"Dianwu."
A calm voice called out, addressing Wang Ben by his courtesy name amidst the howling wind and rain. Wang Ben's sword suddenly halted, and under San Bai's regretful gaze, he sheathed it.
All eyes involuntarily turned toward the man in black robes with crimson hems. Even as the Heavenly Punishment descended upon the world, he remained the focal point of everyone's attention.
The First Emperor, Zheng.
He slowly approached. In the flashes of lightning that illuminated the heavens and earth, the man had narrow, elongated eyes, sharp as willow-leaf blades. His thin eyelids could not conceal the sharp, profound gaze within. The collar and cuffs of his robes were embroidered with winding patterns, symbolizing the vast expanse of mountains and rivers.
"San Bai of Lixia?"
The First Emperor's tone rose slightly at the end, yet it carried a faint, almost imperceptible hint of mockery. "You say that I am unworthy of my position and will inevitably face divine retribution?"
San Bai had dared to speak recklessly earlier, but now he was uncertain of the First Emperor's intentions.
Was this… an attempt to persuade him?
San Bai grew even more agitated. "Yes!"
"The thunder is the wrath of Heaven!"
"I shall see for myself—" The First Emperor strode into the rain without hesitation. "How Heaven intends to punish me!"
He took two steps forward, then turned back, his expression filled with an arrogant, condescending pride. "I am the First Emperor."
"My virtue surpasses that of the Three Sovereigns, and my achievements exceed those of the Five Emperors."
"What is Heaven to me? My accomplishments shall endure for eternity. How could mere thunder and rain erase them? If Heaven does not acknowledge me, if the gods do not permit it, then I shall cease offering sacrifices to Heaven! I shall cease venerating the gods!"
He held expectations for the descent of divine beings, yet he refused to be bound by them. This irreverent attitude toward Heaven seemed entirely fitting for the First Emperor, Zheng.
Wang Ben removed his ceremonial headpiece and, gripping his longsword, stepped before the First Emperor, his gaze burning with intensity. "Ben is willing to follow Your Majesty!"
Those officials who had not been frightened by the thunder also emerged from beneath the pine trees, allowing the torrential rain to drench them. "We are willing to follow Your Majesty up the mountain!"
Only then did the First Emperor reveal a faint smile. "With all of you by my side, what have I to fear?"
San Bai's heart sank.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
Aren't you afraid of the Heavenly Punishment anymore?!
Watching as the First Emperor of Qin and his officials proceeded along the newly cleared path, with the wind and rain battering the bowed flowers and grass on either side as if they were bowing in reverence, San Bai's eyes darkened. He, too, lifted his leg and followed.
Having finally seized this opportunity, he could not let it slip away!
The snow weasel leaped down from the rock. "They're coming, they're coming! Quick, strike a pose! Three parts purity, three parts defiance, four parts strength, and a hint of vulnerability visible only to the First Emperor!"
Qing Ni found the perfect angle, assumed the pose, and elegantly yet politely said in her mind, "Get lost."
As soon as the First Emperor reached the mountaintop, his gaze fell upon a young woman dressed in a serene green gown. With delicate hands gently stroking the ox beside her, she knelt gracefully on the ground.
Torrential rain poured down, mud and water flowing everywhere. Yet, when they fell upon her, they vanished without a trace. Her sash fluttered gently, her skirt swayed, and even her hair hung dry against her cheeks.
A small, adorable snow weasel lay beside her, its white fur pristine and pure.
Of course, he could not see that the snow weasel had opened Qing Ni's Character Panel, where Points were rapidly plummeting into negative numbers. In the System Inventory, stacks of identical outfits to the one Qing Ni wore filled the slots, now being replaced at a rate of thirty sets per second to keep the "immortal maiden" in his eyes free of wet clothes, shoes, and wigs.
As for the snow weasel… it was the System's simulated form. As long as the System wished, it could activate a self-cleaning function.
Someone had reached the mountaintop, yet the figure who seemed like an immortal showed no reaction whatsoever. In her eyes, the First Emperor and the Qin elites who had climbed up one after another were no more significant than the yellow ox beneath her palm.
Wang Ben glanced at the First Emperor and, receiving a slight nod, immediately approached the place where the green-robed maiden was seated. His vision was sharp, and he naturally noticed the eerie cleanliness of the maiden’s garments.
