"Who are you, and why are you in Ying Zheng's carriage?"
Zhang Liang furrowed his brows. He knew that Verdant Green Maiden, who had caught up with him so quickly, was no ordinary person. It looked like he truly wouldn't get away today.
Verdant Green Maiden grinned, showing her sharp fangs. "Verdant Green Maiden! Shao Dian Qing Nü."
She was rather proud of her name.
"Shao Dian..."
Hearing Verdant Green Maiden's name, Zhang Liang furrowed his brows.
Seeing him frown, Verdant Green Maiden glared and ground her teeth. "What? Is there something wrong with my name?"
Yellow Emperor's Grandfather! In all these thousands of years, no one had ever dared say her name sounded bad!
Seeing anger on Verdant Green Maiden's face, Zhang Liang was even more puzzled.
But Verdant Green Maiden didn't waste any more words on him. "Come with me to see Ying Zheng!"
Verdant Green Maiden had called Ying Zheng by his name, leaving Zhang Liang astonished. No one in the Qin Palace would dare do that. He looked her up and down, then demanded with a frown, "You're clearly no ordinary woman. Why help that Violent Qin?"
"Why not come with me, Zhang Liang, and help save the world?"
But after he said this, Verdant Green Maiden waved a hand. "Spare me. The one you want to save is your Han."
Zhang Liang, Zhang Zifang—his father and grandfather had both been prime ministers of Han.
The Zhang family had been prominent in Han for generations. What he wanted to save now was only Han.
The world?
Don't make me laugh.
Verdant Green Maiden's words darkened Zhang Liang's expression.
Verdant Green Maiden stared at him and added, "I admire your talent. Come with me and serve as an official in Qin. How about it? Ying Zheng respects talent. I'll put in a good word for you, and we'll let this assassination attempt be water under the bridge. Everyone wins!"
Ying Zheng? This kid?
Zhang Liang stared at Verdant Green Maiden as if he'd seen a ghost. He seemed to realize she was no ordinary person.
But going with her was out of the question!
Zhang Liang cupped his hands and refused. "I will never help the Violent Qin. I failed to assassinate the Qin ruler today and was captured by you. I accept my fate. Please, make your move."
"Hey, you—"
Verdant Green Maiden frowned and had just taken a step forward when her face suddenly turned pale.
She coughed violently, speckling her green robe with blood.
Seeing this, Hong Luan, whom she held in her hand, cried out, "Stupid Snake! I told you not to fight! Why are you still so impulsive?"
Hearing that voice, Zhang Liang was even more astonished.
A bird... had spoken?
Verdant Green Maiden's face was pale. She staggered and fell to the ground, clutching her chest. With a sorrowful expression, she said to Hong Luan, "Bird Sister, I'm afraid Snake won't make it. Remember to bury me. Bury me by the Wei River, and bring plenty of beef when you visit my grave next year."
"Remember, no fruit. It tastes awful..."
As she spoke, Verdant Green Maiden closed her eyes and fainted on the spot.
"Stupid Snake, and you're still thinking about that!"
Furious and frantic, Hong Luan flapped her wings and shouted, "Someone, come quickly—!!"
Zhang Liang took the chance to escape. Hong Luan had no time to bother with him.
At Hong Luan's cries, Qin soldiers hurried over and carried Verdant Green Maiden back.
When Verdant Green Maiden woke, Hong Luan was lying on her chest. Someone had changed her clothes, and Ying Zheng was scolding people while a whole row of imperial physicians knelt by her couch.
Oh! Good! She wasn't dead.
As expected, Snake was blessed with a long life. All those good deeds over thousands of years hadn't been for nothing!
Verdant Green Maiden glanced at Ying Zheng as he scolded the others, then murmured, "You're so noisy. Can't you shut up..."
At the sound of her voice, the tent fell silent.
Hong Luan was the first to cry out. She buried her little bird head in Verdant Green Maiden's chest, her body trembling. "Waaah! Stupid Snake, you're finally awake! You scared me to death!"
"Master, how are you feeling?"
Ying Zheng hurried to the couch and asked with concern.
