Chapter 101: A Live Broadcast Recounting Xuan Jian's Past
The king was furious, and Wei Jia spoke up immediately.
“Father, the secret arts of the Northern Kingdom are intangible and elusive; I cannot detect the slightest trace! I cannot sense any abnormality at all!”
“Hmph! The Northern Kingdom intends to flaunt its power and intimidate our Wei Kingdom!” The king’s expression darkened at the thought.
If the northern alliance were to mobilize troops, Wei would truly not be able to withstand it.
Wei Jia lowered his head in silence.
“My lord, perhaps we should secretly inform the Qin envoy and have him confront Jing Ke. If orchestrated well, this could even ignite conflict between Qin and the Northern Kingdom.”
Wei Yong was deeply resentful; the humiliation he had endured before was unforgettable.
“Very well. If Young Master Lin seeks an audience, delay him for a few days. As for other matters, the chancellor can handle them.”
King Jing of Wei did not speak outright but gave his tacit approval.
“Understood!” Wei Yong smiled bitterly as he accepted the order. If he were to handle it personally, the risk would be even greater.
Upon returning to his residence, Wei Yong, troubled and conflicted, dismissed all the maidservants. Now, all he desired was quiet—to soothe the grief of the day.
“Hmph! This is your own doing, seeking your own death!” With a cold laugh, Wei Yong steeled his resolve.
When he learned earlier that Young Master Lin was coming to discuss an alliance, he had already set the trap, and surely the assassin was prepared.
Suddenly, everything fell unnervingly silent, as if the world existed only to the sound of his heartbeat.
They had arrived.
Wei Yong was startled; he knew the black-clad figures had come.
The Web—the covert network—had a history spanning a millennium, but it truly flourished during the turmoil of the Spring and Autumn period.
Hundreds of years ago, there were over a hundred renowned lords during that era; by the Warring States period, barely a fraction remained.
The Spring and Autumn lords had faded into obscurity, but their roots still lingered hidden beneath the surface.
The Web had woven itself into a vast net, encompassing the seven states, aiming to unite and revive fallen powers.
Even among the Hundred Schools of Thought and the royal nobility, secret members of the Web's hidden divisions remained.
Likewise, shadows of the fallen lords lingered within the various philosophical schools.
~
Early that morning, Xuan Jian had no choice but to accompany his wife back to her family’s home, for even simple rituals demanded propriety.
Wei Yong dared not show any displeasure, adopting an unusually gentle demeanor.
“Good! Qianqian truly is a daughter of the Wei family!” Hearing that the young lady’s attendant had been promoted to a district official, Wei Yong felt both envious and jealous.
He had risked life and death countless times to reach his current position, yet Xuan Jian and Qianqian had risen swiftly to prominence.
If not for his attachment to his family legacy, Wei Yong would have considered serving as chancellor in the Northern Kingdom to contend with the ruthless Qin.
Such paternal affection deeply moved Wei Qianqian as well.
Watching the old man’s hypocritical expression, Xuan Jian was displeased. After a while, he excused himself to walk in the courtyard.
With the king present, he was unafraid that Wei Yong would dare plot against them.
Xuan Jian, who trusted only his sword, was now experiencing the feeling of being protected.
It was normal to be secretly watched.
But Xuan Jian sensed a familiar presence.
It was the Web.
Frowning, he slipped into a small, uninhabited loft in the corner.
“Ah! It’s you, little spider!” Seeing the room laced with hidden threads, Xuan Jian stopped in his tracks.
These sharp lines, combined with the protective sword aura, were impenetrable; he paused simply because he wished to avoid conflict.
The transparent spiderweb trembled before slowly retracting, and a woman with graceful curves descended step by step from the wooden loft.
“Lord Xuan Jian, I never expected you would betray the Web for a woman!”
The masked woman was the infamous Black Widow within the Web, her dark purple lips as deadly as her silken threads.
Assassins were supposed to be heartless, yet Xuan Jian was wavering.
“Go. Do not appear again, and stay away from Young Master Lin.”
The Black Widow smiled lightly and shook her head. “Didn’t you say assassins have no feelings? Do you believe it now?”
