Chapter 182: 182. Chapter 180: Bestowing Longevity

182. Chapter 180: Bestowing Longevity

Inside the palace, lights blazed brightly, the deep-sea shark pearls emitted a sparkling radiance, but Meng Tian felt as if he had plunged into an abyss, his whole body shrouded in the shadow of death, beads of sweat the size of beans involuntarily seeping from his forehead.

At that moment, the First Emperor truly wanted to kill himself.

Qin Shi Huang looked down at Meng Tian from above, as if he were looking at a corpse, the long sword in his hand emitting a chilling, icy cold.

Meng Tian could clearly feel the sword aura coming straight at him, yet his body dared not move at all.

The First Emperor's gaze turned sharp, scanning Meng Tian from head to toe; the sword tip, only a few inches from Meng Tian, suddenly veered aside and fiercely struck the nearby desk.

With a splash, the woven threads broke, bamboo strips flew everywhere like snowflakes, scattering wildly and instantly covering the white jade floor.

What a demon immortal!

Qin Shi Huang repeatedly slashed the bamboo slips with his sword, still feeling unsatisfied, he kicked the desk with his foot, sending the whole desk flying and scattering the bamboo slips across the floor.

What a sorcerer!

You're all deceiving me! You're nothing but petty thieves; in my realm, there's no room for any strange persons, sorcerers, or immortals.

I only wish I could personally cut down you scoundrels, you dogs and pigs, and slaughter you all!

Qin Shi Huang's eyes were blood-red, the icy killing aura emanating from him made people shudder; the eunuchs had already knelt on the ground, fearing they'd be caught in the emperor's wrath.

His gaze toward Meng Tian also grew a bit resentful; bringing up anything else was pointless, since he clearly knew the First Emperor now despised these things the most.

If Meng Tian were sensible now, he should immediately plead guilty and stay silent; the eunuchs beside him frantically signaled with their eyes, hoping Meng Tian wouldn't provoke the First Emperor further.

Your Majesty, I dare not speak falsely; there truly is a demon immortal in this world—though it has the form of a Green Snake, it can speak human words and cause all beasts to bow and worship!

Hearing those words, the eunuch felt his heart pound, the first thought that sprang to mind being 'It's over.'

My life is finished!

Qin Shi Huang's gaze instantly turned terrifying to the extreme; the tassels on his crown clinked together, emitting a jade-like sound, revealing that his mind was far from calm.

General Meng, you clearly know what I despise most, yet you've brought it up repeatedly—do you really think I wouldn't dare to kill you?

Qin Shi Huang's mood had already returned to calm, unlike before, yet the very composure made him all the more frightening.

The icy killing intent almost condensed into substance, shooting straight at Meng Tian; even the temperature dropped considerably, and the nearby eunuchs couldn't help but shiver.

I dare not—my heart can attest to heaven and earth, the sun and moon can bear witness—but regarding the demon immortal, I have seen it with my own eyes and dare not deceive; I swear on the lives of my entire Meng clan that if I utter any falsehood, I will be struck by heavenly thunder.

Such an oath can be said to be extremely vicious; ordinary people would not lightly use it.

Qin Shi Huang gave Meng Tian a deep look and said, 'Very well, I will go with you to see what this demon immortal you speak of truly is; if it's false, then there will be no need for the Meng surname to exist in this world.'

Yes!

Meng Tian walked out of the palace, only then realizing his back was soaked in cold sweat; as the night wind blew, a piercing chill assailed him.

Yet his eyes showed no fear, only excitement and eagerness, for if the First Emperor saw the demon immortal, he would know Meng Tian spoke the truth.

The next morning, a convoy set out from the Xianyang Palace; the drivers were all elite troops, said to be one in ten thousand, each a match for ten, and they obeyed only the First Emperor's commands.

Yet now these troops surrounded the carriage so tightly, like an iron barrel, not even a mosquito could fly in.

Although the carriage appeared ordinary from the outside, its interior was extraordinary, inlaid with gold and jade, all wrapped in silk and cotton padding, so that not the slightest jolt from outside could be felt; even the horses pulling it were thousand-mile-a-day blood-sweat steeds.

White smoke curled upward, and in the adjacent silver incense burner shaped like flowers and birds burned priceless sandalwood; the carriage's value could no longer be measured in silver, and Qin Shi Huang sat within it.

With the hoofbeats fading into the distance, the carriage gradually became a tiny black dot heading toward Mount Tai.

The mountain road was rough, making the carriage inconvenient, so Qin Shi Huang had to ride on horseback, though he didn't mind.

After dismounting from the carriage, Qin Shi Huang gave Meng Tian a meaningful glance and said, 'General Meng, I have come all this way; if I do not see the scene you described, you should know what the consequences will be.'

I naturally know.

