CHAPTER 31: CHAPTER 31 YING ZHENG OFFERS SACRIFICES TO THE GODS_1

World of Heaven’s Nine Songs.

Great Qin Empire.

Xianyang.

Ever since King of Qin, Yingzheng had vigorously constructed the altar, proclaiming that the mandate of heaven belonged to Great Qin and that a Divine Spirit would manifest on the day of worship—since then, he had widely invited representatives from the Hundreds of Schools and the Six Kingdoms’ Forces to come and witness the ceremony.

Inside and outside Xianyang, undercurrents surged.

At the Prime Minister Mansion, officials allied with Lu Buwei gathered, their discussions fervent.

"Prime Minister, what on earth does the King want to do?" a young official asked, bewildered. "The King could simply worship the gods, but why proclaim that a Divine Spirit will manifest? And why invite the Hundreds of Schools and the Six Kingdoms’ Forces to witness?"

"If no Divine Spirit manifests, wouldn’t that be utterly humiliating?"

"If someone is to lose face, it’ll be that young upstart. The worship is his own doing; the Prime Minister did not support it. If that boy becomes a joke, won’t it only serve to highlight the Prime Minister’s authority?" another official spoke nonchalantly. From their perspective, this situation seemed to offer only benefits. Even if it might tarnish the prestige of the Qin Kingdom, it wouldn’t cause significant harm.

The young official shook his head, saying, "Although the King is young, he is no fool. In recent years, he has been wanting to take power, constantly suppressing the Prime Minister secretly! He must know that if the Divine Spirit fails to manifest, his prestige will greatly diminish, and he’ll find it even harder to suppress the Prime Minister. His daring to do this indicates he might have something to rely on, so we must be on guard!"

"What can he rely on in worship? I heard he even specially invited the Yin Yang Sect—I’m sure he intends to use their deceitful tricks to fool people!"

"But could the Hundreds of Schools and the Six Kingdoms’ Forces be so easily deceived?"

"Actually, the King doesn’t need to deceive the Hundreds of Schools or the Six Kingdoms’ Forces; he only needs to deceive the common people!"

"If he can deceive the common people, it will be a great boost to his own reputation!"

"That’s true!"

"Then we absolutely cannot let him succeed!"

"Indeed!"

"We shall find people to secretly observe. If Ying Zheng, that young upstart, tries to use deceitful tricks, we will expose him and make him lose face!"

...

Lu Buwei sat in the chief seat, watching his subordinates and guests discuss without offering any opinion. He also remained silent regarding their desire to sabotage Ying Zheng’s worship ceremony, evidently acquiescing.

"Alright, it’s about time we left," Lu Buwei said, looking at the sky as he stood up.

"Yes, Prime Minister!"

The crowd followed Lu Buwei towards the city’s outskirts.

The altar was built in the center of an open plain outside the city, constructed from earth, wood, and Jade Stone, at a considerable expense to Ying Zheng’s treasury and resources. If the worship were to fail, he would certainly be criticized for exhausting the people and squandering the national wealth.

Around the altar stood rows of neatly arrayed Old Qin warriors, long spears in their grasp. They were valiant and spirited. The Black Dragon Flag fluttered in the wind, banners streaming. Majestic and imposing, they moved like thunder yet stood as unmovable as mountains.

Surrounding the warriors were a hundred thousand people from inside and outside Xianyang. Representatives of the Hundreds of Schools and the Six Kingdoms’ Forces mingled within, secretly observing. Assassins even lurked among the crowd, waiting for an opportunity to strike.

「Atop a nearby hill.」

A figure, shrouded in a Black Robe, stood indifferently, his profound and inscrutable gaze fixed on the grand and towering altar at the center of the plain. Behind him were enchantingly beautiful women with myriad charms and graceful figures.

"Lord Donghuang, what exactly does Ying Zheng want to do? Do gods truly exist in this world?" a cold and captivating voice rang out, like the cry of a Phoenix, soft and melodious, soothing to the soul.

The speaker was the woman standing first to the left of the person in the Black Robe. The woman, tall and elegant, had long, lustrous black hair that cascaded down like a waterfall onto her back, adorned with a beautiful and luxurious golden crow hairpin. Her skin was as smooth and translucent as glazed porcelain, as white and delicate as mutton-fat jade. With the appearance of a Fairy, she exuded elegance and mystery. Her eyes, profound and beguiling, seemed to hold endless tales, as if they could draw one’s spirit into them, intoxicating and inescapable.

