The woman was draped 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, while also giving her a slightly dangerous air.

She had an impeccably beautiful face. Her skin should have been unnaturally pale from being hidden away in this dark underground cavern for many years, yet this wasn’t the case. Her skin gave off a luster reminiscent of white jade, perhaps accentuated by the color of her dress.

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

Zu An had never seen the black dress she was wearing before, but he instinctively guessed that it was the phoenix robe, worn by the empress. Auspicious beasts were embroidered in gold on the black silk dress, making it look grand and graceful. It granted its wearer an inexplicably imposing air.

The dress wasn’t a perfect fit—it was slightly on the larger side. Nevertheless, her beautiful curves were vaguely revealed through the dress, hinting at the seductiveness of her figure.

Her entire body was covered, with only her head, hands, legs, and a small part of her ankles peeking out from under the black cloth of her dress. 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 an old granny reduced to nothing but skin and bones. Even in the most optimistic situation, he’d assumed she would look like a middle-aged auntie, or something along those lines. After all, she was Fusu’s mother, and Fusu was already a grown man when he died.

From there, it wasn’t too hard to figure that she had to be at least thirty or forty years old when Ying Zheng sealed her off. Even if her aging had been slowed due to the seal, surely being sealed away for thousands of years should have taken its toll on her.

Despite it all, she miraculously managed to retain her youthful looks. 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 stared at me long enough?” 

The woman lying in the crystal coffin suddenly opened her eyes, fixing him with a frigid stare.

Zu An’s heart jolted with fright. Just a moment ago, she had looked so alluringly beautiful, easily the sort of woman who would dominate a man’s fantasies. The moment she opened her eyes, though, her disposition changed altogether. Her piercing gaze carried an indescribable authority that made her feel lofty and unapproachable. It felt like it was only right for all beings to prostrate themselves before her.

“Of course not. Do you know how pretty you are?” Zu An leaned against the coffin and propped his chin up 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 in her presence. 

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

Mi Li was momentarily at a loss for words.

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

“Stop spouting 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.

“All right.” Zu An was still 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. A gust of freezing air blew out and engulfed him, 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 exclaimed in horror, rubbing his own shoulders. 

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

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

However, she did not allow her emotions to show through. Instead, she scoffed coldly, “If you want to know how it feels, 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 get in as well. Are you sure you don’t mind?” asked Zu An, a twinkle of delight in his voice.

Mi Li was too stunned to speak.

You have successfully trolled Mi Li for 444 Rage points!

She had no idea how Zu An had been able to twist her provocation in such a ridiculous way in order to tease her.

“Do you know what the consequences of teasing me are?” Mi Li’s voice was cold, and she had a severe look on her face.

“It’s only normal that I react this way after witnessing your beauty. What else 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 gouge 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 after that.” Zu An shrugged off her threats nonchalantly.

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

Zu An nodded. “Of course. I need to test you to see if you can hold up your end of the contract. How can I trust you if you’re going to threaten me each time I drop a casual remark?”

Mi Li’s mouth worked silently for a long while.

Zu An’s argument sounded so foolproof that she was actually unable to find a way to rebut it. In the end, she gave an impatient snort and said, “Stop wasting time and bring the contract over to me.”

Zu An held the contract out to her, but she remained completely motionless, making to move to reach for it. 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, and was shocked by the sheer coldness of her body. The chill 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.

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

After finally getting used to the shocking iciness, Zu An’s attention was soon captured by the astonishing suppleness of her hand. He couldn’t help but pinch her hands a little. His gaze slowly trailed over to her chest, and he murmured softly, “I guess I need to experience it in order to find out.”

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

He dabbed some blood on her finger, before pressing it against the contract to make a mark.

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

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. I do not wish to be stabbed to death at the final moment before my release,” replied Mi Li.

Zu An was perplexed. “If this sword could kill you, why didn’t Ying Zheng kill you 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 die if you continue dawdling here,” remarked Mi Li.

Zu An’s heart fluttered with unease when he recalled the situation Chu Chuyan was in. Not daring to waste any more time, he leaped into the air, grabbing 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 hilt, a violent shudder went through his entire body, 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 find the words to aptly describe just how grand the hall was. It made him feel incomparably insignificant, as if he were no more than a speck of dust compared to its vast expanse.

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

Zu An immediately turned to the source of the sound. There was a dragon throne at the very front 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, he has such an incredible demeanor. He’s able to look cool just by sitting there. If only I could learn half of what he’s doing—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 was veiled in a layer of mist, making it impossible to discern his appearance. However, Zu An soon noticed the Five-clawed Golden Dragon[1] embroidered on the man’s black robe, and a sudden realization struck him. “You are the Founding Sovereign Emperor?”

“It matters not who I am,” replied the man 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 intend to save his empress, and is he going to kill me now because of it? 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 fearful steps backwards. The hall was freakishly huge, though, and he was unable to find the exit even after scanning the area. 

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

“Regarding that… I’m still lacking in terms of training, and I’m afraid I’ll just let you down. Why don’t you find another person instead?” asked Zu An hesitantly.

Given the gravity in his voice, he figured that the man wearing the dragon robe was going to issue him an incredibly difficult mission. It’s probably something that will require me to charge through the fields of hell or something. There’s no way I’m going to do that!

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

Zu An was surprised. He did not expect 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.”

With that, he turned around and walked away as fast as he could. 

However, the resounding roar of a dragon suddenly filled the air—the man in the dragon robe had drawn his sword. Wisps of smoke stirred in front of Zu An, and he could vaguely sense an entire army staring quietly at him.

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

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

It was then that the man spoke again, his voice filled with cold authority. “No one in the world can reject me. The only fate that awaits those who dare to do so is death!”

Zu An immediately retracted his statement. “I-I was just joking earlier! Elder, please feel free to ask anything of me! Whether it be scaling a mountain of swords or descending in a sea of flames, I will do it without batting an eyelid!” 

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 looked up once more, he realized that the man in the dragon robe wasn’t holding onto anything anymore.

The sword in Zu An’s hand was the same one that the man in the dragon robe had unsheathed earlier. 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 will know what you must do,” said the man in the dragon robe.