Qin Dynasty: They've all turned into zombies, what's there to fear about a rebellion?

"Youdu".

The moment those two words were uttered by Ying Zheng, they seemed to carry a chilling aura from the deepest hell, instantly freezing the air in the alchemy room.

Su Ming's lips twitched. Looking at the majestic ancient city outside the window, he silently complained in his heart: "Why did they have to call Xianyang Youdu? Now our Great Qin has become the villain's stronghold."

"Your Majesty... isn't this name a bit too eerie?"

Su Ming tentatively asked, "Although we cultivate the path of the corpse, we are still the imperial court of the mortal realm. If this name is posted out, I'm afraid the people of the six kingdoms won't dare to look here at night."

"The underworld?"

Ying Zheng turned around, his green vertical pupils flashing with fanatical light. "What I want is the underworld! I want the whole world to know that Qin is a land of life and death, an insurmountable realm of the dead! Only fear can bring absolute submission!"

"By imperial decree, the name shall be changed immediately! Tomorrow at noon, I will personally inscribe the plaque!"

Fine, you're the boss, whatever makes you happy.

Su Ming shrugged helplessly. Anyway, the current style was already so bad that even its own mother wouldn't recognize it, so it didn't matter if it got any worse.

……

The next day at noon, the sun was blazing.

But strangely, a layer of persistent pale gray mist shrouded the sky above Xianyang City... no, now Youdu City, filtering the originally scorching sunlight into a bleak, cold light.

Outside the city gates, countless onlookers (nowadays, it would be more appropriate to call them ghost citizens) had already gathered. They were all in high spirits, with dark circles under their eyes and their eyes gleaming green, pointing and gesturing excitedly.

At the very front of the crowd was a delegation of foreign diplomats who had just arrived.

Those were envoys from the State of Chu.

Leading the group was a fair-skinned, beardless middle-aged civil official named Song Yi. At this moment, this doctor, who could speak eloquently even in the Chu court, was leaning on the carriage shaft, his legs trembling, his teeth chattering, and he had a look of utter despair on his face, as if to say, "I must still be half asleep."

"This...this is Xianyang?"

Song Yi pointed tremblingly at the colossal city in front of him, which seemed to be cast from black iron, his voice trembling.

The once simple rammed earth city wall had been doubled in height, its entire surface as black as ink, with an eerie metallic sheen. Every ten steps along the wall hung a ghastly green eternal lamp, specially made from corpse oil and phosphorus powder, emitting a ghostly glow even in broad daylight.

Even more terrifying was the city gate.

Two rows of heavily armored "Black Iron Warriors," each two meters tall, stood silently. They were not breathing, nor were they expressionless. They held chainsaws that were still dripping oil, and their red electronic eyes would occasionally flash, emitting a "buzzing" sound of electricity.

This is hardly a capital city on earth.

This is clearly the Yama King's palace on earth!

"Doctor...should we...should we go in?"

The attendant beside Song Yi was terrified, clinging to his sleeve and refusing to let go. "I heard that everyone who went in had no heartbeat and came out as a zombie!"

"Nonsense! Sending you as an envoy to Qin is a royal command; how can you back down?"

Although Song Yi spoke toughly, his legs betrayed him by taking a half-step back. "Besides, I don't believe that in broad daylight, Ying Zheng would really dare to eat us up! This... this must be a smokescreen! It's a Mohist trap!"

Just then, a deafening roar suddenly came from the city wall.

"Buzz—"

A black dragon shadow soared into the sky, circling and roaring in mid-air.

Immediately afterwards, Ying Zheng appeared at the highest point of the city wall. He was not wearing a dragon robe, but rather a red animal skin cloak (actually his own red fur), and he was carrying a large iron pen as thick as an arm.

"Today, Xianyang is renamed!"

Ying Zheng's voice, amplified by the aura of death, boomed like thunder in everyone's ears: "From this day forward, this place shall be the Netherworld Capital of my Great Qin!"

Before he finished speaking, he swung the iron pen in his hand.

"Sizzle!"

That's not writing, that's carving.

The iron pen swept across the massive black iron plaque above the city gate, sparks flying and a sickening metallic tearing sound emanating from it. Each stroke carried immense force, as if it could rip through the very void.

"quiet!"

"All!"

The two large characters are bold and vigorous, penetrating to the core.

Even more terrifying was that the handwriting contained a dense aura of the Corpse Dao. An ordinary person who glanced at it felt a chill run from the soles of their feet straight to the top of their head, as if they were being stared at by an ancient ferocious beast, and their soul trembled.

"Excellent! Your Majesty is mighty!"

"May Youdu live ten thousand years! May the Qin Dynasty live ten thousand years!"

The Qin people (cultivators) below the city instantly erupted in cheers, a roar like a landslide. Far from being afraid, they felt this was the right thing to do! This was the true grandeur of their great cultivation nation!

Song Yi felt a sudden darkness before his eyes and almost fainted on the spot.

Is this some kind of smokescreen?

Whose magic can produce writing that exudes murderous intent? Whose magic can make the eyes of the entire city glow with green light?

"Open the city gates! Welcome the envoys!"

On the city wall, Meng Tian roared in his hoarse voice.

"Clang clang clang—"

The heavy hydraulic dragon-slaying stone slowly rose, revealing the deep tunnel leading into the city, which resembled the throat of a giant beast.

"Emperor of Chu, please."

A Black Iron Warrior responsible for reception stiffly turned his head, his red electronic eyes locking onto Song Yi, a terrifying mechanical smile tugging at the corner of his mouth, "The Imperial Advisor said, once you're here, you're a guest (cai), no need to be polite."

Song Yi wanted to cry.

He looked at the dark city gate and felt that if he stepped through, he might have to search for his name in the Book of the Dead in his next life.

But he cannot back down.

This mission was not only to gather intelligence, but also to cover up an important figure and carry out a top-secret task.

"Into...into the city!"

Song Yi gritted his teeth and waved his hand tragically.

The Chu delegation's convoy, under the watchful eyes of a group of mechanical zombies, cautiously drove into this city filled with cyberpunk underworld style.

The wheels rolled over the bluestone slabs, making a monotonous "gurgling" sound.

In the middle of this terrifying procession was a lavishly decorated yet heavily guarded carriage.

The carriage curtains were tightly closed, not a single gap could be seen.

But occasionally a breeze would blow by, lifting a corner of the curtain, and a graceful figure could be vaguely seen sitting inside.

The woman was dressed in a plain white dance costume. Although it was only a fleeting glimpse of her profile, her beauty was breathtaking, as if she were the only bright spot in this gloomy and ghostly realm.

She didn't tremble with fear like the others.

Instead, she peered through the cracks with a curious and complex gaze at the city full of strangeness and novelty, finally fixing her gaze on the young figure standing behind Ying Zheng on the city wall.

Su Ming.

That sorcerer who, according to legend, turned the Qin Dynasty into the underworld and the First Emperor into a zombie.

"Is this... the person Brother Xiang ordered me to kill?"

The woman murmured softly, her voice as melodious as a nightingale's, yet carrying a hint of desolation and resolve.

She stretched out her slender, white fingers and gently stroked the poisoned short sword hidden in her sleeve, her eyes gradually hardening.

"For Brother Xiang, for the State of Chu..."

"Su Ming, I, Yu Ji, will take your life."