I Am the First Emperor, I Will Not Be the Son of Heaven!

"The Great Qin Dynasty?"

Sun Wukong's gaze paused, a sharp glint flashing in his eyes, like a streak of golden light that vanished in an instant.

The old king nodded gently, his eyes deep. He raised a hand and pointed to the east, his finger trembling slightly, yet his eyes still held a longing:

"From this place, travel straight east, cross a thousand mountains and ten thousand rivers, and you will see a magnificent capital city with towering walls, named—Xianyang!"

He paused, his gaze seeming to pierce through the dust of countless years, and continued with a voice tinged with pride and reverence:

"It is the most prosperous place in this mortal world, with palaces and buildings of golden splendor, and royal aura reaching the heavens. There are the most luxurious palaces, the most valiant soldiers, as well as the most majestic emperor and the strictest laws."

Upon hearing this, Sun Wukong's eyes shone with brilliance. His previously casual and lazy posture instantly vanished, and a sharp aura of looking down upon the four seas emanated from him.

A cold smile tugged at the corner of his lips. He cupped his hands in a fist and said loudly:

"Thank you for your guidance, old king! I shall go to Xianyang now and see what capabilities this most noble emperor of the mortal world possesses!"

With that, he flicked his sleeve, as if about to ride the wind and depart.

But at this moment, Princess Aozi, who had been standing quietly by the side, suddenly stepped forward.

She clutched the hem of her skirt, her lips trembling slightly, tears glistening in her eyes, yet she forced herself to stand tall, refusing to let the tears fall.

"Great King, wait!"

Her voice trembled as she called out to him softly.

Sun Wukong's steps faltered. He turned to look at her, a hint of confusion in his eyes.

Aozi took a deep breath, raised her head, and gazed into his eyes, as deep as the night sky. She asked in a hoarse voice:

"I... I still don't know the Great King's honorable name..."

Seeing her solemn expression, Sun Wukong suddenly grinned, revealing a row of neat, white teeth, and slowly said:

"My name is Sun Wukong!"

He tilted his head to look at the impossibly high blue sky, his eyebrows raised. As if talking to himself, yet also hinting at something, he chuckled softly:

"Soon, this name will be known throughout the heavens, earth, and underworld, the four great continents, the eight seas, and ten thousand kingdoms! Whoever mentions it will know how formidable I am!"

Princess Aozi stared at him blankly, her lips trembling. A strange, indescribable sourness welled up in her heart, but the words at the tip of her tongue refused to come out.

Seeing that Sun Wukong was about to ascend on the clouds, she suddenly, with tear-filled eyes, shouted loudly:

"Sun Wukong! Will we... be able to meet again?"

The Monkey King smiled slightly upon hearing her voice. He did not turn back, his back straight, his robes fluttering in the wind.

Only then did he speak faintly, his voice carrying a hint of coolness and a touch of detached solitude:

"Mortals live less than a hundred years, like mayflies between heaven and earth, born in the morning and dying in the evening... I fear it will be difficult for us to meet again in this lifetime."

He paused, then suddenly added softly, as if bestowing a favor, or perhaps a farewell:

"Princess, take care!"

"I depart!"

As his voice faded, auspicious clouds rolled beneath Sun Wukong's feet. A clear whistle pierced the sky, and in an instant, he had crossed the clouds, transforming into a golden light that shot into the highest heavens.

Princess Aozi looked up, gazing blankly at the dissipating cloud shadows, her vision filled with emptiness.

The wind stirred her long hair and the hem of her skirt, but it could not dispel the sense of loss in her heart. Her heart seemed to have quietly departed with the clouds in the sky, along with Sun Wukong.

She raised her hand, trying to grasp something, but it was all in vain.

Tears welled in her eyes, and one drop fell, burning her heart.

The old king looked at his daughter's expression and sighed. He stepped forward, raising his hand as if to wipe away the tears from her eyes, but ultimately lowered it, saying softly:

"Zi'er, the Monkey King has already left!"

Tears in her eyes, Aozi asked, "Father, will I truly never see him again?"

The old king said, "He is a Demon Immortal, an unparalleled Demon Immortal. He is not someone we mortals can hope for!"

Aozi finally let out a long sigh and turned to look at her father, her eyes blurred with tears. Her voice was so low it seemed to dissipate in the wind:

"Father, if there is a next life, Zi'er wishes to become the clouds and mist in the sky, to accompany him forever..."

The old king sighed, unable to utter any words of comfort.

