Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 248

Faced with the faint signs of the girl's aura spiraling out of control and her painful groans rising and falling, Lord Xia Kui pondered the matter but did not intervene. Instead, he continued to search for Yin-Yang techniques within Shao Siming's body that did not belong to her.

If the Moon Goddess were to do this, it would be most appropriate for her to do so. Based on Shao Siming's situation, the Moon Goddess would also be able to further examine herself.

However, I'm all alone right now, so I can only make a record first and then hand over the results to the other party later.

The Mirage Project is a complex undertaking with far-reaching consequences. The Moon Goddess couldn't possibly have missed checking for the hidden danger of the curse placed on her body by the Eastern Emperor, but she said nothing, which means that the Moon Goddess didn't find anything.

This is a bad result...

In addition to meticulously cleaning the floor in the main hall, Black and White also cleaned the areas that hadn't been touched, trying to further win the favor of Lord Xia Kui through their diligence.

Since they were already destined to live in a farming family, gaining the favor of the top leader could resolve many potential problems.

In their understanding, the Yin-Yang School and the Farmer School should be unrelated. However, the fact that the newly appointed Shao Siming was able to contact the Farmer School's leader and find the two of them, even though Shao Siming was later subdued by the leader, suggests that there are many oddities. The two dare not delve deeper and can only be more cautious.

After bending down and running her index finger across the floor to carefully check for any errors, the two sisters waited a long time for Lu Wei to return, so they had to go back to Siyue Hall.

They encountered no obstacles on the way, which finally put their minds at ease.

In the Four Mountains Hall, Ji Yan, who was studying the newly promulgated Qin Dynasty laws after dark, saw the two men, Hei and Bai, return safely. Her expression was unchanged, but before she could speak, Hei and Bai knelt down in front of her.

Ji Yan understood everything. Even though she didn't go to Xiaogeng Manor, she had made two preparations in advance. Faced with Hei Bai's act of revealing his identity as instructed by Lu Wei, Xiao Yan knew that the Xia Kui was giving the two of them to her.

For Ji Yan, whose Siyue Hall was short-handed, this was good news: just as Hei Bai had thought, the two of them were naturally more useful than those uneducated farmers. As for how to confirm Hei Bai's loyalty, Ji Yan was confident she could handle it:

'The hidden dangers on the two can barely last for about three years without using the Many Leaves Flying Flower Style, which is more than enough time,'

...

The Flowing Sands silently retreated from Daze Mountain back to the Han Mountains. Along the way, they took on some new missions through Bai Feng's contact, and successfully completing them ensured that they were no longer penniless.

The feeling of failure in this mission to Daze Mountain is something Wei Zhuang needs to savor for himself. But for the entire Quicksand organization, the loss of his prestige is an even more important consequence.

Only Chi Lian and Bai Feng witnessed his defeat firsthand.

Although Wei Zhuang rarely responded directly to Chi Lian's thoughts, he was not a fool and naturally understood everything clearly; she would never betray him.

Bai Feng appears to be an arrogant guy, often trying to test whether his speed can surpass that of his Shark Tooth. However, Wei Zhuang knows Bai Feng's true character and won't say anything: his defeat doesn't mean his strength has declined.

However, it is impossible to hide the fact that Chi Lian returned and took away most of Liu Sha's wealth. Liu Sha's true elites were indeed only a few people, but they were not entirely without lower-level errand members.

In theory, shouldn't Wei Zhuang give those guys an explanation for this...?

Naturally impossible.

They all serve Quicksand for profit. As for those among them who disagree, Wei Zhuang has only one attitude: Shark Tooth can fight against powerful enemies and doesn't mind eating the blood of the pitiful weak.

After forcefully suppressing the restless little people who were agitated by the loss of their wealth, this successor of the Guigu School sat alone on a stone seat, looking down at the Guigu ring on his hand: theoretically, he should already be the strongest Guigu Master in the world.

