Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 93

"Two heroes, how about we let this matter rest..."

The bandit leader, gripping his sword, stretched out his hand, gesturing for his men to gather around him, before surprisingly backing down.

"We brothers have some valuables and horses, which we can give to you two."

The thief leader, though seemingly kind, was intently watching Lu Wei and the young man on the other rooftop, his body tense.

He considered himself a clever man, believing that even a minor character should have the sharp eyes of a minor character. The fact that their target had discovered their movements ahead of time made him hesitate, but he ultimately decided to rely on their numbers and fight it out.

But this second person was able to appear silently nearby, and he was a master!

The thief leader understood his own strength and that of his subordinates, so he decisively took advantage of the fact that a real fight had not yet broken out and their relationship was not one of life-or-death conflict to beg for mercy.

"Can't!"

Lu Wei simply watched his performance with a smile, while the young man in black stood up, hands on his hips: "Once my sword is drawn, it must draw blood. Without blood, the sword will age."

"Your swords haven't been drawn yet..."

Before the thief leader could finish speaking, the young man in black drew his sword with lightning speed.

Under the hazy moonlight, the blade of his sword reflected a cold, sharp light: "Now I've drawn it!"

The thief leader abruptly stopped speaking. His usually amiable expression turned ruthless as he lowered his eyes, revealing a hidden ferocity. He spoke in a deep voice, "Gentlemen, there are seven of us."

"So what? You seven are already surrounded by me!"

After saying that, the young man in black leaped off the roof and charged towards the thieves.

The bandit leader, his face dark, drew his sword again. He glanced at Lu Wei and, seeing that Lu Wei was merely watching with his arms crossed, shouted in a fierce voice, "Brothers, charge! Change targets! Kill this newbie who doesn't know his own mortality!"

"Yes!" Upon hearing the order, the other six thieves immediately charged towards the young man in black, while their leader, in Lu Wei's sight, vanished in the opposite direction and fled...

As he ran, Lu Wei, who should have been standing at the door of the thatched hut, suddenly appeared in front of him. Lu Wei stepped forward to meet him, drew his Devouring Sea Sword, swung it lightly, and then sheathed it...

The leader of the running thieves' head fell to the ground with a thud.

You're worthless, yet you offended the leader and think you can just run away?

Meanwhile, the young man in black, facing six thieves, swiftly killed two in an instant with a swift sword strike. Then, with a horizontal slash, he severed the swords and bodies of two more thieves. The last two remaining thieves, their faces showing barely a hint of terror, predictably followed in their companion's footsteps, overcome with fear...

"This person has a very high level of swordsmanship, and his methods are extremely ruthless and cruel."

Master Lu thought to himself as he chopped off a head.

"Not bad, I saw your movement and swordsmanship just now!"

The young man in black sheathed his sword with a slightly awkward movement. Only when he got closer did Lu Wei realize that his sword and scabbard were not the original pair.

"Judging from your luxurious clothes and your sharp swordsmanship, you must be someone who is not unknown in the martial arts world."

“I didn’t kill anyone.” Lu Wei returned to the front of the thatched hut and sat down cross-legged. “He just bumped his neck into my sword.”

"Is that so? It seems he couldn't steal it by force, so he tried to extort your money instead." The young man in black sat down in front of him and laughed heartily, "I'm a victim too!"

After laughing with his head tilted back, he straightened his face and said, "My name is Ziwu, a wandering knight-errant."

"Lu Wei, from the Gonggong Hall of the Farmers." After mentally assessing the other person's name, Lu Wei also gave his own name.

It's unclear whether 'Ziwu' is his full name or a code name. In the martial arts world, ordinary disciples of Xiaoshengxianzhuang usually have a 'Zi' prefix added before their names, such as Zicong, Zimu, and Ziyou.

But the person before him did not behave like a Confucian disciple, and considering the sword... his identity, like the sword's identity, became clear...

"So you're the head of the Gonggongtang of the Farmers! I recognize you!"

Ziwu straightened his posture more: "Last year, the disaster relief was done by Hall Master Lu."

“You are a master. I originally wanted to ask your name before we sparred, but since you are Hall Master Lu, I will not force the issue.”

As he spoke, he drew the sword from his waist and displayed it between the two men: "This sword is named: Zhaodan."

