Vol 3 Chapter 3 (2/2)

Being able to detect presences was something I slowly learnt after that.

I relaxed both my mind and body. Now, all I needed to do was to be one with nature and focus on what my instincts told me.

An instant later, I opened my eyes.

The left!!!

“Yaa~~~~~~~” As I roared out, I pulled out my broadsword that was stuck in the ground and swung it with my left at the tall gra.s.s and trees to my left!

The shockwave from the sharp blade laid waste to everything that the Green Dragon Crescent Blade swept through, slicing through the tall wild gra.s.s and leaving slash marks on trees.

Just then, an unexpected *ding* rang out as the blade of my Green Dragon Crescent Blade was stopped by another weapon that emerged from the gra.s.s.

Was there someone as expected? Looks like their reaction is pretty quick.

Because it was too dark, and they were still hiding in the gra.s.s, I could not tell who they were.

“You– Wu!!” Just as I was about to ask, a silver light shot out from the gra.s.s next to me and I had to retract my broadsword and jump back.

“Ya~~~~” Yi De yelled as she somersaulted towards the gra.s.s patch and slashed down– “… Un? … Tch, there’s no one again!”

Though Yi De had reacted swiftly in the follow-up attack, it did not land on its mark.

“Don’t worry, this way!” I pointed as I began running while Yi De and the rest followed suit. “Seems like this fellow has a poor const.i.tution as their breathing seems rather ragged.”

And wasn’t this fellow using double short spears? That’s a pretty rare weapon huh~~

Of the people I know, only one uses twin short spears. But she wouldn’t be here right? We haven’t met since we left Beihai after all.

While I was deep in my thoughts, the figure of the one ahead could be seen from the few rays of moonlight that made it through the forest.

“Stop running!” Yi De from behind bellowed loudly all of a sudden, which I must admit gave me quite a shock.

“Yi De what are you shouting for?! They’re going to run even harder now that you shouted!”

“Oh right!” Yi De exclaimed as she scratched her head in realisation. I looked at the figure again helplessly and as expected it appeared to be getting away.

“Yi De, bring some troops and cut them off!”

“I got it.” Yi De replied and then brought a platoon through a different route.

Kuh, that fellow seems to have increased their pace, did they sense that we sent a team to cut them off? It feels like they won’t make it at this rate.

“… Ah!~~~”

Un?

Just as I was about to give up, the figure in front slipped and cried out in the gentle voice of a young girl.

Un… What a clumsy spy huh.

“Ou~~~~ Ch~~” She was still moaning, and it was so loud that even we could hear it clearly.

And in the time when she fell, we chased up and quickly narrowed the gap.

“Thief! Give up already!” I yelled at her as she appeared in full view and began to advance more cautiously.

“… Kuh!”

The figure that had been lying on the ground suddenly rotated and stopped in a kneeling position before slas.h.i.+ng at my calf with the short spear in her left hand.

“Naive!” I did not step back, and instead blocked the blow with the sheath of my broadsword. After her left spear ricocheted off my sheath, she rotated again with the momentum and slashed toward my right calf. Just as before, I did not back up and gripped my Green Dragon Crescent Blade tightly as I leapt above the trajectory of the spears. Immediately after I leapt up, I positioned myself so that I landed on the flat of the spears and firmly held them to the ground with my body weight.

“Don’t bother struggling further! If I’d wanted to, your head would have left your body long ago!” I roared toward the fellow on the ground who was still in a kneeling position. Because of the difference in height, her face was still not visible.

“…”

“Un?” I’d said all there had to be said but she still remained silent.

All of a sudden, her hand reached up above her head straight for me.

“What!” I instinctively raised my broadsword to block but then remembered that she no longer had any weapons.

A feint!

The feint worked and by the time I raised my broadsword, the figure had charged ahead and stood up from a forward roll before running off.

“Kuh! Stop–”

“Stop running~~”

Before I could finish my words, I heard another deep voice from the forest ahead.

Un? This voice is…

Just as I thought up till here, the owner of the voice appeared before me with a torch in her hand and a halberd in the other which was pointed at the figure from before.

“Feng Xian!”

“Oh! Yun Chang, you’ve been hard at work huh!” Feng Xian said with her usual expression.

Thank to the light from her torch, I began to gradually see the figures behind Feng Xian. Wen Yuan was naturally there, and…

“Yun Chang, are you alright?”

“Big brother?! Why did you come here! It’s dangerous here!!” I exclaimed as I walked over to big brother.

“I was worried so I followed them.” Big brother said casually as he rubbed his head.

I had more to say, but when I saw the twin swords, which big brother could barely even swing, hanging by big brother’s waist, the anger in my heart dissipated instantly.

Instead, warmth filled my heart and, regretfully, made my cheeks turn red.

“Wh, what kind of danger would we be in? Who do think we are huh?” I stammered as I put my hands on my hips and turned my face so he wouldn’t see my embarra.s.sed look.

“Maa, that is right.” At times like this, big brother would always let things go. He really doesn’t know what I’m thinking. And then he turned to the shadowy figure. “This must be the enemy scout!”

“Ah ah, I’ve been chasing her all night.” I answered, and walked over to big brother to have a good look at the scout under the light from the torch.

Un? Why is she wearing a mask?

“Don’t bother saying anymore and just kill me.” That person said harsh words but her delicate tone was devoid of any strength.

“Maa, it wouldn’t hurt to talk for a bit. Come, for starters, say where you–” Big brother walked over and peeled off her mask. But when we saw who she was, we were all stunned. “Tai, Tais.h.i.+ Ci?!”

No wonder I kept getting the feeling that I’d seen her attack patterns before. Along with a slim and small figure as well as a delicate voice, she is without a doubt, Tais.h.i.+ Ci.

But… Why is she here?

“Eh? Ah, sorry about it, I have a bit of nightblindness so I can’t see so clearly yet.” Tais.h.i.+ Ci seemed very calm as she rubbed her eyes roughly while we brought the torch closer. “Ah~~ Let me see– L, Lord Liu Bei!!!”

“Ah, h.e.l.lo.” Big brother gave a stiff greeting with an even stiffer smile in response to Tais.h.i.+ Ci’s surprised expression.

“Th, then the one just now with the broadsword is–” Tais.h.i.+ Ci said as she pointed at me.

Now then you know huh.

“In any case, what’s going on? Can you explain yourself?”

Attacking all of a sudden, could it be that Tais.h.i.+ Ci had joined Yuan Shu? If that’s the case, then she really has fallen.

“Ah, that’s right, I should explain everything clearly. But let me start by introducing myself, since my position has changed quite a bit since the time we met in Beihai.” Tais.h.i.+ Ci finally stood up and said in a respectful tone. “I am the Subduing General of the Household, Tais.h.i.+ Ci Tais.h.i.+ Zi Yi, and my lord is now Sun Ce Sun Bo Fu. I have come with my lord to eradicate the traitor Yuan Shu.”

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