Here the vegetation is lush; all around are towering trees that block the sky, dense and verdant, gathered together like a huge canopy that shades the brilliant sunlight.

Even after walking so long, nobody felt hot; instead, there was a faint coolness.

Soon they arrived at the spot where Meng Tian's troops had previously encountered the beast tide, but seeing the scene not far away, Meng Tian's face turned pale.

The First Emperor's smile was half‑real, his eyes already carrying killing intent: 'General Meng, on this journey we haven't even seen a single wild beast, let alone a herd—do you know the penalty for deceiving me?'

The place where the beast herd had been encountered earlier was now empty, as if everything they had experienced was merely Meng Tian's illusion.

A flicker of panic crossed Meng Tian's brow: 'How can this be? I was clearly here before—could I have taken the wrong path?!'

The First Emperor's patience had been exhausted here.

Sensing the First Emperor's undisguised killing intent, Meng Tian's face drained of blood, his heart pounding like a drum; just as he was looking around, a distant building came into view, and he immediately breathed a sigh of relief, quickly dropping to his knees.

Your Majesty, although the beast herd is gone, that building still stands, and the demon immortal is inside!

Qin Shi Huang narrowed his eyes and looked in the direction Meng Tian pointed; indeed, as he had said before, the building's structure was unique and strange, something he had never seen before.

Come, let's go take a look.

Your Majesty, be careful.

The guards shielded Qin Shi Huang in their midst, cautiously approaching the building; the closer they got, the more they could sense its exquisite craftsmanship, which perfectly matched what Meng Tian had said.

However, relying on this alone was not enough for Qin Shi Huang to fully believe Meng Tian, since there was no such exaggerated beast tide in the vicinity.

The dust‑sealed gate was pushed open again, but beyond it lay no one, as if an invisible force were manipulating things.

As soon as the First Emperor stepped inside, he heard a few exclamations from behind; turning around, he realized that aside from himself, Meng Tian and the guards were all standing outside, at a loss.

He frowned and said, 'Why aren't you coming in?'

Your Majesty, we cannot get in!

Their expressions were astonished; they kept pounding with their hands, as if an invisible wall blocked their path.

Watching Meng Tian and the guards' ridiculous, strange movements, a deep crease appeared in the First Emperor's brow: 'Absurd! How could they possibly be unable to enter?'

Meng Tian might be lying, but those personal guards are dead‑men, absolutely the most loyal; right now they looked anxious, saying, 'Your Majesty, there's something strange here—you should hurry out.'

Naturally wary, the First Emperor would never allow himself to be placed in danger; hearing this, he immediately wanted to retreat, but the gate was right before him and yet he could not walk out.

Not only could Meng Tian and his men not enter, but the First Emperor himself could not leave; that invisible wall completely separated the two sides.

Qin Shi Huang furrowed his brows; accustomed to controlling everything, this utterly unexpected event was happening for the first time.

Could it be that the demon immortal Meng Tian spoke of actually has some ability?

Hum—

Accompanied by the sound of metal and halberd, the guards drew their swords and waved them in midair, seemingly chopping the air randomly, without any pattern.

But as the swords fell, a sharp humming sound could be heard each time, and moments later, nicks appeared on the blades.

Your Majesty, what shall we do?

The loyal guards tried every means but could not get in; they could only anxiously wait at the gate.

General Meng, if it weren't for you urging His Majesty to come here, how could His Majesty have fallen into danger? If His Majesty truly suffers any harm, you are utterly unforgivable.

Meng Tian felt somewhat flustered, after all, nothing like this had happened the last time he came here; he suddenly seemed to think of something.

Last time the demon immortal summoned him, it also designated him alone to come; seeing this situation now, he speculated: 'Perhaps the demon immortal does not like crowds, which is why His Majesty was told to come alone.'

The captain of the guards gave a cold smile: 'How can we let His Majesty go alone? What demon immortal? It's clearly a demon; if he intends harm to His Majesty, what should we do?'

Your Majesty, please wait; I will immediately mobilize the Qin Iron Cavalry to level this mountain and rescue you.

Qin Shi Huang gave Meng Tian a deep look; his heart already wavered. He had not believed Meng Tian's words before, but seeing such a miraculous phenomenon, he was now half-believing, half-doubting.

If the demon immortal Meng Tian spoke of truly exists, he indeed possesses some ability; if he truly intended harm, he would have acted long ago and would not wait until now.

Qin Shi Huang's gaze was calm, showing no panic, yet his words were full of authority: 'Give me fifteen minutes; if I do not come out, let the Qin Iron Cavalry level this place.'

But letting Your Majesty go alone is truly too dangerous.

Qin Shi Huang glanced at him askance and said, 'Now I cannot get out, and you cannot get in; is there any better solution?'

After his words fell, he headed toward the depths of the building, saying, 'I would like to see just what kind of divine being this demon immortal is.'

