Liu Bei POV

Hai… I sighed as I dismounted and grabbed the reins while I walked to the front of the horse. As I looked into its eyes, I couldn’t help but be taken by how clear they were.

It’s a good horse but mastering it is no easy task at all. Looks like I better go slow for now and stop making it gallop at top speeds. Safety first after all.

“Ah! Benefactor, can you please not sing?!”

Just as I was preoccupied with my thoughts and was about to mount Dilu once more, a rather sonorous voice came from some distance away. When I looked into the direction from where it came from, I could see a column of smoke rising in the distance. Looks like there are travellers there.

The voice seemed rather vexed and there was suppressed anger contained within as well. But though there was anger, it seemed more like frustration. And leaving that aside… I feel like I’ve heard this voice somewhere before…

It feels really familiar… But I can’t quite remember where…

I was suspicious and also curious as I headed in the direction of the voice. I’ve travelled a fair bit already after all so I might as well check my bearings. These roads are windy and there’s also that Coriolis Effect thing or other that I learnt in geography.

As I walked on, I found that it was a slope with some shrubbery and vegetation as I got closer to the column of smoke. They probably looked for a lower area like this to set up camp for the night.

“I know that my si, inging isn’t very nice but that’s why I need mo, ore pra– practice.” As I got closer, a tender female voice could be heard.

The voice from before was much rougher so this voice cannot be from the same person as before. Though the voice itself is rather pleasing to the ears, it’s a little low pitched and she stammers a lot, making her sound very weird.

Could they be suspicious people?

“Green, green the river bank gra.s.s~ Long, long my thoughts for the distant~”

(TL: This is the opening line for a poem called 飲馬長城窟行 (yin ma chang cheng ku xing). Managed to find some translation of this line in some book online.)

Wu… Some rather unpleasant singing came just as I was thinking.

The tone was not just off, it varied wildly in just these few words. Though I could clearly hear the lyrics, the impression I got wasn’t the same from what I’d heard before. It feels like she is reciting them at some points and wailing at others. What’s truly terrifying is that such ear-piercing singing can result from such a sweet, tender voice.

“Who knows how long the distant path goes~ A dream came to me last night~”

(TL: My own translation, which is terrible. I’m a finance guy and have no literature talent whatsoever.)

Wu!

However, her singing did not stop because of my internal complaints. Instead, it got even more intense and sonorous, so much so that I had to cover my ears and stop walking.

Back when I was in Xuchang, I did have the chance to listen to music and singing performances from this era. It’s very different from contemporary music but it’s pleasing to the ears and I got used to it after a while.

Her songs however were truly impossible to be enjoyed for me. Could this be one of the wandering singers that Sima Hui was referring to? Should I say ‘as expected’ to this avantgarde display…

*Neigh*~~

Wu!

Just as I could no longer bear the suffering it wrought on me, Dilu gave up as it raised its front legs and gave a long, painful neigh. At this, I had no choice but to uncover my

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ears and try to calm it down.

“Who! Who’s there!” The rough, intense voice came from below the slope, giving me a jolt.

Have I been found out?! Hai… It’s fine even if I don’t confirm my whereabouts. I can just wing it myself, I thought as I turned Dilu around in the hopes of leaving quickly.

But just then, the sound of gra.s.s being trodden on came from behind and a figure flew to my front.

“Hand your life over!” That person yelled as she slashed down at me.

I was shocked and scared out of my wits as I instinctively reached to my back–

Right! My twin swords aren’t with me!

“Wu!” In the next instant, I instinctively let go of the reins when I realised I couldn’t dodge and rolled to the side. At the same time, I grabbed a stick from the ground to defend myself from the next attack.

“Yaa!!” The figure yelled out and slashed down just as I got into a squatting position after my roll. When I saw this, I hurriedly raised the stick to block–

In the next instant, all I heard was a *Pacha* sound as something solid fell on my head.

