Chapter 19 The End of the Qin Dynasty

Having settled matters in Xianyang, Yuan traveled alone, carrying his sword and bow, straight to the East Sea. He planned to repair his ship and set sail once more, relying on the Black Ice Terrace's methods along the way to purposefully investigate. Sure enough, he found traces of Xu Fu's actions.

His heart seethed with killing intent, intending to slay Xu Shi as soon as he reached the Eastern Ying lands across the sea.

He entrusted a Qin citizen who had secret ties with the Black Ice Terrace to repair the ship.

He then adjusted his physical state.

Afterward, in November, the man, who was in his thirties and usually quite composed, staggered to find Yuan, his face pale. Yuan asked him what had happened, but the man couldn't speak. Finally, he stumbled and knelt on the ground, opening his mouth, his throat hoarse for a long while before he wailed:

"It's gone, all gone!"

"All gone..."

Yuan helped him up and said, "What's gone? Tell me clearly."

The man in his thirties raised his head, already sobbing uncontrollably:

"My brother was serving under General Zhang Han, but later he was forced into the Allied Armies of the Nobles. But that Xiang Yu actually slaughtered more than two hundred thousand Qin soldiers in Xin'an, not a single one left alive..."

"More than two hundred thousand, two hundred thousand people, they all fell like wheat being harvested."

With a buzz,

Yuan's face turned pale. He didn't even realize he staggered backward, his hand heavily supporting the table to steady himself. More than two hundred thousand Qin soldiers, even though they surrendered to the nobles to save their lives, Yuan could still understand them in his heart. But now, these soldiers from Guanzhong were dead just like that.

That wasn't one, or a hundred, or a thousand.

That was more than two hundred thousand.

He didn't know how much time had passed before he asked, his lips trembling slightly, "What about Zhang Han..."

The man wiped away his tears heavily and said through gritted teeth, "Zhang Han is still alive, he was granted the title of King Yong."

In that instant, Yuan truly felt lost, feeling the chasm between him and his childhood friend. It was an era, a tumultuous and chaotic world sweeping past. He watched helplessly as his friend, who had once vowed to serve the Great Qin until death, ultimately traded the lives of more than two hundred thousand comrades for a kingship.

Those were the comrades who once sang "How can we be without clothes?"

Beneath the winds of Qin, all that remained were piles of white bones behind the throne.

He opened his mouth, a pain that was difficult to describe in words rising up. Two hundred thousand people, exchanged for one man to be king. In that instant, he hated his friend, who had survived alone, even more. His right hand slammed heavily on the wall beside him, the entire house collapsing directly from the impact. Veins bulged on his forehead, his eyes bloodshot, and he roared in a deep voice:

"Zhang Han!!!"

Two hundred thousand.

Two hundred thousand!

"How can we be without clothes? I share your robes. The king raises his army, let us sharpen our spears!"

Yuan, who was about to set sail, picked up the Qin sword, sharpened to a chilling edge, and turned back to Xianyang City.

This was a chaotic world, with too many people unable to control their own destinies.

But at least he knew which direction his sword should point, knew why he was fighting.

At least he could still be himself in this chaotic world.

...

When Yuan returned to Xianyang City, he saw a scene of utter devastation.

He stood quietly before the Xianyang Palace, seeing the palace he had entered and exited countless times in his youth transformed into complete ruins. The remaining walls and stones bore the marks of being burned by fierce flames. Clearly, after looting, the invaders had set fire to the palace, and the fire had spread from the Xianyang Palace to the entire Xianyang City.

This magnificent city under heaven was no longer prosperous.

The Allied Armies of Xiang Yu had inflicted enormous damage on this city.

Anyone who resisted was slaughtered, their wealth plundered, and the palace walls burned, the fire raging for more than three months.

When they left, they even abducted all the women of Qin.

The once bustling streets were now empty, the bloodstains on the ground dried and blackened. Everyone's face was filled with fear and unease. Yuan returned to his home and saw that the locks had been smashed open, and the mementos left by his mother had been broken open. The gold inside had been looted, leaving only a finger ring.

'Your father's military merits back then were exchanged for this gold.'

'When my son grows up and finds someone he loves, he should give this gold to her to secure their life together.'

Yuan's heart ached intensely. He spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered and knelt on the ground, gnashing his teeth, each word filled with blood and tears, almost a painful howl: "Burn my palace walls, slaughter my city, abduct my women, bury alive my fathers and elders..."

