"Master, where should I go then?" I asked, seeking guidance.
Sean looked at me and replied, "What do you think?"
I pondered for a moment and said, "It should be the State of Qin during the Warring States period. This is their first life together. If we can prevent his brother's violent act, Lauren would be able to marry Abaoji smoothly. If we resolve the emotional entanglement of their first life, the subsequent ones might change as well."
"Hmm, you're improving," a faint smile seemed to flicker across Sean's face before vanishing. "The exact time you'll arrive should be the eighth year of King Zheng of Qin, a month before General Xin was ordered to lead the troops to quell the rebellion in the six cities of the Shangdang Commandery, which had originally belonged to the State of Zhao."
A thought suddenly occurred to me. "So, I just need to stay there for about two months, right?" It didn't seem very difficult; it would be over soon, and a month in another time-space was equivalent to just one day in the real world. That meant I could be back within two days.
Sean nodded and said, "Indeed, this mission should not be too difficult to accomplish." He paused and then asked, "Where are your talismans?"
I felt the inner pocket of my shirt and smiled, "I carry them with me at all times."
"Use your magic only as a last resort and avoid using it in front of others," he advised.
"Don't worry, Master. Even without magic, I will complete the task swiftly. Just get me ready to depart," I was more than eager to start my promising new job.
Sean approached, took out a string of crystal bracelets from his pocket, and placed them in my hand. There were eight crystals in total, each a different color—red, purple, white, green, yellow, gold, and two others that represented wind and darkness. Each crystal was translucent and shimmered with a subtle light. With a grave expression, Sean said, "These eight crystals represent water, wood, fire, metal, earth, wind, darkness, and strength. Remember, you must not lose any; if even one is missing, I won't be able to recall you."
I nodded, having seen a similar bracelet on my senior fellow apprentice's wrist. Ordinary crystals were commonly used to create barriers against spiritual disturbances, but the ones Sean gave us were incredibly precious. I put the bracelet on my wrist, vowing not to lose it. I didn't want to spend the rest of my life in ancient times. Moreover, there were even more dreadful consequences if I couldn't return.
"Master, don't worry, I will definitely complete the mission," my heart was filled with excitement.
"How come, are you just going to leave like this?" Sean glanced at me.
"Yes, that's right. I understand everything Master has told me. Hurry up and send me back to the Warring States period. I want to help Lauren and Abaoji as soon as possible, oh no, I mean Yan and Xin," I said impatiently.
He looked at me and suddenly said, "Yvonne, remember, you must not get emotionally involved with anyone from history, or I won't be able to save you. This is just a business deal; do not invest any of your emotions. I will send you to Xianyang city, and after that, it's up to you. If you're in danger, use the 'wind' to contact me, and I will bring you back to the modern era, understand?" He pointed to the purple crystal on my wrist.
A warm feeling flowed through my heart, and I smiled, "So Master does care about me after all."
Something seemed to flicker in his eyes, and he turned his head away. "I'm afraid your poor skills will disgrace me."
"Master, don't try to justify it, haha," I laughed, thinking how endearing Sean could be at times.
"Alright, you should depart now," a fleeting trace of embarrassment crossed Sean's face, but immediately his expression returned to its usual composure. He casually placed something in my pocket, stepped back, and sat cross-legged in front of me, hands pressed together, and began to chant the spell. To my astonishment, the eight crystals on my wrist started to glow, brighter and more dazzling, until I could hardly keep my eyes open. My whole body grew hotter, and my consciousness started to blur. I faintly heard Sean's voice: "Darkness, the gate of time and space, please open now..." and then everything became inaudible.
My entire body was enveloped in the colorful light emitted by the crystals, feeling an unbearable burning heat. It turned out that traversing time and space was not an enjoyable experience at all. My breathing seemed about to stop, everything before my eyes grew more blurred, Sean's figure became more distant, and a burst of explosive headache finally made me lose consciousness.
It had been an indeterminate amount of time before I slowly regained consciousness, my body feeling as if it had been dismantled, aching and sore. As I abruptly opened my eyes, an involuntary cry escaped my lips. All around was an overgrown wilderness, devoid of any urban trace. "Master, Master," I thought, "the margin of error is just too vast. Although the Qin state's diviner was just an official in charge of divination, he couldn't possibly be in such a desolate place." For a moment, tension gripped me...
As I gradually calmed down, I first felt the inner pocket of my shirt and took out the items within. Thankfully, the invisibility talisman, exorcism talisman, and summoning talisman were all present. I then checked the bracelet on my wrist; it was there too. Suddenly, I remembered that Sean had placed something in the pocket of my white coat. I reached in and was delighted to find several high-quality jade pieces. Sean had thought of everything; with these, I wouldn't have to worry about money for the time being.
However, the most pressing matter at hand was how to get to Xianyang. If I had arrived in a place like Zhao, as in the Chronicles, I would be utterly dismayed. Glancing at the crystal on my wrist, I suppressed the urge to consult Sean. This was my first mission, and I couldn't let him underestimate me. I was determined to reach Xianyang.