Lu Wei stared at the sword closely, admiring it and exclaimed, "The sword of King Wu Ding of Shang is still as sharp as mud and can drink blood without leaving a trace. It is indeed a fine sword."

"Master Lu's sword is no ordinary item either." After accepting the praise with a smile, Ziwu stared at the hilt of the Devouring Sea Sword and said honestly, "I have no interest in these thieves themselves. It was Master Lu who stopped here with his sword that caught my attention."

"I love swords, and I love sword fighting even more. I wonder if the hall master would be willing to give me this opportunity?"

"Of course, Brother Ziwu helped me tonight, how could I not help Brother Ziwu!" Lu Wei's nod made Ziwu overjoyed. He pulled the hall master away from the blood-stained thatched hut and came to the other side of the abandoned village.

The two stood facing each other, several feet apart.

His surname is Zi, and he wields the famous sword Zhaodan from the Shang Dynasty a thousand years ago; his identity is already obvious.

Descendants of the people who lost the Song Dynasty more than fifty years ago.

This identity can be sensitive or not.

Lu Wei's willingness to befriend him is an affirmation of his abilities.

Currently, there aren't many truly capable fighters in Gonggong Hall. Apart from Lu Ni, there's no one else we can truly trust.

Master Lu intended to recruit some highly skilled subordinates, which was also the reason he was going to Daliang: the former retainers of Lord Xinling and the disciples of the Armored Sect were all considered elites.

Unexpectedly, I encountered a wild knight-errant named Ziwu in the territory of Zhao today. I must recruit him into my team!

"Master Lu, be careful!"

Ziwu drew his sword, Zhaodan, and his opening move was a straightforward and honorable thrust.

Lu Wei did not underestimate his opponent. He quickly drew his Devouring Sea Sword, its tip trembling and circling as it clashed head-on with his opponent.

Ziwu's swordsmanship, which had just killed someone, was characterized by its unwavering and relentless advance, somewhat similar to Tian Hu's domineering Tiger Soul Swordsmanship.

However, the two are fundamentally different:

Tian Hu's domineering nature is more akin to the recklessness of a wandering knight-errant; even if he has some ulterior motives, they cannot escape the realm of wandering knights-errant.

Ziwu's courage and determination carried a profound confidence rooted in history. Although the Shang dynasty had been gone for eight hundred years, the "Shang sword" remained and would continue to exist forever.

It's not certain who is superior; it depends on the swordsman's attributes. A rogue's recklessness, if used appropriately, can also lead to extraordinary feats.

Of all the skills Lu Wei has learned in his life, he has cultivated more internal energy than swordsmanship. The vastness and inclusiveness of the Devouring Sea Sword technique require profound internal energy as its foundation.

The ever-advancing 'Zhaodan' encounters the boundless 'Tunhai'. Without the sharpness of Ziwu's swordsmanship, he can never cross that vast expanse.

Lu Wei only needs to occasionally use 'waves' to impact his 'ferry', and cracks will always appear on the hull, and the cracks will grow larger and larger over time!

In the end, the ship broke in two, and Ziwu's Zhaodan sword energy was absorbed into the endless Tunhai sword: his neck, with its collar turned up, was directly restrained by the sword tip.

"As expected of Hall Master Lu, I accept my defeat wholeheartedly!"

------

Ziwu was indeed a descendant of the State of Song, who was divided and destroyed by the State of Qi, along with the States of Wei and Chu, fifty-six years ago due to internal strife, and in a strict sense, he was also a member of the royal family.

However, he had no ambition to restore the country. Half a century had passed and most of the Song dynasty's remnants had died out. When Ziwu came of age, the most meaningful thing left to him was his ancestor's 'Zhaodan Sword'.

Holding this ancient sword, he completely 'degenerated,' wanting only to be a wandering swordsman, drinking and dueling with his friends every day, living out his life without regrets.

But before he could live that kind of life, he wanted to make a name for himself: the nameless wanderer, that is, a local ruffian.

Last year, a great disaster struck Dai. Ziwu's eyes lit up as he sold off the few remaining treasures and property of the Song state, exchanging them for grain to be transported to Dai.

But before they even reached their destination, he scattered his grain among the people of other areas along the way, and even slaughtered the horses that had been hauling the grain, giving their meat away...

