Vol 8 Chapter 35 (2/2)

In the next second, a very familiar voice could be heard. Despite being a bit m.u.f.fled, as though the one who spoke was wearing a mask, it was still familiar. To be more precise, it’s not a mask but a long scarf.

“Gan Ning! Stop hiding and come out!” I yelled out as I surveyed the nearby hills and the vicinity but didn’t see her at all.

Un?!

I hurriedly turned around when I sensed someone behind me but all I saw was a black cloth which covered my eyes.

What is this now!

I got a shock and hurriedly raised my spear to slash at it.

This is!

As the black cloth tore open, weak sunlight shone through, and a thin line of white light flashed towards me. I knew this was a weapon and ducked just in time as a gust of wind swept by my ear.

“You took the bait.” A soft voice came from the side that didn’t belong to Gan Ning.

Wu!

Before I could react, something pulled my neck from behind and I was pulled down the horse.

“Ah!” I fell heavily to the ground and landed on my back as a cloud of dust and sand swept up.

“Yo, you’re!” I opened my eyes as I endured the pain.

In front of me, a partisan spear was pointed at me. And the one who wielded it was a woman who wore black robes, and she was currently smiling at she looked at me.

“Are you the Administrator?”

“Kuh!”

I raised my spear to sweep at her–

But before I could raise it above her knees, it was locked down by her partisan spear.

“Forgive me but you have already lost. Not just you, but your subordinates as well.” When she finished, she intentionally moved to the side to show me Su Fei and Chen Jiu’s status.

Su Fei was still held by her neck while a large pool of blood had formed by Chen jiu, who was lying motionless on the ground.

“What do you want!”

“I don’t want anything. I’m just here on orders.”

The woman said with a calm and peaceful face. If this weren’t a battlefield, I would have thought that she was a dancer. But now, her face was more scary than anything else.

“Come on out, Lord Gan Ning.”

“What! Gan Ning!” I exclaimed and my eyes bulged when I heard this name.

“… Stop looking, I’m here.” All of a sudden, her voice could be heard from the side of my ear. When I blinked, Gan Ning appeared beside me in a half-squat position.

“I hope you’ve been doing well, Lord Administrator.”

“You traitor!”

Just when I finished, a flat cleaver landed in front of me, just in front of my nose but didn’t hurt me at all.

I s.h.i.+fted my gaze to Gan Ning instinctively while in a state of shock.

Gan Ning had her scarf wrapped around her and only her eyes were revealed, eyes which stared down coldly at me.

“… Even now, you’re still calling me a traitor?” She said.

“Even if you’re not a river thief, you’re a traitor. Your heart was never at Jing state, nor was it with my lord Liu Biao!” I roared as I stared daggers at Gan Ning. As I did so, I caught a glimpse of my reflection on her blade and shuddered.

Were my eyes always this murderous looking?

“… I see.” Her eyebrows seemed to jump at my words.

“What about it? Am I right?”

“… Right or wrong doesn’t matter anymore at this point.”

“Keke,” I chuckled, “It is indeed unimportant anymore.”

She’s right. No matter what, the result has been set in stone.

Never mind, both Gan Ning and I know this would have come to pa.s.s.

“Alright.” Just then, she raised the cleaver in front of me, “I never wanted to kill again. But it looks like you’re going to be an exception.”

“Go ahead. I just feel that it’s a waste not to have a sip of wine at the very end.” I said as my hands left my spear.

“I won’t give you any wine to drink. I hate liquor, I always have.”

“… I know.” I shrugged as I opened my eyes and looked at Gan Ning as she slowly raised her cleaver.

Just then, for some reason, that Imperial Uncle Liu popped up in my mind, and I thought back to what Imperial Uncle Liu said to me that night atop the city tower. Words which didn’t seem to matter much to me then.

“Can you help me untie my hair? I want to let my hair down.”

“… Alright, that’s much better than letting you drink.” She thought for a moment before complying.

Ah… At the very end… Let’s do as that Imperial Uncle said. It was the first time someone chatted with me after all.

As my hair was let down, I blew my fringe up and the half of my face which was usually covered flew up.

This was a rare time when I looked up to the skies with both eyes.

The weather wasn’t great, but at least it was bright.

“Bon voyage, Administrator.” She softly called out as she raised the cleaver on e more.

I’d thought that I would face the end with my eyes wide open and even see myself bleed. But at the very end, I closed my eyes like a wimp.

My lord Liu Biao, your subordinate is incompetent and this is as far as I can go.

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