Vol 2 Chapter 1 (2/2)
“Ah!!” A sudden cry from behind scared the wits out of me, and I turned to see Hua Tuo, who was squatting down and looking at the dead person with a shocked face, pointing at him as she said, “I know this person, he used to be from the Yellow Turban Army as well…. His name is probably… Zhang Kai!!”
(TL: Zhang Kai is a Yellow Turban who didn’t achieve much, went to Tao Qian after the rebellion was quashed and attacked Cao Song when he was sent to protect him before fleeing into the mountains. Yeah, that doesn’t make sense to me either but he’s not important so don’t think too much about it.)
He’s someone Hua Tuo knows? Then that means he surrendered after the rebellion…
“Hua Tuo, do you know him well?”
“No, not really. I’ve only heard of him, he’s from the south.” Hua Tuo said as she touched his neck. “… No more breath huh.”
“You want to save him?” Yun Chang asked.
“I am a physician after all.” Hua Tuo laughed helplessly, before heaving a long sigh as she got up. “But he’s dead for sure and he hasn’t been doing much good anyway.”
Hua Tuo didn’t seem to take much pity on this person. Though he was her former subordinate, looking at Hua Tuo’s eyes that seems like the person on the ground was a stranger, I know that when Hua Tuo said she did not manage the national Yellow Turban movement, it was true.
(TL: Just a reminder that this silly short-sighted girl is supposedly a mystic warrior and a former farmer who led a national uprising.)
But, the real issue here was Cao Song’s survival.
“Big brother? What’s wrong? You don’t look too good.” Yi De said with concern as she looked at me.
“Ah? … Ah, it’s fine, the heat just got to me.”
… It should be fine.
One more person alive is just one more person alive, and it’s not like I can’t save him when I see it in front of me.
(TL: Experienced light/web novel readers will recognise this as an event flag. And you’re right, which is why I’m leaving the explanation for Cao Song’s event for later as the follow-up events will be covered in later chapters.)
“Are you alright?”
“I’m fine I’m fine, no need to worry. Let us be on our way too.”
As I responded to Yi De’s concerned words, I started leading the way and Yi De and the rest followed without asking further.
…
Now then, back to our original question, where is the nearest city?
“Does anyone know where we are?” I asked again.
“Xuan De, this should be the sh.o.r.e of the Yellow River.”
“Feng Xian, don’t think that I’ll accept your answer just like that just because you switched to a river slightly north of the one you said before.”
All of a sudden, our future seemed bleak.
“Xuan De!!!”
“Un?”
Why was there someone calling me?
I looked toward where the sound came from but this voice was…
“Lord Gongsun?!!”
“Aiya, we know each other so long already. Why are you still so distant? Just call me Bo Gui.” Gongsun Zan said as she ran over happily with her troops.
As she walked up to me, she nodded vigorously.
“Ah~ It really has been a while since we’ve met huh~~~”
It’s only been 5 days right…
“Yes, Lord Xuan De is the same as always huh.” Zi Long from behind smiled as she saluted me.
“Zi Long is doing well too huh.”
I saluted back.
“But didn’t Lord Gongsun return to You state? Why did you come back here?” Yun Chang asked.
On hearing this, Gongsun Zan suddenly became a little embarra.s.sed.
“Maa, how should I put it? I guess I’m just too strong.” Gongsun Zan twisted about as she scratched her hair. “Kong Rong, the Administrator of Beihai, has been blockaded and needs me to save him…”
“Actually, it’s only because Yuan Shao won’t send help, and Han Fu’s supplies are insufficient that they have no choice but to ask for our help…” Zi Long supplemented with words which utterly destroyed Gongsun Zan’s bubble.
“Haa, that really is troubling for you all huh…”
“Really, I hadn’t even had a chance to sit down back home when Kong Rong’s subordinate came calling.” Gongsun Zan said, though I didn’t feel like she felt that it was troublesome in the least. And thereafter, she revealed someone from behind her. “Tais.h.i.+ Ci, this is Liu Bei Liu Xuan De, he is a very good person~~~ Xuan De, this is Tais.h.i.+ Ci, the one who came asking for help.”
