— Improvise, adapt as needed.
These eight characters caught Zhong Yao’s eye, and he felt his world crumbling.
Improvise?
He had a little over a hundred soldiers, facing over a hundred thousand troops from Guanzhong, in a region where martial prowess was paramount and strength was respected. His only skill was calligraphy; it seemed there was nothing for him to improvise upon!
As for adapting as needed.
Heh…
Zhong Yao simply let out a “heh!”
In the past, he had heard how Lu Yu had sent Cheng Yu and others into perilous situations on missions.
But it seemed…
According to Cheng Yu’s later accounts, Lu Yu could always accurately predict the enemy’s every move, allowing them to act with precision. Thus, Cheng Yu often turned peril into safety, achieving miracles by finding life in the face of death.
But… why was it suddenly “adapt as needed” for him? Young Master Lu, oh, Young Master Lu, couldn’t you offer a bit more guidance!
At this moment…
Zhong Yao felt as if his strategy pouch was completely empty.
Hoo…
With another long sigh, Zhong Yao tried to compose himself. With so many Dragon Roar Camp knights following him, he couldn't possibly run. He would have to face it head-on!
His eyes narrowed as he rapidly considered his options.
What were his weaknesses? His lack of troops and physical strength!
What were his strengths? The Emperor’s decree and his intellect!
…So then…
The question arose: would the Emperor’s decree hold any sway with these Guanzhong warlords?
And how could he use his intellect to overcome the brute strength of these Guanzhong warriors?
Just as he pondered this…
A Dragon Roar Camp knight approached Zhong Yao quickly. “Prefect Zhong, Commander Lu has a message for me to deliver to you upon reaching this Guanzhong region.”
This Dragon Roar Camp knight was a centurion, and his words made Zhong Yao’s eyes fly open, his spirit instantly revitalized.
“Commander Lu gave instructions?” he asked urgently…
He had thought his strategy pouch was empty, but it turned out… Lu Yu’s words were being conveyed through this Dragon Roar Camp centurion!
Hoo… you scared this old man to death, I really thought he hadn’t left any instructions.
Speaking of which.
The moment these words left his mouth, Zhong Yao’s mood calmed considerably. He regained the composure and serene demeanor characteristic of a great calligrapher.
After all, Cheng Yu, the Commander, had set a precedent. If Lu Yu could provide even a sliver of guidance, he, Zhong Yao, would dare to break this deadlocked situation!
The Dragon Roar Camp centurion truthfully reported:
“Young Master Lu asked me to relay a message to Prefect Zhong. He said…”
At this point, the centurion’s tone became choked, as if there were unspeakable difficulties.
This made Zhong Yao anxious…
“You, you’re not going to say it? The Dragon Roar Camp soldiers are all upright men. Speak your mind! What kind of behavior is this, hemming and hawing? Isn’t this a disgrace to your Commander Lu?”
“Gulp…”
As these words left his mouth, the Dragon Roar Camp centurion swallowed hard and, with a resolute spirit, declared loudly, “Commander Lu said that Prefect Zhong is incapable in that regard. He’s over forty, with countless concubines, yet has no children!”
“If this mission is completed successfully, Commander Lu will definitely cure Prefect Zhong’s male infertility! Allowing Prefect Zhong to have an heir within a year!”
This…
Gulp…
Zhong Yao suddenly swallowed, his pupils widening at that very moment!
What was this? Was this centurion a clown sent by monkeys?
While the words the centurion shouted out were not inherently problematic, because of Zhong Yao’s request, he had shouted them at the top of his lungs.
And as these words spread…
Everyone in the cavalry turned their heads to look at Zhong Yao, their eyes wide, their gaze seeming to be fixed on Zhong Yao’s… well, you know.
Uh…
“Gulp,” he swallowed another mouthful of bitter water, cold sweat breaking out on Zhong Yao’s back.
— This was a large-scale social death scene!
