“How many days have we been marching now?”

“It’s been 5 days, big brother.” Yun Chang replied as she wiped the sweat streaming down her face.

So it’s been 5 days since we left Luoyang huh.

But… No matter what, after 5 days of marching, we should be able to see a village if not a town or city, yet how could it be that we are in the middle of nowhere in the wilderness?

If I’d known it would be like this, I would have followed Gongsun Zan to You state. Though it was slightly far, it was still better than marching blindly.

Hai~~~ Under the sweltering heat, everyone was utterly deflated.

It was the same be it Yun Chang and the rest, or our troops at the back. But speaking of which, why do I get the feeling that the few hundred troops we had at the start was actually an inflated figure? No matter how I look, it feels like only a hundred or so.

But what was most critical now was the fact that we were neither soldiers belonging to the Imperial Court nor did we belong to any city. Even our original purpose of defeating the Yellow Turban Army no longer exists, so what exactly are we supposed to be now?

“In any case… Does anyone know where this is?” I looked about, hoping for an answer.

“Xuan De, I think this should be the sh.o.r.e of the Yangtze river…” Feng Xian said expressionlessly as she fondled the Red Hare, “We should be… Somewhere downstream.”

She didn’t have a single bead of sweat on her face at all, was it not hot?

“So tired… Ah?! There’s a plum forest in front!!”

“Yi De don’t run over! That’s just a hill… Hua Tuo, help her cool down quick.”

A familiar cliché flashed in my mind, though it was a little different from this.

“Oh, I got it. But… Where is Lord Yi De? … Ah, this?”

“Lord Hua Tuo, Lord Yi De is in front. Please look more carefully, what you’re touching now are my b.r.e.a.s.t.s.” Zhang Liao said helplessly with a red face.

“Ah, please forgive me Lord Zhang Liao. Since I was touching b.r.e.a.s.t.s, then it can’t be Lord Yi De.” Hua Tuo quickly moved her hands away and slowly rode over to an angry Yi De.

Really, the heat this afternoon is definitely not normal, and if we aren’t careful, we will run the risk of a heat stroke.

Looks like we might have to set up camp earlier today… Though we have yet to find a suitable place to rest… How long more do we have to travel…

“What are you doing?!”

Un?

A harsh shout suddenly came from up ahead.

“Your lord sent you here to protect me yet you’re doing this, your lord…”

“Cut the c.r.a.p! You’re so rich anyway, why not spare some for us poor folk huh~~~ Quick, hand it over!”

I looked over and saw a carriage being surrounded by several dozen soldiers.

“Is there a robbery happening up ahead?” I asked as I neared with the soldiers, and Yun Chang and the rest.

“I don’t know, but it’s definitely not something good.” Yun Chang was exhausted from the heat and constant travelling but when met with this, she immediately perked up and readied her stance as she wielded the Green Dragon Crescent Blade.

“Oi!! What are you all doing huh?” Yi De who was still affected by the heat could not wait any longer and yelled out at them even though we were still quite a distance away.

“Un? Who are you?” The one who was threatening the man before looked over with an arrogant look but upon seeing us, fear immediately appeared on hos face.

“… Big brother, wait here for a bit,” Yun Chang said after thinking for a moment, before riding up leisurely alone– Yet no one from the other side dared to approach Yun Chang as she neared them. “Consider yourselves lucky, I’m different from Feng Xian and Yi De so I’ll ask first, what is it that you all are doing?”

“Do, do what?! Hehe, I, we are–” The man laughed and scratched his head as sweat streamed down his face. And then all of a sudden–

“Rob them!!”

As he yelled out the command, the hand which was scratching his head reached back and pulled out a sword which he swung towards Yun Chang.

It’s over. I don’t know who he is but to draw his sword against Yun Chang, he’s finished…

“…”

*Ding* Yun Chang blocked the blow with her broadsword which she held in front of her.

“To think you can say such things so audaciously… You really cannot be saved.”

And as she said so, with just a simple, clean swing–

Wu! Just one blow, and that person fell without a single moan.

Though I still can’t quite accept murder, such people do deserve to die and aren’t worth pitying.

When the rest of the cronies saw their leader get killed, they ran off in all directions. Feng Xian wanted to chase them but I stopped her.

“Leave them be, we came to save these people, not to punish the robbers.” After I said so, I walked over to the middle-aged man who was threatened by the robbers and sized him up. Seeing as he was bringing all his possessions, and brought along quite a bit of money, he was probably uprooting and making a journey to a relative. “Are you all alright? Did you lose anything?”

