Mythical Qin: I, Gao Yao, will never be a eunuch!

Chapter 1124 Breakthrough, the Mysterious Grandmaster Appears!

"Your Majesty flatters me," Di Renjie said solemnly. "Your subject will certainly do his utmost to live up to Your Majesty's favor."

Gao Yao waved his hand: "No need for formalities. Today it's just the two of us. I have a few words to say. These words will not appear in any official decree, but you must keep them firmly in mind."

"First, human life is of paramount importance." Gao Yao said solemnly, "If danger arises, prioritize the safety of the people over the goods, intelligence, and the stronghold. Gold and silver can be earned again, intelligence can be collected again, and strongholds can be rebuilt, but the loss of carefully cultivated talent cannot be recovered even in ten years. This is an ironclad rule that cannot be violated no matter how urgent the situation."

Di Renjie nodded solemnly: "Your subject will remember."

"Secondly, the bottom line cannot be crossed," Gao Yao continued. "We are going there to collect martial arts techniques, understand the other world, and explore potential cooperation opportunities, not to burn, kill, and plunder. We must never take lives unintentionally, never disrupt people's livelihoods, and never provoke a war. Even if the other side strikes first, retaliation must be measured, prioritizing self-defense and deterrence."

"Third, be flexible and adaptable." Gao Yao's tone softened a bit. "No matter how detailed the plans that I and the cabinet have formulated are, they are just on paper. When the world is really in chaos, the situation will change in an unpredictable way. You need to have the right to make decisions on the spot. You don't need to ask for instructions on everything. As long as you do not violate the first two principles, you can make the decisions."

Di Renjie was deeply moved; this was an immense sign of trust: "Your Majesty..."

"Let me finish," Gao Yao interrupted him. "Fourth, and most importantly—remember our ultimate goal. It is not conquest, not plunder, but the acquisition of martial arts knowledge to strengthen the bodies and prolong the lives of the Chinese people. Never lose sight of this fundamental goal. Only when the Chinese army is truly powerful can we officially appear in the world below."

The two sipped their tea in silence for a moment, then Gao Yao suddenly asked, "Minister Di, tell me the truth, how likely do you think this plan is to succeed?"

Di Renjie pondered for a long time: "If we only consider gaining a foothold, establishing a stronghold, and collecting preliminary intelligence, I am 70% confident. But if we want to penetrate into the core of various countries, make contact with the high-ranking officials, and obtain valuable martial arts manuals... I'm afraid it's less than 30%."

“Thirty percent…” Gao Yao murmured, “That’s enough. When Qin Shi Huang unified the six kingdoms, how confident was he at the beginning? When Emperor Wu of Han launched his northern expedition against the Xiongnu, how confident was he at the beginning? Those who achieve great things do not consult the masses. If you have a thirty percent chance of success, it’s worth taking the gamble.”

He stood up, walked to the window, and looked at the western sky: "Minister Di, do you know why I am so obsessed with the martial arts of the younger world?"

"I don't know."

"Because I have witnessed too much birth, aging, sickness, and death." Gao Yao's voice was somewhat ethereal.

"Ordinary people toil their whole lives, decline at sixty, and die at seventy. Soldiers fight and die on the battlefield, their bones buried far from home. Officials toil and age prematurely, their ambitions unfulfilled. If we could obtain the methods to prolong life and strengthen the body, allowing ordinary people to live ten or twenty years longer, giving soldiers more resources to save their lives, and giving officials one more day to serve the country... this is more important than expanding territory."

Di Renjie was filled with awe: "Your Majesty is benevolent; we will do our utmost to fulfill our duty."

Gao Yao turned around and took a brocade box from the table: "This is the last thing I'm giving you."

Upon opening the brocade box, one finds a bronze token with the inscription "As if the Emperor were personally present" on the front and "Act as you see fit" on the back.

"If it really comes to a life-or-death situation, this token can be used to mobilize emergency forces near the teleportation channel."

Gao Yao said in a deep voice, "Five thousand Black Armor Cavalry, plus five thousand Tiger Warriors. I hope you will use them as needed, without being stingy or distorting the order. As long as we can get what we want, within five years we will have the strength to fight against the world below us."

Di Renjie accepted the token with both hands, feeling its immense weight: "Your Majesty, I will certainly not fail your trust."

Three days later, in the western suburbs of Xianyang, three hundred members of the Qingyi Society split into smaller groups and set off in batches. Disguised as merchants, travelers, and itinerant doctors, they traveled along different routes to the Kunlun Mountain Crossing. Everyone knew the dangers of this journey, yet a resolute light shone in each of their eyes.

Di Renjie glanced at Xianyang one last time before turning and merging into the caravan. The wheels rolled, the hooves thundered—a silent conquest spanning the world was about to begin.

Late at night in the capital of the Kingdom of Qing.

In a seemingly ordinary courtyard house in the east of the city, the candles in the bedroom had long been extinguished, yet a hazy, faint light shone through the cracks in the doors and windows, like condensed moonlight. If someone could penetrate the walls, they would witness an astonishing scene—

A figure sat cross-legged on the ground, long hair moving without wind, the true energy surrounding him solidified into a pale golden light flowing through the room. With each breath, the air in the entire room vibrated, dust fell from the walls, and the teacups on the table trembled slightly, making soft clinking sounds.

What's most terrifying is that aura.

It began as faintly as a candle flickering in the wind, but in the time it takes to burn half an incense stick, it spread like wildfire. Amidst the surging true energy, faint sounds of dragons roaring and tigers howling could be heard; these were not real sounds, but rather the resonance produced by the vibration of true energy in the air. This power continued to rise, as if it were breaking free from some invisible constraint, trying to shatter this world.

Suddenly, the person sitting cross-legged opened their eyes.

What kind of eyes were those? The left pupil held a galaxy reflected in the depths, while the right eye was like a deep, ancient well, seemingly containing both the birth and death of the universe and eternal silence. And in that instant of opening those eyes, the accumulated true energy erupted with a deafening roar!

There was no loud noise, no destruction.

But at the same moment, every martial artist in Kyoto who had reached the eighth rank or higher felt a jolt in their heart. It was a suppression on a life level, the instinctive fear of an ant facing a mountain.

Deep within the imperial palace lies the Hall of Mental Cultivation.

Emperor Qing lay on his couch, feigning sleep, his fingers unconsciously tapping the armrest. This emperor, who had ruled the Qing Kingdom for over twenty years, never relaxed his brow, even in his sleep, as if all the worries of the world weighed heavily on his face.

Suddenly, his fingers, which were tapping on the armrest, stopped.

The next instant, Emperor Qing suddenly opened his eyes, and a chilling light shot out from his seemingly cloudy eyes. He didn't even have time to put on his outer robe, and rushed out of the Hall of Mental Cultivation barefoot, reaching the highest observation tower in the palace in a few leaps.

The night breeze ruffled his thin nightgown, but the emperor was oblivious, his gaze fixed intently on the eastern part of the city. His eyes seemed to pierce through the towering buildings, looking directly at the source of the true energy.

"Who...who exactly is it?" Emperor Qing's voice was terrifyingly low, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "To actually achieve the Grandmaster level...how is this possible!"

His eyes blazed with murderous intent, as cold as solid ice.

Twenty years of planning, twenty years of scheming. From the day Ye Qingmei died, he began to weave a vast net that would cover the entire world.

Ye Liuyun's carefree attitude, Ku He's obsession, and Si Gu Jian's madness—every move of these three grandmasters was within his calculations.