Chapter 260
Book 23 Chapter 07 - The Sword Saint Of Qixia
The carriage made a turn onto the highway and began picking speed.
Glancing around and trying to make sense of his surroundings, Xiang Shaolong concluded that the carriage is not moving in the direction of the Chancellor Residence where Lu Buwei is supposedly residing. ‘Where is Han Jie heading to?’ He wondered.
He initially wanted to make use of Han Jie’s carriage to discreetly leave the Villa, avoiding the detection of spies who are keeping Tingsong Villa under surveillance. However, his curiosity is significantly aroused and he might as well enjoy his free ride and investigate further.
A long night looms ahead and there is more than sufficient time for him to execute his original grand scheme.
Pulling up his hood from his windbreaker, he was feeling at ease.
Ever since Xiao Yuetan’s morning warning, the fear of betrayal by his buddies has formed an indistinguishable source of stress, making him bitter and despondent. The moment he vowed to leave with great determination, the horror has completely disappeared without a trace. His only concern is Shan Rou. If Xie Ziyuan turned out to be the loser in this conflict, based on Tian Dan’s cruel methods, Shan Rou could face another calamity of clan extermination. Regarding this, he is at his wit’s end and can only look on helplessly.
As the carriage swerve left and right occasionally, it finally entered the highway leading to Xie Residence.
Xiang Shaolong was astounded. Who is Han Jie rendezvousing?
The carriage came to a stop at the main gate of Zongsun Long’s residence. The next second, a side door swung open as a tall and remarkable fellow dashed out and swiftly boarded the carriage.
Once again, the carriage began to move forward slowly.
Xiang Shaolong is incredibly puzzled. Han Jie came to Lin Zi along with Lu Buwei and should therefore align himself with Tian Dan, who is at loggerheads with Zongsun Long. Why did Han Jie meet up with someone from Zongsun Long’s residence and is behaving furtively as if they are afraid of being spotted by someone.
Contemplating to this point, he would not hesitate any longer. s.h.i.+fting to the edge of the carriage, he leaned over and placed his ear against the wall of the carriage and focused all his attention into eavesdropping.
A voice as deep as a ba.s.s instrument sounded from within the carriage: "Xuanhua pays his respects to Elder Martial Brother. I miss you a lot."
The man turned out to be the holder of the t.i.tle: Lin Zi’s number one swordsman. It is Zongsun Long’s capable son, Zongsun Xuanhua.
Han Jie’s voice rang out: "You are much more awe-inspiring compared to before. I am sure you have made significant improvements in your sword skills."
After Zongsun Xuanhua gave a modest reply, he praised: "Elder Martial Brother is giving me too much credit. What is the situation in Xianyang now? I heard Elder Martial Brother is doing very well!"
Han Jie guffawed: "Lao Ai is in urgent need of talented men and is naturally hospitable towards me. However, this man is extremely narrow-minded and cannot accommodate others better than himself. He can never amount to anything great. On the other hand, Lu Buwei is indeed a hero who can see the big picture. If not for Xiang Shaolong, he would have gained absolute control of Qin."
Zongsun Xuanhua coldly grunted: "Is Xiang Shaolong’s swordsmans.h.i.+p as formidable as what the rumours say?"
Han Jie sighed: "He is as unfathomable as a ghost. No one has ever comprehended what he is genuinely up to. You should have seen his Hundred Battle Sabre right! Who could imagine and create such a unique weapon that can both hack and slash?"
Zongsun Xuanhua agreed: "After esteemed teacher received the sabre from the Great King, he toyed with it for some time. Although he did not say anything, I can tell that he is moved. I rarely witness this expression on his face over the past ten years."
Han Jie warned: "Back to business. You should take precautions in case Tian Jian and Tian Dan form a partners.h.i.+p."
On the carriage roof, Xiang Shaolong was immensely stunned; finally understanding why Xie Ziyuan is behaving like it is the end of the world. Expectedly, Zongsun Xuanhua sighed with a breath: "We already knew about this and never antic.i.p.ated Tian Dan to use this trick. Does Elder Martial Brother have a good counterstrategy?"
Han Jie articulated: "Lu Buwei is the mastermind behind this scheme, using his connections to pull Tian Dan and Tian Jian to the same side of the fence. Aye! Ultimately, Tian Dan is the most powerful official of Qi. If he is willing to sacrifice Tian Sheng, it is with absolute certainty that Tian Jian would be the next King of Qi. This is unlike the past where the winner remains unpredictable. Thus, the circ.u.mstances are highly unfavourable for you and your allies."
Zongsun Xuanhua was infuriated: "Both Father and myself have done so much for Tian Jian, how can he simply switch sides to rely on our nemesis?"
Han Jie sighed: "Power tussles within the Court are simply the way it is. From Tian Jian’s point of view, whoever that can a.s.sist him in becoming King is a useful official. Moreover… Aye! I do not know how to continue. Lu Buwei gave Tian Jian his a.s.surance that as long as Tian Dan stays in power, Qin would never invade Qi and would even hara.s.s the Three States (Han Zhao Wei), permitting him to invade Yan without any reservations. You can see for yourself how tempting the conditions are."
