Chapter 41 The fall of the Wei Kingdom and the grief of heaven and earth.

Han's pupils trembled, and he instinctively wanted to take a step back.

Unexpectedly, the sword energy rushed straight at her, forcing her to defend herself with all her might.

She used the ethereal fate of the nation as a barrier, and ripples appeared in the air that should have been empty.

All the nations present heard the sound like brocade being torn apart. The four nations quickly turned to look at the 'Han' that had been sent flying backward, and even 'Qin' had a rare look of confusion in its eyes.

She was just testing the waters, and it doesn't seem like she used her full strength, so why does 'Han' look like she's about to die...?

Zhao's eyes flickered slightly, and he immediately said, "I'll go check on Han. You guys continue."

Yan frowned, puzzled: "When did those two become so close?"

Chu scoffed, "They have a friendly relationship with Shangdang County, which is better than yours."

Yan pursed her lips speechlessly. She shouldn't have spoken up. She looked at Chu and sneered. This country was clearly mocking Han for offering up Dang County. They were allies, yet they were still mocking each other. No wonder...

Yan realized something was wrong; had Han just run away like that...?

After thinking about it, she actually felt that, given Han's personality, this was very likely.

Originally, only the State of Wei was obligated to participate in this battle. Most of the other states came here out of consideration for mutual dependence. Now, letters from their respective countries are further shaking the morale of their troops.

And how could that not shake their resolve?

They understood one thing better than the reigning feudal lords: now, no matter what, it was a slow death. Sometimes, Yan wondered if there really was only one path: a fight to the death.

She looked at the indifferent 'Qin' opposite her and took a barely perceptible half-step back.

Qin was also suspicious of this matter. She clenched her fist and felt her influence on heaven and earth. She knew very well that she could not kill Han with a single sword. It was too suspicious that the two countries had just disappeared without a trace.

However, this had no impact on the battle situation, and she was happy that the other two weren't involved.

"Instead of thinking about this... why not think about how to win this match!" 'Qin' waved her hand, and the scattered bamboo slips were collected back into her palm.

"The Qin Law states:..."

The other nations, still standing in mid-air opposite her, thought she was about to unleash a powerful attack and became alert, their eyes fixed on the closed scrolls, as if they could see their contents that way.

'Qin' smiled slightly, not continuing to read, but instead swiftly swung his sword, and the second country to be hit appeared.

Chu tried to dodge by turning to the side, but the sword energy still grazed her clothes. A corner of her clothes tore and turned into starlight that dissipated into the air.

She raised her eyes and stared fiercely at 'Qin', casually drawing lightning from the clouds beside her to use as a long spear. She leaped to 'Qin' and brandished the spear.

The halberd she wielded was formed from lightning and was different from the bronze halberds used by ordinary humans. Almost the entire halberd she held could be used as one side for attack.

Meanwhile, Wei transformed the dark clouds into ink-black silk, which he threw out to entangle Qin.

A sharp cry of a black bird pierced through the ink-black fabric, as if the bird's beak had torn the silk. Without turning his head, Qin raised his sword to block Chu, while Yan circled around him. She was agile and nimble, and with a pair of short swords in her hands, she spun and approached Qin.

At this time, Qin was attacked from both sides.

****

Ying Zheng, far away in Xianyang, was also extremely nervous. He knew about the five-nation alliance and was also aware that his mother was going there today to fight against the five nations.

Although we are very confident in the current strength of the Qin Dynasty, we cannot help but worry.

After attending to Ying Zichu as usual, he returned to his own palace. For some reason, his heart was pounding and he had a bad feeling.

****

Meng Ao, who was present, shared a similar sentiment with Ying Zheng. However, he wasn't worried about the state of Qin itself; he was concerned about whether the torrential rain nearby would affect the gunpowder they were carrying, as the rain was showing signs of intensifying.

After returning to his tent, he urgently summoned his trusted confidants. Amidst the continuous loud noises in the world, he had no choice but to raise his voice and shout in his confidants' ears: "Quickly, go and invite Doctor Ji Yu over."

