Chapter 305: The Celestial Dragons (Part 2)

"Ah, ah, ah."

"Wo, wo, wo."

"E, e, e."

In a secluded estate at the foot of Sun and Moon Villa, Daniel and Yan Lingji heard the sounds of children reciting as they entered through the back of the estate. However, these weren't the traditional teachings of Confucianism, but rather the phonetics of Mandarin, carefully edited and taught by Daniel himself.

This estate housed a school that Daniel had founded. Most of the students were orphans brought over from Xinzheng in Korea by Mo Ya and Ying Ge, with a few orphans from Qin as well.

During the Warring States period, wars were endless, and orphans and widows were plentiful. Selling children was a common occurrence, contributing to the rise of slavery.

While Daniel couldn't save all the orphans of this era, he did what he could. In fact, these orphans were often targeted by certain noble families, much like the recruits of Ji Wuye's Nightfall organization.

Adopting orphans and raising them as loyal followers or death warriors was a common practice among the great families. The Warring States era was known for the prevalence of such death warriors, who could be considered some of the earliest assassins.

The children within this estate were all brought over by Mo Ya from Xinzheng. There were about twenty of them, all around ten years old. Most of them were either picked up by Mo Ya or Ying Ge. As the leader of the Hundred Birds and the top assassin under Ji Wuye, Mo Ya had a surprisingly kind heart, a fact that even Daniel had found surprising at first.

These twenty children were now receiving the best possible education. The resources Daniel could provide far surpassed anything Ji Wuye could offer. While Ji Wuye might have had no shortage of money, there were certain things he simply couldn't acquire.

In addition to these twenty children, Mo Ya had also brought about thirty older ones, around fifteen or sixteen years old, who were in training to become part of the Hundred Birds. These older orphans had already developed considerable agility. Mo Ya had taken some of them into the Six Doors, while the rest had been placed in various industries under Daniel's control.

Since Mo Ya came to Qin, the Hundred Birds had stopped recruiting new members.

Daniel did not disturb the students. After peeking through the glass window to see the children engrossed in their studies, he quietly left.

The orphans understood well that while their current living conditions had improved, they couldn't afford to become complacent.

The children brought by Mo Ya were receiving the best possible treatment. Their living standards were incomparable to what they had experienced under Ji Wuye. Moreover, they were being trained both academically and physically, and in time, some might become exceptional individuals—perhaps even top martial artists.

Since Mo Ya had joined him, Daniel wasn't going to treat him poorly. Every child was given several doses of Zhen Ren Dan (True Man Elixir), ensuring that even those with lesser talent would become first-rate martial artists, and those with greater potential could become top-level fighters.

And this was just the current level of treatment Daniel could provide. In time, he might even distribute Ju Xian Dan (Immortal Gathering Elixir), which would produce over twenty absolute top-level experts.

In the world of Qin's Era, strength isn't clearly defined. The ranking of warriors generally follows the classifications of third-rate, second-rate, first-rate, top-tier, and absolute top-tier, with those above these being considered on the level of the leaders of the various schools of thought.

This classification isn't strictly based on skill but also on reputation. For instance, the Heavenly Inquiry Sword is ranked first not only because of its strength but also due to its reputation.

This first-place ranking raises questions, though. For instance, Feng Huzi might have been biased, placing the Chu Kingdom's Heavenly Inquiry Sword at the top simply because he was from Chu.

Daniel had no objection to the second-place Tai Ah Sword, but the Yan State Sword was just a fragment at this time.

Creating a legendary sword isn't easy and can take years, much like crafting the Immortal Gathering Elixir.

Daniel had no objections to Feng Huzi's ranking of swords. After all, the Tai Ah Sword was held by Feng Huzi, and it was a sword that exuded its own aura.

However, Daniel took issue with other rankings, especially the Eight Swords of the Yue King, which he felt were unfairly ranked too low. These swords were crafted by the same famous swordsmith who forged the Tai Ah Sword, yet they were ranked lower simply because they were held in Qin.

And why should Zhu Jian (Shark Tooth Sword) be excluded from the ranking just because it was considered a demon sword? Similarly, why was Ink Eyebrow, the Mohist sword, not ranked?

The Taoist Heavenly Sect's two famous swords were also ranked low.

All these discrepancies frustrated Daniel, leading him to decide to create his own sword ranking. Why should someone else determine which swords were superior? It was akin to Western awards like the Nobel Prize, which Daniel found to be arbitrary. In the Marvel universe, he was certainly qualified for a Nobel Prize in biochemistry, yet he was excluded, while the Nobel Peace Prize went to Alexander Pierce.

When Pierce's true identity was exposed, the Nobel Peace Prize committee faced enormous criticism. How could they have awarded a peace prize to someone like him?

Daniel planned to establish his own set of awards, covering all aspects of excellence.

"Oh, what a coincidence," Daniel said with a smile as he walked away from the classroom, spotting Han Fei and Zi Nu in a pavilion in the front courtyard.

It wasn't particularly surprising to see them there. In fact, Han Fei occasionally taught classes at the school. As a hostage, Han Fei had little interest in assisting Ying Zheng, and his time in Xianyang was largely spent idly.

As a hostage in Qin, Han Fei was not heavily restricted. The only condition was that he could not leave without permission. As a result, most hostages in Xianyang spent their days indulging in pleasure and entertainment.

