Here should be good enough Set up camp! Light the fires!

We had been travelling off the road to Zhuo commandery for some time and it was now nightfall. Everywhere around us was utterly unfamiliar wilderness, but this was actually reassuring.

During this time, my troops had made me feel a lot of pressure. This was because they did not know where I was taking them and I did not inform them of a concrete destination either all this while. Thus, they began to suspect that I did not have a destination in mind along the way.

Though they may be soldiers now, they are normal civilians at heart, and will not believe me without basis forever.

Hai~~~ Im so exhausted. Yi De set down her weapon and sank to the ground.

Its no wonder youre tired. Though we rode on the way here, weve been at it non-stop for half a day already. Yun Chang said as she tidied her messy hair. You should come down too.

Oh.

Zhang Jue who had been sitting behind jumped down timidly and planted her her wooden stave on the ground.

Um, umm Zhang Jue raised her head after jumping down the horse with difficulty only to lower her head again when she saw us and spoke with clear nervousness, I am but a stranger with all of you, yet you have willingly helped a traitor like me. Thank you everyone, truly.

As she said so she took off her hood and bowed.

Umm, Zhang Jue.

Yes, please go on.

There is only a horse in that direction, we are here.

Ah, ah! So, so-so-sorry My eyes arent too good, and I cant see things clearly.

She frantically turned around, in a direction more of less facing us and kept bowing profusely.

Is it near-sightedness? Then is she holding a wooden stick because of that?

I kept thinking it was some sort of wand, but its actually a white stick huh~~~

(TL: White stick is the name of the stick blind / hard-at-seeing people use. I never knew. And Zhang Jue in the original was supposedly a Taoist sorcerer.)

I looked at the girl called Zhang Jue. She should be older than me but if I were to go by her looks, she seems my age. Her black wavy hair extended to her breasts, and her brown eyes seemed to be big but appeared small due to her frequent squinting.

(TL: No, Chinese people do not have brown eyes. Source: Me.)

Maa, dont need to be so stiff about it. Your little brother left you to us., and naturally we must fulfill our responsibility. Yun Chang smiled as she said so, If you dont mind, could you tell us who defeated you? Though your troops may be untrained, you should not be easily reduced to such a state based on your superior numbers.

As Yun Chang said so, sadness once again appeared on Zhang Jues face but she nodded.

Our encampment was at Julu commandery, which is more or less the last city we could control. Huang Fu Song and Lu Zhi suddenly attacked Julu earlier and we were caught off guard and had no choice but to abandon the city and escape. My brigadier-general said wait for nightfall when they let their guard down and then retake Julu.

(TL: Huang Fu Song and Lu Zhi are very unimportant generals.)

Everything was still alright until here. But when night came, we were ambushed before we could initiate ours. As the night was exceptionally dark then, we didnt know their numbers and could only gather our survivors and run as we suffered attacks at our rear. We continued to run all night, and when dawn came, we found that we had ran in the wrong direction and we were right before Julu city.

And so, we were attacked on both sides and it took a fair bit of fierce fighting before we somehow broke through. By then I had no choice and wrote to ask my little brother for help but we walked into a trap by those people the moment we met. And so my troops and those of my little brother became the rear guard and we escaped somehow.

I thought in silence for a bit, Those people at the start, whose flags were they waving?

Un Umm, I didnt see She pointed at her staff.

Ah, sorry.

How could I have forgotten this, she clearly said it just now.

Big brother, did you think of something?

No, its nothing much

Though I dont know those troops belong to ahom, when I think about the depth of tactics used, that definitely means that it isnt some small fry.

Ah, right, Zhang Jue. I took out the fan. Take a look at this.

Un? This is? She took the fan, and squinted at it, What about this fan?

Looks like the fan isnt hers

Umm, its like this.

I summarised the story of my transfer to Zhang Jue, though I said I got into big trouble instead of saying that I travelled through space-time.

Un She ruffles her hair as she thought. That book is indeed mine, but I didnt write it, an immortal gave it to me. However, I have never read it as I cant see the words clearly.

(TL: No, this is not going to be Xianxia. But yes, in the original, Zhang Jue was supposedly taught and trained by an immortal.)

Is that so So its not her who wrote it, Then where is that book now?

Ah, I gave it to Bo Cai when I passed through Qing state.

(TL: Bo Cai is yet another unimportant Yellow Turban general.)

