The Dirge of Qin

The Guanzhong Plain, the land of Qinchuan—this has been the ancestral home of the Qin people since ancient times. Here, they rested, prospered, and gradually built a powerful state that eventually swept through the six directions and unified Huaxia.

The great monarch transformed the kingdom into an empire, establishing the first unified dynasty upon the nine provinces. His glory shone in all directions, and his achievements were meant to endure for eternity. The Emperor hoped his empire would last forever, as immortal as his legacy.

Yet, nothing in this world is truly eternal. The powerful empire lasted only twenty-odd years, and the supreme throne was passed down for only two generations. Amidst a web of intersecting conflicts, the mountain that the world once looked up to collapsed in an instant.

The great house overturned; the empire had disintegrated. The beacon fires of rebellion burned across its vast territories and had now reached the heart of the empire—the capital, Xianyang.

For the citizens of Xianyang, recent days had been spent in a state of sheer terror. Already living in fear under the empire’s harsh rule, they watched as the flames of rebellion ignited across the land several years ago. The rebel armies, composed of commoners and the remnants of the six conquered royal families, rapidly eroded the empire’s control. The escalating insurgency shook the very foundations of the state as the rebel forces marched toward the capital. The empire’s once-mighty military appeared utterly feeble when faced with a nation ablaze. Finally, in a decisive battle of the ages, the empire was defeated by the Hegemon of Chu. All hope for a reversal was lost, and the official countdown to the empire's demise began.

The fall of Xianyang was only a matter of time. From royal ministers to ordinary citizens, everyone was plunged into panic. Amidst this chaos, the last king of the empire used a ruse to eliminate the treacherous officials who had corrupted the court. Clad in white with a rope around his neck, he surrendered to the rebel leader who had taken a circuitous route into the capital.

To the relief of Xianyang’s people, the first rebel leader to enter the city was different from other generals. He restrained his soldiers, harmed neither the nobles nor the commoners, and even spared the surrendered Qin royal family. After abolishing the oppressive laws, he established a simple Three Chapters of Law with the people of Guanzhong before leading his troops away.

Just as the capital’s elite and commoners were celebrating the mercy of the first rebel leader, the Hegemon of Chu arrived from the east, consumed by a towering rage.

Perhaps it was the resentment of a destroyed nation, the fury over slain kin, the dissatisfaction of being beaten to the capital, or simply his habitual tyranny... the Hegemon of Chu unleashed his boundless wrath upon the capital, which had already surrendered and was now defenseless.

Xianyang in the dark of night.

Screams and the sounds of slaughter echoed throughout the city. Unrestrained soldiers charged in, beginning a massacre of the unarmed populace. The frenzied rebels made no attempt to hide their bestiality and greed. They smashed open shops, looted anything of value, and vented their lust upon any woman with even a hint of beauty. Anyone who dared to stand in their way died a miserable death under the butcher’s blade.

Wails of grief filled the capital. Tragedies occurred every moment as the city that once symbolized the empire was repeatedly and cruelly trampled, left with no means to resist.

Upon the city wall stood a man of tall stature and resolute features, clad in heavy armor and a helmet. Behind him stood countless well-equipped guards, the swords at their waists shimmering with a strange, soft light. A great banner bearing the character 'Xiang' fluttered in the wind beside him.

The man on the wall remained completely indifferent to the wails filling the city. His eyes pierced through the layers of tragedy to gaze into the distance—toward the Qin Palace, the former center of the empire’s power. At this very moment, it was engulfed in soaring flames.

Inside the Qin Palace, the rebel forces were even more densely packed than in the city. They were frantically plundering the vast treasures stored within. Exquisite artifacts collected by the Emperor were being snatched away. Palaces that had been stripped bare were immediately set ablaze by the rebels, gradually turning to ash in the inferno.

If the commoners fleeing Xianyang had a slim chance of survival depending on the rebels' whims, those within the Qin Palace had only death awaiting them. Under orders, all members of the Qin royal family were to be slaughtered. Neither eunuchs, palace maids, nor concubines could escape. Between looting, the rebels killed anyone they saw; no matter how noble their former status, none could escape their tragic fate.

Amidst the soaring flames and the chaotic din of the palace, an elderly eunuch was running through the palace corridors, clutching the hand of a child dressed in simple cloth robes. Both the eunuch and the child were pale and gasping for breath.

