wei was a distinguished guest of Xiang Bo, so they specifically asked him if he had any instructions. After receiving a negative answer, the servants cleverly refrained from disturbing him again.

Not disturbing you is intentional, and disturbing you is also intentional.

"Still practicing basic swordsmanship? You must be Lu Wei, the swordsman of the martial world?"

The gaze that had been observing him for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn finally couldn't resist and leaped over the wall with his sword, proudly looking down at Hall Master Lu.

This uninvited guest possessed decent lightness skills, fair skin, a slender figure, and a dashing green brocade robe.

By some standards, he is a handsome man.

The tiger-head shaped jade hairpin on his head signifies that he is a person of high status and power.

The extraordinary sword held in his arms is composed of three colors: light blue, pale purple, and silver-white. Upon closer inspection, one can see tiger head patterns on the hilt of the sword.

The fact that he could freely enter and leave Xiang Bo's residence suggested that he was also a general in Xiang's army. Coupled with the clue of his appearance, the hall master quickly thought of a name:

Commander of the Chu Shadow Tiger Legion: Ji Bu.

"Hey, I'm talking to you!"

Lu Wei glanced at the person on the wall to determine their identity, his swordplay continuing unabated. This caused the person on the wall to sharpen their gaze and speak again:

"I've heard that you've traveled from Yan to Chu and have already won seventy-five matches in the martial world..."

"It's clear how mediocre this world of wandering knights is!"

Ji Bu gave a light chuckle, and from his tone to his entire demeanor, only one word stood out: pride.

Ji Bu certainly had reason to be proud. He was handsome, had outstanding strength, and was only in his twenties when he became the commander of an entire Shadow Tiger Legion.

What others achieve in a lifetime, Ji Bu accomplished in just a few years.

Of course, from another perspective, he experienced the feeling of having reached the pinnacle of life at least twenty years earlier, and everything that followed was only a decline.

Ji Bu's surname was not Xiang, so he was not eligible to be a general in the State of Chu. He also did not meet the surname requirements for other military positions. Therefore, no matter how great his achievements were, he could only remain in the same position.

However, for now, having not yet experienced setbacks, he can still fully display his pride.

"Do you want me to summon those servants to witness your defeat? Or do you want to bear your suffering alone?"

Ji Bu leaped off the wall. Facing the indifference of those who turned their backs to him, he smiled and said, "Pretending not to hear won't save you from failure!"

With the light blue Shadow Tiger Sword drawn, Ji Bu instantly stabbed at the gray-wood hairpin on Lu Wei's head.

Ji Bu is too young now, and the sect leader doesn't seem to care about his offensive words. Not only are the words themselves immature, but there's also a high possibility that Ji Bu is deliberately trying to provoke him.

However, the sect leader doesn't mind giving him a small shock to the martial arts world now!

His movements, executing basic sword techniques, remained steady and methodical. Facing the Shadow Tiger Sword thrusting towards his head, Lu Wei didn't turn around; he merely slightly reversed the scabbard with his left hand...

With a clang, it accurately struck the middle of the Shadow Tiger Sword. The immense force caused Ji Bu, who was prepared, to change his expression drastically. He felt an abyss-like aura constantly leaping and vibrating through his sword.

His right hand, as slender as a beautiful woman's, split open at the base of his thumb, and he could no longer grip the hilt of the sword; the Shadow Tiger Sword flew high into the air.

Ji Bu was completely out of balance when Lu Wei, holding the scabbard, pressed it against his chest. First, he gently used his internal energy to pull Ji Bu back, then before Ji Bu could react, the scabbard retracted an inch, and Lu Wei applied a small amount of internal energy to the smooth tip. In an instant, Ji Bu's upper body felt as if it had been struck by a massive punch, and he was sent flying backwards out of the courtyard archway...

With a gulp, Ji Bu's chest heaved and he spat out a mouthful of blood. At the same time, the Shadow Tiger Sword in the air accurately and straight stuck into the empty space next to his right hand.

"You'll spread the word about my 76th win, right?"

A calm voice drifted to his ears. Staring at the back of the figure that never turned around to look at him, Ji Bu blushed, unsure whether it was from shame, anger, or the surging blood in his veins.

He left very decisively.

Judging from his performance under the pressure of half of his own internal energy, Ji Bu's strength is still inferior to Zi Wu's from last year.

The successors of military strategists have to train with soldiers all day long and don't have time to practice internal energy... Hmm, that makes sense.

