Chapter 34

"For the time being, there's no need to consider that. I've already reported the matter of the Qin Artificer to the main family. We'll make further plans after word comes down from above. Our most urgent task is simply to take good care of him." Meng Lan had been head of the family for over a hundred years. Under his leadership, this branch of the Meng family had actually gained a position where it could support one another with the main family. Foremost among the reasons was Meng Lan's skillful handling of affairs.

He possessed a strong grasp of the bigger picture and was cautious by nature. Bold yet meticulous, he never did anything uncertain. Nor would he ever offend someone uncertain.

"Yes!" Meng Zhuang had no intention of harming Qin Yi either. As a member of the Meng family, he merely had a duty to report everything he saw and heard. Hearing Meng Lan's response, he immediately acknowledged the order.

Qin Yi, who was chatting with Andre in the guest room, had no idea that the Meng family had already leaked information about him. Because of it, he encountered the strangest thing since his rebirth...

Early the next morning, Qin Yi woke with one yawn after another. Gazing sleepily at the fine weather outside, where the blazing sun shone in all directions, he happily narrowed his eyes.

After getting dressed, he lightly waved his paper fan and walked out with measured, dignified steps. He heard shouts and cries drifting from the front courtyard. Following the sounds forward, he saw Meng Zhuang doing his morning training in the martial arts field.

"Little Yi, you're awake." Seeing Qin Yi, Meng Zhuang greeted him with a smile. "Did you sleep well yesterday?"

"Not bad!" Qin Yi replied cheerfully. Since arriving in this plane, "not bad" was what he said most often.

"Do you have any plans for today, Little Yi?" Meng Zhuang strode over to Qin Yi. As he accepted a towel from a maidservant and wiped the sweat from his face, he spoke.

"No plans." He had come here purely to have fun. What plans could he possibly have?

"Then let's have breakfast first!" For some reason, Meng Zhuang seemed absent-minded. After hearing Qin Yi's answer, he stood dazed for a while before finally speaking.

"All right." Qin Yi gave Meng Zhuang a suspicious glance but did not ask about it. After all, the two were not familiar enough yet.

By the time they arrived at the dining hall, everyone had more or less already taken their seats. Since his rebirth, Qin Yi's memory had greatly improved; it could be called photographic. Seeing two unfamiliar faces in the dining hall, he assumed they were Meng family members he had not met yesterday. Yet one of them looked at Qin Yi with far too much excitement. Qin Yi studied him carefully and felt that there was an indescribable familiarity about him.

"Qin Artificer, allow me to introduce you. This is the head of our Meng clan's main family, Meng Yi. Beside him is his closest friend, Ying Fusu," Meng Lan said with a smile.

Ying Fusu? Then I'm Qin Shi Huang! Qin Yi laughed inwardly, though none of it showed on his face. He smiled warmly at the two. "My name is Qin Yi. Pleased to meet you both."

Then, looking at Ying Fusu, he chuckled and added, "There's someone where I come from named Ying Fusu too, but he's the eldest prince of a dynasty! I thought the name was quite unusual. Who would have imagined there was someone with the exact same name?"

Qin Yi had merely spoken casually, but Ying Fusu became extremely agitated upon hearing it. "May I ask where you come from, young friend?"

I'm from Earth. Qin Yi thought this, but naturally could not say it aloud. He answered vaguely, "I come from a small place. It isn't worth mentioning."

"Last night, I observed the celestial signs and saw an alien star descend. What does my young friend think of this?" Ying Fusu stared at Qin Yi meaningfully.

An alien star descending? Is that for real? Qin Yi tugged at the corner of his mouth in a smile. "I have not studied celestial phenomena." Aside from watching Mango TV's thunderstorm forecasts in his previous life.

"May I ask who else is in your family?" Ying Fusu continued to press.

Qin Yi was growing irritated at the relentless questioning. He had only spoken offhandedly; how could he have carefully considered every word? Besides, who dug into someone's roots the very first time they met? Still, it was not polite to bluntly rebuff him, so Qin Yi pursed his lips awkwardly.

