Chapter 2: Live Longer, Walk Further

Sword Dynasty

Volume 1: Great Rebel

Chapter 2: Live Longer, Walk Further

The black umbrellas carefully escorted the white-clothed woman as she walked and boarded the waiting carriage as she walked and boarded the waiting carriage.

The young man, who came out of the half-destroyed oil shop, continued to stare at the white-clothed woman without blinking. He only sighed after the white-clothed woman lifted the curtain and entered the carriage. “So beautiful.”

The black-robed swordsman who had fallen not far from him finally came back to his senses. Thinking of the meaning of the woman in white’s words, extreme joy and surprise filled his body.

“Beautiful?”

Then he began to ponder the young man’s words. Bureau Chief Ye’s beauty was undeniable, but it would be blasphemy to describe her, a prominent figure in the country, a revered cultivator, as ‘beautiful’.

The sound of hooves rang out, and the carriage carrying the female bureau chief of the Qin Dynasty disappeared into the mist and rain.

Most of the black-robed swordsmen disappeared silently from the street, just as they had arrived.

The streets became bustling. More and more people wanted to come out of their homes and see what had happened. But in an instant, the sound of metal clashing against the ground drowned out the sounds of rain and wind.

In an instant, numerous chariots arrived, forming a metal wall, blocking their view.

“You’re Ding Ning, from the Falling Parasol Wine Shop? Why have you come here to get sesame oil?” a slightly bald and plump middle-aged official handed a dry cloth and asked the nearly drenched young man. They were under a simple, temporary hut.

This official had a very amiable expression. Because of his haste, his forehead shone with an oily light, and gave people the feeling that he was an ordinary person. However, most of the officials and soldiers deliberately kept a certain distance from him. Anyone familiar with Changling knew that he was Mo Qinggong.

He was one of the most experienced ‘evil hounds’ of the Bureau of Divinity.

‘Evil hound’ was not a complimentary nickname, but it carried a profound meaning. Besides a ferocious nature and keen sense of smell, it often meant that this person had someone powerful behind him. An ‘evil hound’ like him was difficult to deal with and impossible to defeat. The best method is to keep your distance from him.

For example, like this moment. When he arrived, before he could even catch his breath, he was holding dozens of scrolls in his hand, one of which recorded the identity of the mysterious young man before him.

This young man, called Ding Ning, was oblivious to the terror radiating from the slightly plump and relaxed middle-aged official. He used the dry cloth Mo Qinggong had given him to wipe away the mud and water on his face while curiously examining the carved war chariot and the armored soldiers on the chariots with the wolf patterns on their sword hilts. He did not immediately answer Mo Qinggong’s question and instead asked, “Is this our Qin Tiger-Wolf Army?”

Mo Qinggong wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and replied, “Yes.”

“Who lived in that courtyard?” After wiping off the dust and mud, Ding Ning, who seemed more delicate, asked with a serious expression, “To attract so many people?”

Mo Qinggong felt Ding Ning was becoming more and more interesting. He seemed to be influenced by the other’s calmness and calmed down a bit. His eyes sparkled with a strange light.

“Have you heard of the Sword Furnace?” kindly, not angrily.

“The Sword Furnace of Zhao Dynasty?” Ding Ning was a little confused.

“Exactly.” Mo Qinggong looked at him kindly and said patiently, “Since our Great Qin Dynasty began war with Zhao Dynasty, the people of the world finally understood that the strongest cultivator of Zhao Dynasty was not the Blue Sun Sword Tower, but that seemingly ordinary blacksmith workshop. The eight core disciples of Sword Furnace are figures capable of destroying entire cities with a single blow. We destroyed Zhao Dynasty thirteen years ago, but the remaining evil elements of the Sword Furnace still remain a thorn in our Great Qin’s throat. If we can’t remove them, we won’t be able to rest. The person we killed today was the seventh disciple of the Sword Furnace, Zhao Zhan.”

“No wonder…” Ding Ning said thoughtfully as he looked through the gaps between the chariots at the ruined courtyard where many cultivators were carefully exploring.

Mo Qinggong smiled faintly. “Now do you understand why I asked you such trivial questions?”

