"Reckless… you're asking for death."
While Daniel was deep in thought, the leader of the cavalry and his men—already growing impatient—raised the bow and arrow mounted on their horses and took aim at him.
"Enough chatter."
Startled from his reverie, Daniel's expression turned cold. In one swift motion, he flicked the very arrow he'd caught earlier with his right hand. The projectile pierced straight through the cavalry leader's neck, then kept hurtling forward. In its unstoppable path it impaled several riders behind him before finally, after over a hundred meters, it slowed and fell lifelessly to the ground.
Because of its tremendous speed, within moments not only did that one leader fall, but a formation of ten impeccably aligned riders tumbled in succession. This sudden turn of events instantly drained the color from the faces of the remaining cavalry.
"General Fan," cried one soldier from either side of the fallen leader. Seeing their commander collapse from his horse, they leaped down immediately to check on him.
"He's killed General Fan," one rider snarled as he glared fiercely at Daniel. Then, mounting his horse with a twist of rage, he rallied his comrades. In that instant, the soldiers' renewed assault terrified Ying Ziying and the others—who had been kneeling in submission—and they scrambled backward in panic.
"General Fan… Fan Kuai, if it must be—I'm sorry, but since I'm here, I must take responsibility," Daniel remarked coolly.
At that very moment—just as the riders surged forward—Daniel's hands produced a six-barreled Gatling gun out of thin air. Though he hadn't planned in advance for this world's weaponry, having arrived in this realm meant he must adapt quickly. His first priority, of course, was to secure the Qin Empire.
The Qin and Sui systems were not without merit; their sole flaw had been their impatience and inability to suppress dissent, which ultimately turned on them. Now that he was here, Daniel wasn't inclined to spare the "noble" remnants of the Six States' aristocrats.
In this ordinary world, Daniel's inhibitions were few. Within moments, as the blazing tongues of fire erupted from the Gatling gun's barrels, the charging cavalry—the soldiers and their mounts—were dismembered in an instant. In a blink, not one rider or horse remained standing before Daniel. The overwhelming gap between eras had rendered this once-disciplined, fearsome cavalry utterly helpless, and they were wiped out without resistance.
The carnage was so brutal that Ying Ziying and his companions were left pale and many retched at the sight. Several among them, though seasoned in battle, had never witnessed such total devastation before. When Daniel's piercing gaze swept over them, fear froze many in place; some even broke out in cold sweats.
"Ying Ziying—tell me now, explain to me the current state of the realm," Daniel commanded.
Though briefly perturbed by the overwhelming display of firepower, Daniel's frown soon softened as he casually waved his hand to beckon Ying Ziying forward. "Call me 'Immortal,' if you will," he said with an air of playful authority. His nonchalant dismissal of the massive Gatling assault had clearly earned Ying Ziying's deference—even if Daniel chose not to bother with lengthy explanations. It was easier, after all, to let the misunderstanding stand rather than try to clarify every nuance, which would have been nearly impossible.
"Now, tell me—in these troubled times, what is the state of the realm?" Ying Ziying recounted in hurried fashion, his voice heavy with sorrow. He described how, within just a few short years, the once-glorious Qin Empire had been utterly decimated by the reign of the Second Emperor. Now, with barely any military force left, Ying Ziying's own hopes had dwindled so much that he was prepared to surrender to the Han King.
"Please, I beg you—save the Qin Empire," Ying Ziying pleaded, dropping to his knees in earnest supplication.
"Hold that thought. You claim you didn't kill Zhao Gao?" Daniel inquired lightly.
"Master, Zhao Gao has long since vanished," Ying Ziying replied meekly.
"Yet this Zhao Gao over here seems rather cunning," Daniel remarked.
"Enough. You must now return and stabilize the situation. Rest assured—while I am here, Xianyang will remain safe," Daniel assured him, though his tone betrayed little sympathy.
Though Ying Ziying's appeal for help appeared pitiful, Daniel made no direct promises. Even if he saved the Qin Empire, it wouldn't be the same old Qin; Daniel saw clearly the burning ambition in Ying Ziying's eyes.