The entire building fell into utter silence, with not a sound; Qin Shi Huang surveyed his surroundings.

The guards still wanted to say something, but Qin Shi Huang had already walked away, eventually disappearing from everyone's sight.

Upon entering, it felt like stepping into a bizarre, wondrous world; intricate, mysterious patterns and designs were visible everywhere, and those unknown strange characters emitted an inexplicable aura.

It is unknown what carving technique was used; strange flowers and herbs, flying beasts and running creatures, coiling dragons around pillars—all seemed as if they were about to come alive.

Although it lacks the Qin palace's splendid grandeur, it is exquisitely crafted throughout, worthy of being called nature-defying artistry; even a figure like Qin Shi Huang was drawn in, unable to help wondering who could have built such architecture.

Even so, he was not dazzled by the scenery; his hand remained on the sword hilt, his guard not lowered, his whole body tense like a drawn bowstring—at the slightest abnormality he would strike with his sword.

Being able to sit in this position, Qin Shi Huang is naturally no mere figurehead; he also possesses the ability to protect himself.

Amidst the curling white smoke, it drifted toward the center of the hall, invisibly indicating the direction.

You have finally come.

A low male voice drifted down from the nine heavens.

On the futon at the hall's center, a blue-colored shadow stood out strikingly; its body covered in translucent scales that emitted a brilliant divine radiance, and its beastly eyes seemed to inlay two pale green gems, radiating a divine glow.

Everything was exactly as Meng Tian had said, without the slightest falsehood; only by witnessing it personally could one know what is called shocking, and Qin Shi Huang's heart was stirred by tremendous waves.

A green snake can actually speak human words.

Qin Shi Huang had seen many great storms, but never had his sharp eyes lost focus for a moment like now; it took half a day for him to recover.

The surroundings were empty, with no trace of anyone able to hide; if someone were playing tricks, he would see through it at a glance.

Are you the demon immortal?

Qin Shi Huang's expression had long lost its earlier contempt and scorn, instead becoming cautious and inquisitive.

He had thought all the world's mystics were charlatans; after seeking immortals and asking about the Dao for so long with no result, he feared that the sages of the world had long vanished, and that there were no divine or miraculous things left in the mortal realm.

Thus, upon hearing Meng Tian's report, he became so angry, thinking he had been deceived; but now, seeing this scene, Qin Shi Huang changed his view.

Yes.

When Qin Shi Huang observed Ye Qin, Ye Qin likewise observed this emperor of all ages; his life could be described as tumultuous, full of legendary hues.

He ascended the throne at thirteen, became emperor at thirty-nine, reigned for thirty-seven years, and was the first to achieve the unification of Huaxia with an iron-fisted polity, adopting the title 'Emperor' by combining the 'August' of the Three Sovereigns and the 'Thearch' of the Five Emperors.

He was the first feudal monarch in ancient and modern times, both Chinese and foreign, to bear the title of emperor.

At the center he established the imperial system, with uniform script, uniform cart tracks, and standardized weights and measures. Externally he attacked the Xiongnu in the north, conquered the Baiyue in the south, built the Great Wall of ten thousand li, constructed the Lingqu Canal, connected waterways, and pushed Xia toward an era of great unification, exerting a profound influence on posterity.

May I ask what a demon immortal is?

An immortal is the origin; becoming a demon makes one the ancestor, with no ancients before and no successors after.

Qin Shi Huang gave Ye Qin a deep look; he considered himself virtuous above the Three Sovereigns and meritorious over the Five Emperors, yet he did not expect that there existed someone in this world even more overbearing than him.

His gaze was full of astonishment; in those beastly eyes he saw no trace of bestiality, as if standing before him was not a snake but a divine being.

Since the demon immortal has appeared and can even speak human words, could his goal of longevity also be achieved?

I once longed for longevity, recruiting mystics from all under heaven to concoct elixirs, even sending Xu Fu with three thousand boys and girls to overseas fairy mountains, but all these people failed; they were nothing but swindlers.

Saying this, Qin Shi Huang's voice carried a hint of thin anger, but this anger was not directed at Ye Qin.

Historical records show that Qin Shi Huang was badly deceived by these mystics, exhausting great wealth and resources, nearly losing his life; as a result, this group of mystics not only accomplished nothing, but even slandered him behind his back.

Anyone would be angry, let alone Qin Shi Huang who unified the six states; a sovereign's rage brings bloodshed for thousands of miles—no wonder he later had all the world's mystics slaughtered and even forbade anyone to mention them.

Qin Shi Huang took a deep breath, gradually calming himself; his eyes gleamed with a hint of longing and anticipation.

I had long since given up hope, never expecting to fortunately encounter a demon immortal; the demon immortal's divine abilities are vast, capable of penetrating heaven and earth—may I beseech the demon immortal to grant me longevity? (End of chapter)