Chapter 22

Mentioning Xu Fu, Gui Bu Gui had a look of disbelief on his face. He blinked his eyes and said, "Who knows what that old man was up to?" After saying this, Gui Bu Gui squinted his eyes and said to the steward, "Forget about him, you need to think carefully. Such a good opportunity might not come your way for another few lifetimes. If you miss this, you might not encounter such a good deal even after being reincarnated dozens of times."

After saying this, Gui Bu Gui unfolded the half-map in front of the steward again and said, "Come on, show some enthusiasm. What place is this?"

The steward carefully examined the location marked on the map, then thought for a long time. Just as Wu Mian, who was standing outside, was getting impatient, the steward finally gave his answer: "This is one of the thirty-three sky-wells in the Xianyang Imperial Palace. If I'm not mistaken, this is a dry well. Among the thirty-three sky-wells, only this one is a dry well; the rest are sweet water wells."

"The only dry well in the imperial palace..." Gui Bu Gui's eyes narrowed to a slit. After thinking for a while, he turned and shouted into the air, "How about it? Is it the right place?"

A voice with Wu Mian's distinctive tone came from outside the wall behind him: "How would I know? It's probably the imperial palace, but I'll have to see the well to be sure."

Gui Bu Gui nodded thoughtfully, then took out a dagger and cut the ropes binding the steward. He said to him, "There's straw on the ground. Clean up your mess before you come out."

After saying this, Gui Bu Gui ignored the steward, who was busy unbuttoning his pants. He walked out with his hands behind his back, smiling and said to Wu Mian, "You know, I was locked up for over a hundred years, and I'm not very clear about what's happened in all these years..." Before he could finish, Wu Mian coldly interrupted, "What do you want to know? Speak."

Gui Bu Gui scratched his bald head and said, "You told me about the unification of the seven states by the State of Qin, but was the Qin Imperial Palace built after the unification, or was it renovated from the previous Qin King's palace?"

"Why are you asking this?" Wu Mian didn't answer immediately but tilted his head to look at Gui Bu Gui. After a long pause, he said, "It was an expansion of the previous palace. The grand ceremony at the time was presided over by your Great Alchemist. By the way, the one who soiled his pants also participated in the ceremony. If you have any questions, ask him."

"Oh, it was the expansion of the palace, and Xu Fu presided over the ceremony," Gui Bu Gui's eyes were almost closed as he said this. At this moment, Wu Mian looked at him and said, "I have something to ask you too. When did you become so close to the one who soiled his pants? How did you get him to talk about things he couldn't say before?"

"What do you mean by 'trick'? I was just telling the truth," Gui Bu Gui smiled strangely and continued, "I only told him that you have the elixir of immortality. If he serves you well, you might give him a pill."

As Gui Bu Gui spoke, he started to back away. However, to his surprise, Wu Mian just glanced at him without any intention of making him lie down. Wu Mian just sneered and said, "He harmed me so much back then, and now he still wants the elixir? The elixir of immortality... I can give him a few pills of the heartbreak elixir instead..."

"Immortality is right in front of him, and he still cares about this?" As Gui Bu Gui spoke, the steward, who was just pulling up his pants, walked out, accompanied by a strong stench. Gui Bu Gui pinched his nose and said, "You don't show up unless it's a critical moment. Go find a place to wash up quickly..."

The next evening, envoys from the Qin capital Xianyang brought a letter of surrender, and the third son of Qin, Zi Ying, surrendered to the Duke of Pei, Liu Bang. To the world, it seemed that the chaos following the death of the First Emperor was about to end...

Liu Bang had originally planned to reward the newly appointed commandant of the capital with the position of chief alchemist in the Qin capital, to preside over a ceremony to the heavens, declaring that the Qin dynasty fell due to tyranny and that he, Liu Bang, was merely following the will of heaven.

However, the newly appointed commandant could not be found all night. He was always around when not needed, but disappeared when needed. The next morning, as Liu Bang led his army to Xianyang, he was still fuming: a man bought with two baskets of peaches, and still unreliable at a critical moment...

What Liu Bang didn't know was that, as his army was gathering outside the city, three fast horses had already fled from the city of Bashang. The three riders were Wu Mian, Gui Bu Gui, and the very commandant they were looking for. Dressed in the uniforms of Liu Bang's army, they galloped towards Xianyang.

The horses and uniforms were provided by the steward, who had some connections in Liu Bang's army.

The three rode without hindrance, as their uniforms allowed them to pass through the areas controlled by the Duke of Pei. The Qin-controlled areas, upon receiving the news of the surrender, did not obstruct them. By nightfall, they had reached the walls of Xianyang.

The city gates should have been closed by this time, but the news of the surrender to Liu Bang was already common knowledge in Xianyang. The city was in turmoil, with rumors spreading. The soldiers guarding the city had already fled in civilian clothes. The once-mighty capital of the Qin dynasty, which had unified the seven states, now had its gates wide open, with many families fleeing the city in the dead of night.

Taking advantage of this, Wu Mian and the others, along with their horses, slipped into the city under the cover of darkness. Wu Mian and the steward were very familiar with the area. They followed the main road and, after half an hour, reached the entrance to the inner palace.

The main gate of the palace was still guarded by a few soldiers, but no one was really on duty. The guards were huddled around a campfire, warming themselves, with a large pile of gold and jade nearby, which would have been unimaginable in normal times.

The palace gates were slightly ajar, and eunuchs and palace maids were constantly coming out with bundles. The guards watched them coldly but did not stop them. The eunuchs and maids would throw some gold or jade to the guards, who would nod in approval, and they would run towards the city gates, disappearing into the night.

Wu Mian and the others took advantage of the chaos and rushed into the palace. The guards were surprised, not expecting anyone to enter the palace at this time. One guard was about to stop them but was held back by his superior: "Let them be. Whoever wants to enter can enter, as long as they pay the fee when they come out. Don't cause trouble now; just let us get rich."

The superior then shouted at Wu Mian and the others, "Do you know the rules?"

The steward, an old hand in the palace, feared being recognized and turned his head away, pretending not to hear. Wu Mian ignored them and walked in without hesitation. Only Gui Bu Gui turned back and smiled at the guards, "Do we need to say it? We're all here to get rich. We'll share the wealth, and you won't be left out. We'll pay our respects when we come out."

"Good to hear. Remember to come out before dawn. If you're late, Liu Bang's army might mistake you for spies." After the superior finished speaking, Wu Mian and the others had already entered the palace.

Wu Mian, who had been an alchemist in the palace, was only allowed to move in designated areas and did not know the layout of most of the palace. He followed the steward, who, due to his frequent inspections of the palace's feng shui, knew every corner. In the darkness, he led them through numerous palace gates. After half an hour, they reached a courtyard in a side palace. The steward pointed to a well in the courtyard and said, "That's the well."

---

The advertisement starts here.

The advertisement ends here.