Volume 1: Entering Great Qin for the First Time Chapter 53: Dragon Guard

  Walking through the deep and secluded corridor into the castle, it was a wide and spacious square paved with green rocks. On the square were several rows of wooden racks, on which all sorts of long and short weapons were placed in an orderly manner. Hu Hai even saw a huge crossbow machine at one corner of the square.

  The square has a circle of stone corridors on both sides, and the rooms inside are all identical. Nowadays, each one is closed with doors and windows. Even after that loud shout, the entire square was still empty and deserted.

  "We have entered, why don't you show up?"

  As soon as Hu Hai's voice fell, two rows of black-clad men with masks on their heads suddenly appeared in the castle square, standing in a neat and tidy formation under the stone corridors. They seemed to have been there all along, without ever moving.

  A row of eight, exactly sixteen.

  For these people to appear out of nowhere without warning, Hu Hai couldn't help but feel surprised, but it was clear that now wasn't the time to investigate further. After glancing around, Hu Hai didn't find any signs of a hidden passage and suppressed his doubts, saying:

  "Are you the Black Ice Team's Sixteenth Lieutenant?"

  "Your Majesty, we are the 16 Black Ice Guards of the inner hall and the 16 Iron Eagle Swordsmen of the outer hall." The first tall, black-clad man on the left bowed in response.

  The voice was exactly the same as the rough and bold one that had just asked Hu Hai if he had any tokens. This was the person who had just asked himself if he had any tokens. Hu Hai thought to himself. The Black Ice Platform actually has inner and outer halls, and there are even two sixteenth-grade officials? Hu Hai looked back at Dun Ruo with suspicion.

  Feeling the inquiring look in Hu Hai's eyes, he replied in a weak and low voice: "Your Majesty, it is indeed so."

  "Who are you?" Hu Hai asked the black-clad man who spoke from the left.

  "Your Majesty, I am Hei Wei, First Lieutenant of the Imperial Guard."

  "We ask you, what is your surname and given name?"

  "Your Majesty, all dark guards within the Black Ice Platform have no surname and no name."

  It turned out to be so. Hu Hai looked at the remaining fifteen black-clad men, and when the first lieutenant of the Black Guard spoke, the rest of the people did not move, standing quietly on both sides of the stone corridor, like sculptures.

  "First Emperor, this is my first time here, won't you take me on a tour around?" Hu Hai said calmly.

  "I dare not." The first warden of the Black Guard said respectfully, and then continued: "Sixth Warden, take the two gentlemen to the main hall to rest." Apparently, he did not want Zhang Han and Dun Ruo to understand the internal situation of the Black Guard.

  Hu Hai did not stop the first lieutenant, and nodded towards his own Zhang He and Dun. The two men, having obtained Hu Hai's permission, followed the sixth lieutenant who was walking in front of them along a stone corridor.

  "What would Your Majesty like to see?"

  As the two men walked away under the leadership of the sixth captain, the first captain bowed and asked Hu Hai.

  "You take me for a walk around, I have some questions to ask you." Hu Hai said as he stepped out along the stone corridor towards the depths of the castle. He didn't bother with the remaining dozen or so black-clad men, let's understand the situation first.

  The scenery of the castle is beautiful, with lush greenery everywhere, and all kinds of flowers and grasses can be seen everywhere. The air is filled with intoxicating fragrance. Except for being a bit gloomy and lifeless, this is a good place to relax and escape the heat. It doesn't look like this castle is a concentration camp for Qin's dead soldiers at all.

  The first lieutenant has been quietly following behind Hu Hai, keeping pace with him step by step, and following him wherever he goes.

  "How many people are inside the Black Ice Pavilion?" Hu Hai asked as he walked.

  "Your Majesty, are you asking about the dead or the living?" The first officer who followed Hu Hai suddenly heard Hu Hai speak and hesitated for a moment before answering.

  "Count how many people are in this castle."

  "Your Majesty, the Black Guard has 16 Wei, from the 6th to the 16th Wei, each leading 100 dead soldiers. I lead 300 dead soldiers, totaling 1,300 people. The interval is led by the 6th Wei, and I don't know how many people are under him. As for the 2nd to 5th Wei, I don't know."

  1,300 well-trained martyrs capable of carrying out suicidal terrorist attacks. What a terrifying number, and what an enormous force it is! Hu Hai exclaimed in his heart. But what about the second, third, fourth, and fifth? He had no idea at all.

  "Is Wei now loyal only to me?" Hu Hai asked a most concerned question.

  "Your Majesty, please forgive me. The Black Ice Guard has always been loyal only to the Great Qin Emperor. This is the fundamental reason for the existence of the Black Guard. All Black Guards are willing to die for Your Majesty at any time." Upon hearing Hu Hai's words, the First Captain hastily knelt down on the ground.

  Hu Hai did not think that his one sentence would scare this burly big fellow like this.

  "I have never doubted Hei Wei's loyalty. Rise. Tell me about the duties of these sixteen officials."

