Chapter 183: The True Solution to the Heavenly Seal

"I'm not afraid of anything; I've been brave since I was a child!" Chen Wei declared proudly.

Even Zu An felt a degree of admiration. This man's imposing demeanor, even in such circumstances, was truly extraordinary.

"Alright then, confess," Zu An said calmly. "Say that you carved those words."

Qiao Xueying, who had been curious about his method of rescue, was stunned upon hearing his words. Wasn't this forcing someone to their death?

"Haha," Chen Wei sneered. "It seems you can't find the real culprit, so you're trying to trick me into being your scapegoat, aren't you?"

"I thought you were intelligent, but it turns out you're still incredibly foolish," Zu An said, shaking his head.

"You!" Chen Wei was instantly enraged. No one would willingly accept being called an idiot.

Chen Wei's rage soared to 256.

Zu An said coldly, "Think about it. Even if you don't confess, your original fate is still death. If you confess, only you will die. Is that a difficult choice?"

Chen Wei retorted angrily, "This is a crime punishable by extermination of the entire clan! How can I just admit to it?"

Zu An replied, "Extermination of the entire clan? As far as I know, your mother died young, and you've been living with your father all these years. Your father just died too, so where exactly are these nine generations of your clan?"

Chen Wei froze, only then realizing that he was the sole survivor of his family.

After a moment of thought, Chen Wei shook his head. "No, I can't. There are many in the village who have had conflicts with my family over the years. The thought of dying for those people suffocates me. Why should I sacrifice myself for their sake? It would be better if we all died together."

Zu An frowned. This was becoming tricky. He had seen this man's impressive bravery and assumed he possessed the spirit of sacrificing himself for the greater good. Instead, his character was more like that of a cunning strongman than a self-sacrificing hero.

Chen Wei spoke again: "I'm not afraid of death; I just don't want to die silently like this. A true hero either lives on or dies making a name for himself! Since our villagers are destined to die, I will contact them, explain the stakes, and I'm confident I can unite them all to rise up. The world has suffered under the Qin for too long; surely many will answer our call."

"You, sir, clearly understand justice and are no ordinary man. Why don't we conspire together for a great cause? When the time comes, you can choose to be a king, a marquis, a general, or a minister—far more than just a mere imperial censor."

The man's passionate words stirred a sense of excitement in Zu An. He secretly marveled at how some people were natural leaders, with incredibly persuasive rhetoric. Chen Wei was clearly one such person; if Zu An weren't from another world, he might truly have been swayed.

"Uttering such treasonous words in front of an imperial official—you must have a death wish!" Zu An said coldly.

Yet, Chen Wei showed no fear on his face. He lifted his head and chest, declaring proudly, "Since you've spoken so much to me, you're clearly an intelligent man and dissatisfied with the Qin Emperor's tyranny. If that's the case, why don't we take a big gamble? Is it truly decreed that kings, marquises, generals, and ministers are born into their roles?"

Zu An: "..."

Hearing that familiar proverb, passed down for thousands of years, he suddenly felt his mouth go dry. "You wouldn't happen to have another name, like Chen Sheng, would you?"

"Chen Sheng?" Chen Wei paused. "That's a good name. I've been wanting to change mine anyway. From now on, I'll be Chen Sheng!"

Zu An: "..."

Are you kidding me? What in the world is going on?

How did Chen Sheng even appear here?

Zu An's thoughts reeled. If this man was indeed the historical Chen Sheng, then if he were killed along with these villagers, would the uprising never happen?

Would the Qin Dynasty then not fall so quickly? Would the course of history be completely altered?

Zu An was startled. As a transmigrator, not altering historical events was a fundamental principle. Who knew what immense impact changing such a significant part of history would have?

In that case...

This Chen Wei—no, now Chen Sheng—absolutely must not die!

The realization sent cold sweat trickling down Zu An's back. He finally understood why this was the Seal of Heaven!

An ordinary person would never be able to discover who carved the words, leading only to death for everyone. Even a ruthless and clever individual who, based on historical accounts, killed all the villagers to silence them, would still condemn themselves to death because Chen Sheng's demise would alter the course of history.

Only by both completing the imperial investigation and preserving Chen Sheng's life could this seal truly be broken.

It seemed the historical records of the "Yinghuo Shou Xin" event were incomplete. Ostensibly, all the villagers were killed back then, but in reality, one must have escaped: the future Chen Sheng!

Blindly trusting historical texts would truly lead one into a trap.

Come to think of it, Xue'er was truly his lucky star. If it weren't for her, he might not have been so determined to save lives, which would have led to the seal remaining unbroken and his own demise, without even knowing why.

Zu An's thoughts raced. He continued, "As for working together on a great cause, forget it. And don't even think about inciting the villagers to join you. They have homes, livelihoods, and many have elders and children to support. How could they possibly join you in something that could lead to the extermination of their entire clans? Besides, you mentioned that many people in the village don't get along with you. If you approach them, they won't just refuse; they'll most likely betray you. So, the time is not ripe for your uprising."

Chen Sheng's face flickered with shifting emotions. He had been fueled by passion, but Zu An's analysis instantly made him realize the truth. "What should I do then? Am I truly doomed to wait for death?"

Zu An said in a low voice, "If you trust me, simply confess. Admit that you carved the words and close this case. Afterward, I will rescue you. From then on, the world will be your oyster—you can live under an assumed name, or pursue other endeavors; the choice will be yours."

Chen Sheng did not answer immediately. Instead, he stared intently into Zu An's eyes. "Why do you want to help me?"

