Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 288

“That can only be a last resort.” Tian Guang shook his head: “In fact, Zhang Liang is unaware of the latest plans of the Luo Wang.”

"Is that so..." Lu Wei understood the reason behind it and chuckled.

"Then what about seeing another Yanri from Sanghai City?"

Chapter 343 Chi Songzi

After finishing his conversation with Lu Wei, Tian Guang changed into civilian clothes and calmly walked out of the restaurant.

Because of the fire at Qianji Tower a few days ago, there are now many Qin army spies monitoring suspicious people on the streets of Sanghai City. Tian Guang is naturally not afraid of this, as he is one of the spies.

Sanghai City has no overt network of agents, but their forces have long been lurking within the city.

Because there are no city walls, people can leave Sanghai City from all directions, but now almost every place is under surveillance.

Having found a surveillance area belonging to the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven), Tian Guang entered the mountains and forests without concealment, and went straight to the waterfall by the sea.

Lu Wei was no stranger to this waterfall; it was here that he killed the Old Man of the Mind, which led to the replacement of Duan Shui, one of the Six Sword Slaves of the Luo Net.

For more than a decade, its slippery roads have made it a dangerous place rarely visited by ordinary people, but a tourist destination for wandering knights and heroes.

However, since this place was chosen by the Luo Wang organization last year, ordinary heroes can no longer come here.

The current situation in Sanghai is almost entirely comprised of the Qin state and the anti-Qin camp. Among the neutral wandering knights, the clever ones have long since left the seemingly peaceful seaside. As for the less clever ones, that is not a problem for Tian Guang to consider.

As the new stronghold of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven), this place is nominally under the jurisdiction of a killer of the "Kill" rank, while the "Heaven" rank Lord Yan Ri is above everyone else and has a unique area as his residence.

Tian Guang met the person who was already waiting for him in the wooded clearing next to the waterfall.

"I'm late."

The voice of the man in black, dressed in the attire of a level-one assassin, was clearly disguised, making it impossible for Tian Guang to determine his gender and age.

He didn't know the identity of this companion who shared the Sun-Covering Sword with him, but the other party's aura was even more solemn than his own, so Tian Guang had already made some guesses.

His guess was confirmed after speaking with Lu Wei.

So Tian Guang ignored the other party's words as usual, opened the sun-covering sword wrapped in gray cloth on his back and casually threw it out: "Zhang Han's plan has reached the final stage. Fu Su's carriage is expected to arrive the day after tomorrow. You know very well what he is going to do."

The man in black took the Hidden Sun Sword and peered at Tian Guang's fake face through the gap in the bamboo hat he wore. He didn't say anything and was about to leave, but as soon as he took a step, his body tensed up instantly.

An intense killing intent filled the entire open space without any attempt to conceal it!

Tian Guang did the same thing, but since the killing intent came from behind him, he flipped over and came to the side of the man in black, while throwing a bunch of pebbles as a hidden weapon.

More than twenty small stones, imbued with intense internal force, shot towards the source of the killing intent in a shower of petals. However, each of these stones, capable of taking the life of an ordinary person, was shattered halfway through its flight by a seemingly ordinary sword aura. The sword aura, carrying the shattered stones, continued its attack on the black-clad man and Tian Guang who were standing together.

The man in black, who had never sensed such killing intent before, was extremely solemn. However, he did not draw his Sun-Covering Sword in the face of the sword energy. Instead, he made a hand seal with one hand, and a layer of internal energy shield blocked the sword energy.

Clearly, compared to the sword he was not very familiar with, releasing his internal energy was a combat method he trusted more, and the strength of this internal energy shield was also high enough to completely wear down the enemy's sword energy.

However, this also completely exposed his identity.

"Ten Thousand Rivers Autumn Water? It has reached the level of Transformation. There are only a handful of masters in the Taoist Heavenly Sect who have achieved such attainment, but the vast majority of them are cultivating in seclusion in Mount Taiyi."

Lu Wei sheathed the Devouring Sea Sword, stood on the treetop with his hands behind his back and a big smile on his face, looking down at the two people in the open space. He said meaningfully, "The only one outside is the new Tianzong Sect Leader Xiaomengzi, but she hasn't arrived in Sanghai yet, so I'm sure you are not her."

