Could This Be the Late Warring States Period in a Xianxia World?
You had transmigrated, and after a series of events-
For instance, an immortal had given you a book beneath a tree, leading you to believe you had arrived in an unfamiliar ancient cultivation world centered on the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao.
Then, one day, you suddenly heard a young wandering swordsman introduce himself to you as...
Liu Ji of Pei County-
How would you feel?
Without a doubt...
Stunned.
That was Lü Yuan's first reaction.
As for how familiar he was with the name, as a liberal arts student who had graduated straight into unemployment in his previous life,
It wouldn't be right to say he knew nothing about it; in fact, he knew it by heart.
Even back in high school, if a liberal arts student didn't know the name of Emperor Gao, Grand Ancestor of Han, or where he came from,
Someone else could confidently make him a promise: "I'll cover your university tuition."
"Of course, if you manage to transfer from a junior college to a university, I'll cover that too."
Although Lü Yuan had already lived here for eight years, much about this world remained shrouded in mist to him.
What was the cultivation world like here, and just how vast was the land beneath his feet?
He knew none of it.
If he had to name the one thing he had known about this world before now,
It was what he had heard from the village's only literate elder: there were now seven states in Middle Earth-Qi, Chu, Qin, Yan, Zhao, Wei, and Han.
Names so similar had indeed made Lü Yuan think of the Warring States.
After meeting the immortal, he had even briefly thought, Maybe I've transmigrated to a xianxia version of the Warring States.
But in the end, he had treated it all as idle speculation.
He had thought it was nothing more than a coincidence.
Because in the history the elder had recounted, not only was there not a single name he recognized,
There had never even been a Shang or Zhou dynasty here, nor a Spring and Autumn period, much less the legends of the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors-
If this wasn't a coincidence and really was the Warring States, then the great hand of heaven's will had certainly been at work.
And then, today, standing beneath the "Fusang" swaying in the wind, he looked at the young wandering swordsman who called himself Liu Ji of Pei County...
And who also seemed to have misunderstood something and taken him for a True Lord.
Lü Yuan fell silent.
Could it be that, although this place had neither the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors nor the Shang, Zhou, and Spring and Autumn periods,
It had coincidentally developed into a state identical to the late Warring States period of his previous life?
Actually, come to think of it, it's not impossible... my ass!
How could that be possible?
Then perhaps they just have the same name?
That's not impossible. Maybe it really is a coincidence?
But even so, another question arose: why had he called Lü Yuan a True Lord?
Was he talking nonsense?
Definitely not. Lü Yuan was certain of that, because he couldn't see through Liu Ji.
Not only that, after he had taken the initiative to ask the Immortal Book in his mind, the answers it gave him...
Based on the Immortal Book's current rules, he could conclude...
Although Liu Ji looked like a mortal no matter how he looked at him...
He was involved in secrets beyond the Golden Core, and might even be a Golden Core True Lord himself!
Lü Yuan had asked the Immortal Book two questions in succession-
First, Liu Ji's origins and background.
Second, the cultivation of the person before him.
The Immortal Book had answered neither of the two questions he had taken the initiative to ask, and what that meant went without saying.
"But if that's the case, why did he call me a True Lord?"
Lü Yuan pondered silently. Is it because the Immortal Book is protecting me, so he can't see through my cultivation either?
In fact, Lü Yuan wasn't the only one who was puzzled and uncertain.
Otherwise, Liu Ji wouldn't have gotten straight to the point and revealed who he was the moment he arrived.
In a way, he was even more puzzled than Lü Yuan. After all, he had no Immortal Book to give him an indirect hint.
Before arriving, he had thought that some lord had seen a person of destiny in danger.
And had come to save him in passing.
And it seemed the lord's conscience had stirred, so he had saved the others as well.
As for whether it might have been someone below the True Lord level, there was no need to even consider it. It was simply impossible.
Although all that had fallen here was a wisp of deathly force from that one of the [Shen Constellation],
A Golden Core was still a Golden Core, and even a dead True Lord was still a True Lord-
Anyone below the Golden Core who came here, even one who had perfected the five methods, would be courting death. The moment they entered, they would be marked with a fate of certain death.
The facts did seem to bear that out.
After all, since entering, whether it was Han Fei or the "immortal" before him whom he couldn't see through,
Both seemed to confirm his guess.
But after stepping forward and asking a question with doubts in mind...
Liu Ji, who had initially come only to exchange pleasantries, realized something was wrong.
Although, after his reincarnation, he temporarily couldn't ascend to the Residual Position he had attained back then,
Not until King Zheng of Qin went to attain the [Sun] Fruit Position, died after attaining it, and completed his mission.
He had, after all, once been a Golden Core cultivator, and could even be called the most important person of destiny in the grand plan to mend the heavens.
Now, before returning to his Residual Position, he was willing to address someone as "my lord."
That was already flattering and teasing the True Lords currently in the world.
Ultimately, although what he had attained in the past was a Residual Position, it was still more exalted than most Fruit Positions.
So now, a question arose.
Who exactly was the person before him, who seemed not to recognize him and showed little reaction to his words?
And then there was this tree...
After realizing something was off about the person before him, Liu Ji noticed another oddity.
An Embryonic Breathing Law Artifact?
The leaves inscribed with first-grade talismans in those refugees' hands had been taken from this tree, hadn't they?
What was all this supposed to be?
Could it be that the person before him wasn't actually a True Lord, but an Embryonic Breathing cultivator protected by an immortal artifact?
Was that why he couldn't see through him?
And was that also why he didn't recognize him?
"How could that be?" Liu Ji couldn't help laughing.
At a time like this, having cultivation could sometimes be a bad thing. Han Fei's level was currently too low, so he could settle on an answer.
But Liu Ji's knowledge and standing were too great, and that left him unable to be certain.
"Then who could he be?" Liu Ji grew increasingly perplexed.
Then, after ruling out all the impossibilities, he thought of one possibility.
Surely it can't be King Zheng of Qin?
Liu Ji had reason to think of him: of everyone in the world today, King Zheng of Qin really was the best match for the person before him.
First, he was a Golden Core True Lord, which explained why Liu Ji couldn't see through him.
King Zheng of Qin currently held the [Sun] Residual Position for the time being.
Second, as a True Lord, he didn't recognize Liu Ji—or rather, wasn't familiar with him.
When Liu Ji had brought him down from the "Second Sun" in his previous life and sent him to reincarnate, Liu Ji had only told him his own name from his previous life.
They had had no dealings in this life either, and even Liu Ji himself only half understood the grand plan to mend the heavens, much less King Zheng-
So he could be said to be the only Golden Core True Lord under heaven who wasn't familiar with Liu Ji.
As for the remaining doubt, so what if it was an Embryonic Breathing Law Artifact? Who said a Golden Core True Lord couldn't play with a toy?
Having worked that out, Liu Ji's eyes flashed with understanding.
Doesn't that make sense? Everything fits!
The only thing he still couldn't understand was why King Zheng of Qin had suddenly come here.
This is troublesome. How should I answer him / bring this to a close?
Beneath the "Fusang," Lü Yuan and Liu Ji silently looked at each other and thought the same thing.