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"He learned that there was a long-standing Divine Elixir on the island, and any patient who drank just a drop of the juice made with Divine Elixir would be cured. Xu Fu himself was saved by the Divine Elixir, and after various coincidences, the Divine Elixir was obtained by the Taoist master Zhang Daoling, becoming the origin of Daozang health practices."
"What exactly is this Divine Elixir?" I asked.
"Ha ha, I know this!" Xianxian chuckled, "According to records, the so-called Divine Elixir only requires five ingredients: three grams of hundred-year-old ginseng from Changbai Mountain, three grams of Dendrobium candidum from Tianmu Mountain in Zhejiang Lin'an, one gram of seven-year-old Rhodiola Rosea from the Tibet Shannan region, and also, what else was there..." Xianxian scratched his head, seemingly unable to recall.
"Two more are three grams of Ningxia Zhongning Goji Berries Goji Berry and three grams of licorice from the salt pools in Ningxia," Pei Zi added.
"Yes, yes, that's it!" Xianxian nodded repeatedly and continued, "Just boil these five ingredients with water over low heat for five hours, then strain to extract the juice. But I really want to say, who came up with this? It's too ridiculous!" As he spoke, a mocking smile appeared on Xianxian's face.
Pei Zi chuckled and said, "This is just one of many rumors; of course, there's another version."
Over two thousand years ago, after Qin Shi Huang gained supreme power, he fantasized about obtaining the secret to Immortality. Thus, he continuously sent people to seek out the elixir of life. Among them was Xu Fu, who led a grand expedition across the sea and later formally reported that there were Three Immortals in the Bohai, where immortals lived and consumed elixirs that granted them Immortality. He expressed his willingness to go through fire and water to obtain the Elixir of Immortality.
Qin Shi Huang was pleased and bestowed upon him great treasures, commanding him to seek out immortals at sea. However, not long after, Xu Fu returned and claimed he had seen the immortals but they deemed his offerings insufficient; he needed beautiful Child Boys and Girls and various artisan tools as gifts to obtain the elixir. Thus, Qin Shi Huang sent 500 Child Boys and Girls with Xu Fu back out to sea.
The following year, during another eastern tour, Qin Shi Huang sought out Xu Fu, but unfortunately did not find him.
When he finally saw Xu Fu again ten years later during his third eastern tour, Xu Fu still had not found the elixir.
His explanation was that he was about to obtain it when a giant fish guarded the immortal mountain at sea, causing his efforts to fail. This time, Qin Shi Huang personally led archers to battle the giant fish at sea, killing a large shark and returning triumphantly, thinking that now Xu Fu would finally be able to get the elixir. However, he still did not receive it and fell ill on his way back to Xianyang, ultimately dying.
His subordinates conspired for power in secrecy while the people remained unaware. With no excuses left, Xu Fu found himself in a difficult position. In 210 BC, he led a grand expedition team across the sea in search of the elusive Three Sacred Mountains and miraculous elixirs.
From then on, there was no news of him returning to Central Plains.
"Brother Pei, are you suggesting that Lime might be... Xu Fu!?" The glint in Xianxian's eyes shifted between Pei Zi and Lime. Hearing this made me think it was quite possible; didn't Lime say he "accidentally" traveled to the Qin State, deceiving Qin Shi Huang into believing he could help him find and refine the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree! Could it be... no way...
Upon hearing this, Lime seemed somewhat speechless and calmly said, "No, and..." He paused before continuing: "I mentioned before that Qin Shi Huang's true goal wasn't immortality."
"If what you're saying is true, then I seem to have discovered many suspicious points!" I nodded while expressing my doubts to them.
"Qin Shi Huang was a king who unified six states and established the first feudal dynasty in history; how could such an outstanding statesman engage in such foolishness as sending people to search for something that doesn't exist—the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree!?"
"That's true. Hearing you say that, I have some doubts as well," Xianxian said, stroking her chin thoughtfully.
I continued, "If I could find the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree, wouldn't I give it to you? Wouldn't I want to eat it myself? Isn't that a silly question? Didn't Qin Shi Huang think of that? If he sent someone to look for the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree, and if they really found it, could he still give it to her? This is the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree we're talking about. Moreover, given the circumstances at that time, how loyal could that so-called loyalty be? Therefore, if Qin Shi Huang really sent someone to find the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree, it might show the demeanor of an emperor, but it certainly doesn't reflect the demeanor of an emperor who destroyed the six states!"
The legend of Qin Shi Huang searching for the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree is a fictional story that claims he sent a hundred Child Boys and Girls to seek it out. Later, those people went to Japan and never returned, which only suggests that Chinese people are considered Japanese in this narrative.
