Chapter Forty-Three: The Hundred Schools Scorn Qin

"The Master said: Is it not a delight to have friends coming from afar!"

"We have heard that the State of Qin is recruiting Court Protectors and Court Swordsmen, and have specifically traveled a thousand miles to Xianyang. Why is the Moon God of the Yin-Yang Family speaking with such a sharp and oppressive tone? If this is the case, why do we not see your Yin-Yang Family's esteemed leader, the Eastern Emperor Taiyi, who claims to master the Supreme Ultimate of Mystery and the Dual Qi of Yin and Yang, present here?"

As the Moon God of the Yin-Yang Family spoke from the high platform, how could the brilliant talents of the various philosophical schools gathered below fail to grasp the underlying meaning of her words? Although her beauty was alluring and her entire being exuded a subtle charm, upon hearing these words, a wave of cold fury instantly extinguished any trace of desire.

Ever since the Yin-Yang Family split from the Daoist School five hundred years ago, they had remained obscure to the world, hiding in unknown corners of the Central Plains, and were entirely unworthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the hundred schools of thought.

As for the underlying implication in the Moon God's words, the gathered elites of the various schools held it in contempt, and even looked down upon the entire State of Qin. Although the State of Qin had been in a position of strength for over a century, the only thing it had ever been truly praised for was the sharpness of its weapons.

Grand Duke Jiang had once said: "Though a country be vast, a fondness for warfare will lead to its ruin!" Situated in the remote western frontier, far from the states of the Central Plains, the State of Qin lagged far behind the Central Plains nations in both its foundational heritage and its ritual culture.

Even though the city of Xianyang was constructed with magnificent grandeur, fundamentally it was merely a copy of the architecture of the eastern states, a mere plagiarism. A century ago, Wei Yang had supervised the construction of Xianyang by modeling it after Daliang, the capital of the Wei State, which was a clear testament to this fact.

For a mere upstart Yin-Yang Family to command such favor from the King of Qin and be so highly regarded by him showed a complete disregard for the gathered talents of the Central Plains' hundred schools. If that was the case, why bother summoning the elites of the various schools to Xianyang at all?

To actually do so would be to aid a tyrant and add wings to a tiger! This was certainly not something the hundred schools of the Central Plains wished to see. Although the military might of the State of Qin was unmatched, relying on such brute force to dominate the world could never last long.

Amidst these murmurs, a figure stepped out from the ranks of the Confucian group beneath the high platform. His face was as flawless as jade, his demeanor extraordinary, and he wore a Confucian cap. A majestic and righteous aura rippled around him as he faced the Moon God of the Yin-Yang Family above, offering an unsparing response.

"You are nothing more than a pedantic Confucian scholar, yet you dare to presumptuously discuss the esteemed Eastern Emperor Taiyi? The positions the State of Qin is recruiting this time are Court Protectors and Court Swordsmen, not you bunch of Confucian scholars who only know how to talk on paper."

"If your Confucian master Xun Kuang were here, perhaps he would possess the qualifications. But relying on you? You are still far from enough!"

At the mention of the taboo name of the Eastern Emperor Taiyi of the Yin-Yang Family, a tyrannical aura instantly flared around the bodies of the Eastern Lord and the Moon God upon the high platform, brilliant and profound. The Eastern Lord let out a cold snort, her lotus-like steps moving forward as a thought arose in her mind. A dark golden dragon-shaped vital energy burst forth from within her body.

As for the Moon God, a pale purple mysterious light diffused across her entire being. Her delicate, slender hands formed the seals of Yin and Yang, casting an effect akin to the Daoist technique of "Heaven and Earth Losing Color," directly enveloping the entire group of Confucians who had made the journey.

Immediately, she pressed down with a single hand, combining her power with that of the Eastern Lord beside her. In a fraction of a second, the five members of the Confucian delegation were forcefully beaten down to the ground, reduced to kneeling in support. The dragon-shaped vital energy swirled and pierced straight through their chests and abdomens. Moments later, their life force was extinguished, leaving them no longer among the living.

The Confucian mission's journey had thus come to a ruined end!

"How dare the Yin-Yang Family act in such a manner?"

Faced with this sudden upheaval, the successors of the Mohist, Agricultural, and Strategist schools standing beside the Confucians were struck with shock, their faces revealing terror. However, the representative of the Gongshu Family only sneered coldly in response.