“Ah, I’m fine, thank you all for saving us,” He said as he saluted us. “May I please ask for your names, so that I may one day return the favour to you all.”

(TL: Salute here means that gesture you see in shows or kungfu tournaments where they greet each other by cupping on closed fist in a hand.)

“There is no need to return the favour, Yun Chang did not save you for the sake of any reward.” Feng Xian replied immediately and calmly while she fondled the Red Hare.

(TL: Dude, stop molesting the dog.)

Indeed that was the case. Though hearing it from Feng Xian first was a little surprising.

“I am Liu Bei Liu Xuan De, and I’m still a… Prefect, though I don’t know if the Imperial Court still recognises me as such.” I said as I laughed dryly.

Should be. I should still be the Prefect of Anxi county.

“May I ask your…”

Before I could finish, that person quickly stood up and introduced himself as he bowed.

“Ah, I am Cao Song. While Emperor Ling was still reigning, I was the Minister of Finance. Due to the recent chaos these few years in the Imperial Court, I returned to my hometown to rest as I was ill. These few days I heard that the rebels at Chang’an have been cleaned out so I’m heading over to where my daughter is.”

(TL: Emperor Ling is the previous Han Emperor and also father of what will be the last Emperor of Han.)

It’s only been a few days, and those rebels in Chang’an have been wiped out? … Looks swift is an understatement for Meng De.

But Cao Song? Why does this name seem so familiar…

“May I ask who your daughter is…” Yun Chang asked.

“Ah, my daughter huh,” Cao Song gave a proud smile as he stroked his goatee, “You all may not believe it, but the one who destroyed the Chang’an rebels is my daughter!”

Eh?!

“Then, your daughter is Meng, Meng De?!”

I couldn’t, no I didn’t dare to believe it immediately.

“Aiya? You all know my daughter?!” Cao Song’s eyes gleamed as he shook my hand profusely and looked at us as though we were his family.

I really didn’t think it would be Meng De’s father.

“Ah, we were indeed colleagues of Meng De for a few days…”

I replied as I endured the pain from my hands. I have to say, this old man really doesn’t know how to control his strength. My hands are almost numb from his shaking.

“Oh, so it’s like that. My daughter must have troubled you all quite a bit.”

“No way!” I hurriedly replied on hearing this. “Many things were resolved all thanks to Meng De, without whom we really wouldn’t know what to do.”

“… Hnn hnn.” The old man suddenly chuckled for some reason, “Hearing such praise from you means that Meng De is quite honest in front of you huh.”

“Eh? What do you mean?”

“My daughter has never been very forthcoming since young.” Cao Song said as he gave a helpless laugh. “Whether it’s her brothers and sisters in the clan or her subordinate generals, she has never been willing to say what she thinks. Of course, the price to pay for this is unnecessary suspicion from those around her and so she doesn’t have many friends.”

(TL: I know I use certain words a lot, but that’s because the author does it too. And I’m not just talking about what he wants to express, he uses the exact same word as well.)

As he said so, Cao Song looked at me with kind eyes. I must say, as Meng De’s father, Cao Song really knows her well.

“Though there were many times that I wasn’t able to fully understand her intentions, I can more or less guess what she was thinking. At the very least, I feel that your daughter is not as awkward as you say she is.”

“Keke, is that so! Is that so! That’s good! That’s very good!” Cao Song said meaningfully as he slapped my shoulders.

“Please be careful on your journey and I hope you don’t run into robbers again.” I frowned as I looked at Cao Song, and at the carriage full of items and money. “It is now a time of chaos, you must find some reliable retainers.”

“Un un, I understand full well… But those people just now weren’t robbers, though they weren’t all that different from robbers anyway.”

“Eh, what was that?” “They aren’t robbers?”

“But this fellow did clearly state that he was committing robbery.”

Yun Chang didn’t get it either as she said so while pointing to the dead person on the ground.

“He was originally a subordinate general of the Governor of Xu state, Tao Qian. When I pa.s.sed through Xu state, Tao Qian sent him to be my bodyguard but I didn’t expect that he would succ.u.mb to greed halfway.” Cao Song said as he herded his family up the carriage. “I would stay and chat but I have to leave soon. The journey to Chang’an is still long…”

“Un, please send my regards to Meng De.”

I saluted as I said so.