The fact that he had no sons at forty was originally his own secret. But now, at this moment… he felt as if the whole world knew.
Of course…
Lu Yu had his reasons for having the Dragon Roar Camp knights deliver this message to Zhong Yao.
Zhong Yao had two sons in his lifetime: one named Zhong Yu, and the other the famous Zhong Hui.
This seemed to be perfectly fine.
But in reality… Zhong Yao’s two sons were born when he was fifty and seventy-four years old, respectively.
Especially the seventy-four-year-old Zhong Yao, who, at over seventy years old, rejoiced at the birth of his young son Zhong Hui, a truly celebratory occasion.
However…
This also precisely proved the fact that the forty-year-old Zhong Yao was still unable to have children.
In ancient times…
It was a matter of great shame for a man of forty to be without offspring.
To ensure absolute certainty, Lu Yu had specifically sent people to investigate Zhong Yao.
He knew that Zhong Yao’s household had many concubines. Despite being a great calligrapher, he was extremely enthusiastic about matters of the bedchamber, almost acting as a groom every night.
Of course, be it enthusiasm or being a groom, Lu Yu could understand. Old Zhong wasn’t simply driven by desire; he was purely focused on having a son. In summation, Old Zhong was still a person who had transcended base desires.
Given this…
It was highly probable that Zhong Yao was ill, suffering from male infertility.
— To cure infertility, find Lu Yu; to cure male ailments, you naturally must find Lu Yu!
Therefore, whether it was Lu Yu’s strategy pouch or his message delivered through someone, it was all about stimulating Zhong Yao’s emotions…
Filial piety has three branches, and the greatest is to have no posterity.
Damn it, Guanzhong is yours to handle. Whether you can have a son depends entirely on you. Can you still not give it your all?
However…
It was a bit awkward at this moment.
Zhong Yao felt stiff all over. He was bewildered; he had tried his best to have children… but being unable to have children was also beyond his control!
Of course, for someone like him, a man without heirs at forty, the yearning for a child…
far surpassed that of Lady Ding.
And nothing could ignite the fervor and passion in Zhong Yao’s heart more than this.
Moreover, Lu Yu was a divine physician. If he could have children, he would certainly have them!
“Prefect… Prefect Zhong!” Perhaps feeling guilty for causing Zhong Yao such social embarrassment, the centurion repeatedly tried to comfort him, “I have a friend, and I also suffered from the same… ailments as Prefect Zhong…”
He intended to say that his friend had no children in his forties, but at over fifty, he had two children in three years!
“Cough cough…”
Before the centurion could finish speaking, Zhong Yao coughed loudly and straightened his back.
“Immediately send word to the Guanzhong lords such as Han Sui and Ma Teng. Inform them that the Prefect of Sizhou and Prefect of Chang’an, appointed by the Imperial Court, Zhong Yao, has arrived. This Prefect invites them for tea!”
Suddenly, Zhong Yao’s tone hardened, and his actions became decisive. The aura of the great calligrapher fully emerged.
— Calm and collected, serene and composed!
This time, to pacify the Guanzhong warlords, even if it wasn't for fame and fortune, or for the glory of his family, even if it was just to have a son, he, Zhong Yao, would give it his all!
Damn it! I’ll go for it!
“Yes… yes…”
Upon hearing Zhong Yao’s command, the centurion quickly went to make arrangements.
“Wait!” Zhong Yao called him to a halt. Despite still feeling the stares of everyone fixed on a certain part of his body, he no longer cared.
What was social death?
What did it matter if people knew he couldn't have children at forty?
As long as it allowed him to have children, even ten more instances of social death wouldn't matter!
“Cough cough…” Clearing his throat, Zhong Yao asked sternly, “Lad, what you just said, is it all true? Was that Commander Lu’s exact wording? Did he say he could cure my male infertility?”
Uh…
These words completely bewildered the centurion.
It seemed, perhaps, that was what he said? Right?
