Jing Ke and Li Ji traveled together to the southern suburbs of Handan. Niushou Village was in sight. At this moment, the sun was already setting in the west, and the twilight was getting thicker. The wild scenery along the way was very interesting, but the two of them were silent.
Jing Ke thought to himself, It was not easy to meet Ge Nia, but he had no chance to learn the sword from him. As for Lu Goujian, who was about to meet him, would he be able to teach him the sword? His emotions were fluctuating, and he felt uneasy.
At the village entrance, the two of them asked a farmer who had just returned from the fields about Lu Goujian's residence. When the farmer heard that they were looking for Mister Lu, he was very enthusiastic and insisted on leading the way. The group walked to a remote place on the other side of the village. The farmer pointed to a small thatched courtyard under a locust tree and said,"This is Mr. Lu's house."”Just as he was about to knock on the door, Jing Jing Ke suddenly frowned and stopped him,""Wait! There seems to be the sound of fighting inside."
Before he finished speaking, a cold shout came from within the courtyard, followed by a few clangs of metal before it returned to silence. Jing Ke and Li Ji looked at each other and pulled out their weapons. Jing Ke opened the gate and the two of them jumped in.
There were three people in the courtyard, one sitting and two standing, each holding a weapon. The one who fell to the ground was a middle-aged man in green. He had a short beard and a pale face. He had an extraordinary bearing. The long sword in his hand trembled slightly, and his chest was covered in blood. It was obvious that he was seriously injured.
The two people attacking the middle-aged man from the east and west were also in a sorry state. Blood oozed out from their chests and chests. They were also injured quite badly, but they still forced themselves to hold on. It seemed that they would not stop until the middle-aged man was dead. When Jing Ke and the others barged in, the two sides had just finished a round of attack and defense and were confronting each other.
The two burly men glared at Jing Ke and Li Ji with fierce eyes. "Who is it?" the man asked in a deep voice. Get out!" The farmer who was leading the way peeked out of the door and saw the injured middle-aged man on the ground. He said in panic,"Mr Lu, what's wrong?"
Jing Ke had already guessed that the injured middle-aged man was Lu Goujian. As for the two burly men, although he did not know their identities, the light in their eyes was fierce and threatening. They were definitely not kind people.
At this moment, Jing Ke and Lu Goujian were injured. They waved their bronze swords and attacked the burly man at the east. The long sword trembled slightly and stabbed into his lower abdomen. This move seemed simple, but there were actually two hidden changes behind it. If the burly man blocked it from the front, the sword could pierce his ribs either by sitting or right.
Unexpectedly, the burly man had a good eye and his swordsmanship was very brilliant. " Eh?" He drew an arc with the sword in his hand. In an instant, it went from bottom to top, sealing off all the paths of Jing Ke's sword.
Jing Ke's moves were too old to dodge, so he gritted his teeth and his long sword clashed head-on.
With a loud clang, Jing Ke's thumb and forefinger trembled violently. He almost couldn't hold the hilt of his sword, and his entire right arm went numb.
Jing Ke saw that Lu Goujian was injured by these two people. He knew that they were first-class masters, but he didn't expect their martial arts to be so high. He couldn't help but take two steps back in shock and doubt. For a moment, they stood still.
"Who are you to Gongsun Yu? How did you use the Gongsun Sword Art?" The burly man stared at the sword in Jing Ke's hand with his sharp eyes and asked in a low voice.
When Jing Ke heard the mention of Gongsun Yu, he could not help but be stunned."Could it be that you know my master?"
" So Gongsun Yu is your master…" The burly man paused and said coldly,""Hmph, the remaining bastards who escaped the net. Today is the perfect day to end it!”
" Ah, you..." Jing Ke was shocked. He did not expect to meet his teacher's enemy here. He was about to retort when he saw that Li Ji had been in danger on the other side of the courtyard.
Relying on her nimble body movements, Li Ji managed to dodge the attack. However, she stepped on a small stone and staggered. The burly man at the western head let out a long howl, and his axe came crashing down with a thunderous momentum.
