“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…”

Hua Xiong?! He can still stand even after taking such a grievous wound?!

“Stay down! Just lie there, if you do that, you can still live.” I coldly said to him.

I cannot kill an enemy who is unable to resist.

“… Are you humiliating me?!”

“!!”

“I too am a warrior general, how can I not fight to my last drop of blood on the battlefield?!”

… Is that so. So he does have in him the spirit of a warrior huh~~~~ Hai, that was wrong of me.

“Then, please forgive me.” I jumped off my horse and took my stance.

“Good, here I come– Ya~~~~” Hua Xiong charged over unsteadily.

“And thereafter, I sliced him up. Only then did he fall.”

On hearing Yun Chang’s words, several people in the tent were moved to tears by Hua Xiong’s bravery.

“So that is to say, you and uncle Sun Jian killed him then?” Yuan Shao said with irritation in her voice.

“No, actually there is still a continuation.” Yun Chang said and looked at Pan Feng. “Right, Lord Pan Feng?”

“Ah? … Ah, if you say there is, then maybe there is…”

“Stop p.u.s.s.yfooting around!! Say it, quick!”

Yuan Shao really couldn’t take it anymore and roared at Pan Feng.

“Ah, okay okay okay. I’ll say it, I’ll say it.”

“The coalition leader always bullies our Pan Feng~~~ How hateful.” Just before Pan Feng continued, I could hear some words from Han Fu beside me.

—- And so Pan Feng began recollecting what happened.

“Wait General Guan, wait for me!!! I don’t have a horse!! Take me with you!! … Haa… Haa… I can’t! I can’t catch up!”

Finally we could leave this place, but because General Guan was too hasty in leaving, she didn’t hear me at all.

Ahhhh what to do~~~ If at this moment the troops rush out of the city, I’m done for… My lord, looks like it is time for us to part…

“Oi…”

“Un?!!” A voice came from the ground and scared me. I looked over and saw that Hua Xiong was still breathing. “Aiya, just leave me be. Take it that I’m begging you, don’t scare me anymore and just die okay?”

“… No good.”

“Then lend me a hand, give me a horse and I’ll let you live. How about that?”

“I don’t want this life. Lord Dong Zhuo has been very kind to me, and I shall follow him.”

Aiya, why be so hard on yourself huh~~~

“Stop talking nonsense.” I plucked up courage and hoisted Hua Xiong up before shouting to him. “Quick!! Get the people in the city to send a horse! Now!”

Just as I finished, I heard the city gates open.

This time I was truly scared because I thought they were coming to capture me. But who knew that it was just a single soldier who came out and handed me a horse.

“I heard everything from up the walls, and seeing you have no horse, I brought one specially for you. Just look at that fearful look of yours, just leave, we will take care of General Hua Xiong. Don’t worry and go.”

“… Did you know, brother.” Tears streamed down my face as I got up on the horse. “If it weren’t for my lord, I would have switched occupations long ago! Anyway goodbye! — Jia!”

(TL: Jia is what the Chinese say to get horses to gallop.)

As I thought, there is still a lot of good people in this world huh.

“Un… Eh! Eh! Eh! General Hua Xiong?! … Stop!! Stop!! General Hua Xiong’s plate is clipped to the horseshoe!!”

“And just like that, by the time I stopped the horse, that person became a messy lump of flesh.”

Aiya~~~~ I was wondering why those 3 were so hesitant about saying it. It’s actually because it’s simply too tragic and they couldn’t bear to say it.

But speaking of which, it really was the combined efforts of all 3 huh…

“This is… Everyone, isn’t it awful!?”

“Awful!”

Why the h.e.l.l?! Yuan Shao why are you doing a cheer?!

“Anyway now that the Administrator of Sishui Pa.s.s is dead, we can easily conquer the city.” Yuan Shao said as she fiddled with her hair. “Ah, you 3 all deserve merits, and will receive appropriate awards.”

After thanking them, Yuan Shao waved her hand and dismissed everyone.

“How was it big brother? I did it.”

“Un, but this is a really unexpected outcome…”

I really didn’t think that Hua Xiong’s life force would be this resilient.

“Pan Feng, good work you idiot.”

“Maa, it’s nothing much, and it’s all thanks to my lord.”

“Don’t need to be so humble.”

There’s actually nothing to praise right?! … Hai, what an idiotic lord-va.s.sal pair.

“Ah, that’s right. As for the enemy General Hua Xiong, in remembrance of his peerless bravery, we shall give him a proper burial…” Before Yuan Shao could finish…

“Report!!!”… A signalled came running in– Seriously I’m starting to hate signallers. “Hua Xiong, who is now a bloodied mess, has brought his troops to our entrance and is asking for a duel!”

All feudal lords present all uttered an “””””Aiya~~~””

To actually last to this point….

“That fellow, destroy him!!” Yuan Shao’s sorrowful look disappeared instantly and she stood up. “Close off our encampment, and ready our archers!!”

In spite of everyone’s protests, Yuan Shao let loose a rain of arrows and finally Hua Xiong died under the torrent of arrows.

Though Hua Xiong did die to the arrows, I went to think about it deeper later. The moment he chose to speak with Sun Jian and the rest and not send his troops forth, he could be considered a dead man already. Though he did waver on this decision, he succ.u.mbed to Yun Chang’s words, and so dead again. Later, he duelled Sun Jian, dead. Refusing to accept help, dead. Getting trampled by the horse, dead. Gathering all these facts, one can say that Hua Xiong was truly fated to die today… Then in that case, who was the one who killed Hua Xiong?