novelhk Chapter 997 The truth is gradually coming to light!
Chapter 997 The truth is gradually coming to light!
Gao Yao also knew that it was undeniable that as long as the First Emperor lived, his scorching will, like the blazing sun, could firmly suppress the destiny of the entire empire. His very existence was the pillar of the Qin army's invincible belief and the most solid cornerstone of the imperial order. Zhang Liang throwing his hammer at Bolangsha and Xiang Liang secretly accumulating power in Wuzhong—these figures who would later stir up storms were, during the First Emperor's lifetime, nothing more than petty thieves who could only engage in small-scale operations in the shadows. When had they ever truly shaken the foundation of the Qin Empire? What they lacked was precisely the opportunity of the collapse of the imperial center and the vacuum of authority.
His gaze returned to this magnificent underground palace, his tone filled with undisguised admiration:
"And all of this before us, this underground palace that can be described as a masterpiece of nature, a creation of heaven and earth, undoubtedly proves once again just how vast the ambition and scale of that First Emperor were! His gaze has long since transcended the boundaries of life and death, and has been cast toward the stars and eternity."
At this point, Gao Yao frowned slightly, as if he had thought of some unpleasant fallacies.
Many people have been misled by absurd historical novels, folk tales, and even... bizarre and fantastical films and television dramas. The idea of burying living people alive as funerary figurines... is utterly absurd! Qin Shi Huang may have been harsh, and may have pursued immortality, but he was certainly not such a foolish and tyrannical person. Military strength is the foundation of an empire; no matter how... he would never have turned tens of thousands of loyal Qin soldiers into terracotta warriors for burial! That would have been an immeasurable waste of military power, a self-destructive act against the very foundation of the empire!
In fact, during archaeological excavations—well, later excavations—some skeletons were indeed discovered near the Terracotta Army pits. However, after examination, the vast majority of these skeletons were not those of soldiers, but rather those of artisans responsible for creating and sculpting these terracotta figures. The mausoleum project was massive, the schedule was tight, and the laws were extremely strict. Some artisans, either due to overwork or minor transgressions, might have been executed and buried on the spot near the burial pits. Their remains, resting alongside those magnificent terracotta figures, are a testament to the cruelty of imperial engineering. But this is completely unrelated to the 'living terracotta figures' where living people were sealed in clay! Later generations' perpetuation of this misconception is a disgrace to the wisdom and vision of this great emperor.
As they talked, the group cautiously stepped into the true core passage of the underground palace. The architectural style here differed from the outer layer, being more exquisite and bizarre, with intricate cloud patterns, mythical beasts, and incomprehensible symbols carved on the walls. Upon entering, Gao Yao almost immediately sensed a distinct unease.
A strange, light, weightless feeling, as if the weight of his body had been lifted, seeped from his limbs and bones. It wasn't a physical lightness, but rather a sense of "weightlessness" on a material level, as if his own density had been subtly altered by some force, and Earth's gravity had lost some of its effectiveness. He raised his hand, and his movements seemed to become lighter and faster than usual.
"Can you feel it?" Gao Yao whispered. "This is the special magnetic field effect brought about by the celestial meteorite. It has distorted the basic rules of this space."
At the same time, two words flashed through his mind like lightning—immortality! And that persistent, mysterious figure shrouded in layers of mist—the enigmatic Yi Xiaochuan!
His gaze suddenly sharpened like a hawk's, his eyes scanning and searching rapidly across the magnificent yet eerie architectural complex like a searchlight. At the end of the passageway lay a more open plaza, around which stood several ancient and solemn palaces, arranged in a star-like formation around a central high platform.
From that high platform, through the gaps between the palace buildings, Gao Yao could clearly see—
A massive, perfectly round boulder, radiating a warm, understated pale yellow light, floated silently in mid-air! Without any support, it defied all the laws of physics, its emanating light not dazzling, but flowing slowly as if possessing a life of its own, coating everything around it with a mysterious halo. Wherever the light touched, the subtle magnetic field became increasingly pronounced.
“Tianxing…finally, I’ve found you.” Gao Yao murmured to himself, his heart pounding uncontrollably. The core answers to the many mysteries he had been searching for and that had troubled him for so long seemed to lie within this giant rock that radiated a magical light.
At this moment, it was as if a long-accumulated gate had been burst open. All the fragmented clues, contradictory details, and illogical behaviors of the past were connected by an invisible thread the instant Tianxing was seen, forming a clear and terrifying logical chain!
"The mysterious Yi Xiaochuan... Yi Xiaochuan... and my own time travel... all of this seems to finally have a reasonable explanation." Gao Yao's mind was working at an unprecedented speed.
What is the most distinctive feature of the mysterious Yi Xiaochuan, who is shrouded in the shadows of history, with unpredictable behavior and unfathomable strength? It is that he has ingested the elixir of immortality and gained near-eternal life!
So why would someone who has already achieved immortality and witnessed countless dynastic changes and world events repeatedly return to the history of the late Qin and early Han dynasties? Why would he be so persistent in helping the later Yi Xiaochuan, even at the cost of becoming an enemy of himself, Gao Yao?
"Help?" Gao Yao's lips curled into a cold, mocking smile. "How could I, Gao Yao, believe such absurd logic?"
He recalled Yi Xiaochuan's mysterious actions: his disregard for life, treating Qin soldiers and nomadic tribes alike as mere pawns to be used and sacrificed at will; his precise manipulation of historical events, like a skilled craftsman assembling parts according to blueprints; and his chilling detachment and…amusement towards all of this. It was as if the grand historical events before him, the life-and-death struggles, the loves and hates, were nothing more than a game he could replay and experience repeatedly…a “game”!
A player who has long lost the basic respect for life!
So, what motivates this player to remain so dedicated to maintaining the game's main storyline? He needs to ensure that history unfolds exactly as planned! What, then, is his purpose in doing so?
Is it to ensure that all subsequent events, such as the establishment of the Han Dynasty, must occur? Or... is it fundamentally to guarantee the existence and stability of the celestial bodies themselves?
If it were the former, to ensure the course of history, he wouldn't need to expend such enormous effort, or even personally intervene and stir up trouble in the court to deal with me. Gao Yao's thinking went deeper and deeper.