Chapter 301: Touring the States (Conclusion)

The purpose of humanity's creation of tools has always been for convenience—whether it be for work, for living, or for killing. From cold weapons to hot weapons, the greatest change has been in how much easier it has become to take lives.

Just as humanity initially kept records by tying knots, later on, they moved on to writing on stone tablets, then wooden planks, followed by bamboo slips, paper, and finally, modern technologies like smartphones and tablets.

Despite opposition from some of the older scholars within the Confucian School, pens and ballpoint pens quickly became popular in Qin. This was partly due to Ying Zheng's promotion and partly because these tools saved a significant amount of time for those carrying out daily tasks.

This also highlighted how powerful the Confucian School was. Although the Xiaoshengxianzhuang in Songhai City was considered the Confucian School's headquarters, it was, in reality, just one of the seven factions within the school.

In Qin, the influence of the Confucian School was not the strongest but certainly not weak either. Several of Fusu's teachers were Confucians, and Lord Changping also leaned toward the Confucian School—at least on the surface.

To someone unaware of Lord Changping's true nature, he could be seen as a true gentleman, gentle and refined. But Daniel Davis, knowing the truth about Lord Changping, saw him very differently.

From a young age, Fusu had been educated by the Confucian School, which Daniel believed was part of Lord Changping's plan. Ever since Shang Yang's reforms, Qin had become a state ruled by law. The struggles between the Hundred Schools of Thought were as fierce as the conflicts between states.

In the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods, the struggles between states were, in essence, battles between these philosophical schools—clashes of ideology. From the Legalists' perspective, there was no way they would allow the Confucians to reap the rewards of their efforts. This was a significant reason why Li Si later chose not to support Fusu.

"Who might you be?" Daniel hadn't been standing at the gate for long before Fusu and Yan Lu emerged from within. Seeing Daniel, Fusu immediately asked.

In this era, without cameras, many might know Daniel by reputation, but few would recognize his face. Fusu, far away in Qi, naturally didn't recognize him.

The reason Fusu and Yan Lu had come out together was that they sensed Daniel's formidable presence.

"So it's the Grandmaster of Qin in person. My apologies for the oversight." Just as Daniel was about to introduce himself, Yan Lu recognized him and spoke up.

"It seems Yan Er of the Confucian School is quite concerned with Qin. What is it? Are you planning to return to exact revenge?" Daniel's recognition of Yan Lu caught him off guard.

"I don't understand what the Grandmaster means," Yan Lu responded, though his expression had briefly changed, he quickly regained his composure.

"Ah, the Grandmaster of Qin. What brings you to the Confucian School?" Fusu asked, his tone less than cordial. Qin had not yet unified the world, so the Confucians saw no reason to treat the Grandmaster of Qin with undue respect.

"Is this how the Confucians treat their guests?" Daniel remarked, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

"Apologies. Please, come in." Fusu, who prided himself on courtesy, especially given that his Holy King Swordsmanship was centered on the principle of etiquette, quickly realized his initial reaction had been inappropriate. However, Daniel's earlier comments had been too startling to ignore.

"Seems I've come too early," Daniel mused as he followed Fusu and Yan Lu into the Xiaoshengxianzhuang. He soon realized that with the Seven Warring States still intact, the Confucian School's attitude would naturally differ from what it would be after Qin's unification. This was something he had previously overlooked.

"Please, have a seat," Fusu invited as they arrived at the reception hall. Tea was quickly served, as proper etiquette demanded.

"Now, what brings the Grandmaster of Qin to the Xiaoshengxianzhuang?" Fusu asked, once again seeking the reason for Daniel's visit.

"Nothing major. I heard that the Xiaoshengxianzhuang has a library with over 100,000 books. You may have heard that I introduced better tools for reading and writing in Qin. I was hoping the Confucian School might share these books, so they could be published on paper and made accessible to more people."

The Xiaoshengxianzhuang's library contained many unique books, some of which were annotated by past scholars—valuable resources that Daniel lacked.

"I'm afraid that won't be possible," Fusu said after a moment of thought, rejecting Daniel's request.