This recruitment by the State of Qin was for Court Protectors and Court Swordsmen; it was not intended to seek out the political strategies or statecraft of the hundred schools. Furthermore, within the current State of Qin, there were civil officials such as the Marquis of Wenxin Lü Buwei, Lord Changping Xiong Qi, Lord Changwen of Chu, and Lord Gangcheng Cai Ze.

Externally, there were Qin generals such as Meng Ao, Zhang Tang, Meng Wu, Fan Yuqi, and Wang Jian. The state possessed an absolute abundance of strategists and a mountain of fierce generals. To continue recruiting elites from other states was merely adding flowers to brocade, and for the State of Qin, whose great momentum was already established, it held little practical use.

On the contrary, not long ago, when the allied forces of various states attacked Qin, Pang Nuan of the State of Zhao had actually advanced all the way to the vicinity of Xianyang, directly threatening the safety of the King of Qin and the Prime Minister—this had been a glaring oversight.

In this recruitment, martial prowess came first, and everything else was secondary. That group of pedantic scholars had actually dared to debate principles with the notoriously ruthless Yin-Yang Family; it was simply courting death. Having met such a fate, they deserved no pity. Even Lord Changping Xiong Qi, standing quietly to one side on the high platform, made no move to intervene, which spoke volumes.

"Master Gani, what do you think of these two protectors of the Yin-Yang Family?"

Since the Confucian School had dispatched these disciples to come, this outcome had already been destined. The Recruitment Pavilion had long since submitted their dossiers. For the supreme State of Qin, either the various schools did not come at all, or they must arrive with absolute sincerity; otherwise, it would be treated as the utmost disrespect toward Qin.

Gently shaking his head at the five Confucian lives that had now been completely snuffed out, Xuanqing noted that Qin was not the State of Qi. While the lands of Qi and Lu might still heavily value the conduct of gentlemen, in the State of Qin, under centralized autocratic rule, the King of Qin was supreme.

Now that the Yin-Yang Family had dispatched the Eastern Lord and the Moon God, judging by the assembled successors of the hundred schools present, none of them were matches for these two. Whether it was the "Soul Dragon Travel" or the "Lunar Illusion," both had reached a considerable level of mastery.

"They are very strong! However, what I, Gani, seek is the position of Court Swordsman, which does not conflict with the position of Court Protector held by the Yin-Yang Family. Compared to Master Xuanqing, these two can hardly be considered a threat."

Hearing the crisp words of Zhou Qing beside him, Gani of the Guigu School, dressed in a dark green cloak and tight martial attire, gripped his sword and moved, his expression solemn. At this juncture, the appearance of the Yin-Yang Family—who knew what purpose they served?

According to Guigu records, five hundred years ago, when the Yin-Yang Family split from the Daoist School, their ultimate objective had not actually changed: they, too, sought to transcend the limits of heaven and man, only employing different methods to achieve it.

Now, the Yin-Yang Family had entered the Xianyang Palace, seeking to serve as Court Protectors. This seemed to run counter to the pursuit of the ultimate boundary of heaven and man, though presumably they had their own hidden agenda.

His tone was tactful, his expression devoid of much fluctuation. A head of short black hair stirred in the wind, and a flash of contemplation crossed his handsome face before he looked once again toward Zhou Qing by his side. With the other's cultivation at the Divine Transformation realm, securing a position as a Court Protector would be an easy task.

"Lord Changping has already stated just now: as long as you can defeat us, you may assume the position of Court Protector. Otherwise, either leave Xianyang City of your own accord, or we will see you off!"

The overbearing nature of the Yin-Yang Family was displayed in full measure. The pale purple mysterious light around the Moon God had not yet dissipated, and her eyes, covered by a veil, swept across the successors of the hundred schools upon the high platform with absolute coldness.

Her fair, slender hands turned gracefully, manifesting yet another series of Yin-Yang hand seals. Boundless vital energy infused them, and a tyrannical aura expanded, suppressing everyone present. For centuries, the disciples of the hundred schools seemed to have become far too full of themselves.

"Is this the hospitality of the State of Qin? Even bloodthirsty and murderous entities like the Yin-Yang Family are allowed into Xianyang Palace. It seems we were wrong to make this trip. Mohism champions non-aggression and universal love throughout life."

"It appears my Mohist School is not suited for this endeavor!"

Shortly after, several young men dressed in black and white robes looked at the deceased five Confucians nearby, their faces revealing a trace of intolerance. Even if they were debating principles, there was no need to resort to taking lives.

Originally, in the calculations of the Mohist leader, entering Qin this time to secure positions as Court Protectors and Court Swordsmen might have allowed the Mohist School to grow even stronger. Now, however, it seemed that was no longer possible.