Zhenwu laughed and said, "That's alright! This time I went down to the mortal realm to ask the Holy Goddess Nuwa for the supreme spiritual treasure, the Map of Mountains and Rivers, in order to subdue that great sorcerer Bai Qi. Now I will give the Map of Mountains and Rivers to you, and then I will bring Ying Zheng, Bai Qi and other sorcerers here. You can use the Map of Mountains and Rivers to collect them."
The woman from Lishan pondered for a moment, then said, "Since that's the case, let's act according to the Emperor's words." She knew perfectly well why Zhenwu was so confident in deceiving Ying Zheng and the others. Ying Zheng was obsessed with Lishan's beauty, always dreaming of immortality and staying with her forever. He even had Bai Qi research the abilities of the Ancestral Witches day and night, hoping one day to become an immortal Great Witch himself. As long as Ying Zheng was tricked into coming to Lishan, his subordinates would surely follow, and then they could be captured in one fell swoop.
Thirty-eight buried, China
Qin Shi Huang, the First Emperor of Qin, was a rare emperor in history. Unfortunately, despite his great talent and ambition, he was ultimately a mortal subject to birth, aging, sickness, and death. Ying Zheng possessed the blood of a great sorcerer, yet lacked the immortality of one. He clung to the power of the emperor, desiring to unify the world for eternity. Bai Qi offered Ying Zheng the hope of immortality and even the chance to fight against the heavens on behalf of humanity, but he couldn't experience those benefits firsthand. As he aged, Ying Zheng's fearless ambition waned. Upon seeing the woman of Lishan, Ying Zheng realized that although he was the emperor, he lacked the supreme power to rule the land. He couldn't even possess a mere immortal woman. He finally decided to stop wasting his years waiting for Bai Qi's unfulfilled hope. Ying Zheng resolved to seek immortality through cultivation, hoping to obtain the elixir of immortality.
Just then, Zhenwu descended to the mortal realm, transforming into a Taoist sorcerer named Xu Fu. Xu Fu immediately became famous for eliminating the evil water monster that plagued the upper reaches of the Xianyang River. Coupled with his unparalleled accuracy in divination, he soon caught the attention of Emperor Qin Shi Huang in the imperial palace. Qin Shi Huang, troubled by the lack of skilled Taoist practitioners among his subjects, had become increasingly capricious and indifferent to the suffering of his people. Upon hearing of Xu Fu's fame, he immediately summoned him to an audience. Zhenwu already knew that Bai Qi was secretly forging twelve golden figures to gather the power of the ancestral witches in order to grant Qin Shi Huang immortality. Bai Qi's absence from Qin Shi Huang's side presented a rare opportunity, which Zhenwu seized to get close to the emperor.
Inside the palace, Zhenwu displayed his supernatural powers, gaining the trust of Ying Zheng and his subordinates. Knowing that Bai Qi was currently fighting against Gouchen the Great and others, Zhenwu bewitched Ying Zheng, claiming that Penglai Island, one of the ten continents and three islands of the ancient blessed lands, possessed true cultivation methods and the elixir of immortality. Ying Zheng was overjoyed upon hearing this, saying, "Daoist Master, you are truly my lucky star! If you can truly obtain the elixir of immortality, allowing me to unify the land for eternity, Daoist Master, you may make any request."
Zhenwu laughed and said, "I am a man of the secular world. Since I have been appreciated by Your Majesty, I should share Your Majesty's worries and troubles. But now that I have received Your Majesty's favor, I am content as long as I can pass on the lineage."
Ying Zheng laughed heartily and said, "What's so difficult about that! I hereby appoint you as the Grand Preceptor of my Great Qin, and you are to open Taoist temples and recruit disciples." After glancing at Zhenwu, Ying Zheng continued, "Grand Preceptor, your most urgent task now is to seek out the elixir of immortality for me. Whatever your request, Grand Preceptor, I will grant you permission to act accordingly."
Zhenwu said, "In that case, please have His Majesty issue a personal edict, granting Xu Fu full authority over all matters."
Upon hearing that Zhenwu had agreed to seek the elixir of immortality, Ying Zheng was overjoyed and hastily wrote an imperial edict. Previously, Zhenwu's original plan was to use the Lishan Woman as bait to lure Ying Zheng to Lishan. Once Ying Zheng arrived, Bai Qi would surely come to his rescue, and they could then capture him all at once. However, Ying Zheng was the Emperor, and the Qin Dynasty's imperial power was currently at its peak. Zhenwu dared not frame or kill Ying Zheng, for he could not bear the karmic consequences of harming the Emperor. If he were to deceive Ying Zheng in the name of the Lishan Woman, he would incur karmic ties with her. Now, having obtained Ying Zheng's own imperial edict, he could just as easily manipulate Bai Qi into obeying his orders—why not?
Zhenwu first tricked Ying Zheng into going to Mount Li, and then ordered Ying Zheng to send someone to summon Bai Qi back to discuss the matter of seeking the elixir. Zhenwu himself then disguised himself as a warrior and went to intercept Bai Qi on the way with the imperial edict.
Upon hearing that the Qin Emperor had summoned him back to court for a meeting, Bai Qi dared not delay. He led three thousand armored light cavalry on a whirlwind march towards Xianyang, as swift as lightning. Halfway there, he suddenly heard that a messenger had arrived with an imperial decree. Bai Qi hurriedly halted his army to receive the order. The messenger greeted Bai Qi and said, “By the grace of Heaven, the Emperor decrees: 'There is a Taoist sorcerer named Xu Fu, a man of profound cultivation and great magical power, whose merits are immeasurable. I have heard of a sacred mountain overseas, where immortals gather in bliss, and within it, on ten continents, three islands, and thirty-six blessed lands, lies the elixir of immortality. I hereby command Xu Fu to seek this elixir for me. Xu Fu, upon receiving this decree, will find his whereabouts as if I were personally present. No one may disobey this decree, no matter what he desires. So be it!' General, please receive the decree!"
Bai Qi was greatly alarmed. Ying Zheng's order was incredibly foolish. At such a sensitive time, how could he be sure that the sorcerer wasn't a member of the Heavenly Court? Bai Qi not only worried about Ying Zheng's safety but also asked the messenger, "Has anything major happened in the court recently?"
The messenger replied, "Nothing serious, His Majesty has just gone on another tour!"
Bai Qi asked in confusion, "His Majesty is on another tour? Didn't His Majesty summon me back to court for a meeting?"
The messenger was none other than Zhenwu in disguise. Seeing that Bai Qi had become suspicious, he inwardly groaned, knowing he was no match for Bai Qi, but he showed no sign of it on his face. Bai Qi's hand was already on the hilt of his sword; if Zhenwu answered incorrectly and revealed even the slightest flaw, Bai Qi would swiftly draw his sword and strike. Zhenwu was also prepared to fight to the death, but he appeared unmoved, saying directly, "Ever since His Majesty met the Fairy of Lishan, he has been unable to forget her and still wishes to go to Lishan to see her one last time."
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