The Unremarkable Little Taoist Master

Next to the middle-aged man stood two statues of armored warriors. One resembled the young warrior I had seen, while the other had a fierce and robust appearance, looking quite stout like a northeastern bear.

The hall was filled with countless treasures, and rare gems littered the ground. The old professor’s eyes were nearly closed from smiling so broadly as he looked at the abundance around him, gazing at the treasures as if they were his own children.

In contrast, I felt a deep unease, while the old daoist priest’s eyes sparkled with golden light as he gazed at the rare treasures, as if he were a lifelong poor man seeing money for the first time.

I nervously stared at the three statues before me, unsure why they brought me such profound discomfort and a sense of danger, as if I were being watched by a ferocious beast. Maybe I was just too tense; at this point, I felt a bit neurotic.

I chuckled to myself, shaking my head to dismiss these thoughts, and began to observe Qin Shi Huang’s tomb, after all, the resting place of The Greatest Emperor in History was not something one could see anytime they wished.

The old professor picked up treasure after treasure, examining each one carefully, and with sheer joy exclaimed, “What a discovery! This is definitely a major find! I can see that Qin Shi Huang’s statue seems to be tightly holding something in its hand. Upon closer inspection, I found that Qin Shi Huang’s statue is indeed tightly gripping a book.”

Noticing my continued gaze at the statue of Qin Shi Huang, the old professor became curious and came over to take a look. His expression turned to surprise as he saw the book clenched in the statue’s hand. What could it be that even in death, the statue would hold onto it so tightly?

As the old professor was about to pull the book from Qin Shi Huang’s hand, I suddenly remembered something and shouted, “Don’t touch that!”

But it was too late; the old professor had already taken the book out. A thunderous roar echoed through the hall, and suddenly, black mist enveloped Qin Shi Huang’s tomb, surrounding the three statues within its ominous shroud.

I sighed quietly to myself. I had once read an account that said when the Second Emperor of Qin buried Qin Shi Huang, thunder roared in the sky. Filled with dread, the Second Emperor commanded that Qin Shi Huang’s soul be sealed within a golden statue, and the book in his hand was clearly some kind of talisman-like treasure.

As the black mist gradually dissipated, I saw the figure of Qin Shi Huang open his eyes on the dragon throne, coldly gazing at us. He slowly said, “You insignificant rodents dare to intrude into my tomb; you all deserve to die.”

His last words were almost a growl, indicating the extent of his fury. The two generals beside him revealed bloodthirsty smiles and raised their swords. Suddenly, the tomb was filled with countless soldiers, surrounding us menacingly. It was an overwhelmingly terrifying sight.

Looking at the dark waves of the Qin Army surrounding us, I felt a tingling sensation at the back of my head. It seemed this would turn into yet another bloody battle, and it was even questionable whether we could safely leave the tomb. The thought left a bitter taste in my heart.

Qin Shi Huang glanced at us, seemingly in no rush to take our lives; instead, he looked at us with a mocking expression, as if he wanted to see us struggle futilely before being eliminated by the Qin soldiers. In a deep voice, Qin Shi Huang asked, “I notice that your attire starkly differs from that of my Qin dynasty. Tell me, how many years has it been since my Qin dynasty existed?”

We exchanged confused glances, unsure how to respond. Would saying that the Qin Dynasty only existed in textbooks lead to us being turned into minced meat by these soldiers? It felt like a lie to say that.

The old professor stepped forward boldly, looking directly at Qin Shi Huang. He declared, “The Qin has been extinguished for thousands of years.” Upon hearing this, despair washed over the rest of us. Why hadn’t the old professor considered the current situation?

Seated on the dragon throne, Qin Shi Huang initially seemed unfazed by the news that the Qin Dynasty had fallen over a thousand years ago. But as he pondered this, his expression shifted to one of shock, and he shouted, “False words that mislead the people! My Qin dynasty conquered the six states, swept the eight wastelands, and pacified the nine continents. Who could possibly destroy my Qin dynasty? You deceitful beings, not one of you will leave here alive!”

The old professor seemed to gain confidence as if he were a rooster ready to fight, lifting his chin defiantly at Qin Shi Huang and said, “Was it not your treacherous son who brought about your downfall?”

Qin Shi Huang’s fury intensified. “My son Fusu, although gentle in nature, is not a foolish ruler capable of destroying my Qin dynasty. Anyone who cannot provide a satisfactory explanation today shall not leave!”

The old professor scoffed, “Qin Shi Huang, your pitiful son Fusu was already killed by his brother Huhai and Zhao Gao. Your grand Qin Empire was brought down by Liu Bang and Xiang Yu. The Qin has long since become a part of history.”

As we witnessed the mad and desperate expression of Qin Shi Huang, we found ourselves at a loss for words. The emperor sat, disheartened, on the dragon throne, shouting, “I am so sorry, my son Fusu.”

“No, no, no! My Qin dynasty has not perished! The Qin still has me, and my army! My Qin dynasty will not fall; it will never fall!”

The old professor spoke slowly, “Even if you return to the world, it will still meet its end. The cycle of old giving way to new is fate; no one can change it, and all of this is destiny.”

What a pity it is that you, the greatest ruler, the Greatest Emperor in History, lack the courage to accept this. Qin Shi Huang remained silent, listening to the old professor’s scolding, surprisingly not interrupting or retaliating. He simply gazed silently at the old professor in a fit of rage.

Beads of sweat trickled down our foreheads from anxiety. We feared that in a fit of anger, Qin Shi Huang might decide to keep us here with him forever.

After listening quietly to the old professor’s reprimands, time passed; the old professor eventually calmed down. Qin Shi Huang stood up from the dragon throne, and we hurriedly shielded the old professor behind us, fearing that he might suddenly lash out.

Qin Shi Huang slowly exhaled a breath of frustration and began to speak. “In my earlier fantasies, I believed my Qin dynasty could endure for hundreds of generations, thousands of years. I didn’t expect that it would only last for two. It is my fault; I am sorry to my ancestors and to the people of my Qin dynasty. I have one request: can you tell me about the current dynasty?”

The old professor, having regained his composure, replied, “Of course, it would be our honor.”

Qin Shi Huang calmly sat back down on the dragon throne, his expression unreadable as he watched us.

The old professor stepped forward, speaking slowly and deliberately.