Chapter 66: The Path of Unryong (1)
Cavalry collided on the battlefield where everyone was entangled with one another.
“Everyone, draw your swords! Never be afraid!”
At Unsam’s shout, they charged fiercely, and the disorganized Lü Bu’s forces were knocked down.
The unexpected impact was enormous.
Sima Yi, watching from a distance, nodded lightly and turned her gaze away.
It was a distance far beyond what Sima Yi’s naked eyes could perceive.
Following the epicenter where only thunderous noises reverberated, Sima Yi’s violet eyes flickered.
‘Uncle…’
Although the process was not perfect, the board they created together with Chen Gong was now unfolding.
At this rate, the coalition would claim victory.
And if Unryong finally defeats Lü Bu, his mere presence would become a terror, making the remaining Dong Zhuo’s forces unable to respond easily.
In the end, it was all about momentum.
Whether they could push forward with this momentum or falter and let it slip away, it all depended on Unryong.
– Clap! Clap!
Sima Yi then slapped her own cheeks. Now wasn’t the time to worry about others.
He was a famed sword. A man destined to become the greatest in the world in the future.
Sima Yi had no need to worry about such a person.
What the girl needed to do was create a place for him to return.
That was the goal that a strategist of the army should aim for.
Sima Yi’s gaze returned to the battlefield.
‘The enemy’s formation was broken by the cavalry charge. The archers have run out of arrows, and their generals are weakened.’
Just as the girl had said, Zhang Liao and Gao Shun were being suppressed by Cao Hong, Zhao Yun, Xiahou Dun, and Xu Chu.
Thus, Lü Bu’s forces lost their center and the command structure was shattered.
No matter how much they prided themselves on being a free army, having no structure at all was a completely different story.
‘If we merge the Governor of Shangdang’s forces into the center, strengthening the middle, we can do this.’
Tap, tap, tap. Inside Sima Yi’s small head, the grand strategy was completed.
With that, Sima Yi raised her fan to her mouth and signaled the flag.
The sound of drums and horns echoed, and the Governor of Shangdang’s forces began merging into the center.
A checkmate.
‘This war is over.’
Sima Yi smirked.
It was at that moment.
Sima Yi widened her eyes.
From afar, a dark shadow began to emerge.
***
“Where is the Lieutenant General?”
“T-that is…”
“You damn woman.”
Li Ru clicked his tongue at the trembling soldier.
He could guess.
Jia Xu, that woman had ultimately withdrawn.
A foolish woman.
If they combined their strength, they could easily overcome this.
The same went for Li Jue and Guo Si.
He had long known they were petty men consumed by greed, but to be so lacking in discernment…
As he gnashed his teeth, the soldier beside him babbled irritatingly.
“What will you do now?”
“Is that even a question? Foolish one.”
“…P-please have mercy.”
“There won’t be a second time. Mind your wretched mouth.”
Li Ru grabbed the reins.
Behind him, no fewer than twenty thousand soldiers were lined up, following his lead.
“Advance.”
***
Fists collided.
They brushed against cheeks, struck abdomens, and pounded sides.
Covered in blood and dust, the two continued to charge at each other relentlessly.
Lü Bu’s fist slammed into the man’s face. A sound echoed as bones vibrated, accompanied by the noise of teeth breaking.
In response, Unryong used one leg as a pivot and swung his right foot.
A kick infused with internal energy—a technique known as Kicking Technique.
“Ugh!”
A weak groan escaped.
Both bodies were drenched in blood, which flowed profusely, but neither Lü Bu nor Unryong could stop.
They both knew.
If they stopped here, it would mean death.
The brutal fight of striking, getting hit, and repeating the cycle continued.
At some point, even after collapsing to the ground, they entangled, strangling each other’s necks, gouging eyes, and biting ears.
It was a harrowing scene where blood and mud were mixed together.
Could they still be called humans?
It was more like a blood battle between beasts.
If anyone were to witness it, they would be sure of the latter.
The fight went on.
Lü Bu’s breath became ragged.
He no longer had the strength to move his body.
The damage from when Unryong opened the Gate of Blood had been too severe.
– Smash!
At last, the man’s fist landed.
Lü Bu’s head snapped back, and the blue sky filled her vision.
Above it, drops of blood like red petals splattered over.
With a heavy thud, Lü Bu’s back hit the ground.
“Haah… haah…”
Her chest heaved up and down repeatedly.
Unryong gazed at her calmly.
“…It’s over now.”
“Shut… up…”
Even without words, Lü Bu could sense it.
Yes, it’s the end.
She had lost too much blood. Her mind was hazy, and her eyelids grew heavy.
She no longer had the strength to fight.
With that, the man turned around and staggered towards the distant sword.
Though the blade was broken, it was still a deadly weapon.
As she watched the man’s back, Lü Bu steadied her breath and spoke.
“…Unryong.”
“What do you want?”
Unryong replied without looking back. He continued walking towards the sword on trembling legs.
“Why do you go so far?”
“That again?”
“Answer me when I ask.”
At Lü Bu’s blunt words, Unryong couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Honestly, you’re still so rough, even at a moment like this?”
