I traveled back to the Qin Dynasty, and the First Emperor begged me to become his empress.

Chapter 54: Deceiving the Aboriginals

Next, the indigenous chieftain and Zhao Gao had a long, nonsensical conversation that lasted for an hour. Both sides were very enthusiastic, while Xu Fu listened in astonishment, completely baffled as to how the two could have such a pleasant conversation.

The indigenous leader asked with a smile on his face: "God has sent you here for what purpose?" Zhao Gao replied happily: "Your fruits are delicious." The indigenous people The leader said excitedly: "What are you doing? (So God is very satisfied with us?)" Zhao Gao nodded and replied with a smile: "You people are so enthusiastic."

The indigenous chieftain clapped his hands happily, then asked curiously, "What instructions did God give us?" Zhao Gao thought for a moment, then took out a piece of paper from his pocket, handed it to the chieftain, and said with a smile, "This is paper made by our Great Qin." The chieftain excitedly took the paper, examined it carefully, and a satisfied smile appeared on his face. He said gratefully, "Thank you for God's blessing!"

Zhao Gao then said, "We are leaving now. Thank you for your warm hospitality." The indigenous chieftain nodded repeatedly, indicating that he would certainly follow God's instructions. They continued their pleasant conversation, though they did not understand each other's meaning, but their conversation was filled with warmth and joy.

Xu Fu was quite surprised by this scene. He hadn't expected Zhao Gao to handle the natives' questions so cleverly and make them so happy. He thought to himself, "So Zhao Gao has this side to him!"

Finally, Zhao Gao finished his pleasant chat with the local chieftain. Zhao Gao quickly and secretly found Xu Fu and whispered to him, "We'll run away as soon as it gets dark. Go and pack your things."

Xu Fu asked suspiciously, "Why run away?" Zhao Gao said anxiously, "You've been deceiving these locals by saying we're divine messengers, but the truth will eventually come out! With just a handful of us, if we're exposed, our lives will be in danger."

Xu Fu calmly replied, "It's alright. I have been serving as a divine messenger here for two years. These people treat me like a true god every day. How could I be easily exposed?"

Zhao Gao was dumbfounded and stammered, "Xu the Taoist priest is indeed incredibly powerful. But I still have to go back and report to the king, so you must come with me."

Xu Fu said calmly, "I never said I wouldn't go with you. It's just that we don't need to hide. We can walk away openly."

Zhao Gao asked with skepticism, "Are you really capable of dealing with these natives?"

Xu Fu said mysteriously, "Of course, it's just a piece of cake."

Zhao Gao breathed a sigh of relief and then pressed on, "Why didn't you help me when that native made me eat raw meat today?"

Xu Fu explained, “This is their traditional custom. They have unwavering faith in the gods. As a servant of the gods, you ate raw meat to express your reverence for them. If you hadn’t eaten it, you probably would have lost your life.”

Xu Fu was skeptical, but he couldn't understand the local language, and he needed Xu Fu's help to leave safely. Zhao Gao could only suppress his dissatisfaction and chat with Xu Fu for a while before leaving.

The next morning, the sun shone brightly and a gentle breeze caressed his face. Zhao Gao made an excuse and returned to the cave where he had stayed when he first came ashore.

When he entered the cave, he found the local tribesmen still bound hand and foot, unable to move. Zhao Gao stared at them, a strong resolve rising within him. These tribesmen had become a burden, not only because he couldn't understand their language, but also because Xu Fu's reliability was uncertain. Leaving them alive would undoubtedly pose a potential danger.

Zhao Gao decided to take decisive action. He ordered his crew, "Kill all these natives!" The crew looked at each other, but no one dared to question Zhao Gao's decision. They quickly carried out the order, picked up their weapons, and headed towards the bound natives.

With several screams, the natives fell into pools of blood. Zhao Gao looked at the scene before him, but felt little emotion. He knew that everything he had done was to protect his own life and the lives of his companions.

Next, Zhao Gao led the crew to find a suitable place to bury the natives' bodies. They found a secluded grove of trees, a place rarely visited by people, where they could avoid attracting unnecessary attention.

The crew haphazardly tossed the natives' corpses into the woods. Watching this, Zhao Gao silently murmured, "Don't blame me; blame yourselves for being born in the wrong place." Having done this, Zhao Gao led his crew away from the woods.

Zhao Gao returned to the indigenous tribe, and today he spoke with the chieftain again. The chieftain warmly invited Zhao Gao to visit their tribe and showed him some interesting places.

Zhao Gao followed the tribal chief to a spacious square. Many people were busy at work: some were binding wood and stones together with dry grass to make axes, others were weaving baskets, and still others were cooking. Zhao Gao found this very fascinating.

Next, they arrived at an orchard. The orchard was full of all kinds of fruit, none of which Zhao Gao recognized and dared not try. However, seeing the locals enthusiastically picking fruit and giving it to him, Zhao Gao tasted some and found it quite delicious.

Then they came to a lake. The water was crystal clear, and they could see the sand and fish swimming at the bottom. Zhao Gao saw several children playing by the lake. The children looked to be two or three years old, and the older ones were eleven or twelve. None of them were wearing clothes. Zhao Gao whispered to Xu Fu, "These barbarians are indeed difficult to teach." Xu Fu did not agree.

Finally, they arrived at the heart of the indigenous tribe's territory, where an ancient and mysterious temple stood. Inside, the temple was dedicated to the tribe's deities, and the surrounding area was adorned with vibrant flowers and various offerings. Zhao Gao followed closely behind Xu Fu, feigning piety as he performed a strange ritual. Unexpectedly, this act earned them even greater hospitality from the tribe.

Zhao Gao spent a pleasant day with the indigenous tribe, but his heart remained preoccupied with returning to Qin. Nevertheless, this place left an indelible impression on him. He thought to himself, "If I cannot realize my ambitions in Qin, then conquering this land and becoming a local emperor is not a bad choice."

The next morning, just as dawn broke, Xu Fu found Zhao Gao and told him that it was time to prepare for the return journey. Zhao Gao didn't say much, and led his men to follow Xu Fu. Amidst the enthusiastic farewell of the local people, they boarded the ship returning to the Qin Dynasty.

Zhao Gao was quite surprised by this and curiously asked Xu Fu how he had spoken to the natives. Xu Fu explained in detail: "I merely told these natives that although they have received the blessings of the gods, their faith is not devout enough. The gods have specially sent you, their servant, to recall me and cleanse them of their sins. Once their sins are cleansed, I will return with the gods' grace." Zhao Gao was astonished and asked in surprise, "Then why did they bring so much food?" He pointed to the ship's hold full of food. Xu Fu smiled and said, "They hope I will put in a good word for them before the gods." Zhao Gao was speechless...