Ding Ning nodded seriously. “With such a major enemy hiding here, you must investigate everyone around here. Especially someone like me who doesn’t live here, you must investigate even further.”

Mo Qinggong nodded in agreement. “Then, will you answer my question?”

Ding Ning smiled and said, “To be honest, the sesame oil shop near my house has been closed these past two days, so I had to come here, the next closest shop. I didn’t expect to be delayed by a storm here and encounter something like this.”

Mo Qinggong was silent for a moment. Then he took out an umbrella and handed it to Ding Ning. “Since that’s the case, you may leave.”

Ding Ning was slightly surprised, and asked with sparkling eyes, “So simple?”

“You can’t bear to leave? Don’t look for trouble!” Mo Qinggong scolded irritably. He waved his hand, motioning for the young man to leave.

“And your umbrella?”

“If I don’t come to get it later, this will be a gift for you.”

Staring at Ding Ning’s back, Mo Qinggong’s expression turned cold. After thinking for a moment, he shouted softly to the rain hut behind him. “Summon Qin Huaishu!”

A slender young man dressed in blue robes walked into the temporary hut not long after his shout.

Mo Qinggong slightly raised his head and looked at the young man walking in front of him. His finger gently tapped on the open scroll in front of him. After tapping a dozen times, he slowly asked, “This young man Ding Ning of Falling Parasol, you were the one who compiled the case file. Do you remember him?”

The slender young man stood respectfully, bowed his head, and answered firmly, “Yes.”

Mo Qinggong looked coldly at him. He said solemnly, “According to the files, his and his young aunt’s births were perfectly clean. But why did you create such a file?”

The slender young man seemed to have anticipated this question and answered without hesitation, “This young man is undoubtedly a Qin citizen. His ancestry from the past few generations is known. The reason this subordinate prepared this case file is because the Fang Marquessate Establishment has been in contact with him. The Fang Marquessate Establishment once invited Fang Xiumu to meet him.

Mo Qinggong paused. “Fang Marquessate Establishment?”

The slender young man nodded. “This young man was raised by his aunt after his parents died of illness when he was young. His aunt owns a wine shop in Falling Parasol. It’s small but well-known. People from the Fang Marquessate Establishment once bought wine from this shop and apparently felt that this young man had potential. They invited Fang Xiumu to meet him personally.”

Mo Qinggong frowned, and his fingers unconsciously began tapping on the table again.

“And then?” he asked after thinking for a moment.

The slender young man answered seriously, “After Fang Xiumu investigated him, the Fang Marquessate Establishment never contacted this young man again. This subordinate suspects that Fang Xiumu felt he couldn’t be a practitioner. As this young man’s status was low, and there was no doubt about his birth, this subordinate simply prepared a case file and didn’t expend any further effort in investigating.”

Mo Qinggong’s eyes flashed with a hint of praise. “Well done.”

The slender young man’s expression remained unchanged. He said calmly, “This subordinate was simply carrying out his duties.”

Mo Qinggong thought for a moment and asked, “Wine from a small place like Falling Parasol could catch the eye of the Fang Marquessate Establishment?”

The slender young man shook his head. “The reason his wine shop is famous is because his aunt is so stunningly beautiful.”

Mo Qinggong was surprised.

The slender young man still did not raise his head, but a faint smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. He thought, “Mister, if you see that woman, you’d be even more surprised.”

Mo Qinggong smiled and laughed at himself. He suddenly looked seriously at the slender young man and said softly, “This time I’ve included you in the recommendation list for the Spirit Void Sword Sect.”

“Mister!”

The slender young man had previously maintained his respectful and calm demeanor, but Mo Qinggong’s words caused his body to tremble, and he involuntarily cried out.

Mo Qinggong’s expression did not change much. He patted the excited young man on the shoulder and said slowly, “Before you go to the Spirit Void Sword Sect to cultivate, do me one more favor. Investigate his background and the people around him. Help me find out what Fang Xiumu’s assessment of him is.”

 

All the streets and alleys in Changling were straight and formed right angles, just as Zhao Zhan had said. Even the towers were evenly distributed throughout the city.