It's important to note that searching for the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree requires going into the wilderness. Trained adults entering a forest cannot guarantee their safe return even after a year and a half. The term Child Boys and Girls refers to children under ten years old. Sending little kids into a forest when one cannot ensure their own safety—who could take care of hundreds of them?
Thus, those who fabricated this false story are foolish, and those who believe it are not very smart either.
"Indeed, indeed! After hearing your analysis, I also feel this story is fabricated—it's just a ruse without historical basis. I think it's just meant to slander the Japanese," Xianxian remarked.
"As the founder of the League of Shadows, your analytical skills are truly impressive!" Pei Zi laughed heartily. "Interesting, interesting! It seems I've made the right choice in collaborating with you this time!"
I looked at Pei Zi in surprise and asked, "Wait, did you already know?"
Pei Zi nodded with a smile. "If I weren't part of the Qinglong organization and had received a regular education all my life, I might never have doubted it. However, Qinglong has existed for over a thousand years; what we know within the organization is definitely objective fact. So we have always regarded Qin Shi Huang's quest for medicine as just a story. The search for the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree may have some truth to it, but its true purpose remains unknown—at least I am not qualified to know."
"So what was Qin Shi Huang's true purpose?"
The three of us turned to Lime; based on what he said, he should know best.
Lime frowned. "I don't know either. When I approached Qin Shi Huang, Xu Fu had not yet set sail. As for me, my actions were conducted in secrecy at that time. To this day, I still can't figure out why that man—who clearly didn't believe in immortality—made such a grand show of sending Xu Fu out to sea."
"Did you not investigate Xu Fu's voyage afterward? How much more hidden truth is there that we don't know? Or perhaps... is it fabricated in historical records?" Xianxian asked curiously, even daring to make a bold guess.
Lime lowered his gaze. "Before Xu Fu set sail, I had already died; when I awoke again, everything had changed." He paused and glanced at Xianxian before saying, "As for your question, I can't directly prove anything, but there are some things I do know."
"During nearly ten years of conquering the six states, he never committed acts of brutality like 'slaughtering cities' or 'burying soldiers alive.' After the wars ended, he also did not implement brutal policies like 'killing all loyal subjects' to eliminate potential threats. This is quite rare in a feudal society where one person holds absolute power over life and death. The story of Meng Jiangnu crying at the Great Wall is nothing but slander from later generations! It never happened!"
"Which feudal emperor recorded in history wasn't known for bloodshed? In comparison, this Qin Shi Huang—who is often labeled as a 'tyrant'—could actually be considered a 'benevolent ruler,'" Xianxian raised an eyebrow with a slight smirk on her lips; whether she was smiling or not was uncertain, but her expression was peculiar.
Lime did not respond directly but spoke softly as if reminiscing about past events. "At least in my view, he was not a foolish man!"
"Well, I still want to ask..."
Xianxian sighed, and before I could finish my thought, I heard Pei Zi's voice, "We've reached the end."
Hmm? I looked up in confusion, and to my surprise, we really had reached the end!
The ice beneath our feet varied in size and height, but as we walked and discussed, we completely overlooked the unevenness of the ground and our current location. Hey, thinking about this, I suddenly remembered that we were initially discussing the Blood Dragon, weren't we? How did we end up talking about whether Qin Shi Huang sought the Cursed Coffin of the Enchanted Tree?
Heh heh, regardless of which topic it was, we were still completely in the dark!
Looking at the blood-red and translucent ice around us, I couldn't help but speak up, "If, if we are really inside the Blood Dragon right now, then who sealed this Blood Dragon in ice?" Although the answer seemed obvious, I really couldn't imagine how vast it would be if we had been walking for so long without seeing an end, surrounded by red ice. If it truly was a giant dragon, just how big would it be!
Pei Zi's mentor was right; we had lingered here for so long without considering such a massive entity as a dragon. So even though my Consciousness had already accepted it, my mind was still a bit chaotic...
"What should we do? Do we have to climb up?" Xianxian asked while taking out a knife and poking at the ice wall in front of her.
At that moment, Lime stepped forward without saying a word, standing close to the ice wall. He shone his flashlight on it and even touched it. I found his behavior a bit strange and thought that Lime might have spoken more today than he had in his previous lifetimes combined. It seemed like a good trend; he needed more guidance! So I asked him, "Did you find anything?"
Lime didn't respond. He continued shining his flashlight while moving forward. We followed closely behind him, looking wherever he looked. Perhaps having overthought things earlier, I wasn't thinking much at this moment; I just focused on observing his actions.
After observing for a while, Lime stopped and said...
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