Brunhilde and Randgriz tensed.
Was the First Emperor's glance in their direction purely coincidental?
Or had he truly noticed the two sisters?
The beaded curtain made it impossible to see his eyes clearly, so they couldn't confirm whether he was looking at them.
No—no, he had likely detected them.
To be more precise, it wasn't sensing but directly seeing the two of them.
Even Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu, could detect their presence. The Great Qin Emperor whom he served must have been an even more terrifying figure to command such loyalty from Xiang Yu.
Therefore, the First Emperor would undoubtedly notice their existence as well.
Although Xiang Yu, the Overlord of Western Chu, also exuded an intimidating aura, his personality seemed bold and domineering.
The First Emperor before them, while equally domineering, possessed a different kind of dominance—not the brute force of Xiang Yu, but the calculated supremacy of a ruler who commanded the heavens and earth with wisdom.
At this moment, they felt like rabbits caught in the gaze of the king of beasts, not daring to make any sudden moves, lest they lose their lives in an instant.
For Brunhilde, it was as if she were facing Odin, the Allfather, stirring a deep sense of awe and fear within her.
This overwhelming pressure forced Brunhilde to bow her head instinctively, nearly dropping to one knee in reverence.
Beside her, Randgriz was no better—cold sweat trickled down her pale, smooth face, and her breath had stilled.
The next moment, Brunhilde, forcing herself to move, grabbed Randgriz and pulled her to the side.
The two had been standing right in the middle of the road. While the black-armored soldiers couldn't see them and would pass through, the First Emperor, radiating that terrifying presence, could.
To stand so rudely in his path would be nothing short of a direct challenge to his authority.
Thus, they moved aside and watched as the imperial carriage prepared to pass before them.
The so-called imperial chariot was a carriage drawn by six magnificent horses, adorned with gold, silver, and jade, and carved with dragon and phoenix patterns, exuding the luxurious and majestic aura befitting an emperor.
Seated atop it was the legendary emperor renowned throughout the annals of Eastern history.
As he passed by the two sisters, the First Emperor did not spare them another glance.
In truth, he had only looked at them for a few seconds before turning away, paying them no further attention.
This might give the illusion that he hadn't noticed them at all.
But no—it was certain that he had seen them, simply dismissing them as insignificant.
If they had been ordinary people, that would have been understandable. But the problem was, they were Valkyries—and they were observing this era across time and space. Yet all they received was this level of indifference?
Either he truly hadn't noticed them—but the sisters found that impossible to believe.
Or he was simply unconcerned, not considering them worth his attention. That seemed somewhat plausible.
There was another possibility: the First Emperor believed he possessed enough power to justify such minimal regard. He was confident that they posed no threat to him—that they were not on his level, whether in status or strength.
Thus, the First Emperor did not view them as any significant danger.
The only ones who could be considered his equals were the famed generals and kings of the six conquered states.
No—the only ones who could truly oppose him were—the gods!
Brunhilde's pupils constricted as she noticed something odd about the black-armored troops guarding the First Emperor, their faces obscured. Their footsteps were unnaturally heavy.
If it were just the weight of their armor, that would be one thing. But it wasn't just the armor—their own bodies seemed unnaturally dense.
Somehow, she got the impression that these black-armored soldiers were not human.
Not human?
Brunhilde thought of Xiang Yu's condition, and her expression shifted.
Could this entire unit of black-armored soldiers be the same?
How had they been created in this era? It was too eerie.
Were the gods of the Eastern world interfering so blatantly in human affairs?
The sisters continued to follow the procession along with most of Xianyang's citizens, moving toward the city gates.
When they reached the gates and looked out at the vast open ground beyond, they were momentarily stunned.
The space, which should have been wide and empty, was now occupied by a massive, awe-inspiring army—the battle-hardened forces of the Qin Dynasty.
This army, which had shed blood on countless battlefields and slaughtered countless foes, exuded a killing intent so palpable it seemed to transcend the barriers of time, sending a chill down the sisters' spines.
With such a grand display, was this a military expedition?
But no—at this point in history, the First Emperor had already completed his unification. There were no more enemies left to fight.
The timeline she had chosen was indeed the moment the First Emperor established the imperial system.
A quick check of the Akashic Records confirmed it.
So, this grand spectacle must simply be a celebratory military parade.
And this event wasn't just attended by the residents of Xianyang—merchants, retainers, and nobles from across the empire had gathered as well.
Brunhilde even spotted a few wandering traders from distant lands beyond the emperor's rule.
"Sister!"
Randgriz had noticed something.
"Hmm."
Brunhilde nodded slightly; she had naturally noticed those with ulterior motives mixed within the vast crowd.
These individuals were most likely sent by the disgruntled nobles of the six vanquished nations, unwilling to accept their defeat.
Observing them, they were visibly tense, their nervousness apparent—clearly afraid of being discovered yet also seemingly prepared to carry out some grand scheme.
Upon closer inspection, some seemed to be hiding something within their sleeves.
Suddenly, as the crowd surged, someone accidentally bumped into one of them, causing the sleeve to slip and reveal the cold glint of a sharp blade.
The person hastily pulled their sleeve back down to conceal it and only relaxed after confirming that none of the nearby civilians had noticed.
So, was their goal to assassinate the First Emperor?
A futile endeavor—had they not seen the massive army stationed here?
Moreover, the First Emperor was guarded by black-armored soldiers suspected to be artificial humans. Attacking him would be like moths flying into flames.
Then, was assassination not their true objective?
It likely remained one of their tasks, but not the primary one. If an opportunity arose, they would certainly attempt it.
Their real purpose was to disrupt today's grand ceremony.
But how? By inciting panic!
And how to incite panic?
Simple—by slaughtering the innocent bystanders, spreading terror among them.
Once panic took hold, the massive crowd would lose all rationality, fleeing in chaos, making it difficult for the First Emperor's soldiers to intervene and eliminate them.
They wanted to humiliate the First Emperor before the eyes of the world!
This was the revenge of the old nobles of the six nations!
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