Chapter 40

At this moment, in Yuan's heart, it was already September of the fortieth year of the reign of Qin Shi Huang.

By the time he arrived in Xianyang, even Qin Er Shi, Hu Hai, had already died at the hands of Zhao Gao’s son-in-law, Yan Le. Beneath the calm surface of Xianyang lurked a faint sense of panic. When Zhao Gao attempted to usurp the throne, many ministers and generals remained silent in opposition.

Left with no other choice, Zhao Gao could only support Ziying as king.

By the time of Hu Hai's death, the Qin Empire controlled even less territory than the original Qin state, so it could only be called a kingdom, not an empire.

However, only a few days later, Zhao Gao hastily urged Ziying to go to the Qin ancestral temple to inherit the throne.

Ziying was already aware of Zhao Gao’s intentions. After Zhao Gao's previous unsuccessful attempt to ascend the throne, Ziying had secretly agreed with the King of Chu to kill him and seize the throne. How could he dare to go to the ancestral temple? He could only feign illness in the fasting palace, sending Zhao Gao's men away once again. Ziying felt a headache, and with a faint sense of fear, sighed:

"I've refused several times already. What if Zhao Gao comes here himself?"

His eldest son hesitated for a moment and said, "Why not lure him in and kill him?"

Ziying's face showed hesitation, but he finally shook his head. "No, no, this Zhao Gao is a man of both literary and martial talents. That's why the First Emperor took him on his inspections as the Chief of the Imperial Carriages. Over the years, this treacherous villain’s cultivation has only grown stronger day by day. How could we possibly take him down with just the few of us?"

"Besides, he is a treacherous character. He wouldn't come unless he was sure that we couldn't defeat him even if we all attacked together, unless..."

He paused, then said, "Unless there are Tie Ying Rui Shi (Iron Eagle Warriors)."

His two sons fell silent.

The Tie Ying Rui Shi had long been murdered, and the remaining forces had gathered under Zhang Han, who was currently attacking Qin. At that moment, Ziying’s confidant, Han Tan, suddenly cried out in alarm. The father and sons stopped talking, grabbed their swords, and rushed over. They saw Han Tan sitting on the ground, a secret door in the wall, and a man in simple cloth standing there with a sword on his back.

The hilt of the sword bore the image of an iron eagle taking flight.

They were the elite warriors of Qin, the swords of Qin, the brave warriors forged by the blood-drinking Qin swords.

They were Qin's first and last line of defense.

"...Tie Ying Rui Shi."

...

"Your Highness wishes to eliminate Zhao Gao."

Yuan stared at Ziying, who was about to ascend the throne, still addressing him only as "Your Highness," and said:

"I can be the one to wield the blade, catching him off guard, and surely kill Zhao Gao, this beast."

Ziying was overjoyed, but then worried about how to hide Yuan. Yuan pointed to the eunuch Han Tan beside him and said:

"Please have him take off his clothes and exchange them with me."

Han Tan dared not refuse and changed his clothes. Yuan tidied his attire, changed out of his weather-beaten cloth clothes, trimmed his beard, and his face was resolute. Although he was thirty years old, his expression was still sharp and imposing. Even in eunuch's clothing, it was difficult to conceal his heroic bearing.

Ziying was lost in thought as he looked, and praised him in his heart.

Yuan put down the Qin sword with the iron eagle emblem and said, "My sword was forged by the Hei Bing Tai (Black Ice Terrace). Zhao Gao was once my colleague, serving together before His Majesty. I fear that it will expose me. Please have Your Highness choose another battle sword."

Ziying agreed and had his son retrieve a treasured weapon, then held the ancient sword in both hands and handed it over, saying, "This sword is called Shu Lou. It is a famous ancient sword. Please take it, brave warrior."

Yuan accepted the sword, thanked him, and stood to the side with his head lowered.

Before they could send someone to invite him, the sound of footsteps was heard, and a panicked voice cried out. Another son of Ziying ran in, his face pale, and said in a panic, "Father, Father, that villain Zhao Gao has come here himself."

Ziying's face turned slightly pale, but he still tried to maintain his composure, saying, "If he comes, he comes. What is there to fear?"

His gaze fell on Yuan, and seeing him wearing the Shu Lou sword at his waist and nodding slightly to him, he felt a little more at ease. He straightened his posture, and before he could announce Zhao Gao's entry, the door was rudely pushed open with a crash. Zhao Gao, dressed in the high-ranking official robes of a prime minister, lowered his hand and walked in slowly.

"Why has Your Majesty not gone to the ancestral temple to inherit the great lineage?"

