"Verdant Green Maiden, Shao Dian Qing Nü!"
Qing Nü gave her name, but the surname made Bai Qi's pupils contract.
The Shao Dian Clan!
Bai Qi asked in a low voice, "Are you an Immortal?"
"If you think I am, then I am. Just don't get in my way."
Qing Nü's expression remained helpless. She waved at Bai Qi and said, "Stop blocking me. Be careful, or I'll hit you too."
Then she raised her head and called out, "Hong Luan!"
A blue bird swooped down from the sky, circled above Bai Qi, then returned to Qing Nü's shoulder and spoke. "You humans are so unreasonable! We clearly didn't provoke you, yet you're blocking our way. Are you looking to die?"
"The bird can talk?"
Bai Qi stared at Qing Nü in astonishment.
He had lived all this time and had never seen anything like it!
Could she really be an Immortal?
After thinking it over, Bai Qi decided not to stop her. He waved to the people around him and said, "Everyone, stand aside!"
"Yes, General..."
The men nodded and cleared the way.
In truth, even without Bai Qi's order, they wouldn't have dared to stop Qing Nü again!
The sight of that pebble piercing a man's shoulder was still fresh in their minds! They knew they couldn't withstand an attack like that. They'd be nothing but corpses, so what did it matter if they let her pass?
It wasn't as if she could bring the dead back to life, right?
Could she?
Seeing Bai Qi order his men to move aside, Qing Nü looked quite pleased. As she passed him, she looked up at him on his horse and said, "Bai Qi, I have a piece of advice for you. Want to hear it? I don't hand out advice just anyone."
At Qing Nü's smile, Bai Qi felt dazed for a moment. After hesitating briefly, he cupped his hands to her. "Please, speak!"
"Killing those who surrender brings ill fortune!"
Qing Nü left him with those four words, then continued on her way.
Bai Qi sat on his horse and watched Qing Nü disappear into the distance, dragging Zhao Kuo's corpse behind her.
He fell silent, turning over the meaning of the four words she had left him, until a messenger came riding up, breathless.
He said to Bai Qi, "General, the Great King wants to see you!"
The Great King?
Had he come to Changping?
At the news, Bai Qi led his men back.
Inside the main tent, Ying Ji watched Bai Qi hurry in from outside, his aged eyes full of scrutiny. "Lord Wu'an, where have you been? Why weren't you in the tent? As the commander-in-chief, you've neglected your duty!"
"Please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Bai Qi didn't argue. He dropped to one knee and begged Ying Ji's pardon.
Ying Ji waved a hand and said with a smile, "Get up! You're one of Great Qin's greatest contributors!"
Bai Qi rose to his feet. Ying Ji glanced at the people on either side and said, "All of you, leave. I want to speak with Lord Wu'an alone."
"Yes!"
The people on both sides quickly withdrew.
Only Bai Qi and Ying Ji remained in the tent. Ying Ji stood and walked over to Bai Qi, circling him once before suddenly asking, "Lord Wu'an, how many Zhao soldiers did Great Qin capture in this battle? Do you know?"
"About four hundred thousand."
Bai Qi knew the figures by heart.
Ying Ji nodded, then asked, "And do you know that Great Qin doesn't have enough food to feed four hundred thousand mouths?"
At those words, Bai Qi fell silent.
"I... know."
Only after a long while did Bai Qi nod, acknowledging that he understood.
Seeing him nod, Ying Ji said no more. He patted Bai Qi on the shoulder and said, "Good. As long as Lord Wu'an understands! I won't say anything more. I'm sure Lord Wu'an will satisfy me."
After saying that, he prepared to leave.
Bai Qi suddenly turned and called out to him. "Your Majesty, please wait. I... have one more thing to say!"
"Oh? What is it?"
Ying Ji turned to look at Bai Qi.
Bai Qi told him about Qing Nü. There was no way to keep from the King of Great Qin the fact that a Green Clad Immortal had suddenly appeared on the battlefield. So many Qin soldiers had seen her!
When Ying Ji heard about Qing Nü, his brow furrowed and his expression turned grave.
"You say she was a Fairy dressed in green?"
Bai Qi nodded. "Yes! At the very least, I'm no match for her. She'd only need one move to kill me."
Ying Ji gave a quiet hum. "I understand. I'll leave the matters here to you. I'll return to Xianyang first."
Bai Qi continued, "I have one more matter!"
"Lord Wu'an, why are you so long-winded? Can't you just say what you have to say?"
Ying Ji frowned at Bai Qi, displeasure in his eyes. "What is it? Speak!"
Bai Qi bowed his head to Ying Ji. "I ask Your Majesty to order our army to press its advantage and march straight for Handan! If we take Handan in this battle, Great Qin will have no more rivals! Zhao will be reduced to a mere border state."
After he said this, Ying Ji fell silent, then shook his head. "Lord Wu'an, Great Qin can't keep fighting."
With that, Ying Ji turned and left.
Watching him hurry away, Bai Qi sighed helplessly.
By the time Qing Nü returned to Handan with Zhao Kuo's corpse, news from Changping had arrived too: Bai Qi had ordered the execution of four hundred thousand Zhao soldiers.
Hearing this, Qing Nü looked up at the sky and let out a long sigh. "Hong Luan, do you see?"
"Mm..."
Hong Luan nodded.
"I see. The history you told me about is truly terrifying."
"Indeed."
Qing Nü sighed.
"Indeed! History is truly terrifying. Whether Zhao Kuo led the army into battle or those four hundred thousand men were buried alive, nothing could stop it. Even if the King of Zhao, the King of Qin, or both had been killed, Qin and Zhao still would have ended up here."
Once the Battle of Changping began, the fate of those four hundred thousand people was sealed.
The Battle of Changping was the Major Trend of the world bearing down on them. Shangdang had been cast away by Han, and Qin and Zhao had no choice but to fight over it. Could she get the people of Han in Shangdang to remain neutral?
Impossible.
Have Han keep Shangdang?
She had tried that too.
Qing Nü patted her cheeks, then sent Hong Luan soaring into the sky to find a good burial site outside Handan and bury Zhao Kuo.
Zhao Kuo had been defeated, and now everyone in Handan wanted to flay him and pull out his tendons.
It was better to bury him outside the city and keep it secret.
After burying Zhao Kuo, Qing Nü returned to her lodgings.
From daybreak until late at night, soldiers came and went outside. The King of Zhao had ordered men to be conscripted in the city to form a new army!
The loss of four hundred thousand able-bodied men had undoubtedly struck at the very foundations of Zhao.
Every household in Handan was draped in mourning white, and weeping filled the city without end.
Countless people cursed Bai Qi.
The title Butcher began spreading at that time, and eventually became another name for Bai Qi!
Just as countless people had cursed him, their curses came true. Ying Ji deposed Bai Qi, accusing him of defying the King's Command and acting arrogantly. He was stripped of everything! Not long afterward, he was sentenced to death.
After he died, Handan erupted in cheers.
It was as if Bai Qi's death meant Qin was finished.
But the Warring States Devil King showed them the truth: even without Bai Qi, Qin's overwhelming dominance over the land remained!
But Qing Nü didn't care about any of that now. She was visiting a household.
The head of the household was named Ying Yiren. He had a wife named Zhao Ji.
At that very moment, Zhao Ji was full term and about to give birth!
Before you continue