The confidant urgently summoned Ji Yu, who was accompanying the army. When Ji Yu arrived, her clothes were almost completely soaked. As soon as she came in, she asked, "General Meng, is there something you need me for?"

"Ahem, this general simply wants to ask about gunpowder: is it afraid of water?"

Since it's gunpowder, it should be afraid of water, right? If it gets wet, can it still be used?

Ji Yu sighed. "Of course I'm scared, but please don't worry. When I was researching gunpowder, I also looked into how to store it."

“I discovered that by slightly modifying the raw materials for papermaking, we can create oiled paper. When gunpowder is wrapped in oiled paper, it won’t get wet in the rain,” she paused, “but I can’t be sure in this heavy rain.”

Hearing this, Meng Ao became even more anxious and asked, "What should we do?"

Having confidence in yourself is one thing; how to win is another.

If possible, who wouldn't want to minimize casualties among their troops?

Ji Yu shook his head: "We can only do our best and leave the rest to fate. Before I came, I had already ordered people to keep a close watch on the place where the gunpowder was stored. If there is less rain, there will be no problem as long as the tents don't collapse."

Ji Yu's statement is almost a declaration that she used to be a Taoist priest but is now just a chemical Taoist priest, and that she can't control the weather, so she should just leave it to fate.

Meng Ao hesitated for a moment, but finally nodded politely to thank Ji Yu: "I'm sorry to have troubled you to make this trip, Dr. Ji Yu. Please go back and rest."

He decided to go and see it for himself, because this battle was related to the future situation of the countries, and they absolutely could not afford to lose!

Meng Ao stepped out of the tent, and someone next to him held up an oil-paper umbrella to shield him from the rain.

"This is an oiled paper umbrella left by Doctor Ji Yu. He said that after you see it, you might have more faith in oiled paper."

When Meng Ao looked up, he saw rain running down the umbrella, but he didn't even notice the rain falling on his head.

He relaxed a little and was able to look up at the chaotic place in the distance.

He was nearing the end of his life, with one foot in the grave, and this was the first time he had ever witnessed such chaotic celestial phenomena.

“No…” He felt as if he was hallucinating. How could he see such a huge black bird struggling in the clouds?

"Did you see that black bird?" He suddenly turned his head and stared at his personal guard.

The guard was taken aback and quickly nodded: "I saw it too, I thought I was seeing things."

Meng Ao's expression was uncertain. He was unsure what the strange phenomenon around the battlefield meant, but he inexplicably hoped that the black bird would win and break through the storm.

It should be noted that the Black Bird totem can represent the Qin state to some extent. Could this be considered a metaphor from heaven and earth? If the Black Bird loses, the rumors circulating among the various states will not be good for the Qin state.

He glanced at the many people beside him who were worshipping and praying in that direction, but instead of stopping them all, he ordered someone to lead a group of calm soldiers down to comfort them.

His demands weren't high; it was good enough that no uprising had occurred at this critical juncture.

****

Noticing the attentiveness of the onlookers, Zhu Qing'ai, controlling multiple avatars, also performed earnestly, her figures appearing and disappearing in the clouds.

In extreme cases, people can see them, but due to the distance, they can only see blurry shadows. When a 'person' actually stands in front of humans, they may have all sorts of doubts, but if it is a faint and unclear shadow, people will believe it without a doubt.

Whether you believe her disguise is a deity or something else, she has achieved her goal.

She did it for no other reason than to ensure that those who knew her could have unwavering faith in her.

A clever swindler, in order to deceive others, must first deceive himself...

****

'Qin' closed his eyes and opened them again, all pretense in his eyes vanishing, his pupils, devoid of light, resembled inorganic gemstones.

"If that's all, then let's leave it at that!"

The phantom of the black bird behind her continued to expand until it enveloped her. The voice coming through the shadow shouldn't have been so indistinct, yet the remaining kingdoms couldn't make out what she was softly chanting...