"Xiang Yu, if I don't kill you, Yuan will have lived in vain, Yuan will have lived in vain!!!"

...

Yuan disregarded the fact that he was only a solitary figure, completely incomparable to a commander like Xiang Yu, a genius under heaven. National and familial hatred surged like waves. Whether it was people who had already given up on themselves and drifted with the tide, or those who adhered to certain beliefs, everyone would be caught up in this great trend.

Being unable to control oneself was the essence of a chaotic world.

In a chaotic world, no one could escape.

On the road to returning home after Xiang Yu uttered the phrase, 'To become rich and not return to one's hometown is like wearing brocade at night,'

A Qin elite soldier in black armor ambushed him at night.

No one thought that in the era when Xiang Yu had become the top commander of this era, someone would dare to do such an absurd thing. No one knew how this person had carried out the ambush single-handedly, but that was exactly what happened.

He was like an eagle spreading its wings in the night, swooping down from the high sky.

The Qin sword silently pierced out, easily severing the throats of the Chu soldiers.

One, two.

It wasn't until he had killed more than thirty Chu soldiers that someone finally noticed him. The entire camp stirred, and he had already found Xiang Yu's main camp. Xiang Yu pushed open the tent and walked out. Yuan saw that he was a tall and sturdy man, his face not handsome, but grand and resolute.

His eyebrows were raised, as if nothing could leave a mark in his eyes.

Even in the night, he was still wearing iron armor and a helmet, dignified and imposing. The moonlight broke through the dark clouds and fell on him, as if covering his iron armor with a layer of faint light. He stood there, twenty-six years old, like a deity.

"Who are you?" Xiang Yu asked.

Yuan tore off the black cloth covering his face. His eyes were red, staring at the tall and stalwart man. The Qin sword in his hand trembled, emitting a cold light under the moonlight. He said, "Great Qin, Black Ice Terrace, Imperial Guard of the twenty-sixth year of the First Emperor, Yuan."

Unexpectedly, the tall man laughed. He waved his hand, telling the surrounding Allied Armies of the Nobles to disperse. He took off his helmet, relaxed his chest, and smiled, "So you've come to seek revenge? Coming alone, you deserve to be called a warrior!"

"I'll give you the chance to fight me one-on-one."

As a general, he gave up his greatest advantage. It was a rather arrogant move, but the soldiers all dispersed, clearly having enough trust in Xiang Yu. There was even a hint of anticipation and eagerness in their eyes. Yuan raised his hand, holding the Qin sword, while Xiang Yu didn't use a spear, but also used a war sword.

The thirty-one-year-old Imperial Guard faced Xiang Yu, who was about to be called the Overlord.

Yuan took deep breaths, allowing his body, which had just been fighting, to recover. His stamina had decreased a lot, but under the influence of that burning emotion, his combat power hadn't diminished much, and might have even surpassed his past self.

But he was still not a match for the Overlord in his prime.

The Qin swordsmanship, like the old Qin people, was upright and fierce. He strode forward, accompanied by shouts, the Qin sword in his hand either heavily chopping down, the momentum seeming to split mountains and break rocks. Xiang Yu's swordsmanship was equally powerful. The two war swords constantly clashed, and Yuan felt the enormous power coming from his opponent, shaking his qi and blood.

The other party's foundation and physique far exceeded his own.

Yuan could only try his best to fight. One move, five moves, ten moves. Slowly, the surrounding Chu soldiers stopped talking, remaining silent like death, watching the last Qin elite soldier fighting Xiang Yu like a madman. It was the first time they had seen someone fight Xiang Yu to this extent in a one-on-one battle.

The war sword in Yuan's hand heavily struck down, smashing against the blade of Xiang Yu's war sword.

Then, gathering all his strength, he suddenly chopped down.

But at this moment, Yuan's back suddenly felt cold. He felt that there was no power of resistance under the sword, as if he had struck the air. It was a feint. Suddenly, Xiang Yu's sword vibrated and leaped up, like a stream of light, skillfully deflecting the sword in Yuan's hand. Xiang Yu was an unparalleled genius in martial arts. Since he was a great talent, how could he only rely on brute force?

The Chu sword stabbed towards Yuan.

Yuan gritted his teeth and twisted his body, using his shoulder to take the blow. Then, he lowered his body, and in that moment of Xiang Yu's arrogance and underestimation, he suddenly stepped forward, the Qin sword in his palm like a ferocious beast, roaring violently. His sudden rush brought a sweeping flow of air, all the power of his body gathering on the sword, and then, pushing the sword forward.

