Warring States Devil King

The Qin Army had entered Luoyi and surrounded the Royal Palace.

The palace of King Zhou had now become Ying Ji's temporary residence. Qin soldiers filled the halls and courtyards, inside and out. Western Zhou Duke and King Zhou Ji Yan could do nothing but languish in the palace, living in constant dread.

Verdant Green Maiden vaulted over the wall and slipped inside with practiced ease.

Ever since the Son of Heaven had moved to Luoyi, the Royal Palace had received no funding for expansions. For hundreds of years, whenever something broke, they simply repaired it.

As the Son of Heaven's authority steadily declined, even the money to repair the Royal Palace had dried up. Now, only a few of the central halls still looked presentable; the rest of the pavilions and towers had fallen into utter ruin. How mighty Ji Fa had been in his day, there on the banks of the Wei River!

Pitiful. What a lament.

Perhaps Di Xin's final grand Shao Ji sacrifice had succeeded.

The Zhou Dynasty had lasted eight hundred years. Apart from the first two centuries, during the Western Zhou period, when things had been relatively stable, the royal house had spent the next five centuries adrift in storm and strife, while conflict raged across the realm.

"What a pity. What a pity."

Verdant Green Maiden shook her head and sighed as she arrived at Ji Yan's sleeping quarters.

Inside, an old man in a royal robe sat quietly at the edge of the bed. When he saw Verdant Green Maiden enter, he didn't show the slightest alarm.

Seeing this, Verdant Green Maiden wrinkled her nose, then quickly backed away and turned to leave. But just then, a large force of Qin soldiers clad in armor and brandishing weapons came rushing up from either side of the sleeping quarters' entrance. They sealed off the doorway, giving Verdant Green Maiden no chance to escape.

"Immortal, why hurry away? I still wish to speak with you."

The old codger stood and slowly walked toward Verdant Green Maiden.

"Looks like winter really isn't the time to be active. It's made me dull-witted—I didn't even notice this was a trap!"

Verdant Green Maiden muttered to herself, rubbing her head. She glanced back at the Warring States Devil King approaching her and asked, "Boy, tell me, where's Ji Yan?"

"The Son of Heaven isn't here. Once I've finished speaking with you, I'll take you to see her."

Ying Ji smiled and spoke to Verdant Green Maiden in a leisurely voice.

Verdant Green Maiden narrowed her eyes, turned around, and grabbed the doors to the sleeping quarters. With a tug, she ripped them right off and assembled them into a chair.

She sat down and looked at Ying Ji. "Tell me, how did you know about me?"

It rather felt as if Verdant Green Maiden were interrogating Ying Ji.

Ying Ji paused, finding the sensation quite novel. He coughed and told the Qin soldiers not to get tense, then said to Verdant Green Maiden, "I heard from Master Zhang Yi that he had a beautiful teacher."

"So it was that brat!"

Verdant Green Maiden clenched her teeth, wishing she could dig up Zhang Yi's grave.

Grinding her teeth, she asked, "What else? You heard that one sentence and knew it was me? You even knew I'd come here? What, do you think you can fool a snake?"

"Of course, that wasn't all!"

Ying Ji nodded and continued, "Ever since our Great Qin ancestor accompanied King Ping on his eastward relocation, our people have fought the Quan Rong on the Zhou Plain. After King Xie of Zhou died, many of Zong Zhou's records were scattered. By chance, our Great Qin came into possession of some of them, and learned of the existence of a Qing Xiao Jade Maiden."

"That was a legend handed down from the time of Mu Tian Zi!"

"If I'm not mistaken, this Qing Xiao Jade Maiden must be you, Immortal?"

Verdant Green Maiden nodded. "Mm. That's me."

Her straightforward answer took Ying Ji by surprise, but he soon understood. After all, she was an Immortal; she wouldn't behave like ordinary mortals, with all their so-called modesty. Immortals came and went as lightly as drifting clouds, free and unrestrained.

