Chapter 225

Crushing a large rock from a distance? This… is this immortal magic?

Gu Shanhe withdrew his hand and nodded at Ying Zheng again.

Ying Zheng understood; his hands had been itching for a long time.

Having practiced the "Human Emperor Suppressing the World Scripture" for so long, and with the aid of the spirit stones left behind by Gu Shanhe, he had already steadily stepped into the third level of Qi Refining.

Although he was not yet at the Golden Core Stage like Gu Shanhe, capable of flying on a sword and casting spells, his physical strength, power, and speed had long since far surpassed those of an ordinary mortal.

He loosened his wrists, walked slowly to another slightly smaller rock, and without any posturing, just casually slapped the top of the rock with his palm.

"Crack… crash…"

That rock, starting from the top, developed spiderweb-like cracks that rapidly spread across the entire stone body, and then, with a crash, it scattered into a pile of irregular stone fragments.

Ying Zheng brushed the dust off his hands, turned to look at the dumbfounded Liu Bang, and said indifferently:

"I am cultivating immortality with the National Master and have just entered the third level of Qi Refining. I didn't control my strength well; I hope the King of Han will forgive me. Now, do you believe it?"

Believe it! How the hell could he not believe it?!

Crushing a rock from a distance, shattering a stone with a casual slap—this was simply not something a human could do!

Only legendary immortals, or… ghosts?

Xiao He was the first to react; he took a deep breath, suppressing the stormy waves in his heart.

Then, he straightened his clothes with his hands, stepped forward a few paces, and knelt down solemnly in the direction of Gu Shanhe and Ying Zheng.

"Your humble subject Xiao He pays respects to the Immortal Master! Pays respects to… His Majesty the First Emperor! My mortal eyes failed to recognize a true immortal; I beg for your forgiveness!"

Once he knelt, Zhou Bo, Xiahou Ying, Cao Can, and the others also reacted. No matter how shocked or absurd they felt inside, the scene and the methods before them left them no choice but to believe.

They followed suit and knelt down one after another: "Pay respects to the Immortal Master! Pay respects to His Majesty the First Emperor!"

Fan Kuai was still stiff-necked, but after being fiercely tugged by Zhou Bo, he also plopped down to his knees, muttering, "Pay… pay respects…"

Liu Bang was the only one left standing at the scene.

He looked at that murderous, endless "Qin Army," looked at the two piles of crushed stone on the ground, and then looked at the calm Gu Shanhe and the domineering Ying Zheng; his mind was in chaos.

The First Emperor didn't die? And he became an immortal?

And he brought a great army across time from the Qin Dynasty?

This is even more outrageous than seeing the white snake back then!

But reality gave him no time to think too much.

A smile quickly piled up on his face, a complex smile mixed with terror, fawning, curiosity, and instinctive slickness.

Liu Bang trotted forward, no longer caring about imperial dignity, and bowed to Ying Zheng with his hands cupped, his tone as intimate as if they were long-lost brothers:

"Oh my! It really is His Majesty the First Emperor! Brother Zheng! I've admired you for a long time!"

"Back when I was a pavilion chief in Sishui, I heard people talking about Your Majesty's prestige every day; it was like thunder to my ears!"

"I never expected to see your heavenly face today, and you are still… still so young and heroic! Immortal Master, please accept a bow from Bang!"

Saying this, he also prepared to pay respects to Gu Shanhe.

Ying Zheng's brows twitched at being called "Brother Zheng" by him; he stepped back half a step in disgust and looked Liu Bang up and down.

Hmm, he does have a bit of a "dragon face," but with those wrinkles on his face and that fawning smile, he doesn't look like a founding emperor at all; he looks more like a street hoodlum.

"You are Liu Ji?"

Ying Zheng's tone was flat, carrying a sense of scrutiny.

"Yes, yes, yes, your little brother is Liu Ji; I changed my name later to Liu Bang." Liu Bang nodded and bowed.

"I heard you became emperor?" Ying Zheng asked.

"Just luck, just luck, it was all the support of my brothers and the backing of the common people…" Liu Bang apologized with a smile.

