A swift retreat is the only rational course of action.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished into the night.
...
At the residence of the Young Master.
A figure like a phantom suddenly appeared in the courtyard, standing silently before Qin Lan.
As the moonlight fell, it illuminated her appearance clearly.
She wore a skull mask and tight-fitting black armor, radiating a chilling aura that kept everyone at a distance.
Clearly, she was a woman; her long, slender legs were even more striking encased in black armor.
That frigid air made her look like an ice sculpture in the dead of winter.
"Young Master, that eunuch Zhao Gao and his six pieces of trash dared to be disrespectful to you. Let me go and finish them."
Her eyes were filled with murderous intent.
Qin Lan shook his head with a smile. "Leave those six to you to handle, but Zhao Gao cannot be touched for now. He still has his uses."
He paused, then added, "Since the first place of the Famous Swords Ranking is in Xianyang, all factions will gather here. We might as well take this opportunity to stir up even more chaos in Xianyang."
Before he finished speaking, a mysterious smile curled his lips, as if he were plotting some unknown grand design.
"Yes, Young Master."
The woman acknowledged and prepared to leave, but Qin Lan called out to her.
"Wait!"
Hm?
The woman froze, then turned back to look at Qin Lan in confusion. "Do you have any other instructions, Young Master?"
Qin Lan smiled slightly. "Be careful."
A mere two words, yet they caused a flash of tenderness and infatuation to flicker in the eyes of this usually icy woman.
She replied sweetly, "Please rest assured, Young Master; those six are nothing to fear."
Those six naturally referred to the six experts of the Net, but in Qin Lan's eyes, they were nothing more than useless waste.
Afterward, the woman turned and left.
Once she was gone, Qin Lan changed his clothes and hurried toward the Imperial Palace.
A late-night summons from the Emperor was never a trivial matter, especially regarding the Famous Swords Ranking.
In the study, a long sword with a black scabbard sat prominently. Beside it lay two small jade bottles, each containing a translucent pill. Liquid seemed to flow constantly over the surfaces of the pills, swirling and leaping—a truly bizarre sight.
Qin Lan was not surprised in the least. He casually pocketed the pills, unhooked the long sword to wear at his waist, and departed the mansion.
In the carriage, he headed straight for Xianyang Palace.
—
The divine prophecy: Those who destroy Qin shall be the Hu!
Zhao Gao had been severely disciplined by Qin Lan; he had been beaten to a pulp and was forced to kneel on the floor, wiping it clean with his own clothes.
Because Zhao Gao had always been unpopular in the Imperial Court, if not for the fear of the Net's power, someone would have torn him to pieces long ago.
Now that there was an opportunity for revenge, who could let it pass?
In less than the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, the news had spread throughout the city of Xianyang.
"That damned eunuch has finally met his retribution. How satisfying! Young Master Qin Lan is truly a hero!"
"Indeed, among all the noble sons, only Young Master Qin Lan dares to act this way. Though he loves the brothels and the wine, this is what a real hero is!"
"What does the master of the Net amount to? In front of Young Master Qin Lan, he only knows how to take a beating. Next time I see Young Master Qin Lan in the brothel, I shall certainly offer him a cup of wine."
...
The Residence of the Minister.
When Meng Yi heard the guards report that Zhao Gao had been beaten black and blue by Qin Lan, his usually stern face suddenly relaxed.
"Interesting. Young Master Qin Lan truly possesses extraordinary courage, far surpassing those other noble sons."
"I must write to my brother so he can share in the joy as well."
Zhao Gao? The Meng family had never given him a pleasant look from the very beginning.
Especially when his father was on his deathbed, he had given strict instructions to be wary of Zhao Gao.
Because of this, the stances of Meng Yi and Zhao Gao in the court were always diametrically opposed.
However, as a high-ranking minister who held the deep trust of First Emperor Ying Zheng, Meng Yi was always invited to ride in the same carriage as the Emperor whenever they traveled.
This made Zhao Gao cautious, preventing him from acting rashly.
Even so, in their daily lives, the two continued their secret struggle.
