With Ope Ope no Mi in Hunter x Hunter

Xianyang City, with its towering, wide bronze gates, bustled with activity. People dressed in various garments flowed in and out of the city gates, creating a lively scene. Compared to the modern era, this might not seem extraordinary, but for its time, Xianyang was an incredibly prosperous city, rivaling even Xinzheng, the capital of Han. It's noteworthy that Xinzheng sat at the crossroads of four nations, making Xianyang's level of prosperity all the more impressive.

Daniel Davis sat alone at a simple tea stand under a canopy, surrounded by ten or so Qin soldiers clad in black armor. The imposing presence of the soldiers naturally kept other potential customers at bay, leaving Daniel as the sole patron. The tea stand was run by a middle-aged couple, who, despite Daniel's presence affecting their business, showed no resentment, only fear.

Daniel could only sigh internally and resolved to tip them generously. His current status and position meant that even if he didn't mind sharing the space, others might not dare approach.

"Finally, they're here," Daniel murmured as he noticed a convoy of carriages bearing the character for "Han" approaching along the road. He stood up, placed a few gold coins on the table, and exited the tea stand.

The person Daniel had been waiting for, coming all the way from Korea, could only be one person: Han Fei, the Ninth Prince of Han and the founder of the secret organization, Quicksand.

Ying Zheng's letter had made everyone in Korea, from King Han An to Han Fei's fourth brother, Han Yu, eager to send Han Fei to Xianyang. King Han An, influenced by certain whispers, had come to see Han Fei as a harbinger of disaster. He couldn't help but notice that Korea had been relatively peaceful in recent years, but since Han Fei returned from the Lesser Sages Village, it seemed like everything had turned upside down.

There was the ambush of the ghost soldiers, the rise of the Red Eyebrow Snake and Dragon, the Crown Prince's assassination, the Blood-Clothed Marquis, the Grand General's demise, the drought in Nanyang—all these misfortunes, even those occurring before Han Fei's return, were somehow blamed on him.

King Han An only wanted to live out his reign in peace, so when Ying Zheng expressed interest in Han Fei, the king saw it as an opportunity to remove a troublemaker. 

As for Han Yu, Ying Zheng's letter was like a gift from heaven. Despite Han Fei's insistence that he had no interest in the throne, Han Yu never believed him. The struggle for the throne was always bloody, with winners writing history. After the Crown Prince's death, only Han Fei posed a threat to Han Yu's claim to the throne. Sending Han Fei away would leave Han Yu as the undisputed heir.

Without Han Fei, Zhang Liang and Zhang Kaidi would have no other choice but to support him.

Given these circumstances, the only way for Han Fei to avoid being sent to Qin was to revolt immediately, a move that even Wei Zhuang did not support. However, Han Fei refused to take that path, leading to his eventual arrival in Xianyang, where Daniel was waiting for him.

"Ninth Prince, we meet again."

"Yes, we meet again. Your earlier words have come true," Han Fei said as he stepped out of the carriage, gazing at the distant Qin capital of Xianyang. He sighed softly, his voice barely audible.

"Greetings, Master National Advisor." Purple Girl followed Han Fei out of the carriage. Daniel had intended to greet her, but her appearance stopped him in his tracks. Her current look was a far cry from her usual attire at Zilan Xuan, making Daniel almost not recognize her.

Her normally tied-up hair was now flowing freely, dramatically altering her appearance and aura.

"So it's you, Purple Girl. My apologies, I didn't recognize you at first."

"You're too kind, Master National Advisor."

"Master National Advisor," a voice called out as Mo Ya, clad in black, approached from behind and greeted Daniel with a salute.

"And you are?" Daniel asked, surprised by Mo Ya's appearance. A thought crossed his mind—had Mo Ya joined Quicksand? Or perhaps Quicksand had absorbed the Blackbirds.

"Mo Ya is here to see you, Master National Advisor. We just happened to be traveling together," Han Fei explained, possibly noticing Daniel's line of thought.

"I see," Daniel nodded, somewhat ambiguously. Then, waving his hand, he continued, "We can discuss matters later. It seems we're blocking the way."

Daniel then led Mo Ya back to his Sun and Moon Manor, while Han Fei and Purple Girl headed to the official registry to report their arrival. After all, Han Fei had come to Qin as a hostage, an exchange for another Korean prince.

In the Warring States period, sending hostages was a common practice. Even Ying Zheng and Yan Dan had once been hostages. This was both a sign of diplomatic goodwill and a form of insurance. When Lord Changping had come to Qin, it was also as a hostage, although his status was different due to the long-standing marital ties between the Qin and Chu royal families.

Several queens of Qin had been Chu princesses, and even Ying Zheng's queen was a Chu princess—Lord Changping's sister and the mother of Fusu. It was this familial connection that had such a profound impact on Fusu later when Lord Changping betrayed Qin.

"What do you want us to do, Master National Advisor?" In the garden pavilion of Sun and Moon Manor, Mo Ya asked his question directly.

"Don't worry, it's not to be an assassin. Qin is currently establishing the Six Gates, a new department directly under the king's control, responsible for investigating bandits and civilian cases. It's a newly independent organization, separate from the Ministry of Justice," Daniel explained the concept of the Six Gates to Mo Ya.

Daniel wasn't sure when exactly constables had become a thing historically, or if the Six Gates were real or a fictional creation. But that didn't stop him from establishing such an organization in this world.

Within Qin, most were in favor of the new department, with only a few dissenting voices. Partly because it was what Ying Zheng wanted, and partly because a new department meant new positions and opportunities—something certain individuals were keen on. 

