At the very moment when Guan Yu and the rest set off from Luoyang, other parties began to move at Sishui Pa.s.s several dozen miles away.

“Now that the frontlines are getting tight, I suggest that we send another wave of the garrison here to support the frontlines as our position here at Sishui Pa.s.s is not too important.”

The gatekeeper of Sishui Pa.s.s– Bian Xi, was currently kneeling in the meeting room in the city tower and discussing military deployments with several officials. At this time, the Battle of Guandu had not progressed to its climax and both sides were still in a standoff.

And Bian Xi knew that the frontline badly needed troops now that they were in a battle of attrition.

“Lord Bian Xi! Lord Bian Xi!”

Just as they had settled the deployments, a frantic yell could be heard from the outside. Bian Xi stopped speaking and raised her head to look at the entrance.

“Lord Bian Xi!”

A man with messy clothing came running in as the sound got clearer. He was old, and his beard had begun to turn white. He seemed tired and looked listless.

Bian Xi looked at the person and saw that it was the Administrator of Xingyang, w.a.n.g Zhi.

“Un? Why has Lord w.a.n.g Zhi come at this time? If I remember correctly, this isn’t the time we set for a meeting…”

“Now isn’t the time for that!” w.a.n.g Zhi interrupted Bian Xi and rushed into the room, “My son-in-law has been killed!”

“Un? Your son-in-law?” Bian Xi didn’t understand immediately and only did so after a moment, “Lord Han Fu is it? Did something happen in Luoyang?”

“Aiya! Lord Bian Xi, something very dangerous did happen!”

Yun Chang POV

It’s been a few days since we’ve hit the road after leaving Luoyang city. Looking back and front, apart from the dirt road looking like how I remember it, there’s not much to say.

Mountains, forests, rivers. Even with such pristine nature about me, I don’t have the desire to admire its beauty.

The reason why I was troubled lay in my heart.

The words which Liao Hua told me several days ago have made me think deeply all this while. And I have begun to doubt if the path I have always taken is correct.

Peoples’ paths clash after all, so will my path of virtue inevitable trample those of others?

And it is from questions like these that doubts about my path arise from.

I don’t know what I should do when I reach the next pa.s.s. Should I wait even if I can’t convince the gatekeeper general?

But waiting feels unreliable as who knows if they really would check or if they would let us cross after they confirm we have a permit?

But… Should I trust them…

No good, the more I think, the worse it gets.

But if we keep getting through with brute force, I’m afraid I’ll stray farther and farther from my path of virtue.

I didn’t dare to verbalise what I thought in my heart. If it really was like what Liao Hua said, then perhaps I shouldn’t voice out my doubts. Sometimes, it’s better to trouble only oneself with one’s own doubts.

As I looked at Wen Yuan and Lu Bu who were fiddling around with the map as usual, I nodded in my heart.

“What is General Guan thinking about?”

Eh? I turned and saw that Liao Hua had come beside me all of a sudden.

“Ah, no. I’m just concerned because General Guan has been frowning a lot these last few days.”

I only noticed this when I heard her say this and hurriedly loosened up my creased eyebrows.

“Just thinking about some stuff, I guess.” I smiled and changed the topic, “Speaking of which, what’s the next pa.s.s? Hulao Pa.s.s?”

“Hulao Pa.s.s? Wasn’t that the old name?” Liao Hua tilted her head and then clapped all of sudden in realisation, “Oh! Does General Guan know about the merger of Hulao Pa.s.s and Sishui Pa.s.s?”

Ah! That’s right, there was such a thing.

The things that happened at Sishui Pa.s.s seem like so long ago. I still remember the compet.i.tion to catch Red Hare with Lu Bu and the rest. I lost in the end, but it’s all good.

Un… I wonder what happened to the hot spring outside Sishui Pa.s.s.

(TL: Refer to V1 extra story.)

My memories started playing before me when I thought of Sishui Pa.s.s.

Thinking back, time has pa.s.sed by really quick. It’s almost a year now since leaving Zhuo commandery.

We pa.s.sed through Sishui Pa.s.s from the outside the last time, but now we’re exiting through Sishui Pa.s.s.

Fate has a funny way of playing out huh.

“Yun Chang, we’re here!” Just as I was swirling in melancholy, Wen Yuan who was at the head of our convoy yelled out cheerfully at me.

My heart trembled when I heard her and an unexplainable dread filled my heart which forced my hands to pull on the reins and stop the horse.

I suppressed it somehow and galloped up to Lu Bu and Wen Yuan with Liao Hua following behind me.

Sishui Pa.s.s was now right before us. I looked up and sure enough, the words 汜水關 were there as expected.

Now then, time to announce ourselves.

“…”

“Un? Yun Chang?”

“Ah, un.” What is wrong with me, why did I go into a daze…

I shook my head and took a deep breath–

“Oi! Soldiers at the tower! Please notify the Administrator to allow us to cross the pa.s.s!!”

*Dong*! *Giyahhhhh*…

Just when I finished, the gates opened as though they were prepared for us.

Please don’t be like the last time.

I silently prayed in my heart.