Cao Song only smiled in response before he left. As a show of respect, we watched the carriage until it left our field of vision.

Un… Cao Song huh, I actually have quite the impression about this person. I had after all tried to read the Romance of the Three Kingdoms after all but I was overwhelmed by the sheer number of names.

(TL: This is my experience as well. But at least with Romance of the Three Kingdoms, you can skip through most of the names as the key people will keep popping up anyway and their names will stick. In the case of Water Margin, I really had a hard time following the story as I have issues with remembering names and every member of the 108 have important parts here and there!)

… Wait, Cao Song?

Cao Song!!

I remember now!

In the history I remember, was, wasn’t he… Wasn’t he killed here? But he was saved by us here?!

“Ah!!” A sudden cry from behind scared the wits out of me, and I turned to see Hua Tuo, who was squatting down and looking at the dead person with a shocked face, pointing at him as she said, “I know this person, he used to be from the Yellow Turban Army as well…. His name is probably… Zhang Kai!!”

(TL: Zhang Kai is a Yellow Turban who didn’t achieve much, went to Tao Qian after the rebellion was quashed and attacked Cao Song when he was sent to protect him before fleeing into the mountains. Yeah, that doesn’t make sense to me either but he’s not important so don’t think too much about it.)

He’s someone Hua Tuo knows? Then that means he surrendered after the rebellion…

“Hua Tuo, do you know him well?”

“No, not really. I’ve only heard of him, he’s from the south.” Hua Tuo said as she touched his neck. “… No more breath huh.”

“You want to save him?” Yun Chang asked.

“I am a physician after all.” Hua Tuo laughed helplessly, before heaving a long sigh as she got up. “But he’s dead for sure and he hasn’t been doing much good anyway.”

Hua Tuo didn’t seem to take much pity on this person. Though he was her former subordinate, looking at Hua Tuo’s eyes that seems like the person on the ground was a stranger, I know that when Hua Tuo said she did not manage the national Yellow Turban movement, it was true.

(TL: Just a reminder that this silly short-sighted girl is supposedly a mystic warrior and a former farmer who led a national uprising.)

But, the real issue here was Cao Song’s survival.

“Big brother? What’s wrong? You don’t look too good.” Yi De said with concern as she looked at me.

“Ah? … Ah, it’s fine, the heat just got to me.”

… It should be fine.

One more person alive is just one more person alive, and it’s not like I can’t save him when I see it in front of me.

(TL: Experienced light/web novel readers will recognise this as an event flag. And you’re right, which is why I’m leaving the explanation for Cao Song’s event for later as the follow-up events will be covered in later chapters.)

“Are you alright?”

“I’m fine I’m fine, no need to worry. Let us be on our way too.”

As I responded to Yi De’s concerned words, I started leading the way and Yi De and the rest followed without asking further.

…

Now then, back to our original question, where is the nearest city?

“Does anyone know where we are?” I asked again.

“Xuan De, this should be the sh.o.r.e of the Yellow River.”

“Feng Xian, don’t think that I’ll accept your answer just like that just because you switched to a river slightly north of the one you said before.”

All of a sudden, our future seemed bleak.

“Xuan De!!!”

“Un?”

Why was there someone calling me?

I looked toward where the sound came from but this voice was…

“Lord Gongsun?!!”

“Aiya, we know each other so long already. Why are you still so distant? Just call me Bo Gui.” Gongsun Zan said as she ran over happily with her troops.

As she walked up to me, she nodded vigorously.

“Ah~ It really has been a while since we’ve met huh~~~”

It’s only been 5 days right…

“Yes, Lord Xuan De is the same as always huh.” Zi Long from behind smiled as she saluted me.

“Zi Long is doing well too huh.”

I saluted back.

“But didn’t Lord Gongsun return to You state? Why did you come back here?” Yun Chang asked.

On hearing this, Gongsun Zan suddenly became a little embarra.s.sed.

“Maa, how should I put it? I guess I’m just too strong.” Gongsun Zan twisted about as she scratched her hair. “Kong Rong, the Administrator of Beihai, has been blockaded and needs me to save him…”

“Actually, it’s only because Yuan Shao won’t send help, and Han Fu’s supplies are insufficient that they have no choice but to ask for our help…” Zi Long supplemented with words which utterly destroyed Gongsun Zan’s bubble.

