Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 98

When I grow up, I will rely on these people as my confidants, and I am sure I can replace the deputy pavilion master and become the most trusted person of my brother, the hall master!

By then, Mother won't need to risk going out...

"Really?" Lu Wei glanced down at the back of Xiao Yan'er's head and smiled. "What can I do if I only care about Xiao Yan'er's identity?"

Ji Yan's imaginary mind went blank for a moment. Lu Wei's sudden honesty made her panic. She quickly tilted her head and stammered, "No, Brother Hall Master is the best to Ayan!"

After saying that, Xiao Yan'er forced a sweet smile.

This reaction speed is not bad, but it can only be used in emergencies. The sect leader is not the kind of person who would deliberately bully a child. The little girl is very sensible, so he did not press her further and quickened his pace again.

Back in the loft, after handing Ji Yan over to Lu Ni, Lu Wei calculated the time and left without saying a word.

He was going to the 'Sword Hall' in the city, where Ziwu had been staying for a long time.

These past two days, the Hall Master has been scheming about Lord Xinling's affairs, and occasionally playing with the Snow Maiden.

Tonight, let those trustworthy retainers meet Ji Yan, then let it sit for a while, and in a few days, talk to Zhang Er and persuade them to join the Gonggong Hall.

The suggestion made by Lord Xinling's retainers after the ceremony to take Ji Yan away was, of course, within Lu Wei's expectations, but they could only make the suggestion briefly, for the following reason:

Firstly, since Lu Ni didn't go tonight, the mother and daughter are each other's hostages; if we can control one, we can control both.

Secondly, while the Hall Master wouldn't dare claim to be that powerful, it was unrealistic for a mere eight people to think they could snatch someone from his grasp.

Thirdly, this third point was added later: Xiao Yan'er, even as a child, was able to assess the situation and actively cooperate with him, which is excellent.

For Lu Wei, the easiest people to control are 'smart people' who know how to analyze pros and cons.

Thinking about it carefully, Ji Yan, whose name was Tian Yan in the original timeline, was about the same age when she dared to join Luo Wang, secretly investigate her mother's past without telling her mother and Tian Meng, and even managed to find out some things. She was truly a prodigy.

Although he wasn't exactly a good person either, working under his command was much easier than working for the Luo Wang organization.

When I told Xiaoyan about Lord Xinling before setting off tonight, she wasn't too surprised. She also remained calm during the worship at the Xinling Temple, which suggests that she had already learned some secrets during her time in Daliang.

Interestingly, during their conversation, Ji Yan consistently referred to 'Lord Xinling' as 'Lord Xinling,' which was quite amusing.

Let the little girl continue her battle of wits. As long as the leader keeps an eye on her bottom line, there's not much to worry about.

------

The Sword Pavilion is a two-story building standing inconspicuously on a street in Daliang City.

It may seem ordinary at first glance, but in reality, it has five underground levels. The ingenious design utilizes special mechanical principles and is said to be over thirty years old, making it quite 'young'.

With the Devouring Sea Sword drawn, Lu Wei extinguished ten candle flames three zhang away without harming the candles themselves, easily gaining the qualification to directly enter the lowest level of the 'Sword Hall'.

He arrived at a very opportune moment. He passed through a room with a mechanism that could move up and down, and as soon as he opened the door, he saw Ziwu fighting with someone on the dueling platform.

Lu Wei was well aware of the sharpness of the Zhaodan Sword, and he also had a deep understanding of Zi Wu's formidable swordsmanship. But the young man he was now fighting was actually not much worse than Zi Wu.

The longsword that rivals the Zhaodan Sword, with its curved, snake-like shape, is also among the famous swords.

If the Master is not mistaken, this sword should be the 'Snake-Slaying Sword'.

Unrelated to the story of "Emperor Gaozu slaying the white snake," this sword was made by a famous swordsmith in the State of Wei. It was created after he was bitten by a poisonous snake one day, which inspired him greatly.

Legend has it that in his excitement, he killed a venomous snake and incorporated it into a metal block, hammering it for three days to create a finely crafted sword resembling a snake. The swordsmith then took this sword into the mountains, slicing a hundred venomous snakes in half at the waist, laughing as he died, leaving behind only the famous sword 'Snake Slayer'.

