Horizontal and Vertical

"Master?"

Inside the carriage, Sun Boling saw Verdant Green Maiden stop and lifted the curtain, his gaze confused as he looked at the surrounding mountains and water. "Why stop here?"

Verdant Green Maiden glanced at him and said, "Hong Luan hasn't returned yet. Waiting for it."

Sun Boling nodded in understanding. Verdant Green Maiden added, "I'm going to fetch water. Wash yourself properly—you stink!"

Though Snake Nose wasn't sharp, it wasn't truly oblivious either.

When she said this with a hint of disdain, Sun Boling grew even more flustered. He lowered his head, his voice dropping further. "This Disciple is so wretched, offending Master. Please forgive this offense."

"Sigh... humans are essentially a machine for spouting nonsense. If I truly blamed you, I wouldn't have come to Da Liang to find you."

Verdant Green Maiden sighed, waved her hand, and went to the riverbank to fetch him a bucket of water.

The two waited by the riverbank, left and right, but Hong Luan didn't arrive. Instead, a self-deceiving Qi State Spy showed up first.

Half his body hidden behind a tree, he gave off a feeling of holding a pipa half-veiled.

"Should we pretend not to see him?"

Verdant Green Maiden muttered softly.

Sun Boling looked in that direction, his gaze turning slightly cold. "No one should deceive Master! Whatever their intent. The one behind the tree—if you are a gentleman, please come out and meet us!"

Verdant Green Maiden's eyes widened. "You're quite polite."

Hearing this, the man stepped out directly and cupped his hands in greeting to the two. "Qi State Spy, paying respects to Ghost Valley Master and Mr. Sun!"

"Oh, a real Qi spy has come!"

Verdant Green Maiden clicked her tongue, waved him off, and said, "Have the one in charge come see me. No sincerity at all."

The spy's expression turned awkward at her words. He nodded repeatedly and took his leave.

After Hong Luan flew back, it chattered to Verdant Green Maiden about Pang Juan's actions after she left, its tone indignant. "I knew back then we shouldn't have let him into the valley. How did we raise such a black-hearted fellow! Verdant Green Maiden, how about you go back and give him a good beating?"

"Beating people is exhausting."

Verdant Green Maiden shook her head and said to Hong Luan, "Don't get angry. Careful, you won't live long. Look at me—how many times have I been angry in all this time? Youth and beauty come from a good mindset."

Hong Luan: "..."

Shameless snake!

It landed on Verdant Green Maiden's shoulder and asked, "Why aren't you leaving? Who are you waiting for?"

"There!"

Verdant Green Maiden pointed ahead not far away.

Over there, a few people were literally dusty and travel-worn as they ran over. The leader wore fine silk robes, his hair bun immaculate. He bowed to Verdant Green Maiden with proper etiquette. "Qi envoy Chunyu Kun, paying respects to Master!"

Verdant Green Maiden sidestepped and said, "He's looking for you."

"How could this Disciple compare to Master?"

Sun Boling shook his head in denial.

Chunyu Kun explained their purpose to the two, inviting Verdant Green Maiden and Sun Boling to Qi State.

Such talent—if Wei State didn't want it, their Qi State would!

Hearing this, Verdant Green Maiden sighed once more at how Great Wei truly deserved its reputation as the Warring States talent pipeline. The rulers of Qin, Qi, and other states could kowtow to Ji Cui and it still wouldn't be too much.

Faced with Chunyu Kun's recruitment, Sun Boling's heart stirred, but he didn't agree directly. Instead, he looked at Verdant Green Maiden.

"What does Master think?"

"Playing mind games with me?"

Verdant Green Maiden glanced at Sun Boling, snorted, and said, "Where you want to go, I won't stop you."

Hearing this, Sun Boling added, "Then Master..."

"You still want to scheme against me?"

Verdant Green Maiden's eyes widened, and she waved her hand at him with slight disdain. "Don't set your sights on Snake, or I'll beat you."

She knew exactly what Chunyu Kun and Sun Boling were thinking.