Before the fateful battle with his senior brother could even take place, his opponent escaped. With the world unified, the Guigu School's diplomatic maneuvering techniques were no longer of any use in the court. A crushing defeat at the hands of the new leader of the Farmer's School proved that Guiguzi was no longer invincible.

The three matters were like heavy mountains, and facing this pressure, Wei Zhuang's eyes became even more sharp.

He will not be overwhelmed; he will change all of this.

First, start by defeating his senior brother Gai Nie: only by completing the fateful battle can he be the true Guiguzi without any suspense.

By using his identity as Guiguzi to throw the Qin state into chaos, the art of diplomacy and strategy regained its effectiveness.

Finally, he devoted himself to cultivation and reclaimed the strongest position that belonged to Guiguzi!

"Senior brother, senior brother..." Wei Zhuang murmured the address twice before deciding to try to contact the Luo Wang (Net of Heaven).

As long as the goal is achieved, the means are not important.

If Gai Nie had remained a bodyguard to that emperor, he would have had no chance. But based on Wei Zhuang's understanding of Gai Nie, he wouldn't stay a bodyguard forever.

Perhaps soon, my senior brother will leave Xianyang.

The fateful battle was destined to happen, and the thoughts that were throwing the Qin state into chaos immediately reminded Wei Zhuang of the person he had met in Xinzheng City five years ago.

Although the other party is dead, the Azure Dragon Plan he left behind is still in effect.

The "borrowing a chicken to lay eggs" and "Azure Dragon Plan" are valuable assets that can be utilized, and the most important link in them lies with the Mohist school.

After the fall of Chu, the Mohist school fell into a long period of silence. According to Liusha, many of the occasional stories of Mohist knights that have surfaced in recent years are actually fabricated, or the protagonists are not pure Mohist disciples but merely newcomers to the martial arts world who yearn for the Mohist school.

In another part of the story, very few important figures from the Mohist school actually intervened, suggesting that the Mohist school was likely to remain in the Mechanized City and proceed cautiously.

That won't do. The Mohists, the 'leaders' of the rebellion, need to bravely crash into the Qin state to serve the interests of the Quicksand... and also the interests of many others.

We must destroy the Mo family's escape route, the Mechanical City!

Only with a cliff behind them could the Mohists inflict the greatest damage on the Qin state.

As for reclaiming the strongest weapon from the peasant hero, he might still need the complete Ghost Valley Sword Technique.

Thinking of this, Wei Zhuang took out the Hundred Steps Flying Sword Manual left by his master...

------

In an inn in Sanghai City, Gao Jianli and Kuang Xiu, having removed their disguises, secretly opened a small crack in the second-floor window and watched a troop of Qin soldiers in black armor run past.

Before the state of Qi surrendered, the two of them were still trying to contact the nobles of Qi and gain their support.

The result wasn't as good as expected, but it wasn't so bad as to be hopeless either: hedging was just a convenient option for those nobles.

The sponsorships they received helped the Mohists solve some of their immediate problems, as the operation of the Mechanized City was an area that required a significant amount of money.

Gao Jianli and Kuang Xiu were both good-looking and knowledgeable in high art. They could have easily made a living in the major cities of Qi without having to hide their identities. However, as soon as King Jian of Qi surrendered, they were immediately reinstated as wanted criminals.

Left with no other choice, the two could only flee to Sanghai and hide in a small inn.

The butcher brought up the food box and smiled at his two fellow disciples, saying, "Sanghai City is the territory of Xiaoshengxianzhuang. Even the Qin state has to give the Confucian school some face here, so there won't be too many Qin troops stationed here. Don't worry."

“Confucianism and Mohism were both prominent schools of thought in the past.” Gao Jianli closed the window, calmly sat down, and asked again the question he had asked several times before: “Butcher Ding, you have been operating in Sanghai for many years. Do you think it is possible for us to cooperate with the Confucian school?”

Kuang Xiu answered with "It's difficult." He closed his eyes and pondered, "The relationship between Confucianism and Mohism has never been good. Both sides have had high-ranking officials who directly reprimand each other. Even now, the Mohist disciples are still studying the jokes that the founder made about Confucian disciples. The hatred between the two sides will almost never be resolved unless absolutely necessary."