Seeing that Li Ji was about to spill her blood, Jing Ke cried out but was unable to save her. Under the moonlight, a streak of white silk shot out like a venomous snake's tongue and struck the man's left chest. Not only did he arrive first, but his moves were also ingenious. It was as if the burly man had sent his own chest up, forcing him to let out a strange cry and retreat with a backflip in the air.
Jing Ke turned around and saw that Lu Goujian, who was sitting on the ground, had pulled out his sword in time to save Li Ji.
Li Ji was still in shock. Lu Goujian said in a deep voice,"Both of you, come to my side!”
Jing Ke responded and stepped forward. He and Li Ji guarded Lu Goujian's left and right respectively. The three of them formed a sword formation. The two burly men were afraid of Lu Goujian, and seeing that Jing Ke's swordsmanship wasn't weak, they didn't dare to act rashly. The two sides once again fell into a stalemate.
At this moment, the sound of a golden gong suddenly rang out in the distance. When the two burly men heard it, their expressions immediately changed. It turned out that during the Warring States Period, wars were constant and thieves were frequent. In order to protect themselves, most villages and towns had village soldiers stationed there. They usually worked in agriculture. When they heard the sound of the golden gong, they gathered to fight against foreign enemies and protect their neighbors. The farmer must have thought that bandits had entered the village when he saw Lu Goujian being killed, so he sounded the bell to ask for help.
The two burly men looked at each other. Knowing that they could not take Lu Goujian down for the time being, and that the village soldiers were coming soon, they did not have the heart to continue fighting. They glared at Jing Ke and Li Ji, then soared into the sky like two big birds and plunged into the vast night.
Jing Ke was about to relax when he heard a clang. Lu Goujian's face was as pale as gold paper. The sword in his hand fell to the ground and he fainted. Jing Ke was shocked. He quickly went forward to support him and shouted,""Mr Lu! Mr Lu!"
Fortunately, the village soldiers arrived at the right time. Everyone carried Lu Goujian back to the house in a hurry, and there were doctors who treated and bandaged him. They only left when Lu Goujian woke up.
Inside the thatched hut, Lu Goujian looked at Jing Ke and Li Ji and asked in a low voice,""You are Gongsun Yu's disciples? Why are you here?"
" Disciple Jing Ke," Jing Ke said softly." My master Gongsun Yu died in the hands of the King of Qin's eagle and dog. This time, Mister Menggai has come to give pointers, and I sincerely hope that Mister Lu will grant my wish.”As he spoke, he took out the bamboo slip Ge Nie had written and knelt on the ground.
Lu Goujian took the letter and gestured for Jing Ke to stand up. He said apologetically,""I thank you for saving me, but I'm afraid I'll have to disappoint Brother Jing about learning the sword.”
Jing Ke's heart turned cold. He said hoarsely,""Why?"
Lu Goujian smiled." Look at me now. It's hard for me to take care of myself. How can I teach others swordsmanship?"”"I can serve you, sir. It won't be too late to talk about it after you recover," Jing Ke said anxiously.”Lu Goujian shook his head but did not reply.
The disappointment in Jing Ke's eyes grew stronger and stronger. "Do you know who those two people were?" Lu Goujian suddenly asked.”Jing Ke shook his head." Although I don't know who these two people are, their eyes are fierce. They are definitely not good people."”
"They are the first-class guards of the State of Qin," Lu Goujian said with a wry smile.”
"Oh!" Jing Ke was shocked. No wonder we couldn't win even if we joined forces.”
Lu Goujian nodded and said," There are four great experts under the Qin Emperor, Wind, Forest, Fire, and Mountain. No matter which one of them, there are probably not many people in the world who can match up to them.”
Jing Ke's expression changed drastically." Could they be two of the four great experts of the State of Qin who are known as 'Wind, Forest, Fire, Mountain'?"”
"That's right," Lu Goujian said. These two were Black Fiend Wind and Thunderflame. Have you heard of them?"
"Could it be that the person holding the sword just now was Thunderflame?”Jing Ke asked resentfully.