Was she a celestial from the heavens… or a ghost of the mountains?
Two elite Qin soldiers stepped forward, their physiques slightly inferior to the First Emperor’s, flanking him as guards. Wang Ben, meanwhile, maintained the utmost vigilance as he slowly advanced.
However, as soon as Wang Ben moved, the thunder in the sky seemed to take offense at their audacity toward the divine. Winds and clouds churned, and flashes of purple and white lightning pierced the clouds, as if intending to strike in their direction.
This finally drew a glance from the green-robed maiden. Her gaze drifted past Wang Ben, lightly settling on the First Emperor.
The sky darkened, and rain poured down. The gloomy heavens were torn asunder by flashes of lightning and peals of thunder, illuminating the maiden’s starkly contrasting black-and-white eyes, where a flicker of surprise danced.
“Human Emperor?”
She raised her hand, her flowing sleeve sweeping through the air before gently settling. An elegant shade of green enveloped the small bronze-colored pagodas around her. As the bronze towers vanished, her sleeve drifted to the ground. Suddenly, the clouds dispersed, the rain ceased, and the thunder and lightning faded from brilliance to faint glimmers, dissolving into scattered specks of light. Purple Qi drifted across the horizon, and radiant hues filled the sky, illuminating a dazzling array of colors.
The green-robed maiden slowly rose to her feet, flowers blooming around her in layers like ripples spreading across water.
The faces of the Qin people changed. “A Divine… Divine Maiden!”
The Divine Maiden smiled gently at them.
Amidst the stormy darkness and the rumble of thunder, the mournful cries of the cow giving birth were drowned out. Their attention was wholly fixed on the maiden, so it was only natural that they failed to notice the moment before the celestial phenomenon appeared—a calf had emerged from beneath its mother and now nestled close, seeking warmth.
Then, it was swiftly captured by the System and placed into the System Space.
The virtual System panel slowly closed, and the production countdown in the upper right corner vanished after the cow successfully gave birth.
Wang Ben, ever meticulous, halted ten feet away from the green-robed maiden—or rather, the green-robed immortal—to avoid offending her. He raised his voice: “Wang Ben of Great Qin pays his respects to the Divine Maiden.”
A figure stepped beside him, pausing slightly half a step ahead, and clasped his hands in salute. “Zheng pays his respects to the Divine Maiden.”
For a moment, Wang Ben was taken aback.
Had His Majesty not signaled for him to investigate first? Why the sudden change…
Then, he inwardly chided himself for his foolishness. With Purple Qi from the East appearing, what else could she be but a Divine Maiden? King to king, general to general—to send only a minister to face an immortal now would be disrespectful to the Divine Maiden.
“My mount is undergoing Tribulation Crossing here and has startled the Human Emperor…” the Divine Maiden spoke softly and slowly, her temper gentle. “I hope you will not take offense.”
Human Emperor…
This was already the second time the Divine Maiden had used this title.
Everyone keenly sensed something amiss. It seemed… the Divine Maiden did not mind their Emperor’s ascent up the mountain path, and her choice of address acknowledged His Majesty’s status.
The heavy weight in Wang Ben’s heart lifted, and he felt much more at ease.
He had always known it—those Confucian scholars were spouting nonsense. How could Heaven punish His Majesty? The storm, the thunder—it was all coincidence!
The Divine Maiden’s favorable attitude toward His Majesty clearly demonstrated their recognition of his achievements—virtue matching the Three Sovereigns, merit surpassing the Five Emperors!
San Bai watched the First Emperor’s back with trepidation.
There really are immortals in this world! But how could the Divine Maiden not care? If the Divine Maiden favors this tyrant, once the Taishan matter is concluded and they return, wouldn't he be dragged off by Qin Zheng to be buried alive?
He gritted his teeth hard and, before anyone else could speak, loudly declared, "Divine Maiden!" From a distance, he bowed deeply. "I, Bai, beg the Divine Maiden to forgive my Emperor's offense."
A flicker of displeasure crossed the First Emperor's eyes.
Wang Ben suddenly stopped being angry and looked at San Bai as if he were already a dead man.
The Emperor hadn't killed him earlier only because doing so would have granted him a righteous name in the history books, using the Emperor himself as a stepping stone. He had been waiting to settle accounts afterward, and now this man's audacity was simply seeking his own death.