I gave up and sat back down as I put the fan away.

How could you just give away something you received from an immortal?! Its not like it takes up a lot of space, you could have just left it at home.

Big brother dont give up, if that book is very important then all we have to do is just go to Qing state Though I dont know where Qing state is. That would have been very reassuring and comforting if it werent for Yi Des last bit.

Maa, no need for that. Some things become more elusive the more you chase it.

How do I say it, actually Im just tired of travelling. What I want most now is to get to a small fry administrators city and take a good rest.

So what are you going to do now? Run to the south like your little brother said? Though it was none of my business, I asked anyway.

Un But even I go there, they may not be willing to take me. Moreover, the situation of Yellow Turbans nationwide is very poor, and they wont be happy to feed another mouth. Zhang Jue said as she smiled helplessly.

Then why dont you change your name and start afresh as a farmer again? Few people know about your looks after all.

If I could do that, that would be the best. But I cant! I am responsible for the things the Yellow Turban Army did and there is no way I can selfishly live in peace. Zhang Jue said emotionally with her eyes wide open. And I promised my little brothers from the start, that we will never return to farming until the day the world is at peace.

Un~~ But you cant be a small fry in our army right. I thought for a bit, Well what can you do? Can you command the weather or summon some magic beasts?

That Actually I cant do any of those. My little brothers spread many lies about me. Zhang Jue rubbed her head with a helpless smile, and said abashedly, If I really have to say it, apart from being able to read, I know a little bit about medicine.

Medicine?

Un, dont look at me like that, Im not bragging but my medical techniques are fairly sophisticated. She said with a somewhat proud look.

Hou~~~

Big sister, she says she knows medical techniques.

Un, I too know how to bandage wounds, albeit a bit roughly. Nothing strange.

What? You all dont believe me! She angrily took a small bag out of her cloak. Look at this, this is powder I manufactured on my own. When you spread some of it on places that hurt, it stops hurting immediately. You can try it out.

Is this thing called mafeisan?

(TL: The first Chinese anesthesia.)

! She stook a step back in shock, Thats amazing! How did you know? I only gave it a name yesterday! And I thought so long too!

Hai

I felt like I had no choice and stood up and grabbed Zhang Jues shoulders as I looked at her with kind eyes.

Eh?!!! U, umm, what What Zhang Jues shoulders trembled, her face turned red immediately and her mouth moved up and down but words came out.

Big brother? You, you want to

I, if big brother wants, wants that then I, I too The sky is dark a, anyway We can Together

I say, I ignored my sisters inexplicable words and snatched the little bag away from her and began my bold- Tsukkomi, This thing shouldnt be yours, but you probably dont know what a patent is. But what I want to say is, this isnt invented by you, its invented a very impressive person called Hua Tuo.

(TL: Hua Tuo is a medical genius who existed in reality as well as in the original. He pioneered the use of surgical techniques and anesthesia at a time when the whole of China munched roots and herbs for everything from colds to cancer. You can think of him as an Asian Hippocrates. However, when he died, he destroyed his manuals and since he had no disciples, his techniques and formulas were lost. And so doomed the progress of Chinese medical surgery.)

Though I dont know how this thing winded up in your hands, it isnt to strange, after everything Ive been through, for Hua Tuo and Zhang Jue to know each other somehow.

But what is with my little sisters? Why did you all loosen your belts? Are you all going to bed? Speaking of which, they seemed to have frozen after I finished speaking, and their faces turned red immediately.

She was struck dumb for a mement. If youre talking about Hua Tuo

She pointed at herself.

Dont be silly, your family name is Zhang and your given name is Jue okay?

Right, and my courtesy name is Hua Tuo.

Haha, you are such a

What did she just say?

Your fanily name is Zhang and your given name is Jue.

And my courtesy name is Hua Tuo.

Eh?

Really!?

The me now was beginning to be very afraid and I seriously doubted the veracity of using the things I know to make sense of this world.

(TL: Note that Hua Tuo and Zhang Jue are NOT the same people in history and the originals.)

A, and so that is to say that your family name is Zhang, your given name is Jue and your courtesy name is Hua Tuo. Zhang Jue, Zhang Hua Tuo?

Nods.

A, and that is to say that when the neighbouring auntie hollers for you, she can call you Zhang Jue or Hua Tuo?

Though I dont quite get what you mean, but basically that is what it is.

This sort of thing, how can it be

Alright fine, Ill trust you.