She was the second-in-command of the Yin Yang Sect, Dongjun Yanfei.

"We shall see," a calm voice, devoid of any worldly flamboyance, emanated from Donghuang Taiyi, still enshrouded in his Black Robe. His gaze remained unwavering, fixed on the scene before him.

The Yin Yang Sect was proficient in the art of astrology and skilled at deducing the future. Destiny is unpredictable, yet not entirely inscrutable.

Since Ying Zheng recited the "Meditation Method," a shift had occurred in the general trend of Heaven and Earth. The Yin Yang Sect, adept in the art of astrology, could make rough predictions about the future and naturally noticed that some unfathomable changes had occurred to the Qin Kingdom, or to Ying Zheng himself.

At that very moment, Ying Zheng sent them a message, saying he was going to hold a sacrifice for a great True God—not one of those fictitious or deceptive false gods commonly spoken of in legends, but a True God capable of Divine Manifestation.

The changes in the Qin Kingdom, along with the god mentioned by Ying Zheng, captured the fascination of the Yin Yang Sect. This prompted Donghuang Taiyi to attend in person today.

He had never witnessed a real Divine Spirit and did not even know if Divine Spirits truly existed. But now that he had the chance, regardless of its authenticity, he wanted to see for himself.

"I had an audience with King Qin in the palace before and discovered he actually possesses the Cultivation Level of a Grandmaster!" said the exquisitely beautiful woman next to Empress Yan, her lips slightly parting, her voice ethereal.

She had rare purple hair, elegantly coiffed into an intricate bun, adorned with a luxurious and noble blue hairpin. Her fair complexion was as spotless as jade, with a pure white veil loosely covering her eyes, adding a layer of special mystery to her appearance. Her figure was elegant and svelte, her curves enchanting. She wore a light blue, elaborate gown with a long, flowing train. Beneath the hem of her gown, a pair of slender, ivory-like legs were revealed. Every gesture she made exuded grace, poise, and a regal, refined air.

She was the Moon Goddess of the Yin Yang Sect, and also the sister of Empress Yan.

「Elsewhere.」

Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism, Agrarianism... Han country, Zhao State, Yan Nation, Wei State... Representatives from the Hundreds of Schools and the Six Kingdoms’ Forces had all arrived.

「Within Xianyang Palace.」

Ying Zheng, draped in a Black Dragon robe with the Heavenly Question Sword hanging at his waist, ascended his exclusive chariot, moving slowly out of the city amidst the support of a grand army. Zhao Gao waited on him at his side, with hidden Net Trap experts densely stationed around.

In a carriage following the chariot, Jing Ni had already removed her metallic bracers and fishnet attire, now donning an elegant long gown. Her figure was slender, her posture graceful; her curves—enchanting, delicate, and alluring—resembled a noble peony in bloom: regal and refined. The Shoking Giant Salamander Sword lay flat on her fair, rounded legs. Her aura was icy, her gaze piercing. Dazzling with a cold beauty, she was like a blossoming rose: beautiful, breathtaking, and seductive.

「After a short while.」

Ying Zheng’s procession arrived at the site of the sacrifice. The civil and military officials had already gathered, waiting respectfully.

Upon seeing Ying Zheng, they all bowed and greeted, "We pay our respects to Your Majesty!"

"Rise," Ying Zheng said, standing atop his chariot and gesturing with a raised hand.

With the salutations completed, Ying Zheng stepped down from the chariot and ascended the sacrificial altar. Imperial sacrifices involved a myriad of intricate rituals. Ying Zheng could not simply omit them, so he waited patiently.

"What on earth is King Qin plotting? Claiming the Mandate of Heaven and a Divine Manifestation? What a joke!"

"Indeed, from ancient times till now, aside from fakery and tricks, has there ever been a Divine Manifestation?"

"Divine Spirits are nothing but fabrications, all made up, and only the ignorant masses would believe them!"

Many from the Hundreds of Schools and the Six Kingdoms’ Forces grew restless. They had seen far too many of these worship ceremonies! Which emperor didn’t hold several each year? They had assumed Ying Zheng’s grand claims implied something different. Is this all it amounts to?