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

The atmosphere in Xianyang Palace was as somber as a coffin sealed for hundreds of years.

Carrying the sandalwood box, Su Ming walked step by step into the main hall. With each step, he could feel countless gazes piercing him like sharp arrows, especially those of the black-armored guards with their hands on their sword hilts, who were clearly ready to chop him to pieces at any moment.

At the very top of the main hall, Qin Shi Huang slumped on his dragon throne, looking even more gaunt than seven days ago. His once awe-inspiring face was now ashen, his eyes sunken, and each breath sounded like a broken bellows, emitting a chilling hiss.

lifeless.

This is not the state a living person should be in; it's more like someone who has already stepped into the gates of hell and is only clinging to their last breath.

"Su Ming, the time has come."

Zhao Gao stood at the bottom of the steps, his effeminate voice revealing an undisguised excitement and malice. "The seven-day period is over, and His Majesty is waiting for your elixir. If you can't produce it... hehe, the executioners outside are getting impatient."

That old eunuch, he'd love for me to die right now.

Su Ming cursed inwardly, but on the surface he put on a confident and superior air, straightening his back: "What's the rush, Lord Zhao? Didn't you see what I'm holding in my hands?"

"Hmph, just making a fuss over nothing."

Zhao Gao snorted coldly, his triangular eyes fixed on the wooden box in Su Ming's hand. "I'd like to see what you've actually produced these past few days in that smoky side hall. Are you just trying to fool His Majesty by kneading up ashes?"

"fool?"

Su Ming's lips curled into a smile. He completely ignored Zhao Gao, strode to the imperial steps with the box in his hand, and held it high above his head. "Your Majesty! I have not failed you! I have exhausted all my efforts, even borrowing thirty years of my lifespan, to finally obtain this 'Nine-Turn Corpse God Creation Pill'!"

Upon hearing the words "borrowing lifespan," Ying Zheng, whose eyelids had been drooping, suddenly opened his eyes.

A terrifying light suddenly flashed in his cloudy eyes, like a drowning man grasping at the last piece of driftwood. He shakily stretched out his withered, bony hand, his voice hoarse and barely audible: "Prepare...prepare it!"

Zhao Gao's expression changed. He wanted to stop them but didn't dare, so he could only give a wink to the little eunuch next to him.

The young eunuch hurriedly ran down, took the wooden box from Su Ming, and carefully presented it to Zhao Gao. Zhao Gao took the box but did not immediately give it to Ying Zheng. Instead, in front of all the civil and military officials, he snapped the lid open.

For a moment, the hall seemed to fall silent.

Inside the sandalwood box lay a pill the size of a longan.

But the appearance of this pill was really too strange—beneath its golden skin, there was a faint, chilling green glow, and there were even vein-like patterns on the surface that pulsated slightly, emitting a strange smell that was hard to describe as either fragrant or fishy.

"How dare you, Su Ming!"

The moment Zhao Gao saw the pill clearly, he screamed, his finger trembling as he pointed at Su Ming, "You...you dare to use such a poison to harm His Majesty! This is no elixir! This is clearly deadly poison! Look at this green light, it's clearly a deadly poison that kills on contact with blood!"

These words caused an uproar among the court officials.

Even Ying Zheng's hopeful eyes dimmed instantly, replaced by a violent killing intent.

"Your Majesty is wise!"

Su Ming had anticipated this turn of events. He calmly retorted loudly, "Lord Zhao, with your mortal eyes, how could you recognize a celestial treasure? This green light is the ultimate manifestation of 'Life Essence'! Like a tender spring bud, it is vitality! It is vibrant life force!"

"You call this vitality?" Zhao Gao laughed angrily. "I see this as corpse poison!"

"That's right! It's corpse poison... no, it's fighting poison with poison!"

Su Ming almost let slip something, but quickly recovered, his face radiating righteous indignation, "Your Majesty's health has been afflicted for a long time, and ordinary tonics are no longer effective. To defy fate, drastic measures are necessary! Only by pushing you to the brink of death can you break free of your mortal body and forge an immortal golden physique!"

"Nonsense!"

Just as Zhao Gao was about to order his men to seize Su Ming, a low shout came from the dragon throne.

That's enough.

Ying Zheng's voice, though weak, carried an undeniable authority. He stared intently at the strange pill, his eyes flashing with a mad light, "Bring it here... I want to try it."

