The woman was dressed in a black dress, and her hands were placed gracefully on her abdomen. She lay quietly inside the crystal coffin. There was a hint of redness on her lips, making her appear seductive but, at the same time, dangerous as well.

She had an impeccably beautiful face. Her skin should have been unnaturally pale from being holed up in this dark underground cavern for many years, yet such wasn’t the case. Perhaps it was due to the contrast with her black dress, her skin gave off a luster reminiscent of white jade.

Her nose was curved in a shapely angle, and her lips glistened alluringly. Her delicate lower jaws and her slender neck further accentuated her moving face, making it hard for anyone to resist her charms.

Zu An had never seen the black dress she was wearing before, but the first thought that crossed his mind was that it was the phoenix robe worn by the empress. There were golden embroideries of auspicious beasts on the black silk dress, making it look grand and graceful. It granted its wearer an inexplicably imposing air.

The dress wasn’t fitted perfectly; it was slightly on the larger side. Nevertheless, her beautiful curves were still vaguely showing through the dress, hinting at just how great her figure was.

She was covered fully in cloth, such that only her head, hands, legs, and a small part of her ankles were peeking out. Zu An couldn’t help noticing that there were red bangles locking her hands and legs in place.

He had expected to see a mummy or a skin-and-bones old granny. Even in the most optimistic situation, he thought that she would be a middle-aged auntie or something. After all, she was Fusu’s mother, and Fusu was already an adult when he died.

Through that calculation, it wasn’t too hard to figure that she had to be at least thirty to forty years of age when Ying Zheng sealed her off. Even if her aging had slowed due to the seal, surely being sealed for thousands of years should have done something to her.

Yet, she miraculously managed to retain a youthful look. One could easily mistake her for a young lady in her early twenties.

What the hell? Isn’t she a bit too young? On top of that, how is she so beautiful?

“Have you seen enough yet?”

The woman lying in the crystal coffin suddenly opened her eyes to gaze at him coldly.

Zu An’s heart jolted in fright. It was just a moment ago that she looked alluringly beautiful, the type of woman who would become a man’s fantasy, but the moment she opened her eyes, her disposition changed altogether. Her sharp eyes carried an indescribable authority that made her feel lofty and unapproachable. It felt like it was only right for all beings to prostrate before her.

“Of course not. Do you know how pretty you are?” Zu An leaned against the coffin as he propped up his chin with his hand, continuing to gaze at her with a smile on his lips.

He disliked how she was acting as if he was a mere ant before her presence.

You might be an empress in the past, but the Qin Dynasty has already fallen from grace. Stop putting on airs here!

“…” Mi Li.

She was a little taken aback by Zu An’s response. All other men, with the exception of Ying Zheng, were terrified by her presence, not daring to even breathe loudly. It was rare that a man actually dared to smile and even tease her.

“Stop talking nonsense and hand the contract over so that I can seal it,” said Mi Li. I’ll punish this fellow later on for his insolence.

“Alright.” Zu An was also worried about Chu Chuyan’s safety, so he dared not to delay this matter at all. He pushed the lid of the crystal coffin away, and a chilling air immediately gushed his way, making him shudder uncontrollably.

“What the hell! You were actually lying in a place like this for several thousand years?! It must have really been tough on you!” Zu An rubbed his own shoulders as he exclaimed in horror.

“Yes, it has indeed been tough…” murmured Mi Li with a brooding look on her face.

She had been stuck here so long that she had forgotten most of her emotions, so Zu An’s sudden concern left her feeling a little wistful.

However, she didn’t allow her emotions to show through. Instead, she scoffed coldly, “If you want to know, you can try lying in here yourself.”

“Really? This crystal coffin doesn’t look big enough for two though. I’ll probably end up crushing you if I come in as well. Are you sure that you don’t mind?” asked Zu An with a hint of delight in his voice.

“…” Mi Li.

You have successfully trolled Mi Li for +444 Rage!

She had no idea how Zu An was able to twist her provocation in such ridiculous manners to tease her.

“Do you know what’s the consequences of teasing me?” Mi Li’s voice turned cold as she looked at Zu An severely.

“It’s only normal that I react this way after witnessing your beauty. What can I do when you’re that good looking?” replied Zu An with a smile. “Besides, are you really thinking of killing me over this?”

“Death would only come as a solace to you. I’ll dig out your eyeballs and sever your tongue,” threatened Mi Li coldly.

“But aren’t you going to sign a contract with me? You won’t be able to harm me by then.” Zu An shrugged away her threats nonchalantly.

Mi Li was stunned. “Is that why you’re acting so fearlessly?”

Zu An nodded. “Of course. I need to test if your contract is reliable or not. How can I trust you if you’re going to threaten me each time I casually drop a remark?”

“…” Mi Li.

Zu An’s argument sounded so solid that she was actually unable to find a rebuttal to it for a very long while. In the end, she harrumphed impatiently and said, “Stop wasting time and bring the contract over.”

Zu An passed the contract over to her, only to see her remaining completely motionless, not reaching to receive the contract at all. The two of them ended up staring at one another blankly.

“You can’t move?”

“You don’t say!”

Zu An chuckled sheepishly, “Ahahaha, I’ll help you then.”

He reached out to grab her hand, only to be shocked by the sheer coldness of her body. The coldness was so biting that it seemed to seep right into his bones.

“Are you a human or a ghost?” asked Zu An with a gulp.

