Chapter 2, To live long is to travel far

Such individuals, in the tumultuous era of the Qin Dynasty, live long and travel far

Mo Qinggong pondered for a moment and asked, "Can the wine from the small taverns in places like Wutong really catch the attention of the Fang Hou residence?"

Those who are exceptionally strong often have no friends

The emaciated young man stood respectfully with his head bowed, neither servile nor arrogant, and said: "Yes."

The youth named Ding Ning was completely unaware of the terrifying nature of the seemingly affable, slightly plump middle-aged official. As he casually wiped the mud off his face with a dry cloth handed to him by Mo Qinggong, he curiously examined the cold war chariot adorned with a tiger head pattern and the wolf emblem on the hilt of the green-armored swordsman’s sword. Instead of immediately answering Mo Qinggong's question, he countered with, "Is this the Tiger and Wolf Army of our Great Qin?"

Their mystery and power lie in the fact that the vast majority of places in the city of Changling are shrouded in their shadows, in that everyone is certain they are powerful practitioners, yet no one has ever witnessed their actions, and very few have the qualification to see their true appearance

The black-clad swordsman, who had fallen to sit not far in front of him, finally came to his senses. Upon reflecting on the profound meaning contained within the three brief words spoken by the woman in white, a tremendous joy and a numbing sense of shock first filled his body

The rare torrential rain shows no signs of abating for the time being, and a thin layer of water has accumulated on the streets of Changling.

The emaciated young man still showed no change in expression, calmly stating: "I am merely fulfilling my duty."

... ...

Mo Qingong cast a cold glance at him and said in a deep voice: "According to this document, both he and his aunt, who runs a wine shop, can be said to have an exceptionally clean background. However, the key point is, why did you prepare such a document in the first place?"

At this moment, on a corner tower closest to the rain canopy of Mo Qing Palace, behind the curtain of rain, there is a wisteria chair. Sitting on the chair is an elderly man dressed in plain, unadorned cloth, his sparse white hair cascading down his shoulders like the tendrils of ginseng.

The emaciated young man nodded: "This boy, after losing both parents to illness at a young age, was taken care of by his aunt. His aunt runs a small but well-known tavern under the parasol trees. People from the Fanghou Mansion have purchased wine from this tavern, likely because they sensed some potential in him, and thus specially invited Fang He and the embroidery curtain to come and see him in person.

The elderly man smiled with satisfaction

What happened next? he pondered for a moment and asked

The young man in the yellow shirt gradually became serious, remaining silent.

The young man who emerged from the half-collapsed sesame oil shop kept his gaze fixed on the woman in the white dress, and only after she lifted the curtain and sat inside the carriage did he exclaim, "She is truly beautiful"

The official's expression appeared very amiable, and due to the urgency, there was even a slight sheen of oil on his forehead, which made him seem even more ordinary. However, the vast majority of the surrounding officials and soldiers deliberately maintained a certain distance from him, for anyone with a discerning eye in Changling knew that he was Mo Qinggong

Several black umbrellas carefully escorted the woman in the white dress as she walked several dozen steps before boarding a carriage that was waiting there

Zhao State Sword Furnace?" Ding Ning was somewhat lost in thought

Under a makeshift and rudimentary rain shelter, a middle-aged, slightly overweight official with a receding hairline handed a dry cloth to a boy who was nearly soaked through and asked

The elderly man retracted his gaze that had drifted into the distance, smiled slightly, and spoke up voluntarily

All the streets and alleys in Changling, as Zhao Zhan described, are straight and direct, with horizontal and vertical lines; even the watchtowers are evenly distributed throughout the city.

Then where is your umbrella

The young man has a refined appearance and a calm, gentle demeanor, belonging to the type that easily evokes fondness at first sight. At this moment, his hands rest on the back of the wisteria chair, appearing humble and approachable

When he uttered the words "Li Xiang," his expression was one of both admiration and self-reproach

Adult

Indeed. Mo Qing looked at him kindly and patiently said: "Since the beginning of the campaigns of the Great Qin Dynasty against the Zhao Kingdom, the world has come to understand that the strongest cultivation site in Zhao is not the Qingyang Sword Tower, but that seemingly ordinary blacksmith shop. The eight true disciples of the Sword Furnace are all capable of slaughtering a city with a single sword. The Zhao Kingdom has been destroyed by our dynasty for thirteen years, yet those remnants of the Sword Furnace remain a thorn in the throat of our Great Qin Dynasty. Until they are eradicated, we shall not find peace. Today, we will eliminate Zhao Zhan, the seventh disciple of the Sword Furnace."

You are Ding Ning, from the Wutong Falling Wine Shop? How did you end up here to sell incense oil?