“If you spoke, I would be willing to leave with you!” The Black Widow’s eyes gleamed with a strange hope.
The Wei residence was only a few hundred meters from the Crown Prince’s palace. Those watching Xuan Jian immediately noticed something interesting.
Knowing someone was catching up with Xuan Jian, Lin Shu hurriedly said, “Hehe, come over, everyone. Let’s watch the show.”
Jing Ni smiled and nestled against her husband, holding their little Yan’er close.
As the Moon God settled in, the projection in the old Wei mansion loft flickered to life.
“It’s the Black Widow!” Jing Ni frowned, recognizing the ruthless female assassin whose targets never survived intact.
Xuan Jian was unaware that their holographic images were being detected from the carriage.
“Little Spider, you’re right! Assassins should not have feelings!”
A stabbing pain gripped the Black Widow. The man who had been like a brother, mentor, and father to her—did he no longer consider leaving with her?
“I’ve heard Lord Xuan Jian was promoted to General, commanding tens of thousands of troops! He routed a hundred thousand Yan soldiers in a single battle, earning worldwide fame!”
“Yet why have you returned?”
This mission targeted Xuan Jian and Young Master Lin—not necessarily to kill, but to control.
Xuan Jian shook his head. “It seems the Web remains relentless.”
“You once said assassins are heartless. I believed you then. But in the end, you betrayed that frail woman. Master, what do I lack compared to her?”
Eyes closed, head bowed, the Black Widow revealed the secret she had long hidden. Soon, she might never have another chance.
“Enough! Black Widow, I hope you take care of yourself,” Xuan Jian sighed and turned away.
He was naturally detached; his only affection was for Qianqian. Besides, he had practically watched Little Spider grow up—he truly did not feel that way.
“Wait!”
Taking a deep breath, the Black Widow slowly calmed herself.
Xuan Jian gave a wry smile and shook his head. “Little Spider, leave the Web. There is no haven for the Hundred Schools or hidden assassins in the royal city of Liaodong.”
Lin Shu nodded in satisfaction. “One by one, the assassins and spies sent here end up buried.”
The royal city was the empire’s military and political heart. Lin Shu’s carriage often patrolled, probing for traitors.
No hostile assassins or spies survived until dawn; not a single body was ever found.
The Northern Kingdom harbored a colossal secret, fueling the Web and other factions' keen interest. Yet now, none dared approach the royal city.
The Black Widow was tempted, but thoughts of six particular individuals darkened her complexion.
“The Web is our family! Without it, where else could we go? General Xuan Jian, will you take me in?”
If not for this man, the Black Widow would have died several times over. To avoid endangering him, she had become a feared and dreaded figure.
Xuan Jian understood her meaning. He was no king; he could not protect a whole group. Weak as he was, his two swords could only shield Qianqian and the child.
“In the end, I am less kind than she is, less beautiful, aren’t I?”
A sharp pain struck her heart, and the Black Widow abandoned all hope.
Xuan Jian remained silent, unsure of what to say.
“The Sword Master has personally ordered the Six Swordsmen to mobilize together. General Xuan Jian, do not underestimate them. In two years, they have slain four grandmasters. Even seasoned grandmasters cannot withstand a single strike from the Six Swordsmen.”
After the disappearance of Xuan Jian, Jing Ni, and Ban Ri, the Web had to activate the carefully nurtured Six Swordsmen earlier than planned.
“Sword Master! Six Swordsmen!” Jing Ni frowned. She had never heard of them.
The Moon God frowned as well. “Hunting grandmasters—that’s a formidable strength indeed!”
Lin Shu understood. These Six Swordsmen must be the Six Sword Slaves. Even the late-stage masters like Sword Saint Gai Nie could not withstand a few blows from them.
If not for their overwhelming combined assault, even the two heirs of Ghost Valley would have met their end.
Xuan Jian had only heard of one of them, and he did not know who the Sword Master truly was. He did not even know how many Sword Masters the Web had.
But he knew that ten years ago, the Sword Master was already a grandmaster-level top expert.
Just as the king said, a supreme expert with spiritual energy levels reaching six thousand, capable of unleashing a single strike with nearly four thousand degrees of explosive power.
Even Xuan Jian could not block such a blow.