"Quickly, please move faster, Young Lord!" Seeing the child slowing down due to exhaustion, the old eunuch urged him anxiously.

"I can't... I can't... I really... can't run anymore... Waaa... let's just die here..." The child, only four or five years old, cried as he ran, tears streaming down his face.

"No, now is not the time for you to die. Please follow this old servant and escape. We will soon find the side hall that hides the secret passage out of the palace..."

Forcibly dragging the child along, the old eunuch continued his difficult journey. Finally, after turning a corner, they saw their destination—a palace hall shrouded in raging fire.

"How... how is this possible... It can't be..." The old eunuch trembled all over, his face filled with disbelief as his teeth chattered. Just then, in front of the hall, several rebels who were sorting through loot on the ground noticed the newcomers and turned their heads.

"It’s someone from the palace. Kill them!"

With those words, the rebels picked up their blades and charged from a distance. Seeing this, the old eunuch immediately pulled the child and turned to run in terror. However, how could an old man and a young child outrun these soldiers?

Hearing the shouts of slaughter closing in and feeling the child beside him crying and slowing down, the old eunuch felt a surge of despair. He impulsively ducked into a nearby grand hall, turned around, and bolted the door. But the pursuers arrived quickly, cursing as they kicked and hacked at the wooden doors with their blades. The fragile wood could not hold for long.

Watching the door, the old eunuch backed away two steps weakly with his mouth agape. Then, he turned silently to take in the scene inside the hall, his face becoming a mask of numbness.

Several massive pillars supported the high, wide space. Layers of light silk veils hung from the ceiling. Firelight flickered atop countless large bronze sparrow lamps. In the center of the hall stood a massive, tiered sacrificial altar. Large spirit tablets carved from the finest wood were arranged neatly in rows upon it. Enveloped in the swirling smoke of incense, a sense of solemnity and gravity filled the space.

Seeing this, the old eunuch finally realized where he had stumbled in his haste. This was the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the place where generations of the royal family were enshrined and worshipped. In normal times, it was a forbidden ground.

Crack! Thud! Snap! The wooden door behind them groaned under the weight of the kicks and blade strikes. The wood splintered inch by inch and would soon be reduced to scrap. Seeing this, all other expressions faded from the old eunuch's face, replaced by an eerie calm.

"Young Lord, come here..." The old eunuch beckoned to the child, who was still sitting on the floor gasping for air. Seeing the eunuch's expression, the child hesitated at first but eventually stood up shakily and walked toward him step by step.

The old eunuch took the child's hand once more and walked to the front of the massive, tiered altar.

"Kneel..."

The old eunuch knelt before the altar, and the bewildered child knelt beside him. Then, the eunuch pressed the back of the child's head and kowtowed deeply with him. Their foreheads struck the cold floor with a dull thud.

Because of the force, the child clutched his forehead and began to cry. The old eunuch, however, lifted his blood-streaked forehead and looked at the mountain of spirit tablets before him. He strained his high-pitched voice, shouting with every ounce of his strength.

"Ancestors of Great Qin, ancient holy gods! Please, open your eyes! Save this withered bloodline!!"

With a final shattering sound, the doors of the Imperial Ancestral Temple finally gave way and collapsed. The rebels behind them pounced like hungry tigers, raising their blades toward the old eunuch and the child who had their backs turned.

Boom!!

A brilliant golden light erupted from the sacrificial altar. The rebels could not help but cover their eyes. Following the light was a powerful, invisible shockwave that struck them heavily in the chest. The rebels screamed as they were sent flying backward, eventually crashing to the ground, their fates unknown.

Amidst the blinding light, the old eunuch shielded his eyes. He only knew that after a loud roar, the shouts of the rebels had vanished. He opened his eyes and looked back tremblingly, seeing the countless soldiers lying in the distance.

"The... the spirits have manifested... they really... manifested?"

As he muttered to himself, the old eunuch slowly turned back. Only then did he realize that the sacrificial altar had been turned into a mess by the shockwave. All the spirit tablets had been blown to various corners. Only at the very back did one originally inconspicuous tablet remain standing.

It was a simple, ancient stone tablet without any decorative patterns. Strangely, the tablet was completely blank, with not a single stroke or carving left upon it.

Within the Secret Realm of the Inari Shrine, Miketsu woke up as if from a dream. Recalling the blurred scenes she had just witnessed, she couldn't help but press a hand to her forehead.