After a while, Meng Yi handed the written letter to a scout and instructed, "Deliver this to General Meng Tian with the utmost speed."
"Yes, as you command, Minister."
The scout then selected a fast horse and galloped out of Xianyang city.
...
Xianyang Palace.
Black Dragon Hall.
Ying Zheng sat cross-legged, beginning to practice the newly acquired Heaven-grade supreme technique—the Heavenly Dragon Imperial Art.
Waves of violent and overbearing energy erupted from his body.
Roar...
Roar...
An earth-shattering dragon's roar followed.
The Sword Saint, standing beside him, felt this aura and was secretly shocked: "The Heaven-grade supreme technique is actually this powerful. In just a short moment, His Majesty's cultivation has visibly improved."
"If a Heaven-grade supreme technique is this terrifying, what then must a God-grade technique be like?"
The technique he practiced—the Ghost Valley Breath Absorption—was only a Heaven-grade low-level technique.
Yet, one should not underestimate it; before the Golden List appeared, it was a technique many craved.
"According to the Golden List's hints, besides the Famous Swords Ranking, there are various other lists. I wonder when those will appear?"
"Once they appear, will the rewards include God-grade techniques? Or perhaps God-grade sword arts?"
Footsteps approached...
Footsteps approached...
Just as he was deep in thought, a faint voice echoed through the hall.
"Your Majesty, Zhang Han requests an audience."
Hm?
He's back?
Ying Zheng opened his eyes and slowly stood up.
As he rose, it was as if a dormant black dragon were awakening. This aura alone caused all the guards inside and outside the hall to kneel involuntarily.
Ying Zheng himself was astonished by this.
If a Heaven-grade supreme technique was already this terrifying, he believed the effects of the God-grade pills would be as astounding as the Famous Swords Ranking claimed.
Though he was excited, as the man who had unified the Six States, Ying Zheng quickly regained his composure.
He waved his hand toward the outside of the hall.
"Admit him."
One by one, the guards passed the decree: "Admit General Zhang Han into the hall."
"Admit General Zhang Han into the hall."
...
The sound echoed through the palace, continuous and overlapping.
Because the hall was so vast, this was the only way to transmit the Imperial decree.
Footsteps rang out...
Footsteps rang out...
A short while later, Zhang Han, dressed in bone-chilling skeleton armor, entered the hall with a steady gait.
He walked until he reached the dragon steps, then knelt on one knee.
"I report to Your Majesty, I have completed my mission."
His voice was low, carrying a deep sense of unease.
Back when the celestial phenomena first appeared, he had been sent by the First Emperor to Dongjun to investigate what had happened at the site of the falling star.
On the way, he had also seen the Golden List appear in the night sky.
But he dared not dwell on it, pushing on toward Dongjun with all his might.
Upon arriving at Dongjun and finding the site of the falling star, his expression changed drastically when he saw the characters on the meteorite, and he immediately dispatched troops to guard it strictly.
Afterward, he returned with the greatest speed.
"Your Majesty, in the land of Dongjun, a meteor fell, carving a massive crater into the earth, and the meteorite transformed into a giant stone."
"The area around the crater was ignited by the fire of the meteorite like a sea of flames, and the content on this giant stone matches the content on the Famous Swords Ranking one by one."
"Oh?"
Upon hearing this, Ying Zheng leaned forward slightly and asked with interest: "According to you, that giant stone is related to the Golden List. Aside from the Famous Swords Ranking, were there any other lists on it?"
If he could know the nature of other lists in advance and prepare, then all the rewards on those lists would belong to Great Qin.
In that case, the power of Great Qin would become immeasurably strong.
The Xiongnu in the north?
The Baiyue?
Compared to other border tribes, the Qin State had no cause for concern.
Zhang Han slowly shook his head. "Reporting to Your Majesty, aside from the Famous Swords Ranking, there were no other lists, but there were eleven characters."
At this, his voice suddenly trailed off.
His rugged, scarred face now displayed hesitation and panic.
Seeing this, Ying Zheng narrowed his eyes and asked coldly: "What were those eleven characters?"