Zu An knew a cunning strongman like him would not trust easily. After a moment's thought, he replied, "I originally didn't want to get involved. Killing all of you would have been the easiest solution. But my good sister pleaded for you, and I am not one to kill indiscriminately, so I'm taking a risk to help you."

Qiao Xueying chimed in, "That's right, Brother Chen. You can trust him. Although he appears a bit bad on the surface, he's actually a decent person at heart."

Zu An's face clouded with vexation. *Are you praising me or insulting me?* he thought.

Seeing Chen Sheng remain silent, Zu An immediately delivered a harsh ultimatum: "If you don't agree, I will kill you right now. I won't risk you revealing our conversation."

Hearing this, Chen Sheng actually let out a sigh of relief. "Alright, I agree!"

The group then discussed some details. Afterwards, Zu An went out to find Magistrate Wang. "He has confessed," Zu An announced. "He secretly carved the words himself."

Magistrate Wang was overjoyed. "Imperial Censor, you truly have a way! This humble official is deeply impressed!"

With that, he called to his subordinates, "Men, execute this traitor on the spot!"

"Wait!" Zu An quickly stepped forward to stop him, pulling Magistrate Wang aside and whispering, "Are you really going to kill such an important suspect just like that?"

"What else can be done with someone who committed such treason?" Magistrate Wang asked, surprised.

Zu An said, "In my opinion, it would be better to escort him back to Xianyang and let His Majesty deal with him personally. When the Emperor is pleased, there will certainly be great rewards."

"You're right, you're right! Imperial Censor, you think of everything!" Magistrate Wang's eyes narrowed with a smile. "Men, tie up the suspect inside and put him in the prisoner's cart. I will personally escort him to the capital. Would Imperial Censor like to accompany us?"

"I have other duties, so I won't be joining you," Zu An said, shaking his head.

Magistrate Wang was secretly delighted. "Many thanks, Imperial Censor, for your guidance and help. I will surely repay your kindness in the future."

"You flatter me, Magistrate Wang."

*It'll be good enough if you don't hate me in the future,* Zu An thought to himself.

By now, the villagers had learned that Chen Wei had carved the words. They began to curse him, and even those who usually got along with him voiced their condemnation. Having just narrowly escaped death, everyone was in a foul mood and naturally vented their anger at the supposed culprit.

The thought of his great sacrifice to save these people, only to be subjected to their insults and blame, made Chen Sheng's eyebrows knit together. He was about to erupt.

Zu An, however, timely appeared beside him and transmitted a message through his vital energy: "The common people have limited understanding; don't argue with them. Think of it this way: if public opinion can be easily incited against you today, it can also be easily incited to help you in the future."

A glint flashed in Chen Sheng's eyes. He subtly nodded, then lowered his head, said nothing more, and quietly boarded the prisoner's cart with the constables.

Zu An and Qiao Xueying exchanged a glance, then departed in a different direction. Once out of sight, they made a wide detour and ambushed the escort at a choke point along their route.

Ultimately, it took little effort to rescue Chen Sheng. Firstly, the constables and soldiers were not highly cultivated. Secondly, Magistrate Wang was eager to claim credit and had only brought a small contingent of men, never imagining anyone would dare to hijack an imperial prisoner.

"Magistrate Wang, what do we do now?" The few subordinates who had been knocked to the ground frantically gathered around him. Losing an imperial prisoner meant certain death for them all.

"How should I know!" Magistrate Wang was drenched in cold sweat. Not only were his hopes of promotion gone, but it now seemed he might lose his head.

Another subordinate suggested, "What if we go back and kill everyone in Chen Village, saying no one confessed to carving the words, so..."

"Idiot!" Magistrate Wang slapped him directly on the head. "I've already reported to the imperial court! Saying that now would be asking for death!"

Another person said, "I think we should lie and say Chen Wei tried to escape en route, injuring some of our brothers, and then we killed him on the spot?"

Magistrate Wang nodded slightly. "That's not a bad idea. But what about the body?"

The subordinate replied, "A death-row inmate in the county yamen died of illness last night, and it hasn't been reported yet. Why don't we use his body as a substitute? We can slightly alter his appearance. Anyway, no one at court recognizes Chen Wei."

Magistrate Wang's eyes lit up. "That's an excellent plan! Quick, act immediately. We're all in this together now; this matter must not be leaked."

The others all agreed.

Meanwhile, Zu An and Qiao Xueying led Chen Sheng to a secluded spot. "You certainly can't go back to Chen Village now. What are your plans for the future?"

Chen Sheng looked hesitant. "But my father's funeral rites..."

"Don't worry, I've already sent someone to bury your father," Zu An replied. "Of course, it wasn't a grand funeral, but you understand that you are currently a wanted man."

"Thank you, benefactor! I am already eternally grateful that my father can rest in peace," Chen Sheng said, quickly bowing several times. He then continued, "Please rest assured, benefactor, from now on I will change my name and never implicate you. As I said before, I will take the name Chen Sheng, and I plan to go to Yangxia City to seek out an old friend."

Zu An's face was peculiar. "Your friend wouldn't happen to be named Wu Guang, would he?"

Chen Sheng looked astonished. "How did you know, benefactor?"

Zu An gave an awkward laugh. "Just a random guess. In that case, we'll meet again. I wish you a prosperous future."

Chen Sheng cupped his hands. "Your great kindness, both you and your sister, I will surely repay if given the chance in the future. Farewell!" He bowed to them once more, then turned and departed, his retreating figure imbued with a resolute air.

Watching him leave, Qiao Xueying couldn't help but say, "Are you keeping something from me?"