Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 183

"These people all practice the Tian family's martial arts. Tian Guang actually sacrificed the pillar of the Tian family, a peasant clan, just to save his own life!"

Yan Ri exclaimed in surprise:

"Furthermore, how did he know about our actions and manage to plant a large number of his peasant disciples along our escape route in advance...?"

Chapter 205 The Discussion of the Heroic Leader

Sword light and drifting snow danced together on the frozen surface of Mirror Lake. When one of them stopped, the other also stopped dancing.

Yan Shen and Amu had already warmed the wine in a small pavilion extending into the lake, and the temperature was just right after Lu Wei and Xiao He sat down.

"It's a pity the snow has stopped. There aren't many good snowfalls in a winter, and every snowfall we see is one less we can enjoy."

After drinking a full cup, Xiao He sighed deeply.

"Do Taoist disciples, who emphasize following the natural order, also feel sentimental when the natural scenery doesn't suit their taste?"

Lu Wei accepted the warm wine offered by Yan Shen and smiled.

“Taoist disciples are also ordinary people, and as such, they have emotions.” Xiao He shook his head: “I neither do nor can I change the weather, so I cannot be said to have violated the ‘Tao’.”

"Moreover, it is also a natural part of people's emotions to change with the environment."

"Just like in Jing County, even if I'm not the county magistrate, but just an ordinary farming disciple, I'm still very happy every day. But if it were in those war-torn areas in the north, even if you were a hereditary noble, you could only sigh and lament all day long because you couldn't change the lives of the people for various reasons."

"The war will eventually end." The hall master put down his wine cup, turned his head, and leaned half of his body against the railing of the pavilion. "The life in Jing County cannot be enjoyed by every person in the world, but after the world is stable, it is not a pipe dream to let everyone have enough to eat."

This world has mechanical beasts and internal energy. Several types of high-yield plants have also been distributed in the Central Plains in a groundbreaking way. With normal development and productivity, there is no problem in meeting the basic needs of most people in the Central Plains.

However, this is only theory after all...

"Qin will definitely unify the world within ten years, but even if it does, the world may not necessarily be stable," Yan Shen added to the discussion. The last person, Amu, was present, but judging from his expression, he was probably still thinking about modifying his mechanical beast.

"All living things in the world will try to find a way to survive when faced with death. This is the general trend, so there is no need to think too much about it."

Lu Wei smiled casually and said, "The dead end is always a tragic one. The Taoist philosophy of engagement with the world is to find a way for people to survive and establish themselves before they reach that dead end!"

...

In early December, after the four highest-ranking officials in Jing County had a private gathering at a pavilion in the lake, Lu Wei did not go to the county town. Although he was the head of the Gonggong Hall, he ultimately did not hold any official position in Jing County. If Head Lu were to frequently appear in public places in the county, it would be very detrimental to Yan Shen's accumulation of authority as county magistrate.

Jing County and Dazeshan are two different management styles. The former is striving to move closer to an institutionalized government, while the latter still has a stronger sense of江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).

Winter days are always short. Lu Wei felt that he hadn't been out for very long today. He had only talked about Taoism, sparred with Xiao He, and drunk some wine. Halfway back to the medical manor, the lake was filled with stars as they rushed to emerge from beneath the water.

On cloudless nights, Mirror Lake always looks like this. But even after seeing it many times, the seamless blend of water and sky still evokes a sense of awe at the wonders of nature.

After rowing at a slower pace for quite some time before finally returning to the island, most of the women in the medical clinic were asleep, leaving only one room with its lights on. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be the pharmacy.

At this time, Duanmu Rong must still be inside processing the medicinal herbs.

As a physician, Duanmu Rong not only studies prescriptions and improves her medical skills every day, but also regularly checks on the health of Xiao Qian'er and Xiao He'er. Occasionally, when there are difficult or complicated cases in Jing County, she has to row a boat to go there, which is very hard work.

I quietly arrived at the entrance of the pharmacy. Even though they were trying to suppress it, I could still hear the soft pounding of medicine coming out of the room.

The figure with her back to the door was still dressed in the same simple medical uniform, but due to the drop in temperature, Duanmu Rong, who was working at night, added a thick light blue shawl to her shoulders.