Lying on the couch, Verdant Green Maiden said weakly, "My waist aches, my back hurts, and my legs are cramping. But most of all, I'm hungry... I think I could eat two—no, three cows right now! Snake has had such a hard life!"
Seeing Verdant Green Maiden chatter on and on, Ying Zheng breathed a sigh of relief.
If she could talk like that, she was probably fine.
Ying Zheng sent the imperial physicians away, then said to Verdant Green Maiden, "Master, I've already sent men to capture that madman. Please rest assured."
Hearing this, Verdant Green Maiden turned to Ying Zheng. After a moment of silence, she said, "You won't catch him."
After a long silence, Ying Zheng sighed.
"Master, get some rest first."
Only after Ying Zheng had left did Verdant Green Maiden ask, "Hong Luan, where are my clothes?"
Hong Luan replied, "Ying Zheng had the palace maids change you. He said they were stained with blood, so he threw them away! I couldn't stop him."
"Ah... My precious Azure Scale River Skirt!"
Hearing that, Verdant Green Maiden let out a long sigh. She stretched, rolled over on the couch, and tucked the blanket around herself.
She no longer had the strength to fret over her clothes.
Hong Luan hopped beside Verdant Green Maiden's head and asked, "That Zhang Liang... was he part of history too?"
Verdant Green Maiden nodded. "Yes!"
"Could we... stop getting involved in all this?"
After a moment's silence, Hong Luan asked softly. "I'm worried about you..."
"Ah! Who knew changing someone's fate would be this hard? If I'd known, I wouldn't have made that promise to Ying Zhu. Snake is a woman of her word. Otherwise, do you think I want to die? But... even if I really die, you'll be there to bury me!"
Verdant Green Maiden took her promises very seriously. Once she'd given her word, she would find a way to keep it!
Who could have guessed it would be so difficult?
This was going to be the death of Snake!
"Stupid Snake, don't say 'die'!"
"Fine, fine, I won't say 'die.' I won't die, and you won't die either. We'll live well!"
Verdant Green Maiden stroked Hong Luan's head and spoke softly. She murmured, "I'm just... a little unwilling to give up. If I couldn't do anything at all, that would be one thing. But I still killed Zhao Gao and made Fusu Crown Prince, and yet the result..."
Hong Luan raised a wing and pressed it against Verdant Green Maiden's forehead.
"Stupid Snake, don't think about it so much. Rest!"
Outside the tent, Ying Zheng stood silent for a long while. Only when someone came to his side did he finally turn and leave.
The Qin Army and the Black Ice Platform searched Han Land for over a month. But even after turning the earth over three feet deep, they still couldn't find Zhang Liang.
It was as if he had vanished from the Mortal Realm!
With the search yielding nothing, Ying Zheng had no choice but to order the army to return to Xianyang at the ministers' urging.
Only after they passed Hangu Pass did Li Si and the others finally breathe easy.
After returning to the palace, Verdant Green Maiden went back to the Jade Maiden Shrine to recuperate.
Somewhere along the way, a rumor began to spread.
The rumor said there was a demon in the Qin Palace.
The emperor summoned fangshi to concoct elixirs and Seek Immortality, all because he'd been bewitched by a demon. The rumor sounded convincing, and even details claiming the demon was a Snake Demon began to circulate. The palace maids and eunuchs in the Qin Palace started looking at Verdant Green Maiden differently.
After all, Verdant Green Maiden had been in the Qin Palace for over twenty years—longer than they'd been alive.
But Afang soon punished every last one of them!
Ying Zheng ordered an investigation. It seemed harmless enough at first, but the inquiry led straight to the Yin Yang School.
"Hundreds of years have passed, and they still haven't changed their ways!"
Verdant Green Maiden ground her teeth and cursed furiously. "The Yin Yang School? Bah! A bunch of people who talk behind Snake's back! I should've thrown every last one of them into Xiao Mountain to feed the wolves!"
She pretended the pillar was a member of the Yin Yang School and gave it several hard punches, then rubbed her hand.
Watching Verdant Green Maiden fume, Ying Zheng made a small mark on the bamboo slip. Then he said to her,
"Master, why don't you leave Xianyang?"
Before you continue