"I see. Then never mind." Had this been earlier, Daniel might have tried to persuade the Confucians with their own ideals, like universal education. But after reconsidering the current circumstances, he decided to drop the matter. It was too much to ask at this point, especially since this was just one of his objectives.

"Yan Lu, I'm curious. Do you still plan to restore your kingdom?" Daniel then directly addressed Yan Lu, who was seated across from him.

"Don't bother denying it. Your true identity might be unknown to many, but not to all. If you were truly intent on hiding, you should never have revealed the Han Guang Sword. Many people know whose sword that was. Even if you obtained it through other means, some people only need the slightest suspicion to act."

Yan Lu's identity was too significant—he was the last surviving heir of the Zhou dynasty. For some, this was a card they could play.

Just think about how many people had once claimed to support Fusu as a pretext for rebellion.

The Zhou dynasty had been around for centuries, and even now, there were those who longed to restore it. For the Confucian School, with its emphasis on hierarchy and order, restoring that era would be a dream come true.

Confucius himself had tirelessly sought to restore the glory of the Zhou dynasty, though he ultimately failed despite the Confucian School's immense power.

During Confucius' time, the Confucian School was incredibly powerful, as evidenced by the sheer number of disciples he had—the Seventy-two Disciples, each of whom was an exceptional master in their own right.

But at that time, other forces were also strong, especially the state of Jin, which was extraordinarily powerful.

Even now, the Confucian School remained formidable, with its seven branches and countless masters, not to mention the Kong family—the original lineage, which was not included among the seven branches.

The Confucian School's decision to shelter Yan Lu could be seen as a noble effort to preserve the last bloodline of the Zhou dynasty. But on the flip side, it could also be viewed as a calculated move to keep a valuable asset.

Wu Ming, the master swordsman, was so powerful that Jing Nie couldn't withstand a single move against him. Yet, Wu Ming had to commit suicide to put an end to the pursuit of Yan Lu, knowing that as long as Yan Lu lived, the pursuit would never stop.

Wu Ming was incredibly strong, but he couldn't take on an entire nation. With endless assassination attempts, even a single mistake could cost Yan Lu his life.

The assassins could fail a thousand times, but they only needed to succeed once. Wu Ming, on the other hand, couldn't afford even a single failure.

In the end, Wu Ming had to find a boy who resembled Yan Lu, pass him off as Yan Lu's corpse, and then take his own life to ensure that no one would suspect the truth. Unfortunately, when Jing Nie later ran into problems, Zhao Gao uncovered the deception.

"The Confucian School is quite bold, sheltering someone like Yan Lu. Aren't you afraid it might one day bring disaster to the Xiaoshengxianzhuang?" Daniel remarked.

"So, the Grandmaster of Qin has come to eradicate the last of the Zhou bloodline?" This time, the voice came from an elderly man wearing a high hat and Confucian robes—Xunzi, one of the Confucian School's leaders at Xiaoshengxianzhuang.

"Uncle Master, why are you here?" Fusu and Yan Lu immediately stood up to greet him.

"Eradicate? There's no need for that. I'm merely here to remind the Xiaoshengxianzhuang to be cautious. If I could uncover this secret, others could as well."

"So, you're here out of goodwill?" Xunzi stroked his beard thoughtfully.

"Of course. This is no longer a time when the Zhou dynasty matters. Even if King Wu and Jiang Ziya were resurrected, they couldn't save the Zhou dynasty now. What's the point in eradicating someone like Yan Lu? Times have changed, my friends."

Silence fell over the room as Xunzi and the others processed Daniel's words. To speak of the legendary King Wu and Jiang Ziya in such a manner was bold, especially in front of the Confucians.

Only because it was Xunzi here. If it had been anyone from the other branches of the Confucian School, a fight might have broken out.

Among the seven branches, Xunzi's faction was at odds with Mencius', as their core philosophies—the theory of the goodness of human nature versus the theory of the evil of human nature—were diametrically opposed.

"So, the Grandmaster of Qin came here just to remind the Confucians?" After a moment of reflection, Xunzi asked.

"To be precise, I

'm here for the Han Guang Sword," Daniel admitted.