“That’s true.” Paoding nodded in agreement with Kuang Xiu’s words and added, “Moreover, the current head of Xiaoshengxianzhuang is Fu Nian, a rigid Confucian disciple who firmly believes in the “ruler-minister-father-son” principle. He would never take the initiative to stand up against Qin.

“Even Zhang Liang, whom you mentioned when you first arrived, mostly stays at Xiaoshengxianzhuang. I rarely see him, even when I go to deliver food.”

"Is that so?" Gao Jianli lowered his eyes and pondered.

Seeing that neither of them spoke again, Paoding scratched his head in distress and continued, "This Mr. Zhang used to come to Youjian Inn quite frequently, but unfortunately he hasn't come even once in recent years since he went away to study."

"By the way, didn't Xiao Gao say that the new leader of the Farmer's Clan is your friend in Jicheng? Why don't you go to Daze Mountain and try to win over the Farmer's Clan? In terms of strength in the martial arts world, the Farmer's Clan is now almost the number one sect."

“The farmers do need to make contact, but not now.” Gao Jianli shook his head upon hearing this, recalling the alliance between the Mohists and the Zhu family of Shennong Hall in Chenying.

Upon arriving in Qi, Gao Jianli immediately sent a letter to his ally, the Zhu family. However, the reply was slow, and the reply mentioned that the Farmer's Clan had suffered heavy losses from the Luo Wang attack and that the new leader of the Heroes, Lu Wei, had taken over and was going to reorganize internal affairs.

Clearly, even though almost a year has passed, it is still not the right time to visit the farmer's family. Moreover, given the status and seriousness of the matter, the Grand Master should personally go and discuss it.

The Qin state has just been unified, and the various schools of thought have not yet been directly threatened and forced to unite. Even though a considerable number of them know that Ying Zheng will eventually suppress the martial arts world step by step, they are unwilling to get involved with the Mohists at this time and become the first target of suppression.

According to the Grand Master, as time goes by, the major schools of thought among the Hundred Schools of Thought will have more and more opportunities to cooperate, but the minor schools outside the Nine Schools are not strong enough and lack long-term vision, so it is basically impossible for them to cooperate.

Gaining the support of those nobles in the early stages is more important, as there are also fugitives among the descendants of the King of Qi who are hiding in the martial arts world.

Chapter 287 Mitsukoshi's Attitude

The farmers suddenly gained an opportunity to purchase a large amount of land due to an order from Xianyang.

Because His Majesty the Emperor ordered the relocation of 120,000 powerful families from the former territories of the six states to supplement the prosperity around Xianyang, the wealthy and powerful had no choice but to pack up their assets and travel thousands of miles to Guanzhong under the protection of Qin soldiers.

Their only choice is life or death.

The departure of these people made it possible for many lesser nobles and peasant families, who were not qualified to take over those rich lands, to do so. Even though the Qin people confiscated a considerable portion of them, the remaining share was enough for them to consume for a long time.

Of course, fortune and misfortune are intertwined. While gaining the opportunity to purchase territory, the farmers also had to send a group of disciples to Guanzhong as laborers to repair the emperor's new palace.

After the Qin Dynasty was established, in order to demonstrate the power of the Qin Dynasty, Ying Zheng ordered that the palace styles originally belonging to the six states of Shandong be replicated one-to-one north of Xianyang. From Yongmen in the east to the Jing and Wei Rivers, palace corridors and sky bridges connected these palaces, forming a magnificent palace complex, which was filled with beauties and treasures collected from the six states.

In this way, His Majesty the Emperor can enjoy the pleasures of seven kingdoms all from Xianyang alone.

This requires a massive amount of manpower, and what most people don't realize is that this is just the beginning...

Lu Wei knew that almost every year there would be massive projects starting construction. The prosperity of the Qin Dynasty might last for a few more years, but the best days for the people of the Qin Dynasty were now.