…
…
In Mount Tai, a mountain stronghold stood proudly.
The stronghold was vast. Amidst these majestic mountains, it wasn't a single peak standing out, nor a cluster of three or five. Instead, it was a continuous stretch of thousands of peaks and tens of thousands of precipices, as if… every mountain bore the shadow of this stronghold.
This was the place where Lü Bu’s subordinate Zang Ba and the Mount Tai Army were stationed. Over thirty thousand armored soldiers of the Mount Tai Army resided on the winding mountain slopes. Perhaps calling them armored soldiers was less fitting than calling them mountain bandits.
At this moment, it was high noon. Numerous mountain bandits had their chests bared, allowing the afternoon sun to shine upon them. These were all rugged men.
Hoo…
With a soft sigh, before a cliff face, a slender woman dressed in red stood out conspicuously. Amidst these rough, tough men on the slopes of Mount Tai, she was remarkably eye-catching.
However, her eyes shifted, her expression complex…
That’s right, she was Lü Lingqi, Lü Bu’s eldest daughter. For more than ten days, she had followed Uncle Zang Ba and finally escaped to Mount Tai. Relying on the advantage of the treacherous mountain terrain, the excellent mountain combat experience of the Mount Tai Army, and Uncle Zang Ba’s reputation in Xuzhou, she had finally managed to breathe a sigh of relief!
She had escaped from the brink of death!
However…
Lü Lingqi had no idea what the situation was like in Xiapi City at this moment. Her father, Lü Bu, her young mother Diao Chan, her sister Ling Ju—were they alive or dead?
Green…
The entire expanse of Mount Tai was covered in lush trees, a sea of vibrant green. Standing amidst this simple, unadorned greenery.
Lü Lingqi’s red attire did not add extraneous color. Instead, it amplified her infinite longing and worry!
“Eldest Miss… something’s wrong…”
Just then, Zang Ba rushed over, his brows tightly furrowed.
Speaking of Zang Ba, he had once been a ruler in his own right. Lü Bu had campaigned against him, and the two had fought, with victories and defeats on both sides. Lü Bu admired Zang Ba’s character, and Zang Ba admired Lü Bu’s martial prowess. Thus, they resolved their enmity and became sworn brothers.
It was for this reason that Zang Ba, bound by righteousness, cared for Lü Lingqi even more than his own biological daughter.
He knew Lü Lingqi was worried about Lü Bu’s safety. Therefore… as soon as he returned to the Mount Tai Army and established defensive lines, he personally led his men down the mountain to gather information.
But… the results of his inquiries were…
“Uncle Zang? Have you found any news about my father?” Lü Lingqi quickly stepped forward. The worries of the past few days had transformed her, usually boisterous, into someone taciturn and extremely sensitive.
“I have… but…” Zang Ba paused, his brows knitted, and he truthfully informed Lü Lingqi, “The four gates of Xiapi City were opened wide. Cao’s army entered. General Lü was captured. He… he was killed by Cao Cao! General Lü… perished, perished at Bai Men Tower!”
— Lü Bu’s demise at Bai Men Tower, Commander Cao conquering the Central Plains!
The news had already spread…
In every street, alley, tavern, and tea stall, people were discussing this very matter!
Without much delay… Zang Ba had confirmed the news and rushed back to inform Eldest Miss Lü Lingqi at the earliest opportunity.
However…
As his words left his mouth, the unprepared Lü Lingqi’s pupils suddenly widened, her heart tightening…
Stomp… stomp!
She stumbled back two steps, her legs giving way. If Zang Ba hadn’t grabbed her spear, Lü Lingqi would have almost… fallen into the abyss.
Father? Perished?
Boom…
Boom, boom, boom!
Her father’s death… this was undoubtedly a devastating blow to Lü Lingqi!
The sky had fallen. At this moment, she felt as if the sky had collapsed.
“Father, how could Father… how could he have perished?”
“He… he could have surrendered! Did… did he not surrender?”
