It Wasn't a Martial Arts World, but the Three Kingdoms

Chapter 119. The Defense of Hongnong Commandery (3)

Deep within the forest, the early morning pine breeze was chilling.

At some point, no birds could be heard, and even the sound of insects had quieted.

In this windless silence, Rui Ji, who was directing the wagons, began to glance around anxiously.

Then.

—Snap!

Suddenly, a sound of a breaking branch came from afar.

The forest’s silence deepened, and the soldiers halted, unable to hide their tense expressions.

There was no real need to worry.

With sentries posted thoroughly in all directions, their defensive posture was perfect.

So, if there was any anomaly, they would quickly detect it.

Moreover, look at that towering mountain.

Logically, there was no way for them to attack this supply route.

“Tch, am I worrying for nothing because I’m getting old?”

The leaves were still, and not even a bird’s chirp could be heard.

Mist faintly rose between moss-covered rocks and old pine trees.

The soldier sat down.

As the lead soldier sat, the wagons following behind also halted.

The commander watching this scene, the supply officer Rui Ji, took a gourd bottle and shouted.

“Rest! We’ll depart as soon as day breaks!”

A sigh of relief was heard.

These weaklings.

Someday, military discipline would have to be strictly enforced.

Thinking this, Rui Ji tilted his head back.

The night made one drowsy.

Sometimes, when he looked up at the cluster of stars, he could finally see the world with a clear mind, free from all the filth.

At those times, he often remembered the day he met his lord.

‘Do you see that star?’

‘A star, you mean?’

‘Yes, a star.’

Back then, Sun Jian was still young.

He wasn’t the wrinkled man of today, and his cheeks were not sunken—he was a man brimming with youthful vigor.

He always reached out to the night sky.

‘The night of the Han Dynasty is so cold.’

Nights are cold. It’s a simple fact, but accepting it is not easy.

‘Even so, don’t the stars shine so brightly?’

When it’s cold, there’s a lack of food.

Bodies shiver, seeking warmth.

The light emitted by those unknown celestial bodies was the source that allowed humans to survive the night.

‘But now, what do you see?’

‘…It’s dark.’

Rui Ji knew that this was a metaphor. He turned his head and gazed at the starless night sky.

‘Yes, it’s truly dark. Thus, the people of the world endure this cold with their frail bodies, without anything to lean on.’

Sun Jian drew his sword.

That brave figure etched itself into Rui Ji’s retina.

‘I wish this night would brighten. At the very least, I hope a star the people can lean on will rise again. And I hope that star will be me, Sun Jian.’

His lord’s vivid gaze still echoed in Rui Ji’s ears. It seemed like the daydream of a child who hadn’t yet matured.

Nevertheless, Rui Ji followed him without a second thought.

Once more, silence settled in. A silence that tightened one’s breath.

The wind remained cold. It was a perfect chill.

Then the wind blew. Leaves scattered.

A leaf gently landed in Rui Ji’s cup.

Rui Ji slowly picked up the leaf.

And when he held the leaf in his hand—

—Whoosh!

A fire ignited.

The flame that shot up between the mist was located where the wagons were in the rear.

Rui Ji stared at it blankly for a moment. Countless thoughts flashed through his mind.

That moment lasted one second.

Then the screams of soldiers rang out from close range.

That moment lasted two seconds.

And from the mist, two figures emerged.

That moment lasted three seconds.

“Hahaha! Twenty-four to twenty-nine! Victory for me!”

“Damn, you’re such a child.”

“Idiot, what? You upset because you lost?”

“Damn it.”

The two were cloaked in black cloth.

Rui Ji thought.

They had been vigilant.

With over fifty sentries posted, one could even say it was excessive.

But why?

“Oh, that’s burning quite nicely over there. It must have drawn a lot of attention.”

“Indeed.”

How were these two standing calmly before him?

Who on earth were they?

“Anyway, I’m tired of playing assassin. Let’s start this for real.”

“Wow, look at this guy holding a grudge.”

Instinctively, Rui Ji drew his sword and shouted.

“We’re under attack!”

All around, the sound of swords clashing filled the air.

However, they hadn’t formed ranks.

At this moment, they were nothing more than a disorganized mob.

Rui Ji quickly turned to the rear and continued to shout.

“Everyone, get into formation!”

The two at the front were not ordinary.

Any martial artist could sense the aura emanating from them.

On his orders, the soldiers guarding the wagons moved forward with weapons drawn, leaving only a few to defend the rear.

“What’s the status at the rear? And the number of enemies?”

“Around a hundred cavalry, sir…! But the enemies at the rear have split and are retreating…!”

“Then tell the rear guards to pursue them!”

“Yes, sir!”

Rui Ji issued commands urgently, but time did not flow equally.

Time was always in favor of the strong.

Rui Ji, having faced countless battles alongside Sun Jian, knew this better than anyone.

Time had always been their privilege.

—Boom!

The woman’s red hair began to emerge from beneath the black cloth. Her fiery red hair blazed like fire.

“Lü Bu!”

Lü Bu Fengxian.

The Peerless Warrior of the World.

She was the woman even Sun Jian, their lord, couldn’t guarantee victory against.