The shawl was made by the Snow Maiden, and it was embroidered with a pale purple orchid.

At this moment, illuminated by the candlelight, Duanmu Rong, with her head bowed and focused, appeared to Lu Wei more like a pure snow lotus blooming on a high mountain, set against the backdrop of ice and snow.

Looking down from the orchid-scented shawl, the slight bulge on the inside of the arm proved that the snow lotus was already in bud.

The slender waist was tightly bound by a sash, and then the long dress sealed it off, but fortunately, the Master could feel it perfectly.

He silently approached Duanmu Rong from behind, wrapped his arms around her shapely waist, and lowered his head to press his lips to her ear:

"Still here so late~"

"Ah..." Suddenly attacked from behind, Duanmu Rong instinctively wanted to turn around and smash the medicine in her hand, but fortunately, the familiar male scent and voice that followed made her freeze for a moment before she continued with her work:

"This batch of medicinal herbs must be processed today; there will be other things to do tomorrow."

Feeling the restless large hand on her waist and the heat flowing near her ear, Duanmu Rong's neck became slightly hot and red, and this unusual sensation continued to spread upwards...

She tried to pry Lu Wei's hand off her waist with her left hand, which was holding the grinder, but it was instead held and she couldn't move. She could only say in a trembling voice, "I can't grind medicine like this."

Lu Wei readily let go of the other person's hand, but didn't back down in any other way: "You continue handling it, I'll stay with you."

"Um..."

The clattering sound of pounding medicine continued, but soon Duanmu Rong's movements became erratic. She clearly sensed something unusual behind her, and the hand on her waist was becoming increasingly restless...

"At this rate, we won't be able to finish processing the medicinal herbs tonight."

Biting her lip to calm herself down, Little Fairy Doctor tried to keep her tone serious and composed, but her feverish body lying in Lu Wei's arms had undoubtedly given away everything.

"It's alright, I'll have Xiaoyan help you finish these tasks tomorrow."

"All you do is bully her... ugh..."

She waved her hand behind her back and used her inner energy to close the wooden door of the pharmacy. The enclosed environment relieved Duanmu Rong's tension.

The candle flame flickered gently until it dripped completely, and no one went to blow it out.

The facilities at the medical center definitely need improvement; the lack of rooms makes many things inconvenient...

------

After escaping the pursuit of Luo Wang, Tian Guang remained hidden until New Year's Eve when he finally found Zhou Wen at Lieshan Hall.

"The Hero!"

Zhou Wen, who had been wearing Tian Meng's face, had become completely indistinguishable over the years. Tian Hu no longer doubted his identity as the "elder brother." Even Tian Guang, who knew the whole story, could not find any fault with him.

For Zhou Wen, the success of his disguise as Tian Meng was crucial to his own survival and the safety of the farm before he was exposed, so Zhou Wen had to be extremely vigilant at all times.

In the past few years, it was really painful for him to pretend, but after a while, Zhou Wen got used to the mask on his face.

As a spy with multiple identities, Zhou Wen, who is sent into the Luowang organization by the Farmer's Clan and then sent back to the Farmer's Clan to infiltrate, must always remember who he is, even as he trembles on the precipice.

"The Luo Net has officially issued the action order against Xia Kui, and I have also received the mission to find your whereabouts in the Daze Mountain."

Zhou Wen said solemnly. He knew that Tian Guang's situation had reached its most critical point.

"Well done. Now, if you kill me publicly at the right time, the Luo Wang organization's trust in you will increase even further!"

Tian Guang patted Zhou Wen on the shoulder and said with a smile, not caring at all about his own safety.

He has done everything he could; his next plan is simply to wait for the right moment to die.

Zhou Wen nodded silently upon hearing Xia Kui's words.

Now that the plan has progressed this far, any further emotional talk about 'cowardice' would be pointless. Everyone should be prepared to die for their beliefs and to send their beloved comrades to their deaths.

“While you are in the net, you still need to carefully investigate the identity of another person,” Tian Guang added.

"who is it?"

"Covering the sun."

