With Ope Ope no Mi in Hunter x Hunter

Zhao State, Handan.

Dressed in simple black clothing, Daniel stood about tens of meters away from the city gates, gazing up at the towering walls of the ancient city. In terms of grandeur, Handan was not far behind Qin's Xianyang. The grayish-blue walls seemed to tell stories of the city's long and storied past.

Looking at the ancient city of Handan before him, Daniel couldn't help but think of several stories associated with the place, the most famous being the idiom "Learning to Walk in Handan." After learning more about the situation in Zhao, Daniel understood that this idiom was not unlike the modern phenomenon of blindly idolizing celebrities—where even the most mundane actions of the stars were considered praiseworthy.

The root of the idiom lay in the famed "Zhao Dance." Zhao's dancing style, renowned across the land, was something that dancers from all over aspired to learn. Just as scholars sought to visit the Confucian Lesser Sage's Village, dancers flocked to Zhao to master their art.

It wasn't just dance; Zhao was also renowned for its music. The illustrious music master Kwang Xiu hailed from Zhao, known as the sole successor to the famous melody "High Mountains and Flowing Waters." Important events in various states were considered prestigious if they could secure Kwang Xiu to perform. Even Ying Zheng had plans to invite Kwang Xiu to Xianyang soon.

With Kwang Xiu's status, if he stayed out of political matters, even when Zhao eventually fell, he would still be a revered guest in Xianyang Palace. Unfortunately, Kwang Xiu eventually opposed Qin due to his loyalty to Zhao, and after passing on his music to Gao Jianli, he met his end.

Apart from "Learning to Walk in Handan," Zhao was also known for two other famous idioms: "Returning the Jade Intact" and "General and Minister Making Amends," which were related to the stories of Lian Po and Lin Xiangru. The latter's story was about the reconciliation between the general and the minister.

The tale of "Returning the Jade Intact" painted Lin Xiangru as a clever diplomat, but a deeper understanding of the story reveals that the situation was somewhat exaggerated. No matter how valuable the Heshibi was, it couldn't be worth fifteen cities—possibly not even one. The loss of land was a critical issue for any state, something that could never be taken lightly.

Consider the case of the King of Han's uncle, Jing Lunjun, who lost his territory in a bet with Feicui Hu. The land didn't end up in the hands of Feicui Hu or the Iron Blood Alliance; instead, it was returned to the royal family. Despite the Iron Blood Alliance's strength, they would never dare to claim land through a bet. If they did, none of the seven states would tolerate their existence.

In fact, the bet involved more than just a wager—it was part of a scheme orchestrated by Ji Wuye and the Blood-Clothed Marquis, who were plotting something much bigger. Without their influence, Feicui Hu would never have dared to make such a wager.

The Heshibi that Lin Xiangru supposedly returned to Zhao was soon secretly sent to Qin and is now in the royal treasury of Qin. Lin Xiangru's actions seemed to bring great honor to Zhao, but they also created significant trouble, leading to his eventual sidelining.

Before Ying Zheng made it into the legendary jade seal, the Heshibi was merely a highly valuable piece of jade. A treasure comparable to the Heshibi was the Suihou Pearl, although its whereabouts are now unknown, likely hidden away by someone.

As for the story of the "General and Minister Making Amends," it sounds like a tale of great unity, but it actually highlights an underlying issue: in Zhao, scholars were valued far more than military leaders. Lian Po was a general who had won numerous battles for Zhao, one of the Four Great Generals of the Warring States. Lin Xiangru, on the other hand, was a man who rose to prominence through clever diplomacy. The fact that Lian Po, a renowned general, had to apologize to Lin Xiangru was something only those who didn't understand the situation would view as a grand reconciliation.

In Qin, such a situation would never occur, but in Zhao, it wasn't too surprising. Zhao, like Wei and Han, had emerged from the division of Jin and was extremely wary of powerful military leaders, especially those who commanded armies.

This was why Lian Po was replaced before the Battle of Changping, a decision that led to disaster.

Before the division, Jin was the most powerful state in the Central Plains and had the greatest potential to unify the land. Unfortunately, the Six Ministers' system eventually led to Jin's downfall and division into Zhao, Wei, and Han.

Back when Jin was strong, it was allied with Qin—hence the idiom "Qin and Jin's Good Relations." However, Qin was too weak to pose any threat to Zhao, Wei, or Han, or else it might have intervened to support Jin.

Of the Seven Warring States, Zhao placed the most restrictions on its generals, a situation reminiscent of later eras where scholars held more power than military leaders. If not for the need to defend against the Xiongnu and the looming threat of Qin, even Li Mu might have been sidelined.

Li Mu, a renowned general who survived until Zhao's fall, later assisted Meng Tian in the fight against the Xiongnu. To Li Mu, the threat of the Xiongnu was far greater than that of Qin, making him a national hero in this era.

"Entertainment abounds, yet there's no sign of the sorrow that followed the Battle of Changping, where the city was filled with mourning. Bai Qi was truly ruthless, setting Zhao back by decades with a single battle," Daniel mused as he entered Handan City. The bustling streets, filled with lively taverns and brothels, seemed disconnected from the tragic past.

As he strolled through the city, Daniel shook his head. While Ying Zheng was preparing for war and figures like Han Fei and Changping Jun were formulating their own plans, Zhao showed no signs of reform.

This wasn't just true for Zhao; the other six states of Shandong were in a similar state. Though each had initiated reforms following Shang Yang's model, by now, those reforms had largely been abandoned.

