Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 207

Because of Chu's firm anti-Qin stance, the Mohists, who were also anti-Qin, would not only not be wanted for showing their faces here, but would also be praised by the people of Chu.

Although the other party did not recognize him, the hall master did not have time to stay and watch their performance. By the time he returned to the Yin Yang School's stronghold, the three of them, Sun, Moon and Star, had once again transformed into ordinary wandering knights.

The three of them would easily attract attention if they traveled the world in their original appearances. Dongjun's appearance was probably okay, and she could disguise herself as an ordinary woman by changing her clothes. However, Yueshen and Xinghun's unusual hair colors required careful concealment.

However, the concealment through changing clothes is ultimately not as convenient as Yin-Yang magic.

After changing into a black, close-fitting outfit to regain his usual sharp and capable appearance, the four of them rode out of the city together at dusk.

The journey took several days, and they mostly avoided all the checkpoints they encountered.

Those who went to Chenying City at this time could be described as daring; most of them were either righteous men or spies.

Lord Changping set up strict sentry posts at the four gates of Chenying, and all people coming and going had to undergo rigorous checks.

The name, place of origin, age, and reason for leaving or entering the city must be recorded.

Only after passing the inspection could one obtain a wooden plaque representing their identity to enter the city. Without the plaque, even if one sneaked into the city, one would not be able to find a place to stay.

The city's residents also have the right to report any suspicious individuals, and if the report is valid, they can receive a high reward, making it even more difficult for outsiders without a pass to hide.

For Lu Wei and Riyuexing, it was easy to fabricate an identity without giving themselves away, but the difficulty lay in finding a reason to enter the city.

Wandering knights are not allowed to enter the city. But if they say they have come to rebel against the Qin state, they will be immediately taken to the military camp and trained as new soldiers.

Under Changping Jun's administration, the entire city of Chenying entered a strict wartime state.

It has become almost impossible for those with illegal intentions to enter the city legally through formal channels; they can only sneak into the city at night.

Although they couldn't stay at an inn after entering the city, there was always a place in such a large city where the four of them could temporarily stay.

At night, the defense of Chenying City was even more stringent. Soldiers on the city walls had their crossbows nocked and the arrows gleaming coldly. They did not need to listen to any explanations or capture anyone alive; they simply shot them dead.

Taking advantage of a lull in the Chu army's patrol, Lu Wei used his lightness skill to quickly infiltrate the city, disappearing into the silent night with Riyuexing...

After searching extensively for a place to stay, they hid themselves in the old palace of Chen Ying.

Relatively speaking, it's actually safer here.

The old palace of Chen Ying had long been uninhabited by members of the Qin and Chu royal families, and its inner city walls were dilapidated and lacked repairs just a few months ago. It wasn't until Lord Changping arrived that King Ying Zheng of Qin, who had originally planned to tour through the area during the later stages of the Qin-Chu war, ordered the exterior to be roughly repaired.

However, Lord Changping launched a rebellion against Qin in this city, temporarily thwarting the King of Qin's tour plans. After Li Xin's crushing defeat, Lord Changping did not move into the old palace, but merely sealed it off and found another courtyard in the outer city to settle his family.

His identity is sensitive, and moving into the palace, even if it is only the old palace, would attract unnecessary suspicion.

With no one living there, the old palace became Lu's lodging.

Arriving at the dark old royal palace hall with an air of grandeur, Lu Wei unceremoniously sat down on the cold throne.

"Peace and prosperity for all nations, abundant harvests, the Mandate of Heaven is not to be denied."

As the master of the hall stroked the metallic texture of the armrest of the throne, a smile curved his lips. He looked indifferently at the empty hall below and continued to recite softly, "The mighty King Wu, with his soldiers, was able to conquer all directions and pacify his people."

"Oh, bright as the heavens, the Emperor has intervened!"

Lu Wei recited from the Book of Songs - Zhou Song - Huan. Although his voice was low, the other three people present were all masters with outstanding internal strength, and Sun, Moon and Star heard him clearly.

The original text of the Book of Songs praises King Wu for receiving the mandate of heaven and conquering the Shang dynasty to take over the world. However, when Lu Wei sat on the throne and read this praise with ambition, it was certainly not to praise the merits of King Wu of Zhou.

Now, even Yan Fei, who had joined the camp last, understood someone's ambition. She stared intently at Lu Wei on the throne, then looked back at Yue Shen and Xing Hun, and found that the two of them were calm about it, obviously knowing this all along.

Lord Dongjun's first thought was that the other party was daydreaming, but after a slight hesitation, he still felt that Lu was daydreaming.

Xinghun let out a silent, strange laugh, and then made no further reaction.

The Moon Goddess kept her gaze fixed on Lu Wei, and only after he finished reading did she blink slightly and slowly say, "It's peaceful here and we won't be disturbed, but how do we confirm whether Lord Changping has the Azure Dragon Bronze Box?"