San Bai knew there was no turning back once the arrow was loosed. Stiffening his neck, he continued, "His Majesty, upon first ascending Taishan, acted without regard, presumptuously riding a carriage up the mountain. He erected a stele on the mountain without offering sacrifices to Taishan or praying for blessings from the heavens, showing contempt for the spirits…"
The Divine Maiden frowned slightly.
San Bai felt a surge of joy, sensing he was on the verge of success.
In reality…
Qing Ni complained to the System in her mind, "Why does he talk so much? Can't he see I'm about to meet the Emperor of the Ages? That's Ying Zheng!"
The System nodded frantically, "Yes, yes! Delaying your entry into the palace is unforgivable!"
Qing Ni: "…" If she told her dear System that she had never intended to enter the palace as Qin Shi Huang's favored consort from the start, would she be tied up and scratched by the snow weasel?
But being a favored consort was too restrictive. Wouldn't being the State Preceptor be more satisfying!
Changing history, preventing the Qin Dynasty from collapsing after two generations, avoiding the Chu-Han contention, and instead sending the black banners of the Xuan Niao overseas to expand territories—wouldn't that be exhilarating!
First, set a small goal: build a Great Wall around the equator. Wouldn't that be thrilling!
"I've decided to put him in his place," Qing Ni said to the System in her mind. "After all, I'm an immortal now. I have the right to not give him face."
Qing Ni waited for the old Confucian scholar to finish speaking before directly stating, "Unnecessary."
Her voice appropriately cooled.
"Taishan takes no offense."
The First Emperor raised an eyebrow slightly.
"To put it in the words of your sages—" the Divine Maiden said calmly, "Heaven and Earth are not benevolent; they treat all things as straw dogs."
The meaning of this phrase is that Heaven and Earth nurture all things without claiming benevolence, nor do they demand worship in the form of straw dogs.
Since they do not seek worship, they naturally would not be displeased by the manner in which people worship.
San Bai felt as if he had been slapped in the face, his face flushing red.
The First Emperor showed him no mercy, laughing heartily as the pent-up frustration from being criticized by the Confucian scholars vanished.
"Divine Maiden," he asked, "may Zheng know your esteemed title?"
Qing Ni quickly ran through the names of famous divine maidens in her mind and swiftly selected a female immortal well-known during the pre-Qin era. "I am Xuan Nu."
The First Emperor's eyes gleamed.
He was deeply devoted to the pursuit of immortality and had naturally studied the relevant classics and ancient texts. Xuan Nu was the abbreviated form of Xuan Nu of the Nine Heavens, an ancient female immortal and the teacher of the Yellow Emperor.
"So it is actually…" the First Emperor said tentatively, "Master, in person."
Qing Ni was taken aback.
Taoist priests could be addressed as "Master," and Xuan Nu of the Nine Heavens was a Taoist goddess, so calling her "Master" could not be considered disrespectful. The issue was that "Master" could also mean "teacher," and Xuan Nu was the Yellow Emperor's teacher, having taught him the Arts of the Bedchamber, which ultimately led to his legendary Ascension after bedding three thousand women.
Oh, right, Ascension.
Qing Ni: "…"
Your Majesty, truly worthy of you.
Seeing that the Divine Maiden did not respond but also did not refuse, the First Emperor seized the opportunity without hesitation, bowing deeply: "Zheng desires the people to prosper in peace, the four barbarians to submit in reverence, and for our Great Qin to endure through generations, with sacred sons and divine descendants forever upholding its enlightened rule. I humbly ask for your assistance, Master."
Qing Ni: "…" Nonsense! You, Qin Shi Huang, need to seek the help of immortals to govern the country? Clearly, you want to ask for immortality and are just finding an excuse to keep me here!
The First Emperor continued: "Zheng wishes to honor you as the teacher of the state, my teacher, and the teacher of all under heaven—supreme and unparalleled. All the wealth of Great Qin is yours to command."
The attending ministers quickly lowered their heads, concealing the shock in their eyes.
This was no longer just being second only to one person and above ten thousand others. From His Majesty's words, it seemed they would be equals!
But…
They vaguely felt that such a promise, to a true immortal—
Was far too meager.