Qin Shi Ambitious

Page 70

The Snow Woman had originally tied her snow-white hair into a single ponytail with a silver chain so that it wouldn't fly around while she practiced her swordplay. Now, she had untied the ponytail, restoring its flowing elegance as before she danced.

"Ah."

Lu Wei rested his chin on one hand, his eyes fixed on the intelligence report in his hand, and casually gave a reply.

After a while, without hearing any footsteps leaving, the Snow Woman stood there quietly with her arms crossed and hanging down at her abdomen.

"Since you have nothing to do and have changed into your dancing shoes, why don't you dance here?"

With just a glance, Steward Lu said casually.

"Snow Princess obeys." Her eyelashes fluttered slightly, and she bit her lower lip. Snow Maiden drew her longsword and leaped into the air in a dance.

She actually incorporated swordsmanship into the Lingbo Feiyan dance, creating a new dance that blended the elegance of sword dance with the gentleness of Zhao dance...

This is a new dance with a unique flavor compared to the graceful flying swallow!

Sensing that familiar gaze and the pressure of her inner energy, the Snow Woman's eyes trembled... It was that feeling~

Indeed, only under this feeling can I perform the most perfect Lingbo Feiyan!

Less than a year after the incident involving Gongzi Jia broke out last year, Xue Nu publicly declared that she would never perform the Lingbo Feiyan dance in front of outsiders. However, she broke her vow due to being forced into a state of mental instability.

Later, when he wanted to obtain the Flying Snow Jade Flower Platform, he simply threw caution to the wind in front of Steward Lu and jumped several more times. During this time, he was being watched, and his feelings of shame and guilt for breaking his oath increased dramatically.

Later, when she practiced the dance in private, without that gaze and inner pressure, she felt uncomfortable...

Finding the optimal feeling of flying swallow on the waves, the Jade Soul Technique's internal energy spontaneously emerged from the Snow Maiden's body, interacting and flowing with the Five Virtues Rejuvenation Technique's internal energy in the air.

Lu Wei frowned and looked closely at the dancing snow woman. He noticed that her eyes were unfocused and she had entered a dazed state, while her internal energy was increasing at an abnormal rate.

"A sudden realization..."

The head steward accurately assessed her current state...

------

"It is truly impolite of me to fail to greet His Highness the Crown Prince in advance."

In the top-floor room of Golden Terrace, Lu Wei sat facing Prince Dan. Although he spoke politely, his words were limited to nothing more than words.

"Today, only Yan Dan of the Mo family is here; there is no Crown Prince of Yan. What do you think, Brother Lu?"

Yan Dan had a solemn expression. Unlike Yan Chunjun, who indulged in pleasure and power, he was well-proportioned, had a dignified face, and his every word and action was powerful and resolute.

“No,” Steward Lu shook his head under Yan Dan’s gaze. “Both the Crown Prince and I know that although we meet here as江湖 (jianghu, martial arts world) figures, the content of our conversation cannot be limited to matters of the jianghu.”

"We don't have a common language when it comes to agriculture and ink, so the reason we're willing to meet is precisely because of this city of Ji."

Lu Wei's eyes were sharp, and he directly exposed the hypocrisy of both sides from the very beginning, disregarding all formalities.

Yan Dan's expression remained unchanged, his eyes deep beneath his meticulously manicured eyebrows: "Brother Lu is absolutely right. Given my status, any action I take cannot possibly involve only the martial world."

"So, starting from this city of Ji, what can we possibly talk about?"

Lu Wei met his gaze with deep eyes for a full ten seconds: "The only obstacle Your Highness faces now is Lord Yanchun."

"Yan Chun Jun is also a human being, and humans will die."

At this point, neither of them changed their expressions: "But behind Lord Yanchun is the current king, and that is the real obstacle to His Highness the Crown Prince's power."

"These words came from your mouth and entered my ears; no third person will know them."

Yan Dan picked up her wine glass, drank it all in one gulp, and then calmly said...

It was normal for him to refuse to comment on his father, the king. Lu Wei then changed the subject: "Your Highness should know that Lord Yanchun has given Luqiu Pavilion tremendous protection."

