Liu Bei POV

“Gah!” Just as my anxiousness was peaking, a delicate female voice could be heard from some distance away.

None of us paid much notice as this was a place that had both men and women on the battlefield so this sort of cry was commonplace.

“Un?” But unlike us, the little girl suddenly stood still and looked toward where the voice came from and seemed like she became a completely different person.

“Mum!” She yelled out as she shot up with a single step.

Mum? I didn’t understand what was going on, and neither did Liu Qi. But it seems like we are out of the water for now.

“Don’t think you can leave!”

“Ah, Chen Dao!”

“Wen Ping, go and help! Quick!”

“Yes!”

When she saw that the little girl was getting away, Chen Dao was unable to resist her battlel.u.s.t and immediately chased after her. When I saw this, I was naturally uneasy and followed after her.

As I weaved through the chaos, I had to make sure I didn’t lose Chen Dao whilst dodging the blades that came swinging my way, my heart racing as I did so.

“Where do you think you’re running to!!” After running just a few steps, Chen Dao roared out once more and when I looked over, I saw that she had engaged the little girl once more.

*Dingling*!

Another clear sound rang out as Wen Ping managed to catch up and hack away with her blade.

I made it to where they were but felt like I would get in the way so I put some distance between them and I, and began fighting with the surrounding enemies.

“Will you both quit it! I have an emergency!”

“If you have an emergency, then step over our dead bodies if you can?!”

“Defeating me is fine, but don’t step on me…”

What the heck is Wen Ping talking about?

“Kuh! You forced me!” In an instant, the little girl’s atmosphere drastically changed.

“Yaaa!” The little girl roared out just like before as she leapt into the skies and slashed down at the 2 below.

“Lord Chen Dao!”

“I know!”

When the 2 saw this, they raised their heads and prepared to defend against the incoming attack.

And in the next instant– The little girl’s hands seemed to disappear.

“Wh–”

“Yaaaaaaa!” Before Chen Dao’s gasp could be finished, the little girl’s roar of fury filled the air once more.

Immediately after her roar ended, blood spilled out from Chen Dao and Wen Ping’s upper bodies with Wen Ping’s hat split into 2.

“Kuh!”

Chen Dao fell to the ground onto her knees while Wen Ping eked out what strength she had with her blood-covered face and threw her sword out at the little girl.

“Wu!” The little girl couldn’t dodge in time and her arm got cut. She then landed unsteadily and began running off again.

“Kuh…” Wen Ping wanted to try and chase her but she was completely drained and fell to the ground.

Looking at the ragged state Wen Ping and Chen Dao were in, I stood up and chased after the little girl alone, “I’ll follow after her!”

“My lord!”

I didn’t bother replying to Chen Dao’s yell and just concentrated on chasing after the little girl.

“Stop!” I yelled out at the little girl. Of course, I haven’t even thought of what I ought to do after she actually stops.

The little girl neither replied nor did she slowl down, and just continued sprinting ahead.

And up ahead, was the end of the city walls.

“Mum! Mum!” She began calling out once more, just like how she did before, but with greater frequency.

I didn’t understand what was going on, but I didn’t lower my guard nor did I slow down. To be honest, I was close to my limits already.

Where exactly is she running to?

“Mum!!!!” All of a sudden, she braked and yelled out loudly.

I followed her gaze and looked out– At the end of the city walls, a female warrior was pinned down by Gan Ning.

That is… Ah!!

Before I could put everything together, Gan Ning swung her chopper with great strength– And the female warrior fell over the city walls.

“Mum!!!!!!!!!!” The little girl in front of me howled out sorrowfully in that instant. And only then did I realise that the female warrior was her mother.

I stood there in a daze and didn’t know what I ought to say, nor did I know what I ought to do.

“Yaaaaaaa!” Before I could regain my senses, the little girl began moving once more and charged at Gan Ning with full force.

“Gan Ning! Watch out!” I instinctively yelled out at Gan Ning in the distance.

When Gan Ning heard my voice, she looked over at me, and saw the little girl who was charging at her and hurriedly blocked the incoming attack.

*Ding* *Ding* *Ding*!

The little girl launched a continuous stream of attacks without a word while Gan Ning reacted swiftly with her chopper and blocked the little girl’s attacks.

To be honest, it’s not like I can’t understand why the little girl is acting like this. Her mother just got killed by Gan Ning after all. I’d thought Gan Ning had a non-killing policy yet why did she kill a general so cold-bloodedly? I was honestly very surprised at this.

What was more surprising was that I warned Gan Ning before making sense of right and wrong. In times like these, should I be placing more importance on my emotions or the side I belong to?

I don’t know but I’ve already done what I’ve done.

I was now standing at the side, and quietly watching the 2 fighting each other in the noisy background. The little girl was very emotional while Gan Ning was very calm.

“Don’t get yourselves drunk on battlel.u.s.t! As long as the other side has not made it to the city, we can still win!” She still had time to command her troops even while she was embroiled in a vicious duel with the little girl.