“What do you think?” Mi Li looked at him with a menacing smile.

After finally adapting to the shocking coldness, Zu An’s attention was soon captured by the astonishing elasticity of her hand. He couldn’t help but pinch her hands a little. Then, his gaze slowly trailed over to her chest, and he murmured softly, “I guess I need to try it to find out.”

However, the sheer murderous intent in her eyes was enough to make him back down fearfully. He grumbled in complaint, “You were the one who refused to answer my question first.”

Then, he dabbed some blood on her finger before imprinting it on the contract.

Mi Li was just about to say something when her body suddenly shuddered. Her gaze fell upon the bloodstains on his body, and her eyes grew contemplative.

However, Zu An didn’t notice her reaction at all. He heaved a sigh of relief before stowing the contract away in his robes. Then, he turned to the sword above the coffin and asked, “I just have to take the sword down, right?”

“That’s right. Be careful, and make sure that you don’t let it slip down. I have no wish of being stabbed to death at the final moment,” replied Mi Li.

Zu An was perplexed. “If this sword could kill you, why didn’t Ying Zheng do it back then? It’s really weird that he went through the trouble of sealing you.”

“You sure have a whole lot of questions. Your wife will really be dead if you continue dawdling here,” remarked Mi Li.

Zu An’s heart palpitated in unease when he recalled the situation Chu Chuyan was in. Not daring to waste any more time, he leaped into the air and grabbed the metal chain with one hand and the Tai’e Sword with the other.

The moment his hand came into contact with the sword’s handle, his entire body suddenly jerked, and his mind was plunged into chaos. By the time he finally snapped out of it, he realized that he was no longer in the underground palace but a resplendent hall.

He couldn’t construe words that could aptly describe just how grand the hall was. It made him feel incomparably insignificant, as if he was no more than a speck of dust before everything else.

“You’re here,” an authoritative voice suddenly sounded.

Zu An immediately turned his gaze over. A Dragon Throne was placed at the forefront of the hall, and a black-robed man was seated upright on top of it. His very presence was overpowering, as if everything in the world was under his thumb.

Woah, his disposition is indeed top-notch. He’s able to look cool just by sitting there. If only I could learn half of his skills—no, even 10% would suffice—I would be the coolest kid on the street!

“Who are you?” asked Zu An with narrowed eyes.

The man seated on the Dragon Throne had his appearance veiled by a layer of mist, making it impossible to discern his looks. However, Zu An soon noticed the Five-clawed Golden Dragon[1] embroidered on the man’s black robe, and a thought surfaced in his mind. “You are the Founding Sovereign Emperor?”

“It matters not who I am,” replied the name donned in the dragon robe. “What’s important is that you’re here.”

Zu An gulped.

What the hell is going on here? Has he found out that I’m intending to save his empress, so he’s going to kill me now? Wait a moment, I even teased Mi Li earlier on! Could he have been spying on me all this while? Goddamnit, I’m a goner then!

The man wearing the dragon robe rose to his feet, which sent Zu An retreating several steps out of fear. It was just that this hall was freakishly huge, such that he was unable to find the exit even after scanning the area.

“You need not fear. I don’t plan to take your life.” Seeing right through Zu An’s worries, the man wearing the dragon robe said. “A man who can overcome the Human, Earth, and Heaven Seal is one who is wise and blessed with luck. You’re worthy of the undertaking.”

“Regarding that… I’m still lacking in terms of training, so I fear that I’m going to let down your expectations. Why don’t you find another person instead?” asked Zu An hesitantly.

Given how gravely the man wearing the dragon robe was speaking, he figured that the other party was going to issue an incredibly difficult mission. It’s probably something that will require me to charge through the fields of hell or something. No way I’m going to do that!

“Very well,” replied the man in the dragon robe.

Zu An was surprised, not expecting the other party to be so easy to negotiate with. He quickly added, “Since that’s the case, I’ll be taking my leave now.”

After saying those words, he turned around and quickly speed walked away.

However, the resounding roar of a dragon suddenly sounded—the man in the dragon robe had drawn his sword. Puffs of smoke was stirring in front of Zu An, and vaguely he seemed to see an entire army staring quietly at him.

A descent of his sword, and all nobles shall rush westward[2]!

For some reason, Zu An couldn’t help but remember a poem he had read in his previous life.

It was then that the man spoke with cold authority, “No one in the world can reject me. The only fate that awaits those who dares is death!”

“I-I was just joking earlier! Elder, please feel free to ask anything of me! Be it scaling a mountain of swords or descending in a sea of flames, I’ll do it without batting an eyelid!” Zu An immediately changed his words right away.

A black object suddenly flew in Zu An’s direction, and he subconsciously reached out to grab hold of it. It was only after catching it that he realized that it was a sword. When he raised his head once more, he realized that the man in the dragon robe wasn’t holding onto anything anymore.

The sword Zu An was holding right now was the same one that the man in the dragon robe had unsheathed earlier, and upon closer examination, he realized that it was actually the Tai’e Sword!

“With Tai’e in hand, seek out West Houndhill[3], and you’ll know what you must do,” said the man in the dragon robe.

1. The Five-clawed Golden Dragon is a symbol reserved specifically only for the emperor.

2. This is a description praising Qin Shihuang, saying that all nobles would rush to Xianyang to submit to the Qin Country at his orders.

3. This is the place where Qin Feizi’s father, Da Luo, lived with his brothers. Qin Feizi is the founding king of the Qin Country.