"And you were surrounded by the Xiongnu at Baideng Mountain and almost couldn't make it back?"

Ying Zheng's tone carried undisguised mockery.

Liu Bang's smile stiffened, his face couldn't quite hold it, and he said sheepishly:

"This… the Xiongnu are cunning, their horses are fast, and… I was caught off guard for a moment…"

"Trash."

Ying Zheng spat out the two words without hesitation.

Liu Bang's face flushed red; he wanted to retort but didn't dare, so he could only laugh dryly.

Fan Kuai, standing nearby, opened his eyes wide in anger and wanted to speak, but was held down firmly by Xiao He.

Gu Shanhe spoke up at the right time to smooth things over,

"Your Majesty, King of Han, this is not a place for conversation. It would be better to return to Chang'an first and talk in detail later."

Liu Bang felt as if he had been granted amnesty and quickly said, "Yes, yes, yes! The Immortal Master is right! Return to the palace! Return to the palace!"

"I… no, no, your little brother will definitely treat Brother Zheng and the Immortal Master well! That… the army…"

"The army will camp outside the city."

Ying Zheng said indifferently, "Meng Tian, Han Xin, set up camp. Without my orders, you are not to move, nor are you to disturb the people."

"Understood!"

Meng Tian and Han Xin, who was riding a horse in the distance, responded in deep voices.

Liu Bang looked at that army, which followed orders strictly and had an astonishing momentum, feeling both envious and terrified.

He hurriedly signaled Xiao He to arrange the carriages and personally led Ying Zheng and Gu Shanhe to board the carriage he had brought, heading toward Chang'an City.

In the carriage, Liu Bang couldn't help his curiosity; he leaned close to Gu Shanhe and asked in a low voice, "Immortal Master, do you think… does your little brother have that… immortal fate? Can I also learn a trick or two from you?"

"I don't need to crush rocks like Brother Zheng; just being able to retrieve objects from a distance or light a fire would be enough…"

Gu Shanhe glanced at him and smiled, "The matter of immortal fate depends on one's natural aptitude and opportunity."

"If the King of Han has the heart, you can perform more benevolent governance in the future to accumulate merit; perhaps an opportunity will arise, who knows."

This was a polite refusal.

Liu Bang was a bit disappointed, but he wasn't discouraged; he secretly made up his mind that he must serve this Immortal Master well—maybe one day he would loosen his tongue?

He looked at Ying Zheng again and asked tentatively, "Brother Zheng, did you come this time… specifically to visit your little brother? Or…"

Ying Zheng glanced at him,

"I heard the Xiongnu are jumping around happily again, so I came to take a look, and by the way… stretch my muscles. What, am I not welcome?"

"Welcome! Of course you're welcome!"

Liu Bang's eyes lit up, and he started calculating in his heart.

This is the ancestor who beat the Xiongnu to a pulp! If he is willing to help…

"However," Ying Zheng changed the subject, "my soldiers cannot be used for nothing."

"According to the rules of my Great Qin, titles are granted based on military merit, and spoils of war belong to the public."

"I can help you fight the Xiongnu, but the spoils, and the heads cut off, must count toward my Qin army."

Liu Bang's heart skipped a beat; this old ancestor doesn't suffer a loss at all.

But on second thought, the Qin army provides the men, the effort, and the immortal weapons (he saw those strange vehicles and boxes), and he only needs to provide some grain and fodder (he estimated the Immortal Master also brought food), so it seems… not a loss?

As long as he can hurt the Xiongnu and make them stay quiet for a few years, it's worth it!

"It should be! It should be!"

Liu Bang patted his chest, "Whatever Brother Zheng says, we will do!"

"As long as we can clean up those Xiongnu brats, anything is fine!"

The carriage drove into Chang'an City.

Liu Bang looked at his shabby capital outside the window, then looked at Ying Zheng's clothes, which were simple but clearly of much higher quality in material and craftsmanship, and the spirit of their army, feeling a bit uncomfortable.

Both are emperors, why is the gap so big?

He secretly made up his mind that once he hugged the thighs of the Immortal Master and Brother Zheng, he must build the Han Dynasty to be… well, half as good as the Qin Dynasty would be enough!