402: Chapter 402 Only plunder can change fate!

The warm spring sun shone gently upon the earth. The First Emperor and General Wang Jian rode together in a carriage, escorted by more than twenty guards, as they slowly made their way to Lanchi.

The First Emperor had once undertaken massive construction here, building the grand and magnificent Lanchi Palace.

Near Lanchi Palace stood the Administrative Hall of the Qin Xianyang Palace, which bore the weight of Great Qin's important state affairs; it was also the very place where the King of Qin had received Jing Ke years ago.

As the First Emperor and General Wang Jian stepped into Lanchi Palace, it felt as though they had entered a dreamlike fairyland.

As the heart of the Qin Dynasty's imperial gardens, the ingenious design of Lanchi Palace was truly breathtaking.

Back then, Qin Shi Huang had diverted water to build islands here, meticulously simulating the scenery of the mythical Penglai Mountain. He also had stones carved into whales, cleverly creating a fairyland layout of 'one pool and three mountains.' The blue ripples in the pool shimmered under the sunlight as if countless tiny pieces of gold were dancing on the water's surface.

The islands were shaded by lush green trees and adorned with vibrant flowers. A gentle breeze wafted through, carrying bursts of fragrance that refreshed the mind and spirit.

The First Emperor strolled through this picturesque scenery, yet his heart was haunted by a faint trace of sorrow.

Looking at the vibrant spring colors before him, he was filled with deep emotion, feeling more and more that time was fleeting. He wondered how many more such springs he would be able to witness.

As he grew older, this melancholy over the passage of time became more intense, further strengthening his desire for immortality.

However, the cruel reality was that his dream of immortality remained forever out of reach.

Unfortunately, even Zhao Fusu had no way to satisfy him in this regard.

Even with today's technology, despite having achieved remarkable successes in many fields, the desire for human immortality remained an unattainable fantasy.

“Your Majesty, all things in the world have their set path; the cycle of life and death is unavoidable,”

General Wang Jian said softly, attempting to comfort the First Emperor.

“Sigh!”

The First Emperor let out a heavy sigh.

After leaving Lanchi Palace, the First Emperor continued his spring excursion in Lanchi.

“Stop!”

While passing through a deep mountain, General Wang Jian keenly sensed something amiss. His expression sharpened, and he immediately ordered the driver to halt.

Then, he slowly pulled back the curtain, his gaze scanning the surroundings like a torch as he said in a low voice, “Something is wrong here.”

In these deep mountains, by all logic, there should be a symphony of chirping insects and birds. Yet at this moment, it was as silent as a graveyard, permeated by a hair-raising chill.

The First Emperor also became alert. Having experienced many assassination attempts, he was sensitive to the silence that precedes a storm.

It was at that moment that, accompanied by a rustling sound, a large number of people emerged from the jungles on both sides like ghosts.

These vicious thugs each had a ferocious countenance, looking like malevolent spirits from hell.

The leading thug was burly and muscular, his exposed arms covered in dark blue tattoos that resembled beasts with bared fangs and claws.

A hideous scar ran diagonally across his face from his forehead to his chin, looking like a twisted centipede, adding a touch of horror to his already fierce features.

The scar glinted strangely in the sunlight, as if telling a tale of a bloody past.

The other thugs were equally savage in appearance.

Some were disheveled, their hair growing wildly like tangled weeds, covering most of their faces and leaving only a pair of eyes flashing with greed and malice.

Some had sunken cheeks and high cheekbones, their faces as pale as paper, yet they grinned to reveal a mouthful of jagged yellow teeth, letting out chilling, eerie laughs.

Still other thugs had strange pigments smeared on their faces—streaks of red and purple like some savage totem—making them appear even more brutal and primitive.

They tightly gripped various weapons: iron sabers gleaming coldly, bronze swords, and blood-stained iron hooks. These weapons flashed with a frigid light in the sun, foretelling the coming bloody slaughter.

The number of thugs was substantial; they swarmed forward in a dark mass, surrounding the First Emperor's carriage so tightly that not a drop of water could leak through.

Their eyes glittered with a naked lust for money, their gazes like hungry wolves staring at prey—intense and covetous.