Seeing Ying Ji stare at her, Verdant Green Maiden asked, "So, you came looking for me just to chat? Don't you have anything better to do?"

"Of course not!"

Ying Ji shook his head and stepped closer, closing the distance between them.

His eyes gleamed as he fixed them on Verdant Green Maiden. "I wish to ask the Immortal to bless Great Qin! Whether you grant me longevity or bless Great Qin with favorable weather and abundant harvests, either will do!"

"You make it sound as though I ought to be grateful to you for blessing you."

Verdant Green Maiden shot him a strange look and waved him away. "No, no. Keep your distance! Don't you know that's rude?"

Ying Ji paused, then gave a light cough. "I was too forward. Please don't take offense, Immortal."

Verdant Green Maiden propped her chin on her hand and looked at Ying Ji. "Ying Xiao Mi, since you learned of my existence from Zong Zhou's records, you should understand what happens to those who make a deal with me. And yet you still came running to me?"

"What happens?"

Ying Ji was taken aback.

Seeing him at a loss, Verdant Green Maiden was speechless.

"So you really don't know?"

Ying Ji looked somewhat embarrassed. He spoke slowly. "The Quan Rong destroyed much of Zong Zhou's records, and very little survived. I only confirmed your existence, Immortal, by piecing together evidence from various sources. But this consequence... what is it?"

"Come on. Take me to Ji Yan, and you'll find out."

Verdant Green Maiden waved a hand, ordering him.

Ying Ji watched her, seemingly trying to determine whether she was using this as an excuse to trick him into taking her to Ji Yan.

But no matter how long he thought about it, Ying Ji couldn't guess what the consequence might be. In the end, he nodded and led her to another sleeping chamber, the one that belonged to Ji Yan.

Ji Yan was lying weakly on the bed. She didn't have long to live.

"Oh! Good thing she's not dead yet."

Verdant Green Maiden clicked her tongue and shook her head. If Ji Yan were dead, she'd have to dig up her grave herself.

She glanced back at Ying Ji and smiled faintly. "Ying Xiao Mi, do you know? I was there when Da Yu tamed the floods, when Shang Tang overthrew Xia, and when King Wu marched against Shang Zhou. All three sage kings of the ancient dynasties received my help!"

At this, Ying Ji grew even more excited.

"So you truly are a bringer of auspicious omens, Immortal!"

If they could obtain Verdant Green Maiden's help, wouldn't that prove that Great Qin could unite the realm?

"But as for the consequence..."

Verdant Green Maiden suddenly changed tack and drew the sword from the waist of a nearby Qin commander.

He rushed forward to take it back, but Verdant Green Maiden kicked him straight out of the sleeping quarters. He crashed through the doors, shattering them.

The kick left countless people stunned!

"Sorry. I might've broken a few bones, but he should survive."

Ying Ji and the others' mouths twitched at her words.

Verdant Green Maiden carried the sword toward Ji Yan. Seeing what she was doing, Ying Ji frowned and asked, "Immortal, what are you doing?"

"Showing you the consequences!"

Verdant Green Maiden replied, then raised the sword and drove it into Ji Yan's heart!

Her Heart's Blood trickled from the tip of the blade and dripped beneath the bed. Verdant Green Maiden hurriedly unhooked the gourd at her waist to catch it.

Ji Yan's face twisted with pain. A few breaths later, she fell silent and died.

"This... this, this..."

Ying Ji stood rooted to the spot, utterly stunned.

Verdant Green Maiden gave the gourd a shake, hooked it back onto her waist, then turned to Ying Ji and spoke slowly. "That is what happens when you make a deal with me. It's the price. In this gourd are the Heart's Blood of Xia Jie, Shang Zhou, and now Ji Yan—the final kings of three dynasties!"

"Ying Ji, your Great Qin is next!"

Verdant Green Maiden declared.