Chapter 202: The Scheming Woman

"You are all brave warriors who were loyal to Great Qin, but unfortunately, you were betrayed by your own people and died unjustly," Mi Li paused, and indeed, she saw expressions of anger appear on the faces of the specters. Only then did she continue, "You were Great Qin's last pillars of strength. Not long after your deaths, the Guanzhong region fell, and Great Qin's empire was usurped by rebels."

"Therefore, this empress is as heartbroken as you are. We are not enemies, but comrades in the same cause," Mi Li shifted her tone. "Who is the culprit behind all this?"

"Zhang... Han..."

The specters roared, and the entire pool seemed to boil. Chilly echoes resonated throughout the underground palace.

Zu An secretly clicked his tongue. These specters actually had little intelligence left, only basic instincts. Before, they could only let out meaningless roars and couldn't speak at all. Yet, at this moment, they clearly articulated Zhang Han's name, showing how much resentment they harbored for him in their hearts. Even as specters, they still remembered the name of their enemy.

"Precisely, it is Zhang Han. Great Qin entrusted him with crucial responsibilities, yet he betrayed the court and surrendered to the rebels for personal gain, leading to the slaughter of Great Qin's last main force. This man deserves to die ten thousand deaths!" Mi Li declared with powerful conviction.

Zu An frowned slightly. In truth, he felt a degree of sympathy for Zhang Han. Zhang Han could have been a hero who turned the tide for Great Qin, but due to political enemies' schemes within the court, he feared death whether victorious or defeated. This led him to make a fateful mistake, choosing to surrender and becoming an eternal sinner of the Qin Dynasty. As for the slaughter of two hundred thousand Qin soldiers under his command, that wasn't his idea either. Unfortunately, at that time, he was powerless to stop it. One wrong step led to many, and eventually, there was no turning back.

Of course, sympathy aside, Zu An wasn't so tactless as to speak up at this moment. He merely watched quietly from the side, observing how Mi Li planned to conclude.

"Just now, I personally executed this traitor, Zhang Han, avenging Great Qin and all of you." As Mi Li spoke, she signaled Zu An, telepathically instructing him to throw the armor and spear into the pool. "These are his helmet and weapon!"

Zu An felt a pang of reluctance. Both the spear and the helmet, with their glossy black finish and palpable weight, indicated they were extraordinary artifacts. If they were to circulate outside, they would undoubtedly attract countless factions vying for them. It seemed a great pity to simply discard them. However, seeing countless specters staring fixedly at him, he felt a shiver of apprehension. He had initially wondered if he could use the items to lure them out, but then worried about disrupting Mi Li's plan. In the end, he reluctantly abandoned this dangerous idea.

When Zhang Han's helmet and spear were thrown into the pool, the specters charged desperately as if driven mad. They seemed to see Zhang Han himself in the two items, opening their mouths and biting down.

Zu An watched, dumbfounded. "This actually works?" He knew that both Zhang Han's spear and helmet were no less formidable than the Tai'a Sword he now possessed. How could they bite such divine weapons with their teeth? But what shocked him more was yet to come. Soon after, the spear and helmet began to diminish at a visible rate. In the end, nothing was left, not even a trace.

Zu An: "..."

After consuming Zhang Han's helmet and weapons, the angry specters' expressions became considerably more peaceful than before. Many even showed a sense of serenity on their faces.

Mi Li seized the opportunity and said, "You were transformed into vengeful spirits by your hatred for Zhang Han. Now that Zhang Han is dead, do you wish to continue existing in this state, neither living nor dead, never to be reborn?"

Hearing those words, countless specters displayed expressions of confusion and struggle. Clearly, this perpetual state of unrest was also tormenting them.

"Your long-held obsessions should now disperse. Let go of everything and go be reborn," Mi Li pressed on while the iron was hot. "This empress will lend you a hand. Soon, a Gate of Rebirth will appear here. Step through this gate, and you can embrace your next life."

Zu An was watching the scene unfold when suddenly, incantations appeared in his mind. Mi Li's *qi* transmission instructed him: "Activate the second layer of your *Primordial Chaos Sutra* to harness primordial energy, then cast this *Incantation of Rebirth* in such a way..."

Zu An dared not delay and immediately complied. While drawing on the primordial energy of heaven and earth, he murmured to himself, "Ashes to ashes, dust to dust. This is not my home; what should not remain, do not remain..."

As her voice resounded, a large white gate suddenly materialized in the void. Initially palm-sized, the gate grew larger and larger with the chanting, eventually reaching several yards in height. The entire gate emanated an unusual sense of sanctity and grandeur.

Zu An's eyes widened. "Such a cool effect! If I use this to show off in the future, wouldn't everyone worship me?" He quickly looked at Mi Li. This woman was truly mysterious, knowing so many astonishing things.

What surprised him, however, was that Mi Li's figure had already vanished.

"Did she leave me?" Zu An felt an emptiness in his heart, becoming profoundly disappointed. "Such a beautiful Empress sister, just missed..."

Mi Li: "..."Rage value from Mi Li: 555!

"What a lecherous, shameless scoundrel!"