Though his tone was light, it carried an irresistible majesty that made it hard to breathe.
He knew General Zhang Han's personality perfectly—a man as steady as a mountain, one who would not falter even when facing ten thousand troops.
Yet now, he wore such an expression; clearly, something major had happened.
Zhang Han opened his mouth, then hurriedly closed it, his face a picture of hesitation.
"Speak!"
Ying Zheng's patience had worn thin.
Zhang Han was so frightened he collapsed to the ground, trembling as he said, "Those who destroy Qin shall be the Hu!"
As the words fell, Gai Nie, who had been preparing to drink tea, suddenly froze.
The next moment, his inner energy leaked out, impacting the teacup and shattering it instantly.
His dark eyes contracted sharply.
"Those who destroy Qin shall be the Hu? Does this not mean that Great Qin will be defeated by the 'Hu'?"
He pondered this, while glancing at Ying Zheng, observing his reaction.
The Qin State had annihilated the Six States; this was the hard work of generations.
Now, to hear such a prophecy was equivalent to seeing the foundations of those generations crumble in an instant.
Surely, Ying Zheng must be furious.
Indeed, Ying Zheng's complexion changed drastically. He stroked the Tianwen Sword and asked coldly: "Zhang Han, you said there were eleven characters on the meteorite, why did you only speak four?"
Though his voice was not loud, every word carried a bone-chilling majesty.
Zhang Han's forehead was covered in cold sweat, and he was so nervous he could barely speak. He swallowed hard and stammered: "Your Majesty, next to 'Those who destroy Qin shall be the Hu,' there are seven more characters."
"What characters?"
Ying Zheng pressed.
"The First Emperor shall die and the land be divided."
Zhang Han answered, biting the bullet.
"Absurd!"
A furious shout rang out.
Immediately following, Ying Zheng drew the Tianwen Sword, swung his right arm, and hacked the blade fiercely into the desktop.
"Crack!"
With a sound, the table was split in two, and the documents on top were shredded by the sword energy.
Zhang Han hurriedly lowered his head. "I beg Your Majesty to calm your anger; I will certainly investigate this thoroughly and provide Your Majesty with an explanation."
As he spoke, his words were incoherent, and his voice trembled.
It was obvious he was terrified to his core.
Ying Zheng took a deep breath, struggling to calm his emotions.
"Those who destroy Qin shall be the Hu; the First Emperor shall die and the land be divided!"
These eleven characters struck his heart like a war hammer, causing him a dull, throbbing pain.
The latter seven characters were easy to understand—it meant nothing more than that after his death, the lands of Qin would be carved up.
This would undoubtedly lead to a situation of warring feudal lords once again.
As for the "Hu" at the beginning... could it refer to the Hu people?
Could it mean that the Hu people would destroy the Qin State?
That was simply impossible!
The strength of the Qin State far exceeded that of the Hu by a hundredfold.
If not for the fact that the Qin cavalry was unaccustomed to steppe warfare and the problems with logistics, they would have already completely eradicated them long ago.
After long thought, he still could not grasp the meaning.
Gradually, his mood calmed.
Then, he casually sheathed his sword, looked up at Zhang Han, and said: "General Zhang Han, you have not slept all night; you must be exhausted. Return and rest first."
"Thank you for your concern, Your Majesty. Serving you is my honor."
Zhang Han looked grateful and bowed with clasped hands. "I am not tired; please rescind your command, Your Majesty."
Ying Zheng rubbed his temples and waved his hand. "Enough, enough; as you wish."
"It just so happens that I have ordered the Shadow Secret Guard to search Xianyang city for traces of the Sword God. If nothing goes wrong, I should be able to find the Sword God and bring him to the palace soon."
"You may take this opportunity to meet the Sword God, the first place on the Famous Swords Ranking."
Though the words were light, they were filled with anticipation.
As long as he could find the Sword God, he would have a chance to obtain the life-extending pill—the Nine-Turn Longevity Pill.
'Those who destroy Qin shall be the Hu, the First Emperor shall die and the land be divided?' This was nothing but sheer absurdity.