All that remained in their hearts was fear. They shouldn't have fear, but that was the only word they could use to describe their current situation.

The phantom of the black bird opened its beak, which was pitch black like a bottomless pit, but a light appeared in an instant.

This time they saw and heard clearly!

Qin looked down at the ground, even disdainfully looking at them. She chuckled and said, "Times have changed. Those of you who can't keep up with the times will eventually become a part of me."

It was as if this place, which was almost razed to the ground, was never a hill at all, but rather the dining table where she, 'Qin,' ate.

Yan's expression changed drastically when she saw the black sphere spat out by the black bird. She no longer cared about her allies and, relying on her agility, lightly touched the ground with her toes and floated away into the distance.

The remaining Chu gritted his teeth: "A bunch of cowards!"

She tried to gather lightning with her hand to resist, but Wei shouted, "Watch out!"

As if the dark clouds had given up on entanglement with 'Qin', they surrounded the two countries layer by layer like silkworms, creating countless layers of protection.

Qin smiled coldly, neither stopping the two countries' self-defense efforts, as she also wanted to know just how powerful the new move was.

The black sphere shot out, heading straight for the dark cloud cocoon. The black bird let out a clear cry, as if it had finished its mission, and disappeared into the rain.

At the same time, a loud explosion was heard throughout the world, and the surrounding land seemed to tremble.

The cloud cocoon, directly facing the force of the explosion, shattered, and two streaks of light flew out from within. Coincidentally, they landed near the Qin army's camp.

Qin strolled after them with a leisurely pace, and appeared beside the two countries in the next second.

Chu's injuries are not bad; he has disappeared without a trace, presumably having escaped.

Wei was still lying on the ground, her gray dress torn and her skin showing signs of cracking.

She coughed up a mouthful of blood, which immediately turned into specks of light and disappeared upon contact with the air.

She watched as 'Qin' walked towards her step by step, and she could no longer clearly realize that no one and no country would come to save her.

'Qin' slowly walked to 'Wei' and stood down. She half-squatted down and spoke in a soft tone, not at all like a country that had just gone through a deadly battle.

Ignoring the lingering echoes around her, she reached out and pinched Wei's chin, saying with a smile, "Well, how about what my new friend and I have learned?"

“That child is intelligent and kind,” Qin exclaimed, her eyes wide with praise. “I think it’s called gunpowder. This stuff is much better than a bronze sword.”

"How do you like it?"

Wei took a deep breath: "Cough cough cough cough cough..."

Qin raised his hand to gesture for her to slow down, his smile gentle: "I know what you want to say, don't choke, speak slowly, there's no rush."

Wei: ?!

****

Meng Ao saw the two streaks of light as they streaked across the sky, landing not far away. However, he glanced around and realized that not everyone seemed to be able to see them.

He frowned, just about to send someone over to see what was going on, when he heard a hurried female voice. It was Ji Yu, who had rushed over again.

"General Meng, have you seen that streak of light over there?"

She quickly bowed before Meng Ao even stood still, and before he could speak, she said in a very fast voice, "The last commotion over there sounded a lot like a large amount of gunpowder exploding, but I'm pretty sure the only batch of gunpowder is still in those tents. I'm going to go see what's going on over there."

If she hadn't known that Meng Ao wasn't that kind of person, she would have almost asked him if he had secretly taken military gunpowder to sell for money (crossed out).

Meng Ao covered his ears, which were still ringing from the explosion, and was surprised when he heard what Ji Yu said: "What did you say?"

Judging from Meng Ao's behavior, Ji Yu knew that the other party's hearing was also impaired by the loud noise, so he patiently repeated what he had just said loudly again.

After confirming the situation, Meng Ao realized the seriousness of the matter and said to Ji Yu, "I just saw two streaks of light fall towards the military camp not far away. For the sake of the soldiers' safety, we must go and check it out."