In the end, he was left penniless, carrying only a sword as he entered the earthquake-stricken area...

Fortunately, although the grain couldn't be delivered, he was still alive and could still play a role. After consistently acting as a chivalrous hero and killing many rioters in the chaos, Ziwu also earned the title of 'chivalrous hero'.

Having established a basic reputation, Ziwu's next plan is to head south to the State of Han and challenge Wei Zhuang, the great general of Han and a disciple of Guiguzi, to a sword duel!

He even made a plan: if the other party did not agree, he would keep harassing him, even if it meant launching surprise attacks, until he forced this Ghost Valley disciple to compete with him!

I never expected to meet Master Lu in this abandoned village!

Hearing this, Lu Wei understood why this surviving son of the Song Kingdom, who clearly possessed a famous sword and whose strength was no less than that of Tian Hu, did not live to become famous in later generations.

He was probably killed by Wei Zhuang, who was preoccupied with how to defend against the Qin's war of conquest...

"While the reputation of defeating the disciple of Guigu is great, Wei Zhuang has no patience to duel with you now."

The next day, the two rode their horses together. The sect leader, unable to bear seeing a life die before it could contribute anything, persuaded them:

"How about you join the Farmer's Clan with me? There are plenty of people there who can spar with you in swordsmanship."

"Since Master Lu personally invited me, it would be foolish of me to refuse." Ziwu didn't ask Lu Wei how he knew Wei Zhuang didn't want to duel with him right now. He clasped his hands together and accepted the invitation directly.

Gonggong Hall has gained another formidable general!

There are certainly many other wandering swordsmen with immense potential like Ziwu in the martial arts world, but whether they can survive and grow to maturity is another matter entirely. Generally, these individuals who can be considered geniuses tend to be adventurous and reckless... like Ziwu, who, having only just gained some local fame, wants to challenge opponents he can't possibly defeat...

Lu Wei deeply felt his responsibility; he wanted to bring all these talented individuals who had fallen into obscurity into the Gonggong Hall.

If I could get a few more subordinates like Ziwu, I might be able to "take up my sword and march on Luoyang," and force Tian Guang to retire and become the hall master.

This year, the Zhao region is really restless. On the short journey to Handan, which is less than a day away, another group of thieves suddenly appeared.

This time, there were even fewer thieves, only five, yet they dared to block the main road and attack their chosen targets.

Their audacity suggests that their combined strength far surpasses that of the group of corpses in the abandoned village.

They had surrounded and killed two other wandering knights who were traveling together. After glancing sideways at the two approaching men, they uttered harsh words telling Lu Wei and Zi Wu to get lost.

Being unable to control one's mouth has always been a major problem in the martial arts world, let alone for a righteous person like the Hall Master, who cannot tolerate evil happening before his eyes.

The two drew their swords together, taking the initiative to rid the people of evil. One of them actually blocked five of Lu Wei's swords, and was finally cut in the throat and fell to the ground by the sixth sword.

Ziwu also spent some time and effort to defeat his two opponents.

"With such strength, there should be more options, yet you've been reduced to robbing and pillaging..." Ziwu sighed as he awkwardly sheathed his sword.

After two years of wandering the world, most of the thieves he encountered were weak but slightly stronger than ordinary people. To meet such a skilled bandit near Handan City was beyond his comprehension.

"They may not be professional thieves, they just sometimes do thievery as a side business."

Lu Wei didn't feel anything special. The things that various assassins in the martial arts world did were no better than these highway robbers, and their strength was much higher.

The two of them encountered no obstacles until they saw the high city walls of Handan, and entered the city smoothly. Lu Wei and Zi Wu casually found an inn to stay in for the time being.

The reason he didn't go to Zhao Yi's residence immediately was that he wanted to secretly observe the situation in Handan first: he wondered what exactly Tian Du had discussed with Li Mu last year.

The only thing that is certain is that the Farmers do indeed send disciples to Zhao to cultivate the land. At the end of last year, Lu Qing from the Gonggong Hall headquarters sent a message that Yan Xiaokui had transferred two thousand disciples from each of the six halls from Daze Mountain to Zhao in batches and at different times.

No matter how well-concealed a large-scale operation involving more than 10,000 people is, the various schools of thought and spies from different countries will always be able to find something out.

It's hard to predict what the consequences will be...