Ying Ziying was far from harmless. Having once managed to eliminate both Hu Hai and Zhao Gao, his ambitions were unmistakable. He was no simple, benign soul. Even though he might appear capable, in truth, his aspirations were limited by the era. Viewed from the standards of his time, Ying Ziying was a competent ruler. Yet in the grand sweep of history, there were those more capable—people who, if given a chance, could do much better. Such was the gap between eras; even though Ying Ziying was clever, he was no match for the full scope of destiny.
Before long, word of Ying Ziying's pleas spread, and soon Xianyang City buzzed with rumors of an "Immortal" who had appeared to rescue the Qin in its hour of crisis. That news calmed the populace temporarily, and Ying Ziying's remaining troops were dispatched to maintain order and guard the city gates.
"An ordinary Qin Empire from history holds little value," Daniel mused quietly. "Frankly, I arrived too late. If Ying Zheng were still alive, things would be far simpler—I could just extend his life and leave him a stack of books, and then be done with it."
"Call Tian Yan. It's too wasteful—Tang still needs her. As for Han Fei and Zi Nu… never mind, let's not trouble them. Oh, and I nearly forgot about the Dragon Emperor—he should be interested in this, shouldn't he?"
Daniel wasn't planning to establish a new Tang dynasty in this world; ruling an empire from scratch would be too burdensome—and frankly, not worth it.
Then his thoughts turned to the Dragon Emperor of the Marvel Universe—a figure who, having been thoroughly shaped by modern society and possessing formidable power, would undoubtedly be untroubled by the appearance of giant beasts and monsters.
"Once I resolve things here, I'll go back and ask him. If he's interested, then everything will be much simpler," Daniel decided.
Back in Xianyang City, the major challenge now was the imminent arrival of Han King Liu Ji's massive army. Daniel had already learned of the situation from Ying Ziying: Liu Ji's vanguard had arrived. According to their prior arrangement, they were to reinforce Xianyang's defenses to prevent falling into a trap—one that Ying Ziying himself might have laid. That vanguard was led by none other than Fan Kuai, Liu Ji's trusted lieutenant; this time, Fan Kuai had perished before his campaign could even properly begin.
"My dear brother Fan, rest assured—I will avenge you. How dare Ying Ziying harm my dear brother Fan," Daniel declared with bitter resolve.
News of Fan Kuai's death spread quickly. Even if Daniel had decimated the cavalry, the lack of immediate reports would have raised suspicion. The casualties, though, soon reached the ears of Liu Ji's command. In their view, Fan Kuai and his men must have fallen due to Ying Ziying's treacherous stratagem—a betrayal disguised as surrender.
"Han King, though tales of Immortals are hard to believe, Ying Ziying dares to break our pact at this critical moment. Surely he must have some backup," Zhang Liang said gravely.
Even though Zhang Liang couldn't quite discern what Ying Ziying's leverage might be, as a seasoned strategist he preferred caution.
"Xiaochuan, what is your take on this? I recall it was you who persuaded Ying Ziying to surrender. I accepted on your word—and now, our dear brother Fan is dead," Liu Ji demanded, his eyes fixed intensely on a dashing, armored young man. A trace of murderous intent flickered in Liu Ji's gaze.
"This shouldn't have happened unless someone offered them a better deal," the armored youth murmured in puzzlement.
"That might be so. If someone could entice Ying Ziying to change his tune, it would have to be them," Zhang Liang said thoughtfully.
"Men, command the army to mobilize! Today, I shall seize control of Xianyang City!"
Upon hearing Zhang Liang's command, Liu Ji's forces quickly mobilized. Soon, the vanguard—the thousand-strong cavalry—rushed forward, each soldier eager to be the first to storm into Xianyang City.
"It appears there will be no truce this time," Daniel observed inwardly as he stood at the eastern city gate. Clutching his six-barreled Gatling gun, he watched as the barrage of fiery projectiles spouted from its barrels. Within twenty meters of him, not one soldier or mount remained standing.