Ziying's face was slightly pale as he looked at Zhao Gao, who was walking slowly towards him against the light. He felt that he could not see the other person's face clearly, only that his aura was powerful and majestic, making it difficult for him to breathe. He forced himself to say, "I am unwell and am truly not deliberately delaying. Prime Minister, please wait a few days. When I feel better, I will go to the ancestral temple."

"Oh? Is that so?"

Zhao Gao continued to walk forward, step by step, saying, "But why do I feel that there is nothing wrong with Your Majesty?"

The pressure was too great, and Ziying's two sons could not bear it. The one who had been outside earlier and did not know about Yuan's appearance could not help but angrily hold his sword and say, "Zhao Gao, you are a subject of my Qin, the Prime Minister of Qin. Do you want to commit insubordination and force your own king?!"

He held his long sword in front of him, but it was immediately knocked away by a burst of energy and plunged into the ground.

Zhao Gao's character had become increasingly rampant and reckless since he had pointed at a deer and called it a horse, forcing Hu Hai to his death. He drew a sword and was about to kill Ziying's second son, but as soon as he drew his sword, his short sword was blocked by a long sword. No matter how profound Zhao Gao's cultivation was, he could not break free.

He looked up and saw that the sword was held by Han Tan, Ziying's confidant eunuch.

Then he saw Han Tan raise his head, saw a pair of cold and sharp eyes like those of an eagle falling on him.

Zhao Gao's pupils suddenly shrank.

That was not Han Tan!

Memories seemed to flash back to more than ten years ago.

In the dim memories, a young man with fair skin and a heroic spirit, like a newborn tiger, dressed in black armor and carrying a halberd, fearlessly explored the world, staring at him.

'I have a word. Please take care of His Majesty's daily life, Chief of the Imperial Secretariat. If His Majesty is unwell when I return, even if it is just a single hair, Yuan will demand it back. At that time, even if you escape ten thousand miles away, Yuan will still kill you.'

"Halberd-bearing Guard..."

"Chief of the Imperial Carriages, come forward and accept your death!"

Yuan's Shu Lou sword rang out, directly forcing the short sword away. He recognized the short sword as the sword that had been used to assassinate a monarch, the Xu Fu sword that Prince Dan of Yan had prepared for his retainer, Jing Ke. He did not know when Zhao Gao had obtained it, but it was clear that he intended to kill Prince Ziying of Qin here today.

Yuan's expression turned cold, and he thrust out the long sword in his hand.

It was the Qin army's sword technique.

His cultivation was similar to Zhao Gao's, but one had been in the central Qin court, relying on various natural treasures to accumulate strength, while the other had fought fierce beasts in the sea and killed distant enemies in foreign lands. Their combat experience was not comparable. Moreover, one was using a long sword, while the other was only using a short sword.

The sound of clashing swords rang in his ears.

Zhao Gao was forced to retreat again and again. After only a dozen or so exchanges, he had several wounds on his body. Yuan's wrist moved, and the sword blade cut off the tendons of Zhao Gao's hands. The blade flicked, and the Xu Fu sword was directly thrown away. Then, he kicked Zhao Gao heavily in the abdomen, pinning him to a thick pillar in the fasting palace.

Zhao Gao spat out blood, and his hands subconsciously tried to move Yuan's right foot away, but it was useless. It was as if this foot not only had its own strength and magic, but also had something deeper and more emotional beneath it, making Zhao Gao unable to shake it.

Yuan changed his foot to a side kick, knocking him directly to the ground. He then held the sword with both hands and thrust it through Zhao Gao's shoulder blade, piercing the floor of the palace, the blade deeply embedded in it. His knee pressed heavily on the wound in his chest and abdomen, causing Zhao Gao unbearable pain, but he could not die, and could only let out suppressed screams.

The series of actions were cold and ruthless, all techniques used by the Hei Bing Tai warriors to assassinate powerful figures.

The two glared at each other. Qin revered water, and the heights of the fasting palace were hung with fine black silk. The most skilled women had to work for a year to weave a single bolt. At this moment, it was torn by the energy and fell down. Ziying was horrified by the killing intent and retreated, sitting down on the steps. In a trance, he saw through the hanging black silk...

There was a young halberd-bearing guard in black armor.

He was holding a sword and forcing back his opponent.

A pair of eyes stared fixedly at the once humble and courteous Chief of the Imperial Carriages.

The black silk fell, and he realized that it was just an illusion. The halberd-bearing guard was no longer young, and the one who had fallen was the Prime Minister of Qin. Yuan held the sword with both hands, glared angrily, and forcibly suppressed his voice, saying:

"What exactly happened to His Majesty? How could His Majesty die?!"

"He is the Emperor of my Qin, how could he die!"