After Sun Wukong's departure, Princess Aozi, in the vast royal palace, would burn incense and pray daily, only wishing for the Monkey King's peace and the realization of his ideals.

Not long after, the old king abdicated his throne. Aozi succeeded him as queen. With a royal decree, she ordered the construction of dozens of temples dedicated to the divine monkey throughout the land. The incense burned brightly, and the people eagerly offered their worship.

And deep within the magnificent palace halls, Princess Aozi's hair gradually turned white, yet she still held an incense burner every day, praying incessantly towards the statue of the divine monkey.

Ultimately, she never married and lived to the age of one hundred and twenty-one. On her deathbed, she still whispered the name that had astonished her for the rest of her life—Sun Wukong.

However, in this lifetime, she and he never met again.

Of course, this is all a story for another time, and we shall not dwell on it for now.

Xianyang City, Qin Imperial Palace.

Xianyang City was majestic and grand, and the Qin Imperial Palace's layered palaces stood in dense rows.

In the main hall, the First Emperor Ying Zheng sat on his throne, clad in a black and gold dragon-patterned imperial robe, his head adorned with a twelve-stringed imperial crown that draped over his shoulders. His jet-black hair was tied beneath a golden coronet.

His sword-like eyebrows were sharp as blades, his eyes keen and cold like a falcon's, and his expression was dignified and unapproachable.

The civil and military officials in the hall bowed their heads and stood in silence.

"Where is Xu Fu?"

Ying Zheng spoke slowly, his voice icy and authoritative, his gaze sweeping over the officials like a sharp blade:

"My lords, is there still no news of Xu Fu?"

The hall was deathly silent.

After a long while, Chancellor Li Si stepped forward, his green robe as dark as ink. He bowed his head and said, his voice hoarse yet clear:

"Your Majesty, I heard from fishermen who were out at sea that they once saw Xu Fu leading three thousand young boys and girls, who found a narrow island in the depths of the Eastern Sea. They have been living there peacefully for many years..."

Li Si paused, looked up at the First Emperor, and finally said in a low voice:

"Moreover, I also heard that fisherman say that Xu Fu has already declared himself Emperor on the island, calling himself 'Divine Martial Heavenly Emperor.' Xu Fu also said that he would start a 'creation project' on the island to establish a new race! And that he would never return to Great Qin again!"

"What?!"

Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng suddenly stood up. The falcon-like eyes instantly filled with bloodshot veins, staring intently at Li Si, as if they could bleed.

"Useless! All of you are useless!!"

Ying Zheng suddenly raised his hand, and the jade desk was instantly overturned by him. A dull, heavy thud echoed through the hall, and the faces of the officials instantly turned pale.

"I sent him to cross the Eastern Sea to seek the elixir of immortality for me, and he dares to deceive his emperor and betray me?!"

Ying Zheng's furious roar shook the entire hall, causing the painted screens beside the throne to tremble.

"Mobilize the troops!!!"

He gritted his teeth, his voice as cold as the icy winds of hell:

"Issue my decree, mobilize the troops to cross the Eastern Sea, flatten the overseas lands, exterminate Xu Fu's nine generations of kin! Exterminate the three thousand rebellious people on his island, leaving not a single blade of grass alive!!"

The officials in the hall were as silent as cicadas in winter, none daring to speak.

The First Emperor of Qin was extremely enraged. He had now unified the six states, established the powerful Qin Dynasty, integrated the Nine Provinces, won the hearts of the world, unified the script, weights, and measures, built the imperial roads, and constructed the Great Wall. He believed himself to possess the virtues of the Three Sovereigns and the merits of the Five Emperors, and had created the title "Emperor," calling himself "First Emperor."

However, ever since the last Human Emperor Di Xin fell, and Ji Fa proclaimed himself king, calling himself the Son of Heaven, there had been no Human Emperor in the world.

From then on, the human path fell into ruin, completely suppressed by the Heavenly Dao!

From this day forward, the emperors of the human world could only call themselves Son of Heaven, and could not attain immortality or become immortals!

The First Emperor of Qin's gaze was like a piercing cold wind as he looked up at the sky:

"If I am to be, I will be the First Emperor, and never the Son of Heaven!"

"Heaven does not allow me to cultivate immortality, but I will cultivate immortality!"

"If Heaven does not allow me to live forever, I will defy Heaven!"

[Ps: This is a myth, and there will be some differences from historical facts. Please do not take it literally!]