"Yes, this person is Thunderflame.”Lu Goujian sighed.
Li Ji, who was already in tears, suddenly knelt down to Lu Goujian and cried,"Mister Lu, my ancestor died in their hands. I hope you can agree to Li Ji's presumptuous request and teach me your skills to take revenge.”
Looking at Jing Ke's disappointed face, Li Ji felt her heart ache for her grandfather's death, and at the same time, she couldn't bear to see Jing Ke's disappointment. She decided to go against her own wishes and plead with Lu Goujian on behalf of Jing Ke.
The latter seemed to occupy more of Lizzie's heart. The sadness brought by his grandfather's death had gradually faded with time. Although she knew that Thunderflame and Python Whip Lin were still alive, which made her heart ache, her desire for revenge had never been strong, so she did not feel that she had to let Jing Ke take the risk.
However, she had seen Jing Ke's unhappy and anxious expression all the way here. She could not continue to watch Jing Ke be depressed. Even if Jing Ke's success in assassinating Qin would cast a bleak shadow over their future, she could not care about that. She only hoped that Jing Ke would get what he wanted.
Jing Ke did not understand this, but Lu Goujian understood. Lu Goujian seemed to be unkempt, but he was actually very meticulous. From the moment Jing Ke and Li Ji barged into the door, he had seen through everything from Li Ji's affectionate gaze towards Jing Ke.
Lu Goujian put down the letter in his hand and gestured for Li Ji to stand up. He turned to Jing Ke and said,"The King of Qin has many experts around him, and even Mister Gongsun has lost his life. How can I help with my mere martial arts skills?”
"These evil thieves, even Mister Lu can't subdue them?" Jing Ke asked in surprise.”
Lu Goujian said,""If it's a one-on-one fight, it's hard to say who will win or lose. But it's different if it's a two-on-one fight. However, if it wasn't for those two thieves who suddenly released hidden weapons to injure me, I wouldn't be in such a sorry state!”
"Why did the King of Qin send his guards to assassinate you, sir?" Jing Ke wondered.”
"He wants me to work for Qin," Lu Goujian said.”
"Presumably, Mister Lu must have spoken sternly. Is that why they want to harm Mister?”Liji stood up and wiped her tears.
Lu Goujian nodded.
Jing Ke said angrily," That Ying Zheng is so cunning and shameless. If we can't take him in, we must kill him immediately."”Lu Goujian smiled and said,"Since ancient times, which king has not been like this?"”Jing Ke was silent for a moment and could not help but say,""Then why is Mr Lu unwilling to accept me as a disciple?”
Lu Goujian did not answer directly. He looked at Li Ji and said,""I, Lu Goujian, am not the only chess piece on Ying Zheng's chessboard.”
When Jing Ke heard this, he suddenly realized and clapped his hands,""That's right! Ying Zheng must have wanted to recruit all the available men in the world into his arms, and he would rather kill those who refused to obey him than keep them for others to use.”
Lu Goujian nodded and said," That's right. That's why when my injuries are slightly better, I'll go and find some of the chivalrous men scattered in the various countries. I'll let them prepare early and fight against the powerful Qin together."”
"Mr. Lu, can we go with you?" Li Ji asked softly.”Lu Goujian shook his head with a bitter smile." There are some things that only I can do. I can't explain the reason to you now."”
When Jing Ke heard Lu Goujian's words, he couldn't help but fall silent. He knew that his learning of the sword was not worth mentioning compared to what Lu Goujian wanted to do. In terms of morality, he should not hesitate to make sacrifices. However, he had met two great teachers and had no chance to be taught. How could he not feel a myriad of emotions?
Lu Goujian could not bear to see him so disappointed, so he said,"Actually, it's not that I can't spar with brother Jing.”
Jing Ke's heart rekindled with a glimmer of hope. He hurriedly said,""I'm willing to listen to Mister Lu's teachings."
Lu Goujian said," Our sect's swordsmanship is natural. The most important thing is to pay attention to one's comprehension. Teacher's guidance is secondary.”