"Your Majesty! You mustn't!" Zhao Gao knelt down with a thud, tears streaming down his face. "This Su Ming's origins are unknown, and this medicine looks malevolent. What if..."

"What if what?"

Ying Zheng interrupted him, letting out a bitter laugh, "Could my body get any worse? Even if it's poison, as long as there's a sliver of hope that can keep me alive, I'll swallow it!"

This is the audacity of a great emperor throughout history, and also the gambler's mentality of a person on the verge of death.

Zhao Gao dared not persuade him any further and could only tremblingly present the elixir.

Su Ming watched as Ying Zheng reached out with trembling fingers and picked up the "T-virus capsule," his heart pounding in his chest. This was a crucial moment; he had to make sure the disclaimer was clear beforehand. Otherwise, if the drug took effect and Ying Zheng rolled his eyes, he'd be killed before he could even explain himself—that would be truly unjust.

"Your Majesty, wait!"

Su Ming suddenly shouted and took a step forward.

The guards on both sides immediately drew their swords and placed them against his neck. The cold blades pressed against his skin, and Su Ming could even feel the chill seeping into his bones.

"Your Majesty, I have a few words from the bottom of my heart that I must first convey!" Su Ming ignored the knife at his neck, looked directly into Ying Zheng's eyes, and spoke rapidly, "This medicine is a forbidden drug that seizes the very essence of heaven and earth; its effects... are extremely potent! Incredibly potent!"

Ying Zheng's hand, which was holding the pill, paused in mid-air. His cloudy old eyes looked at Su Ming: "How powerful is it?"

"So violent... it might cause His Majesty to lose his breath and heartbeat in a short period of time."

Su Ming braced himself and tried to put the word "death" in a more euphemistic way. "This is called 'feigned death,' a necessary process for the soul to leave the body and reshape the physical body. Taoists call it 'corpse liberation,' which is actually shedding the heavy shell of the mortal body. During this process, Your Majesty may feel extreme pain, even... as if you were falling into the deepest hell."

The hall was deathly silent; you could hear a pin drop.

Stopped breathing and heartbeat?

Isn't that the same as being dead?

A fierce glint flashed in Zhao Gao's eyes. He was about to accuse Su Ming of making excuses for regicide when he saw Ying Zheng suddenly laugh.

That smile was ferocious and twisted, carrying a resolute air of facing death without fear.

"pain?"

Ying Zheng gazed at the pulsating elixir in his hand, as if it were the most precious treasure in the world. In his life, he had swept across six kingdoms, burned books and buried scholars alive, built the Great Wall, and constructed his imperial mausoleum. What storms hadn't he weathered? What suffering hadn't he endured?

As long as he could live forever, as long as he could continue to rule this vast land, he would not hesitate to sell his soul to the devil.

"Throughout my life, I have killed countless people and ascended to the throne over mountains of corpses and seas of blood."

Ying Zheng slowly opened his mouth, his voice weak yet carrying a chilling madness, "I even want to fight against death, why would I fear this little bit of pain? Minister Su, if I truly live... I will grant you half of the Qin Dynasty!"

Having said that, he didn't hesitate for a moment and flipped his wrist.

He threw the "Corpse God No. 1" that was flashing with an eerie green light directly into his mouth.

"Gulp."

With a labored movement of the Adam's apple, the pill entered the stomach.

Seeing this scene, Su Ming was instantly drenched in cold sweat, and prayed frantically in his heart:

"Brother Zheng is awesome! Brother Zheng is amazing! You absolutely have to hold on! This is the Resident Evil version of the immortality elixir. If you don't turn into the Zombie King, we'll both become terracotta warriors today!"

The next second, Ying Zheng suddenly widened his eyes, gripped the armrests of the dragon throne tightly with both hands, the veins on the back of his hands bulging, and let out a low growl that was not human.

"Ugh... Ah!!!"

Upon seeing this, Zhao Gao immediately screamed, his voice piercing the dome of the hall:

"Your Majesty! What's wrong with Your Majesty?! Guards! Protect the Emperor! Cut this sorcerer to pieces!"

Dozens of black-armored guards suddenly sprang into action, their gleaming blades instantly enveloping Su Ming.

Looking at the falling blades, and then at Ying Zheng above him, whose body was convulsing and whose eyes were rolling back, Su Ming could only shout out his last lifeline:

"Don't move! This is a normal reaction! His Majesty is ascending to heaven! Anyone who moves him is a sinner who severs the destiny of the Great Qin!"