The First Emperor would arrive in Langya in five days.
Chen Jin focused entirely on improving his strength.
Following Ren Tu's advice, he devoted his efforts to the Nongjia School's classical texts.
However, reality dealt him a small blow.
The bamboo slips discussing soil colors, the changing seasons, and the habits of crops seemed far less intuitive to him than mechanical blueprints.
Although Libationer Jiang Yan guided him, his proficiency in the [Shennong Technique] had only surged to 69% before hitting a bottleneck. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't make any further progress.
What frustrated him even more was that, after searching through all the Nongjia School's classical texts, he hadn't found a single one that met the requirements for visualization.
To visualize and comprehend a skill from the Nongjia School's advanced texts, one needed at least 70% proficiency.
"Alas, it seems I was never destined to be the protagonist of a farming story." Chen Jin ruefully closed a volume of the Shennong Materia Medica and rubbed his brow.
It was easy to lose heart—or even give up on this path—when the goal was in sight, yet still out of reach.
After breakfast and feeding Nuonuo, he went to Libationer Jiang Yan's residence to ask for advice about his bottleneck.
Jiang Yan stroked his beard and pondered for a moment before speaking slowly. "At its heart, the Nongjia School's art lies in following the seasons and responding to the earth's energies.
"Little Friend Chen, you have studied hard behind closed doors and grasped the principles, but you have lost the most direct connection with nature and the world around you.
"The Shrine of the Four Seasons Deity at Langya Terrace is one of the Eight Divine Lords of Qi Territory. It governs the turning of the seasons, and the rhythms of spring's renewal, summer's growth, autumn's harvest, and winter's dormancy all converge there.
"If you wish to break through the Shennong Technique's bottleneck, you might go there and experience the breath of the seasons. It should help you.
"Contemplating the turning of the seasons and the life of all things amid the shrine's ancient atmosphere may help you draw connections more easily than poring over classics.
"Though the place is probably crawling with guards by now, for someone as skilled in disguise as you, it shouldn't pose much of a challenge."
Jiang Yan's words gave Chen Jin an idea.
The Shrine of the Four Seasons Deity—that was the very place Xu Fu had chosen to present the elixir of immortality.
"One trip, two birds with one stone!" Chen Jin's eyes flashed.
"Thank you for your guidance, Libationer. I was already hoping to investigate the shrine. I'll go and take a look."
With the Libationer's permission, he took copies of the Nongjia School's classical texts with him.
Once he had packed everything, Chen Jin prepared to leave the academy and head for the Shrine of the Four Seasons Deity.
Ji happened to spot him. He set down the bamboo slips in his hands and asked casually, "Leaving already?
"Don't forget, you're a 'registered nobody' now. Fu's Identity Tablet was scrapped ages ago.
"The Eye of Law is watching from above, and the Shrine of the Four Seasons Deity is where His Majesty will soon arrive. It'll be locked down tight. Have you thought about how you'll get in?"
Chen Jin stopped and turned around with a smile. "I was just about to ask you. You managed to infiltrate the law enforcement squad back then, so you must've had a reason to be there. What trick did you use to evade the Law Eye?"
At that, Ji wore a cryptic smile.
Unhurriedly, he picked up an ordinary wooden chopstick from the table—the kind used for eating—and laid it across his palm, holding it out to Chen Jin.
"Watch closely." Ji's smile faded. He stared intently at the chopstick and spoke with utter certainty, one word at a time:
"You are the Identity Tablet of a guard at the Shrine of the Four Seasons Deity." "You are the Identity Tablet of a guard at the Shrine of the Four Seasons Deity." "You are the Identity Tablet of a guard at the Shrine of the Four Seasons Deity."
After he repeated it three times, something strange happened.
The ordinary wooden chopstick seemed to understand him. It began to tremble slightly, and a bronze-colored gleam spread across its surface.
