Beneath an azure sky, spring had already arrived.

Winter passed. Migratory birds flew back and forth through the city, landing on treetops and chirping crisply.

The weather warmed, and the shopboys’ shouts at the door grew a little louder too. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

In the pleasure quarters, those women once again returned to their cool, light clothing.

Carriages came and went. Quite a few young noblewomen took their children out to enjoy the spring, heading beyond the city to stroll around.

And at that very moment, one child after another ran along the street shouting, their faces brimming with joy:

“Victory report! Victory report!”

“Canghai Pass plain—Qi’s army crushed! The King of Qi is dead!”

“Great victory for Qin!!!”

“Great victory for Qin!!!”

In Qin, these children were called “town criers.” Whenever some major happy event occurred, the court would have town criers spread the word through the city, so the news would travel as quickly as possible.

But the town criers’ messages were always selected by the court.

They usually reported good news, not bad.

“Boy! What did you just say?”

A burly butcher grabbed a town crier’s wrist and said excitedly.

“The battle at Canghai Pass—Qin’s army won a great victory! Qi is finished!”

“And that whatever-it-was Zhao State is finished too. The King of Zhao is getting ready to surrender.”

“Uncle, let go already—I still have to keep spreading the word.”

With that, the town crier shook free of the butcher’s loosened grip and ran forward again, shouting at the top of his lungs:

“Great victory for Qin! Qi has fallen! Zhao surrenders!”

“Great victory for Qin! Qi has fallen! Zhao surrenders!”

The butcher stared blankly at the street ahead, unable to believe his ears.

Qi State...

Zhao State...

They really fell?

The world of myriad arts...

Was truly unified...?

...

The Commandant of the Palace Guards’ residence.

Lian Li, who commanded the imperial guards as the Commandant of the Palace Guards, stared at the battle report in her hands.

The report described the course of the battle on the Canghai Pass plain.

At Canghai Pass, casualties on both sides were unimaginably severe.

It even looked as though they were going to fight until both armies perished together.

In the end, the King of Qi set ★ 𝐍𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 ★ the formation.

And the Frost King entered the formation.

The King of Qi was beheaded.

Qin barely defeated Qi.

Qin’s army broke through Canghai Pass and drove straight into the imperial palace. Qi’s generals and feudal lords knew the tide had turned and surrendered to Qin one after another.

Thus, Qi fell.

After the King of Zhao received the news, his eyes rolled back, and he fainted on the spot.

When the King of Zhao woke, he knew the situation was over. Resisting to the bitter end would have no real meaning—only add to the casualties.

But the King of Zhao also knew that as a human, he had colluded with the demon race to meddle in the world of myriad arts—an absolute taboo, a crime that merited execution.

The King of Zhao wrote a letter of surrender. He shouldered all responsibility, then passed the throne to the crown prince, ordering him to lead Zhao in surrendering.

As for the King of Zhao himself—

He slit his own throat atop the throne.

For Qin, it was a sweeping victory.

After thousands of years of chaos, the world of myriad arts was about to welcome unification at last.

Yet as she looked at this victory report delivered by a flying-sword letter from Huanglou...

Lian Li could not feel even a hint of joy.

She stared blankly at the last six words on the report, her mind completely empty.

She tried to stand, but it was as if all the strength in her body had been drained clean away, and she suddenly collapsed back into her seat.

Bracing herself on the desk, Lian Li finally managed to rise.

Step by step she walked outside. In the end, she leaned against the threshold—then sank to her knees on the ground.

“How can that be...”

“How can this be...”

...

At the same time, most court officials learned of the fighting beyond Canghai Pass through their own channels.

Unlike the town criers, who only passed along good news,

what these officials received were the full reports.

But when they saw the reports in their hands, they doubted their authenticity.

After confirming it through multiple sources, though, they had to admit it—

This report...

Was real...

“Teacher... now, what should we do?”

An official named Zhang Qin came to Chancellor Li’s residence, his mood heavy.

Qi had fallen. Only a broken Chu remained, and Chu had already submitted a letter of surrender. The unification of the realm was already set in stone.

Yet no matter what, he could not feel happy...

Li Ge shook his head. “Do nothing. Just wait for His Majesty’s decree.”

“But His Majesty... can she really hold on?” Zhang Qin asked.

Li Ge did not answer. He only looked toward the imperial palace and let out a long, deep sigh.

...

The imperial palace of Qin.

A woman sat atop the Observing-Heaven Tower.

Beside her lay the broken drum mallets.

For four days, the woman had sat atop the Observing-Heaven Tower in a daze.

Her tears had long since run dry. She did not move at all, like a statue carved by the heavens...

“Tap, tap, tap...”

Footsteps sounded from the stairway entrance of the Observing-Heaven Tower.

Huasheng climbed the stairs and came to the woman’s side.

“Your Majesty, this is the battle report sent from the front.” Huasheng looked at the girl she had watched grow up, and her heart could not bear it. “Do you... want to take a look...?”

Huasheng’s words fell, but Qin Siyao did not respond.

On the Observing-Heaven Tower, only the wind could be heard blowing in gusts.

After a long time, Qin Siyao’s lips finally parted. The sound that came from her throat was hoarse enough to break one’s heart.

“My husband... he’s gone... isn’t he...”

Hearing Qin Siyao’s question, Huasheng pressed her lips together, then finally nodded.

“Qin’s army and Qi’s army fought a bloody battle for two days and two nights. Both sides lost more than half.

“The ruler of Qi personally became the formation, driving it with dynastic fortune, making one last desperate stand.

“Young Master led the army into the formation, broke the formation, and tried to behead the King of Qi.

“The King of Qi was killed by Young Master.

“But Young Master was also grievously wounded, his life-flame flickering.

“Flowing-Flame State and Creek-Valley State saw it could not be done. Two Immortal Realm cultivators offered up the immortal weapon Soul-Shattering Jade, attempting to use the battlefield’s blood qi to refine a formation array—burying our Qin army in its entirety, severing Qin’s dynastic fortune.

“Young Master led the upper-realm cultivators and broke the formation again.

“In the end... the formation broke. The demon-race cultivators were all slain. Not one survived.

“Immortal Realm retainers Bai Wei and Xing Can, Jade-Polished Realm retainers Tian Ya, Chen Yiran, and Wu Bowei—all died in battle.

“Young Master...

“Not a single bone left.”

After Huasheng finished, Qin Siyao clenched her skirt so tightly her knuckles whitened, her face utterly drained of blood.

After a long time, Qin Siyao spoke slowly. “I understand... Sister Huasheng, go down first. I’ll sit here a little longer. Don’t let my mother-in-law know about this.”

“Yes... Your Majesty...”

Huasheng bowed and withdrew from the Observing-Heaven Tower.

[Husband, promise me you won’t leave me, okay...?]

[Husband, I’ll dance for you for the rest of my life—you’re not allowed to get sick of it!]

[When you come back, we’ll get married.]

[Husband, you’ll definitely come back, right...?]

After Huasheng left, Qin Siyao curled her legs up, wrapping her lotus arms tightly around her knees.

Scene after scene replayed in the woman’s mind without end.

She pulled her knees closer and closer, burying her face into her legs. Her shoulders trembled without stopping as she sobbed hoarsely:

“You clearly promised me.”

“You promised...”

“Liar...”

“Big liar...”