At the same time, His Majesty the Emperor's plan to send Tu Ju and Zhao Tuo with 500,000 troops to completely conquer the Baiyue region became another burden on the people.

They meticulously calculated an expenditure that would be acceptable to the world, especially to Ying Zheng, for acquiring new land. Under Lu Wei's control, the peasants remained extremely calm and rational in the face of this opportunity to expand in the Central Plains.

It is necessary to expand, but not too much. Maintaining that all the actions of the farmers are under the complete control of His Majesty the Emperor is a task that requires utmost caution.

Lord Xia Kui considered the worst-case scenario, contemplating the enemy that the peasants would no longer be able to hide under the protection of a particular country and would have to face head-on. His analysis was the same as before: they still needed time.

We need time to wait for the Qin Dynasty to mess things up on its own...

Unlike dealing with a snare, where there might be a possibility of cooperation between the two sides, there was absolutely no such possibility for the Qin state.

Nowadays, the supreme emperor only needs subjects or enemies.

...

Just as the expansion quotas for the six halls to seize their respective opportunities were being distributed, Shao Siming walked in.

She stood there silently, and this time he understood the girl's purpose without needing the leaves to express it: Shao Siming was returning to Xianyang.

During her last performance with Black and White, the curse of the Eastern Emperor within Shao Siming was triggered. Afterwards, she fell into a dream and killed her own mirror image. Upon waking, Wan Ye Fei Hua Liu, driven by a dramatic change in emotions and the internal energy of the Five Virtues, completed her transformation better than expected.

From this perspective, she has already completed her mission. Although the Moon Goddess's desired cycle of exchanging Qi for souls was not achieved, Shao Siming wanted to report to the Moon Goddess as soon as possible about the presence of the Eastern Emperor's curse within her body.

However, Lu Wei did not agree to her plan to return immediately, for one reason only: Dong Jun had not yet returned from the Mo family.

This time, Dongjun and Shaosiming were essentially acting as witnesses for each other. Even though Dongjun's involvement in Mohist affairs was permitted by Donghuang, if Shaosiming were to return alone, it would undoubtedly expose Dongjun's disobedience and the lack of supervision during Shaosiming's mission, potentially arousing Donghuang's suspicion. The consequences of that are hard to imagine.

It is important to be wary of the fact that Donghuang is still a formidable enemy, even though he has managed to turn the Sun, Moon, and Stars, who are second only to him, against him.

But just the fact that he is the leader of the Yin-Yang School, even though no one has ever seen him make a move, his mystery and identity are enough to make people speculate about Donghuang's strength to the greatest extent possible.

Shao Siming's bright eyes remained unmoved; she simply nodded slightly in agreement to wait, though it was unclear whether she understood the reasoning behind it.

On Dongjun Yanfei's side, infiltrating the mechanical city where Yan Dan was located was extremely risky. However, because Yan Dan deliberately avoided visiting his daughter, she hid in Gao Yue's room without encountering any danger.

Gao Yue was overjoyed to see Dong Jun arrive and showed her master the results of her bold and innovative attempts at forbidden techniques using Yin-Yang methods: Gao Yue's cultivation speed was not much faster than before.

Although it was still very immature, it was the result of Gao Yue's research as a child. Dong Jun was very satisfied with the degree of compatibility with the Yin-Yang forbidden spells that the little girl had shown after he had used Yin-Yang techniques to modify her many times.

Even though the cost was somewhat high, Dongjun believed that practical experience undoubtedly demonstrated that his understanding and extension of Yin-Yang techniques had reached a sufficiently deep level—a direction that even Yue Shen had not achieved or even conceived of.

I can catch up with and surpass her again thanks to my talent, even though I made mistakes in the past!

After carefully planning her time and instructing Gao Yue for a period of time, when Lord Dongjun returned to Daze Mountain, she originally intended to secretly sneak into Xiaogeng Manor to see if she could find any weaknesses of Lu. However, she was approached and exposed by Lu Wei shortly after she crossed the manor wall, which made Yanfei give up such plans.