Ah… It’s over, it’s all over…

It must be a blade that has cut through the rotten stick in my hands and this is the sound it’s making as it’s going through my head.

I never thought that I’d die on the way back like this after escaping from a watery death. Looks like my fate is at an end now…

…

Un? Wait. If my head has been cut open, why am I still able to think?

“… Un?” I calmed myself down and opened one eye.

Eh? Why am I still able to see? Does that mean I’m not dead?!

I hurriedly opened both eyes and touched my head. There were no blades nor were there bits of my brain spilled out. The only thing I felt were wood splinters. So does that mean that my a.s.sailant grabbed a wooden stick like I did? That’s really too…

“… Oi.”

Just as I was heaving a sigh of relief, the person in front of me growled. When I looked up, I saw that she was standing in front of me with a very domineering aura. Because the sunlight shone down from behind her, I couldn’t quite make out her face.

“Ah! Please spare my life, oh great hero!” I very embarra.s.singly recoiled and begged when I remembered that she was still here.

“… Umm… Are you Imperial Uncle Liu?”

…

… Eh? Her voice sounds very familiar. Seeing that she was not hostile, I calmed down and searched my memories for who she was. Could, could it be that–

Though I felt that it was absolutely impossible, I still looked up and took a good look at the person in front of me. And when I saw that delicate, oval face with a long black fringe that covered half of her face, her name slipped out of my lips naturally.

“– Huang Zu?!” I cried out, “You! But aren’t you already–” I hurriedly stopped myself before I finished the sentence.

“Dead huh?” As expected, she was planning on interrupting me anyway.

But yes, didn’t the reports say that Huang Zu died in battle? Yet, here and now, Huang Zu is standing before me on her 2 feet. I’m in a rather pathetic state right now but that has not impaired my ability to recognise her.

Of course, there’s the possibility that she has a twin sister I don’t know about.

When I nodded in response, Huang Zu smiled rather happily.

“Hmph, I happened to be lucky enough to be helped by my benefactor and escaped death.” Huang Zu said as she reached out to me, “When I heard a sound coming from here, my body moved by itself. Apologies for this.”

“Ah, un. I understand.” I said as I held her hand and got up.

Huang Zu seems a little more friendlier than before… No, to be more precise, she no longer has her airs on. The Huang Zu from before would not have spoken or acted like this. The Huang Zu now also feels more dispirited than before.

As I thought so, I dusted myself and began to look closely at Huang Zu.

She’d shed her heavy plate armour and was now wearing a light red gown. Her dressing was simple and clean and there was even a hairpin in her hair. Overall, she looked much more feminine than before.

“… Is Imperial Uncle sizing me up?”

“Ah, no.” I said as I looked up. But I locked eyes with her when I did so and hurriedly turned away. Sensing that there was no excuse, I decided to come clean, “I just feel that the feel I get from Administrator Huang Zu is a little–”

“Different huh?”

“There are of course similarities.”

Like how you always interrupt people.

“Haha, perhaps.” She laughed and gave a meaningful expression when she heard what I said, “I’ve been resting and recovering from my wounds for close go a month now. While Jiangxia was deep in crisis, I was residing in a far off village with nothing to do. Naturally, I’m a lot more relaxed and have no reason to frown anymore that I have no troubles.”

When she finished, she moved her fringe and I saw a scar. It was from a single strong cut downwards and was rather deep. Fortunately, it had already healed so there should not be any issues.

“Is that… From Jiangxia?”

Huang Zu nodded as she put her fringe back down.

“Back then, that rascal Gan Ning captured me and slashed down at my head. I’d already made my resold to die.” As she said so, her eyes shrank to a line, as though it were replaying before her, “It was right as she slashed down that things happened just like in the heroic tales of old. My benefactor burst in and parted the crowds with a single slash, grabbed and fled from the battlefield. That was how I was saved.”

She summarised the whole event very concisely. When I looked at her, I could tell that though she seemed like there was not much to say about what happened, she is probably very grateful to be saved.