“My, my name is Tais.h.i.+ Ci. Please treat me kindly, Lord Liu Bei.” The girl said politely and respectfully.
“Ah, please treat me kindly as well, Lord Tais.h.i.+ Ci.” I gave my greetings as I saluted Tais.h.i.+ Ci as well.
Tais.h.i.+ Ci huh… I’d thought Tais.h.i.+ Ci would be a musclebound man, but Tais.h.i.+ Ci is a girl too.
The girl didn’t seem to be very old, and was about my age but slightly older. She has faint pink hair, with a neatly cropped fringe that was part of her mushroom haircut. On her back were 2 short spears, and perhaps it was because of the resulting weight, she always used her hands to support the base of the spears. She was also constantly frowning, and seemed to give off a feeling like she was a timid creature.
(TL: Please don’t ask me why Tais.h.i.+ Ci’s character design picture shows her holding 2 ribbon-like things instead of spears.)
“Speaking of which, Xuan De, where are you all headed to?”
For some reason, I have an ominous feeling…
“We were planning ln finding a–”
“Why don’t you come with me to Beihai!”
“Wu…”
… I just know something troublesome would come up.
Since she directly invited me even before I could finish, she probably doesn’t plan on letting me go anywhere else.
But it’s still better not to accept.
“About that, I won’t…”
“Come with me!”
Gongsun Zan’s eyes were gleaming, and she seemed to be expecting my agreement.
I helplessly looked toward Zi Long who was behind Gongsun Zan and she put her hands together and nodded equally helplessly.
“I too hope that Lord Liu Bei can come as well, as the more fighting strength we have, the better.” Tais.h.i.+ Ci said with resolute eyes, as she awaited my answer.
In addition, after she finished, she s.h.i.+fted her gaze to Gongsun Zan and frowned even more deeply, as if to say that ‘only Gongsun Zan is no good.’
Ah, what to do~~~
“Xuan De, let’s go. Lord Gongsun is already asking us like that.” Feng Xian walked over to persuade me, probably out of guilt from what happened in Sishui Pa.s.s.
“Little sister and the rest of the troops are utterly exhausted. If we break Beihai’s blockade, we can enter the city and rest there.” Yun Chang added as she nodded.
“Un… How far is here from Beihai?”
“Ah, not far. Just an hour’s walk and we can reach Beihai.” Gongsun Zan seemed to have seen hope and immediately replied me.
That is to say that even if I don’t agree to go, I’ll probably arrive at a besieged Beihai city anyway.
“… Then, shall we go?”
I looked at everyone in turn, and they all nodded.
Alright, we’ll go.
In the end, I still followed Gongsun Zan’s will and agreed.
“Ah… Words cannot express how grateful I am.” Just as I finished, Tais.h.i.+ Ci covered her mouth with her hands as she saluted with tears in her eyes.
You don’t need to be that touched right.
“Oh!!” For some reason, Gongsun Zan was the happiest of all of them. “Like this I can be together with Xuan De for a time again.”
“My lord, for this expedition, you musn’t give Lord Xuan De trouble.”
“Yes!”
From my point of view, doesn’t Zi Long seem more like the master?
“Ah, I see a large contingent of troops.”
“Yi De? What nonsense are you spouting again?”
I said helplessly. Looks like Yi De really has been affected by the heat.
“My lord, Lord Yi De’s words doesn’t seem to be nonsense.” Zhang Liao said as she pointed ahead. “Look!”
“Ah?”
I squinted my eyes and finally saw it, a large contingent of troops straight ahead.
“That is the army that is blockading Beihai!” Tais.h.i.+ Ci’s eyes changed in an instant, as she wielded her twin spears and readied her stance. “Seems like they noticed we are the reinforcements and they are initiating an attack on seeing that our numbers are insufficient.”
As soon as Tais.h.i.+ Ci finished, everyone had prepared their weapons.
Gongsun Zan’s expression was like as usual as she yelled to her troops, “All troops at the ready!!”
And in the next moment, the sounds of the charge would deafen me.
… Oh well, at least we don’t have to run around aimlessly.
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