Its shape warped and reshaped within the light. Inscriptions flowed over the wood grain, its edges grew neat, and in the end, it truly became a wooden Identity Tablet carved with runes and small-seal script, exactly like the standard ones Chen Jin had seen before.
"This...!" Chen Jin's pupils contracted. He was genuinely stunned.
He knew the School of Names excelled at debate, but he hadn't expected it could distort people's perception of reality to such an extent.
"Is this the School of Names' 'calling a deer a horse'?"
"What's 'calling a deer a horse'? It's nothing but a little trick of the eye."
Ji modestly demurred, though a hint of pride still flickered across his face. "In essence, it's just temporarily deceiving the 'rules,' making the Law Eye in this area recognize the object in your hand as an Identity Tablet.
"It won't last long, but it should be enough to get you inside."
Chen Jin took the "Identity Tablet," which had just been covered in rice, and suddenly saw things clearly. But then a pang of guilt rose in him. "Such a marvelous skill... You must have had some important goal when you went undercover in the law enforcement squad. Did I drag you all down and cause the mission to fail?"
Ji waved a hand, looking relaxed. "Hey, don't mention it. It wasn't some earth-shattering mission in the first place.
"We'd heard Squad Leader Wang Wu was related to the great general Wang Jian, so my superiors sent me to follow that lead and see if I could find a way to get close to Great Qin's greatest general."
He shrugged, his tone self-deprecating. "You saw what happened. Wang Wu nearly got chopped up by the Qin Mohists' iron monstrosity, and not a single elder of the Wang clan came forward to shout, 'Spare him!'
"Either he'd exaggerated until his story fell apart, or the connection was so distant it might as well not exist.
"That lead was hopeless from the start.
"Your little stunt gave me the perfect excuse to leave. I got to come back and enjoy some peace and quiet, so I should be thanking you."
Chen Jin knew Ji was only trying to comfort him, but he still took the favor to heart.
He gripped the "Identity Tablet" and nodded. "Thank you. I won't forget your help."
"Be careful," Ji said, his smile fading as he gave Chen Jin a solemn warning.
After Chen Jin left, Ji closed his bamboo slips and went to see Libationer Jiang Yan.
"With something major about to happen, why send him to such a dangerous place? We haven't known each other long, but I think he's a good person."
Libationer Jiang Yan glanced at Ji. "Didn't you realize? He came to Langya for this very reason. Even if we didn't let him go, he'd go anyway. We couldn't stop him."
"But..."
Libationer Jiang Yan cut him off. "I've been calculating his fate these past few days. Guess what it is?"
"I don't know, Master."
"Exceptional in spirit, drawn to the extraordinary, appearing out of nowhere, broadly learned and capable in many fields. His fate is both terribly ill-fated and extraordinarily fortunate."
"Now do you understand where he came from?"
Chen Jin stopped at the foot of Langya Mountain and looked up.
Though the mountain lacked Mount Tai's grandeur, it possessed a unique beauty from its seaside location.
Its slopes formed a dark-green screen, slanting toward the azure sea. The mountain ridges were gentle, and the trees so lush that the rock beneath them was almost invisible.
The morning mist had yet to lift. Milky-white vapor rose from the sea and curled around the mountainside, making the ancient shrine atop the peak seem indistinct, like a celestial palace suspended among the clouds.
Yet beneath this breathtaking landscape lurked countless guards.
Every route from the foot of the mountain to the shrine had been sealed off, layer upon layer.
Qin Elite Soldiers clad in black armor and armed with long halberds stood guard every five paces, with sentries every ten, forming one silent, impenetrable line of defense after another.
But that was only the visible force.
Deep in the shade of the trees, the empire's Shadow Secret Guard blended almost perfectly with the foliage.
High in the sky, a closer look revealed that the floating "Law Eyes" were several times more numerous than usual. Their indifferent pupils turned slowly, like a net of heaven's law, enveloping all of Langya Mountain.
...At that moment, Langya Mountain was no longer just a mountain. It was a deadly trap, its unseen maw open, waiting to swallow any unwelcome visitor.