Zhao was renowned for its music and dance, with places like the Purple Orchid Pavilion and Drunken Dream Pavilion scattered throughout the city. Even during the day, one could hear the decadent music and sounds from these establishments along the streets.

"A lot of people are following me," Daniel noted with a chuckle, sensing the figures trailing behind him. He didn't linger in Handan for long. While the city was impressive, it held nothing of particular interest to him.

"This really feels like a scene from a wuxia novel—'A dark night is perfect for killing'," Daniel thought as he entered a lonely tavern by the roadside on his way to Yan. The tavern was filled with people, despite its isolated location, with nearly every table occupied. Each patron was armed.

The region of Yan and Zhao had always been known for its chivalrous and tragic heroes. In other words, these were the two states where wandering swordsmen were most numerous.

"Poison, huh? It makes sense—no matter how skilled a warrior is, the right poison can bring them down," Daniel thought with another smile as he eyed the cup of tea poured by the young servant before him.

Faced with a master like Daniel, there were only two ways to kill him: either gather enough skilled warriors to overwhelm him or use poison. Judging by the situation, his enemies seemed to be employing both methods.

Daniel hadn't made any effort to hide his movements or eliminate the people following him, so by now, many knew of his whereabouts, and some were even part of a certain organization secretly passing along information.

"It seems you're all prepared. Next time, remember to change your shoes if you're going to pretend to be a servant. A real servant wouldn't be wearing such fine shoes," Daniel remarked as he stared at the cup of poisoned tea in front of him, looking at the servant with a calm smile.

The servant's face changed drastically at Daniel's words. In a flash, he hurled the cup of tea at Daniel. But the next moment, the tea reversed course and splashed back onto the servant's face. Within seconds, the servant's entire face began to rot, and he collapsed to the ground with a scream. His face had melted beyond recognition, showing just how potent the poison was.

"Kill him!" The moment the servant fell, the other patrons drew their weapons—some hidden under their tables—and charged at Daniel.

But in an instant, a flash of sword light cut through the air, and all those who charged at Daniel collapsed simultaneously, blood seeping from beneath them. Daniel now stood, his left hand holding the black sword of Black and White Xuanjian, exuding an aura of confidence as he gazed at the remaining patrons.

"Attack!" Unfazed by the bodies of their comrades, the others in the tavern charged forward once more.

"A group of death warriors, eh? It seems they're determined to buy time," Daniel noted, observing the dead-eyed resolve in his attackers. Their mission wasn't to kill him but to stall him, likely to buy time for something else.

With his keen perception, Daniel could easily sense what was happening outside.

"Illusion or reality, which is which?" Daniel's figure began to blur as he deftly dodged between the remaining attackers. Though he didn't make any offensive moves, his enemies began to fall one by one until only one remained. Then, Daniel finally made his move.

The Yin-Yang Technique's Illusion Spell could create a hallucination, not by directly influencing one's consciousness, but by deceiving the eyes, making the target see illusions. Earlier, Daniel used this technique, combined with the Daoist "Blend with Light and Dust" technique, to create a scenario where all the attackers were tricked into perceiving a false reality.

Daoism and the Yin-Yang School shared many similarities in their techniques, both originating from the concept of duality—one gave birth to two, two gave birth to three, and three gave birth to all things.

"The 'Blend with Light and Dust' technique, when applied in assassination, is quite effective," Daniel thought as he effortlessly wielded the skill. When perfected, this technique had effects similar to invisibility. However, neither the Daoist Heavenly Sect nor the Human Sect would send their disciples, who had mastered this advanced technique, to work as assassins.

Mastering such a supreme technique was rare and highly valued. Sending those with such knowledge on assassination missions would be unthinkable. These techniques were revered and typically reserved for protecting and enhancing the Daoist sect's teachings, not for mundane killing tasks.

"Perhaps when I return to the One Piece world, I should try assassinating someone of high status—a Navy Admiral, perhaps, or one of Kaido's Three Calamities?" Daniel mused, considering the possibilities. Using the concealment technique could catch even a powerful Admiral off guard, potentially delivering a fatal blow.

Recently, Daniel hadn't returned to the One Piece world because the top-level powers there—Admirals and Yonko—represented the ceiling of strength, unmatched in most worlds. However, to face truly formidable foes, like cosmic-level beings, he needed to continue growing stronger, which required exploring and learning from different worlds.

After completing his arrangements in this world, Daniel planned to continue his exploration. Despite helping Ying Zheng, Daniel never lost sight of his own cultivation and goals. The One Piece world still held items he needed, such as the Den Den Mushi (snail phones) and a variety of sea king meat, essential for his plans.

"Fire!" Just as Daniel was deep in thought, a loud command came from outside, followed by a barrage of flaming arrows launched at the tavern.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the arrows rained down, the tavern quickly turned into a blazing inferno. Yet, even as the flames consumed the building, the arrows kept coming, relentless.

"Quite the grand operation. Even Gai Nie only faced 300 Qin's elite cavalry in Can Yue Valley. Now, more than 300 soldiers are outside," Daniel noted with a smirk.

Standing in the middle of the burning tavern, Daniel was protected by a dome of ice, created using his Yin-Yang technique "White Dew Forges Frost." The ice shielded him from both the flames and the arrows, allowing him to step forward calmly.

As Daniel advanced, the blazing tavern was instantly transformed into a magnificent ice sculpture, the flames frozen in place, creating an eerie yet beautiful scene. His ice power had extinguished the flames, but the intense battle was far from over.

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