The military had some reservations, seeing it as a potential encroachment on the city guards' authority. But since the Six Gates would primarily recruit retired soldiers, providing them with jobs, the military ultimately had no reason to oppose it.

"What do you think? If anyone in Blackbird wants to join, they're welcome."

"Thank you for the offer, Master National Advisor. However, Blackbird faces some difficulties," Mo Ya said after a moment of thought, agreeing to Daniel's proposal but also pointing out some challenges.

The members of Blackbird were orphans handpicked by Ji Wuye. If Mo Ya had truly wanted to leave, there wasn't much Ji Wuye could have done to stop him. As long as Mo Ya escaped Korea, Ji Wuye's reach would have been limited. But Mo Ya had stayed in Blackbird for the sake of the orphans under his care, some of whom he had personally raised.

"That's simple. You know I'm wealthy. Supporting a few people is no problem. You can bring them all here," Daniel replied, solving Mo Ya's problem with ease.

"Mo Ya will return to Korea immediately." With Daniel's approval, Mo Ya was eager to leave. Becoming a constable for the Six Gates was far more appealing than continuing as an assassin.

"I'll send you off." Daniel formed hand seals, tracing a golden circle in the air. On the other side of the glowing portal was a verdant hilltop.

"This is the Master National Advisor's token," Daniel said, tossing a black iron token to Mo Ya as he stepped through the portal, which then closed behind him.

"This is Xinzheng?" Mo Ya, initially intrigued but not overly impressed by the glowing portal in a world full of mystical arts, was stunned when he realized he had been transported from Xianyang in Qin to Xinzheng in Korea in the blink of an eye.

Such a feat was akin to divine intervention. After a long moment of awe, a relaxed smile spread across Mo Ya's face.

Mo Ya had initially prepared himself for the worst when deciding to ally with Daniel. For the sake of those under his care, he needed to align with a powerful force, and Quicksand had been an option. But after witnessing Daniel's extraordinary abilities, Mo Ya chose to side with him, a decision he now knew was the right one.

For the first time, Mo Ya felt truly at ease.

"Master National Advisor, your skills are truly impressive." In the same pavilion, but now with Han Fei and Purple Girl, Daniel had invited them over after they had completed their official registration. For most, Han Fei's arrival in Qin was merely a routine exchange of hostages, nothing worth fussing over.

In the past, Ying Zheng would have greatly valued Han Fei, but with Daniel's presence, Han Fei's importance had significantly diminished. In matters of law, Han Fei was indeed exceptional, but Daniel was even more so, with a millennium of accumulated wisdom and culture far beyond Han Fei's reach.

Given this, Han Fei's presence in Qin was almost irrelevant, though Ying Zheng would never let him stay in Korea to potentially strengthen it.

"Ninth Prince, your information network is impressive," Daniel said as he poured Han Fei a cup of wine.

"Paper, crops yielding thousands of jin per mu… It seems you believe Qin will inevitably unify the world," Han Fei

 remarked, having come to terms with his situation in Qin and choosing to speak freely.

"Ninth Prince, don't blame me for not supporting you. While you are indeed a genius, you cannot match the cumulative strength of six generations of Qin kings. Given thirty years, you might flourish and rule a grand empire. Unfortunately, you don't have thirty years."

Daniel recited a verse from the *Nine Songs of Tianxing* that he particularly liked, encapsulating Han Fei's life.

Before Han Fei could respond, Daniel continued, "In truth, even without me, Qin would sweep across the Six States and unify the Central Plains within a decade. The current state of the Six States is nothing like before. Under these conditions, a coalition is impossible."

"You're so confident," Han Fei countered.

"It's inevitable. The rise and fall of dynasties follow a pattern: founding, flourishing, and corruption, followed by replacement," Daniel explained, seizing the opportunity to impress Han Fei, knowing the Warring States was an era of intense debate and search for solutions.

Daniel's words left Han Fei deep in thought, while Purple Girl, hearing his reasoning, softened her expression.

Though Daniel didn't know Purple Girl's full background, he understood she was a kind-hearted person. Despite Zilan Xuan being a brothel, it had saved many lives. In this era, women's lives were especially harsh, particularly those who had lost everything due to war. If not for Purple Girl, even a strong woman like Nongyu might not have survived.

Even powerful figures like Dongjun Yanfei were not immune to such struggles.

"Convincing Han Fei won't be easy. After all, Korea is his homeland," Daniel sighed as he watched Han Fei and Purple Girl depart.

He had spoken at length, hoping to dissuade Han Fei from resisting Qin, but the effort seemed to have had little effect.

"Master National Advisor, are you satisfied?" On the western side of Xianyang, in a refined and elegant bamboo grove, a new building stood tall, a structure unlike anything else in this era.

Gongshu Qiu personally escorted Daniel to inspect the completed project.

If a modern person saw this building, they would recognize its design as distinctly contemporary. And indeed, Daniel had designed it using modern blueprints, incorporating extensive glasswork.

Having delegated all his other tasks, Daniel decided to build a modern-style club in this world out of sheer boredom.

"Very impressive. How's the library coming along?" Daniel asked, satisfied with the building, before inquiring about another project.

With the advent of paper, books would no longer be expensive. The Qin would not ignore the value of paper and had decided to establish a library filled with paper books, accessible to all Qin citizens.

In this era, knowledge wasn't priceless, but it was incredibly expensive. A copied volume of the *Analects* from the Confucians would cost a fortune.

But Daniel intended to make books as cheap as vegetables.

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