Qi Laohan's small house had already been carefully set up by Lin Qian. Using a soul device crafted by the Tiangong Department, the formation was easily completed.
The illusionary formation made it so that anyone looking in from outside would only see Qi Laohan grieving in deep sorrow, seemingly in great pain.
But in reality?
A brand-new square table was set up inside the house, laden with various delicious dishes. Qi Laohan playfully tapped Qi Yan's hand with his chopsticks, scolding him for eating so hastily, worried that Lin Qian might find it impolite.
Lin Qian simply chuckled at Qi Laohan's reprimand, amused by the scene. "It's alright. Let the child eat to his heart's content. He's just a kid."
Thanks to the potion Lin Qian gave him, Qi Yan's injuries were almost fully healed. He looked at Lin Qian with a mix of shyness and gratitude.
"Eat well, and when you're full, take a walk and then rest. You need to recover fully to put your grandfather's mind at ease," Lin Qian said, smiling as he observed Qi Yan.
Hearing Lin Qian's gentle encouragement, Qi Yan smiled and nodded, then resumed devouring the food in front of him.
Watching his grandson, Qi Laohan could only shake his head in resignation, though a smile appeared in his eyes.
After finishing his meal, Qi Laohan turned his attention to the center of the room, where a large, square hole had been dug.
Earlier, Lin Qian had asked Qi Laohan for permission to dig a hole in the house. Without hesitation, Qi Laohan agreed—after all, the young man had saved his grandson's life. A hole in the floor was a small price to pay.
Once Qi Laohan agreed, Lin Qian used a soul device from the Tiangong Department to set up a formation, isolating the inside of the house from the outside world. Then, Lin Qian summoned a craftsman to begin digging the hole.
In no time at all, to Qi Laohan's amazement, the craftsman had excavated a large hole in the center of the room, big enough to disappear into. The stone and dirt from the digging were all stored away in a spatial storage device.
What puzzled Qi Laohan was that Lin Qian would descend into the hole periodically, only to return after a short time using his soul power to fly back up.
What Qi Laohan didn't know was that every time Lin Qian went down, he was summoning more craftsmen from the Huaxia Empire, speeding up the excavation.
No one in Yushui City had any idea that beneath their feet, the Huaxia Empire's craftsmen were secretly digging a network of tunnels.
These intricate tunnels were lined with metal plates inscribed with formation patterns. Once Lin Qian activated them with his soul power, the formations would be fully operational, turning Yushui City into his personal domain—a city of the Huaxia Empire.
The reason for such a complex plan? Zhuge Ming had discovered something about the Qin Dynasty's formations: the formations in each city were interconnected.
Upon learning this, Zhuge Ming had laughed for a long time, exclaiming that the heavens favored the Huaxia Empire.
Using Yushui City as a starting point, Zhuge Ming planned to let the formation virus spread through the interconnected formations, silently infiltrating and taking over the entire network.
Would the Qin Dynasty be able to defend against it?
Of course not. The Huaxia Empire was too unfamiliar to this world, and no one here could even imagine the existence of something like a formation virus.
So if someone could observe the formations, they would see that the craftsmen were not just digging tunnels—they were creating a formation!
"Youth, if I may ask boldly—are you planning to defeat the Qin Dynasty with just this hole?" Qi Laohan asked curiously, seeing Lin Qian staring intently at the dark opening.
Lin Qian didn't answer right away. After a long pause, he finally replied, "This hole alone won't bring down the Qin Dynasty, but it will make them tremble in fear."
A hole that could strike fear into the Qin Dynasty?
Qi Laohan shook his head with a wry smile, thinking the young man was excellent in every way—except for his tendency to exaggerate. Lin Qian always seemed to say things that were far too unrealistic.
While Lin Qian's craftsmen were busy beneath Yushui City, back in the Qin Dynasty's capital, in the grand palace complex, the Qin Dynasty's current emperor sat upon his throne in the most magnificent hall.
"The situation in the two-state forest is slipping out of our control. What's going on?" The struggle in the shadows was well known. Up until now, good news had always come from the Qin Dynasty's side, filling the emperor and his dukes and marquises with pride.
The Qin Dynasty's talents had always outshone those of the three other forces, and with such deep roots, it was no surprise they were winning.
What they didn't realize was that the Qin Dynasty's success wasn't due to superior talent but rather to overwhelming numbers.
Now, with Lei Qian and Gao Benli assisting, the pressure on Fang Ziqian, Li Yunfeng, and Yang Tianhao had lessened considerably, and the previously dominant Qin Dynasty talents were starting to lose ground.
Moreover, Lin Qian's influence had caused severe setbacks for the Qin Dynasty's soldiers in the two-state forest, allowing the three factions to gradually gain the upper hand.
If they still couldn't gain the advantage with Lin Qian's help, then they'd be utterly useless.
"Continue gathering our forces but remain patient. There's no need to act hastily," the emperor said calmly, showing little concern for the situation in the two-state forest.
After the royal audience ended, the dukes and marquises left the palace, discussing their confusion as they walked.
"Given the emperor's usual nature, he would have launched an attack by now. Why is he holding back?"
"It is indeed strange. Knowing we're losing ground in the two-state forest, he's still not taking any action."
As they departed, shaking their heads in bewilderment, only the Sixth Prince remained in the hall.
"Brother Emperor, when will you and Father finally return? Those three factions are becoming far too arrogant," the Sixth Prince lamented, turning to the emperor on the throne. "It's unbearable."
"It doesn't matter. Once Father and I return, we'll wipe out those three sects and avenge my fallen children. That so-called Huaxia Empire—a mere speck of a nation—does not deserve the honor of being their sacrifice."