The second war between Qin and Chu finally began, with the King of Chu and the powerful nobles vying for the secret formula for smelting minerals.
The focus on steelmaking inevitably became lax, and less than twenty iron smelting furnaces were built. Even though production did increase dramatically as Nüba had said, the number of weapons actually forged was still small.
When the Chu army set off in haste, they didn't even have one-twentieth of their weapons.
Perhaps sensing the impending misfortune, Xiang Yan sought an audience with Nüba before his departure, but was refused entry.
"What should we do, system? It seems the Chu Kingdom is doomed."
Before the battle even began, the "Nüba" (a spirit medium) whom the Chu rulers and ministers relied on coldly declared to the system that their path was blocked.
"Let's try to get as much as we can. By the way, didn't the King of Chu send people everywhere to spread the name of Nüba? Let me see how many followers we still need for the mission."
He didn't care about the fate of the Chu state; whether it perished or prospered was none of his business with the host.
A useless person who couldn't seize the opportunity even when given one.
Compared to Qin, the State of Chu was like a giant suffering from a serious illness, the kind that even the most potent medicines could not save.
Since that's the case, we can only squeeze the last bit of value out of the Chu state!
"Host, we're still short by less than a million."
Ling Xiao raised an eyebrow upon hearing this, somewhat puzzled:
"Qin can only provide about half of it. Is Chu really that capable of providing the rest?"
"It's not entirely the State of Chu."
Seeing that the task was nearing completion, the system said in a cheerful tone:
"There are two other countries, Yan and Qi, some of whom believe in the Moon Goddess and some in the Goddess Nüba. That's all there is to it."
"The host's thinking is right. Those who lean towards Qin and those who lean towards Chu have different beliefs, but no matter how cunning they are, they still have to drink our foot-washing water, hahahahahahahaha!"
He burst into laughter.
"Alright, since there aren't many left, Nüba can finally let loose."
Ling Xiao stretched his limbs, a gentle yet chilling smile on his face that sent shivers down one's spine; it was clear at a glance that he was plotting something wicked.
"As long as you're happy and don't interfere with the mission, I'll cooperate fully."
The system's attitude towards the potential consequences of the host's behavior is one of acceptance; let it be and don't make things difficult for yourself.
Moreover, the host should... know how to behave.
"Yeah, think about it. The All-Star System is basically about maximizing a person's influence and fame, right?"
"That's right. We're able to accomplish so many tasks in ancient times thanks to your intelligence, host."
He casually offered a compliment, quite skillfully.
"Temporary fame means nothing. This era is too barren. Perhaps in less than a hundred years, Nüba and the Moon Goddess will become nothing more than mythological tales, without lasting fame."
"This is already very good. As long as the task is completed, that's all that matters."
As it spoke, the system looked at Ling Xiao suspiciously. Was there something wrong with this? The mission was the top priority.
Ling Xiao, with a serious face, said earnestly:
"Just completing the mission? What's the point? Our goal should be perfection, even uncovering new missions, maybe even hidden achievements!"
Heh, the system doesn't even want to expose her anymore. I wish Ling Xiao had that kind of awareness.
"Yes, yes, so what do you want to do?" she asked directly, adding a follow-up question if she was still unsure.
"We can't go too far. At the very least, we can't ruin this plane. We can't afford to pay for it; the Supreme God will crush us."
For some reason, I have a feeling that the host will one day cause a major upheaval.
"Don't worry," Ling Xiao said bluntly, seeing that the man seemed to see right through her.
"I'm going to take the King of Chu to excavate the Nine Tripods, and talk about the fortune of the Nine Provinces and such, to make the King of Chu and his people happy."
Then have them build me a palace. Qin Shi Huang had the Epang Palace, so I don't need to worry about mine. Just call it the Nüba Palace. Hundreds or thousands of years from now, the name Nüba will be passed down along with this palace.”
Ling Xiao felt more and more confident in his idea. A superstar's enduring success depends on his work. With Nüba secured, he would have to bring Yue Shen along in the future.
Qin Shi Huang shouldn't be as tyrannical as the Chu Kingdom. Otherwise, he should have renamed the Epang Palace.
The system fell silent. It realized once again that its host was truly not a person!
You can't just casually ask someone to build a palace for you. Do you know how many laborers you have to conscript and how much money and grain it costs to build a palace?
It's even compared to the Epang Palace. Du Mu's poems say that only after the six kingdoms were destroyed and the world was unified could there be money to build it.
This will empty the Chu treasury!
However, he had to admit that the host's Nvba Palace had really been built, and perhaps the All-Star System's missions could be completed instantly.
So, against the last shred of his conscience, he agreed to the host's idea.
……………………
As they expected, Wang Jian, a seasoned and shrewd commander, gave Xiang Yan no chance and steadily advanced on the State of Chu. Although they clashed occasionally, he won more often than he lost.
Under the threat of ending up with nothing, Ling Xiao acted swiftly.
The Nine Tripods were a great treasure during the pre-Qin period, and legend has it that they symbolized the supreme power of the king. The Xia, Shang, and Zhou dynasties all regarded them as national treasures.
The Records of the Grand Historian, Treatise on the Feng and Shan Sacrifices:
"Yu collected metal from the nine provinces and cast nine tripods. All of them were used to offer sacrifices to the Supreme God and the spirits."
"When a sage reigns, prosperity flourishes; the tripod was moved during the Xia and Shang dynasties. When the Zhou dynasty declined, the state of Song perished, and the tripod was lost, lying hidden and never to be seen again."
Later emperors valued the Nine Tripods as a symbol of power, and many emperors had them recast.
The most shameless thing the Qin and Chu states ever did was to lead their armies to intimidate the declining Zhou royal family and demand the Nine Tripods.
This shows how strong their desire for the Nine Tripods was.
When the King of Chu received Nüba's message, he was stunned and asked incredulously, "Did the great goddess Nüba really say there was news of the Nine Tripods?"
After receiving an affirmative answer, King Fuchu of Chu hurriedly went to Nüba's side.
Ling Xiao strictly adhered to the character's established setting, incorporating later legends, such as the fact that when Yu the Great forged the Nine Cauldrons, he integrated the luck of the human race, which enabled him to open the barrier of the Nine Provinces.
Anyway, they fooled the King of Chu so much that he couldn't think straight and wanted to get his hands on the Nine Tripods right now so he could unify the world.
"...When I passed by the Luo River, I saw a magnificent light shining brightly, vaguely resembling the atmosphere of the nine provinces, and I knew then that it was one of the Nine Tripods made by Yu the Great."
The King of Chu, cupping his hands in excitement, said:
"I beseech the great goddess Nüba to help me retrieve the Nine Tripods; the State of Chu will surely repay you handsomely in the future."
The demon looked at him with amusement, her dark, jewel-like eyes both alluring and bewitching.
"There's no need for 'later.' Every gain has its loss. Now that Chu has acquired the Nine Tripods, let them build me a palace."
Ling Xiao read aloud from the system's cheat sheet:
"There should be a building every five steps, a pavilion every ten steps... and the weather will vary within a single day."
The King of Chu's face slowly turned ashen, like that of a dead man.
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