Because the blade is bent in several sections, this sword is extremely tricky to use, and it belongs to the category of "skillful sword".

Lu Wei looked at the owner of the 'Snake-Slaying Sword' again, and immediately noticed the style of the jade hairpin on the young sword master's head. He immediately realized that this was a member of the royal family of Wei.

"Among the powerful and influential figures of Wei, few possess such martial arts skills..."

The hall master mentally eliminated the information he had previously reviewed, leaving only a few names.

The fencing competition on the field became increasingly intense.

Ziwu's swordsmanship was no worse than his opponent's, and could even be said to be slightly better, but the difference in their internal strength was huge. Ziwu never relied on his internal strength, and as time dragged on, he was eventually defeated.

“I admit it!” The young man opposite him pointed his sword at Zi Wu’s neck, the tip twisting and turning inwards. Although his words were humble, his expression was very smug.

"Young master's swordsmanship is superb; I have lost."

After Ziwu conceded defeat, he sheathed his sword and stepped down from the dueling platform. Just then, another strong young swordsman leaped up and engaged in fierce combat with the Wei prince who was wielding the Broken Serpent Sword.

"Who is this young master?" Lu Wei walked up to Zi Wu, who seemed a little lost in thought, and asked.

"Master? You've arrived!" Ziwu's spirits lifted: "It's Young Master Bao, the younger brother of Lord Ningling."

Wei Bao? Ningling Lord Wei Jiu?

These two names weren't unfamiliar; they were among the few remaining members of the royal families of the six kingdoms who would later survive.

"There are many experts in Daliang City. I have fought fourteen matches in the past two days and lost five of them."

"With so many people capable of defeating you, the reputation of the sword-fighting academy is truly well-deserved..."

Lu Wei's eyes were fixed on the fencing platform again, this time on the sword rack on the table on the other side of the platform.

Ziwu explained at the right moment: "According to the rules of the sword hall, a swordsman who can win ten consecutive matches on the fifth-floor sword-fighting platform can receive a famous sword as a reward."

"The prize for this round is the famous sword 'Long Sword'."

Changjia, a famous sword in the Chu Kingdom, originally meant "long sword". Later, Chu swordsmiths carefully selected materials to forge the sword, making it famous as "Changjia", thus giving it a more concrete meaning.

From the Chu Ci, Chapter Nine: Crossing the River: "Wearing a long sword that gleams, with a crown that reaches the clouds."

Although not particularly famous, it is a rare treasure for most ordinary people in the martial arts world.

"Is this Wei Bao's first match?"

"Yes, I had won four games, but I lost the fifth one to him."

"It is really not easy to wield the Long Sword. I'm afraid only the Hall Master can overpower all the others."

"No rush~", during their brief chat, Wei Bao defeated his second opponent and faced his third challenger.

"Zhou Shi, the wandering swordsman, please enlighten me, young master!"

Holding an ordinary longsword, this wandering swordsman named Zhou Shi exuded an aura that was impossible to ignore. Anyone on the fifth floor of the sword hall could see that he was a force to be reckoned with.

Wei Bao also regained his composure and became serious: "Please enlighten me!"

"This man's sword aura..." Ziwu frowned. The sword aura emanating from this wandering swordsman named Zhou Shi was abnormally strong!

“He must have a special method of building up his strength in advance.” Lu Wei accurately analyzed the reason: “I noticed it when I came in. He had been staying in the corner, building up his strength. It seems that he has reached his limit and must release it as soon as possible.”

"Building up momentum... That makes sense. Only with such methods can we have a greater chance of defeating ten opponents in succession and taking the Long Sword when our raw strength is insufficient."

Ziwu nodded, then suddenly smiled: "Does the Hall Master intend to let Zhou Shi's strategy of building up momentum fail at the crucial moment?"

He understood Lu Wei's strength and had full confidence in Hall Master Lu.

"The Long Sword, many of my disciples in the peasant family still do not possess a famous sword. This unclaimed item naturally belongs to the virtuous."

The sect leader smiled faintly. He had studied the Five Virtues and possessed ample moral character; he believed he could take anything...

Chapter 121 Sheng Er

In Jicheng, the Crown Prince's power has expanded extensively.