"Then how should I cultivate?" Jing Ke asked.”
"The Gongsun Sword Art you learned originated from the militarists," Lu Goujian said."There are many aspects that are actually interlinked with the principles of Taoism. However, the militarists paid attention to practicality and did not elaborate on the principles contained in it, so people often knew what it was but did not know why.”
Jing Ke slapped his thigh. I practiced according to the sword manual, but there were many parts that I couldn't understand. I could only practice according to the manual and guess randomly.”
"Is that sword manual with you now?" Lu Goujian asked.”
Jing Ke hurriedly took out a plain silk from his bosom and handed it to Lu Goujian.
When Lu Goujian saw this, his expression turned solemn. After a while, he sighed and said,""The truth of sword arts is all in it. As long as you comprehend half of it, you can dominate the world. Why do you need to borrow external forces?”
Lu Goujian had such a high evaluation of this sword manual, which made Jing Ke feel excited. However, he was still in disbelief. He hesitated and said,"Are you serious, sir?"
Lu Goujian glanced at Jing Ke and smiled,""You have this sword manual, but your swordsmanship is unable to advance by leaps and bounds. I believe you still don't understand the true meaning of it. Forget it, I'll take advantage of these two days to make some notes on the sword manual for you so that you can practice the sword on your own in the future.”
"Thank you, Mr Lu!" Jing Ke thanked her happily, but Li Ji lowered her head and remained silent.
Lu Goujian saw this and lowered his head to think for a while. He was about to stand up when Jing Ke quickly went forward to support him and said,"Mr Lu, what's wrong?" Lu Goujian said," We have to leave this place now and find another hidden place to live. Otherwise, it will be troublesome if the experts of the State of Qin come again." Those village soldiers are no match for them. I'm afraid that the lives of these kind-hearted villagers will be sacrificed in vain.”
Thus, the three of them packed up their luggage. Jing Ke carried Lu Goujian on his back and quietly left Ox-Head Village while the dark clouds covered the moon.
They spent the night in an isolated temple at the foot of the mountain. When dawn came, they entered the mountain. There was no one here. They found a clean cave and temporarily stayed there. Every day, Jing Ke and Li Ji would go out hunting and gathering wild fruits. Lu Goujian would recuperate in the cave, meditate on the sword manual, and write down annotations.
Under the careful care of Jing Ke and Li Ji, after more than ten days, Lu Goujian's injuries had greatly improved and he could get up and walk around. It was a sunny day. Lu Goujian called Jing Ke and Li Ji over and said,"My injuries are almost healed, and the sword manual has been annotated. Let's part ways here.”Jing Ke was reluctant to leave. He said," Mister Lu, you should stay for a few more days. It won't be too late to leave after your injuries have healed."”
Lu Goujian shook his head and said,"If we delay for too long, I'm afraid my friends will be in danger."”
Li Ji was even sadder. These days, she had felt that Mr Lu seemed to have understood her hidden feelings. She choked and said,"Mr Lu, after today, when will we meet again?”
Lu Goujian smiled and turned to Jing Ke,""If we are fated to meet, why would it be so difficult? It's just that it's fine to stay here temporarily, but it's inconvenient to stay here for a long time. You should leave early.”
Jing Ke sighed,"We are wandering in the world, without a home or a job. Where can we go?"”
Lu Goujian nodded and pondered for a moment before saying,""When I was traveling in the Qi Kingdom, I passed by a large mountain. It was magnificent and strange. The people of the Qi Kingdom called it Mount Tai. You can observe the changes of the sound of heaven and earth in this mountain, which is very beneficial to your cultivation.”
" Thank you for your guidance, Mister Lu," Jing Ke said gratefully." I won't forget it."”
Lu Goujian stared at Jing Ke and Li Ji for a long time, then sighed and said,""Brother Jing, before we part, I have a word to say.”
"Jing Ke will listen to all of Teacher's teachings.”When Jing Ke heard this, he bowed.