Indeed, as she swung her halberd, dust rose like an explosion.

It was dazzling.

So dazzling it was almost violent. No matter how many soldiers they threw at her, she couldn’t be defeated without proper formation.

He didn’t know why Lü Bu was attacking them, but there was no time to dwell on trivial matters.

Think.

If it’s just her, she can be dealt with.

They only have a hundred men.

Even if they took some losses, they could somehow surround her.

Rui Ji gritted his teeth and pointed his sword at the woman, shouting.

“Stay calm! We must surround that woman! If we form ranks around her, we can win!”

The overwhelming difference in numbers had always been one of the greatest strategies. History, written in blood, proved this.

However, something felt wrong.

If that’s the case, then who is that man standing idly beside Lü Bu?

Unlike Lü Bu, he was still.

He moved slowly, barely noticeable, cloaked in cloth, making it hard to even capture his movements with the eyes.

Yet.

—Thud! Thud!

Before him, the soldiers were already strewn on the ground. He hadn’t drawn a sword. He hadn’t even raised a fist.

There wasn’t even a notable movement.

Yet the soldiers who tried to block him fell one by one.

Adding to the chaos, their cavalry continued to set fire to the rear supply wagons.

The front line’s forces were severely lacking.

How could this be? Just two people were overwhelming hundreds of troops.

It made no sense. This had to be a mistake.

But if it was possible…

Rui Ji finally understood why they appeared only after setting the rear wagons ablaze.

They had divided the forces at the rear. For the sake of these two.

Rui Ji clicked his tongue.

At this point, they had to sever the heads of Lü Bu and that man.

It was just two of them. Even with their forces split, it was still doable.

“Bring the wagons from the rear to the front! Gather all the troops to the front!”

Then it happened. The sound of a sword being drawn—sharp and distinct.

Loud enough to be heard from where Rui Ji stood.

“…That’s…”

As Rui Ji’s eyes widened, the figure disappeared. There was no discernible movement.

Yet when he turned his head, the man was there, and behind him were only the bloodstains of Rui Ji’s men.

He had seen it once before.

A real-life specter.

The ghost wielded an elusive sword style, existing and not existing, flowing through the battlefield.

A thick vein bulged on Rui Ji’s forehead. His face turned red.

The ghost who dulled his lord’s blade.

How he had ground his teeth, desperate to capture it.

But the ghost was no more. It was nothing more than a wraith, long dead.

“Unryong.”

Suddenly, Rui Ji muttered the name of the ghost.

And he took a step forward.

His subordinates weren’t enough. But retreating now would corner his lord.

So he would win. Even if it meant dying.

Rui Ji, his determination evident, pointed his sword at the man.

And the man, having effortlessly dispatched the surrounding soldiers, walked on leisurely.

As the soldiers tried to flank him—

—Whoosh!

Lü Bu’s mighty halberd swept through the air.

An incredible force.

It didn’t even touch them, yet men were sent flying.

“Filthy wretches, how dare you try to take my prey?”

Lü Bu rested her halberd on her shoulder and sneered.

The soldiers, who had never encountered true qi, began to feel the grip of terror.

They hesitated.

Rui Ji, however, did not falter.

He gripped his sword with both hands, moving forward without stopping.

Then, another gust of wind blew.

The wind blew, sweeping away the cloth that had shrouded the man.

Red eyes and black hair.

It was him.

The hero who wielded a ghostly sword technique.

“Unryong!”

Rui Ji leaped, swinging his sword.

He remembered well the injuries the man had sustained.

He likely hadn’t fully recovered.

So he had to be defeated now, in this moment.

But his sword never reached him.

Unryong casually raised his index finger.

Then flicked it.

Rui Ji’s sword was instantly sent skyward.

Tap, tap.

Immediately after, two fingers pierced into Rui Ji’s shoulders.

There was no sensation.

Still, Rui Ji’s arms went limp.

‘…How?’

Rui Ji’s mind raced. He couldn’t find the answer.

“Ah, sorry about this. I promised the kid.”

—Whoosh! Crackle!

With the front line’s forces focused forward, the flames consuming the wagons grew fiercer.

Under that glow, Unryong’s crimson eyes gleamed even more intensely.

Rui Ji clenched his teeth, blood seeping from his lips.

“Damn rat… so you’re still alive.”

“Looks like it.”

Unryong shrugged.

Rui Ji’s eyes widened.

“You think this world belongs to you? Ridiculous! You know nothing, boy. This world isn’t something a brat like you can grasp!”

“You sure talk a lot.”

Rui Ji approached Unryong with his arms hanging limply.

“Heh, hahaha! Let’s see how long you can stay so composed. I believe in my lord. He will one day rule this world!”

“Are you done talking?”

Unryong’s eyes darkened. His expression was now completely serious.

As the wind stirred, a leaf fluttered down before Rui Ji.

And then, it split in two.

The leaf was cleanly severed in half.

‘…A star.’

For a brief moment, he saw a blue light.

Rui Ji faintly smiled.

—Thud!

And so, Rui Ji’s bisected body fell alongside the leaf.

Unryong flicked the blood off his sword.

His blade was flowing with blue qi.

Such a pity.

That was the true nature of the star Rui Ji had seen.