Though Han Fei was rumored to be a playboy, this was merely a facade. His visits to Zi Lan Xuan were often for more serious discussions, making him different from the other hostages. Moreover, Qin's ongoing reforms intrigued Han Fei, leading him to frequent the estate more often. Daniel didn't mind Han Fei's visits, even if he knew Han Fei was there to learn.

The principles Daniel was implementing weren't particularly complex. However, while understanding them was easy, spreading them was a different story. In Qin, Daniel had Ying Zheng's full support, but Han Fei had no such backing in Han. Even if Han Fei was dedicated to Han, Han Yu would suspect ulterior motives.

"It's rare to see you here," Han Fei said, slightly surprised to see Daniel. After all, Daniel rarely visited the estate except during the early stages of establishing the school.

"I'm quite busy," Daniel replied, taking a seat. After pouring Daniel a cup of tea, Zi Nu took Yan Lingji by the hand and left, a gesture that surprised Daniel.

"Do you have something to discuss?" Daniel asked. Normally, there was no need to keep secrets from Zi Nu.

"I want to know how you got Yan Lu's sword," Han Fei said, his tone uncharacteristically serious.

"Oh, I forgot that you're a disciple of the Confucian school, on par with Fu Nian and Yan Lu," Daniel remarked.

Han Fei and Li Si were both disciples of Xun Zi, who was Fu Nian and Yan Lu's senior brother. The four had studied together at the Little Sage Village. If Han Fei had remained at the village, the Three Heroes of Qi and Lu might have had a different lineup, possibly excluding Zhang Liang.

As for Li Si, his martial skills weren't up to par to be included in such a prestigious group.

"Han Guang Sword was given to me voluntarily by Yan Lu. I didn't force him," Daniel continued.

"So, what did you do to persuade Senior Brother Yan Lu to give you his sword?" Han Fei asked, puzzled. In this era, a sword represented a warrior's soul, something they would not part with unless they were on the brink of death, much like Jing Ke's Remnant Rainbow, which was reforged into Yuanhong only after his death.

Despite the Confucian school's influence, Yan Lu had given such a significant item to Daniel, which suggested there was more to the story.

Han Fei, though a practitioner of legalism, deeply respected his senior brothers Fu Nian and Yan Lu. His concern drove him to inquire further.

"What method? Why can't it be that Yan Lu and I became instant friends, and he gave me Han Guang Sword as a token of our bond?" Daniel responded with a smirk.

"Instant friends?" Han Fei echoed, a knowing smile playing on his lips.

"Alright, I admit it's hard to believe. But I suggest you stop digging into this matter. With your intelligence, you should be able to guess the general circumstances even if I don't spell them out."

Han Fei sighed, understanding the unspoken implications, and after a moment, returned to his usual nonchalant demeanor.

"Let's drop it, then. By the way, I've heard that Kuang Xiu has arrived in Qin, and there's a banquet tonight in his honor. Interested in attending?" Han Fei quickly changed the subject.

"High mountains and flowing

 water—a classic melody. Of course, I'm interested," Daniel replied.

Kuang Xiu was a celebrity of his time. Even Ying Zheng would show him some respect in non-political matters. Such was the treatment afforded to true masters.

"A masterpiece indeed," Daniel thought as he listened to Kuang Xiu's performance of "High Mountains and Flowing Water." While not an expert in music, Daniel could appreciate the beauty of the piece. The ancient phrase "lingering for three days" seemed apt.

"I wonder how Kuang Xiu compares to Nong Yu?" Daniel mused. While Kuang Xiu's reputation undoubtedly surpassed Nong Yu's, her Hundred Birds Serenade was also remarkable, particularly her Heart Strings melody, which Kuang Xiu likely couldn't match.

The banquet was as much about welcoming Kuang Xiu as it was a gathering for the younger generation of Xianyang's elite families to socialize. Even Fusu made an appearance on behalf of Ying Zheng.

Li Si was also among the invited guests. At the banquet, he was the center of attention, reaping the rewards of his hard work. In addition to the newspaper, Daniel's plan to establish a school system had also been entrusted to Li Si.

"I'll be entering seclusion for some time. If anything comes up, handle it yourselves, or wait until I return," Daniel announced to Mo Ya, Ying Ge, and Yan Lingji after giving them some final instructions. With that, Daniel began his journey into seclusion.

Of course, in reality, he wasn't retreating into seclusion but rather leaving this world altogether.

"Seems the Marines have been busy lately. How many Supernovas have they captured now?" Daniel wondered with a grin as he read the newspaper in the world of One Piece.

These Supernovas, rookies of the same generation as Ace, were arrogant pirates dreaming of toppling the Four Emperors the moment they reached the New World. Yet, apart from Ace, who joined Whitebeard's crew after a failed duel, none had even laid eyes on the emperors themselves.

Either they were captured by the Marines or defeated by the emperors' subordinates.

Perhaps due to Daniel's previous actions, the Marines had been frustrated by their inability to locate him, leading them to vent their frustrations on other pirates.

"Speaking of which, the shells on Fish-Man Island would make excellent armor for Qin soldiers. I should gather a batch," Daniel mused, recalling his last visit to Fish-Man Island and the sturdy shells he saw in Hody Jones' possession.

While these shells weren't particularly useful in the world of One Piece, they could prove invaluable to Ying Zheng's forces.

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