Yun Chang POV

An alarmed atmosphere filled the sleepy village town in an instant following the sound of the gong. It was still calm inside the house, but the sounds of the crowd outside soon turned to a chaotic one as everyone panicked.

Looks like the refugees are here.

I didn’t think that the masked leader was capable enough to reorganise so quickly.

No, now isn’t the time to be impressed by others. Since they’ve come, we have an opportunity to make things clear.

“Ms soldier, don’t you have to go?”

The female soldier’s face was filled with tension and uneasiness, probably because she was worried about what it was like outside.

“My mission is to watch over you…” Her eyes kept flittering to the windows as she muttered, “I didn’t think they’ve broken in already. The traps outside the village should

have been activated…”

“It will be difficult to expect the same tricks to work on the enemy twice. They could have went around them as well.”

Going around them isn’t too long anyway so it should be possible.

“Looks like this decent village can’t escape a perilous fate huh.”

“What are you talking about Liao Hua, it’s not decided yet.”

If it’s that Chen Gong, she should be able to save this village.”

“No, we probably can’t stop them.”

*Giya*–

A calm, mocking voice could be heard just as the door was slammed open. Chen Gong calmly walked in in her usual official uniform and hat, her face unperturbed.

“Leader, has it…” The female soldier began to ask Chen Gong as she walked in.

“They’ve already gone around the main traps at the front. I set some traps on the side routes as well but for some reason they are destroyed in the instant that they are activated.”

The one leading the charge must be a formidable warrior. Looks like that masked woman had some cards left after all.

“We can’t meet them in a head-on fight as their numbers are far more than ours.” Chen Gong looked at us as she continued, “So it’s time to use you all.”

“I’ve said this many times over already: We have nothing to do with those people.”

“I give you the same reply as before: It’s fine, I’ll decide it.” Chen Gong turned around when she finished and gestured to the female soldier before heading out.

After she got the order, the female soldier came up and helped us up, “Are you both really unrelated to those refugees?”

“Unfortunately for you, we aren’t.” I shook my head as I delivered the undeniable truth.

“I see,” She seemed to have trusted me, and smiled bitterly as she continued, “Looks like we’ll have to think of something else I guess?”

She sighed as she helped us up, and even helped to dust our clothes before leading us out.

This can’t be helped right, I thought in my heart. Both sides are fighting to live and I can’t justify helping either side, nor am I able to anyway.

No matter how optimistic she may be, this female soldier is just a commoner. Her parents have died and now she has to deal with another crisis. How much more hards.h.i.+p does she have to dace in her life?”

“Ms soldier, what’s your name? And how old are you?”

“Oh right, I haven’t introduced myself.” She said and saluted with a bow, “My name is Guan Ping and I just turned 15.”

“Oh?! Ms soldier’s surname is also Guan?! We’re both from the same line!” I exclaimed, and reported my name as well, “I’m Guan Yu Guan Yun Chang of Xie county in Hedong, we share the same ancestors!”

“You’re Guan Yu?!”

“Aiya, have you heard of my name before?”

I’ve done a fair bit ever since I started following big brother so it’s not strange if she knows who I am.

“No, not at all.”

“Pu…”

Liao Hua’s chuckle made me feel embarra.s.sed. But it’s true that I haven’t actually done much I guess. Though why is she acting so shocked and surprised if she doesn’t know who I am?

“Ah, no. I was just surprised that we share the same surname. Guan Yu huh…” She placed her hands on her chest and recited my name with a look of bliss.

I can understand how she feels as I too feel the same. I have no blood siblings after all so when I heard that she shared the same lineage as me, it felt like I gained a little sister.

“It feels like you’re my family all of a sudden.” She smiled as she looked at me meaningfully, “It feels like you’re my mother.”

“…”

“Pu!”

Liao Hua’s reaction was even more intense this time. This was honestly the first time I’ve seen Liao Hua reacting like this.

Eh? Mother? Do I look that old?

When you think about it, is she really 15? Not only is she taller than me, her b.r.e.a.s.t.s are so well-developed that even I feel inferior.

“Oi! Get moving Guan Ping, the other side has crossed the trestle bridge already!”

As the doors opened wode, I looked outside and saw that the fog had completely dissipated.

(TL: Guan Ping is Guan Yu’s oldest son.)

Following Guan Ping’s lead, Liao Hua and I were now in an expansive flatlands near the water mill. After a while, a black crowd of people appeared about 100 paces away from us.