Seeing that Qin Yi's expression had changed, Ying Fusu, a perceptive and refined man, immediately realized his own rudeness. Yet the matter concerned what he cared about most. Ignoring Qin Yi's displeasure, he took a jade pendant from his robes and held it before him. "May I ask if you have seen another jade pendant similar to this one?"

Qin Yi suspiciously accepted the pendant. The moment he glanced at it, his pupils shrank—wasn't this identical to the jade pendant he had seen at his family home on Earth? His grandfather had specifically shown it to him and his brother back then!

Seeing Qin Yi's reaction, Ying Fusu did not need an answer. He immediately understood. Rising to his feet in excitement, he said to Qin Yi, "You came from over there, didn't you?"

Where was "over there"? Meng Lan and the others were confused, but Ying Fusu and Qin Yi certainly were not. Qin Yi answered somewhat vaguely, "Could it be that you came from over there too?"

"My name is Fusu, and my imperial father is Ying Zheng. Have you heard of him?" Ying Fusu asked with an excited expression.

Cough, cough—

Qin Yi nearly choked on his own saliva.

Qin Shi Huang! Who hadn't heard of him?

But this was a little too fantastical. Qin Yi found it hard to believe. He cautiously asked—

"Do you have a younger brother named Hu Hai?"

A strange light flickered repeatedly in Ying Fusu's eyes, and his gaze upon Qin Yi became increasingly gentle. "May I ask which generation of descendant of the Qin family you are?"

"Uh..." Qin Yi rubbed his aching head. "The Qin Dynasty fell thousands of years ago. My surname is Qin, but that doesn't necessarily mean I'm part of the Ying clan."

"How could that be? Since you have seen the jade pendant in my hand, it proves that you are definitely related to us. As for whether you carry the bloodline of my Qin family, you'll need to return to the palace with us for verification. Would you be willing to come with me?" Ying Fusu looked at Qin Yi expectantly.

"Well..." Qin Yi hesitated. What if he was not Qin Shi Huang's descendant? Would they chop him up in disappointment?

Though he admired Qin Shi Huang, he had no intention of throwing his life away.

"Rest assured. Whether or not you are of the Ying clan's bloodline, we will treat you with courtesy. Moreover, in return for your cooperation, our Ying clan will give you a great gift as recompense," Ying Fusu immediately promised.

"Agree to it. You won't lose out anyway, and I want to see what Qin Shi Huang looks like too!" Andre spoke from within the space. He had just finished reading The Legend of Qin, and his favorites were Xiang Shaolong and Qin Shi Huang. It was rare to have an opportunity to see the real person.

Since Ying Fusu had spoken so sincerely, Qin Yi could not very well refuse too strongly. Whether he was one of them or not, he would receive a gift, and he could also see what Qin Shi Huang looked like. As Andre put it, he would not lose out. Of course, the most important reason was Andre's presence. With such an enormous cheat as Andre backing him up, Qin Yi feared nowhere.

Thus, he followed the excited Ying Fusu back to the imperial palace.

At the Meng family residence, Meng Lan and the others watched Meng Yi and Ying Fusu hurry away, once again thanking their luck that they had made no wrong move.

"If luck is on our side, the glory of our branch is about to arrive..." Meng Lan stroked his smooth chin and spoke thoughtfully.

Fusu and the others flew on swords. In only a short while, they reached the imperial palace. To show respect for the imperial family, Meng Yi immediately descended to the ground. Fusu, however, brought Qin Yi flying straight into the palace. They did not stop until they reached an exceptionally grand and imposing hall.

The moment they landed, Fusu did not even allow Qin Yi time to look around before hurriedly leading him into the hall.

Upon the dragon throne at the top of the great hall sat a handsome man wearing a crown and a black dragon robe, his expression cold and stern. His exquisite features, as though carved from marble, carried an air of decisive slaughter. He possessed an imperial majesty that made one unable to resist feeling reverence at first sight.

