The Fourth Mercenary Mission

[Capture the Demon Monkey]: Capture Sun Wukong, who is wreaking havoc in Heaven.

Issuer: Jade Emperor

Mission world: Journey to the West

Mission payment: 2.3 million gold coins

Mission Points: 23,000

Mission rank: Diamond

[Seize the War Demon God]: Seize the ancient weapon of war sealed in Rōran-the War Demon God-for the Great Qin Empire.

Issuer: Qin Shi Huang

Mission world: The Legend of Qin

Mission payment: 24 gold coins

Mission Points: 21

Mission rank: Black Iron Rank

[Relieve the Siege of Bright Summit]: Stop the six major sects from slaughtering the members of the Ming Cult.

Issuer: Yang Xiao

Mission world: The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber

Mission payment: 7 gold coins

Mission Points: 6

Mission rank: Black Iron Rank

The first mission already involved immortals and Buddhas, so he could dismiss it outright. The other two were within Kazuhiko Uchiha's capabilities. After a little thought, he chose the more rewarding second mission and selected teleportation into its world.

After a brief sensation of weightlessness, Kazuhiko Uchiha appeared in a room furnished in an antique style. Information about his identity then surfaced in his mind.

[Host background changed to Kazuhiko, young lord of the ancient Chiyou clan. To provide his people with a stable place to live, he reported information about Rōran and the War Demon God to the Great Qin Empire. He is traveling to Rōran with Gongshu Chou, Wei Zhuang, and others assigned by Qin Shi Huang.]

[Current point in time: the first day after entering the garrison headquarters in a border town on the outskirts of the Rōran Desert.]

After reading the identity information the system had arranged for him, Kazuhiko Uchiha pushed open the door and stepped outside. He had barely taken a few steps when a Garrison Headquarters soldier with a pointed mouth and pinched cheeks came running toward him, panting.

Kazuhiko Uchiha studied him carefully and recalled who he was: the sycophantic deputy who trailed behind the Fruit General in the original story.

The sycophantic deputy came up beside Kazuhiko Uchiha and looked at him ingratiatingly. "Lord Kazuhiko, Lord Gongshu requests your presence in the main hall of the garrison headquarters."

"All right, lead the way." Unfamiliar with the place, Kazuhiko Uchiha told him to guide him.

"Of course. This way, my lord." Excited by the chance to serve a "high official" from Xianyang, the sycophantic deputy bowed and eagerly trotted ahead to lead Kazuhiko Uchiha.

A few minutes later, the two arrived at the heavily guarded main hall of the garrison headquarters.

Inside the hall, a Qin soldier in black armor was kneeling on one knee, reporting something to Gongshu Chou, who sat before him.

"Please go inside, Lord Kazuhiko. I shall take my leave."

Without being summoned, the sycophantic deputy was not permitted to enter the hall. He bowed to Kazuhiko Uchiha with a broad smile, then turned and left with a spring in his step.

Kazuhiko Uchiha entered the hall and found that, besides the old man Gongshu Chou, two elders of the Yin-Yang School were present: Lesser Siming and Greater Siming, who were responsible for protecting him.

Gongshu Chou noticed Kazuhiko Uchiha approaching from outside. He waved the Qin soldier away, rose from his chair, and walked over to greet him.

"Young Kazuhiko, we've located the secluded home of Old Man Lü, the envoy from Rōran. Would you like to come take a look with us?" Gongshu Chou's back was slightly hunched. He stroked the little tuft of white beard on his chin, wearing a harmless-looking smile.

"Of course. The Dragon Soul should be in his possession."

Kazuhiko Uchiha had made a special trip to the cinema with his colleagues to watch the first theatrical film of the Chinese animated series The Legend of Qin. Its plot had left a strong impression on him, so he knew Old Man Lü held the key to activating the War Demon God: the Dragon Soul, hidden in the belly of Pixiu, the divine beast known as the Child of the Divine Dragon.

"Good. In that case, let's set out."

Gongshu Chou nodded and took the lead toward Old Man Lü's secluded home. After giving Kazuhiko Uchiha a curious glance, Lesser Siming and Greater Siming followed Gongshu Chou out.

Before long, the group arrived near a lone courtyard in the southern part of the border town. A Qin Army soldier assigned to monitor Old Man Lü's movements ran over and reported to Gongshu Chou, "My lord, a child has entered the surveillance area. Should we drive him away?"

"No. Old Man Lü is quite accomplished in mechanical arts. Let the child go inside and scout the way for us." Gongshu Chou rejected the Qin Army soldier's suggestion. A sharp gleam flashed in his eyes as he gazed at Old Man Lü's closed-up house.

Ever since they had confirmed Old Man Lü's identity, the empire's intelligence apparatus had investigated everything about him thoroughly. Naturally, Gongshu Chou had learned of his skill in mechanical arts as well.

Although Gongshu Chou was confident that no mechanism could defeat him, he chose not to rush straight inside, just to be safe.

Sure enough, things unfolded just as Gongshu Chou had expected. The child the Qin soldier had mentioned-Tianming, the protagonist of the original story-pushed open the door to Old Man Lü's home and was immediately seized and dragged inside by several mechanical arms. A metal drill gleaming coldly spun toward his head.

Fortunately, Tianming had the legendary protection of plot armor, so he would not get a game over that easily. Just as the metal drill was about to injure him, Old Man Lü reacted and stopped the mechanism, saving him.

Outside the room, Gongshu Chou chuckled when he heard the mechanisms moving inside. Under Kazuhiko Uchiha's astonished gaze, he opened a bronze chest carried over by the Qin Army soldiers and released hundreds of small mechanical lizards, each half a foot long—the remarkably lifelike mechanical beasts called Potu Qilang.

"Young Kazuhiko, could I trouble you to destroy this wooden door? That will let these little fellows get into Old Man Lü's room." Gongshu Chou turned toward Kazuhiko Uchiha and asked with a light chuckle.

He had not asked the two Yin-Yang School guardians for help because he wanted to test Kazuhiko Uchiha's strength and use that to determine how he would treat him in the future.

"Leave it to me."

Kazuhiko Uchiha also wanted to display his power. He chose the visually impressive Dragon Fire Technique, spewing a stream of fire from his mouth and burning down the wooden door.

"Excellent. As expected of the young lord of the ancient Chiyou clan, your strength is truly extraordinary. This old man is impressed."

Although Gongshu Chou did not practice martial arts himself, his position as the Gongshu Family Patriarch had brought him into contact with many powerful fighters. Naturally, he could judge a person's strength.

In his eyes, someone who could turn internal energy into tangible flames was on par with the elders of the Yin-Yang School.

Kazuhiko Uchiha merely smiled at Gongshu Chou's praise and did not take it to heart. He lowered his hands and stood there, waiting to see what Gongshu Chou would do.

"Go, little fellows. Destroy every mechanism inside." Gongshu Chou raised his mechanical left arm and gave the Potu Qilang their orders.

The Potu Qilang sprang into action, swarming through the doorway Kazuhiko Uchiha had opened. They burrowed into gaps in the walls and completely destroyed the mechanisms Old Man Lü had installed.

Only after eliminating every mechanism that might pose a threat did Gongshu Chou enter Old Man Lü's room with Kazuhiko Uchiha, protected by the two Yin-Yang School guardians, Lesser Siming and Greater Siming.