“Yanri…” As the head of the Luowang (Net) of Daze Mountain, Zhou Wen was unaware of the Luowang’s more secretive secrets, but he had heard of the name Yanri while he was infiltrating the Chu Kingdom:

"This person is an elder of the Luo Wang organization, holding an extremely high position within it, ranking several ranks above the Heavenly First Class. If we want to find out his identity, we will have to wait until my plan with Lu Wei is implemented before we can do so."

"I have some information: Yan Ri has another prominent identity in the martial arts world. You can pay more attention to this."

Tian Guang revealed all the information he knew about Yan Ri: "Furthermore, if things really come to a critical moment, Yan Ri might be able to become your partner... including in dealing with Luo Wang!"

"What does Xia Kui mean?!" Tian Meng exclaimed in surprise.

“It’s just a guess.” Tian Guang walked to the window with his hands behind his back, his gaze deep: “Only when you encounter a truly irreversible crisis can you bet that my guess is correct.”

"With Lu Wei around, the farmers shouldn't encounter such a crisis."

"More preparations mean more options~" Tian Guang chuckled again on his tense face and changed the subject: "A new Shennong decree will be issued next year, and you must comply with the orders in the decree."

"What's next?" Zhou Wen stared at the voice that was neither loud nor strong, a strange light flashing in his eyes: "The leader of the Xia clan told me in advance so that Lieshan Hall could be prepared."

"Some orders only have meaning when they are issued. Just act in accordance with the principles of the Farmer's School."

After saying this, Tian Guang jumped out of the window and disappeared into the dark night.

After staring at the darkness for a long time, Zhou Wen slowly closed the window...

After leaving Lieshan Hall, Tian Guang went to Chiyou Hall. In a secret room there, he met Tian Du and Tian Zang, who had returned from Sanghai.

"Boss!" "Chief of the Knights."

After grunting in acknowledgment, Tian Guang nodded to the two men, indicating that they didn't need to be so polite. Then, after listening to their report on their contact with the Qi royal family, Tian Guang tapped the table lightly, seemingly lost in thought, without making any further comment.

Seeing that the leader of the chivalrous sect remained silent, Tian Du clasped his hands in a fist salute, stepped forward, and spoke:

"Boss, a few months ago, Zhou Wen used your orders to mobilize fifty Tian family disciples, and they haven't been heard from since..."

“These people were indeed transferred by Zhou Wen at my request. They have a secret mission. Let’s not mention this matter again.”

Tian Guang readily agreed to Tian Du's second question and arbitrarily demanded that they no longer concern themselves with it.

“Those disciples are all junior and middle-level backbone members of the various halls of the Farmer’s Clan. If they leave for a long time, it will shake the Tian family’s control over the Farmer’s Clan.”

Tian Zang frowned slightly, and out of concern for the Tian family, he added another sentence after Tian Guang finished speaking.

"..." Tian Guang glanced at his two trusted confidants and sighed, "Azang, Adu, how long have we known each other?"

"It's been about thirty years. We were raised by Xia Kui."

Tian Zang lowered his voice slightly as he answered.

"Since you still remember, do you still have any objections to my decision?"

With a thud, Tian Zang immediately knelt down, followed closely by Tian Du: "I will obey the orders of the chivalrous leader!"

"Yes, get up." Tian Guang personally stepped forward to help the two of them up, and said loudly, "All the decisions I have made are for the sake of the farmers."

Tian Zangtian had no doubt about this.

"Boss, there's one more thing." After the question from the Tian family disciple was put aside, Tian Du continued, "It's about Lu Wei of the Gonggong Hall."

"This person is unruly and has many complaints about our Tian family. Gonggong Hall is so powerful now. Boss, do you really want to make him your successor?"

"In the past, Luqiu Pavilion in Yan State was the territory of the Xu family. After he took power, he actually launched a bloody purge within the pavilion. Later, he even repaid kindness with enmity by colluding with powerful figures in Yan State to exterminate the entire Xu family."

"If Lu Wei takes control of the peasant family, the Tian family will be far stronger than the Xu family, but... we must be wary."

"Can Tian Hu and Tian Mi of the Tian family become the leader of the chivalrous clan? Or can the two of you succeed them?" Tian Guang did not directly answer Tian Du's question, but only asked the question calmly with a blank expression.