This was as dangerous as actively sending himself under Xiang Yu's sword, but it was also the final killing move.

Three steps.

With a short burst, the blade would pierce out, matching the speed of this instantaneous burst of charge. When his strength reached its peak, this Qin sword would pierce through Xiang Yu's armor, pierce through his heart, and the iron eagle on the hilt would once again be stained with blood.

"You dare, you villain!"

"Stop!"

The surrounding Chu soldiers all shouted in panic and anger, mixed with the clear sword cry.

But they were interrupted by Xiang Yu's hearty laughter.

He retreated out of the range of the sword's peak momentum in a situation that was impossible for ordinary people. Raising his hand, accompanied by a roar that resembled the cry of a dragon beast, the Overlord Spear appeared in his hand. The tip of the spear tore out silver light, and pierced the blade of the sword. In an instant of solidification, the Iron Eagle Sword that had accompanied Yuan for more than ten years shattered inch by inch.

In a deadly battle, he had lost his weapon.

Yuan's eyes were filled with unwillingness.

The Overlord Spear was thrust out, the spear technique of the number one martial artist in the world.

The spear tip pierced through Yuan's heart without any hesitation.

He was also waiting for a chance to deliver the final blow.

Yuan staggered, raising his hand to hold the Overlord Spear, tightly grasping the spear, but unable to stop Xiang Yu, whose physical strength was inherently greater than his, from slowly pulling the spear out. The extremely sharp spear tip cut through his heart, even carrying a slight chill, followed by unparalleled pain.

Yuan's consciousness slowly disappeared, thrown out of the camp as another of Xiang Yu's defeated opponents.

But in his final moment of unwillingness, a trace of strange clear energy suddenly overflowed from his heart. This clear energy seemed to heal his heart, and then accelerated its beating. Yuan woke up from his coma, covering his heart, and crawled out of the corpses unwillingly. He staggered away, knowing that he needed to heal.

The clear energy in his heart slowly dissipated, as if it had discovered that he was not its master.

A divine object conceals itself. If it doesn't recognize its master, it cannot be used at all.

As his heartbeat slowed down, Yuan's vision gradually darkened, and he finally fell.

...

It was unknown how long had passed before Yuan slowly opened his eyes and woke up.

He felt a burning pain in his throat.

"Water..."

He murmured in a low voice. A porcelain bowl was placed on his lips, and he swallowed the cool liquid in large gulps. Finally, he supported himself to thank the person, but saw a pair of familiar, clear black pupils like the long wind, and was slightly stunned.

"Cough cough... It's you?"

"Jue sensed the aura of a familiar old friend earlier, so I came back to look for them. Unfortunately, that aura disappeared on the way, and I was ultimately unable to find them. However, I did encounter General. Seeing that you were seriously injured, I brought you here to heal, and finally managed to save your life."

The elegant woman smiled and explained.

Yuan looked at the quiet little girl beside her and thanked her solemnly.

After a pause, he asked:

"You couldn't find your old friend?"

The little girl shook her head.

Yuan sighed, "What a pity."

The women were about to leave soon, and Yuan also discovered that it seemed to be because his heart had suffered a fatal injury that his strength had been greatly diminished. On the day of their departure, the elegant woman looked at him and sighed:

"General was originally going to die. Even if you survived by chance, you only have four or five years left to live."

"But you must be careful, in these years, do not rashly engage in war, otherwise..."

Yuan asked, "Otherwise, will I die?"

The elegant woman shook her head, with a hint of mysterious meaning, and smiled, "No, but if baleful energy accumulates, the General's next life will inevitably be born with deficiencies, a broken foundation, and you will be unable to reach the peak of cultivation throughout your life. You will also be plagued by incurable illnesses."

Yuan laughed loudly, "A true man is not afraid of death, why should I fear illness?"

"Moreover, the theory of a next life is nothing but vanity, I do not believe it."

The woman only smiled and said nothing.

When they finally parted, Yuan looked at the little girl, who was only thirteen or fourteen years old, and knelt down to meet her eyes, asking:

"What is your name?"

"Jue, two jade pieces make Jue (珏)."

"Jue."

The Great Qin elite soldier Yuan said, "Thank you for saving my life. I still have things I must do, so I can't repay you now, but I will definitely repay you." After thinking about it, he reached into his collar with a hand that still trembled even after his injuries had healed, and pulled out a pendant, strung with his mother's last memento, the finger ring.

