Vol 1 Chapter 11 (1/2)
Volume 1 Chapter 11: Don’t tell me this is the slaying of Hua Xiong
“Alright, all of you just stand there.” Yuan Shao sat in a seiza position and looked at the 3 suspects who were said to have slain Hua Xiong with a tired look. “Now you 3, did the 3 signallers tell the truth? Did all 3 of you slay Hua Xiong?”
“Un… If we look at the result, yes.” Yun Chang said first.
“Hou~~~ So who exactly is the one who killed Hua Xiong huh?”
“… That is…”
“… We can’t explain it very well either…”
“Not me! Not me!”
Yun Chang and Sun Jian said very ambiguous words after looking at each other while Pan Feng was frantically denying it and waving his hands about.
Speaking of which, wasn’t Pan Feng a big burly man? He looks just like a bishounen gigolo here.
“Aiya, this Pan Feng really is too embarra.s.sing.” Standing beside me was the tender lord of Pan Feng who had tried to get him a new horse before– Han Fu. Because she couldn’t stand Pan Feng’s embara.s.sing display, she looked away.
“This is bad,” Gongsun Zan said with concern. “I’ve heard that Yuan Shao hates thieves the most, And there definitely has to be only one person who slew Hua Xiong. As for the other 2… They might be subjected to severe punishment.”
“Un… That really is bad…” I gripped my hand tightly, and stepped out of where the rest of the feudal lords were gathered and said. “Coalition leader, could you be mistaken with your judgement? By right, one should be questioning the signallers since it is they who reported this.”
“Ah? Who are you? What right do you have to say such things to me?” Yuan Shao was mad and did not listen to my words at all. “One honour, but 3 people vying to claim it, where is their common decency!”
“But this…”
“Coalition leader, I beseech you to wait before bestowing judgement upon us, and listen to our side of the story first.” Sun Jian said.
“… Hmph, go on.”
“Un, then first is me…”
—- And so Sun Jian began recollecting what happened.
“This isn’t fair!! What the h.e.l.l is this huh?!” Hua Xiong’s tears were flowing endlessly, and as a fellow man I felt utterly disgusted. “On what grounds do I have to fight the 3 of you huh? And anyway your troops are almost all gone, why did you all stay, just leave and it will all be over, no?”
“Oh, then we’ll just–”
“General Pan Feng, don’t run,” I grabbed onto Pan Feng’s arm and didn’t let him leave. “Even if you say it like that, we are still the rearguard after all and are obliged to fight with you.”
“Fight with me? Alrigh then, archers at the ready!!” As he said so, Hua Xiong prepared to let loose arrows upon us.
“No, what I mean is…”
“You despicable villain!!!” From the side, a loud roar came from an unknown woman which scared not just Hua Xiong but I as well. “To let loose arrows during a general’s duel? Do you still have the pride of a warrior general huh?!”
“This isn’t actually a duel…”
“No more words!!!” At which Hua Xiong started with an ‘Hii!’ and backed up. “As your peer who upholds the values of loyalty, righteousness and compa.s.sion, I Guan Yu Guan Yun Chang order you right here and now to get your troops to retreat back to the city!! And then let us have a proper contest!!” The woman flicked her hair back and swung the Green Dragon Crescent Moon Sword and pointed it straight ahead. My eyes seemed to be playing tricks on me as I seemed to see a red dragon coiled around that woman.
“… But… But that is…”
Aiya aiya, to be forced back by a woman to such an extent.
Forget it, though he is an enemy, let me help out comrade Hua Xiong a bit here.
“Umm Hua Xiong. I understand what you mean, you mean to say that fighting us 3 alone is not fair right?”
“Ah, right, right. That’s what I mean.” Hua Xiong seemed to see the light of hope as he looked at his enemy, me.
“Then why don’t we do it this way.” I stretched my hand out and pointed toward some ordinary soldiers behind Hua Xiong. “You, and you, what are your names?”
“Me? My name is Zhang Ji.” “I, I’m Li Meng.”
“Alright, step out the 2 of you… Aiya, come out.” Only then did they step out and then I gestured to them with my hands. “How about that, now it’s 3 vs 3 right.”
“Ah? Bu, but these are just 2 ordinary soldiers…” Hua Xiong seemed very dissatisfied.
“What’s the matter, are you looking down on them?”
(TL: Sure, it’s fair to send 2 ordinary soldiers to face the living tank that is Guan Yu and the legendary general Sun Jian. Very fair.)
“Ah? Th, that isn’t it…” He turned to look at his troops behind and seemed to be considering something for a long while before he gave a sigh. “Alright, the rest of you go back, the 2 of you stay… Don’t s.h.i.+ver, if you all win, I’ll bestow a fortune on the 2 of you.”
“But this…”
“But what but?! Even I can’t ‘but’ as well. Quick, go.”
“And so I faced off against Hua Xiong. He didn’t even last till a second round before I cut him down.” At these words, the feudal lords started whispering amongst themselves again. “And the other 2 were just ordinary soldiers as expected and were cut down in short order by that female general.”
“Wh, what about my Pan Feng?” Han Fu hurriedly asked as she hadn’t heard about Pan Feng’s part.
“As for him… He just sat at the side…”
“… That idiot!”
But if it’s like this…
“Then the one who slew Hua Xiong is you right? Uncle Sun Jian?” Yuan Shao said.
“About this…”
“Un, let me continue on from here.” Yun Chang took a step forward and said solemnly. “After that, it went like this…”
—- And so Yun Chang began recollecting what happened.
Lord Sun Jian was clean and thorough while on my side the 2 soldiers were easily dealt with as well. Huu, well then it’s all settled.
“Let’s go, back to camp.” Lord Sun Jian said relaxedly.
“Un un, finally we can return.”
“Lord Pan Feng, don’t cry. As warrior generals, we can’t cry on the battlefield.” I got on my horse whilst consoling Lord Pan Feng. As I looked ahead, I saw that Lord Sun Jian had ridden quite a ways ahead.
I should go too.
“Wait!”
Un? Someone spoke.
“Lord Pan Feng, did you say something?”
“Uiiii!! Th, the corpse is!” This was Lord Pan Feng’s voice…
Then…
“Do, don’t leave… I’m not dead yet…”