'What terrifying sword energy!'

The man in black, who was mocking him, was inwardly amazed and had already guessed the enemy's identity:

The most famous swordsman in the world today is the Sword Saint Gai Nie, but Gai Nie is over forty years old. Although he may be able to unleash such a sword at his peak, the green-clad swordsman on the treetop looks to be no more than twenty years old. This is obviously the result of his age-preserving skills, which Gai Nie is not good at.

So, setting aside the superficial understanding of those in the martial arts world, the most dangerous swordsman in the world today is undoubtedly Lu Wei, the leader of the Farmer's Swordsman!

Thinking of this, the man in black glanced at Tian Guang beside him, but Tian Guang also looked very panicked, as if he had not intentionally led Lu Wei to this place.

Frowning, the man in black looked at Lu Wei again and said calmly, "Lu Xia Kui actually dares to come to Luo Wang's territory alone, he is quite confident."

"In the past, the magistrate of the Imperial Carriage Office and the leader of the chivalrous sect made an agreement in Daze Mountain that neither side would invade the other. Why is the leader of the chivalrous sect breaking this agreement now?"

"So this is what Zhao Gao told you about what happened that year?" Lu Wei heard the commotion in the forest. It was the other assassins from Luo Wang who had noticed the unusual situation and gathered around. But the leader of the Xia Kui didn't care and continued to smile at the two people on the open ground: "I never promised Zhao Gao anything."

"Besides, did Zhao Gao know that he actually had two Yan Ri under his command? Oh no, it was three."

With a whoosh, the man in black gained momentum, and Tian Guang also took out a short sword from his sleeve in a very professional manner: "Lu Xiao Kui has been in the martial arts world for twenty years, and should know the fate of those who meddle in other people's business."

"Oh? But I just don't like other people meddling in my business, and I also hate it when people tell me not to meddle in other people's business."

After saying that, Lu Wei lightly leaped up to dodge the crossbow bolt shot from behind. This arrow was undoubtedly a signal, and the lower-level assassins of the Luo Wang who had rushed over swarmed forward instantly.

Facing an attack from no fewer than thirty Earth-level assassins from the Luo Wang organization and one Killer-level assassin, Lord Xia Kui easily used his Starry Steps to weave through the crowd. Each finger strike of his Five Strings Finger Technique either knocked the swords out of the enemy's hands or took the life of a Luo Wang assassin, without ever needing to draw his Devouring Sea Sword.

Tian Guang was extremely satisfied with Lu Wei's mastery of these two peasant skills, but his expression turned serious. He gripped his short sword and took the lead in joining the battle.

The man in black, his expression shifting between light and shadow beneath his straw hat, was forced to draw his sword, Yanri, after Tian Guang made his move, and charge at his only enemy.

The addition of two top-tier martial arts masters put some pressure on Lu Wei, but it wasn't something he couldn't handle.

He continued clearing out the miscellaneous soldiers first, occasionally exchanging blows with Tian Guang and the man in black. Before long, the only remaining Killer-level Net was also smashed by Lu Wei, leaving only three people alive by the waterfall.

Tian Guang and the man in black were indeed experienced, with extremely high levels of internal energy and skill. However, they were both old: one was over sixty and the other over seventy. The aging of their bodies would inevitably have an indelible impact on their combat abilities.

These effects might be insignificant when fighting against an enemy weaker than oneself, but Lu Wei surpasses both of them in every aspect. Their bodies occasionally fail to keep up with their consciousness, making them feel suppressed and miserable even when they join forces.

Moreover, they had to pretend to conceal their martial arts skills from before joining the Luo Wang as much as possible, so that the Devouring Sea Sword could not be forced out.

The pressure was mounting, and Tian Guang was eventually forced to reveal the same agricultural skills as Lu Wei. The man in black had no choice but to unleash all his Taoist abilities.

The men in black estimated that even if they used all their means tonight, the chances of killing Lu Wei were slim. The best outcome would be to force Lu Wei to retreat as much as possible before considering the issue of their identities being exposed.

If his opponent is serious, Lu Wei must be serious too. He came here tonight to talk to the man in black, and displaying invincible martial prowess before the conversation will give him an absolute advantage.