When Xiang Bo returned, he already knew about Lu Wei's duel with Ji Bu: the boy had actually spread the news throughout Shouchun City that he had fought Lu Wei and lost, giving Ji Bu his seventy-sixth victory.

He may have been a bit arrogant, but his reputation for being "a promise is worth a thousand pieces of gold, and as immovable as a mountain" was already evident from the very beginning.

"To make Ji Bu submit, there are very few people in the entire Chu army who can do that!"

Accompanied by his usual hearty laughter and a vigorous pat on the headmaster's shoulder, it was clear that Xiang Bo was genuinely happy for his victory.

Ji Bu was just a minor episode. Although Lu Wei valued his future, it was obviously meaningless to recruit him while the State of Chu still existed.

It's even laughable.

After all, in terms of social status, the Shadow Tiger Legion Commander is currently far superior to the Hall Master...

Alone at night, Lu Wei strolled through the Yunmeng Market's night market. In the dance area of ​​the Badi witches, he instantly spotted a short, white-haired old man in the crowd:

"Master Nan, we meet again~"

Chapter 156 Hidden in the City

"Young Master Lu is causing more and more trouble in the martial world. Who is he targeting this time in the State of Chu?"

The shamanic dance area, especially at night, was packed with people, shoulder to shoulder. But Chu Nan Gong mingled among the crowd, with an invisible barrier between him and the other pedestrians, dividing this entertainment area into two worlds: one bustling and the other quiet.

The crowd wasn't blind to Chu Nan Gong; rather, they saw him but paid him no attention, as if he were a natural part of the Yunmeng Market's decorations, like the bluestone on the road or the upturned eaves.

This "great hermit lives in the city" effect meant that even though Chu Nan Gong's reputation as a virtuous man was renowned throughout the world, he was not worried about being disturbed.

The fact that an ordinary person could meet Chu Nan Gong means that the old man himself was interested in him.

When Lu Wei last met Chu Nan Gong, his internal strength was far inferior to what it is now, so he didn't notice anything unusual about Nan Gong. Now, as soon as he came to the old man's side, he immediately realized that he had been pulled into another 'world' where he had lost his sense of existence in the outside world.

Their conversation would be completely unheard by passersby nearby, unless one of them was a martial arts master with exceptional internal strength who could detect Nan Gong's unusual behavior.

Such a technique is truly ingenious. I wonder if I could ask my esteemed Master Nan to teach it to me.

"You flatter me, Lord Nan. I only returned to Chu to indulge in pleasures because I love witchcraft and dance."

Chu Nan Gong's age was unknown, but it was certain that he, like Yan Chun Jun, was a treasure trove of valuable resources. Lu Wei chuckled humbly and kindly.

"If we're talking about someone they're targeting, then it's definitely you, Master Nan."

"Master Nan taught me a lot in the past few years. Once a teacher, always a teacher. I have always kept Master Nan in my heart as my teacher!"

After saying that, the hall master took a step back, bent down and was about to bow to Chu Nan Gong.

"Oh, this old man can't accept the respect due to a farmer's head."

Nan Gong raised his cane and braced Lu Wei's arm to prevent him from bowing. The two's overly dramatic actions seemed to alert passersby to something amiss, but a quick glance around revealed nothing unusual.

"Master Nan's methods are truly incredible. I have no skills as amazing as his. Compared to a sage like Master Nan, I am still far inferior!"

If they don't allow it, then don't worship. Seeing the reactions of the passersby around him, Lu Wei immediately seized the opportunity, deliberately turning his head to look around, and openly started a conversation about Chu Nan Gong's low-profile cultivation technique.

Their greedy motives are crystal clear!

His intention was this martial arts technique. If Chu Nan Gong was willing to give it to him, that would be great. If he didn't, Hall Master Lu wouldn't suffer any loss. In any case, he treated him as an elder, and Chu Nan Gong wouldn't get angry at the mischievous behavior of a junior. This was an unspoken understanding.

"Having lived a few years longer than young people, one naturally knows a little more."

The old man chuckled, his small eyes, mostly hidden by thick, long white eyebrows, curved slightly: "Young Master Lu wants to learn?"

Very good, Chu Nan Gong did not change the subject, which means he is willing to teach me this skill!

"The boy is greedy and has always been obsessed with martial arts. He's always willing to learn new and unusual techniques!"

Lu Wei straightened his back and nodded without ceremony.