Your Majesty, or rather Li Xiang, m.hetushu.com can see much further than you.

Watching Ding Ning's silhouette, Mo Qinggong's expression gradually turned cold. After pondering for a moment, he called out sharply to the area beyond the rain shelter behind him: "Summon Qin Huaishu here!"

"You are looking too closely; you only see the streets and alleys before you, yet you cannot perceive the boundaries of Changling." The old man squinted slightly and said slowly, "But you should know that this city is the only capital in the world without an outer city wall. The reason we do not need a protective city wall is that every sword of a Qin person serves as the city wall."

"Who exactly lives in that small courtyard?" After rubbing off the dust and dirt from his face, Ding Ning, looking even more refined and spirited, said with a serious expression, "Is it really necessary to make such a big fuss?"

"Are you still reluctant to leave? Don't go looking for trouble!" Mo Qinggong scolded with a mix of anger and amusement, waving his hand to signal the young man to leave quickly

Li Xiang indeed sees much further than I do said the young man in the yellow shirt with a light sigh

What are you thinking about

Mo Qinggong smiled slightly and said: "Now do you understand why I asked you these trivial questions in the beginning?"

The term "vicious dog" is certainly not a compliment, yet it carries multiple connotations. Besides being fierce and having a keen sense of smell, it often implies that there are sufficient minions and a strong backing behind it. For such exceptionally troublesome "vicious dogs" that cannot be confronted directly, the best approach is to maintain a respectful distance.

... ...

The vast majority of the black-clad swordsmen vanished from this alleyway just as quickly and silently as they had arrived

The young man in the yellow shirt gazed intently, as if amidst a torrential downpour, yet all he could see were the straight streets and alleys. He replied somewhat apologetically, "I am dull-witted, and I hope for your guidance, esteemed teacher."

The young man in the yellow shirt moved lightly and approached the elder, respectfully saying: "Master, since Night Commander was able to single-handedly kill Zhao Zhan, it indicates that she has at least crossed the threshold of the mid-level of the Seven Realms. However, I do not understand, at this moment in Changling... aside from Night Commander, is there anyone else capable of killing Zhao Zhan alone? Why must His Majesty insist on having Night Commander, who is far overseas training, return?"

The master's opinion should be quite good. Your Majesty, during this period, you should focus on cultivation. Matters like this should be handled by Minister Li. However, with the upcoming Deer Mountain Alliance meeting, it is time to summon the Night Division leader back. He should have more thoughts on this. After a light sigh, the young man in the yellow robe pondered for a moment and continued speaking

The emaciated young man replied earnestly: "After Fang Xiumu reviewed him, the Fang Hou residence no longer had any contact with this individual. I deduce that Fang Xiumu deemed him unworthy of becoming a practitioner. Furthermore, this individual has a lowly status and his background is beyond question, so I merely followed protocol to prepare the documents for archiving, without expending further effort to investigate further"

"Have you heard of the Sword Furnace?" he asked in a calm and pleasant tone, without showing any anger.

The streets, shrouded in the mist of rain, finally awakened completely. An increasing number of people stepped out of their homes to see what had transpired. Yet, within just a few breaths, the sound of countless metal striking the ground drowned out both the rain and the thunder.

At this very moment, he has just arrived, his breath still uneven, yet in his hands he already holds dozens of case files, one of which meticulously details the identity of the somewhat suspicious youth before him

Mo Qinggong nodded slightly in appreciation: "Now you can answer my previous question, right?"

Therefore, in Changling, whenever the names of Minister Yan or Minister Li are mentioned, the corresponding emotions are often reverence, fear, and resentment, yet there is rarely any genuine admiration reflected in the eyes of this young man in the yellow robe

Mo Qinggong furrowed her brows slightly, her fingers unconsciously tapping again on the documents before her

one of the most experienced "evil dogs" in the capital's supervision

... ...

True strength lies in the fact that many who are already powerful and formidable in this world are merely loyal subordinates to others

Mo Qingong's eyes revealed a rare expression of approval, "You have done well"

Ding Ning, whose face had been wiped clean, still had her clothes covered in stains, was walking with one foot deep and the other shallow towards a street lined with many phoenix trees

Ding Ning smiled and said, "Actually, the sesame oil shop on our side hasn't been doing business these past few days, so we had to come here nearby. I didn't expect to be delayed here by a heavy rain, and I certainly didn't anticipate encountering such a situation."

In an instant, countless advancing war chariots formed iron walls, obstructing their line of sight

Mo Qinggong slightly raised his head, looking at the young man who had walked up to him. His fingers gently tapped on the open case file in front of him, striking it more than ten times before he finally asked in a calm voice: "This case involving a youth named Ding Ning from Wutongluo, is this file prepared by you? Do you have any recollection of it?"