With the Devouring Sea Sword drawn, facing the Taoist sword control technique and Tian Guang's Unyielding Palm, his starting move was the most powerful Earthly Burden and Sea-Containing...

------

The clearing in the waterfall forest was much larger than before. Lu Wei calmly approached the black-clad man and Tian Guang, who were kneeling on the ground, while holding the Devouring Sea Sword.

After a fierce battle, the black-clad man's hat had been blown off, revealing a head full of white hair, with only a mask still covering his face.

Because Tian Guang was wearing a human skin mask, his appearance was well preserved.

The two of them held nothing back, but if you can't beat them, you can't beat them; there was really nothing they could do.

"Only in this way can we have a proper conversation, don't you agree, Master Chishongzi~ Tianguang Xiakui~"

The fact that the two men had their identities revealed in a single sentence was not surprising to them, as they were now kneeling down: Tian Guang was naturally self-evident, while Chi Songzi had exhausted all available means in the recent battle.

"What do you want to talk to us about?" Tian Guang smiled bitterly and removed his mask to reveal his true face. Seeing this, Chi Songzi helplessly removed his mask to reveal his aged face.

Whether he understands it or not is irrelevant; Lu Wei doesn't know the real Chisongzi anyway.

However, resolving this issue itself would give Lu Wei a higher position in the subsequent conversation, so Tian Guang's actions were clearly not a casual move.

As for Chisongzi, this old man has stayed on the mountain for too long. He has seen some of the people's hearts down the mountain over the years, but he hasn't seen enough.

With Lu Wei and Tian Guang putting on an act, getting the former sect leader to say what they wanted to know would be incredibly easy.

"Naturally, we're going to talk about your feigned deaths." Lu Wei came behind the two old men and channeled his Rejuvenation Technique internal energy to help them calm their agitated internal energy. Among the two receiving treatment, Chi Songzi's eyes lit up instantly: he found Lu Wei's internal energy attributes quite interesting.

"I think, given your identities, faking your death and disguising yourself as Yan Ri wouldn't mean you're really working as lackeys of Luo Wang, would it? The same goes for the real Yan Ri."

"Alas, this whole affair originated from the infiltration of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) into the various schools of thought..."

Lu Wei only briefly mentioned the beginning, but Chi Songzi, who had calmed down a bit, suddenly revealed all the truth he knew. This not only surprised Tian Guang, but Lu Wei also rarely saw his plan go so smoothly.

It seems that the old men of Tianzong who are devoted to ascetic cultivation on the mountain are truly seeking the Dao, to the point that they have been detached from the human world for too long.

Therefore, we can infer in advance what kind of performances the ancient and ageless Bei Mingzi, as well as Xiao Mengzi who has been in seclusion for ten years since the age of eighteen, would have...

Chapter 344 Prison Reform

The net of knowledge penetrated Taoism much earlier than it penetrated the agricultural community.

Compared to the remoteness of Qi, Mount Taiyi is located in Guanzhong. After Luo Wang surrendered to Qin, the first thing they did was to develop themselves. Subduing the Jianghu forces in Qin's territory was undoubtedly a quick way, and Mount Taiyi was naturally not overlooked.

The real Yanri Xiaoyaozi was a wandering knight-errant in his twenties. His reasons for joining the Luo Wang were not so complicated: the Qin state of Guanzhong strictly controlled wandering knights, and obtaining a Luo Wang identity would be more conducive to his daily activities, nothing more.

However, as Luo Wang (the network of spies) infiltrated the Taoist community and Xiaoyaozi's prestige in the martial arts world grew, he was assigned by his superiors to join the Taoist community as an inside agent because of his connections with the Taoists during his chivalrous deeds. Xiaoyaozi had no right to refuse and could only comply.

At that time, the situation of the Taoist Heaven and Human Sects had long been stable. Compared with the Heaven Sect's indifference to worldly affairs, the Human Sect's identity was obviously more conducive to Xiaoyaozi's development. Therefore, he joined the Human Sect at the age of thirty and, like Xiaomeng, cultivated diligently for more than ten years before returning to the world of martial arts. Although he did not spend all of those ten years in seclusion, he devoted most of his time to practicing Taoist techniques.