Regaining her senses, Lü Lingqi asked urgently.
“He surrendered, but…” Zang Ba recounted what he had learned. “Lord Wen had clearly surrendered, yet Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Cheng Lian, those four traitors… repeatedly urged Cao Cao… to kill the General!”
“And… and Liu Bei, this hypocritical villain, ignoring the kindness of Lord Wen saving him at Yuan Men She Ji in the past, actually recounted the matters of Ding Yuan, Dong Zhuo, and Wang Yun to Cao Cao… to incite Cao Cao’s anger…”
“It was for this reason… that Cao Cao… he… he… killed Lord Wen! On Bai Men Tower, the executioner’s blade ended his life. Lord Wen, invincible under heaven, yet… died without his body being whole!”
Voice hoarse…
Zang Ba’s voice was hoarse with emotion!
And Lü Lingqi, her chest heaving, her eyes widening, widening, widening!
How she wished that Uncle Zang Ba’s words were false.
But…
But how could this be false?
It was merely self-deception…
— “Ah…”
— “Ah…”
A piercing roar. For the seventeen-year-old Lü Lingqi, this blow was too great, too great…
She didn’t know what to do. She could only howl, to vent the hatred and injustice in her heart!
Clearly… clearly Father had surrendered!
Why…
Why did you kill him!
— “Ah…”
After another roar, “Clang clang clang”… Lü Lingqi’s spear fell to the ground. The spear’s sound was a low hum. Lü Lingqi crouched down, her head buried in her arms, tears streaming uncontrollably.
“Drip, drip!”
Soon, these tears quickly soaked through, staining the stone steps beneath her.
Countless Mount Tai soldiers lowered their heads in unspoken understanding. Their brows were also filled with immense sorrow…
At this moment…
The Eldest Miss had lost her father, and countless Mount Tai soldiers had lost their peerless general!
Silence…
A long, profound silence!
Only the chirping of insects, the calls of birds, and… Lü Lingqi’s ceaseless sobs could be heard.
“Eldest Miss… if… if Lord Wen’s spirit is in heaven, he… he wouldn’t want to see Eldest Miss like this, would he?”
Zang Ba repeatedly tried to comfort her, and indeed, his eyes were also brimming with tears.
At this moment, he too had lost his brother, his lord.
For a loyal person, this blow was heavy enough!
“Uncle Zang…”
Finally, Lü Lingqi slowly stood up. Her white teeth bit tightly against her pale lips, her cheeks also ashen as paper. She crouched down again and picked up her spear.
Her hands instinctively tightened, the force of her grip as if Lü Lingqi intended to crush the spear shaft!
“Uncle Zang, could you find someone to tattoo a few names onto my sleeves?” Lü Lingqi softly requested!
“Names? What names?”
Zang Ba quickly asked.
Lü Lingqi’s voice echoed again. “Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, Song Xian, Cheng Lian… Liu Bei! Cao Cao!”
She recited six names in succession…
This time, Zang Ba understood. The Eldest Miss intended to have the names of her six enemies tattooed onto her sleeves; she sought revenge.
“Eldest Miss, this…” Zang Ba wanted to advise her.
After all, even though Eldest Miss had extraordinary talent, was a martial prodigy, and possessed exceptional martial arts skills, she was still young…
Her martial arts, let alone Liu Bei, were no match for the highly skilled guards by Cao Cao’s side!
Even Wei Xu, Hou Cheng, Song Xian, and Cheng Lian might not be her match, given Eldest Miss’s spear techniques.
But…
The words of persuasion, Zang Ba ultimately couldn’t utter them.
The revenge for her father’s murder was irreconcilable. How could he stop Eldest Miss from seeking vengeance?
“If Eldest Miss seeks revenge, count Zang Ba among you! None of us in the Mount Tai Army are cowards. We have all remembered this grudge! Tomorrow… we will kill our way back to Xiapi City, to avenge Lord Wen!”
