Yun Chang POV

I yelled out once more as my mind went blank in an instant as the image of Guan Ping getting stabbed burned itself into my retinas. In the next instant, all that I could see in my mind was Guan Ping’s silly smile and the words she said when we sortied.

*Ceng*

Lu Xiang wordlessly pulled her spear out of Guan Ping, who crumpled to the ground lifelessly.

“Haa… Hu… Haa…” Lu Xiang struggled to catch her breath and looked completely exhausted but she still gripped her spear tightly and looked up as she stared into my eyes and pointed the spear at me, “You’re next, Guan Yu.”

She’s not being audacious, she’s acting like this because she is now fully immersed in battle. The last battle must have changed her a lot, so much so that she has become a killing machine the moment she stepped onto the battlefield. I wonder if her original personality still exists.

Perhaps her elder brother was her path.

… Forget it, I do not have the time or leisure to consider such things. As I looked at Guan Ping who lay on the floor, the flames of rage began to burn intensely inside even though I am not an impulsive individual.

“Though we belong to different factions, I would like to apologise for your elder brother’s death.” I said as I saluted and bowed slightly.

“That’s fine. My big brother is now in the soul. And we, are just fighting for our lords.” She said as she stared at me with murderous eyes, “And I won’t apologise for what I just did.” As she said so, she looked at the motionless Guan Ping with eyes that were completely devoid of pity.

“…” I wordlessly retracted my hands as I continued, “I, Guan Yu, was to raid Fan city while you, Lu Xiang, were to ambush us. We were both dishonourable so it was fair. However, you attacked my daughter, Guan Ping, from behind. This was dishonourable of you.”

When I finished, I raised 1 hand and gripped my Green Dragon Crescent Blade tightly.

“On the battlefield, honourable men kill men. As do dishonourable men. So what difference is there?” Lu Xiang said as she took a step towards me, “And at the end, honourable men die. As do dishonourable men. So what difference is there?”

“Hmph.” I scoffed at her realistic but unreasonable and empty words while trying to pull out my blade. Unfortunately, it did not budge in the least but I did not give up and continued to try and pull it out.

“Honourable men live, and die, honourably. Dishonourable men live, and die, dishonourably. Do you not understand that?”

“Honour, life and death have nothing to do with me. Back when big brother was still alive, he too talked to me about such things but I never understood what they meant.” Lu Xiang then charged up to me and stabbed. During the entire process, she continued to speak, “In the end, I am just a small fry!”

I stared at Lu Xiang as she charged at me, ignoring her spear, and concentrating instead on her empty eyes. All this while, I continued to try and pull my blade out but to no avail.

As Lu Xiang neared, her spear too neared and just as it was about to stab into my neck, I closed my eyes.

–*Ding*!

I calmly listened as a clear ring from the clash of our weapons filled my ears.

… Hu, I sighed and slowly opened my eyes.

Right in front of my was my Green Dragon Crescent Blade. Just now, right before Lu Xiang’s attack landed, I was finally able to pull it out in 1 go from the tree trunk and blocked Lu Xiang’s attack.

Behind my blade was Lu X

iang’s empty eyes. As I looked at her enraged expression, I began to feel sad for her.

“Lu Xiang,” I frowned as I softly called out to her, “I too am a small fry. But don’t small fries need a path they belong to as well?”

*Dang*!

“Wu!” Lu Xiang groaned as she landed shakily after having been sent flying back several meters from a strong push by me.

“I don’t understand anything about morals and ideals. Nor do I want to.” Lu Xiang said as she readied her stand and gripped her spear tightly, “In a world without big brother, I already have nothing to live for!”

*Ta*!

She kicked back the soil as she launched herself forward and stabbed at me.

As I looked at her, I too readied my stance. Alright, since you said as much–

“Yaaaaa!”

“Hah!”

— I will fulfill your unspoken wis.h.!.+

In the moment when we both roared, our blades flashed past each other, making several heavy clanging sounds. When our attacks were over, there was no more noise above the din of the pandemonium around us.