And this seemed to further fuel the little girl’s rage.

“Yaaaa!”

*Ding* *Ding* *Ding* *Ding*–

The little girl’s voice became more shrill and more hoa.r.s.e. Looking at her from the side, I felt that she may have reached her limits long ago and was only moving by instinct.

Her attacks were still very swift but unlike before, no matter where her attacks came from or what moves she used, all of them were blocked or deflected by Gan Ning. From this, I could see the difference in martial prowess between Chen Dao, Wen Ping and Gan Ning.

“I don’t wish to kill you. It will be for the best if you would give yourself a chance as well.” Gan Ning delivered an ultimatum to the little girl.

“You killed my mum!”

“I didn’t kill your mum.”

“I’ll get revenge for my mum!” The little girl didn’t listen at all and only persisted in her vicious attacks on Gan Ning.

“Alright, in that case–”

Un!

“Ah!”

Gan Ning grunted and swept away the little girl’s twin swords.

“Haa!!” And she then swung her chopper viciously at the little girl who dodged rather relaxedly.

“Yaaaaa!”

But the little girl either had very good eyesight or intuition as she jumped up and dodged left and right after she dodged the first attack and emerged unscathed from the wave of attacks unleashed by Gan Ning.

“…”

“Grr!!!”

Gan Ning did not show any surprise at this, and only stared ferociously at the little girl, who returned Gan Ning’s stare with an even more ferocious stare and gritted her teeth as she growled at Gan Ning.

*Peng* *Peng* *Peng*!

Just as the standoff was ongoing, cannon fire could be heard from the river which gave me a shock.

“What?!”

“… They’re here.” Gan Ning softly answered my question.

Who’s here? Could they be reinforcements sent by Sun Quan?

“Lord Ling Tong! Lord Ling Tong!” Someone came racing over from the other side and leapt over before landing in front of the little girl. I looked over and saw that it was Zhu Ran.

“Lord Ling Ting, we must pull–” She looked over and put her guard up mid-sentence and when she saw Gan Ning and I.

… She’s probably just on guard against Gan Ning.

Ah! Wait, don’t tell me this little girl is Ling Tong…

“Lord Zhu Ran! If there is anything, we’ll talk later, I must avenge my mum first!”

“Wh– Did Lord Ling Cao–” Zhu Ran’s eyes bulged in disbelief, and when she looked at Gan Ning who stood some distance away from her, a look of realisation spread on her face. And in the next instant, she looked at us with rage.

Ah… Her look of rage is mainly directed at Gan Ning.

“Don’t forget to give yourself a chance.” Gan Ning neither frowned nor did she get into a stance, and only softly repeated her signature line once more.

“… Kuh.” But these words unexpectedly made Zhu Ran withdraw, “Lord Ling Tong, I know you must be deeply sorrowful now but we must retreat.”

“Why?!”

Zhu Ran grabbed Ling Tong’s shoulders but Ling Tong shrugged her off.

“… Wu.” Zhu Ran stared at Gan Ning with 1 eye and said softly to Ling Tong, “Their reinforcements have arrived.”

*Peng* *Peng* *Peng*!

Just as she finished, several rounds of cannon fire resounded once more and an explosion came from below the city, and the sound of troops crying out and scattering could be heard.

“Lord Ling Tong!”

“Wu~~~~” Ling Tong was so emotional that she began to sob softly, and she began to shudder as she sobbed.

At this time, I remembered that she was still just a child, and I had just witnessed a young child see her own mother fall to her death in war.

“Lord Ling Tong! I apologise in advance!” Zhu Ran knew that she couldn’t let this drag on any further and hoisted Ling Tong on her shoulders.

Ling Tong didn’t make a ruckus anymore after she was carried, and only cried softly.

“Retreat!” With this order from Zhu Ran, all the troops in the surroundings and below the city retreated.

“Reinforcements?” I softly asked Gan Ning as I looked at the retreating enemies, feeling relieved in my heart.

“Yes. Lord Su Fei’s navy was due to arrive today.” Gan Ning said as she pointed at the river.

I looked over, and saw several male and female military personnel who wore short clothing running over from the riverside. They should be the Jiangxia naval forces.

“It will be difficult for them to keep their siege up.”

Now that they are here, they will get surrounded, and our side will be supported by the cannons so not only will they lose, their losses will be great as well.

Ah, speaking of which…

“Lord Gan Ning, could it be that Lord Huang Zu left the city to do battle so that she could draw the enemy in to lay siege on the city?”

“Who knows? I don’t know what the Administrator thinks, nor does she lets me know.” Gan Ning said as she loosened and took off her white scarf, and let out a sigh.

I knew that if I asked any further, I would probably step on a landmine so I kept my mouth shut. At the same time, I felt that what I proposed was also impossible as well as our side’s losses weren’t small either and it was clear that our side’s gains weren’t that sizeable, if any.