"That's right, but Brother Lu is still willing to see me."

"The previous head of Luqiu Pavilion was a great merchant, and Luqiu Pavilion still operates according to the mindset of a merchant."

"Therefore, every effort must be rewarded, and rewarded handsomely—this is the Luqiu Pavilion's rule." Lu Wei's eyes flashed:

What can His Highness the Crown Prince offer in return?

"What a coincidence." Faced with this question, Yan Dan slammed her right hand on the table: "After I came back, someone said something similar to me."

"Steward Lu...do you know who he is?"

Chapter 92 The Profits of the Three Families

Standing on the high rooftop, Lu Wei stared at the bright candlelight inside a grand house with an uncertain expression.

Lu Ni appeared behind him in a flash, her Jingni sword ready to be drawn at any moment.

When he meets Yan Dan, regardless of whether he can use him or not, he will definitely bring his best combat power with him.

After exchanging favors with the Crown Prince, the head steward did not immediately return to Luqiu Pavilion after the meeting, but came straight here to observe the actions of this wealthy family.

"My lord, shall we take action?"

Lu Ni's murderous intent was palpable. She stepped forward and asked in a low voice.

"No," Lu Wei stretched out his arm, his inner strength trembling slightly. Lu Ni sensed his intention but did not resist, and the Jingni Sword flew into his hand.

He ran his index and middle fingers along the blade, unleashing the power of the Jingni sword, his killing intent surging instantly: "I have a past with them, so I shall personally send them on their way."

With a light leap, Lu Wei pounced into the courtyard of the wealthy family like a ghost. Before his sword was even revealed, a line of blood appeared on the necks of the four family guards hidden in the shadows...

Xu Qiu was reading in his study when his window was suddenly blown open by a strong wind, rattling back and forth with a loud noise.

He frowned and called out a few times, but there was no response, as the servants at the door had all run off to.

So he put down the bamboo scroll, went over and closed the window again. The moment he turned around, a figure appeared where he had been sitting, holding the book he had been reading. On the table lay a longsword with a shiny pink hilt, without a scabbard.

"Steward Lu!" Xu Qiu froze, swallowing hard.

"The Tao Zhu Gong Business Manual? To actually possess this treasured book that is sought after by countless merchants, Mr. Xu is indeed dedicated to doing business."

With a gentle smile, Lu Wei held the bamboo slip by one corner with two fingers and spread it out in mid-air. This casual action made Xu Qiu frown.

"Why did Steward Lu suddenly come to my residence today?" Xu Qiu forced a laugh, his feet firmly planted on the ground. "Why not send a disciple to inform me? I could prepare to entertain you in advance."

Looking at that face that hadn't changed much in four years, the scene of Lu Wei talking with Yan Dan played in his mind again:

...

"Brother Lu is still too young. He doesn't understand that sometimes being lenient with old friends will only lead to greater betrayal."

Yan Dan removed her hand from the table, revealing a black bronze plaque engraved with the character 'Xu'.

"Merchants will sell anything, even goods from benefactors who have done them a favor. Besides, this father and son have always felt that they have done you a greater favor!"

...

"Mr. Xu really taught me a lesson."

Without answering the other party's question, Lu Wei casually tossed the valuable bamboo slip in his hand: "Last year, you sold my information to Ju Wu. I will tentatively accept that it was the Grand Tutor of the Imperial Court who came to inquire. You misspoke and said the wrong thing."

"This year, you sold the Xu family's intelligence network and your old subordinates in Luqiu Pavilion to Prince Dan again... I didn't know the Xu family was so short of money."

"We were forced by circumstances to do this." Xu Qiu was silent for a while, then, knowing that his plan had been exposed, he spoke up to defend himself: "Without Luqiu Pavilion, the Xu family is extremely vulnerable."

"For friends suspected of betrayal, decisive action is the best course of action." Steward Lu didn't react to his words, instead picking up the Jingni Sword and examining its blade. "Last year, I had my suspicions about the Xu family. I've never been lenient when it comes to striking at enemies, but that one time, I ultimately misjudged them..."

Hearing this, Xu Qiu broke out in a cold sweat, and his gaze unconsciously drifted towards the door.

