"Just passing through."
Qingnu’s reply left the lords in the tent stunned.
Who could just "pass through" such a place?
Upon hearing this, Xiang Yu stood up, walked directly to Qingnu, pulled the sword he had driven into the desk, and rested it against her shoulder.
Afang’s expression changed as she shouted angrily, "Impudent!"
Seeing Afang’s reaction, Xiang Yu looked Qingnu up and down. His gaze turned cold as he questioned, "It seems your status in the Qin court is not low! Speak, what exactly is your identity? A female official? Or a princess of Qin!"
"The Immortal Maiden."
Qingnu dropped those three words and flicked her finger.
With a sharp crack, the sword resting on her shoulder snapped in two!
Xiang Yu’s expression turned to shock, while the lords behind him craned their necks to see.
Liu Bang straightened his back, puffed out his chest, and looked proud!
An Immortal Maiden!
That was his sister!
Ignoring the astonishment of Xiang Yu and the others, Qingnu asked, "Xianyang stretches from the Yellow River in the east to the Qian and Wei in the west, with a population in the hundreds of thousands. Do you intend to kill them all?"
Xiang Yu did not hesitate, nodding as he replied, "Of course! The number of Qin people I have killed on my way here is far more than that."
"You reek of blood. Stay away from me."
Qingnu raised a hand and waved it in front of her nose, then gave Xiang Yu a gentle push.
That push sent Xiang Yu staggering back over ten steps!
"Whoa!"
A chorus of gasps erupted in the tent.
Qingnu stood up and gave Afang a look. Dusting off her dress, she left one final remark: "Tomorrow, the Qin monarch and his ministers will yield Xianyang and retreat to Yongcheng. As for the people of Xianyang... if you dare lay a hand on them, face the consequences!"
"I have said my piece. Those who wish to test their luck are welcome to try."
After she and Afang left, Xiang Yu remained standing in place with his head lowered.
He calculated the distance he had been pushed back, his eyes wide with alarm. He turned to Liu Bang and asked, "Brother, do you know her?"
Liu Bang shook his head like a rattle.
"Don't know her! Who is she? Never saw such a person in the Qin palace—"
Qingnu had only given Xiang Yu a single push, but she left the people in the tent with unimaginable shock.
The next day, Zi Ying, Li Si, and the others were escorted by the few remaining imperial guards as their carriages left the western gate of Xianyang, heading toward Yongcheng.
The coalition of lords charged into Xianyang.
However, just as they intended to burn, kill, and loot, snowflakes began to drift down from the sky.
A snowflake landed on the forehead of every soldier. Anyone who committed acts of murder or pillage died instantly!
"Lady Jade Maiden!"
"The Jade Maiden has saved us!"
The people of Xianyang, watching as a coalition soldier was frozen solid before their eyes, knelt on the ground and kowtowed to the falling snow.
The masses of Xianyang spontaneously began to worship the Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens.
Shrines to the Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens were erected once more.
But this time, it was not an official decree; it was a spontaneous act of the common people.
Xiang Yu refused to believe in such things and intended to take action himself. Yet, his weapons would snap before they could strike anyone. No matter where he was or how many blades he replaced, it was the same! Eventually, everyone became terrified and pleaded with Xiang Yu to stop.
Unable to kill, Xiang Yu then tried to burn the Qin palaces of Xianyang and the Afang Palace.
But the snow grew heavier, and the fires would not light.
Standing on the upper levels of the Qin palace, Xiang Yu drew his sword and pointed it at the sky, shouting in anger, "Qin has lost the Mandate of Heaven! Why do you still protect the Qin palace!"
Standing atop the peak of Mt. Taibai, Qingnu gazed across the plains of Xianyang, sensing the fortune of the people's worship.
She could hear Xiang Yu’s voice.
Protecting the Qin palace?
Heh...
She was protecting only the people of Xianyang and the treasures gathered over several centuries.