"A true gentleman does not take what others love. Isn't the Grandmaster of Qin exploiting the situation?" Fusu interjected.

"Don't worry. I'm merely curious about the Three Swords of Kong Zhou. I won't use this secret to coerce Yan Lu into handing over the sword. Now, if you'll excuse me, it seems I've come at the wrong time. I'll take my leave." Daniel stood up, ready to depart.

"Wait," Yan Lu called after him. As Daniel paused and turned back, Yan Lu stepped forward, holding a jade-green sword hilt. He approached Daniel.

"Junior Brother," Fusu began, but was stopped by Yan Lu's raised hand.

"No need to say anything, Senior Brother. If keeping this sword only brings disaster, why hold on to it? If Master were still here, he would surely support my decision."

Yan Lu looked at the hilt of the Han Guang Sword with a sense of nostalgia, recalling Wu Ming's final words to him—urging him to live as an ordinary man, not as the Crown Prince of the Zhou dynasty, and to avoid the turmoil of the world.

"I will gift this sword to you today, Grandmaster." Yan Lu held out the hilt to Daniel with both hands.

"Then I won't refuse." Daniel accepted the hilt without hesitation, as it was one of his goals.

"Rest assured, I promise that the Confucian School will not suffer because of your secret. Of course, my guarantee comes with a condition—the Xiaoshengxianzhuang must not involve itself in matters it should stay out of."

With that, Daniel turned and left. The conversation had made him realize that he had been overestimating the importance of the Xiaoshengxianzhuang. With his help, when Ying Zheng eventually unified China, the Confucians' status would never be as high as it was now.

He had let the situation cloud his judgment.

"So, the Han Guang Sword was made of jade. What a rare material. I suppose the other two swords must be crafted from similar materials."

The hilt of the Han Guang Sword was entirely made of jade. Holding it, Daniel could feel its warmth—likely from a piece of warm jade.

Studying the hilt gave Daniel deeper insight into the Han Guang Sword. The sword's blade, like the Qi Blade of the Yin-Yang School, was formed by condensing true energy, though the Han Guang Sword required far less energy than the Qi Blade.

It could also transform into a double-edged sword and, with enough true energy, could extend up to 40 meters in length.

"Invisible to the eye, its touch unknowable, imperceptible as it passes through objects." The most terrifying aspect of the Han Guang Sword was its ability to form a silent and transparent blade, making it an ideal weapon for stealth attacks.

This sword was also well-suited for illusion techniques. In the hands of the Confucians, it was underutilized. The Yin-Yang School or the Daoists would have made better use of it.

Moreover, the Han Guang Sword had another advantage—it killed without blood. Or rather, it killed without leaving a trace of blood.

"Time to test this sword," Daniel decided. With his mind made up, he opened a Secret Gate and returned to the Yan State, ready to find a target for his new weapon.

That night, under the bright moonlight, a beautiful manor outside Jicheng in Yan State was engulfed in flames.

"Who are you? What grudge do you have against us?" In the rear garden of the manor, surrounded by the corpses of several blue-robed men, Daniel stood holding the Han Guang Sword, coldly staring at the master of the Zhang family, who was being protected by four bodyguards.

"You sent assassins after me. Do we have a grudge or not?"

"Sent assassins after you? Who are you?"

"Have you forgotten so soon? Let me introduce myself. I am Daniel Davis, the Grandmaster of Qin."

"The Grandmaster of Qin? You—"

"Now do you understand? Did you really think your actions would go unnoticed?" Daniel had no intention of letting those who had sent assassins after him off easily. He had been too lazy to track them down earlier, but now, with the Han Guang Sword in hand, it was the perfect time for revenge.

Through his investigations, Daniel had identified those behind the assassination attempt—a group of noble families that dealt in bamboo slips.

The introduction of paper had severely impacted their business.

"It wasn't us. Someone approached us."

"Oh? Then tell me who approached you."

"They wore a mask, so I didn't recognize them. But don't worry, I'll order an investigation right away."

"No need. I'll handle it myself. Goodbye."

"Stop him!" At the master's command, the four bodyguards charged at Daniel.

"The Armor Technique? But it won't work on me."

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