Looking at the guards' attire, they knew this group was wealthy.

Whether they robbed them directly or kidnapped them for ransom from their families, they could get their hands on a massive amount of money.

In the hearts of these thugs, a twisted belief persisted: no matter how hard or honestly one worked, that meager income could never compare to the speed of plunder. They fantasized that by pulling off this one job, they could become rich overnight and live a life of luxury and dissipation.

The hideous scar on the lead thug's face twisted with his excited expression. He licked his parched lips and said viciously, “See that carriage? The people inside are either rich or noble. As long as we pull this off, we won't have to worry about food or clothes for the rest of our lives!”

“Yeah, yeah!”

The lackeys beside him all chimed in, their eyes full of longing and madness.

It wasn't that they didn't want to work properly.

What was the use of working honestly?

Exhausting oneself to death, and in the end, one couldn't even afford a single tire for a Lamborghini Global Limited Edition!

Bloody plunder was the true shortcut to 'financial freedom.'

Only through plunder could one change their fate!

Buy two Lamborghini Global Limited Editions—keep one in the garage just to look at it.

Drive the other one however you want, crash it however you want. If it gets totaled, you can just get a new one.

In these deep mountains surrounded by thugs, the atmosphere was as tense as a bowstring about to snap.

The man with the centipede-scarred face, his scar writhing like a living insect, shouted at the top of his lungs with a domineering air, “I opened this mountain, and I paved this road! If you wish to pass, leave your toll behind!”

His voice echoed through the valley, full of arrogance and lawlessness.

Hearing this, a surge of fury rose in the First Emperor's heart, and he said angrily, “How is it that I did not know such a regulation existed within the borders of Great Qin!”

“How can Great Qin allow scoundrels like you to act so lawlessly!”

The First Emperor's rage at this moment burned like a raging fire.

The centipede-scarred man wasn't intimidated at all; instead, he barked, “If I say it exists, it exists! Cut the chatter, or don't even think about leaving Lanchi! If you don't hand over the money, then don't blame us brothers for being unkind!”

He brandished the long saber in his hand twice, the blade whistling through the air as if to intimidate the crowd.

At that moment, General Wang Jian unhurriedly poked his head out, a playful smile on his face.

He asked, “What would happen if we don't hand over the money?”

He looked calmly at the centipede-scarred man, seemingly not bothered by the crisis before him.

“Then don't blame the brothers for being unkind!”

The centipede-scarred man repeated impatiently.

“And what exactly does 'being unkind' entail?”

General Wang Jian asked again without any haste, his eyes full of mockery as if he were teasing an ignorant child.

His composure made the surrounding atmosphere even more bizarre. The thugs were a bit confused, unable to understand why this old man was so calm.

“If you don't give the money, we kill!”

The centipede-scarred man finally lost his patience and roared viciously, his eyes flashing with murderous intent as if he were about to charge forward and cut everyone down.

“Money? This lord has some right here. If you have the guts, come and take it.”

As General Wang Jian spoke, he slowly pulled a gold ingot from his robes.

The gold shimmered brilliantly under the sun, instantly making the centipede-scarred man's eyes bulge.

He hadn't expected the person before him to truly be so wealthy; the greed in his heart was instantly magnified a thousandfold.

“Hmph, if you know what's good for you, toss that gold over here quickly.”

As the centipede-scarred man spoke, he reached out for the gold in General Wang Jian's hand.

General Wang Jian suddenly pulled the gold back, the playful smile still on his face. He said, “Oh? Such a hurry? If you want the gold, it won't be that easy. You have to answer a few questions first.”

“You...”

“Don't you play any tricks!”

The centipede-scarred man was driven to fury by his shame; he felt he was being toyed with by General Wang Jian, and the fire of rage in his heart flared up.

“How would I dare play tricks?”

“Look, you have so many people, and we have so few. The advantage is all yours!”

“I'm just curious—don't you fear the laws of Great Qin when you commit such highway robbery?”

“What law? I'm living free and easy in these mountains. Can the laws of Great Qin even reach my head? Stop wasting breath and hand over the gold!”

The centipede-scarred man brandished his long saber and approached General Wang Jian step by step.