“Looks like those fellows have gotten the help of some formidable people.” Chen Gong muttered as she rode atop a pygmy horse with several dozen cavalry behind her that looked like they were rather well-trained.

“Don’t try anything funny later on, you 2. I have bowmen trained on you.”

“Don’t worry, we won’t need to resort to anything funny.” I felt really frustrated at her constant harping, “You better not kill us out of rage or sham later on.”

Though I’ll have an opportunity to escape at that point anyway.

“Don’t worry. I’m an upright official after all so how could I commit such dishonourable acts in front of my citizens? I still have a lot of official positions to ascend to after all.”

That last line was really unnecessary.

“But Chen Gong, do you really not intend on helping the refugees?”

“One is just overestimating oneself if one tries to help when one is unable to.” Chen Gong said unperturbedly. Looks like this isn’t the first time she’s met with such a situation, “Their disaster isn’t ours and we can’t save them without imperiling ourselves. Nor can we let them endanger us.”

I can’t raise any objections to this as she has to be responsible to the people in her village after all.

“Chen Gong! Bet you didn’t expect this! I, Zhou Cang, have come once more!”

The militia were shaken by this sudden yell. Though it was a female voice, it was rather coa.r.s.e and forceful.

But this voice… It sounds like the masked woman.

(TL: Zhou Cang is a fiction only character who met Guan Yu on a random mountain road along this journey.)

The crowd on the other side parted and a woman walked out of the path made by the troops.

She had taken off her black clothing from before as well as her mask, revealing very attractive looks with luscious black hair. All she wore now were some tattered rags which showed her state of poverty.

So she’s called Zhou Cang huh?

“Hmph! So what if you’re back? I have your people with me!”

“My people?”

Good, shooting back the quesion should prove our innocence.

“See, Chen Gong? We aren’t–”

“Lord Guan Yu! Lord Liao Hua!” Just then, a voice called out to us from the other side.

Eh? I looked ahead and saw 2 women step out from the crowd.

It’s Lord Lu Bu and Wen Yuan!

“Un, I’ve seen and heard it.” Chen Gong nodded, “Looks like you’re with those thieves as expected.”

So Lord Lu Bu and the rest had contact with the refugees huh… The masked woman was indeed headed for our encampment then after all.

“General Guan, it’s a little late to say this,” Liao Hua came over and spoke to me softly with a gleeful look, “But your expectation that General Lu Bu would save us covertly is just a fool’s hope.”

d.a.m.n it, my plans ailed again.

“Release those 2 immediately!”

“Sure we can, but you must promise to never disturb our village town ever again, return our stolen provisions, and get the h.e.l.l out across the Yellow River!”

Chen Gong waved her hands as she declared this to which the militia began cheering ‘Ha! Ha! Ha!’ behind.

“Alright, no problem!”

“W… Wait wait wait wait! There’s a lot of problems alright! How could we possibly return the goods we spent so much time and effort to procure! What do you want us to do huh!”

Lu Bu very quickly agreed but Zhou Cang was clearly displeased and refuted her in the same rough tone as before.

“Hmph, what a bunch of fools. I can’t believe they’re having internal conflict at this time.” Chen Gong scoffed, and her severe expression loosened up a little.

I wasn’t feeling any better as both sides were ordinary citizens after all and they were fighting viciously over a pitiful amount of provisions.

It really is tragic.

I looked over at Guan Ping and saw that she was frowning.

“Guan Ping? What’s the matter?”

“Eh? Oh, I was just thinking back to when Zhou Cang first came to ask for provisions. Their att.i.tude was poor and so we ended up fighting.” Guan Ping s.h.i.+fted the sabre hanging by her waist and looked at Zhou Cang with a friendly gaze, “It would be nice if both sides could sit down and discuss this peacefully, whether or not this issue can be solved.”

Sit down and discuss huh…

“I apologise, I’m spouting nonsense again.” Guan Ping felt that what she said was too idealistic and hurriedly tried to retract her words.

“No, that could be a good idea.”

If you think about it, negotiations may be the best way to resolve this peacefully. Firstly, a solution may actually emerge from negotiations; and secondly, we don’t need to guard against the possibility of that Chen Gong fellow who might attack us anyway.

And so, I took a deep breath—

“Lord Lu Bu! Capture Zhou Cang now!”

I immediately twisted my arms and escaped from my bindings as I yelled out. Liao Hua understood my intent and followed suit as well.

Sometimes, negotiations have to be forced after all.