NOVPUBBai Qi let out a loud shout, his head suddenly jerking backward, as he seemed to catch a glimpse of that shadow darting into the depths of the mausoleum.
"Damn it!" Bai Qi yelled angrily at that moment, burning with rage at his own dereliction of duty, for letting Xu Fu break in and disturb His Majesty's restful slumber—this was all too much for the once honored Warrior of Peace.
"Even after so much time, Xu Fu remains as cunning as ever!" said Yu Hua softly, looking at the furiously enraged Bai Qi.
"Did you know all along?" Bai Qi turned his head, staring intensely at Yu Hua with his tiger-like eyes.
Yu Hua, however, shook his head and said: "I had no idea, but I always felt that someone as treacherous as he would not choose a head-on approach. It's just my understanding of him."
"Hmph! What a crafty bastard," Bai Qi muttered, curling his lip in disdain.
"Since he's so keen on seeing His Majesty, let him go. Let's hope he won't be disappointed when the time comes," Yu Hua said with a quiet laugh. Soon his voice faded to a whisper, and he once again transformed into a terracotta warrior. With Xu Fu gone, their duty as guardians was over, and so their souls entered a new round of slumber, perhaps never to awaken again.
Bai Qi looked in the direction where Xu Fu had fled, intent on pursuit; he could not allow himself to be deceived like this, but his body had long since lost the ability to move, as yellow clay gradually covered him.
"That kid got off easy!" His voice echoed eerily in the underground palace, followed by eternal silence.
Xu Fu could clearly hear Bai Qi's roar in his ears, preventing him from halting his desperate run. He had witnessed Bai Qi's power before—an existence he could not contend with. If not for Bai Qi's desire to fulfill the warriors' wishes, Xu Fu might never have been able to leave at all.
"As expected of the Warrior of Peace who once made the Three Realms tremble with fear, just this formation of Terracotta Warriors alone grants such strength. Luckily, I have the Yata Mirror; otherwise, I really would have been dead," Xu Fu sighed softly, his words still carrying deep wariness.
"But now, I have no more worries. This is the place where His Majesty rests in peace, and Bai Qi and his kind cannot enter. And I shall become the true heir to His Majesty's legacy," Xu Fu said with a slight smile, his gaze scorching as he stared into the darkness.
A galaxy suddenly lit up inside the underground palace, countless brilliant stars hanging in the sky as a roaring river surged below; a miniature world appeared abruptly before Xu Fu's eyes.
At the end of his vision, at the center of the world, lay a giant bronze coffin, quiet and still, seemingly the source of everything.
"Your Majesty, it's been a thousand years since we last met, Xu Fu has come to see you!" Xu Fu suddenly knelt, speaking in tears, as flashes of the past endlessly swept through his mind—a thousand years had flown by, everything changed yet nothing remained the same.
Xu Fu's reverence for the First Emperor was genuine, as was his avidity for his legacy. So, he wiped away his tears and slowly walked towards the First Emperor's coffin, like an emperor ascending his throne.
Meanwhile, in the present world, the newly crowned Emperor, Zhao Pu, looked out at the dense crowd outside the city with a furrowed brow. Years of heavy extortion had finally spawned a flame powerful enough to overturn the world, and regrettably, Zhao Pu found himself sitting atop that flame. At that moment, he could feel the immense power lurking within the surging flames.
"Such large-scale unrest stems from people's hardships, a fault of the emperors past," Zhao Pu sighed softly.
"Your Majesty can rest assured, the whole nation is united as one now. These rebels may seem fierce, but taking the Capital City is nothing but a pipe dream," General Xu said confidently.
The reason for his confidence was that after releasing the imprisoned military officers, the Great Qin's army had swiftly begun to recover at a visible speed. Within a short period of time, it had become battle-ready. Moreover, with Zhao Pu wielding military power decisively, continually ridding the state of corrupt officials, they had amassed plenty of grain and wealth to cope with the war.
Therefore, General Xu was filled with confidence. He was quite aware of the limitations of the starving people outside the city walls and knew that if they failed to break through after a long siege, they would collapse on their own.
"They are, after all, the subjects under my rule. Try to minimize the slaughter if you can. After all, the nation is already riddled with holes and so much is in need of revival. If the population further declines, the nation's Primordial Qi will greatly suffer," Zhao Pu sighed.
"With Your Majesty having such a compassionate heart, it is a blessing for all the people. I believe Your Majesty will definitely change this nation," General Xu said fervently.
It wasn't just him—soldiers and officers around him were also looking at Zhao Pu with fervor. In just a few short days, Zhao Pu had completely won the army's affection, and everyone saw him as the one who could change the status quo and truly lead Great Qin.
While inspecting the city's defenses, Zhao Pu spotted Chenxiang standing on the city wall and greeted him happily.
"I've seen you keeping a low profile these days, I thought you might be going into seclusion to cultivate. I didn't expect to see you out and about today," Zhao Pu said with a smile, speaking sincerely as if he was reuniting with an old friend.
"I sensed an old friend's aura, so I came out to take a look. As for you, you've been truly impressive these last few days. I thought you would be sidelined for a while, but to think you've turned the situation around so quickly," Chenxiang also sighed with a smile.
He had always believed that Zhao Pu could become a good Emperor, but the Imperial Court of Great Qin had long been rotten. Plus, with so many calamities, he had thought that it would take Zhao Pu a long fight to reclaim his power. Yet, he managed to turn a crisis into an opportunity, securing significant authority in such a short time. If he could fend off the starving people, his prestige would reach its peak, and no one in the world would be able to contend with him.
"The news of an old friend, which one is it?" Zhao Pu immediately became interested, knowing that the old friend Chenxiang spoke of was either Sun Shier or the Rakshasa Princess.
Chenxiang walked a few steps forward, coming to the edge of the city wall. His eyes shone with dazzling light, instantly drawing the attention of all the starving people below.
"What is that?"
"My God, there's someone whose eyes can emit golden light, is he an Immortal?"
"Isn't that person the same Giant we saw before? Oh no, if he's in the Capital City, how can we even besiege it!" Someone recognized Chenxiang as the Giant from before and immediately expressed their fear.
Even the fervent followers of the Deathless Mother were praying nonstop, calling out the name of the Deathless Mother to suppress the fear in their hearts.
The Rakshasa Princess, sitting idly in her palanquin, also saw the light and, lifting the curtain, spotted Chenxiang standing on the city wall. She shouted excitedly, "Chenxiang, I'm here!"
The Rakshasa Princess's voice, imbued with Mana, drifted with the wind into Chenxiang's ears, causing him to reveal a joyous smile.