Yan Chunjun's remaining forces held fast to the imperial court, while Luqiu Pavilion consolidated its power and quietly expanded into the martial world, leaving ample room for Prince Dan to maneuver.

However, from another perspective: Yan Wangxi is the true master behind the remnants of Yan Chunjun's forces. And Luqiu Pavilion is backed by the Farmer's School, and if Yan Dan, as a disciple of the Mohist School, does not want to make enemies with the Farmer's School, he must give them some face.

Therefore, Prince Dan still needs a lot of time to accumulate expertise.

Fortunately, through their marriage to Yan Yi, they could slowly infiltrate the army. For a time, Ju Wu was so busy that he hadn't visited the Crown Prince's residence for several days.

In the dead of night, Yan Dan sat in a cool pavilion in the garden of his mansion, holding his bride, Crown Princess Yan Yun, in his arms. With everything temporarily calm in reality, his mind began to wander:

"She has never appeared again since the Grand Master rescued Dao Zhi from her..."

"Even with all the precautions arranged on the wedding day, she still didn't show up."

"The Grand Master has returned to the forbidden area of ​​the Mechanical City for seclusion and hasn't come out for several months. The commanders are all very worried."

"I don't know if war has already broken out between Qin and Han. Wei Zhuang, the great general of Han, is a disciple of Guiguzi. I hope he can become Han's 'Li Mu'!"

"As long as the Qin army suffers repeated defeats and reveals its weakness, the other states may well seize the opportunity to form another alliance..."

"Your Highness, Jing Ke of the Mohist school has come to visit, saying he has urgent business to discuss!"

The guard's report in the dead of night interrupted Yan Dan's thoughts. Before he could answer, Yan Yun in his arms got up on his own initiative, bowed respectfully to him, and asked to leave.

As expected of the daughter of former General Yan Xing, she is well-educated, reasonable, and knows how to conduct herself. Yan Yi could never have taught her to be like this. The teacher's arrangement was indeed correct.

Yan Dan's usually serious face broke into a rare smile as she nodded in agreement.

Not long after the Crown Princess stepped down, Jing Ke was led up.

"Your Highness, the Grand Master is very likely in trouble!"

"what!"

Jing Ke's words made Yan Dan's expression stiffen, and then he sensed an opportunity...

...

On the fifth basement floor of the Daliang City Sword Pavilion, Wei Bao fought fiercely, but Zhou Shi still managed to knock away his Broken Serpent Sword, and he was defeated.

"Hmph!" The Wei prince snorted coldly, no longer able to maintain his good manners. Instead of picking up the sword, he slammed the scabbard onto the stage and left the sword hall with a dark face.

Two other burly men climbed onto the sword-fighting platform, one picking up the sword and the other taking the scabbard, and followed behind Wei Bao as he left with his head held high.

Zhou Shi remained silent, taking advantage of the time when no one was on stage to accelerate his efforts, build up momentum, and replenish what he had just lost.

Seeing this, Ziwu was about to turn to look at the Hall Master when he found that the space beside him was empty. Looking back at the stage, the Hall Master was indeed standing opposite the wandering knight Zhou Shi.

Theoretically speaking, the later Zhou Shi steps onto the stage, the weaker the sword aura he has built up beforehand will be. Therefore, it would be easiest for Zhou Shi to become the tenth person after winning nine consecutive matches.

However, when he is confident of defeating his opponent, Lu Wei always prefers to be as fair and aboveboard as possible.

“Lu Wei, a farmer, please give me your guidance.”

As soon as the Devouring Sea Sword was drawn, a sense of surging waves filled the entire dueling arena. The newly generated sword energy was in no way inferior to the opponent's accumulated sword momentum.

This surprised everyone in the audience, and Zhou Shi's expression became even more solemn. His opponent was incredibly strong!

He stared at the extraordinary sword in Lu Wei's hand, a sigh escaping his lips: "Why do you all have famous swords now, and still want to compete with us poor wandering knights for a 'long sword'..."

The five-story structure of the fencing hall features a fencing platform at the very center, with tables and chairs arranged to the east and west for spectators to rest.

The front section on the south side is where swordsmen can stand and watch the competition from the platform, while the back section consists of mobile pavilions that come down from the ground.