Before deciding to go in person, Meng Ao cautiously asked Ji Yu, "Do you think those two streaks of light might have been unexploded gunpowder?"

Ji Yu's lips twitched, and he honestly replied, "I have never seen gunpowder that looks like that before."

Relieved, Meng Ao decided to personally lead his guards to investigate. Seeing that Meng Ao had no intention of taking her, Ji Yu quickly followed, saying, "General, please take me with you. I can analyze what's going on."

Meng Ao thought it made sense. Since they were near the military camp, if there was danger, they would all be in danger together. If there was no danger, it wouldn't hurt to take her along. So he nodded in agreement and pointed to a few people: "You protect Doctor Yu and make sure nothing happens to her."

"only!"

"only!"

The people Meng Ao pointed to immediately surrounded Ji Yu, but kept a certain distance from her so as not to hinder her freedom of movement.

When the group arrived, their ears were still ringing, and even the conversations right next to them were blurry.

At that moment, Qin released her grip on Wei's chin. She heard the noise nearby, but didn't seem to care. She spoke softly, "Weren't you curious about who that child was? She's here..."

Qin slowly turned her head to look at Ji Yu and gave her a gentle smile.

Wei found it difficult to even turn her neck; she was at her limit.

Coughing up blood, she looked up at the sky and muttered incoherently, "So this is what death feels like..."

Meng Ao and Ji Yu stared at the bizarre scene before them, their voices caught in their throats, unable to utter a question, let alone step forward. They stood on the periphery as if petrified, while in the center of the crowd were 'Qin' and 'Wei'.

Those present who were still able to think were wondering who the word "child" referred to.

Among those present, could there be any child of such a god or spirit? Wouldn't that be a divine child?

If Qin knew this, he would probably burst out laughing. Wouldn't that mean everyone in Qin would be a god?

Qin has always been very open and honest in her actions. So what if someone sees her? She won't stop eating.

She knelt down, raised her hand, and slid her fingertips down Wei's arm, all the way to his wrist, where she grasped his wrist without hesitation.

To prevent the state from struggling in its final moments, several chains grew out of the void and bound 'Wei', with the other end of the chains linked to the Qin Law.

'Qin' grabbed 'Wei's' wrist, forcefully making her sit up and then lean weakly against her.

Qin wrapped his arms around her, their necks intertwined, Qin placed one hand on the back of Wei's neck to suppress her last resistance, and placed the other hand on her back.

Their actions, though seemingly intimate, are actually quite unsettling.

Of course, since everyone present was a Qin person, even though Meng Ao was a guest minister, he had a strong sense of belonging to Qin after so many years in the country.

They didn't find it cruel at all; instead, they felt a sense of spiritual cleansing, as if their whole being had been elevated.

With his eyes lowered, Qin uttered his final farewell words: "Go in peace, Wei."

Fragments of all sizes floated in the air without any discernible pattern, yet they never scattered to the ground or picked up a speck of dust.

Qin clenched a ball of light in his hand, and the fragments of the surrounding figures were eventually reduced to dust.

She was bathed in this warm light, and the ball of light in her hand shattered and merged into her palm.

At this moment, her figure became much more solid.

She killed 'Wei' and swallowed its largest part. Now, although the state of Wei has not perished, it is devoid of spirits. The remaining vague consciousnesses scattered throughout the various parts of Wei are no longer a threat.

Even if they might reunite after a hundred years, she would not give them that opportunity.

The moment the gates of Wei's capital were breached was the moment she extinguished any possibility of Wei's resurrection.

A flash of murderous intent crossed her eyes, unseen by the Qin people on the periphery.

The area, where only the two of them were originally, was untouched by wind and rain, but as this light spread outwards, the wind and rain around it suddenly stopped.

The umbrella that Meng Ao's personal guards had been holding for him had fallen to the ground at some point, and Meng Ao had no heart to scold those around him.

Everyone present stared blankly at the person who slowly rose from the radiance; her posture was upright, her temperament like a towering mountain, yet also like a gentle and inclusive spring stream.