This was the renowned Qin Shi Huang?

Qin Yi tilted his head as he studied him. No wonder all those families on Earth had searched everywhere and never found Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum. This man had never died, so he probably had never built one. How could they find something that did not exist? Those records in the history books were likely all fabrications by later generations.

"Imperial Father, I..." Fusu began excitedly, only to be interrupted by Ying Zheng before he could finish.

"You're already this old. Why are you still so rash in handling matters?" Ying Zheng said softly. Though it was a reprimand, his tone carried an indescribable indulgence. The way he opened his eyes and looked at Fusu also made Qin Yi uncomfortable.

"But Imperial Father, I discovered..." Fusu said, still unwilling to let it go.

"I know." Ying Zheng responded with a smile, then shifted his gaze to Qin Yi.

It was as if he were being scanned by X-rays capable of piercing through the human body. Under that single look, Qin Yi's scalp tingled, and he suddenly felt as though he were standing naked. Fortunately, the man looked away after only one glance, letting Qin Yi quietly release a breath.

"You are a descendant of the Ying clan on Origin Star?" Ying Zheng said blandly.

Qin Yi guessed Origin Star was Earth. He carefully replied, "I did indeed come from Earth, but I don't know whether I'm a descendant of the Ying clan. My surname is Qin now."

As he said this, Qin Yi added, "My entire family is surnamed Qin."

Fusu was amused by Qin Yi's superfluous addition and smiled knowingly. Ying Zheng gave Fusu an expressionless glance, and Fusu immediately adopted a solemn expression and a grave demeanor.

"Whether you bear the Ying clan's bloodline can be verified at once." As Ying Zheng spoke, without giving Qin Yi time to react, he made a slicing motion through the air with his right hand. A wound suddenly appeared on Qin Yi's arm as if cut by a blade. Crimson blood spattered forth and hung motionless in the air. Then Fusu tossed the jade pendant he had shown Qin Yi into the sky, and the blood suddenly flew into the jade tablet.

In an instant, the jade tablet shone brilliantly. A moment later, it returned to its original state.

"He truly is a descendant of our clan?" Ying Zheng still wore that deadpan face, but his aura had softened considerably, losing its former sharpness. Fusu, however, cried out excitedly. Then he stared at the still-bewildered Qin Yi with bright, shimmering eyes.

"Is our clan doing well on Origin Star now?"

"Uh..." Qin Yi scratched his head, unable to understand what exactly qualified as well or not well. "I suppose we're doing all right!"

"To what generation has our Ying clan line now been passed?" After thinking for a moment, Fusu asked again.

"..." Qin Yi fell silent. He wondered whether he should tell Fusu that the Qin Dynasty had perished in its second generation. China had now entered an era of democratic republics.

"What is it?" Qin Yi's hesitation gave Fusu a bad feeling. He swallowed and timidly glanced at Ying Zheng's expressionless face upon the dragon throne, unsure whether he should speak.

"Say it," Ying Zheng said calmly.

"The Qin Dynasty was destroyed in its second generation," Qin Yi said cautiously. Then he selectively gave Ying Zheng and Fusu a crash course on China's five thousand years of history.

"..."

"...You mean my vast Qin Dynasty had its power usurped by a petty hooligan?" After Qin Yi finished, the great hall was utterly silent. Only after a long while did Ying Zheng slowly speak.

Liu Bang was a petty hooligan...

Qin Yi was speechless. Well, that was how the history books described him too.

"That useless Hu Hai." As Ying Zheng spoke, the oppressive aura around him flashed out and vanished. Yet that fleeting supreme majesty was like Mount Tai pressing down overhead, frightening Qin Yi until his entire back was drenched in sweat.

"Imperial Father, don't you think... the name Liu Bang sounds somewhat familiar?" Fusu raised his fine brows and spoke.

"..." Ying Zheng's unruffled eyes turned toward Fusu.

"I recall that the lord of a barren region north-northwest of Rainbow Continent seems to be someone named Liu Bang," Fusu thought carefully before speaking.