Although Xiao He had taken the maps and census records of Qin's mountains and rivers, a vast amount of ancient texts and classics remained.
She could not allow Xiang Yu to put those to the torch!
Looking toward Xianyang, Qingnu suddenly looked up and asked, "Wretched heavens, this time... you won't stop me? I have changed history by preventing Xiang Yu’s massacre and the burning of the palaces and records. I even killed those rogue soldiers."
The heavens remained silent.
Qingnu added, "How about I go and kill Xiang Yu too?"
The clouds rolled in the sky, and a bolt of lightning suddenly struck the ground right in front of Qingnu.
Qingnu: "..."
The legend that the Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens was protecting the land of Qin quickly spread throughout the coalition army. The troops were plunged into panic, and no one dared to commit any further outrages.
Even Xiang Yu had to consider the morale of his army.
Helplessly, he could only give up. He divided the city of Xianyang into three parts and handed them over to the Three Qin to govern.
As for Yongcheng...
No one mentioned it again, acting as if the King of Qin there did not exist!
When Liu Bang entered the Ba-Shu region, he saw Qingnu sitting on a large rock by the mountain plank road. He immediately left the ranks and ran toward her!
Once he was close, Liu Bang formally bowed to Qingnu with a serious expression.
"Qing... cough, Lady Jade Maiden!"
Though Old Three Liu was a rogue, he was no fool! While others might not know the truth about the Jade Maiden of the Azure Heavens, how could he not know after spending two years with her?
Hearing the old rogue’s way of addressing her, Qingnu raised an eyebrow and asked, "Old Three Liu, why aren't you calling me brother this time?"
"Oh, how would I dare be brothers with an immortal!"
Liu Bang rubbed his hands together, chuckling.
Qingnu glanced at him with disdain. "Forget it, I know you too well."
Liu Bang wasn't bothered by her seeing through him. He asked, "Is the Jade Maiden waiting here because she has business with me?"
"Going to Ba-Shu is easy, but coming back will be difficult."
Qingnu looked back at the plank road built into the mountain cliffs and said to Liu Bang, "Have you made up your mind?"
Liu Bang patted his chest. "Don't worry, I've been ready for a long time!"
Ba-Shu?
He wasn't going to stay there!
Once he reached Hanzhong, he would rest, train his troops, and immediately fight his way back! If that brat Xiang Yu wouldn't listen to reason, why should he?
Looking at Liu Bang's expression, Qingnu nodded slightly. This was the Old Three Liu she knew.
"I will wait for you to build the ancestral temple of the Great Han."
After parting with Liu Bang, Qingnu took Hongluan and headed east, ascending Mt. Tai.
She still had a small doubt in her heart that she wanted to resolve.
Mt. Tai was majestic. Qingnu walked up the steps Ying Zheng had used for his Fengshan ceremony years ago. By the roadside, she found the vines that had tried to hold her back then. Now, the vines were lush and flourishing, already covering the stairs.
"Wretched heavens, was it you who tried to keep me here back then?"
Qingnu crouched down and gently pinched the vine, murmuring to herself.
But she soon shook her head. "It definitely wasn't you. You're so annoying, you only know how to strike snakes with lightning."
The clouds in the sky gathered and dispersed.
In that movement, Qingnu felt the wretched heavens were having a fit.
"So, who was it? Could it really be the spirit of Mt. Tai, taking pity on a snake? Or are there truly gods and buddhas in the heavens who thought this spirit snake was someone special and that it would be a shame for her to die?"
Or was it Huangdi, that old grandfather of hers, protecting her from above?
Qingnu continued her rambling.
The vines on the ground extended, gradually wrapping around Qingnu’s wrist and turning into a wooden bracelet. Seeing this, her eyes lit up!
Mt. Tai, Mt. Tai—it truly was a mountain with a spirit!
Qingnu jumped to her feet and looked up at Hongluan flying in the sky.
"Sister Bird, let's live here, shall we?"
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