In a tower closest to Mo Qinggong’s rain hut, a wisteria chair was placed behind a sheet of rain. An old man wearing a plain robe sat on the chair, his thin white hair flowing down his shoulders like ginseng roots.

A young man with a healthy physique wearing a yellow robe stood behind the old man.

The young man had a graceful appearance and a calm countenance. He was the type of person who easily made people feel positive with just a glance. Currently, his hand was resting on the back of the wisteria chair, appearing humble yet familiar.

“What are you thinking?” The old man’s gaze returned from afar with a smile and proactively asked.

The yellow-robed young man moved and walked beside the old man. He said respectfully, “Master, since Bureau Chief Ye was able to kill Zhao Zhan alone, it means she has at least passed the doorway to realm seven second class. But I don’t understand. In the current Changling… besides Bureau Chief Ye, no one else is capable of killing Zhao Zhan alone. Why did His Majesty order Bureau Chief Ye, who is training in the ocean, to return?”

The old man smiled faintly and pointed with a withered finger outside the tower. “What do you see?”

The yellow-robed young man looked intently but only saw the straight alleys and streets amidst the storm. He replied apologetically, “This disciple is ignorant and hopes for Master’s guidance.”

“You’re too short-sighted. You only see these streets; you can’t see Changling’s borders.” The old man’s eyes were half-closed as he slowly said, “But you must know, this city is the only capital city in the world without an outer wall. The reason it doesn’t need a protective outer wall is because every Qin person’s sword serves as city walls.”

The yellow-robed young man grew solemn and fell silent.

“His Majesty, or rather, Minister Li, sees much further than you do.”

The old man glanced at the yellow-robed youth amiably and said with slight disdain, “There are at least two reasons behind summoning Bureau Chief Ye. First, although Changling has no shortage of people capable of killing Zhao Zhan, one more person would add to the already formidable presence. Although Bureau Chief Ye had a fearsome reputation in the past, most people doubted that she had reached realm seven. Today, Bureau Chief Ye killed Zhao Zhan with a single blow like autumn thunder. The invisible wall surrounding Changling has become slightly thicker. On another level, Bureau Chief Ye has been gone for many years. Many people, including myself, had doubts and suspected that Bureau Chief Ye was distrusted by His Majesty and had been exiled. Bureau Chief Ye’s sudden return to eradicate evil elements shows that His Majesty has been close to Bureau Chief Ye all this time. The rumors and doubts have been dispelled.”

“Minister Li indeed sees much further than I do,” sighed the yellow-robed young man.

When he said the words ‘Minister Li’, his expression showed both admiration and shame.

Minister Li was a distinguished appellation.

The Qin Dynasty had two prime ministers, one Yan and the other Li.

The two prime ministers differed in age, appearance, habits, and everything else. But they were both mysterious and powerful.

Their mysteriousness and power meant that most of Changling was under their shadow. Everyone believed they were powerful cultivators, but no one had ever seen them in action, and almost no one was qualified to see their true appearance.

Truly powerful… just like many incredibly powerful and terrifying people were merely their loyal subordinates.

People who were too powerful usually had no friends.

So in Changling, when people mentioned Minister Li or Minister Yan, the accompanying emotions were usually respect, fear, anger, and hatred, but rarely genuine admiration like the one in the yellow-robed young man’s voice.

“Master is probably right. His Majesty has been focusing primarily on cultivation during this period, and Minister Li is most likely in charge… however, the Deer Mountain Conference is approaching, and he should have more ideas about summoning Bureau Chief Ye,” the yellow-robed young man said after sighing and thinking for a moment.

The old man smiled with satisfaction.

In his opinion, this latest disciple of his was not particularly intelligent, but his personality was as upright and honest as the streets of Changling.

He held no natural hostility toward anyone, and he would learn from everyone’s attitudes.

Such a person would live long and achieve success in the turbulent Qin Dynasty.

It was alright if he could not see far now, if he could walk far enough, he would see more than anyone else.

Notes:

This novel is not my work... I just translated it from a Chinese web novel written by Wu Zui

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