"The deal with the Tian family, the sale of Gonggong Hall to Tian Zhong, the deal with the Crown Prince's residence, the list of Luqiu Pavilion disciples, the layout at the north gate of Ji City, and the entire agricultural Yan Kingdom industrial layout were all handed over to Yan Dan..."

The murderous aura surged and expanded unchecked. Xu Qiu never imagined that the young deserter from Zhao who could decide life and death with a single word four years ago could now decide his own life and death with a single word.

He clenched his fist, knowing that this matter was unlikely to end peacefully. He gritted his teeth, took a step forward, and fled quickly toward the exit.

At this moment, Xu Qiu's speed exceeded the limits of his life, but he still couldn't cross the line between life and death...

With a whooshing sound as it cut through the air, the Jingni Sword was thrown by Lu Wei and aggressively chased after Xu Qiu's back: it sliced ​​through the thin silk and skin, pierced through the muscles and bones, and then the force carried by the sword pinned the target directly to the door!

Blood spurted from Xu Qiu's mouth, his feet left the ground, and he looked down in disbelief at the blade that had pierced his chest.

"Have you never considered that the value others see in you is part of the value I possess?"

Lu Wei walked step by step toward the door, staring at the struggling Xu Qiu, listening to her pleas for mercy, without wavering in the slightest:

"I only need to sacrifice a tiny, insignificant piece of leverage to save the entire Xu family..."

He gripped the hilt of the sword with his right hand, and the Jingni Sword emanated its sword energy, cleanly and swiftly taking away Xu Qiu's last breath.

"I don't want to be a businessman in my next life."

He drew his sword, and the limp body collapsed. Lu Wei pushed open the door and walked out. Next up was Xu Sheng.

Lu Wei had no intention of discussing past favors with the dead. He simply read out the crimes committed by the Xu family, and then drew his sword to take away lives one by one.

When the last direct descendant of the Xu family collapsed in terror, clutching his neck, Lu Ni reappeared. The head steward tossed the sword back into its sheath in her hand, clapped his hands, and stood with his hands behind his back, seemingly lost in thought—certainly not in sorrow...

"My lord, should the rest of the Xu family also be executed?"

Lowering her eyes to feel the force of the Jingni Sword returning to its sheath, Lu Ni asked in a cold voice.

"Letting the sword get stained with too much meaningless blood is not conducive to the progress of martial arts." Lu Wei shook his head: "Let Jueying do this."

"Yes." Lu Ni's figure disappeared.

After she left, Lu Wei captured one of Xu Qiu's confidants, forced him to reveal the location of the Xu family's treasure vault, and then executed him along with the vault's guards.

The wealthy merchants who monopolized the wine industry in Yan had a treasure trove of gold and silver that far surpassed the wealth of the poor merchants on Zhuang Mountain.

With plenty of time, Lu Wei searched very carefully, picking and choosing until he had taken all the gold from the vault. Then he returned to Xu Qiu's study, ignoring the corpse on the ground, and knocked and banged around until he found a secret room.

There were fewer gold coins here, but more valuable collectibles. Just like in the treasure vault, Lu Wei used his internal energy to turn the scene he had chosen upside down, making it impossible to see anything. Then he noticed that Jueying had come with his men to harvest the loot.

He calmly walked out of the secret room, and left quietly a second before one of the assassins from Yan Chunjun's mansion entered the study.

The next day, early in the morning, Lu Wei summoned Ashan to the third floor of Luqiu Pavilion:

"An unexpected tragedy occurred at the Xu residence last night; the Xu father and son are dead."

His words immediately shocked Lu Shan.

The incident happened suddenly, and since he had been summoned by his boss as soon as he woke up that morning, he hadn't received any reports from his subordinates yet. But Lu Shan knew what he should do at this moment:

"I will immediately arrange for my disciples to seize the Xu family's assets."

"Take over the area south of the Xu family mansion in the North District and the East District. Do not touch the other areas."

Lu Wei gave instructions in a relaxed tone, and then talked about another matter: "Cut off contact with Steward Yan Chunjun. All the disciples we sent into Yan Chunjun's mansion through him should be withdrawn and sent to Daze Mountain."