  "Thank you, Your Majesty. The 16th Wei, the first Wei is the emperor's personal soldier, so there are the most dead soldiers. The second to fourth Wei leaders are all deaf and dumb dead soldiers. The responsibility of these four Wei is unknown to me, and I am not allowed to ask about the affairs of these four Wei."

  Your Majesty's humble servant only knows that the second to fourth captains are the most loyal to Your Majesty and the Great Qin, and they can take charge. These four captains only follow Your Majesty's orders and carry out tasks, your humble servant has no commanding role;

  "The sixth Wei is in charge of internal affairs, the seventh Wei is in charge of external affairs. The eighth to sixteenth Wei are responsible for assassination, subversion, bribery of high-ranking officials of enemy countries, supervision of all officials of our Great Qin, and investigation of spies operating within our Great Qin territory."

  It's really detailed enough. This is simply a Qin Empire version of the FBI.

  What surprised Hu Hai even more was that there were actually deaf and mute assassins. The fact that the deaf and mute could be trained into loyal and dedicated assassins made Hu Hai admire the instructors of Qin to the extreme, and more importantly, these deaf and mute assassins should have been the most core forces in the hands of the emperor.

  As for what the four officials were responsible for, even the first of them who could command the other twelve didn't know, which made Hu Hai curious.

  "Hmm, I see. Summon the remaining fifteen Wei to come forth. I have something to say." Hu Hai casually found a huge rock and sat down with a thud.

  "Your humble servant obeys your orders!"

  The first lieutenant finished speaking, raised his hand, and a black light shot out from his sleeve into the sky. The black light flew in mid-air, emitting a unique "whirring" sound. The black light flew up high but soon fell to the ground, and the unique sound also disappeared immediately.

  Is this the response arrow? Hu Hai suppressed the doubts in his heart.

  After this unique sound, in less than ten breaths, a line of fifteen black-clad men with black helmets and masks walked over from a small path, arriving before the giant stone where Hu Hai sat.

  "Guardsman Sixteenth Squad Leader reporting for duty, Your Majesty!" The fifteen men knelt down on one knee and said in unison.

  This time, Huhai listened clearly, and among these fifteen people, there was actually a woman! Moreover, the voice sounded like that of a very young woman. What kind of situation is this? Weren't women at this time all appendages of men? How could a woman become a high-ranking member of the Qin Black Guard?

  "Take off your masks!" Hu Hai ordered after a moment of hesitation.

  All the sixteen Wei were stunned by Hu Hai's order, apparently no one had expected Hu Hai to give such an order. Immediately, they all came back to their senses, and the first Wei took off his mask without hesitation.

  The first lieutenant was indeed as imagined by Hu Hai, a big man with a face full of scars and a ferocious expression, with a pair of leopard-like eyes that shone like copper bells. His long hair was casually scattered on his head, revealing a few strands of unusual elegance.

  Seeing the first lieutenant do so, the remaining fifteen people also took off their masks one after another.

  Looking at the sixteen people who all took off their masks, the figure kneeling in the middle with his head half lowered and only half of his white face exposed due to his hair covering it, Hu Hai secretly thought that there was indeed a woman. Perhaps because he had his head down or perhaps because his hair was covering him, Hu Hai did not get a clear look at this woman's face.

  Hu Hai was very curious what this woman was responsible for in the Black Guard, pointing at the woman kneeling on one knee.

  "What rank are you? What position do you hold?"

  "Your Majesty, I, Hei Wei, Sixth Captain of the Imperial Guard, command all the eunuchs in the inner court to attend!"

  Hearing the woman's words, Hu Hai understood that women are indeed more meticulous than men, and it is also possible to analyze intelligence and lead spies. He didn't have any other meaning, just pure curiosity.

  "Hmm, I've been on the throne for a year and only recently found out about the existence of this Black Ice Platform. So now is the first time I'm seeing you all. On my way here, I was thinking, are the Black Guards truly loyal only to me?"

  I have just asked the First Lieutenant as well. However, I am not your father, and I am not familiar with you all, and likewise, you are probably not familiar with me as an emperor either. If there is anyone among you who wants to quit the Black Guard or Black Ice Throne now, I can give you this opportunity.

  Those who want to quit, as long as they keep the secret, I can promise that I will absolutely not send anyone to kill you, and you can also live a peaceful life. But if this time does not quit, if one day I find out that someone has ulterior motives, I will absolutely not show mercy.

  "So I ask you all for the last time: are you loyal to me, loyal to our Great Qin? Think carefully before answering me!"

  Huhai's face was calm and composed as he said.

  "We swear to die for Your Majesty!" Everyone bowed down to the ground at the same time.

  Their answers were not beyond Hu Hai's expectations.

  "Good! From now on, I confer upon you the name of Dragon Guards. My Great Qin will never again have Black Guards!"

  (There should be two to three more chapters, I'll try to finish them as soon as possible due to everyone's urging. Please recommend below.)