The sheer devastation left Han King Liu Ji's vanguard reeling; some nearly tumbled from their horses. At the same time, Zhang Liang looked on in disbelief. Even he couldn't fathom such a method—only an Immortal could have executed it so effortlessly.
"What is this Gatling gun? How is it possible someone would bring such a weapon—and do they even know what they're doing?" a young man named Xiaochuan exclaimed, his mouth agape in astonishment.
"Gatling gun? What do you mean, Xiaochuan? Do you still have secrets to hide from me?" Liu Ji demanded loudly.
Before the youth could reply, Liu Ji's body suddenly convulsed. A massive wound appeared in his chest; he barely managed to glance down at the injury before collapsing from his horse.
Even with the finest armor our army possessed, it was no match for this mysterious weapon.
"Han King… Han King!"
Liu Ji's fall sent shockwaves through his generals. Their wealth and honor were all tied to his survival—if the Han King fell, their futures were in jeopardy. With Liu Ji down, a soldier shouted, "Get down—sniper rifle, take cover!" Immediately, Xiaochuan leaped off his horse and dropped to the ground, while others stared in bewilderment. Soon, several more soldiers suffered massive chest wounds.
"Yi Xiaochuan, explain what's happening!" Zhang Liang, among the few still on the ground, bellowed at the young man.
"I—I'm not sure… this weapon shouldn't even exist!" Xiaochuan stammered.
Even as his words fell away, more soldiers continued to drop—dozens of generals were being picked off one after another. When news of the Han King's death spread, chaos erupted throughout the army. Soldiers began to flee in terror, dreading a similar fate. Some even cried out that this was the Immortal's punishment, further crushing morale and sending even more troops running.
"Am I truly that good a sniper?" Daniel mused with a wry smile as he watched the disintegrating formation. With his high-powered scope—far surpassing any standard—and the unmistakable aura of his formidable presence, his aim was infallible.
Now, in this chaotic Qin-end era with drastically reduced manpower, Daniel wasn't interested in slaughtering any more men. Instead, he opted for a decapitation tactic. Unable to determine precisely which individuals belonged to Liu Ji's command, he resolved to eliminate every "leader-type" he could identify.
"Broadcast: lower your weapons, raise your hands, and surrender. The Immortal shall show mercy for past transgressions."
It's said that the title "Immortal" carries tremendous weight. Almost immediately, a large number of soldiers dropped to their knees, surrendering without resistance—even if their wardens were few, no one dared defy the order.
"Now that things here have calmed, it's time to seek an audience with the Dragon Emperor," Daniel declared.
"Do you realize what you've done? Do you have any idea whose life you've taken? You are changing history!" a furious voice shouted from behind.
Before Daniel could turn, a striking young man clad in gleaming silver armor charged toward him. His face was contorted with anger, and his martial prowess was evident—so much so that even his guards were no match for his skill.
"Who are you, to dare speak of changing history?" the young man demanded.
"I am Yi Xiaochuan," the newcomer announced. "Do you know the chaos you've wrought?"
"Yi Xiaochuan… ha ha ha," Daniel burst into wild laughter, momentarily stunned. For a long time I had been uncertain about this world, but now it was clear: Yi Xiaochuan—the infamous double-standard king, the disgrace of all travelers—had indeed arrived.
"You…," Yi Xiaochuan began, pointing his finger at Daniel as if to continue, but in a flash of cold light his words were cut off. Instead, he clutched his right arm and cried out in agony.
"Changing history—what are you, anyway?"
Wielding a long spear, Daniel glared coldly at Yi Xiaochuan, whose right forearm had just been severed. Now that I faced him in person, I had every intention of making him pay.
"You're so full of yourself. Continue speaking if you must," Daniel goaded.
Before Yi Xiaochuan could utter another word, Daniel swung his spear once more. This time, the projectile pierced straight through Yi Xiaochuan's right eye. Few had ever provoked me to such fury, but this Yi Xiaochuan was a special case.
Alas, Yi Xiaochuan could no longer answer my questions, only howling in pain as he bled profusely.
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