“Haa, that really is troubling for you all huh…”

“Really, I hadn’t even had a chance to sit down back home when Kong Rong’s subordinate came calling.” Gongsun Zan said, though I didn’t feel like she felt that it was troublesome in the least. And thereafter, she revealed someone from behind her. “Tais.h.i.+ Ci, this is Liu Bei Liu Xuan De, he is a very good person~~~ Xuan De, this is Tais.h.i.+ Ci, the one who came asking for help.”

“My, my name is Tais.h.i.+ Ci. Please treat me kindly, Lord Liu Bei.” The girl said politely and respectfully.

“Ah, please treat me kindly as well, Lord Tais.h.i.+ Ci.” I gave my greetings as I saluted Tais.h.i.+ Ci as well.

Tais.h.i.+ Ci huh… I’d thought Tais.h.i.+ Ci would be a musclebound man, but Tais.h.i.+ Ci is a girl too.

The girl didn’t seem to be very old, and was about my age but slightly older. She has faint pink hair, with a neatly cropped fringe that was part of her mushroom haircut. On her back were 2 short spears, and perhaps it was because of the resulting weight, she always used her hands to support the base of the spears. She was also constantly frowning, and seemed to give off a feeling like she was a timid creature.

(TL: Please don’t ask me why Tais.h.i.+ Ci’s character design picture shows her holding 2 ribbon-like things instead of spears.)

“Speaking of which, Xuan De, where are you all headed to?”

For some reason, I have an ominous feeling…

“We were planning ln finding a–”

“Why don’t you come with me to Beihai!”

“Wu…”

… I just know something troublesome would come up.

Since she directly invited me even before I could finish, she probably doesn’t plan on letting me go anywhere else.

But it’s still better not to accept.

“About that, I won’t…”

“Come with me!”

Gongsun Zan’s eyes were gleaming, and she seemed to be expecting my agreement.

I helplessly looked toward Zi Long who was behind Gongsun Zan and she put her hands together and nodded equally helplessly.

“I too hope that Lord Liu Bei can come as well, as the more fighting strength we have, the better.” Tais.h.i.+ Ci said with resolute eyes, as she awaited my answer.

In addition, after she finished, she s.h.i.+fted her gaze to Gongsun Zan and frowned even more deeply, as if to say that ‘only Gongsun Zan is no good.’

Ah, what to do~~~

“Xuan De, let’s go. Lord Gongsun is already asking us like that.” Feng Xian walked over to persuade me, probably out of guilt from what happened in Sishui Pa.s.s.

“Little sister and the rest of the troops are utterly exhausted. If we break Beihai’s blockade, we can enter the city and rest there.” Yun Chang added as she nodded.

“Un… How far is here from Beihai?”

“Ah, not far. Just an hour’s walk and we can reach Beihai.” Gongsun Zan seemed to have seen hope and immediately replied me.

That is to say that even if I don’t agree to go, I’ll probably arrive at a besieged Beihai city anyway.

“… Then, shall we go?”

I looked at everyone in turn, and they all nodded.

Alright, we’ll go.

In the end, I still followed Gongsun Zan’s will and agreed.

“Ah… Words cannot express how grateful I am.” Just as I finished, Tais.h.i.+ Ci covered her mouth with her hands as she saluted with tears in her eyes.

You don’t need to be that touched right.

“Oh!!” For some reason, Gongsun Zan was the happiest of all of them. “Like this I can be together with Xuan De for a time again.”

“My lord, for this expedition, you musn’t give Lord Xuan De trouble.”

“Yes!”

From my point of view, doesn’t Zi Long seem more like the master?

“Ah, I see a large contingent of troops.”

“Yi De? What nonsense are you spouting again?”

I said helplessly. Looks like Yi De really has been affected by the heat.

“My lord, Lord Yi De’s words doesn’t seem to be nonsense.” Zhang Liao said as she pointed ahead. “Look!”

“Ah?”

I squinted my eyes and finally saw it, a large contingent of troops straight ahead.

“That is the army that is blockading Beihai!” Tais.h.i.+ Ci’s eyes changed in an instant, as she wielded her twin spears and readied her stance. “Seems like they noticed we are the reinforcements and they are initiating an attack on seeing that our numbers are insufficient.”

As soon as Tais.h.i.+ Ci finished, everyone had prepared their weapons.

Gongsun Zan’s expression was like as usual as she yelled to her troops, “All troops at the ready!!”

And in the next moment, the sounds of the charge would deafen me.

… Oh well, at least we don’t have to run around aimlessly.