“What’s so difficult about that? The defenses at Lord Changping’s residence are far weaker than those at the Shouchun Palace. It’s much easier to interrogate him than to interrogate the King of Chu.” Dongjun Yanfei wanted to use some practical methods.

“Indeed, as far as I know, this Lord Changping has a daughter who is only ten years old and very delicate.” Xinghun played with the puppet strings that appeared out of thin air in his hand, his intentions were obvious, but then he suddenly changed the subject: “However, the sensitivity of Lord Changping’s identity is even more special than that of the King of Chu.”

Upon hearing this, Yan Fei fell silent, realizing that she had indeed failed to consider the matter thoroughly.

In terms of talent in Yin-Yang arts, Lady Dongjun is an extraordinary woman, but in terms of wisdom in the big picture, she is far inferior to Gan Luo Xinghun.

"Why rush?"

The lord rose from his throne without a trace of regret. This was not his throne after all; it was merely a relic of an old era, now abandoned.

As for how to obtain the Azure Dragon Bronze Box from Lord Changping, Lu Wei thought the safest course of action would be to wait until the Qin army was conquering and seizing territory in Chu. But now that they were already here, there was no harm in trying.

"We are new to Chenying and have not yet investigated the Changping Jun residence. We will go and check it out tomorrow night before making a decision."

...

After arriving in Chenying and speaking with Lord Changping, the Zhu family did not leave but stayed at the mansion to continue taking care of the lady's condition and to protect the safety of Lord Changping's residence.

Despite his short and stout stature, Zhu Jia, as the head of the farmhouse, is far more skilled than any of the guards in the mansion.

Especially their ultimate move, 'A Thousand Faces for a Thousand People,' is almost equivalent to an army of a thousand!

However, the conditions for using 'A Thousand Faces' are harsh, it takes a lot of mental effort, and each time it is used, it will instantly consume twenty years of internal energy!

To recover after use, a lot of time and precious medicinal herbs are needed to replenish the body.

The Zhu family has never shown their true colors in public for many years. The only way to force them to use this tactic is to drive them to a complete dead end.

"Uncle Zhu, I've arrived." Mi Lian personally carried a scroll of bamboo slips to the Zhu family in the backyard of the mansion. Behind her, two maids carried two large trays of bamboo slips, on which were engraved the names of medicinal herbs.

Taking care of the lady's pregnancy and protecting the safety of the mansion can be very urgent in an emergency, but in ordinary times, he is more leisurely.

During these leisurely times, Zhu Jia was not idle. At Changping Jun's request, he took the opportunity to teach Mi Lian about herbal medicine.

Medical skills and the ability to identify medicinal herbs are highly specialized fields that require a proper lineage to learn. The most famous schools of thought in this field are the Medical School and the Agricultural School. Each school has its own strengths, but comparatively, the Agricultural School excels at identifying herbs, while their methods of purely saving lives are ultimately inferior to those of the Medical School.

In chaotic times, medical skills are always a useful asset. If something unforeseen happens, having these skills would allow Mi Lian to survive...

Given Mi Lian's status, she had previously only learned etiquette and aristocratic artistic skills such as music, chess, calligraphy, and painting in the Qin state. Now, she has switched to learning practical skills, which proves that in Changping Jun's plan, her future life will be decoupled from the life of the powerful and wealthy.

Regardless of whether we win or lose the war with Qin next year, we must do the same.

Learning herbal medicine requires more interest than learning etiquette; at the very least, one must not have a negative attitude towards it. Mi Lian possesses a strong aristocratic air, which is not a derogatory term but rather a compliment, because regardless of whether she likes something or not, if it is a practical necessity or required by her father, Mi Lian can always force herself to learn it.

The afternoon passed in the blink of an eye. During the several hours of study, the daughter of Lord Changping showed no signs of boredom, but instead focused intently on learning.

When encountering difficulties she doesn't understand, the little girl will always frown and ask her teacher, Zhu Jia, for help. Sometimes, even after asking for help, she still doesn't understand and will ask several more times.

In terms of intelligence, Mi Lian is only of average talent, but her focus and the educational resources available to her because of her status will inevitably lead her to a path that is more outstanding than that of ordinary people... if Mi Lian is not pulled in the other direction by the meaning represented by this identity in the future.

After dark, the Zhu family went to inquire about some special matters with Lord Changping, while Mi Lian went back to the backyard to her mother's side.

Shortly after the two left, Lu Wei and Xinghun suddenly appeared at the former teaching spot in the backyard: "Where are your colleagues from the Farmer's Clan?"

The Left Protector of the Yin-Yang School sat down in the spot where Zhu Jia had just been sitting, with a meaningful smile: "If you don't want to take action, I can take care of him for you."

"No matter when~"

After Wei Guo had already killed Ningling Jun Wei Jiu, who had no grudge against him, Xinghun speculated that if Lu Tangzhu were to make a breakthrough in the position of leader of the Farmer's School of Chivalry, it would be easier to simply eliminate some troublesome enemies.