Yuan stared blankly at this last memento.

He broke the finger ring in half.

Then, he took Jue's hand with one hand and placed one half of the pendant with the rope into the little girl's palm, smiling:

"This is the most important thing to me right now."

"I'm giving it to you now. My name is Yuan, and I'll make an agreement with you. One day, when you are in danger, as long as I'm still alive, no matter how far apart we are, I will definitely rush over and save you. This is a promise of Great Qin, and it will never be violated!"

He bit his finger and performed the most basic and core contract technique.

The little girl accepted what was, to Yuan, the last important thing.

After his injuries healed, he went to join Liu Bang's forces. Liu Bang was troubled by the lack of capable people under him, and even the heavily injured Yuan was welcomed by him. The first battle was against Zhang Han, who was the King Yong.

In the Battle of Fei Qiu, Zhang Han saw his former childhood friend.

In that battle, Zhang Han finally lost the intention to surrender, and no longer had the face to face his friend and the twenty-odd thousand comrades whose corpses were piled up. He didn't know what had happened that day, but it was also a fact that he had accepted Xiang Yu's invitation afterward. Therefore, he committed suicide when the city fell.

As Yuan fought, his body deteriorated, and even his temples had white hair.

If one looked at his aura, he was almost an ordinary old farmer, rather than the last elite soldier of Great Qin.

In Yuan's eyes, in the forty-fifth year of the First Emperor,

Based on the methods of the Black Ice Terrace elite soldiers, and the strategies of Zhang Liang, Chen Ping, and Han Xin, Han Xin formed an array and drove the Overlord. Yuan, whose aura had weakened and was no longer as brave as he was in his youth, transformed into an old farmer and led the once invincible Overlord, who had burned Xianyang, buried alive the Qin soldiers who surrendered, to his doom.

Finally, he asked Liu Bang for the Overlord Spear.

Zhang Liang looked at him and sighed, "Are you really going?"

"You and I have known each other since we were young, and now you have achieved fame and success. If you leave, another familiar person will disappear. Moreover, how long can your body last, ten days, or a month? Or three months, are you just going to torment yourself in the end?"

Yuan, with white hair at his temples, looked into the distance and said:

"Outside the East Sea, there are many strange beasts, and I have a feud with them. I am far inferior to my cultivation of that day, coupled with the baleful energy injuries left by Xiang Yu, my days are numbered. Perhaps I will die in the East Sea, or perhaps I will die on the road before I even reach the East Sea."

"But that is not a reason for me not to go."

"This hatred must be avenged!!!"

His voice paused, and he mocked himself, "It's just a pity that I can't keep my promise."

Zhang Liang was stunned. He watched the elite soldier in black clothes, with half-white temples, turn around, mount his warhorse, and gallop away. He tilted his head back and drank wine, his voice hoarse and old, and struck his sword sheath, singing loudly:

"How can we be without clothes? I share your robes. The king raises his army, let us sharpen our spears. I share your hatred!"

"How can we be without clothes? I share your armor. The king raises his army, let us sharpen our spears. I work with you!"

"How can we be without clothes? I share your battle dress. The king raises his army, let us sharpen our armor. I march with you!"

The desolate war song gradually faded away, whether from reality or from this era, no one knew. Zhang Liang listened intently, shook his head, and sighed, "What a good song of the Qin Wind."

"I'm afraid I won't hear it again in the future."

He turned around and walked away.

This was the last time he saw Yuan. Later, even the Qin Wind was rarely heard.

When the old Marquis Liu recalled the past, he suddenly woke up from his memories and ran after the children who were walking through Chang'an, singing other tunes in their mouths. This was another legend, another era and inheritance, impacting the Qin Wind tunes in his memory until they were mottled and faded.

He patted his knees and sang softly.

"The great wind rises, the clouds fly."

"My might extends throughout the land, I return to my hometown."

"Where can I find brave warriors to guard the four directions!"

PS: Today's second update... five thousand two hundred words, thank you to Da Sheng Zhai for the ten thousand reward, thank you~

The Qin Dynasty chapter is over~

After all, the hatred must be left for Wei Yuan to avenge, and this can also explain the various plots before, why the foundation of reincarnation is weak, the grievances with the Overlord, why he could get the Overlord Spear, and then connect them together.

Slaughtering Xianyang, killing the Qin prince Ziying who surrendered, burning the Qin palaces, the fire did not extinguish for three months. Taking their goods, treasures, and women to the east, the Qin people were greatly disappointed - *Historical Records*