This was partly because Taoist martial arts were more rational than his chivalrous self, and partly because he was intentionally avoiding the Luo Wang mission.

The Taoists, regardless of whether they were celestial beings or humans, had many elders in both factions. At that time, the primary task of the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) was still to establish itself in the Qin court, and they would not have much energy to risk exposing their identities and becoming enemies with the Taoists.

Therefore, as long as Xiaoyaozi remains in Taiyi Mountain, it will be difficult for Luo Wang to assign him any tasks.

However, Xiaoyaozi was indeed exceptionally talented. After cultivating in the Human Sect for many years, he gradually gained a reputation. One of his extensive operations actually yielded an inside agent who could participate in certain Taoist affairs more than ten years later. Luo Wang was delighted and promoted Xiaoyaozi to the Killer rank. Later, they even devised a plan to help him become the sect leader and bestowed upon him the title of Yan Ri.

During this process, some of the tasks were designed to give Xiaoyaozi more leverage in the hands of the Luo Wang organization, while at the same time Xiaoyaozi was also trying to find a way to escape from the Luo Wang organization.

Later, during another protracted internal power struggle within the Luo Wang organization in Xianyang, Xiaoyaozi, as Yanri, gained a certain degree of autonomy and independently managed his subordinate forces.

After all, he had the background of being the leader of the Taoist Human Sect, and he was indeed highly experienced in the Luo Wang organization. Even the newly appointed Zhao Gao could not easily take away Xiaoyaozi's small power.

From then on, Xiaoyaozi used this limited autonomy to secretly carry out some counter-net designs: Tian Guang's fake death was an important part of this design.

On the eve of the Xinzheng Rebellion ten years ago, Xiaoyaozi met Tian Guang in a tavern in Xinzheng City. It was during that meeting that Xiaoyaozi subtly revealed some information to Tian Guang. Later, during the encirclement and killing, he deliberately let Tian Guang go. After that, he began to cooperate with Tian Guang.

The open and covert struggle between Tian Guang and Luo Wang has lasted for a long time, and as the enemy of enemies, Xiaoyaozi trusts him.

As for the Taoists, the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven) still had difficulty penetrating the Taoist Heavenly Sect. Therefore, they wanted to support Xiaoyaozi in obtaining Xueji (Snow Clearing) in the Heavenly Sword Tournament and maintaining it for a long time. However, Xiaoyaozi was defeated three times in three battles. As a last resort, before the fourth Heavenly Sword Tournament, the Luo Wang paid a considerable price to help Xiaoyaozi improve his skills.

However, after receiving help from the Luo Wang organization, Xiaoyaozi turned around and met Chisongzi alone before the duel, revealing the Luo Wang plan in detail:

The Net is the empire's sharpest sword, just like it was back in the countryside. The reason they dare to be bold and start their brutal infiltration at this time is because they don't have to worry about the victims' pursuit even if the plan fails.

The Qin state, at the height of its power, was like a snare at the height of its power.

Therefore, even if Xiaoyaozi rebelled against Luowang, the Taoist school would still be defeated by stronger infiltration. Rather than that, it would be better for Chisongzi to deliberately lose and fake his death, so that Xiaoyaozi would nominally have the upper hand in the Taoist school. In this way, Luowang would actually become more restrained.

After all, if power can be obtained through legitimate means, who would want to resort to violence?

After witnessing firsthand the efforts Xiaoyaozi made to win the Covenant between Heaven and Man, Chisongzi agreed to Xiaoyaozi's plan.

What happened next is obvious. Chisongzi faked his death and secretly sought allies in the martial arts world in order to fight against the Luo Wang. His primary target was the Confucian Xiaoshengxianzhuang, which is how he befriended Zhang Liang.

Thus, an anti-Luo Wang organization, rooted within Luo Wang and managed by Xiaoyaozi, gradually grew stronger...

According to Xiaoyaozi, they could secretly use Luowang's intelligence network to help the anti-Qin alliance and take the opportunity to collect information from within Luowang, so that they could completely destroy Luowang by turning against them at the right time.

Chishongzi, the simple-minded old man, believed this explanation, but Tian Guang and Lu Wei, two characters with darker minds, clearly did not.