"Protect His Majesty!"
"Protect His Majesty!~"
Zhang Han hurried over with the Imperial Guard, his bronze sword still dripping with blood, but he stood rooted to the spot, stunned.
Inside the palace, several severed limbs lay scattered across the floor.
One of the bodies was in the worst shape. All that remained was a severed hand clutching a war drum mallet; the rest had been reduced to mush.
At the top of the hall, Ying Zheng stood before the throne in a black imperial robe. Golden dragons circled him, shielding him, while an overwhelming imperial might bore down on Zhang Han, making it hard for him to breathe.
"Gulp!"
Zhang Han swallowed, his forehead already beaded with sweat. He hurriedly lowered his weapon and dropped to his knees.
"This subject failed in his duty to protect Your Majesty. I beg the First Emperor to punish me!"
Silence!
A silence as still as death.
The palace seemed to hold nothing but Zhang Han's ragged breathing, making everyone's heart pound with fear.
At that moment, Ying Zheng slowly opened his eyes. Two black true dragons swam within them, making it impossible to meet his gaze.
"The cultivation method bestowed by the Heavenly Emperor is actually real. Is this the power Immortals possess?"
Ying Zheng held out his hand. His skin, once sallow and rough, had become fair and smooth. His fatigue and ailments had vanished completely, as if he had returned to the man he had been decades ago.
"This is only my first time cultivating. If I practice diligently every day, perhaps I really can live forever!"
"What's more, this is merely a cultivation method the Heavenly Emperor bestowed casually. Perhaps even better things await me in the future!"
Ying Zheng was not only excited, but also relieved.
If he had not joined the Chat Group, he would never have gained such an opportunity.
Not only could he live forever in the future, but he had also learned that other worlds existed.
At the thought, he lowered his gaze to the golden dragon phantom circling him.
The Heavenly Emperor Visualization Diagram was not fixed in its effects.
It contained many Great Ways, and the one Ying Zheng had gained represented national fortune.
The stronger the national fortune, the greater his strength would become.
If he could unify the entire world, he would be able to become an Immortal.
He could even ascend with the entire nation and travel to other worlds to continue expanding his territory.
Of course, Qin had only just unified the Six States. It had yet to reclaim the other continents, or even the lands of the Baiyue peoples nearby.
Even so, the golden dragon of national fortune he had gathered was already invincible in this world.
Anyone who tried to attack him would trigger a backlash from the national fortune and meet the same fate as the assassins before him.
"No need!"
Only then did Ying Zheng reply to Zhang Han.
"With the Heavenly Emperor's favor, no one can harm me now!"
"But you know what to do about the origins of these assassins!"
"Yes! This subject will root out every one of these rebellious traitors!"
Watching Ying Zheng, now so full of youthful vigor, Zhang Han felt as if he had returned to the days when Qin conquered on all sides and won every battle. His own excitement grew.
As for this so-called Heavenly Emperor, if anyone else had mentioned him, Zhang Han would not have believed a word.
But these words had come from His Majesty's own mouth. Naturally, Zhang Han believed them without a doubt.
In his heart, Ying Zheng had always been a deity descended from heaven. It was only natural that he would receive help from the so-called Heavenly Emperor.
At the thought, he kowtowed once more, then picked up the bloodied sword beside him and headed out of the palace.
Anyone who dared attack the First Emperor would bring calamity down on themselves. Countless people in Xianyang City would surely be implicated over the next few days.
The coming days would be drenched in blood.
"Your Majesty, Moon Goddess requests an audience!"
Ying Zheng had only just returned to his bedchamber when a young eunuch cautiously pushed open the door and reported.
"Let her in!"
Ying Zheng leaned over the Dragon Desk, where stacks of memorials had been piled up.
Now that he knew the path he would follow was tied to national fortune, he naturally would not slack off.
The assassins' bodies had already been cleared from the Hall of Heavenly Audience, but the smell of blood would not fade anytime soon.
So he had simply moved all the memorials to his bedchamber.
Soon, a graceful, alluring woman entered with measured steps. Her bearing was seductive, yet her face was utterly serene.
"Moon Goddess pays her respects to Your Majesty!"
Moon Goddess bowed halfway as she spoke.
"What is it?"
Only after Ying Zheng spoke did Moon Goddess raise her head.
But the instant she did, she froze in place.
She had met Ying Zheng before and, as the Great Priest, had often been in contact with him.
That was why Lord Donghuang had sent her to the palace.
But the Ying Zheng before her now was nothing like the man she remembered.
If the Ying Zheng of before had been a dying old dragon,
then now he was a rising sun, ready to rule the world at any moment!
Had his expression and the way he reviewed memorials not seemed familiar, and the Qin State's national fortune around him not remained as powerful as ever, she would have thought this was an impostor.
"Could this be the reason Lord Donghuang spoke of a great change in the celestial signs?"
At the thought, Moon Goddess addressed Ying Zheng with even greater deference.
"Congratulations, Your Majesty. Lord Donghuang divined the heavens tonight and discovered that Great Qin's national fortune is like a dragon. The empire is sure to flourish without end and rule the world forever!"
Moon Goddess spoke with fervor, like a fanatical believer. Her voice alone was enough to stir anyone's heart.
Ying Zheng was not surprised.
What a joke. He had received a boon from the Heavenly Emperor. If Great Qin still ended the way it had in the original course of history, with the dynasty collapsing in its second generation, he might as well hang himself.
But as he looked at Moon Goddess, an idea occurred to him. He asked,
"Moon Goddess, do you think anyone in this world has truly achieved immortality?"
Moon Goddess froze. In the past, a few casual words of praise from her would always send Ying Zheng into a frenzy; he might even reward her on the spot. Why was he unmoved now, and even asking about immortality?
Though confused, she quickly regained her composure.
"Of course!"
"Ancient texts record that there are immortal mountains overseas: Penglai, Fangzhang, and Yingzhou. Immortals dwell there, and they count a hundred years as a single cycle of spring, summer, autumn, and winter. They live forever and share the lifespan of Heaven!"
"The Mirage Tower is nearly complete. Once it is finished, the Yin-Yang School will surely find the path to immortality for Your Majesty!"
Moon Goddess rattled off her answer with ease. When she spoke of the Mirage Tower, her voice brimmed with anticipation.
She did not actually know whether Immortals existed.
But the Mirage Tower had indeed been built to help the Yin-Yang School seek Immortals. She was not deceiving Ying Zheng about that.
It was just that, even if they found the path to immortality, they would not hand it over to Ying Zheng.
From beginning to end, they had only been using him.
But Ying Zheng's next words sent a chill through her.
"Oh? Then why do I feel that you have no loyalty to me at all?"
Ying Zheng's icy voice came from above.
"Your Majesty, you wrong me! Heaven and Earth can bear witness to my loyalty to Your Majesty and to Great Qin!"
Moon Goddess's face changed dramatically. She hurriedly dropped to her knees and spoke in terror.
She had no idea what had gone wrong. But if she lost Ying Zheng's support, she would become a sinner in the eyes of the entire Yin-Yang School.
Ying Zheng rose and strode forward with the bearing of a dragon!
Only then did Moon Goddess see, to her horror, true dragons swimming in his eyes. She dared not look directly at him.
Before you continue