Settling my spirit, I sat cross-legged, took out a talisman, and silently recited the incantation, beginning to summon the wandering spirits in the vicinity—those who, not believing they had died or still attached to the world, roamed as wandering spirits. They were easily called forth. A faint breeze sprang up, causing the waist-high weeds around me to sway, and a flash of white light revealed a young girl, about eleven or twelve years old. I paused, slightly taken aback, looking at her. Why was it a little girl? It seemed my skills needed refinement. Nevertheless, since she had come, I would ask her.
"Young lady, are you from the State of Qin?"
She nodded.
"Do you know where Xianyang is?" I continued.
Another nod, and she pointed beyond the weeds, whispering, "Follow this road straight, and you will find Xianyang City."
I felt a sense of relief. At least I was near Xianyang.
"Is it not far?"
"Not far, about two hours by carriage," she replied.
"What!" I exclaimed, jumping up again. Two hours by carriage meant a four-hour walk—by foot, it would be dark before I arrived.
"Alright, thank you, you may go," I muttered, reciting another spell, forming a hand seal with my index and middle fingers, and pointing at her. The girl vanished, leaving only a talisman floating down.
I put away the talisman and stood up, looking at the sky. It was still early, and a chilly wind blew in my face, causing me to shiver. It seemed to be early autumn. I looked down at my white coat, light green plaid shirt, and jeans, realizing that once in Xianyang, I had another important matter to attend to—buying a Qin dynasty outfit.
Walking through the weeds, I found a road of moderate width. Looking around, there seemed to be no sign of people, so I began walking along the road. How wonderful it would be if someone came by in a carriage; perhaps I could hitch a ride.
As I was thinking this, the sound of hooves echoed from behind. Turning to look, I saw dust billowing in the distance, and a figure was rapidly approaching on horseback. Heavens hadn't abandoned me after all. But the horse was moving at a swift pace, showing no signs of stopping. Regardless, I had to try. I rushed to the center of the road, shouting, "Stop, stop, stop!"
The horse did indeed stop, and as I was secretly rejoicing, a whip came down. Although it was swift, I instinctively grabbed the whip. Who did this person think they were? I was annoyed and was about to glare at him with my most intimidating look, only to be met with a pair of deep, narrow eyes. I was taken aback. To my surprise, he was quite young, around twenty, tall and upright with a handsome and clear-cut face. He wore a simple black deep clothing with silver edges, which on him appeared incredibly noble and imposing. What surprised me wasn't his appearance but his eyes, so deep and cold that they sent a chill down my spine. It seemed I had made a mistake, I shouldn't have provoked such a person.
"How dare you," he frowned slightly.
"But... you struck first without any reason. I have the right to defend myself, don't I? Should I just let you hit me for no reason?" I blurted out.
He seemed surprised that I dared to retort. After a moment of astonishment, a hint of anger appeared in his eyes. "You stopped my horse first, which is enough to condemn you to death. Moreover," he looked me up and down, "where do you come from, and what kind of bizarre clothes are those? And your hair, it's all disheveled, what kind of appearance is this?" His eyes clearly flickered with surprise.
"I come from a very far place. Don't judge me by my strange attire, I'm not a bad person," I replied a bit impatiently. If it weren't for Sean's warning against using magic carelessly in front of others, I would have slapped a freezing talisman on his forehead and taken his horse to make a run for it, without another word.
"Why did you stop my horse, then?"
"I want to go to Xianyang City. Can you take me there?"
"No."
"If you take me there, I can pay you."
"Money? I have plenty of it," his lips curled slightly, revealing a hint of disdain.
"I must say, you're not very kind. Seeing a woman in distress, shouldn't you lend a helping hand? Can you bear to watch a lonely, helpless woman walk all the way to Xianyang, with the possibility of wild beasts and bandits lurking..." I kept listing every miserable scenario I could think of.
"What does it have to do with me? I'm not known for my kindness," he said coldly, though his expression softened slightly. What kind of person was this, that I encountered such a hard-hearted individual as soon as I arrived in the State of Qin?
"Forget it, I don't want your help. Goodbye. Let the jackals and tigers eat me, a lovely woman," I said indignantly, glaring at him before striding forward.
I hadn't taken a few steps when the sound of hooves echoed again. Before I could react, I felt a lightness in my body as a lightness in my body I was lifted onto the horse. I turned my head in astonishment, and there was a faintly amused expression in his dark eyes.
"Hey... why did you..."
"I'll make an exception this time, lovely woman," he emphasized the word 'lovely' with a hint of mockery in his tone.
"I, I didn't ask for your help," I felt a bit depressed. Although I'm not a ravishing beauty, I'm still fairly pretty and cute. Why did the word 'lovely' sound so ridiculous when applied to me? It was too contemptuous.
For the first time in my life, I was so close to a strange man, and an ancient one at that. It was a bit unbelievable. He exuded a faint scent of sandalwood, and judging by his appearance, he must have been a noble.
At a breakneck speed, it took only a little over an hour before the dark red walls of the city came into view in the distance. "Ah, Xianyang City!" I couldn't help but exclaim, a surge of excitement filling my heart. I was about to witness the appearance of the Qin State during the Warring States period. I wondered if it would resemble the depictions on television.