"Three years ago, when I returned, His Majesty even personally drew his bow and shot down a Kun Peng (mythical bird) descendant on the shores of the East Sea, obtaining a giant fish. How could he leave this world in just a few months? Zhao Gao, what exactly happened?!"

Zhao Gao was forced to spit out blood, but only smiled miserably and said, "How could he not die?"

"Everyone will die, why can't he die?"

"A person who wants to achieve achievements that are beyond human ability, how can he not die?!"

Yuan pressed the sword down and said, "Explain yourself clearly."

Zhao Gao stared at Yuan and said, "Xu Fu did not return with you, did he?"

Yuan's pupils contracted slightly. He thought of when he received the news that Xu Fu was about to start refining the elixir of immortality, and he had no choice but to return to Qin alone, while the thousands of young boys and girls, the nearly hundred craftsmen, and those troops all remained outside.

Zhao Gao suddenly burst out laughing and said, "In the end, he still tricked you. His Majesty's death has also made you lose your composure. Then I will tell you, the one who brought His Majesty down was Xu Fu's hidden hand."

Yuan said angrily, "Impossible, how could a mere Fang Shi (alchemist) harm His Majesty in the slightest?!"

Zhao Gao said:

"Of course he couldn't do it, but... he refined the divinity of those overseas islands into a pill first. This kind of evil god is naturally not His Majesty's opponent, but because it is a foreign divinity, it stimulated the Shen Zhou (Divine Land) divinity that His Majesty suppressed. Even His Majesty had to make several external inspections, suppressing the gods of Shen Zhou under the rule of Qin, one by one."

"And that time, he had to personally face the Shen Zhou divinity that had been activated by the divinity of the overseas islands."

"It was the riot of all the gods of Shen Zhou."

Yuan's voice stopped.

Zhao Gao felt the stagnation of the sword and continued, "Do you still think that Xu Fu will return?"

"He is not a Qin person. He told me that his own country was destroyed, and the gods revered by his ancestors were captured, bound, and even destroyed. He was unwilling, so he naturally had to resist, but he did not dare to confront His Majesty, so he could only use this method, only hoping that His Majesty would release the suppressed gods."

"In this way, the Six Kingdoms would still have a glimmer of hope, His Majesty would only be injured, and the Central Plains would be in chaos again, so he could take the opportunity to escape overseas."

Yuan lowered his eyes and said, "His Majesty never accepts any threats."

Zhao Gao said, "You know him well."

Zhao Gao could not help but close his eyes, recalling the scene that he would never forget in his life. The emperor in black robes held a sword, and finally glanced at him with disdain, causing his limbs to stiffen. Then, the emperor arrogantly stepped towards death, towards the flames and thunder, overlooking the divinity of the entire Shen Zhou.

So all the gods became subjects.

Finally, the emperor gathered the Shen Zhou divinity and luck on the jade seal.

Holding this seal, future emperors could freely bestow titles upon local deities.

So-called deities, from now on, would no longer be gods who had to be revered and worshipped by the entire country, as in the Western Zhou Dynasty. From this day on, they would only be vassals of the dynasty, subjects of the emperor. Those who obeyed me would live, and those who opposed me would die.

The era of Shen Zhou thus began a new chapter.

From the coexistence of humans and gods, to national sacrifices, and finally to the enfeoffment of local deities, humans finally gained the absolute upper hand.

And the first emperor completed his great undertaking and fell into a peaceful sleep.

Just as he said.

After all, he called himself the First Emperor.

All legends begin with him, but should not end here.

Yuan's hand holding the sword trembled slightly. He took a deep breath, and almost bit out those two words from his teeth: "Xu, Fu..." Zhao Gao felt this hatred and was able to breathe a sigh of relief. He felt that he still had a chance of survival.

The Shu Lou sword was pulled out.

Zhao Gao breathed a sigh of relief.

Yuan took out the jade dragon pendant and wore it on his waist.

The Qin warrior, who was now thirty years old, paused for a moment, and suddenly muttered to himself:

"Your subject is, of course, willing."

Zhao Gao was stunned, and then saw the First Emperor's pendant, his pupils shrinking. The halberd-bearing guard, no longer young, held the sword with both hands and said:

"Chief of the Imperial Carriages Zhao Gao, for colliding with His Majesty's chariot and attempting to rebel, should be executed, beheaded!"

"Your subject, halberd-bearing guard Yuan, will carry out the execution!"

The sword fell.

Zhao Gao, Prime Minister of Qin, became the third high-ranking official to die under the Shu Lou sword.

ps: Today's second update... 3,800 words

Thanks to Peng Kacha Peng for the ten thousand yuan reward, thank you~