Zu An, however, was not angry but pleased. "You're still here! You scared me. Where did you go?"

"Nonsense, of course I went back into the Tai'a Sword. Once the Gate of Rebirth opens, if I remained outside in spirit form, would I be waiting to be purified?" Mi Li's annoyed voice came.

Only then did Zu An recall that Mi Li had made a deal with him precisely because she feared purification. Not knowing the effect of the purification, he quickly looked towards the white gate.

The white gate seemed to possess a mysterious allure. Countless specters slowly emerged from the pool, walking in orderly lines towards the gate. Each specter's demeanor was serene, as if filled with hope for the next life. A water-like film covered the white gate. The specters vanished upon stepping through it, as if entering another mysterious world.

Watching the scene, Zu An couldn't help but marvel at its wonder. "Is what lies beyond the white gate the next life?"

"Of course not," Mi Li sneered.

Zu An: "???"

Mi Li explained, "The concept of a next life is ethereal. Unless they are truly powerful beings who might find a way to reincarnate, ordinary people have no 'next life.' This Gate of Rebirth is merely a purification spell. When these specters walk through it, they will be disintegrated into the most fundamental elements of heaven and earth, completely dissipating into the world."

Zu An: "..." This woman was truly cunning. He had been moved by her passionate speech just moments ago, only to find out it was all a deception? From now on, he would have to take her words with a grain of salt, or he'd be counting money for her even after she sold him out.

"Of course, for them, this is still a good ending. After all, remaining as vengeful spirits means no peace even after death," Mi Li continued.

*I believe you, my foot!* Zu An thought to himself. However, he wasn't so pedantic as to go and tell the specters the truth.

"Don't waste this rare opportunity. Refine the scattered primordial energy," Mi Li reminded him.

Only then did Zu An notice that as the specters gradually dissipated, the surrounding primordial energy had become much richer than before. He hastily maintained the Gate of Rebirth while simultaneously circulating the *Primordial Chaos Sutra* to heal his injuries.

Chu Chuyan stood by, guarding him. At the same time, she looked worriedly at Qiao Xueying on the other side. Her injuries were too severe; while not immediately fatal, a prolonged delay would also be dangerous.

"Wife, I'm fine here. Go take care of Xue'er," Zu An said, opening his eyes to her.

Chu Chuyan hummed in affirmation. She was already somewhat worried; in earlier years, she and Xue'er had been ostensibly mistress and servant, but in reality, sisters. She went to Qiao Xueying's side and noticed that she had fallen into a semi-coma. She quickly channeled *qi* into her body. Although it wasn't as pure as primordial energy, it could still slowly help the injuries recover.

It was unclear how much time passed, but Qiao Xueying slowly opened her eyes. Seeing that it was Chu Chuyan saving her, her expression was complex, and she quietly said, "Thank you."

Chu Chuyan hesitated for a moment, then said indifferently, "Don't thank me. Ah Zu asked me to save you."

Qiao Xueying smiled faintly. "You're always like this. You have a kind heart, but you're unwilling to admit many things verbally."

Chu Chuyan's face flushed. Their current relationship was somewhat awkward. By rights, the other was a spy from an enemy faction who had infiltrated the Chu family, so they should be irreconcilable. Yet, she could never bring herself to hate this sister with whom she had spent so much time. However, returning to their previous intimate relationship was also unlikely.

After a moment's hesitation, she found an excuse to change the subject: "By the way, weren't you and Ah Zu at loggerheads before? How is it that your relationship seems to have become very good now?"

Qiao Xueying quickly explained, "Don't misunderstand. There's nothing between us. It's merely a cooperative relationship. We fought side by side to save you, so there's some camaraderie, nothing more."

Chu Chuyan couldn't help but smile. "I didn't say anything. Why are you so anxious?"

Qiao Xueying's cheeks flushed, and she stopped speaking, though her heart was pounding fiercely. *What's wrong with me? I wasn't lying, so why do I feel guilty?*

Several hours passed before the two hundred thousand specters were completely purified. As the last specter vanished, the temperature of the entire underground palace seemed to rise by a few degrees. The previously bottomless and dark pool gradually became clearer.

At the same time, Zu An let out a long sigh of relief. By absorbing the primordial energy during this period, his terrible injuries had completely healed, and his mental state was better than ever. Before, Mi Li's attacks had torn his flesh and sent his bones flying countless times, leaving him nearly bled dry. Under the restorative power of the *Primordial Chaos Sutra*, his entire body underwent another complete tempering. His current physical strength was twice what it had been before. He even felt that even a master of the fifth rank, as long as they didn't use elemental energy, would inflict only limited damage on his body with a full-force strike.

Lowering his gaze to his lower abdomen, he recalled the historical account of Lao Ai, whose prowess was said to be capable of rotating chariot wheels as an axle. He used to find this astonishing, but now, he realized it was merely a trivial skill. However, he quickly refocused. He had just realized that he had only absorbed a small portion of the primordial energy; most of the scattered energy from the purified specters had been drawn into the Tai'a Sword.

Zu An couldn't help but let out a long sigh. "Empress Sister is truly brilliant. I spent half a day toiling, only for you to reap the rewards."