Yun Chang Yi De, Ive decided that we shall keep her. I said to the 2 who were fixing their clothing with red faces.

Ah, ah, that is good.

Ah, I have nothing against that.

Whats wrong? From the moment I finished, you 2 have had weird expressions.

And so thats how it is. I turned to look at Zhang Jue, If you dont mind, then stay with us. As for your position Well take it that you are my personal adviser.

Un, I dont have anywhere else to go anyway. And my little brother left me with you despite having exchanged no more than a few sentences with you, which means that he felt following you would not be the wrong choice.

Ha, its not something so impressive. I replied, Alright, from now on, we wont call you Zhang Jue, well call you Hua Tuo.

Un, being a little intimate is good too.

(TL: Calling one by their courtesy name is something like calling people by their first names in Western tradition, or by calling Japanese by their given names. Nowadays, there is no such thing as a courtesy name, so its just first name last name.)

Un, alright.

I couldnt say it, that it wasnt because of intimacy, but because of safety that I want to call you Hua Tuo. If we kept at it with using Zhang Jue, then we would definitely be mistaken for Yellow Turbans.

Can I ask for everyones names

Ah, we havent introduced ourselves. I am Liu Bei, Liu Xuan De Though I dont think I am.

I am Xuan Des little sister, Guan Yu, Guan Yun Chang. I look forward to working with you. Yun Chang said as she flicked her hair and cupped one fist in the other hand in a gesture of respect.

(TL: Its that gesture that you always see in Wushu shows / competitions when they greet one another.)

I am Zhang Fei, Zhang Yi De, the smallest little sister. I look forward to getting along with you. Yi De said, as she held her hip.

Please do get along with me generals.

Aiyaya, dont need to bother with the formalities and just call us by name.

Un, thought I cant quite see who is who, I have at least remembered your names. If you should get injured, come to me and I will apply medicine for you.

She bowed again as she said so.

Hmph, we wont get injured easily yo~~~

Un, well trouble you when the time comes.

Yun Chang and Yi De replied.

Now then, introductions are all done, and the sky is dark. Lets go to sleep.

I clapped twice and then let out a yawn.

Though we still dont know where to go tomorrow, that sort of thing isnt so urgent that it cant be settled tomorrow anyway.

Un?

Just then, the sound of hooves could be heard from a certain direction. Not many, but they were powerful, and one could tell those were good horses just from hearing their gallop.

What is it? Zhang Jue, no Huo Tuo was squinting into the distance. If you cant see, dont need to force yourself you know.

Looks like we have guests.

Un, but dont awaken our troops yet. From the sound of the hooves, there shouldnt be too many people.

As they finished speaking, Yun Chang and Yi De had their weapons in hand already.

Just as I was wondering if I should pull out my twin swords as well, the torch fire from the band of horse riders had already revealed their figure clearly before our eyes.

Who goes there?!

Yun Chang yelled with apprehension in her voice.

Please do not be alarmed everyone. We are just a squad that has escaped from Du city. The leading rider quickly said. We saw light here, and thought it was an encampment of the Imperial Court army, and wished to seek shelter for a night.

From that voice, the general must be a woman. Just being a female general though, was no longer a surprise to me.

Under the light of the flame torches, I saw her wearing a glorious coat armour, with a stern, serious look and razor sharp gaze that would have trumped any male bravado. Even with such an unyielding countenance, her graceful beauty shone through.

Were not a battalion of the Imperial Court. Ah, we are also not any merchant troupe.

I quickly denied it, and turned back to signal Yun Chang and Yi De to put down their weapons. Yi De remained on guard at first, but I looked at her a few times and she finally relented.

But at the same time, you arent traitors right? She said as she looked at us, and got off her horse without waiting for a reply. Now then, will you mind us camping beside you?

Ah, this is not a problem. But may I first know who

And just as I said that, my words stopped at my throat, and I sighed helplessly from the bottom of my heart. Truly, this time was worse than before.

Because, she wielded a halberd.

(TL: A Chinese style halberd, which is a signature weapon for)

Ah, I havent introduced myself. She swung the halberd around and stuck the blade portion deeply into the ground, before reaching out. I am the foster daughter of Ding Yuan, the Inspector of Bing state, Lu Bu Lu Feng Xian.

I never expected that even he was a beautiful girl?!

And Im not Dong Zhuo, why are you meeting with me?!