Patting his chest, Zang Ba’s hands also clenched involuntarily.
Hoo…
Lü Lingqi waved her hand, signaling him to stop. “Although Uncle Zang’s martial arts are excellent, they are not as good as Guan Yu or Zhang Fei, nor as good as the ancient Fierce General. How can the Mount Tai Army, however valiant, contend against hundreds of thousands of Cao’s soldiers?”
Lü Lingqi’s tone suddenly became exceptionally calm.
People grow.
And her father’s death… this event had caused Lü Lingqi to mature overnight. She was no longer the willful, capricious, and fiery Eldest Miss, but a wise, strategic female general of a noble household!
“Eldest Miss means…” Zang Ba continued to ask.
“In a direct confrontation, we cannot be Cao Cao’s match. Even ten years from now, we would have no chance. But… what if it were an assassination? What if… my spear skills could become even more refined?”
Lü Lingqi’s voice echoed…
Zang Ba’s heart gave a jolt. Assassination, assassination?
But… to assassinate, one must first get past the guards of Cao Cao and Liu Bei!
Whether it was Guan Yu or Zhang Fei, or Xu Chu… they were all difficult to deal with!
As for… Eldest Miss wanting to refine her spear skills?
How easy would that be?
“Eldest Miss, in terms of spear techniques in this world today, the three strongest are Zhang Ren, the Spear King of Xichuan; Zhang Xiu, the Spear King of Beidi; and Zhao Zilong of Changshan. If Eldest Miss wishes to master spear techniques, she would need to seek guidance from these three. However… even if she learned their spear techniques, it might not be enough to assassinate Cao Cao!”
Zang Ba was not trying to pour cold water on her ambitions; this was an objective, rational analysis.
But he was only half right.
“There is one person whose spear techniques, if learned, would be sufficient to assassinate these enemies…” Lü Lingqi’s tone became even more resolute. She paused slightly, then uttered that person’s name.
“The Divine Spear Master of this era—Tong Yuan!”
“Uncle Zang, don’t you know? The师傅 of the Spear King of Beidi Zhang Xiu, the Spear King of Xichuan Zhang Ren, and Zhao Zilong of Changshan, is this—Tong Yuan!”
Lü Lingqi’s words were exceptionally serious, exceptionally solemn, not at all like she was joking!
“I plan to head north to Youzhou. I’ve heard Tong Yuan lives in seclusion there. If… if I could receive his tutelage in spear techniques, perhaps… perhaps…”
Lü Lingqi did not finish her sentence…
But her meaning was crystal clear: with Tong Yuan’s true transmission, perhaps… it would be enough for her to assassinate these enemies and avenge her father.
However…
The path to seeking apprenticeship and learning would undoubtedly be extremely arduous.
This…
Zang Ba paused. He pondered for a moment, then nodded…
Consenting to the Eldest Miss’s request.
This was also one of the few opportunities they had to avenge Lord Wen.
— “When will Eldest Miss depart?”
— “Tomorrow!”
— “And when will Eldest Miss return?”
— “Unknown!”
One question, one answer… Lü Lingqi truly didn’t know. All she knew was this!
The day of her return, Lü Lingqi, would be the day of vengeance, the day of blood repaid for blood!
With this thought, Lü Lingqi turned around, intending to give Uncle Zang Ba a few more instructions, but suddenly, she remembered someone else.
That’s right…
Her enemies were not just those six; there was one more!
The instigator, the prime culprit behind her father’s death, was this person!
Hoo…
With a light sigh, Lü Lingqi’s eyes opened, a glint of killing intent appearing in her gaze.
“Uncle, I hope you will instruct your subordinates to tattoo the name of another enemy onto my sleeves!”
— “Who?”
“The instigator, the prime culprit who killed my father, the Commander of the Dragon Roar Camp—Lu Yu!”
— With a clear female voice, filled with killing intent, a sharp glint appeared!
…
…