"You're being too serious. Please get up." Lu Goujian helped Jing Ke up and said," The destiny is righteous, and we must seize the opportunity. Now, the Qin Empire is growing stronger and stronger. Although the world may not belong to Ying Zheng, it is an indisputable fact that the current situation is there. You are alone, how can you turn the tide?”
Jing Ke didn't expect Lu Goujian's parting words to be like this, and he was momentarily speechless.
After a moment of silence, Jing Ke sighed,""I also know that it is difficult to assassinate Qin with my own strength. However, how could he not take revenge? How can tyranny not be eliminated?"
"You stabbed Ying Zheng, and then another Ying Zheng, have you ever thought about that?”
Lu Goujian once again questioned him sharply, but Jing Ke was defiant."If I am lucky enough to assassinate Ying Zheng, there will be many benevolent and righteous men who will step forward and assassinate another Ying Zheng.”
Lu Goujian nodded. He knew that Jing Ke's will was firm and would not move no matter what. However, when he turned around and saw Li Ji's disappointed expression, he couldn't help but ask,""What if Ying Zheng can't get rid of them all?”
"I hope that the heavens have eyes and that there will be a day when the Saint King will rule. When I get rid of Ying Zheng, the king's way can be expected.”Jing Ke answered sadly. He knew that most of the vassals in the world were extravagant and didn't know when they would get a King Path Saint.
Lu Goujian clapped his hands and laughed. I hope there will be a day when the sage-king will rule. Jing brothers remember their own words, if there is no benevolent person in power, do not do unnecessary assassination of Qin.”
Jing Ke was silent.
Lu Goujian turned around and nodded at Li Ji, saying,"I've already done my best.”Then, without another word, he cupped his hands and left.
Jing Ke was disappointed for a long time. Soon, he followed Lu Goujian's advice and went to Mount Tai with Li Ji.
Mount Tai, also known as Mount Tai, was located in Qi. It was high and lofty, and was respected as the first of the five mountains. During the Spring and Autumn Period, Kong Qiu, the great scholar of the State of Lu, once said," Climbing East Mountain will make Lu smaller, and climbing Mount Tai will make the world smaller." From this, one could see how magnificent Mount Tai was.
After Jing Ke and Li Ji settled down on Mount Tai, they were far away from the flames of war and their days were quite carefree.
Jing Ke climbed the east peak of Daiding every day to practice his swordsmanship and comprehend the Dao. This was the best place to watch the sunrise on Mount Tai. Jing Ke was here to observe the movement of the sun and moon, and to watch the clouds roll and spread. After a few months, although he had some understanding, there were still a few major points that he couldn't understand.
On this day, Li Ji went to the peak to deliver food to Jing Ke. She saw Jing Ke sitting on a big rock, looking ahead in a daze. "Senior Brother, what are you thinking again?" Li Ji pouted.”
" Li Ji," Jing Ke said with a heavy expression." I'm afraid I'll disappoint Mr. Lu. Maybe I'm not cut out to learn the sword."”
Liji put down the food basket and said gently,""Mister Gai and Mister Lu, the two great swordsmen, both said that you were the best candidate to learn the sword. Why are you so unconfident?”
Jing Ke frowned and said,"It's not that I'm underestimating myself. Mr Lu has already taught me everything, but I haven't made any progress in my swordsmanship. If this isn't my stupidity, then what is it?”
"How can a peerless sword technique be learned so easily?" Li Ji pursed her lips and smiled. You're always too anxious." She squatted down and took out the food from the basket. She giggled and said,"Let's eat first. If we don't eat, how can we have the strength to practice our sword? Besides, I see that your martial arts are improving day by day!”
Jing Ke heard his junior sister's encouragement and felt relieved. He said in a low voice,""Junior Sister, I won't let you down.”
Li Ji didn't answer. Ever since she heard the conversation between Jing Ke and Lu Goujian, she knew that she couldn't shake Jing Ke's determination to assassinate Qin, so she could only bury her thoughts. She only hoped that she could live with Jing Ke for another day. It was not that she did not want to think about the future, but did they still have a future?
This book comes from：m.funovel.com。