Zongsun Xuanhua icily snorted: "Only a fool would be taken in by these lies. At the end of the day, this is just Qin’s strategy of: Befriending Afar; Conquering Near."
The eavesdropping Xiang Shaolong is even more confused than before. Whose side is Han Jie on?
Han Jie suddenly suppressed his voice and speaks even softer than before. Xiang Shaolong could not catch a single word and was about to curse him when Zongsun Xuanhua dismissed: "This is preposterous. My father and Tian Dan cannot see eye to eye and would never reconcile. In addition, given Tian Dan’s unscrupulous reputation, it would be a matter of time before we become cannon fodder."
Han Jie reasoned: "This is merely using their strategy to your advantage. Tian Jian has unwavering trust in Xie Ziyuan. If you can offer the same terms to Tian Jian, I guarantee Tian Jian would still lean towards your side."
Up till this point, Xiang Shaolong has lost all interest in the conversation. He carefully and gingerly somersaulted off the carriage and vanished into the gloomy lanes.
Locating a shadowy and secluded corner along the west city wall, Xiang Shaolong tore off a part of his s.h.i.+rt and wrapped it around the head of the hammer. He incessantly hammered one chisel after another, one higher than the other, into the city wall, which had acc.u.mulated a large amount of snow. He then began to step on the iron chisels and ascended the city wall just like mountain climbers.
To avoid the wind and snow, the patrolling soldiers have fortified themselves within a battlement. Using the grappling hook and ropes, Xiang Shaolong easily flipped himself out of the city and treaded on the snow towards Qixia College.
Despite the flying snowflakes and dim illumination of lanterns, he caught sight of the tall surrounding wall around the courtyard where Qixia College is situated. The college sits atop a small hill beyond the west gate and is formed by countless conjoined buildings, emitting an impressive sensation.
Currently, Xiang Shaolong is no longer concerned about Xie Ziyuan’s fate in the power tussle for the throne of Qi. Since Xie Ziyuan is Tian Jian’s most trusted subordinate, even if Tian Jian switched sides and relied on Tian Dan, Xie Ziyuan would retain his usefulness. The sacrificial lambs would be limited to Zongsun Long and First Prince Tian Sheng.
Once he obtained his Hundred Battle Sabre, he could instantly run as far away as he likes, filling him with infinite joy. With the aid of snow skis, he would be back in the warm comfort of his own home in Xianyang within thirty days. In this world, is there anything more delightful than this?
Utilizing the cover of snowy forest on the left of Qixia College, he slithered towards the east wall, fully displaying this forte of the Special Forces. As the wall is only a third as high as Lin Zi’s city wall, he simply somersaulted over the college’s outer wall.
Identifying the main cl.u.s.ter of buildings, Xiang Shaolong raised his alertness to a maximum as he snuck towards his goal.
From the lantern’s glow, the corridors linking the various courtyards were void of pedestrians and noise. From afar, the sound of a flute and a zither is audible. It was a scene of tranquility.
The time is nearly eleven o’clock and most of the population should be fast asleep in bed, granting Xiang Shaolong much convenience.
Arriving at the garden of the main hall, he finally observed three men who are dressed in scholarly uniforms walking by. Promptly concealing himself behind a clump of trees, he did not antic.i.p.ate the three men to suddenly halt and began admiring the snow. Stuck, Xiang Shaolong could neither advance nor retreat and was forced to listen to their exchange.
Out of the blue, one of the men started to ponder about ‘Heaven’. He professed: "A ruler must first familiarize himself with Heaven. Not knowing the workings of Heaven and the laws of Nature, the ruler will be like scratching an itchy feet without taking off the shoe. Tutor Shen, what is your opinion on this?"
The man named Tutor Shen wondered: "Is Lecturer Lao feeling the effects of the relentless snowstorm and becoming pessimistic, thereby allowing these thoughts to arise?"
The third man laughed: "n.o.body understands Lecturer Lao better than Tutor Shen but I would connect his present thinking to his recent research of Xun Kuang’s System of Heaven."
The camouflaged Xiang Shaolong is first hand experiencing for himself the culture of hollow discussion by Qixia scholars. He prayed they would leave as soon as possible.
Lecturer Lao solemnly explained: "This time round, Lecturer Chou is mistaken. I am in full disagreement with Xun Kuang’s System of Heaven. Xun Kuang’s Non Intervention is only good in theory but is non-executable. It is a wide departure from reality despite the wide topics that have been debated. Compared to Guan Zhong’s Man King Heaven Earth, they are poles apart. The latter book relates a necessary and practical approach to recognizing the correlation between Heaven and Man."
Tutor Shen bellowed with laughter: "Lecturer Lao has stirred my interests! Come! Let us return to our rooms before cooking some wine and chatting into the night."
After the three men have wandered