These two chancellors differ in age, appearance, preferences, and areas of expertise, yet they are equally mysterious and powerful

The old man smiled faintly, extending his withered, branch-like fingers to point towards the rain curtain in front of the corner tower: "What do you see?"

Only then did he begin to ponder the words of the youth behind him. The beauty of Ye Sihou is beyond doubt; however, to describe someone of her stature, a towering figure of the nation, a practitioner who commands such reverence, merely as "pretty" seems almost blasphemous.

Beautiful

There is no inherent hostility towards anyone; one approaches others with a serious attitude of learning from their strengths

Mo Qinggong fell silent for a moment, then casually grabbed an umbrella from beside him and handed it to Ding Ning, saying, "Since this is the case, you may leave now"

Mo Qinggong wiped the beads of sweat from his forehead and replied, "Precisely."

Ding Ning nodded seriously, "With enemy bandits like these lurking here, it is essential to thoroughly investigate all nearby personnel, especially someone like me who does not originally reside here; I must be questioned clearly"

The title "Li Xiang" is a prestigious designation

If I do not come to collect it, it will be given to you

The emaciated young man shook his head, "The reason his family's wine shop is famous is solely because his aunt is exceptionally beautiful"

Previously, this emaciated young man maintained a demeanor of utmost respect and composure, yet the whispered words from Mo Qinggong struck him like a bolt from the blue, causing him to tremble violently and uncontrollably let out a gasp

It is not a problem to have a limited perspective for the time being; as long as one can travel far enough, the things one sees will always surpass those of others

The emaciated young man still did not raise his head, but a barely perceptible smile appeared at the corners of his mouth. He thought to himself that if the adult were to see that woman, he would probably be even more astonished

Mo Qinggong was utterly astonished

Mo Qinggong's divine demeanor had not changed much. He patted the shoulder of the emotionally agitated young man and said in a gentle voice: "Before you go to Lingxu Sword Sect for your training, help me with one last task. Please verify the backgrounds of him and those around him, and find out what conclusions Fang Xiumu has drawn about him."

Mo Qingong smiled self-deprecatingly, then suddenly looked seriously at the emaciated young man and said softly: "This time, as the Lingxu Sword Sect opens its doors, I have included you on the recommendation list"

The elderly man looked kindly at the young man in the yellow shirt, yet spoke with a hint of sarcasm, "Summoning the Night Commander back serves at least two purposes. One purpose is that although there are many powerful figures in Changling capable of independently defeating Zhao Zhan, having one more adds to our prestige. Although the Night Commander already possesses considerable renown, most people doubt that she has even stepped into the seventh realm. Today, if the Night Commander kills Zhao Zhan with a single sword strike, it will be the loudest thunder in autumn, further strengthening the invisible walls of our Changling. The second purpose is that the Night Commander has been cultivating overseas for several years, which naturally raises some doubts in our hearts about whether she has the Emperor's trust, akin to being exiled. Now that the Night Commander suddenly returns to eliminate evil, it can only indicate that the Emperor and the Night Commander have maintained a very close connection, dispelling rumors and doubts without any effort."

The sound of hooves arose as the carriage carrying the female minister of the Great Qin Dynasty swiftly entered the misty rain, vanishing from sight

The emaciated young man seemed to have anticipated that he would ask such a question, and replied without any hesitation: "This youth is undoubtedly one of our Qin people, and his lineage can be traced back several generations with great clarity. The reason I conducted this investigation is that the Fang Marquis's residence has had contact with him; the Fang Marquis's residence specifically invited Fang Xiumu to meet with him."

No wonder... Ding Ning looked through the gaps of the war chariot at the small courtyard that had already vanished, where many practitioners were carefully searching every minute corner, and said thoughtfully

Ding Ning was somewhat surprised and asked with bright eyes, "Is it really that simple?"

The Qin Dynasty had two chancellors, one with the surname Yan and the other with the surname Li

A thin young man dressed in a blue robe entered the makeshift rain shelter shortly after his shout.

Mo Qinggong increasingly found Ding Ning intriguing; the calm aura emanating from her inexplicably affected him, bringing him a sense of tranquility. Gradually, a hint of unusual brilliance began to emerge in his eyes

Mo Qinggong was taken aback: "The Fanghou Mansion?"

Behind the elderly man stood a tall young man dressed in a yellow cloth robe

In his view, this disciple of his, who was kept close, was not particularly gifted in intelligence, but his character was as straightforward and open as the path of Changling