“Bullshit. You weren’t this strong when we first met.”
“…I was weak back then.”
“Yet you fought. You could’ve died if I wasn’t there.”
“That’s true.”
“Is it that damned chivalry again?”
“It’s a promise.”
The same question, a different answer.
If it were the old Unryong, he would have agreed without hesitation.
But now, he gave a different answer without any hesitation.
Lü Bu spoke again.
“A promise…?”
“I promised to find a child.”
“And you risk your life for such a pitiful reason?”
“That’s exactly why I risked my life.”
“Why?”
“A swordsman never breaks their promise.”
“Hah.”
She thought he had changed a little, but he was still the same foolish man.
“…I’ve met someone just as foolish as you once.”
Lü Bu bared her fierce teeth and smirked.
“That’s why you disgust me. When I look at you, it brings back filthy memories.”
“…”
“She was toyed with by bandits, suffered a fate worse than death, just to save a child. I dealt with those bastards myself later. When they were about to die, they cried and screamed. It was a sight. So, I gouged out their eyes and, while I was at it, chopped off their manhood too.”
“…”
Lü Bu giggled.
“Idiots. Foolish people. I don’t get it. You or that woman.”
“I see.”
Unryong neither agreed nor disagreed. He just calmly urged his steps forward.
Watching his back, Lü Bu spoke again.
“So tell me, what is at the end that you’d drive yourself into such a peril? Saving one child, keeping a promise to a mere commoner—what do you gain?”
“…”
Unryong bent down and grasped the hilt of the sword. His hands trembled, nearly making him drop it.
“I don’t know either. How would I know?”
But then, Unryong continued.
“There’s a way of Jianghu.”
“…Ah, damn it. What’s that?”
“A world where everyone is fed.”
“…”
“A world where helping the weak is natural, where kindness that should be given is given.”
“Bullshit.”
Lü Bu clicked her tongue. Then, she leaned her head against the ground, gazing quietly at the sky.
“A ridiculous joke. It’s just nonsense.”
She declared with unwavering conviction.
“But.”
Lü Bu lifted her head and looked into the eyes of the man approaching her, holding the sword hilt.
“Even so, you’re still aiming to achieve that childish fantasy?”
“I promised my brothers. I swore I would someday create a world where they could live in peace. I made the same promise to my disciple and the Governor. I can’t take it back now. If I were to give up here, wouldn’t it be shameful?”
The man’s eyes, as he spoke, held a certain conviction.
As if he had seen such a world.
Yes, you were always like that.
Spouting incomprehensible words, a guy whose head was strange somewhere.
Lü Bu let out a hollow laugh, unable to believe it.
She had lost.
All that remained for her was death.
Everything was over.
As much as she had wanted to deny him, it felt trivial now.
Even if she had won, she probably couldn’t have denied the existence of that man.
He would have spewed that kind of nonsense even at the last moment.
Thinking that way brought an oddly refreshing feeling.
The power that once reigned supreme over the world was now useless. For a warrior like Lü Bu, there was no longer any value left.
As Lü Bu slowly began to close her eyes—
“Yeo.”
“…”
“Yeo.”
“…”
“Yeo.”
“Ah, damn it! I finally made my peace, why do you keep calling…!”
“Thank you.”
“…”
His voice brushed against her ears.
That again.
Hearing thanks from the person about to cut off her head was not a pleasant feeling.
The incident in Bingzhou hadn’t been out of any desire to help. It was just a distraction, nothing more.
However, the look on his face as he spoke those words was utterly pitiful.
He looked even more wretched than Lü Bu, who was on the brink of death.
Seeing him like that made her insides twist for some reason. Her stomach churned, and her body felt hot.
Before she knew it, the man had drawn close.
Thump, thump.
Her heart pounded wildly as he neared.
Was this fear? Or was it something else?
Lü Bu couldn’t identify the emotion.
Only her left cheek felt like it was burning.
Just as the shattered blade came into Lü Bu’s view—
– Woooooooooo!
From afar, the sound of a massive horn echoed.
– Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!
Then, the drumbeats overlapped noisily.
Unryong and Lü Bu instinctively turned their gazes towards the source of the sound.
There, they could see the chaotic battlefield at a glance.
And dark shadows were steadily advancing toward the battlefield.
Soon, a military banner rose high into the air.
“That’s…”
Lü Bu immediately recognized the banner.
No doubt about it.
It was Li Ru’s banner.
While Lü Bu’s gaze was fixed on the banner, Unryong took a step forward.
Lü Bu looked at the man.
“What are you planning to do now…?”
The man walked past as if Lü Bu no longer existed.
“Hey, you…!”
And then, she saw his eyes.
A familiar look.
Suddenly, that day came to mind.
That day when clouds drifted, the sun shone, just like any other day.
Even then, the man wasn’t looking at her.
He was just swinging his sword absentmindedly.
Without stopping, continuously.
“You crazy bastard…!”
Lü Bu propped herself up on the ground.
She tried to get up quickly, but her legs wouldn’t obey.
Even in that moment, the man, with his battered body, limped forward, blood dripping with every step.
A trail of crimson blood bloomed in the wake of the man’s path.