Chapter 109: The End of the Myth

With Liu Bang dead, one of the options for the main quest naturally disappeared.

Yang Wenhao began to make his arrangements. He was now the General of the Xianyang City Guard, while Sanbao served as the General of the Imperial Palace Guard. As for Meng Tian, he still held command over the Meng Clan Army. Yang had no concerns regarding Meng Tian, as they both shared the same goal: to see Prince Fusu ascend the throne.

Within the palace, the health of Qin Shi Huang was deteriorating with each passing day; he was approaching the twilight of his life. Yet, Yang Wenhao waited. As soon as the First Emperor died, he would set his plan in motion.

Six months later, his opportunity arrived. Yang Wenhao received an imperial decree stating that the First Emperor was preparing for an eastern tour, and he was ordered to provide an escort. He was not surprised by this news, as everything was proceeding exactly as expected. Subsequently, Yang led his two thousand soldiers to guard the perimeter of the Emperor’s camp.

At the same time, Yang received word that the elixir of immortality concocted by Cui Wenzi was complete. The elixir was soon delivered into his hands. Looking at the wooden box before him, Yang reached out and slowly opened it. Inside lay three brownish pills, resting in silence. This was the elixir of life. It felt as if the pills possessed a strange, magnetic power that drew him in; Yang found himself reaching out to touch them.

"General!"

A soldier suddenly burst in, his voice jolting Yang Wenhao back to reality. Yang snapped out of his trance, a bead of cold sweat breaking out on his forehead. As a cultivator, it was difficult to remain entirely unaffected by such items, but he hadn't realized that for a moment there, he had been on the verge of falling into a demonic obsession.

"State of mind..." Yang shook his head and looked at the soldier. "What is it?"

"Reporting to the General, His Majesty has summoned you to his tent," the soldier replied.

"I understand," Yang said with a wave of his hand. He changed his attire and headed off to see the First Emperor. When he arrived at the imperial tent, he found Yi Xiaochuan, Zhao Gao, and the others already present. Each of them wore a different expression upon seeing him.

"I have summoned you today because I feel my time is near," the First Emperor said. He was coughing incessantly, his face deathly pale; he was clearly at the point of death.

Upon hearing this, the faces of everyone in the tent changed. Zhao Gao and Li Si exchanged a glance, the meaning behind their look unspoken but clear. Yang Wenhao and Yi Xiaochuan remained calm, as they had long anticipated this.

What followed was exactly as expected. On his deathbed, the First Emperor decreed that Fusu be named Crown Prince. This made the expressions of Zhao Gao and Li Si turn ugly, for they had been backing Huhai and had positioned themselves against Fusu. If Fusu were to ascend the throne, they would surely face disaster.

After the decree was drafted, the First Emperor breathed his last.

"His Majesty has passed away."

The entire Great Qin was in shock. The death of the Emperor was a cataclysmic event.

That night, Yang Wenhao disguised himself and arrived at the Li residence. Upon learning of his visit, Li Si hurried to welcome him. At this moment, only two men held the power of the military in all of Great Qin: Yang Wenhao and Yi Xiaochuan. Yi controlled the three-hundred-thousand-strong Meng Clan Army, while Yang commanded the Imperial Guard protecting the capital. Their influence was immense. Over the years, Yang had turned the Imperial Guard into an impenetrable fortress, and all attempts by Zhao Gao and his faction to infiltrate it had ended in failure. Given the sensitivity of the times, Li Si was naturally extremely cautious.

"I wonder, General Yang, what brings you to my humble home in the dead of night?" Li Si asked as he poured a cup of tea for Yang.

Yang Wenhao smiled slightly. "Lord Li, I did not come to see you, but rather for Zhao Gao."

Li Si was stunned. "If the General is looking for Zhao Gao, should you not be at the palace instead of coming here?"

"Lord Li, why play games?" Yang shook his head. With a flick of his arm, he released a burst of sword energy. In an instant, the screen beside them was sliced in half, collapsing to the floor. Behind it stood a figure—it was none other than Zhao Gao, dressed in his eunuch's robes.

Seeing Yang Wenhao’s casual display of power, Li Si’s face turned pale. Yang was usually very low-key, so much so that no one truly knew the extent of his strength. Some said his martial prowess was equal to Meng Tian’s, but Li Si had once asked Li Lingyun, and the answer he received was that Yang was the greatest fighter in the world. Now, Li Si realized just how terrifying that power really was.

Yang Wenhao stood up slowly and walked toward Zhao Gao, who trembled and retreated.

"General Yang!" Li Si stood up suddenly.

"Lord Li, I hope you will serve Great Qin with all your heart, rather than sacrificing the empire for personal gain."

Yang Wenhao struck without mercy. A flash of cold light cut through the air. Zhao Gao, a mere mortal, stood no chance against him. Zhao Gao stared at Yang with wide eyes, but when he tried to speak, he found he could not.

Li Si watched this scene in shock, but then fell into deep contemplation, remembering Yang’s words. Sheathing his sword, Yang Wenhao remained expressionless. He searched Zhao Gao’s body and found the imperial decree, confirming the First Emperor’s final wish to name Fusu as Crown Prince.

Pocketing the decree, Yang bowed to Li Si. "Lord Li, I believe you were merely misled by the words of a villain. In a few days, the Crown Prince will ascend the throne. I hope you will serve with dedication."

From beginning to end, Li Si remained in a daze, unable to utter a word as he watched Yang Wenhao depart. Yang knew that Li Si was still loyal to Great Qin at heart, merely dragged into the schemes against his will. Thus, Yang later advised Prince Fusu to retain Li Si as Prime Minister, for in the current court, his capabilities were unmatched.

Prince Fusu understood this, though he subsequently began to purge the remnants of Zhao Gao’s faction.

Five days later, Great Qin welcomed its new Emperor. The Second Emperor of Qin was not Huhai, but Fusu.

"Ding! Congratulations to the host for supporting Prince Fusu’s ascension. Main quest completed. Reward: 600 points."

"Ding! Main quest completed. Please depart from this world within the next seventy-two hours."

Seventy-two hours—Yang Wenhao could do a great many things in that time.