I blinked as I slowly exhaled and stared at the spear that stopped just millimeters in front of me, and Lu Xiang, who was also standing still in front of me, and had a look of disbelief on as she returned my gaze.

“… Impossible. In a place that is filled with tree trunks, how could you possibly have landed an attack from that far?”

“Why not?” I smiled, “I just need to cut down all the tree trunks in the way, that’s all.”

The duel has been decided.

“Uwa…” Lu Xiang moaned as a long wound appeared across her chest from which blood spewed out of. The tree trunks all around her that I had sliced through also began to fall over as gravity finally worked its powers, making dull thuds as Lu Xiang crumpled to the ground.

Though there were tree trunks falling all around us, the sounds of slaughter continued unabated. I looked over at Lu Xiang and saw that she did not get crushed by any tree trunk.

It’s a good thing that the trees around us are not century old trees but trees that are probably less than 3 decades old judging from the tree rings. As a result, the trunks were not too dense or thick for my blade to slice through them.

If I had failed to do so, the one on the ground would have been me.

As I thought so, I raised my blade and took a good look. The blade had already begun to break, with small tears on the side. If it were not for Su Shuang and Zhang s.h.i.+ Ping who managed to get a good blacksmith to craft this blade for me, I would not have been able to slice through the trees.

“Hu…” I sighed as I thought so. There were many uncertain factors throughout the entire duel but at the end, it all came down to martial bravery and luck.

A small fry huh…

I might appear to be important in many situations but I have really only fought a few battles. At the end of the day, the troubled times have not gone away and I am still me. The only difference between me and the average person is that I have a little more martial bravery and luck.

“Yaa! — Wu!!”

I calmly cut down any oncoming enemy troops as I continued my thoughts.

I am not a G.o.d of course, and defeat will eventually come. Like this battle, for instance.

“Lord Lu Xiang!!” “My lord!” “Commanding officer! Are you alright!”

All of a sudden, several people who seemed to be wearing the garb of senior officers realised what was happening here and sprinted over.

“You b.a.s.t.a.r.d!” What seemed like a thousand-man general angrily charged over and attacked me. I did not take him too seriously and merely blocked his attack and other subsequent attacks that were rather monotonous to be honest.

“Kuh…” He looked at me with eyes that were filled with hatred but his hand that held his longsword had already begun to tremble. Though his martial prowess is far below mine, his martial bravery is not too far off.

While all this was going on, the other generals worked together and carried away Lu Xiang before running off. All of them had tears in their eyes as they looked over from time to time.

“Yaa!!” I looked at the man before me who seemed like he had made the resolve to die as he continued to charge recklessly at me.

This made me think back to the cavalry who helped them break the surround in the last battle. Half of them belonged to Lu Xiang and they were truly heroic as they charged into our ranks and held our attention long enough to enable a small band of troops to break out of the surround.

… Hai, Lu Xiang. Though you are just a small fry in this era, do you know how important you are to your subordinates?

I will just take it that she got lucky this time.

“Hei!”

“Uwa!” The enemy general yelped as I placed my blade against his neck after I knocked him away.

“You, consider yourself lucky today. I won’t be killing you.” I said as I withdrew my blade from his throat, “Our battle is at a stalemate now and neither side has a clear advantage. Why don’t you retreat and prepare for your lord’s funeral?”

When I finished, the general seemed dazed. Only when I stated at him did he understand what was going on and hurriedly got up as he made his way back to his troops. Even if I did not say all that, given the state their commanding officer is in, they clearly cannot continue fighting.

I looked about and saw that there were many wounded and dying soldiers around in just a short span of time. After the 2 volleys of arrows, and the ambush, it would be impossible for us to prevail. The sooner they pull back, the less our losses will be.

*Dang* *Dang* *Dang* *Dang*…

Just then, several gong sounds came from within the forest. The beat was light but very fast. When the enemy troops heard the gong beats, they seemed stunned but quickly began to retreat.