For the Qin people present, she gave them a feeling that leaned more towards the latter: inclusive, gentle, and with an inherent sense of tranquility.

Meng Ao: !!

Ji Yu: !!!

Numerous guards: !!!

She ate her, one 'person' ate another 'person'!

No! To be precise, they are gods, spirits, but definitely not human!

After the initial shock, once their minds returned to normal, they stopped thinking about how to escape and instead began to speculate about which deity had won a battle against other ghosts.

It's not that they're being hypocritical; it's just that the moment they see her, they feel an overwhelming sense of respect and affection, and this subconscious closeness has clouded their judgment.

Even if they witnessed her kill another divine being, they didn't see anything wrong with it.

Qin looked at everyone and smiled gently. With a flick of his sleeve, he cured everyone's tinnitus.

Her lips parted: "■■■..."

Meng Ao, Ji Yu, and the others' tinnitus was gone, but they felt dizzy and their vision blurred and indistinct. When the vision became clear again, the deity had already disappeared.

Ji Yu held her forehead, feeling like she had seen the other person before.

Meng Ao snapped out of his daze, suppressed the turmoil in his heart, and asked Ji Yu with unwavering sincerity, "Doctor Yu, are you going to go any further? There shouldn't be anyone else here besides... that deity."

He remembered that Ji Yu had come to say that there was a gunpowder explosion in the distance, but the gunpowder in their camp was still stored properly. He came to check because he found it strange.

"General Meng, I'm a bit confused right now." Ji Yu stared blankly at the spot where the figure had disappeared, shaking his head as if trying to get rid of the jumbled thoughts in his mind.

Meng Ao nodded knowingly and said understandingly, "In that case, Doctor Yu need not force himself. In my opinion, those commotions are probably battles between gods, and have nothing to do with us mortals."

"No one has stolen gunpowder or the gunpowder formula, so you can rest assured."

Ji Yu nodded blankly. In fact, she hadn't heard what Meng Ao was saying at all; she was just nodding subconsciously as she continued to look at the open space.

A thought raced through her mind: No, she was no ordinary deity. She had close ties with the Qin state and was intimate with them. She was definitely not just an ordinary deity passing by.

She closed her eyes tightly, trying to clear her thoughts.

"Dr. Yu?"

A light drizzle began to fall, and the rain that had stopped for a moment because of the flash of light resumed, but compared to the previous torrential rain, this was now considered a light drizzle.

The nation fell... Heaven and earth darkened, the clouds wept, and the rain fell incessantly.

It struck people's hearts with a subtle, persistent force, as if to bring them sorrow. But the Meng Ao people felt differently. They felt that the air was fresh and their mood was pleasant. Coming out to investigate was like an outing. Even though going to war meant risking their lives, at this moment, they felt a rare sense of ease.

Seeing that everyone was planning to leave, Ji Yu didn't want to force anyone to stay, so he had no choice but to follow them to the camp.

She kept turning back, hoping that one day she would suddenly see 'her' again.

This wish was never fulfilled even after leaving this place. In a place where Ji Yu could not see, 'Qin' still stood in the same spot, tenderly watching his child go into the distance.

****

In the coalition camp

After inspecting the situation and discovering it was merely a weather disturbance, Lord Xinling of Wei returned to his tent.

In this weather, a fight was impossible, so he simply ordered his guards to go and give orders to those who needed to rest and those who needed to patrol.

When the series of loud noises came, even though he knew it was probably caused by a violent storm, he rushed out of his tent to see what was going on.

After waiting for a while, the strange noise gradually subsided, as if the clouds had cleared and the rain had stopped.

A sliver of light drifted into his vision, and he instinctively reached out to catch it, inadvertently touching his cheek... his face was already streaked with tears.

-----------------------

Author's Note: A guessing game (no prize): How did the daughter manage to make Lord Xinling cry? (I think the method was quite bizarre; you'd never guess!)

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