Lin Tang transmigrates and becomes the mysterious “Nine Heavens Immortal Master” in the Xianyang Palace of the Great Qin dynasty. System: [Side quest triggered: Faint delicately into the First Emperor's arms. Reward: one box of premium rouge!] Lin Tang glances at the neglected waterways, rusted Qin crossbows, and backward iron-smelting techniques, then shuts off the System. “Faint? That's just low stamina. Exchange for the formula for high-strength cement. I want every road in Great Qin to be straight, with smooth pavement all the way!”
And so, Great Qin's whole style goes completely off the rails. The Immortal Master as the world sees her: dressed in white as pure as snow, untouched by dust, able to summon “Heavenly Spring Draw” (a steam-powered water pump) with a wave of her hand and map the “earth's veins” (with holographic surveying) with a touch of her finger. The real Lin Tang: in work clothes deep inside the Xuannü Hall, her face smeared with coal dust as she repairs pistons, concentrated sulfuric acid clutched in her hand, the green gleam of an infrastructure fanatic in her eyes.
Ying Zheng, the First Emperor of the ages, discovers that his Immortal Master is perfect in every way, except that her heart is too “cold.” He gives her gold and silver; she wants mineral sand. He offers her handsome men; she wants laborers. He seeks immortality, but she points to the stars and tells him: “Your Majesty, think bigger. The banners of your Great Qin army should be planted on the moon.”
That night, as Ying Zheng watches steam engines roar throughout the room, he finally realizes: the Immortal Master doesn't need his affection. She wants to drag his empire two thousand years into the future and take on industrial civilization head-on!
Lin Tang: “Court intrigue? I haven't even finished aligning the bearings. Where would I find time for that?” Ying Zheng: “I meant to ask for her favor, but she wants me to open mines with her.”