Still, Verdant Green Maiden was generous enough to give them the carriage—it wasn't her property anyway. Chunyu Kun, afraid Pang Juan might do something extreme, drove the carriage day and night straight to Linzi.

After sending Sun Boling off, Verdant Green Maiden wasn't in a hurry to return to Ghost Valley. She decided to give herself a year off.

Having taken at least eighteen hundred years off out of the last two thousand, Verdant Green Maiden felt her vacation time was far too short!

A snake should eat, drink, play, and be carefree.

But because of Pang Juan and Sun Boling, Ghost Valley's fame exploded.

Even though Verdant Green Maiden had slacked off for over a year, visitors came in an endless stream. The fine mountains and waters were trampled back and forth by these people, paths worn down who knew how many times.

"Sigh, even the wild game has dwindled."

Verdant Green Maiden let out a sigh.

The red bird Hong Luan tilted its head on her shoulder and said, "Isn't it because you eat too much that the wild game's been scarce?"

"Eating well is a blessing." Verdant Green Maiden muttered, not feeling the least bit ashamed of her appetite. After more than two thousand years, if she couldn't eat, she'd have dried up into a strip of green snake jerky long ago—how else could she still be bouncing around?

One person and one bird traded jabs. When they reached the valley entrance, they saw a youth kneeling there again, bowing and saying, "Junior Su Qin pays respects to Ghost Valley Master!"

"Su Qin?"

Verdant Green Maiden hid in the tree, narrowing her eyes.

Hong Luan asked, "You know him?"

"I know him all too well."

Verdant Green Maiden clicked her tongue. She reached up, grabbed Hong Luan off her shoulder, and whispered, "You, sneak in quietly, grab our luggage, and we're out of here!"

Hong Luan sat in the palm of Verdant Green Maiden's hand, shook her head, and said, "You're not getting out of here. Look below."

Verdant Green Maiden was taken aback, then looked down.

There stood Su Qin beneath the tree, looking up at Verdant Green Maiden as she sat on a branch, swinging her legs.

Seeing her gaze, he immediately stepped back, lowered his head, and greeted, "Greetings, Master!"

Verdant Green Maiden leaned back, waving him off. "You've got the wrong snake."

Su Qin said firmly, "Junior beseeches Master to teach me, that I may gain knowledge to navigate the Warring States! Su Qin here thanks Master in advance!"

After bowing, he took sacrificial meat from his pack and respectfully offered it to Verdant Green Maiden. That move hooked her heart instantly! Of course, it wasn't that she loved eating—it was Su Qin's sincerity that moved her!

"Ahem..."

Verdant Green Maiden cleared her throat and leaped down.

She snatched the sacrificial meat from Su Qin's hand, then tossed him a scroll of Vertical and Horizontal Strategy Treatises. "Take it, take it—study it yourself! I permit you to stay in Ghost Valley, but don't bother me."

Su Qin hugged the bamboo slip as if it were a treasure, immediately knelt, and kowtowed repeatedly. "Many thanks, Master!"

Verdant Green Maiden walked into the valley, and Hong Luan muttered in her hand, "Bought off with a bit of meat—how shameful!"

"Not eating meat that lands right at your mouth would be a crime against Heaven."

Verdant Green Maiden said it with all seriousness. After all, it was just one more person staying in the valley—she didn't have to feed him. Keeping someone who could forage for himself was like cultivating a refined hobby.

Su Qin settled in the valley. He stayed for three years. Verdant Green Maiden didn't see what was so fascinating about a single book, but he savored it like sweet nectar.

For three years, he pored over the treatises she'd given him again and again.

Finally, when he felt he could travel the Warring States and realize his ambitions, he came to bid her farewell.

"Many thanks for the Grace of Teaching, Master!"

"Where are you going?"

Verdant Green Maiden looked at Su Qin curiously.

Su Qin replied, "To this world, to fulfill this Disciple's ambitions! These past days, Wei attacked Zhao, and all the Warring States ignore the mighty Qin, warring endlessly, wasting themselves! This Disciple seeks a way for the Warring States to resist the mighty Qin!"

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