Shennong Hall is second only to Gonggong Hall in strength among the six halls of the Farmer's School. The Zhu family has always had a good reputation in the martial arts world, which already meets the criteria for being troublesome: blocking Lu's path.

"If I wanted to, I could become a chivalrous leader anytime." Lu Wei was always very confident when facing Xinghun. Showing difficulty to such a proud young man would only encourage his arrogance.

If Xinghun were still Gan Luo, then the Hall Master wouldn't need to go to such lengths. But now that the other party has become Xinghun... the deeper one cultivates Yin-Yang techniques, the more likely it is to change a person's personality into something entirely different.

He needs to first establish his invincible image in front of Xinghun so that he can reliably control this "never-growing" boy in the future.

"Whatever you want, my promise will always stand." Xinghun chuckled wickedly, skipping over the topic: "But since Lord Changping is so close to your fellow farmer, how about testing the Azure Dragon Bronze Box through him?"

"Or you could directly confront this Changping-kun in your true form?"

“If the item is definitely in this mansion, then it can’t escape.” Lu Wei said calmly, “Let’s wait and see what information the Moon Goddess and the Eastern Lord have.”

The two went together to Lady Changping to investigate. Compared to the Shouchun Palace, the Changping Mansion had only a few rooms and no large number of fake Azure Dragon bronze boxes to obstruct the view, making it much easier to search the surface.

"If I were Lord Changping, such a precious bronze box left behind by my 'father' before his departure, hidden in Xianyang for decades without being discovered, would certainly be personally kept after arriving in Chenying." Xinghun's lips curled into a mocking smile. "Moreover, for Lord Changping, the degree to which he values ​​this box surpasses even the lives of his wife and daughter..."

Before Xinghun could finish speaking, the sound of running footsteps suddenly approached.

The two exchanged a glance, then retreated and concealed themselves...

Chapter 232 Obtaining the Azure Dragon Bronze Box

The footsteps belonged to Mi Lian, who had just left.

The daughter of Lord Changping returned alone, without any maids following behind.

She didn't linger at the teaching office and continued straight ahead in the direction of the Zhu family.

Judging from the timeline, Mi Lian hadn't even reached her mother in the inner courtyard before running back again, probably because she forgot to explain something to her father, Lord Changping, or her teacher, Zhu Jia.

Lu Weixinghun wasn't in a hurry to leave. There was still some time before their reunion at night. During this time, the two of them would stay here. Theoretically, if people from the front yard wanted to go to the rooms in the inner yard, they would always have to pass through this yard.

The Changping Jun Mansion was heavily guarded on the outside but loosely guarded on the inside. The outer defenses were a replica of those at the Chenying City Gate, while the mansion itself had relatively few guards, especially the inner courtyard, which was almost entirely devoid of patrolling guards.

It's clear that Changping Jun wants to create a more tolerant and relaxed environment for his family amidst the tense situation.

About half an hour later, Mi Lian returned, but this time she was carrying a familiar-looking, gleaming golden metal box...

Azure Dragon Bronze Box!

Lu Wei hadn't expected that the target would appear without warning on the very first day of the investigation, and while he was still pondering, Xinghun had already rushed down from the tree.

In the blink of an eye, a strange boy of similar height and age appeared a few steps in front of Mi Lian, who was holding the box.

Her pupils widened and trembled, and she instinctively took a step back.

"Don't make a sound," Xinghun said, a suspicious blue flame sprouting from his hand. He grinned wickedly as he approached the little girl step by step. "Give me that box, okay?"

Mi Lian felt numb all over as the Left Protector stared at her. The air in the courtyard was filled with the strong aura of Yin and Yang magic. For an ordinary person, under this deliberate pressure, it was as if they were facing a bloodthirsty beast, and they could not move their body.

"Looks like you've tacitly agreed~" Xinghun said jokingly, stretching out a hand towards the bronze box.

'The commotion caused is a bit too great...' Hall Master Lu stayed in place watching Xinghun's actions without making a move, but he had some guesses about his behavior.

Given Xinghun's strength, he could easily take the box from a mere girl without even showing himself. The fact that he's dragging his feet like this suggests that his target isn't just the box.

"Get out of the way to the left!"

As expected, the unusual atmosphere in the backyard attracted the attention of the Zhu family and Lord Changping, who was being guarded by a large number of guards.

Zhu Jiafei stepped forward, his fingers forming a starting stance in front of his chest, and a stream of finger energy swirled in an arc, pointing towards Xinghun from the right.

With a cold snort, Xinghun accelerated and grabbed the box from Mi Lian's arms, snatching it in one swift motion. At the same time, he used his other hand to gather energy into a blade and slice through the finger energy pointing at him.

Taking advantage of this opportunity, Zhu Jia grabbed Mi Lian by the back of her collar and threw her behind him, then engaged in close combat with the Left Protector of the Yin-Yang School.